The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan eyes Fukushima water release between late Aug. and early Sept.
TOKYO - Japan is considering beginning the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea between late August and early September, even though local fishermen and some countries remain opposed to the plan, government sources said Monday.
The government is expected to determine the specific date to start releasing the water after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida returns on Aug. 20 from a trilateral summit with the United States and South Korea to be held at the Camp David presidential retreat near Washington.
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Japan's FY 2022 food self-sufficiency at 38%, still near record low
TOKYO - Japan's food self-sufficiency rate on a caloric intake basis stood at 38 percent in fiscal 2022, unchanged from the previous year but still near a record low, the farm ministry said Monday, adding pressure on the country to enhance food security.
When measured by production value, the rate was 58 percent, down 5 percentage points from fiscal 2021, the lowest among comparable data available since 1965, as an increase in global grain prices and the yen's downtrend have raised the value of imports, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.
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BOJ members saw need to tweak yield cap amid inflation risks
TOKYO - Bank of Japan board members saw the need to make its yield cap program more flexible to prepare for the risk of elevated inflation and long-term government bond yields, with one member saying that its 2 percent inflation target has "clearly come in sight," a summary of opinions showed Monday.
Policy Board members said at its July 27-28 meeting that tweaking the central bank's yield curve control program, which keeps borrowing costs extremely low, is necessary to ensure that monetary easing can remain in place while addressing its negative side effects.
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Japan urges Iran not to provide Russia with weapons for Ukraine war
TOKYO - Japan urged Iran on Monday not to provide Russia with weapons for its war against Ukraine, the government said, amid criticism from Western countries over Tehran's suspected supply of drones to Moscow for use in the prolonged military campaign.
During a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian in Tokyo, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi called on Iran to take "constructive responses" to the war, with the two agreeing to continue "close communication" over issues affecting the Middle East, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.
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Typhoon Khanun to approach Japan's southwestern main island this week
TOKYO - Typhoon Khanun is expected to approach Japan's southwestern main island of Kyushu later this week, possibly bringing torrential rain to parts of the area, the weather agency said Monday while warning of mudslides, flooding and strong winds.
After slowly moving around the southern island prefecture of Okinawa, the typhoon is advancing eastward, with Amami-Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture entering its storm zone, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
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JIP consortium to launch 2 tril. yen Toshiba buyout on Tues.
TOKYO - A consortium, led by Tokyo-based fund Japan Industrial Partners Inc., announced Monday it will launch a 2 trillion yen ($14 billion) tender offer for Toshiba Corp. on Tuesday, a significant stride towards the planned delisting and rehabilitation of the beleaguered conglomerate.
The move comes as Toshiba shareholders in June reappointed 11 directors who backed the offer, which could be seen as an effective approval for the buyout plan.
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Japan agency calls for highest pay rise for civil servants in 26 yrs
TOKYO - Japan's National Personnel Authority recommended Monday that the monthly salaries of civil servants in general positions be raised by an average 0.96 percent, or 3,869 yen ($27), in fiscal 2023, the highest increase in 26 years.
The recommendation to the Cabinet and Diet marks a significant increase from the 0.23 percent wage hike given to government employees in fiscal 2022, and is the highest since the 1.02 percent raise in fiscal 1997.
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British cathedral commemorates Hiroshima, Nagasaki A-bomb victims
LONDON - A memorial service has been held at a major cathedral in Coventry, central Britain, to mark the 78th anniversaries of the atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
At the Hiroshima Day Remembrance Service at Coventry Cathedral on Sunday, about 150 attendees mourned the victims of the two cities, estimated to have totaled 214,000 by the end of 1945, and prayed that nuclear weapons will never be used again.
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Japan gov't warns of contract rows in private services for elderly
TOKYO - The Japanese internal affairs ministry on Monday called for efforts to address a possible increase in contract disputes involving private-sector services for the elderly, with a survey showing that nearly 80 percent of providers do not explain important parts of the contracts to users.
Various services are currently offered to the elderly who live alone, including assistance with shopping, hospital visits, acting as personal guarantors, conducting funerals, and handling belongings after death.
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Video: World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya
