TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan PM wants constructive ties with China, ahead of Taiwan remark anniv.
TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Friday that Japan will work to build constructive ties with China, a day before the first anniversary of her remarks on Taiwan that led to a sharp downturn in bilateral ties.
"We will promote dialogue to protect our national interests and build a constructive and stable relationship," Takaichi told reporters at her office in Tokyo.
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U.S., Japan, others condemn H.K. activist Joshua Wong's 10-year sentence
WASHINGTON - The United States, Japan and eight other countries condemned the 10-year imprisonment handed down Thursday to one of the most prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, Joshua Wong, under the Chinese territory's national security law.
The treatment of the 30-year-old and other Hong Kong activists convicted under the law, introduced in 2020, provides "further examples of how the (legislation) is being used to target individuals for political expression and participation," the countries said in a statement released by the U.S. State Department on Friday.
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Japan, Vietnam to cooperate in power generation projects: draft statement
TOKYO - Japanese and Vietnamese leaders will affirm cooperation over power generation projects when they meet in Tokyo next week, a draft of their joint statement showed Friday.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Vietnamese President To Lam, who also heads Vietnam's ruling Communist Party, will seek an early launch of a gas-fired power plant project, diplomatic sources said, citing the draft of the statement to be issued after their talks on Monday.
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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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Japan PM Takaichi seeks to reduce Okinawa base burden
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Friday she will work to reduce the burden of U.S. military bases in Okinawa Prefecture during the first meeting in 13 years between the central and local governments under a policy framework.
Speaking at a meeting of the Okinawa Policy Council with recently elected Okinawa Gov. Genta Koja at the prime minister's office, Takaichi also instructed relevant Cabinet ministers to consider measures to support the prefecture when compiling the fiscal 2027 budget.
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PM Takaichi gave fewer Diet budget committee responses than 4 predecessors
TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has given fewer responses during key parliamentary committee deliberations than her four immediate predecessors, according to an analysis by Kyodo News, lending support to opposition parties' criticism of her limited engagement in Diet debates.
The findings, based on records available through the National Diet Library and the parliament's proceedings databases, showed how many responses the five Japanese leaders had made to the two parliamentary houses' budget committees per regular Diet session.
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Figure skating: Chiba, Miura lead after short programs at Cup of China
SHENZHEN, China - Japan's Mone Chiba came top in the women's short program before Kao Miura also sat first with his performance in the men's event at the Cup of China on Friday, the third event of this season's figure skating Grand Prix Series.
Chiba landed her opening triple flip-triple toe loop combination before a triple lutz midway through her routine to top the standings on 76.08 points in Shenzhen, where a slight landing mistake in her early double axel was the only blemish.
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Sumo: Yokozuna Onosato to face Yoshinofuji on Day 1 of Kyushu tourney
FUKUOKA - Yokozuna Onosato will begin his bid for a second straight Emperor's Cup and seventh overall championship against komusubi Yoshinofuji on the opening day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament, after the Japan Sumo Association announced the first two days' matchups on Friday.
The 26-year-old grand champion broke a yearlong title drought in September after dealing with nagging pain stemming from a dislocated left shoulder at last year's Kyushu tourney.
