TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
----------
Japan's population falls by record amount to 123 mil. in 2025: census
TOKYO - Japan's population including foreign residents fell by a record 3.10 million, or 2.5 percent, from 2020 to 123,049,524 last year, the latest census showed Friday, highlighting the demographic challenges facing the rapidly graying society.
The census, conducted every five years since 1920, showed that the total population declined for the third straight survey and that 30.1 percent was concentrated in the Tokyo metropolitan area as of Oct. 1, crossing the 30 percent threshold for the first time.
----------
Japan enacts changes to make childbirth free, raise some patient drug costs
TOKYO - Japan's parliament on Friday enacted health legislation changes to make childbirth free in principle and to raise out-of-pocket costs for some prescription drugs, as the government seeks to ease the financial burden on working-age people.
Under the changes, patients prescribed drugs similar in ingredients and efficacy to over-the-counter medicines will pay a further 25 percent of medication costs. A system reflecting financial income, such as stock dividends, will also be implemented to decide the share of medical costs borne by people aged 75 or older.
----------
Japan faces price hikes on more than 1,000 food items in June
TOKYO - Price hikes in Japan for food and beverage items in June will total 1,078 products, up from 84 in May, amid moves to pass on higher costs stemming from the Middle East crisis to consumers, a research institute said on Friday.
Teikoku Databank Ltd. now expects the number of such products to surpass 10,000 for the full year.
----------
Japan enacts revised law to boost foreign investment screening for security
TOKYO - The Japanese parliament on Friday enacted a revised law to strengthen screening of foreign investments in Japan, by setting up a cross-ministerial, U.S.-style panel to prevent leakage of critical technologies and intelligence.
The revision of the foreign exchange and trade law paves the way for establishing a Japanese version of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which would expand the scope of prescreening for risks to national economic security.
----------
Japan's April jobless rate falls to 2.5%, 1st improvement in 2 months
TOKYO - Japan's unemployment rate in April fell to 2.5 percent from 2.7 percent in the previous month, improving for the first time in two months, as many workers switched jobs with the start of the new business year, government data showed Friday.
The number of people with jobs edged up 0.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted 68.76 million, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.
----------
Japan sends SDF personnel to NATO's Ukraine support hub in Germany
TOKYO - Japan's Defense Ministry announced Friday the dispatch of four Self-Defense Force personnel to the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine headquarters in Germany for the first time.
The ministry said the deployment will help strengthen Japan's own defense capabilities by drawing lessons from Ukraine, including new forms of warfare seen in the conflict with Russia.
----------
Japan defense chief to attend Asia security forum, hold NZ frigate talks
TOKYO - Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Friday he will visit Singapore for three days through Sunday to attend the annual Shangri-La Dialogue security conference and hold separate talks with his counterparts on the sidelines.
At the forum, Koizumi is scheduled to hold his first trilateral meeting with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and New Zealand Defense Minister Chris Penk to discuss the possible export of Japan's upgraded Mogami-class frigate to New Zealand.
----------
Toyota to halt development of next-gen EV model under Lexus brand
NAGOYA - Toyota Motor Corp. has decided to halt development of a next-generation electric vehicle model under its luxury Lexus brand, sources close to the matter said Friday.
The decision is believed to reflect a slowdown in the global electric vehicle market, although the automaker still plans to continue developing related advanced technologies for future products.
----------
Video: Sidecars, uniforms of Imperial Guard displayed
