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Japanese Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko attend a press conference in Tokyo on Nov. 25, 2024, ahead of their trip to Turkey in early December. The two countries mark this year the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. (Pool photo) (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Epsilon rocket engine catches fire at Japan space agency test center
TOKYO – An engine being developed for use in the Epsilon S small rocket went up in flames Tuesday during a combustion test at a facility in southwestern Japan, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said.
The fire at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture follows another incident in July 2023 when the same engine exploded during a test at the Noshiro Testing Center in northeastern Japan.
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Trump vows 25% tariffs on Mexico, Canada, another 10% on China
WASHINGTON – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Monday he will impose additional 10 percent tariffs on goods from China and 25 percent tariffs on all imports from Mexico and Canada, in retaliation for drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
The pair of posts by Trump on his Truth Social platform signaled an aggressive trade policy that would likely impact other major exporters such as Japan and South Korea.
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G7 top diplomats to step up pressure on Russia-N. Korea military ties
FIUGGI, Italy – The Group of Seven foreign ministers are expected to up the pressure on Russia and North Korea’s deepening military collaboration as they wrap up their two-day meeting in Italy on Tuesday, criticizing Pyongyang’s troop dispatch to help Moscow in its war against Ukraine.
In a joint statement, the ministers will likely underscore that North Korea’s involvement in the Russian invasion of its neighbor could have a huge impact on the security of the Indo-Pacific region, according to a diplomatic source.
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Princess Yuriko’s funeral held at Tokyo cemetery
TOKYO – The main funeral ceremony for Princess Yuriko, the oldest member of the Japanese imperial family and great-aunt of Emperor Naruhito, was held Tuesday at a cemetery in Tokyo after her death aged 101 earlier this month.
Following a wake on Sunday and Monday, the Shinto ritual, called Renso-no-Gi, took place at the Toshimagaoka Cemetery for the imperial family in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward, with her granddaughter Princess Akiko serving as the chief mourner.
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Japan eyes cutting emissions by 60% by FY 2035 from FY 2013 levels
TOKYO – The Japanese government said Monday it is considering cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by fiscal 2035 compared with fiscal 2013 levels.
The Environment Ministry and the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry proposed the new target, up 14 percentage points from the current goal, at a joint meeting, saying that a more aggressive cut is necessary to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
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Trading house Itochu looks to finance Seven & i management buyout
TOKYO – Trading house Itochu Corp. is considering helping finance the potential buyout of Seven & i Holdings Co. by its management, responding to a request from the founding family of the Japanese retail giant, sources close to the matter said Monday.
Itochu, the parent of convenience store chain operator FamilyMart Co., is apparently in the initial phase of the study, the sources said. The move could complicate the around 7 trillion yen ($45 billion) buyout offer by Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. toward Seven & i.
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Baseball: Japanese lefty Yusei Kikuchi agrees to 3-yr Angels deal: reports
LOS ANGELES – Free agent Yusei Kikuchi has agreed to join the Los Angeles Angels on a three-year, $63 million contract, multiple U.S. media reported Monday.
The Japanese left-hander went 9-10 this year with a 4.05 ERA playing for the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros, logging more than 200 strikeouts for the first time in his six Major League Baseball seasons.
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Japan’s ruling LDP vice president eyes visit to S. Korea
TOKYO – Yoshihide Suga, vice president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is considering visiting South Korea in mid-December, a source familiar with the matter said Monday.
Suga is set to attend a joint meeting of Japanese and South Korean parliamentarians, possibly around Dec. 15, in his capacity as head of a bipartisan group of Japanese lawmakers working to promote friendly ties with their South Korean counterparts, the source said.
Video: Japanese Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko hold press conference ahead of their trip to Turkey
