The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.----------Japan, Australia sign contracts to deliver 1st 3 of planned frigatesMELBOURNE - Japan and Australia said Saturday they have finalized contracts to jointly deliver the first three of 11 ships for the Australian navy based on the upgraded Japanese Mogami-class frigate, as the two countries deepen their defense cooperation amid China's growing assertiveness.The deal, announced by Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles in Melbourne, comes ahead of Japan's planned…READ FULL ARTICLE