TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Consumption tax cut bill passes Japan's lower house in fast-tracked vote
TOKYO - Japan's House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill to cut the consumption tax on food and beverages and introduce an income-linked cash benefit program, after it was fast-tracked for a plenary vote.
The bill, the government's top priority in the extraordinary parliamentary session through Dec. 12, cleared the lower chamber on the strength of the ruling coalition's supermajority.
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Japan unveils emergency cybersecurity package amid data breach concerns
TOKYO - Japan's government compiled Friday a package of emergency measures to address a spate of recent personal data breaches caused by unauthorized access, amid growing public concerns over cybersecurity.
Promoting the use of artificial intelligence to identify vulnerabilities in computer systems and creating several teams of highly skilled experts are among the measures, which were announced at a meeting of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and relevant ministers.
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Nikkei index plummets with 3rd largest drop as AI-linked stocks tank
TOKYO - The Nikkei stock index ended down over 3,600 points on Friday, marking the third largest-ever point drop as artificial intelligence-linked stocks took a hard hit on renewed concerns over regulations following the U.S. midterm elections.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 3,643.13 points, or 5.96 percent, from Thursday at 57,434.77 after losing more than 4,300 points at one point.
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Japan, U.S. military in Okinawa agree to boost joint patrols
TOKYO - Japan and the U.S. military have agreed to increase the frequency and expand the areas of their joint patrols in Okinawa Prefecture following the alleged robbery and murder of a local woman by a U.S. Marine, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Friday.
The two sides also agreed that new U.S. servicemembers to be stationed in Okinawa will be briefed with updated orientation materials that reflect the views of the government of the southern island prefecture, home to many U.S. military bases, Motegi said.
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Muji operator halts online store, app to bolster cybersecurity after leaks
TOKYO - Ryohin Keikaku Co., the operator of the Japanese retail brand Muji, said Friday it temporarily shut its domestic online store and official app to bolster cybersecurity following reports of possible customer information leaks.
The move came just days after the company said around 1.09 million customer records, including credit card numbers, may have been leaked following unauthorized access to its system. Similar cybersecurity incidents have hit other Japanese companies.
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Kuniaki Kuni, cousin of Japan's former emperor, dies at 97
TOKYO - Kuniaki Kuni, a cousin of Japan's former Emperor Akihito, died of pneumonia on Friday, the Imperial Household Agency said. He was 97.
Kuni belonged to one of the 11 former imperial branch families that lost their royal status in 1947.
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China raps Japan for lack of sincerity on anniversary of Taiwan remarks
BEIJING - China on Friday criticized Japan for failing to show "sincerity and actions to reflect on its wrongdoings" on the eve of the first anniversary of remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan that led to a sharp deterioration of bilateral ties.
Saturday will mark one year since Takaichi suggested that an attack on Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory, could prompt Japan's Self-Defense Forces to act in support of the United States.
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Russia says detained Japanese journalist's fate hinges on probe
MOSCOW - The fate of a Japanese journalist detained by Russia on suspicion of spying depends on the outcome of the ongoing investigation, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Thursday.
Maria Zakharova made the remarks during an online press conference about a reporter with the Sapporo-based Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper who was detained by the Federal Security Service in Sakhalin in the Russian Far East on Oct. 13 and later taken to Moscow.
