The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.----------LDP punishes 39 members over funds scandal, urging 2 to leave partyTOKYO - Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Thursday punished 39 members over a political funds scandal, including urging two heavyweights to leave the party, aiming to put a line under a controversy that has dogged it since late last year.The decision by the LDP's disciplinary committee comes after some of its factions, including one previously led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, were found to have neglected to fully report rev…READ FULL ARTICLE