TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Flooding in Chiba Pref. leaves at least 8 dead, paralyzes transportation
TOKYO - At least eight people died as heavy rain pounded eastern Japan on Thursday and early Friday, with the weather agency issuing the highest downpour warning of Level 5 in more than one-third of the municipalities in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo.
The cities of Chiba and Ichikawa, among other municipalities, began urging citizens to immediately take safety measures on Thursday evening, while road flooding occurred across the prefecture, immobilizing cars and causing traffic jams.
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Japan mulls measure after Putin's island visit: Foreign Ministry official
TOKYO - Japan is considering taking some measure against Russia, following President Vladimir Putin's visit to Etorofu Island, a senior Foreign Ministry official said Friday.
Putin made his first trip to the Russian-controlled, Japanese-claimed island chain off Hokkaido as president or prime minister Thursday, drawing a backlash from Tokyo, which called it "totally unacceptable."
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Japan's defense minister to visit Australia, India
TOKYO - Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi will visit Australia and India next week for talks with his counterparts, aiming to strengthen security cooperation including joint development of defense equipment, the Defense Ministry said Friday.
After arriving in Canberra on Tuesday, he will hold talks with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles on the joint development of a new vessel based on Japan's advanced Mogami-class frigate.
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Japan foreign minister to visit Mideast next week over Strait of Hormuz
TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will visit Saudi Arabia and Oman next week for talks with his respective counterparts, as Japan seeks to strengthen ties with the Middle Eastern countries to ensure free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the Foreign Ministry said Friday.
Departing Aug. 17 and arriving back on Aug. 22, Motegi's visit to the Middle East marks the first by a Japanese foreign minister since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran on Feb. 28.
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Volcanic alert level raised for Mt. Aso in Kumamoto, no links to July quake
TOKYO - Japan's weather agency on Friday raised the volcanic alert level for Mt. Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture to 3 on a scale of 5, calling for entry restrictions to the mountain while saying there is nothing to indicate the heightened activity is related to a recent powerful quake that rattled the prefecture.
The Japan Meteorological Agency cited intensifying volcanic tremors seen from around Wednesday and a sharp rise in volcanic gas emissions, which exceeded 2,000 tons per day based on a field survey on Friday, as the reason for raising the alert from level 2. Level 2 restricts access around the crater.
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Finland open to talks on extending France's nuclear umbrella across Europe
HELSINKI - Finland is open to discussions on France's proposal to extend its nuclear umbrella across Europe, the Finnish foreign minister said Thursday, while adding it would not replace U.S. nuclear deterrence.
Speaking in an interview with Kyodo News in Helsinki, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen noted that Europe is "very much investing" in conventional defense and deterrence across the continent, with Finland open to discussing how France's nuclear arsenal could be used for deterrence in the long term.
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Baseball: Japan, S. Korea batting champion Baek in critical condition
SEOUL - Baek In Chun, who won batting titles in both Japan and South Korea's professional baseball leagues, was hospitalized in critical condition Friday, local media reported.
Baek, the only player to hit .400 in a South Korean professional baseball season, was found in a state of cardiac arrest at his home and transported to a hospital, Yonhap News Agency said, citing the Korea Baseball Organization.
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FOCUS: Japanese auto, motorcycle makers back India's drive to cut fossil fuel use
NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent appeal to Indians to reduce petrol and diesel consumption is reinforcing a broader shift in the country's mobility strategy, with Japanese automakers, a major presence in the country's market, taking a technology-neutral approach.
During his monthly radio address in May, Modi urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption by using public transportation, carpooling and electric vehicles, saying lower fossil fuel consumption would strengthen India's energy security and economic resilience.
