TOKYO – The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan’s largest opposition party in lower house faces possible split
TOKYO – Japan’s largest opposition party in the powerful House of Representatives faces a possible split as merger talks with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan have collapsed, sources close to the matter said Saturday.
The Centrist Reform Alliance was established in January by lower house lawmakers from the CDPJ and the Komeito party, the former coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for 26 years.
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Missing in Nepal-China floods surges to nearly 3,000, over 630 dead
KATHMANDU – The number of people reported missing after catastrophic flash floods and mudslides along the Nepal-China border has risen sharply to nearly 3,000, while more than 630 have died, local authorities said Saturday.
Search and rescue efforts have continued since Wednesday’s disaster, with over 2,420 people reported missing in Nepal and more than 550 in China. Concerns are also growing that a natural dam formed near the border during the disaster could rupture and cause another catastrophe.
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Bessent warns unstable yen could lead to higher U.S. interest rates
WASHINGTON – U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday disclosed a letter justifying last month’s coordinated market intervention by the United States and Japan to prop up the yen, saying an unstable currency could lead to higher borrowing costs for Americans.
“Japan is a major holder of U.S. Treasuries. It is also a critical trading partner and a treaty ally. Disorderly yen markets can trigger forced unwinds,” Bessent said in the letter he sent a day earlier to Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren in response to her inquiry about the joint yen-buying operation at the end of July.
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3 students confirmed dead after being swept out to sea off southwestern Japan
KAGOSHIMA, Japan – Three students were confirmed dead Saturday after being swept out to sea off Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, the previous day, the Japan Coast Guard said.
The coast guard identified the three as Haruki Shitaebisu, 17, his brother Kensei, 13, and Takahiro Takemoto, 14.
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Japan emperor sends condolence message over death of Norway’s king
TOKYO – Japanese Emperor Naruhito sent a message of condolence Saturday over the death of Norway’s King Harald V, the Imperial Household Agency said.
The emperor and Empress Masako conveyed their condolences to the Scandinavian country’s new king, Haakon VIII, according to the agency.
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Japan firm to set starting salary for new graduates at 1 mil. yen per month
TOKYO – A Tokyo-based real estate developer will offer new hires joining in April next year a monthly salary of 1 million yen ($6,259), in a bid to recruit talent with expertise in entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence.
The amount offered by Kasumigaseki Capital Co. would be nearly four times the national average and among the highest starting salaries offered by a domestic company.
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Polar bear chills out with icy treats at western Japan zoo
OSAKA – A female polar bear at a zoo in western Japan was given three ice blocks filled with food Saturday in an annual event aimed at whetting her appetite in the summer heat.
Around 60 visitors selected in a random draw to attend the event at Osaka Tennoji Zoo watched the animal, affectionately known as “Ho-chan,” snack on apples, chicken, beef and yogurt frozen into the roughly 55-centimeter-high blocks.
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Japan seeing long delays in disciplining doctors convicted of sex crimes
TOKYO – Doctors convicted of sex crimes in Japan are able to continue practicing for years before the government revokes their licenses or imposes other sanctions, with some practitioners reoffending while action is pending.
Doctors who receive a fine or heavier punishment, or commit misconduct related to medical practice, are subject to license revocation, suspension from practice for up to three years, or a reprimand after the health minister decides based on recommendations from a panel of medical experts, which meets about three times a year.
