The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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G-7 finance chiefs to discuss bank woes, Ukraine, emerging risks
NIIGATA, Japan - Finance chiefs from the Group of Seven nations on Thursday began a three-day meeting in central Japan, as bank and debt woes add another layer of uncertainty over the global economy, already hit by Russia's war on Ukraine.
The G-7 is expected to confirm their unwavering support for Ukraine while keeping up the pressure on Russia to end its unprovoked war on its neighbor. Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said $1 billion will be mobilized to assist Ukraine and related efforts via the government-backed Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
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ASEAN chair Indonesia says no real progress made on Myanmar peace
LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia - Indonesian President Joko Widodo told other ASEAN leaders Thursday that no significant progress has yet been made on the implementation of a consensus to end violence in Myanmar, urging unity among the 10-member group on the issue.
The president was speaking on the second day of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Indonesia, referring to the so-called five-point consensus agreed upon at a special ASEAN summit in April 2021 attended by Myanmar junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.
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Several injured as predawn M5.2 quake rattles Tokyo Bay area
TOKYO - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.2 jolted areas surrounding Tokyo Bay early Thursday, including Chiba Prefecture and downtown Tokyo, leaving several people injured, according to the Japanese weather agency and local authorities.
The 4:16 a.m. quake registered an upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Kisarazu and a lower 5 in Kimitsu, both in Chiba Prefecture, and a 4 in areas including Tokyo's Chiyoda and Shinagawa wards, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. No tsunami warning was issued.
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Kishida says Japan aims to lead int'l rule-making efforts for AI use
TOKYO - Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday that Japan will seek to lead international efforts in establishing rules for the use of artificial intelligence as the chair of this year's Group of Seven meetings.
The pledge comes as governments have been pushing to harness rapidly developing technologies like AI bot ChatGPT while mitigating risks to privacy and addressing other concerns.
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Japan, ASEAN to hold summit on Dec. 16-18 to mark 50th anniv. of ties
TOKYO - The leaders of Japan and the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will hold a three-day meeting to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their relationship in December, the top Japanese government spokesman said Thursday.
The Japanese government is preparing for the special summit with ASEAN from Dec. 16 in Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a news conference.
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SoftBank Group posts net loss of 970 bil. yen in FY 2022
TOKYO - SoftBank Group Corp. said Thursday it posted a net loss of 970.14 billion yen ($7.2 billion) for the year ended March as the technology and investment giant suffered a drop in the value of its shareholdings.
The Japanese conglomerate marked an annual loss for the second straight year but it shrank from the 1.71 trillion yen reported a year earlier. Sales for fiscal 2022 rose 5.6 percent to 6.57 trillion yen.
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Nissan's net profit rises 3.0% to 221.9 bil. yen in FY 2022
TOKYO - Nissan Motor Co. said Thursday its net profit for the year ended March rose 3.0 percent from a year earlier to 221.9 billion yen ($1.65 billion), as a surge in raw material costs was offset by the depreciation of the yen against the U.S. dollar.
Nissan's operating profit for fiscal 2022 grew 52.5 percent from a year earlier to 377.11 billion yen, while sales rose 25.8 percent to 10.6 trillion yen.
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Tokyo teacher sent to prosecutors for murder, likely laden with debt
TOKYO - A junior high school teacher was sent to prosecutors on Thursday a day after his arrest on suspicion of killing a man during a break-in at a home in Tokyo in February.
Kosuke Omoto, 36, allegedly stabbed to death Masafumi Yamagishi, 63, at the latter's home in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward, apparently to steal valuables. Omoto is believed to have amassed millions of yen in debt through gambling and foreign exchange trading, investigative sources said.
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Video: Newborn crane in Japan's Hokkaido
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