The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
----------
Japan Cabinet's approval rating rises to highest 63.2% after vote
TOKYO - The approval rating of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet has risen to 63.2 percent, its highest level since he took office, a Kyodo News survey showed Tuesday, following his Liberal Democratic Party's sweeping victory in the House of Councillors election.
The rating in the two-day nationwide telephone survey starting Monday was up 6.3 percentage points from the previous poll in June.
----------
Mourners bid farewell to ex-PM Abe as funeral held at Tokyo temple
TOKYO - The funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot dead while delivering a stump speech last week, was held Tuesday at a Buddhist temple in the heart of Tokyo, with a crowd of people gathering outside the venue while the private ceremony was held.
His wife Akie acted as chief mourner during the service at Zojoji Temple, located at the foot of the capital's iconic Tokyo Tower, and a limited number of people attended, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, lawmakers and bereaved family members.
----------
Japan, U.S. blame Russia war in Ukraine for exchange rate volatility
TOKYO - Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying the unjustifiable war has raised exchange rate volatility and caused other challenges.
At their meeting in Tokyo, the two officials confirmed they will continue to consult closely on exchange markets and appropriately cooperate on currency issues as the increased volatility can adversely influence economic and financial stability.
----------
Tokyo logs over 11,500 new COVID cases, highest since March
TOKYO - Tokyo on Tuesday reported 11,511 new coronavirus infections, surpassing 10,000 for the first time in four months, the metropolitan government said.
The figure is more than double the 5,302 cases logged on the same day last week, with the seven-day rolling average of new cases at 8,941 per day, up 136.6 percent from the previous week. On Tuesday, Tokyo also confirmed one new death.
----------
U.S. pledges new embassies, tripling economic aid to Pacific islands
WASHINGTON - The U.S. government on Tuesday announced a set of actions to strengthen ties with Pacific island nations amid China's growing clout, such as by opening new embassies and tripling U.S. funding to support the region's economic development.
"We believe that we're now embarking on a new chapter in this longstanding partnership," a senior official of the administration of President Joe Biden said, adding that the United States is "significantly stepping up our game in the Pacific islands."
----------
South Korean leader Yoon visits memorial altar for Japan's Abe
SEOUL - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited on Tuesday a memorial altar at the Japanese Embassy to pay his respects to the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
After offering a tribute at the altar set up in the embassy's public information and cultural center in Seoul, Yoon signed an official book sending his condolences to Abe's bereaved family and the Japanese nation.
----------
Japan to recognize Turkish Kurd as refugee after appeals court ruling
TOKYO - Japan is preparing to grant refugee status to a Kurdish man from Turkey after an appeals court ruled that he would be at risk of persecution if he returned home, a government source said Tuesday.
The man in his 20s would become the first Turkish Kurd to be granted the status in Japan, according to the secretariat of the Japan Lawyers Network for Refugees.
----------
Japanese ex-Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii dies at 90
TOKYO - Hirohisa Fujii, a former finance minister and political heavyweight in the now-defunct main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, died at his home in Tokyo on Sunday morning, a person close to him said Tuesday. He was 90.
A native of Tokyo, the former party secretary general was known as a strong advocate of a consumption tax hike as a means to support the aging population in Japan.
