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Junya Ito (L) and Keito Nakamura are pictured during training with the Japan national team in Xiamen, China, on Nov. 18, 2024, a day ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifier against China. (Kyodo)
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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G20 drops anti-protectionism vow as Trump victory tests unity
RIO DE JANEIRO – The Group of 20 leaders on Monday dropped their anti-protectionism pledge in a statement issued after their first meeting since Donald Trump was reelected U.S. president, as global leaders prepare to grapple with his threat to impose higher import tariffs.
While the diverse grouping may come under renewed criticism from Trump amid growing doubts about its effectiveness as a forum for policy coordination, the leaders said the challenges facing the global economy can only be resolved through multilateral solutions.
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Shuntaro Tanikawa, noted poet and translator of “Peanuts,” dies at 92
TOKYO – Shuntaro Tanikawa, a leading poet in postwar Japan also known for his translations of the U.S. cartoon series “Peanuts” and the British “Mother Goose” nursery rhymes, has died, sources close to the matter said Tuesday. He was 92.
The Tokyo native gained prominence after the 1952 release of his first book of poetry, “Niju Oku Konen no Kodoku” (Two Billion Light Years of Solitude), with critics praising his vibrant use of the Japanese language. He died last Wednesday of natural causes.
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45 Hong Kong democracy activists sentenced to up 10 years
HONG KONG – A Hong Kong court on Tuesday sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists to jail terms of up to 10 years over their roles in an unofficial primary election held in 2020, in the territory’s biggest national security case to date under a law imposed by Beijing the same year.
Legal scholar Benny Tai, accused of being an organizer of the primary election, was sentenced to 10 years behind bars by the Hong Kong High Court, while notable activists Au Nok-hin and Joshua Wong received prison terms of six years and nine months and four years and eight months, respectively.
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Sony Group mulls acquiring Japan publisher Kadokawa: sources
TOKYO – Sony Group Corp. is considering acquiring Japanese publisher Kadokawa Corp., in a bid to strengthen the tech conglomerate’s entertainment business, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
Under the planned deal, Sony hopes to utilize Kadokawa’s strengths in anime and gaming businesses, the sources said.
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China admits plane entered Japan airspace in August but unintentional
TOKYO – China has admitted that one of its military planes entered Japan’s airspace in August but said it was not intentional, Japanese government officials said Tuesday.
The officials were briefed by the Chinese government that a Y-9 spy plane was hit by turbulence, prompting the crew to take evasive action that caused it to enter Japanese airspace over waters in the East China Sea on Aug. 26.
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Numerous children injured in China after being hit by car at school
SHANGHAI – Numerous children were left injured Tuesday morning after a car struck them in front of an elementary school in central China’s Hunan Province, according to state-run media and online footage, with the driver subdued at the scene.
Police in the city of Changde said the injuries were not life-threatening and that they are investigating the incident, which occurred at 7:37 a.m. Online Chinese media quoted a local official as saying the driver of the sport utility vehicle deliberately tried to plow it into the school.
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Japanese rice price to wholesalers hits record high in Oct.
TOKYO – The average price of Japanese rice sold to wholesalers by suppliers in October struck a record high on rising production costs, government data showed Tuesday, despite forecasts that the price would go down following the autumn harvest.
The transaction price of unpolished rice harvested this year, which could affect retail prices, rose 57 percent from a year earlier to 23,820 yen ($154) per 60 kilograms, the highest price since the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries began the survey in 2006.
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Japan, Britain to launch ministerial dialogue on economic security
RIO DE JANEIRO – Japan and Britain agreed Monday to launch a new framework for dialogue between their economic and foreign ministers to discuss trade, economic security and other shared challenges, amid prospects that their close ally, the United States, will take steps to curb free trade under its next president Donald Trump.
The agreement was reached at a meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the margins of the Group of 20 summit in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, the Japanese government said.
Video: Ceremony held to mark opening of Kansai shogi hall
