TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan PM Takaichi eyes forgoing Yasukuni visit for anniv. of WWII end
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering refraining from visiting the war-linked Yasukuni shrine to mark Saturday's anniversary of the end of World War II, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
Such a visit to the Tokyo shrine by Takaichi, a conservative known for her hawkish foreign policies, would certainly fuel tensions with China and create a rift in relations with South Korea, both countries that suffered under Japan's wartime military aggression.
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Japanese flag desecration law goes into effect amid expression concerns
TOKYO - A law introducing punishments for desecrating Japan's national flag went into effect Thursday, fulfilling a longtime legislative aim of conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that has prompted concerns over freedom of expression.
The law states that individuals who publicly damage, remove or defile the national flag, known as the "Hinomaru," in a way that arouses "strong feelings of discomfort or disgust" in others could face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 200,000 yen ($1,300).
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Prosecutor's classified files shed light on high-profile Lockheed scandal
TOKYO - Documents left by the late chief prosecutor in the high-profile Lockheed bribery scandal 50 years ago revealed Thursday statements made by "gray high-ranking officials," or lawmakers who were suspected but not indicted for receiving money from a Japanese airline.
Stamped "top secret" on its cover, the files compiled by then Prosecutor General Yusuke Yoshinaga offer a peek into how money flowed to politicians in what is known as the biggest scandal of postwar Japan that involved a former prime minister and All Nippon Airways Co.
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Japan tells Iran Hormuz transit should be free of fees: Takaichi
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday stressed the importance of not imposing fees on passage through the Strait of Hormuz in phone talks with Iran's president, as the trade artery has been effectively closed amid stalled U.S.-Iran negotiations.
Speaking to reporters at her office in Tokyo, Takaichi said she also conveyed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that Japan views it as necessary for the United States and Iran to hold talks and reach an agreement at an early date, especially on nuclear issues.
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Acting head takes post at Japan's Chongqing mission after long vacancy
BEIJING - A Japanese acting consul general has assumed his post in Chongqing, a Japanese government source said Wednesday, about eight months after the consul general post was left vacant amid a bilateral row over Taiwan.
Shigehiro Nishiumi, a former Japanese deputy consul general in Hong Kong, assumed the post at Japan's diplomatic mission in the southwestern Chinese city on Aug. 4, the source said.
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Taipei slams Beijing for naval drill with Indonesia near Taiwan
TAIPEI - Taiwan on Wednesday strongly condemned mainland China's naval exercise with Indonesia in waters east of Taiwan, calling the move "arbitrary and irresponsible" and saying it further escalates regional tensions.
The self-ruled island's Foreign Ministry said Beijing engages in "maliciously provocative and irresponsible unilateral actions that create instability and threats to the region." The Chinese military later confirmed the joint drill with Indonesia was held near Taiwan on Wednesday.
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N. Korea, Russia foreign ministers agree to cooperate in energy sector
KYIV - North Korea and Russia agreed to cooperate in the energy and economic sectors during a dialogue in Moscow last month between North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, a Ukrainian defense intelligence official revealed to Kyodo News on Wednesday.
Under the agreement, Russia will build a new refinery in North Korea and extend support toward increasing the production capacity of petroleum products, while North Korea will provide Russia with fuel.
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Ex-Chinese Premier Zhu, promoter of economic reforms, dies at 97
BEIJING - Former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, who strongly promoted economic reforms under the leadership of President Jiang Zemin and helped the Asian country achieve a rapid growth, died of illness Wednesday, state-run media reported. He was 97.
Zhu, who served as premier between 1998 and 2003, pushed through drastic economic and state-sector reforms, secured annual economic growth of around 8 percent and played an active role in realizing China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001.
