TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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Japanese officials visit Russia to discuss protecting corporate assets

MOSCOW - Trade and foreign ministry officials from Japan visited Russia this week and discussed with their counterparts the protection of Japanese corporate assets in the country amid its prolonged war against Ukraine, one of the officials said Wednesday.

At a press conference in Moscow, a senior trade ministry official noted that more than 100 Japanese companies maintain bases in Russia even after it launched a full-scale invasion of its neighboring country in 2022, a development that prompted Tokyo to impose financial sanctions against Moscow that remain in place.

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Japan emperor hails ties with Philippines in state banquet for Marcos

TOKYO - Emperor Naruhito hailed the enduring ties between Japan and the Philippines and expressed hope the relationship can grow stronger in a speech Wednesday at a state banquet for Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his wife Louise Araneta-Marcos.

The four-day state visit by Marcos through Friday coincides with the 70th anniversary year of the normalization of diplomatic relations and comes as Japan seeks to deepen ties with the Philippines amid an increasingly complicated regional security environment.

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Probe finds Iranian missiles likely hit South Korean vessel near Hormuz

SEOUL - A South Korean vessel attacked near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month was likely hit by Iranian missiles, the country's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

The HMM Namu, operated by South Korean shipping company HMM Co., was hit by two projectiles on May 4 while stranded in the crucial waterway, according to the ministry.

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China stalls Japan-bound tungsten exports amid diplomatic row

BEIJING - China has stalled Japan-bound exports of some tungsten products, a kind of rare metal, Chinese customs data showed Wednesday, amid the sharp deterioration of bilateral ties over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on a Taiwan emergency.

Between February and April, China did not ship any tungsten carbide and tungsten powder to Japan following its introduction in January of tighter dual-use item export controls for the country. Products that have both civilian and military applications include critical minerals vital for high-tech manufacturing.

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Japan enacts law centralizing intelligence gathering, rights fears remain

TOKYO - Japan's parliament enacted a law on Wednesday to establish a new National Intelligence Council to centralize information gathering in response to overseas threats, marking a first step in plans to boost capabilities that have raised concerns over civil liberties.

Establishing the council is a key aim in the governing agenda of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a security hawk who has pledged to strengthen intelligence and counterespionage capabilities in response to what her government calls the most complex security environment since the end of World War II.

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Heatstroke casualties at workplace hit record 1,803 in 2025

TOKYO - Heatstroke casualties in the workplace hit a fresh record-high 1,803 in 2025, up 546 from a year earlier amid extreme summer heat, health ministry data showed Wednesday.

But fatalities dropped from 31 to 19, all of whom were male.

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INTERVIEW: Chicago Fed chief says BOJ faces risks of inflation if rate hike delayed

TOKYO - Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee said Wednesday the Bank of Japan faces the risk of being too late in raising interest rates at a time when consumer prices are rising.

"There's definitely, there's always a risk that you're behind the curve, and the longer it goes, with inflation above your target, the bigger the risk of being behind the curve," Goolsbee said in an interview with Kyodo News in Tokyo.

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OPINION: Strategic issues left behind after U.S.-China summit

TOKYO - It was a summit that emphasized stability rather than confrontation.

First, President Donald Trump needed to demonstrate that the status of the United States as a major power had not been impaired despite the Iran situation. Chinese President Xi Jinping also faces pressure to continue stabilizing relations with the United States as dark clouds hang over the outlook for the global economy.

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Video: Hostess-turned lawmaker with hearing impairment asks questions