TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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China adds 20 Japan entities to dual-use item export control list
BEIJING - China's Commerce Ministry said Monday it has added 20 Japanese entities including the National Institute for Defense Studies and subsidiaries of Mitsubishi Electric Corp. to its export control list for dual-use items, amid a bilateral diplomatic row.
The latest step, which took effect immediately, follows Beijing's ban introduced in late February on exports of items that can be used for both civilian and military applications to 20 Japanese defense-related entities. The items include rare earths essential for manufacturing high-tech products.
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Japan PM urges swift advance of tests for Pacific rare earth mining
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday instructed relevant ministers to advance industrial-scale test mining for rare earth minerals in Pacific waters off the country, amid supply pressures from Chinese restrictions.
The government plans to begin full-scale tests in waters off Minamitorishima Island located some 1,900 kilometers southeast of Tokyo in the Pacific Ocean, by collecting sediment from the seabed following a previous test. Hurdles remain over the cost of mining and transporting rare earths from the remote area.
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Toyota May global sales drop 7.2%, down for 4th month, on weak China demand
NAGOYA - Toyota Motor Corp. said Monday its global sales in May dropped 7.2 percent from a year earlier to 834,279 units, marking the fourth straight month of decline, reflecting sluggish demand in China hit by higher gasoline prices amid the Middle East conflict.
Its exports from Japan to the Middle East plunged 65.9 percent to 7,323 vehicles in the reporting month, falling for the third consecutive month, likely due to logistics disruptions stemming from the regional conflict.
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Japan's 1st pig kidney transplant trial eyed as early as 2028
TOKYO - A Japanese startup said Monday it will conduct clinical trials of pig kidney transplants to humans at two hospitals as early as 2028, which if successful would likely make them the first of their kind in the country.
It is hoped that organ transplants from pigs to humans will address the shortage of organ donors in Japan. Pig kidney transplants have previously been carried out on a trial basis in the United States and China.
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Local train derails at Kyoto Station, no injuries
OSAKA - A local train derailed at Kyoto Station in western Japan on Monday morning but none of the roughly 30 passengers aboard were injured, the train operator said.
The four-car train bound for Kashiharajingu-mae on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line derailed at around 5:15 a.m., after traveling about 120 meters from Kyoto Station, according to Kintetsu Railway Co.
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Woman sentenced to 7 years for forcing daughter into sex work in Tokyo
BANGKOK - The criminal court in Thailand on Monday sentenced a 30-year-old woman to seven years and six months in jail for human trafficking and aiding prostitution after forcing her daughter to work at a massage parlor in Tokyo last year.
The woman, only identified as Laksana, admitted to the charges. In June last year, she and her daughter, who was 12 at the time, went to Japan, where the girl provided sexual services.
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Australia signs security deal with Vanuatu amid rivalry with China
SYDNEY - Australia signed a security agreement with Vanuatu on Monday, aiming to shore up its position as security partner of choice for the Pacific Island nation as it rivals China for influence in the region.
The signing comes as Canberra continues efforts to formalize security partnerships across the region, following a defense treaty signed with Papua New Guinea last year.
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Football: Japan fans hope to paint the stands blue, then leave them spotless
ARLINGTON, Texas - Determined to turn the stands blue for Japan's World Cup knockout showdown with Brazil on Monday, Japanese fans are ready with a massive stock of double-duty blue plastic bags -- for cheering on Samurai Blue and cleaning up litter afterward.
During Japan's final group-stage match against Sweden last Thursday at Dallas Stadium, a section of the stands turned blue as fans waved air-filled bags and cheered when the players entered the pitch.
