TOKYO -
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan says U.S. sanctions on ICC chief "incompatible" with its position
TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday U.S. sanctions imposed on Tomoko Akane, the Japanese judge who heads the International Criminal Court, are "incompatible with Japan's position," while dismissing criticism that Tokyo's response to the issue has been weak.
Takaichi told reporters in Tokyo that Japan takes the sanctions "very seriously" and has been "consistently supporting" the ICC, a week after Washington announced the measure on Akane, the first Japanese national to head the ICC, in its latest effort to dismantle The Hague-based judicial body.
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Japan PM says to maintain subsidies capping gasoline prices, tap reserves
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday the government will maintain subsidies to cap gasoline prices to ease the impact of inflation on Japanese households amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Takaichi said she has instructed officials to make necessary preparations, including securing funding, to continue the program, which keeps gasoline prices at around 170 yen ($1.06) per liter, given uncertainty over how crude oil prices will move.
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Japan FY 2027 debt-servicing costs likely up 17% at record 36 tril. yen
TOKYO - Japan's debt-servicing costs are likely to rise 17.1 percent to a record 36.64 trillion yen ($230 billion) in the next fiscal year, reflecting rises in long-term government bond yields and dealing another blow to the country's fiscal health, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.
The Finance Ministry plans to request a total of 38.69 trillion yen in the budget for the year starting next April, up 15.1 percent, mainly to cover interest payments and redemption costs, the sources said.
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Japan to reuse Fukushima cleanup soil in Miyagi, Saitama prefectures
TOKYO - Japan's Environment Ministry said Tuesday it plans to reuse soil collected in decontamination work near the disaster-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex at national government branch offices in Miyagi and Saitama prefectures.
The government has already reused the soil at 12 sites in Tokyo since July last year, including the prime minister's office and other buildings in the Kasumigaseki district. Excluding demonstration projects in Fukushima Prefecture, the expansion to the cities of Sendai and Saitama will mark the first reuse of the soil outside Tokyo.
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Japan to deploy fighter jets to India for 1st time for joint exercise
TOKYO - Japan plans to deploy its fighter jets to India for the first time as the two countries will hold a joint air exercise next month, Japan's Air Self-Defense Force said Tuesday.
The ASDF's three F-2A aircraft will join the Indian Air Force in the Veer Guardian 26 exercise, scheduled from Sept. 9 to 21, around an airbase at Jodhpur in the northwestern state of Rajasthan.
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U.S. warns China, all other nations to cut Iran ties or face sanctions
WASHINGTON - The United States on Monday warned that China and all other countries now face an increased risk of secondary sanctions if they do business with Iran as Washington launches a fresh campaign aimed at severing crucial economic lifelines for Tehran.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the campaign, dubbed Operation Economic Outcast, will focus on five sectors -- digital assets, technology, gold, aviation and shipping.
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4 watches worth 200 million yen stolen in smash-and-grab at Tokyo shop
TOKYO - Four watches worth around 200 million yen ($1.3 million) were stolen in a matter of seconds Tuesday from a store inside a shopping complex popular among anime and manga fans, police said.
Two men, wearing black masks and pants, used a hammer to smash a display case near the entrance and snatch the watches. One fled the Nakano Broadway complex on an electric scooter and the other ran away, according to the police. They remain at large.
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Japan adopts IP use rules for AI firms, urges training data disclosure
TOKYO - The government on Tuesday adopted rules for generative artificial intelligence operators aimed at protecting intellectual property, urging Japanese and foreign companies such as Google LLC to disclose how they collect training data.
The principles aim to improve transparency while balancing technological innovation with the protection of rights. They carry no legal force or penalties.
