The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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North Korea may have held combustion test for satellite launch: report
SEOUL - U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials have spotted that rocket fuel was transported out from a satellite launch site in northwest North Korea, suggesting several combustion tests may have been held in preparation for a military spy satellite launch, a South Korean newspaper reported Tuesday.
North Korea unsuccessfully tried to launch a rocket carrying a satellite in May and in August. Soon after the failed second launch, Pyongyang's state-run media reported that the country would seek to try for a third time in October.
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Japan to freeze assets of Hamas members, related firm amid Israel war
TOKYO - Japan decided Tuesday to freeze the assets of nine individuals, including members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and a related company, imposing sanctions on the organization amid its war against Israel.
The punitive measures are the first imposed by Japan since Hamas launched what the country calls a "terror attack" on Israel on Oct. 7, triggering a large-scale conflict between the Jewish state and the Islamist group.
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Japanese senior vice minister resigns over illegal online campaigning
TOKYO - Japan's senior vice minister for justice resigned Tuesday after admitting to proposing the use of an online advertisement during a mayoral campaign in a Tokyo ward, in violation of the election law.
The resignation of Mito Kakizawa, a House of Representatives member belonging to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, comes after Koto Ward Mayor Yayoi Kimura said she will step down for her alleged involvement in the paid advertisement that was shown on YouTube.
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Gunman barricades self in post office after 2 injured at hospital
SAITAMA, Japan - A man with a firearm barricaded himself in a post office near Tokyo on Tuesday after two people were injured at a nearby hospital following gunshot-like sounds, police said.
There was also a report of at least one gunshot at the Warabi post office in Warabi, Saitama Prefecture, where the man, possibly in his 50s to 70s, was moving around inside, and the police urged locals to evacuate the area and stay alert.
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Japan's Defense Ministry reports sexual harassment in MSDF
TOKYO - Japan's Defense Ministry said Tuesday a case of sexual harassment occurred last year in the Maritime Self-Defense Force, with the male perpetrator made to apologize to the female victim in person despite her refusal to meet with him.
The news of the incident and how it was mishandled comes in the wake of a separate sexual abuse case committed in the Ground Self-Defense Force against former member Rina Gonoi, which prompted the ministry to hold an internal probe and increase its efforts toward addressing harassment.
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Japan PM Kishida to visit Philippines, Malaysia from Friday
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to visit the Philippines and Malaysia later this week to confirm cooperation toward the success of a special summit with ASEAN leaders in December in Tokyo, the government said Tuesday.
During the planned three-day tour from Friday, Kishida is expected to hold bilateral talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, respectively, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a regular press conference.
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BOJ chief not expecting 10-yr yields to rise sharply above 1%
TOKYO - Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Tuesday he does not expect long-term yields to rise sharply above 1 percent even after the central bank decided at a policy meeting earlier in the day to make the level a loose target.
Speaking at a post-meeting press conference, Ueda said the policy tweak is a "preemptive" step against future risks, including volatility in foreign exchange and other financial markets.
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Suspected Russian helicopter violates Japan's airspace off Hokkaido
TOKYO - A suspected Russian helicopter entered Japan's airspace Tuesday off its northernmost main island of Hokkaido, the Defense Ministry said, adding Tokyo lodged a stern protest with Moscow over the incident through diplomatic channels.
The chopper was observed intruding into the airspace above waters off the Nemuro Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido around 12:44 p.m., with the Air Self-Defense Force scrambling fighter jets in response to the trespass, according to the Japanese ministry.
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Video: Curtain drawn on food carts in Tokaido Shinkansen bullet trains
