The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
----------
Japan hosts int'l fleet review amid North Korea concerns, South Korea joins
ABOARD IZUMO, Sagami Bay, Japan - Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force held an international naval fleet review Sunday in the wake of North Korea firing off ballistic missiles at an unprecedented pace, with South Korea's navy participating amid efforts by the two East Asian neighbors to thaw their icy relations.
The MSDF said that 18 vessels from 12 nations, including Australia, Canada, India and the United States, as well as a total of six French and U.S. warplanes, joined the review.
----------
Figure skating: Sota Yamamoto runner-up at Grand Prix de France
ANGERS, France - Japan's Sota Yamamoto finished second in figure skating's Grand Prix de France on Saturday following the men's free skate, securing his first podium finish on the circuit.
Compatriot Kazuki Tomono placed third as Adam Siao Him Fa of France, who was third after the short program behind Yamamoto and Tomono, leapfrogged both to win his first Grand Prix event scoring 268.98 points in total.
----------
FOCUS: Ex-Biden adviser urges Japan to boost intelligence sharing with U.S.
TOKYO - Japan should step up intelligence sharing and military exercises with the United States as part of efforts to boost deterrence and the response capabilities of the bilateral alliance against possible contingencies over Taiwan and North Korea, according to a former Biden Senate aid.
Frank Jannuzi, now president of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation in Washington, also welcomed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's call for a "substantial increase" in Japan's defense spending and his not ruling out the introduction of counterstrike capabilities.
----------
Japan emperor undergoes prostate examination
TOKYO - Emperor Naruhito underwent a prostate examination at the University of Tokyo Hospital on Sunday after a rise in a tumor marker, the Imperial Household Agency said.
The 62-year-old arrived at the hospital at around 9:30 a.m., underwent an MRI scan and left at around 1 p.m., the agency said. The result of the scan will be learned in a few days, it added.
----------
Japan festival featuring superstar Kimura draws huge crowd, security tight
GIFU, Japan - Local authorities in the central Japanese city of Gifu were on maximum alert Sunday as 460,000 people, more than the city's population, flocked to a festival to catch a glimpse of a superstar dressed as a warlord astride a horse.
The Gifu Nobunaga Festival went off mostly without a hitch, although three women had to be taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Strict crowd control measures were in place, with a deadly Halloween crush in Seoul, South Korea, still a fresh memory.
----------
Gymnastics: All-around winner Daiki Hashimoto adds floor silver at worlds
LIVERPOOL, England - Japan's Daiki Hashimoto won the men's floor exercise silver medal at the artistic gymnastics world championships on Saturday, adding to his all-around gold in Liverpool, England.
The 21-year-old scored 14.500 points for his first podium finish in the discipline, while compatriot Ryosuke Doi logged 14.266 to win bronze on his tournament debut. Britain's Giarnni Regini-Moran won for the first time on 14.533.
