The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan PM Kishida's Cabinet support rate edges up to 24.2%: Kyodo poll
TOKYO - The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet has edged up by 0.4 percentage point to 24.2 percent, a Kyodo News survey showed Monday, with a political funds scandal still shaking his Liberal Democratic Party.
The telephone poll conducted for three days from Saturday also showed 79.7 percent of respondents disapprove of the ruling bloc's proposals to amend the political funds control law, which the LDP and its junior coalition partner, Komeito party, agreed on last week.
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China warns South Korea about closer ties with U.S., Japan
BEIJING - China cautioned South Korea on Monday about its deepening relations with the United States and Japan, stressing the increasing strain in Beijing-Seoul ties and urging against additional pressure on the relationship from external interference, according to South Korean media.
China's top diplomat Wang Yi said in his talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae Yul in the Chinese capital that the "difficulties and challenges facing South Korea-China relations have clearly increased" and that Beijing does not desire such a situation, according to Yonhap News Agency.
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KDDI to deploy drones at 1,000 Japan locations to aid disaster relief
TOKYO - KDDI Corp. said Monday it will deploy drones at 1,000 locations across Japan to use the flying devices, equipped with cameras and sensors, as part of efforts to respond quickly to earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Through a partnership with U.S. drone company Skydio Inc., the Japanese telecom company aims to build a network of drones, enabling the devices to reach disaster-hit areas anywhere in Japan in about 10 minutes, to help find people stranded at disaster sites, inspect roads, bridges and other disaster-affected structures, KDDI said.
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Online reservations to begin for climbing Mt. Fuji
KOFU, Japan - Online reservations will be introduced for visitors climbing Mt. Fuji on the most commonly used trail situated in Yamanashi Prefecture, with the prefectural government set to start collecting entry fees this summer, it said Monday.
The new system, which will begin at 10 p.m. on May 20, is aimed at easing congestion at reception by enabling climbers to pay 2,000 yen ($13) in advance.
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Japan to provide 140 billion yen loan to Jakarta for rapid train project
JAKARTA - The Japanese government said Monday it will provide a loan of up to about 140.7 billion yen ($900 million) for the construction of the second train line in Jakarta under Indonesia's mass rapid transit system project.
The construction of the 84.1-kilometer East-West Line project consists of two phases, with the work for the 24.5-km first stage set to begin by 2026 and be completed in 2031, according to the Japanese Embassy in Jakarta.
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U.S., China to launch dialogue on safe use of AI on Tuesday
WASHINGTON - The United States and China will launch a dialogue on the safe use of artificial intelligence on Tuesday, senior administration officials said, as part of efforts to facilitate candid discussions on new global challenges despite disputes over security, trade and many other issues.
The first meeting between the two governments to focus on emerging risks associated with advanced AI will be held in Geneva, according to the U.S. officials, who spoke to the press on condition of anonymity.
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Tokyo police raid political group over election campaign obstruction
TOKYO - Tokyo police conducted searches on Monday related to a minor political group accused of obstructing campaigns in a recent lower house by-election, in a rare move after receiving complaints from several other camps in the race, investigative sources said.
The searches covered the office of the group "Tsubasa no To" and the homes of its leader Atsuhiko Kurokawa, 45, and Ryosuke Nemoto, 29, who was fielded by the group in the April 28 House of Representatives by-election but lost, they said.
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Bank of Japan cuts bond buying, sends yields higher amid weak yen
TOKYO - The Bank of Japan on Monday offered to buy a smaller amount of Japanese government bonds in a regular operation, sending yields higher in a move that some market participants saw as the central bank's latest effort to counter yen weakness.
The BOJ trimmed the purchase amount of bonds with five to 10 years left to maturity to 425 billion yen ($2.7 billion) from the previous 475 billion yen on April 24. The benchmark yield on the 10-year Japanese government bond subsequently rose to a six-month high of 0.935 percent at one point.
Video: Giant panda Rauhin receives special treats on Mother's Day
