The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan marks centenary of Great Kanto Earthquake disaster
TOKYO - Japan on Friday marked the centenary of the Great Kanto Earthquake that devastated the capital and surrounding areas, killing an estimated 105,000 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the country's history.
Ceremonies were held across the country to honor those who lost their lives in the magnitude-7.9 temblor and ensuing conflagration, as well as separate events to commemorate the Koreans and others who were massacred in the chaos following the disaster.
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Japan fisheries min. regrets saying Fukushima water "contaminated"
TOKYO - Japan's fisheries minister apologized Friday for calling treated radioactive wastewater being released from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant "contaminated," with the opposition bloc urging him to step down.
The remark by Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tetsuro Nomura came as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government has been striving to dispel reputational damage to marine products from the sea around the northeastern Japan prefecture.
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Tohoku Univ. first candidate for huge Japan gov't research grants
TOKYO - Tohoku University has been selected as the first candidate for substantial government research grants aimed at elevating Japanese research institutes to the top of the global rankings, the education ministry said Friday.
The national university in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Miyagi is set to be formally selected as early as fiscal 2024 as a recipient of annual financial support for up to 25 years from fiscal 2024, starting with around 10 billion yen ($69 million) in the initial year.
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Thai king reduces ex-PM Thaksin's jail time to 1 yr
BANGKOK - Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has reduced the eight-year jail sentence handed down to ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to one year, according to a royal gazette published Friday.
Thaksin's contributions to the country and its people during his tenure as prime minister as well as his loyalty to the monarchy and admitting to wrongdoing were among the factors that led to the reduction, it said.
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Japan, U.S., South Korea extend sanctions over North Korea satellite launch
TOKYO - Japan, the United States and South Korea have imposed additional sanctions on North Korea, such as asset freezes on individuals and organizations, in response to Pyongyang's failed attempt to launch a military satellite last week.
Japan's Cabinet on Friday decided to designate four individuals -- a British man, a Chinese man and two men from North Korea -- and three groups, including North Korean hacking group Andariel, as new asset freeze targets.
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Chinese Premier Li to attend ASEAN-related summit talks in Jakarta
BEIJING - Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend summit talks related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next week in Jakarta, the country's Foreign Ministry said Friday.
Whether Li holds talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings is not yet clear, amid strained bilateral ties over the release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, which began late last month.
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Tokyo's Topix index hits 33-yr high ahead of U.S. jobs data
TOKYO - Tokyo's Topix index ended Friday at its highest level in around 33 years and the Nikkei hit a fresh one-month high ahead of the release of key U.S. employment data later in the day.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 91.28 points, or 0.28 percent, from Thursday at 32,710.62. The broader Topix index finished 17.75 points, or 0.76 percent, higher at 2,349.75, its highest close since July 1990.
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Figure skating: Yuzuru Hanyu announces 1st solo ice show tour
TOKYO - Two-time Olympic figure skating gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu on Friday announced the first tour of his solo ice show in Japan.
The 28-year-old star will perform at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, near Tokyo, on Nov. 4 and 5, at Saga Arena in Saga, southwestern Japan, in January and at Pia Arena MM in Yokohama in February.
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U.S. lawmaker says attack on Taiwan will bring "resolute reaction"
TAIPEI - U.S. Congressman Rob Wittman said Friday any unprovoked attack on Taiwan will result in a "resolute reaction" from the United States, as he and other American lawmakers met with the island's leader Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei.
The vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee stressed the importance of ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific by forging a foundation of strength between friends and partners. "We know strength is the best deterrent to anyone that may think there's an opportunity to act badly in this region," he said.
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Video: 90-year-old alpinist Yuichiro Miura scales Mt. Fuji
