The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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IAEA opens office at Fukushima nuclear plant before water release
FUKUSHIMA, Japan - The International Atomic Energy Agency opened Wednesday a field office at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant where its officials will be stationed when treated radioactive water is released into the sea.
The inauguration of the office came as IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visited the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, damaged by a powerful earthquake and ensuing tsunami in 2011. The U.N. nuclear watchdog released the previous day a comprehensive report that assured the safety of Japan's discharge plan.
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Japan group urges China's Li to facilitate business environment
BEIJING - A Japanese delegation led by former House of Representatives Speaker Yohei Kono urged China in talks with Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday to facilitate a conducive environment for business, alluding to the country's new anti-espionage law that has caused concern among many foreign firms, according to a member of the group.
In their meeting in Beijing, Kono, representing some 80 members of the delegation that includes many Japanese businesses, asked Li that China not "dampen our appetite for investment," Kono's aide told reporters.
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Ruling parties agree Japan can export defense equipment with weapons
TOKYO - Japan's ruling parties agreed Wednesday that the nation can export non-combat cars and vessels equipped with lethal weapons, despite its strict restrictions on overseas shipments of weapons.
A report compiled by lawmakers of the Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito, however, said they remain divided on the permissibility of Japan exporting fighter jets jointly developed with other countries to third nations.
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Japan, China eye foreign ministers talks in Indonesia next week
TOKYO - Japan and China are making arrangements for a foreign ministerial meeting in Indonesia next week on the fringes of a series of gatherings involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.
While Japan aims to stabilize bilateral ties through dialogue, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang are likely to discuss such issues as Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water into the sea from the crippled Fukushima nuclear complex, which Beijing strongly opposes.
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Japan, South Korea arranging summit for next week in Lithuania
TOKYO - Japan and South Korea are arranging a summit meeting for next week in Lithuania, a government source said Wednesday, with Tokyo seeking to gain understanding from its neighbors on its planned release of treated water from the disaster-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol are set to meet on the sidelines of a two-day NATO summit from Tuesday in the Baltic state, the source said.
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Pro-Russian hackers target Japan's top port handling Toyota trade
NAGOYA - The Port of Nagoya, Japan's largest port by total cargo throughput and responsible for handling some of Toyota Motor Corp.'s car exports, has suffered a crippling system glitch, with the port operator saying Wednesday it suspects a cyberattack.
As of noon, the port in central Japan remained unable to load and unload containers from trailers. Police have launched an investigation, saying the operator has received a ransom demand in exchange for the recovery of its system.
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Japan firms offer over 3% pay rise, 1st time in 29 yrs
TOKYO - Japanese companies offered to raise wages by an average 3.58 percent in this year's spring wage talks, marking a more than 3 percent increase for the first time in 29 years, to cope with historically high inflation, the country's largest labor union said Wednesday.
The Japanese Trade Union Confederation, also known as Rengo, said the average wage increase was equivalent to 10,560 yen ($73) per month, in response to its demand for about a 5 percent pay hike in the "shunto" pay negotiations.
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China to beef up seafood import checks if Fukushima water is released
BEIJING - China said Wednesday it will strengthen inspections of imported seafood to ensure public health and food safety if Japan discharges treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press conference the Chinese public has "expressed severe concern" about the planned ocean discharge of the water and Beijing will "strengthen monitoring of the marine environment" as well as quarantining seafood imports.
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Chinese researcher at Japanese institute indicted over data leak
TOKYO - Tokyo prosecutors on Wednesday indicted a Chinese researcher at Japan's national institute of industrial technology for allegedly leaking data to a Chinese company.
Quan Hengdao, 59, who was arrested in June on suspicion of violating the law prohibiting unfair competition, was fired on Wednesday by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.
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Video: IAEA says Fukushima water discharge plan "in conformity" with int'l criteria
