The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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U.S. alleges Russia in talks to acquire N. Korean arms
WASHINGTON - The United States said Wednesday that Russia is in talks with North Korea to acquire weapons from the Asian country to use in the war in Ukraine, an allegation a U.S.-led group of U.N. members said would constitute a violation of Security Council resolutions.
"We have new information...that arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters in an online briefing, referring to the formal name of North Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
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Flagship Sogo & Seibu dept. store in Tokyo closes due to labor strike
TOKYO - Labor union members at Japanese department store operator Sogo & Seibu Co. went on strike at its flagship Tokyo store Thursday in a rare work stoppage amid job security concerns stemming from the parent company's plan to sell the chain to a U.S. fund.
Despite the first such action at a major department store union in 61 years amid an intensifying labor dispute, the parent Seven & i Holdings Co. finalized plans at an extraordinary meeting the same day to sell the struggling department store chain to Fortress Investment Group LLC on Friday, sources close to the matter said.
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Russia has moved missiles off isles disputed with Japan: expert
TOKYO - Multiple air defense missile systems deployed by Russia on two disputed islands off northern Japan in 2020 have been moved off the isles, an analysis of satellite images showed Thursday, raising the possibility that Moscow is repurposing weapons from its Far East for use in the war against Ukraine.
Yu Koizumi, a lecturer at the University of Tokyo, made the analysis based on satellite images of the Etorofu and Kunashiri islands taken by U.S. space tech company Maxar Technologies Inc.
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North Korea launched 2 ballistic missiles late on Aug. 30: KCNA
BEIJING - North Korea launched two ballistic missiles Wednesday night as part of a tactical nuclear strike drill in response to the deployment of U.S. strategic bombers to the Korean Peninsula during an exercise with South Korea, the country's state media reported.
The official Korean Central News Agency said Thursday a missile unit of the Korean People's Army "fired two tactical ballistic missiles northeastward" and "correctly carried out its nuclear strike mission."
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Japan Defense Ministry seeks record 7.7 trillion yen budget for FY 2024
TOKYO - Japan's Defense Ministry on Thursday requested a record 7.7 trillion yen ($53 billion) budget for fiscal 2024 as the government aims to deploy arms to realize newly authorized capabilities to strike enemy targets for stronger deterrence in the wake of the worsening regional security environment.
The figure exceeds the 6.8 trillion yen initial budget for the current fiscal 2023 that started in April, after the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida updated a key security document late last year and pledged to boost defense spending.
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Japan to unveil relief package for fishery sector amid China ban
TOKYO - Prime Minster Fumio Kishida pledged Thursday to compile a rescue package for the fishery industry, which may be affected by China's import ban on Japanese seafood following the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Kishida visited Tokyo's Toyosu fish market to exchange views with seafood wholesalers about the potential adverse effects of import bans imposed by China and Hong Kong, both of which are primary markets for the Japanese fishery sector.
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Football: 17 Urawa fans banned indefinitely for rioting at cup tie
TOKYO - The Japan Football Association on Thursday handed 17 Urawa Reds supporters indefinite bans from domestic matches following their violent conduct at an Aug. 2 Emperor's Cup last-16 game.
Urawa lost 3-0 away to Nagoya Grampus at CS Asset Minato Soccer Stadium in a night game before a section of their supporters rioted, with the JFA later confirming their disorderly behavior after reviewing video.
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Japan's July industrial output falls 2.0% on month
TOKYO - Japan's industrial output in July contracted 2.0 percent from the previous month, affected by weakening overseas demand and China's economic slump, government data showed Thursday.
The seasonally adjusted index of production at factories and mines stood at 103.6 against the 2020 base of 100, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a preliminary report. The decline followed an upwardly revised 2.4 percent expansion in June.
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90-year-old Japanese alpinist summits Mt. Fuji in wheelchair
TOKYO - Ninety-year-old Japanese alpinist Yuichiro Miura reached the summit of Mt. Fuji with a group of friends and family on Thursday, having used a wheelchair for the three-day ascent.
Miura arrived at the peak at around 7:20 a.m. amid good weather and cold winds and expressed gratitude to those who had supported his endeavor. While the 3,776-meter Mt. Fuji, the tallest peak in Japan, is a popular hiking destination, few nonagenarians attempt the climb.
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Baseball: Ohtani matches last year's RBI tally as Angels snap skid
PHILADELPHIA - Shohei Ohtani matched his RBI tally from last season and moved five shy of his MLB-high 100 from 2021 as the Los Angeles Angles snapped a three-game skid Wednesday with a 10-8 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The two-way star singled in a run in the fifth inning for a 4-2 lead at Citizens Bank Park, hitting to right off Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez with two on and two outs.
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Video: 90-year-old famed climber Yuichiro Miura close to scaling Mt. Fuji
