The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan nursery school teachers arrested over abuse of toddlers
SHIZUOKA, Japan - Three female teachers who used to work at a nursery school in the central Japan city of Susono near Mt. Fuji were arrested Sunday on suspicion of repeatedly abusing toddlers in their care.
The teachers were held hours after police searched the private school following the city's disclosure Wednesday that they were involved in 15 cases of abuse between June and August, such as holding toddlers upside down by their feet and slapping their faces.
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Japan to put off tax hike to cover increased defense spending
TOKYO - Japan plans to put off for now a tax hike intended to finance a planned increase in the country's defense spending, a government source said Sunday.
The government will continue to study measures to secure a stable source of revenue as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has called for raising defense spending to 2 percent of gross domestic product in fiscal 2027 from the current 1 percent.
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Indonesia puts erupting volcano on top alert status
JAKARTA/TOKYO - Indonesian authorities declared a top alert status Sunday after a volcano on the main island of Java erupted, spewing a thick column of ash 1.5 kilometers into the sky.
Japan's weather agency had warned a tsunami could arrive at the islands of Miyako and Yaeyama in Okinawa Prefecture following the eruption, which took place at around 11:18 a.m. Japan time. But it later said no tsunami occurred in Japan.
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Football: Tomiyasu ready to step up for short-handed Japan vs Croatia
DOHA - Takehiro Tomiyasu may be called upon to make a major contribution in Japan's upcoming World Cup round of 16 game versus Croatia with his team's defense weakened by the loss of Ko Itakura to suspension.
The 24-year-old has not yet started a game in Qatar, but he said Saturday he is 100 percent recovered from the hamstring injury he suffered earlier in the tournament and primed to carry Japan forward.
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Russian nuclear threats behind Finland NATO move: foreign minister
LODZ, Poland - Russia's invasion of Ukraine has heightened security alert levels in Europe, with Moscow's nuclear rhetoric serving as a key factor in prompting Finland to apply to join NATO, the country's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto has said.
Russia's invasion meant "security realities in Europe have changed," Haavisto said in a recent interview with Kyodo News on the sidelines of a foreign ministerial meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe held in Lodz, Poland.
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Japan major online fashion retailer Zozo to open 1st physical store
TOKYO - Japanese online fashion retailer Zozo Inc. will open its first physical outlet in Tokyo in mid-December exclusively to offer free styling advice to customers, the company said.
The new store will not sell clothes but have professional stylists recommend items to customers based on their fashion preferences and concerns.
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Athletics: Israel's Maru Teferi wins Fukuoka Int'l Marathon
FUKUOKA - Israel's Maru Teferi won the Fukuoka International Marathon on Sunday, crossing the finish line at Heiwadai Athletic Stadium in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 43 seconds.
The Ethiopian-born Teferi, who competed at last year's Tokyo Olympics, finished 18 seconds ahead of Kenya's Vincent Raimoi in second place. Michael Githae, also of Kenya, rounded out the podium in 2:07:28.
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Skiing: Japan's Horishima, Kawamura medal at moguls World Cup opener
RUKA, Finland - Japanese Olympians Ikuma Horishima and Anri Kawamura reached the podium Saturday in the first moguls competition of the freestyle skiing World Cup season.
Beijing Winter Games men's bronze medalist Horishima came second at Finland's Ruka resort, while Kawamura, last season's overall World Cup runner-up, finished third in the women's event.
