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Rion Sumiyoshi of Japan performs in the women’s short program at the Grand Prix de France figure skating competition in Angers, France, on Nov. 1, 2024. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Heavy rain briefly halts all Tokyo-Hakata shinkansen bullet trains
TOKYO – Heavy rain briefly halted all shinkansen bullet train services between Hakata in southwestern Japan and Tokyo on Saturday morning, with the weather agency urging caution as the intense rainfall is forecast to continue during the first half of the three-day weekend.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said atmospheric conditions are likely to be unstable in the west on Saturday and in the east the following day, warning of the risk of landslides, overflowing rivers, lightning strikes and tornadoes.
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Japan government coalition partner to tap transport minister as new chief
TOKYO – Japan’s junior ruling coalition partner is likely to appoint transport minister Tetsuo Saito as its new leader, following incumbent Keiichi Ishii’s loss in the general election late last month, sources close to the matter said Saturday.
Ishii, who became head of the Komeito party on Sept. 28, has expressed his intention to step down, adding to the ruling bloc’s woes as the Liberal Democratic Party grapples with a loss of public trust amid a slush funds scandal.
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Japan, EU agree on security, defense partnership with China in mind
TOKYO – Japan and the European Union on Friday agreed on the Security and Defense Partnership, pledging to boost cooperation in maritime security and other areas, as they share concerns over increasingly provocative Chinese military activities in the Indo-Pacific region.
The agreement was jointly released by Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and EU foreign and security policy chief Josep Borrell ahead of the first-ever foreign ministerial “Japan-EU Strategic Dialogue” in Tokyo.
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Japan revises foreign trainee rules to allow job transfers over abuse
TOKYO – Japan revised its guidelines for the foreign trainee program on Friday, permitting trainees who experience harassment and abuse to change workplaces as it seeks to address the issue of trainees quitting without notice over poor working conditions.
Under the program, which prohibits trainees from switching jobs for the first three years in principle, the number of interns fleeing workplaces hit a record high of 9,753 in 2023.
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Japan to issue new bonds backed by NTT stake to aid chip industry
TOKYO – The government has decided to issue new bonds backed by securities it owns, such as its stake in Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., to fund measures to support Japan’s semiconductor industry, a source close to the matter said Friday.
The plan, aimed at helping semiconductor companies including government-backed chip venture Rapidus Corp., will be incorporated in an economic stimulus package expected to be mapped out this month, the source added.
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Planned Mt. Fuji light rail line to transport 3 million hikers per year
KOFU, Japan – A proposed light rail transit service connecting the foot of Mt. Fuji to its 5th station would be capable of transporting 3.36 million passengers annually, a recent report by a local government showed.
Yamanashi Prefecture is proposing a double-track line operating two-car trains every six minutes for 10 hours per day to disperse the summer influx of tourists while reducing vehicle emissions, according to its interim report.
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Tokyo Olympic race walk medalist Ikeda suspended on doping allegation
LOS ANGELES – Tokyo Olympic silver medal-winning race walker Koki Ikeda has been provisionally suspended for “use of a prohibited substance/method,” track and field’s doping watchdog said Friday.
Ikeda, 26, achieved the best-ever Olympic result by a Japanese race walker when he finished second in the men’s 20-kilometer event at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
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Baseball: Ohtani, Yamamoto celebrate title with Dodgers, fans in LA
LOS ANGELES – Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto greeted supporters and celebrated with teammates as the Los Angeles Dodgers held a long-awaited World Series victory parade on Friday.
Fans had waited 36 years for the celebration after the Dodgers went without a parade for their previous Major League Baseball title in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Video: Scenic beachside rocks in Kushimoto, Wakayama Pref., lit up
