The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
----------
Japan to send SDF plane to Djibouti to evacuate citizens in Israel
TOKYO - Japan is considering sending Self-Defense Forces' aircraft to its operating base in Djibouti as part of efforts to evacuate its nationals in Israel, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday, amid the fierce conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
While Japan plans to evacuate its citizens on a charter flight Saturday from Tel Aviv to Dubai, it will also keep the SDF aircraft on standby in Djibouti in case the crisis further intensifies and the contracted plane becomes unavailable, Kishida said.
----------
Japan gov't files for court order to dissolve Unification Church
TOKYO - The Japanese government on Friday filed a request with a court for an order to dissolve the Unification Church in a move that will deprive the group, known for its aggressive donation solicitations, of its tax benefits.
The government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made the decision to pursue a court order Thursday after a nearly yearlong investigation into the religious organization, formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The request was filed with the Tokyo District Court.
----------
Japan chipmaker Kioxia, Western Digital to agree to merge: sources
TOKYO - Japanese chipmaker Kioxia Holdings Corp. and its U.S. peer Western Digital Corp. are expected to agree on merging their operations by the end of this month at the earliest, sources familiar with the matter said Friday.
The move would create a new memory chip company with a global share on par with its leading rivals, the sources said.
----------
G7 "unequivocally" condemns Hamas attack on Israel as markets wary
MARRAKECH, Morocco - The Group of Seven finance chiefs on Thursday "unequivocally" condemned attacks on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas and expressed concern about the situation in the Middle East, amid heightened uncertainty over the global economy already hit by Russia's war on Ukraine and high inflation.
The G7 finance ministers and central bank governors were united in their support of Israel during their meeting in the Moroccan city of Marrakech as the conflict has unnerved financial markets.
----------
Japan lower house chief to resign but vows to run in next election
TOKYO - Japanese House of Representatives Speaker Hiroyuki Hosoda said Friday that he will leave his post due to health issues, in an announcement that came just a week before an extraordinary parliamentary session is convened.
But Hosoda, 79, expressed his intention to run in the next general election amid criticism that he has not sufficiently explained his ties with the Unification Church, a controversial religious corporation, and sexual harassment allegations.
----------
1st pretrial procedure for Abe shooter held amid tight security
NARA, Japan - A Japanese court on Friday held its first meeting with lawyers and prosecutors to prepare for the trial of the suspected murderer of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe amid tightened security, after the delivery of a suspicious package led to the cancellation of the original June proceedings.
The defendant, Tetsuya Yamagami, 43, did not attend the closed-door pretrial procedure at the Nara District Court in western Japan. His first trial hearing is expected to be held next year at the earliest, according to sources familiar with the matter.
----------
G20 braces for global economic fallout from Israel-Hamas war
MARRAKECH, Morocco - Finance chiefs from the Group of 20 nations will conclude their talks on Friday as the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas adds to uncertainty over the global economy.
The two-day meeting in the Moroccan city of Marrakech came as central banks in major economies have been aggressively raising interest rates to tame inflation and many G20 members grapple with the repercussions of Russia's war on Ukraine that has sent fuel and raw materials costs higher.
----------
China's defense chief Li may be replaced soon: reports
BEIJING - Speculation has been growing that Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who has not been seen in public since late August, will be replaced soon, possibly before an international security forum to be held in Beijing later this month, according to media reports.
Reuters said Thursday that Gen. Liu Zhenli, chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, has emerged as the top contender to replace Li, quoting five people familiar with the matter.
----------
Video: A northern pika, a near-threatened rabbit-like species, prepares for winter
