TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan PM urges free passage through Hormuz in Iran president phone talks
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday she called for the free and safe passage of ships through the all-but-closed Strait of Hormuz in phone talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
"We will strive to ensure that the transit of Japanese ships occurs smoothly and with greater ease," Pezeshkian told her, while seeking Tokyo's help to secure essential goods, medical equipment and medicines through the use of Iran's financial assets in Japan, according to the state-run news agency IRNA.
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SoftBank overtakes Toyota to become Japan's most valuable company
TOKYO - SoftBank Group Corp. overtook Toyota Motor Corp. on Monday to become Japan's most valuable publicly traded company amid a rally in technology shares, marking the first time in more than 22 years for the automaker to cede the top spot.
Trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended with SoftBank Group seeing its market capitalization surpass 48 trillion yen ($301 billion), compared with just under 46 trillion yen for Toyota Motor, in what would be a shift in Japan's industrial landscape.
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Typhoon Jangmi moves north toward Japan's Kyushu after battering Okinawa
TOKYO - Typhoon Jangmi is moving north toward Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu on Tuesday after battering Okinawa the previous day, the weather agency said.
Four people were injured due to falls and other causes in Okinawa Prefecture amid strong winds on Monday, according to the prefectural government.
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China patrols east of Taiwan over Japan-Philippines maritime talks
HONG KONG - The China Coast Guard carried out "law-enforcement patrols" in waters east of Taiwan on Monday, in retaliation for Japan and the Philippines' recent plans to begin maritime boundary delimitation negotiations in waters that overlap with areas claimed by China.
In a statement, the coast guard said a flotilla had conducted the patrols as a "necessary" move in response to the announcement of Tokyo and Manila, which "seriously infringed upon China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests."
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Japan, Britain, Italy eye observer scheme for next-generation fighter
TOKYO - Japan, Britain and Italy are preparing to create an observer framework for countries interested in buying the next-generation fighter jet that the three countries have been jointly developing, a move aimed at boosting exports and reducing development costs, sources familiar with the plan said Monday.
The framework would allow selected countries to receive updates on the Global Combat Air Program without formally joining the development project. The partners hope it will encourage purchases and strengthen defense ties among like-minded nations.
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U.S., China forces discuss maritime security in Hawaii meeting
BEIJING - The Chinese navy said Monday that members of the Chinese and U.S. militaries discussed maritime security issues during a meeting in Hawaii last week.
The working group met Thursday and Friday under a consultative mechanism between the two countries after their leaders agreed during a mid-May summit to build a "constructive bilateral relationship of strategic stability."
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Taiwan opposition leader heads to U.S. to advocate cross-strait peace
TAIPEI - Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan's main opposition Nationalist Party, left for the United States early Tuesday on a two-week trip aimed at garnering American support for maintaining cross-strait peace and regional stability.
During the visit through June 15, which includes stops in San Francisco, Boston, New York, Washington and Los Angeles, Cheng will exchange views with academics, visit think tanks, meet business representatives and engage with overseas Chinese communities.
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N. Korea did not list Takeshima as its territory in 2025 map, book
BEIJING - North Korea did not list Takeshima, a group of South Korea-controlled islets in the Sea of Japan, as its territory on a map and in a book published in 2025, fueling speculation that Pyongyang has abandoned its sovereignty claim over the islets.
North Korea has claimed Takeshima, which is called Dokdo and Tok Island in South and North Korea, respectively, as its own, and described it as such in its maps and books in the past. Japan also considers the islets to be its inherent territory.
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Video: Whale toothbrushing at museum in Taiji, western Japan
