The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan lowers COVID threat level to same as flu in major policy shift
TOKYO - Japan on Monday downgraded the legal status of COVID-19 to the same category as seasonal influenza and greatly relaxed its related health measures, marking a major shift in its approach after three years of dealing with the coronavirus.
The reclassification of COVID-19 to Class 5 means decisions on anti-coronavirus prevention measures are now up to individuals and businesses. But experts are still calling on the government to ensure medical institutions can properly respond to another potential future surge in the number of infections.
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COVID downgrade tipped to boost Japan economy by 4.2 tril. yen
TOKYO - Japan's downgrade on Monday of the legal status of COVID-19 will likely deliver the Japanese economy a 4.2 trillion yen ($31 billion) boost, driven in part by an increase in the number of inbound tourists, according to an estimate by a private sector economist.
The coronavirus is now treated the same as the seasonal flu, with the government relinquishing its legal authority to ask those who have tested positive to stay in hospital or to quarantine. Japan has already reopened its doors to foreign tourists after enforcing a stringent antivirus border control regime.
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PM Kishida vows to boost trust with Yoon to "open new era" with S. Korea
SEOUL - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday expressed eagerness to build greater trust with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to "open a new era" in bilateral relations, after they talked in Seoul the previous day.
Following his meeting with South Korean business leaders, Kishida, who made a two-day trip to Seoul, told reporters that Japan is willing to boost people-to-people exchanges with its neighbor to "deepen mutual understanding and develop bilateral ties."
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Rolex store in Tokyo robbed, 4 men taken into custody
TOKYO - A Rolex specialty store in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district was robbed Monday by three men who stole a number of wristwatches before fleeing by car, investigative sources said.
Police have taken into custody the three men who held up Quark Ginza 888 at around 6:15 p.m. and another person believed to be an accomplice, the sources said. The four men were also arrested the same day for a break-in at another building in Tokyo's Minato Ward, according to the sources.
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China urges U.S. to put bilateral relations back on track
BEIJING - China urged the United States on Monday to work toward putting strained bilateral ties back on track, saying the top priority is stabilizing the two countries' relations after a series of "erroneous words and deeds" from the United States undermined the positive momentum.
Foreign Minister Qin Gang told U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns in Beijing the two countries should "avoid a downward spiral and prevent accidents" between them and promote dialogue and cooperation, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
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Toyota Chairman Toyoda apologizes for Daihatsu's improper testing
BANGKOK - Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Akio Toyoda on Monday apologized for its small-car subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co.'s improper vehicle testing that has affected models sold in Southeast Asia and other markets.
"It was a practice that should have never occurred," Toyoda said at a press conference held in Bangkok. "The (Toyota) group as a whole will do its utmost to regain trust," he said, pledging to spearhead efforts to address the problem.
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FOCUS:Britain feared Japan would spy on its office at 1979 G-7 Tokyo summit
LONDON - British officials believed Japan would covertly monitor their discussions and activities at the Group of Seven summit in Tokyo in 1979, according to recently declassified documents.
Security experts warned the Japanese could be recording information via the equipment supplied to the British delegation's office, located on the grounds of the neo-baroque state guest house Akasaka Palace, a minute marked 'secret' reveals.
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50 students feel ill as gas smell reported at Osaka elementary school
OSAKA - Fifty students complained of feeling unwell, with all either taken or on their way to hospital, after a gas smell was reported Monday at an elementary school in Osaka Prefecture, local authorities said.
All are conscious and none are considered to be in a serious condition, according to police, who received a report from firefighters around 10:05 a.m. that a gas odor had been detected at Kamei Elementary School in the city of Yao.
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Video: Carp streamers fly in Miyagi Prefecture
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