The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Kishida to sack scandal-hit internal affairs minister
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to sack internal affairs minister Minoru Terada, an administration source said Sunday, as pressure built on the premier to fire him over a funds-related scandal.
The minister, who oversees election-related affairs and the communications industry, will be the third Cabinet minister to go in under one month after two other ministers left their posts as the result of a gaffe or close ties to the controversial Unification Church.
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Malaysia faces hung parliament after election, ex-PM Mahathir loses
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia faced a hung parliament Sunday, after neither of the two major alliances of parties competing in the previous day's general election was able to win a majority, while former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad lost his parliamentary seat.
The palace, in a statement, directed the competing coalitions to inform the monarch by 2 p.m. Monday of their agreed-on alliances that have majority control of the parliament and a prime minister of their choice.
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Speed skating: Takagi, Morishige secure World Cup silver
HEERENVEEN, Netherlands - Japan's Miho Takagi finished second in the women's 1,500 meters at the season's second World Cup speed skate meet Saturday, with compatriot Wataru Morishige also winning silver in the men's 500.
After winning last Saturday's 1,500 in Norway, Takagi fell short this time in Heerenveen in the Netherlands, where Dutch skater Antoinette Rijpma won in 1 minute, 53.73 seconds.
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Japanese project encourages men to lead change for gender equality
TOKYO - A Japanese project that encourages men to take the lead in eliminating gender disparities was launched over the weekend as the world celebrated International Men's Day on Saturday.
Founded by social entrepreneur Genki Katsube, the #MenWithWomen project promotes 15 behavioral principles, such as ensuring equal allocation of positions within organizations, not treating women like commodities, not seeking sexual favors, and not expecting behavior based on gender stereotypes.
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Nepal holds general election amid economic worries
Kathmandu - Nepal voters went to the polls in the Himalayan nation's general election on Sunday, with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's ruling bloc strongly favored to win.
Over 17.9 million of the 30 million Nepalis are eligible to vote to elect 275 parliamentarians, of which 165 will be elected by first-past-the-post votes, while 110 will be elected under the proportional representation system.
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Sumo: Chiyotairyu retires midway through Fukuoka meet
FUKUOKA - Former komusubi Chiyotairyu has decided to retire midway through the ongoing Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament, the Japan Sumo Association said Sunday.
The 34-year-old from Tokyo, currently in the 12th rank of maegashira wrestlers in the elite makuuchi division, told his stablemaster Kokonoe of his intention to quit after falling to a 2-5 win-loss record at Fukuoka Kokusai Center on Saturday.
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Historic fund to aid climate change-hit nations OK'd at U.N. talks
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt - Negotiators at U.N. talks agreed Sunday to set up a fund to compensate poorer countries affected by climate disasters, finally heeding their demands for help in bearing the cost of damage caused by climate change.
"History was made today...as parties agreed to the establishment of a long-awaited loss and damage fund for assisting developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change," the presidency of the 27th session of a U.N. climate conference being held in Egypt tweeted.
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Car driven by 97-year-old man kills woman, hurts 4 in Japan
FUKUSHIMA, Japan - A minivehicle driven by a 97-year-old man hit a woman and rammed into three cars in the northeastern Japan city of Fukushima on Saturday afternoon, killing the pedestrian and injuring four other women, police said.
Police on Sunday arrested Kuniyoshi Namishio on suspicion of fatally hitting the woman on a sidewalk in the city. The police declined to reveal whether the man has admitted to the charge.
