TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
----------
Japan's Defense Ministry eyes record 8.9 tril. yen in FY 2027 budget request
TOKYO - Japan's Defense Ministry plans to seek a record budget of 8.9 trillion yen ($56 billion) for fiscal 2027, sources familiar with the matter said Friday, as Tokyo accelerates its defense buildup in response to growing regional security threats and "new forms of warfare."
The request will be submitted to the Finance Ministry by the end of August. The actual budget is expected to increase further because the request includes numerous items without specified amounts that will be finalized during year-end budget negotiations, the sources said.
----------
Dollar dives over 1 yen to lower 157 zone on weak U.S. jobs report
NEW YORK - The U.S. dollar dived by more than 1 yen to the lower 157 zone on receding expectations of an early U.S. interest rate hike following the release of an unexpectedly weak jobs report on Friday.
The report showed U.S. nonfarm payrolls fell by 23,000 in July from a month earlier, even though a rise of around 80,000 was projected, while the unemployment rate improved to 4.1 percent from 4.2 percent.
----------
Japan lodges protest with S. Korea over marine survey near disputed islets
TOKYO - Japan's Foreign Ministry lodged a protest with South Korea on Friday over suspected maritime research near islets in the Sea of Japan that are controlled by Seoul but claimed by Tokyo.
Japan protested after confirming a South Korean survey ship had lowered what appeared to be a wire in its exclusive economic zone, the ministry said.
----------
Japan sets "voice rights" guideline to target unauthorized AI use
TOKYO - The voices of Japanese celebrities and voice actors should be protected under expanded publicity rights as they are symbols of their personal character, according to government guidelines unveiled Friday as Japan seeks to stem the proliferation of fake videos generated by artificial intelligence.
The Justice Ministry's guidelines say uploading fake videos using similar voices to actors and voice actors on social media and generating revenue from them will be considered a rights violation.
----------
Japan, China students join exchange program in H.K. amid bilateral row
HONG KONG - A group of university students from Japan and China joined an exchange program in Hong Kong on Friday, with the main venue of their dialogue set in the semiautonomous region rather than the mainland amid the continuing tensions between Beijing and Tokyo.
The Japan-China Student Conference, which was established in 1986 to enhance mutual understanding between the two Asian neighbors, held this year's session in the former British colony despite Beijing increasing pressure on its citizens not to engage in bilateral people-to-people exchanges.
----------
Football: Kashima open J1 season with 4-3 comeback win over Marinos
TOKYO - Substitute Aleksandar Cavric scored twice in injury time to secure defending champions Kashima Antlers a thrilling 4-3 comeback win over Yokohama F Marinos as the new J.League first-division season opened Friday at MUFG Stadium.
The 32-year-old forward struck the winner in the 12th minute of stoppage time, three minutes after equalizing from the penalty spot in front of 63,960 at the Tokyo Olympic venue.
----------
Taiwan military demonstrates fighter jet scrambles in annual drill
HSINCHU, Taiwan - Taiwan's military demonstrated its ability to scramble fighter jets during a drill at an airbase in northern Taiwan on Friday as part of the territory's largest annual Han Kuang military exercise designed to prepare for a possible Chinese invasion.
The exercise at Hsinchu Air Base showed to the media the process of mounting missiles on fighter jets before they were checked and allowed to take off, while another drill showcased the military's ability to repair a battle-damaged runway.
----------
Caskets with anti-China messages appear in Manila, Beijing protests
MANILA - Five caskets bearing anti-China messages turned up in Manila and elsewhere in the metropolitan region, including one near the Chinese Embassy, on Friday, authorities said, prompting Beijing to protest the incident.
Philippine police have started an investigation, saying witness accounts and footage from security cameras in the areas indicated that people wearing masks left the caskets at the locations before dawn.
