The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
----------
Kishida to take office as Japan prime minister, form Cabinet on Oct. 4
TOKYO - Fumio Kishida, the new leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, will take office as prime minister on Monday and form his Cabinet, tasked with keeping COVID-19 under control while reviving a battered economy.
The former foreign minister will also be looking to bolster cooperation with the United States to counter China's rising assertiveness and military buildup and address the recent resumption of ballistic missile tests by North Korea.
----------
Kishi to stay as Japan defense chief, Hagiuda to be trade minister
TOKYO - Prospective Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to retain Nobuo Kishi as defense minister and name education minister Koichi Hagiuda as trade minister in a new Cabinet he will launch Monday, sources familiar with the plan said Sunday.
Kishida is also set to appoint Seiko Noda, one of his three rivals in last week's leadership election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, as minister in charge of declining birthrates and gender equality.
----------
Taiwan says China military plane incursions hit record 39 on Oct. 2
TAIPEI - Thirty-nine Chinese military planes entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone on Saturday, a one-day record since the self-governed island began disclosing such figures in September last year, according to the Ministry of National Defense.
It said 20 Chinese military aircraft entered into the southwestern part of the zone during the day and 19 at night. They included 26 Shenyang J-16 and 10 Sukhoi Su-30 fighters.
----------
FOCUS: Sumo fights hard to muzzle era-defining former yokozuna Hakuho
TOKYO - The winner of a record 45 grand tournament championships, Mongolian-born former yokozuna Hakuho has retired with unparalleled results inside the ring, while remaining a lightning rod for controversy within the sumo establishment.
A popular and dominant champion, Hakuho's rough technique and deportment, deemed by some to be self-righteous, drew frequent criticism. When he finally said he would retire, the Japan Sumo Association racked its brains right up until the last moment in its effort to deal with him as a former wrestler.
----------
Japan, H.K. academics say virtual learning no match for real thing
TOKYO - While online classes have become the norm amid the COVID-19 pandemic, academics from Japan and Hong Kong believe that online classes cannot truly be a substitute for face-to-face learning despite the merits of technology in communicating with students.
"Learning does not take place in the classroom, it happens outside the classroom, on campus where students can interact," among themselves and with teachers, Oussouby Sacko, president of Kyoto Seika University, said in a recent webinar.
