TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan's 1st Nobel laureate in medicine Tonegawa dies at 86
WASHINGTON - Susumu Tonegawa, Japan's first recipient of the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine and a longtime professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has died, the university said Wednesday. He was 86.
Tonegawa, who died Saturday, won the prize in 1987 for discovering "the genetic principle for the generation of antibody diversity."
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Nvidia to deepen physical AI ties with Toyota, Japan robotics firms
TOKYO - U.S. chip giant Nvidia Corp. said Thursday it will expand its partnership with Toyota Motor Corp. and help Fujitsu Ltd. forge partnerships with Japanese robotics makers in the physical artificial intelligence sector.
The AI chipmaker will help the Japanese carmaker develop an AI model to design traffic control systems for Woven City, a city-sized mobility test site in Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture. Toyota uses the site to test everyday life with robotics, AI and self-driving transportation.
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Credit card outage hits convenience stores, other merchants across Japan
TOKYO - Credit cards could not be used at convenience stores and other merchants across Japan for hours on Thursday following a system outage that also affected some transportation companies' credit card-linked electronic money apps.
Major credit card issuer Mitsubishi UFJ Nicos Co. said the trouble began around 8 a.m. when card payments could not be processed at some merchants, while Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co. reported a similar problem.
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Japan notifies local gov'ts they may "ban" private lodgings amid problems
TOKYO - The Japanese government has notified local governments that they may effectively ban "minpaku" private lodgings through ordinances to protect residential areas from noise, garbage and other disturbances.
The notice, dated Wednesday, was issued by the Japan Tourism Agency and two other government entities, following a rise in private lodgings that has impacted the living environment of residents.
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Nissan aims to regain momentum with launch of redesigned Elgrand minivan
TOKYO - Nissan Motor Co. launched the redesigned Elgrand minivan in Japan on Thursday, aiming to regain ground in a segment dominated by Toyota Motor Corp.
Marking its first revamp in 16 years, the latest model is driven by Nissan's third-generation e-Power hybrid system, which uses the engine as a generator to produce electricity.
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Nikkei briefly falls over 3% on losses of heavyweight chip issues
TOKYO - The Nikkei stock index briefly fell over 3 percent Thursday as some heavyweight semiconductor-related shares declined, with no notable reactions after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. released a robust earnings report.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 1,915.97 points, or 2.79 percent, from Wednesday at 66,835.54. The broader Topix index finished 59.33 points, or 1.45 percent, lower at 4,028.79.
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Japan, U.S., S. Korea uniformed defense chiefs reaffirm unity on N. Korea
TOKYO - The top uniformed defense officers of Japan, the United States and South Korea have reaffirmed the importance of enhanced cooperation to address the North Korean nuclear and missile threats as well as regional security challenges, the Japanese Defense Ministry's Joint Staff said Thursday.
Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura, chief of the Joint Staff, and his U.S. and South Korean counterparts, Gen. Dan Caine and Gen. Jin Yong Sung, also underscored their commitment to working toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea, according to a joint statement released after Wednesday's meeting in Washington.
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Sumo: Ozeki Kirishima takes 1st loss, struggling yokozuna Onosato wins 2nd
NAGOYA - Ozeki Kirishima's unbeaten start at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament came to an end on Thursday, while struggling yokozuna Onosato secured his second win to improve to 2-3.
Among the sport's top-ranked wrestlers, Kirishima, yokozuna Hoshoryu and sekiwake Aonishiki sit one win behind the leaders at 4-1 following Day 5 of the 15-day tournament.
