TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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China, Russia navies hold live-fire drills within Japan's EEZ: minister
FARNBOROUGH, Britain - The Chinese and Russian navies held live-fire drills within Japan's exclusive economic zone over the weekend, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said, highlighting the deepening military cooperation between Beijing and Moscow.
Koizumi revealed the development on Monday during a keynote speech at an international airshow in Farnborough in southern Britain, where he signaled Japan's readiness to make strides toward more robust defense production.
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Japan begins 1st war dead remains search in Taiwan in 50 years
HENGCHUN, Taiwan - An excavation to recover the remains of Japanese soldiers who died in Taiwan during World War II began Monday in Hengchun in the southern county of Pingtung, marking the first such operation on the island in about 50 years.
The preliminary excavation, scheduled to continue through July 31, is being conducted at a beach facing the Bashi Channel by a Japanese association dedicated to repatriating the remains of Japanese war dead from overseas.
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Rainy season over in Tokyo, mercury hits 35 C as "extremely hot" day logged
TOKYO - The rainy season has likely ended in regions including Tokyo and Nagoya, the weather agency said Monday, with the Japanese capital marking the first "extremely hot" day of the year as the mercury hit 35 C.
Most of Japan was placed on heatstroke alert on the final day of a three-day weekend. Temperatures had reached 35 C or higher at more than 250 of the country's 914 observation points as of 6 p.m. Monday, the highest number this year, the weather agency said.
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2011 tsunami disaster led prefectural police to set evacuation rules
AKITA, Japan - More than 30 Japanese prefectural police forces in areas vulnerable to tsunami triggered by major earthquakes have established evacuation rules for officers, drawing lessons from the 2011 quake and tsunami, in which police personnel died while helping residents flee, a Kyodo News survey showed Monday.
Of the 39 prefectures facing the sea, 33 have drawn up such rules, while the remaining six are considering doing so. Some specify an evacuation deadline, such as no later than 15 minutes before the estimated arrival of a tsunami.
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Honda, Guangzhou Automobile to extend term of joint venture through 2038
TOKYO - Honda Motor Co. said Monday it has agreed with Chinese state-owned automaker Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. to extend their joint venture business through 2038 from the previous deadline of 2028 amid intensifying competition in China's auto market, the world's largest.
"By fully leveraging the respective technologies and resources of Honda and GAC Group, and continuing to offer products that meet the diverse needs of customers, Honda will further strengthen its automobile business in China," the Japanese automaker said as it announced the signing of the agreement.
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Number of swimming beaches in Japan down 30% over 30 years
TOKYO - The number of approved swimming beaches open during the summer in Japan has fallen by around 30 percent over the past three decades, a study by a travel association shows, as municipalities are increasingly choosing not to operate them due to fewer visitors amid the scorching heat and shoreline retreat.
According to the Japan Travel and Tourism Association, the number of such beaches totaled 1,379 in 1993 and remained steady in the 1,300s until the early 2000s before declining. The number fell below 1,000 for the first time in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and stood at 969 in 2024.
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Boxing: Japan's Masuda beats countryman Higa for WBA bantamweight title
TOKYO - Rising star Riku Masuda defeated veteran compatriot Daigo Higa by split decision to capture the vacant WBA bantamweight "regular" world championship in Tokyo on Monday.
Coming in as the strong favorite, the 28-year-old Masuda was put to the test by 30-year-old former world champion Higa, who returned to the ring after announcing his retirement last July.
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Filipino sailor injured in S. China Sea encounter with China coast guard
MANILA - A Filipino serviceman was injured in an encounter between the Philippine Navy and the Chinese coast guard near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, the Philippine military said Monday.
The Philippines said it deployed two rubber boats to drive away a China Coast Guard inflatable boat carrying eight personnel after it approached and began filming a dilapidated Philippine Navy warship intentionally grounded at the Manila-controlled, Beijing-claimed Second Thomas Shoal.
