TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Iran ready to help passage of Japan ships in Strait of Hormuz: Araghchi
TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran is ready to facilitate the passage of Japanese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy shipments, and that negotiations with Japan on the issue are ongoing.
"We have not closed the strait. It is open," Araghchi said in a telephone interview with Kyodo News on Friday. He also stressed that Iran, which was attacked by the United States and Israel in late February, is seeking "not a cease-fire, but a complete, comprehensive and lasting end to the war."
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German defense chief eyes stronger security ties with Japan, new pact
BERLIN - Germany is ready to bolster security cooperation with Japan and sees the signing of a new bilateral defense agreement, potentially in procurement, as a possibility, its defense chief has said ahead of his visit to Japan.
In a written interview with Kyodo News, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius underscored his country's increasing commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, revealing plans for the German Air Force's largest deployment to the region to take part in a multinational military exercise in Australia.
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Death toll climbs to 14 after fire at auto parts factory in S. Korea
SEOUL - The death toll from a fire at an auto parts plant in central South Korea rose to 14, after three previously missing people were found dead, local media said Saturday.
The fire at the plant in Daejeon broke out at around 1:15 p.m. on Friday with around 170 workers inside. About 60 people were injured.
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FOCUS: Japan investment in U.S. can beef up ties with Trump but not without risks
TOKYO - The second batch of projects in the United States under Japan's $550 billion investment commitment, unveiled in Washington on Thursday, may help strengthen Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump but could force Japanese businesses into unfavorable contract terms, analysts said.
The latest projects worth $73 billion focus on the energy sector, with Takaichi describing them as timely initiatives given the Middle East crisis and growing power demand around the world. They come on top of the $36 billion of investment promised in the first round only a month ago.
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SoftBank Group's Son unveils $500 bil. AI data center investment in Ohio
PIKETON, Ohio - SoftBank Group Corp. plans to invest $500 billion to build an artificial intelligence data center in Ohio, with construction to begin sometime this year, the conglomerate's chairman and CEO said Friday.
Masayoshi Son, who attended a White House dinner on Thursday hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump for visiting Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, said the investment would be one of the largest in a single location.
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Sumo: Kirishima seals Spring title despite loss after rivals also falter
OSAKA - Sekiwake Kirishima lost his bout but still won the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament on Saturday with a day to spare as his two closest title rivals, yokozuna Hoshoryu and No. 5 maegashira Kotoshoho, also fell.
Kirishima (12-2), a former ozeki, went down against Ukrainian ozeki Aonishiki. But Hoshoryu (10-4) was then beaten by ozeki Kotozakura in the day's final bout to hand Kirishima his third Emperor's Cup with Kotoshoho (10-4) having also lost earlier at Edion Arena Osaka.
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Vietnamese technical trainee dies while fishing in central Japan
FUKUI, Japan - A Vietnamese technical trainee died and three other people went missing early Saturday after fishing near a breakwater lighthouse in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, local authorities said.
One of the group fell into the sea in an off-limits area and four others went missing after trying to save him. One person was rescued four hours later, according to the local coast guard.
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Trump says it would be "nice" if Japan helped protect Strait of Hormuz
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that "it would be nice" if Japan, China and other countries that are highly dependent on energy imports from the Middle East joined his efforts to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
In renewing his plea for such assistance, Trump asserted that a "simple military maneuver" is needed to reopen the strait, which has been effectively shut since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran started on Feb. 28.
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Video: Cherry blossom season arrives in Tokyo
