The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan hints at SDF dispatch for minesweeping in Hormuz after cease-fire
TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Sunday hinted at the possibility of dispatching the country's Self-Defense Forces for minesweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz, provided that a cease-fire is realized in the conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel.
"Japan's minesweeping technology is at the top level in the world," Motegi said during a TV program. "Let's say (the parties have entered into a) cease-fire, and in the event that mines pose an obstacle, we may have to think about it," he added, referring to a potential SDF dispatch.
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G7 foreign ministers urge Iran to immediately end attacks on neighbors
TOKYO - The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven industrialized countries have urged Iran to immediately and unconditionally cease its retaliatory attacks against neighboring countries.
"We condemn in the strongest terms the (Iranian) regime's reckless attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Iraq," the G-7 members said in a statement issued Saturday.
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Kyoto medical firm to launch personal iPS cell storage service
KYOTO - A Kyoto-based regenerative medicine company is launching a service that will allow individuals to generate and store induced pluripotent stem cells from their own blood for potential future use.
Starting in April, iPS Portal Inc. will offer a service in collaboration with pharmaceutical experts that features strict quality standards and monitoring. The initial cost of cell production and related processes is estimated to be between 10 million yen ($63,000) and 20 million yen.
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Japan to push use of underground malls, subways as emergency bunkers
TOKYO - Japan will encourage the wider use of underground shopping malls and train stations as dual-use bunkers in the event of an attack or emergency, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.
The Japanese government hopes to utilize more private underground spaces, which are considered safe and secure, as nearly 90 percent of the currently designated shelters in the country are publicly owned, such as schools.
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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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Japanese fan-fitted jackets, other workwear a hit with foreign visitors
TOKYO - Jackets fitted with motorized fans have become popular with laborers during Japan's sweltering summer months, but at one workwear store in Tokyo, it is foreign visitors who are driving sales.
Staff at Bic Uniform in the capital's Ueno district say about 70 percent of customers have come from overseas since around June last year, with a line often forming when the store opens. The jackets are one of the most sought-after items.
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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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Video: Mao Asada holds first figure skating recital as coach
