TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Customer info likely disclosed as hacker threatens GMO Internet
TOKYO - A hacker believed to be behind an unauthorized intrusion affecting a foreign exchange trading service of Japanese internet service provider GMO Internet Group Inc. disclosed some customer information Tuesday after threatening to do so, cybersecurity sources said.
A statement from the hacker claimed information linked to GMO customers had been posted online after the company failed to respond to a ransom request, the sources said.
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China's Xi sends condolences over death of ex-Japan PM Fukuda: Xinhua
BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a message of condolence to the family of former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who died last week, describing him as "an old friend of the Chinese people" who was committed to promoting friendship between the two countries, state-run media said.
Noting that Fukuda had overseen the signing of the fourth Sino-Japanese political document underpinning bilateral relations during his 2007-2008 tenure as prime minister, Xi expressed hope that the current Japanese government would "earnestly safeguard" the political foundation of bilateral relations by upholding the four documents, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
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Japan gov't eyes buying back 100,000 more tons of rice for reserves
TOKYO - The Japanese farm ministry is considering buying back an additional 100,000 tons of rice to replenish government reserves drawn down by releases in 2025, following a 210,000-ton purchase in September, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
Last month's buyback, the first such attempt since the current stockpiling system began in fiscal 2011, came after the government released a total of 590,000 tons of emergency rice reserves in 2025 in response to a shortage that began around the summer of 2024.
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Japan sets "second capital" criteria, 4 prefectures qualify
TOKYO - The Japanese government approved an ordinance Tuesday setting requirements for designation as a "second capital" to back up Tokyo in disasters and promote decentralization, with Osaka and three other prefectures qualifying.
To qualify, a prefecture must meet several conditions, including accounting for at least 2.1 percent of Japan's gross domestic product and containing a city with at least 1.2 percent of the country's population.
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Tokyo ward seeks 5-year ban on condo unit resale
TOKYO - A central Tokyo ward on Tuesday urged condominium developers to ban buyers from reselling their units for five years after purchase in an effort to curb surging property prices.
Chiyoda Ward made the request to developers carrying out projects in the ward under a scheme that grants incentives such as relaxed floor-area ratio limits.
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Japan eyes 1 tril. yen private investment in Bangladesh over 5 yrs
TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday that Japan expects 1 trillion yen ($6 billion) in investment from domestic companies into Bangladesh in the coming five years, following summit talks with her counterpart Tarique Rahman in Tokyo.
The projected investment comes as the two agreed to deepen economic cooperation by upgrading an existing bilateral framework to promote industrial growth around the strategically important Bay of Bengal, according to a joint statement issued after their meeting at the prime minister's office in Tokyo.
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Swiss minister to visit N. Korea Thurs. for diplomatic office reopening
BEIJING - Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will visit North Korea from Thursday to attend an event marking the reopening of his country's diplomatic office and hold political talks with authorities in Pyongyang, according to his department.
The Swiss Federal Foreign Affairs Department said Monday that Cassis will discuss the resumption of bilateral consultations, the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and global geopolitics with North Korean officials during his two-day stay, which will be followed by a trip to Seoul.
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Nidec to file damages suit against founder, 8 others
TOKYO - Nidec Corp. said Tuesday it plans to file a damages suit against its founder Shigenobu Nagamori and eight other people suspected of engaging in improper accounting practices.
The Kyoto-based electric motor manufacturer said the amount of damages to be sought in the suit will be determined once it completes the correction of past financial statements.
