TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan gasoline price hits record-high 190.80 yen per liter amid Iran crisis
TOKYO - The average retail gasoline price in Japan has hit a record-high 190.80 yen ($1.2) per liter, reflecting higher crude oil prices amid the Iran war, industry ministry data showed Wednesday.
The average price as of Monday jumped 29.0 yen from March 9, rising for the fifth straight week, after the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran launched on Feb. 28 and Iranian retaliation against Gulf countries heightened energy supply concerns in resource-poor Japan.
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Trump says Japan support to secure Strait of Hormuz no longer needed
WASHINGTON - The United States no longer needs naval support from Japan and other allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, claiming military success has been achieved in its war with Iran.
Trump expressed displeasure with other NATO members, Australia, Japan and South Korea after they showed little interest in accepting his repeated requests to send warships to the crucial maritime corridor, through which around 20 percent of the world's oil shipments normally transit.
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Bank of Japan likely to keep policy rate steady, gauge Iran crisis impact
TOKYO - The Bank of Japan is likely to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a two-day policy meeting from Wednesday, as it gauges the impact of the Iran conflict and surging crude oil prices on the Japanese economy.
Many BOJ watchers expect the Policy Board to maintain the rate, which was hiked to around 0.75 percent, the highest since 1995, at its December meeting, amid uncertainty over the effects of the Middle East crisis on inflation and Japan's economy that is heavily reliant on fuel imports.
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Japan logs 57.3 bil. yen trade surplus in Feb., Iran crisis impact looms
TOKYO - Japan logged a trade surplus of 57.3 billion yen ($361 million) in February, helped by a rise in chip exports to other Asian countries, government data showed Wednesday, but the Iran conflict and concern over oil supply disruptions cloud the outlook.
Exports rose 4.2 percent to 9.57 trillion yen, up for the sixth consecutive month, while imports increased 10.2 percent from a year earlier to 9.51 trillion yen, both marking record highs for the month, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.
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Japan household assets hit record high at end of Dec. on rising stocks
TOKYO - Household assets in Japan at the end of December stood at a record-high 2,351 trillion yen ($15 trillion), up 5.3 percent from a year earlier, driven by rising stock prices, the Bank of Japan said Wednesday.
Assets were lifted by stockholdings, which soared 22.6 percent to 342 trillion yen, while households held 165 trillion yen in investment trusts, up 21.3 percent, both record highs. Cash and deposits edged up 0.5 percent to 1,140 trillion yen.
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Japan PM eyes cooperation on U.S. missile defense at summit with Trump
TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering expressing Japan's desire to cooperate on the U.S. "Golden Dome" next-generation missile defense system at her upcoming meeting with President Donald Trump, Japanese government sources said Tuesday.
The envisaged missile defense collaboration is among the expected agreements, covering various areas from the long-standing Japan-U.S. alliance to the fields of economic security and cutting-edge technology, at the summit slated for Thursday in Washington, the sources said.
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Sumo: Nat'l sport faces decline in new recruits despite growing popularity
TOKYO - Despite sumo's growing popularity, the number of people who took its entry exam ahead of the March tournament fell to a record low, underlining a serious shortage of talent in Japan's national sport.
Only 20 would-be wrestlers gathered for the test, a physical and medical examination, for the ongoing Spring Grand Sumo Tournament. It was the lowest figure since a rule requiring aspirants to have completed their compulsory education -- through junior high school in Japan -- took effect in 1973.
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Basketball: Japan qualifies for Women's World Cup for 5th straight time
TOKYO - Japan's national team secured qualification for the Women's Basketball World Cup in Germany for the fifth straight tournament with an 83-39 win over Argentina on Tuesday.
At a qualifying tournament in Istanbul, Japan finished fourth in the six-team pool with a 2-3 record but advanced as Australia, which had already secured a berth by winning the Women's Continental Cup, did not count toward qualification.
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