TOKYO – The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
U.S. President Trump may visit Japan in late Oct.: gov’t sources
TOKYO – Japan and the United States are arranging for U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Japan in late October before an economic forum in South Korea, government sources said Thursday, marking his first trip to the country since returning to the White House in January.
While in Japan, Trump is expected to meet the successor to outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership contest is scheduled for Oct. 4, and a vote to choose the next prime minister is seen as likely to be held in parliament in mid-October or later.
Nippon Steel to invest $300 mil. to strengthen U.S. Steel production
TOKYO – Nippon Steel Corp. said Thursday it will invest $300 million in two plants run by the recently acquired United States Steel Corp., setting up a new recycling facility and expanding production via the introduction of new product lines in the key U.S. market.
It will be the first investment of the $11 billion Nippon Steel pledged to pump into U.S. Steel, agreed with the U.S. government under the $14.1 billion acquisition deal finalized in June.
Japan leads 1st ministerial meeting of group seeking fissile material ban
NEW YORK – A diverse group of countries seeking to ban the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons convened their first ministerial meeting on Wednesday, at a time the international community continues to struggle with nuclear proliferation, arms control and disarmament.
The meeting, intended to build momentum toward talks on a treaty, took place in New York on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly. The group, involving both nuclear powers and non-nuclear countries, was established a year ago at Japan’s initiative.
CHIBA, Japan – The Tokyo Game Show, one of the world’s biggest gaming events, kicked off Thursday with a record 1,100 exhibitors from Japan and abroad, including a growing presence of independent developers producing innovative titles with relatively small budgets.
Around 250,000 visitors are expected at the four-day annual extravaganza held at Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba, near Tokyo, according to the organizer, the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association.
China’s Xi unveils new target to cut greenhouse gas emissions
NEW YORK – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday unveiled Beijing’s new target to cut greenhouse gas emissions in a video address to the U.N. Climate Summit, pledging to reduce heat-trapping gas emissions by 7 to 10 percent from peak levels by 2035.
Xi also took an apparent swipe at the United States, saying, “Green and low-carbon transition is the trend of our time. While some countries are acting against it, the international community should stay focused on the right direction, remain unwavering in confidence, unremitting in actions and unrelenting in intensity.”
Japan PM says he will issue message marking 80 years since WWII ended
NEW YORK – Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday he will issue a personal message, rather than a Cabinet-approved statement, marking 80 years since the end of World War II.
“We must never allow the memories of the war to fade. We must never start another war,” Ishiba said at a press conference in New York, where he attended the U.N. General Assembly.
TAIPEI – At least 14 people were killed and some 30 others were injured in Taiwan after Typhoon Ragasa brought torrential rainfall mainly to the island’s east, authorities said Wednesday.
Many of the victims were elderly residents found on the first floors of their homes in Hualien County’s Guangfu Township. They were apparently unable to evacuate before floodwaters hit, local media reported, citing the county’s fire department.
Record 2 tons of illegal drugs seized in Japan in 1st half of 2025
TOKYO – Illegal drugs seized by Japanese customs authorities in the first half of 2025 surpassed 2 tons for the first time on record, with cannabis accounting for more than 60 percent of the total, government data showed Wednesday.
Around 1,332 kilograms of cannabis were seized between January and June, up over eight-fold from the same period a year earlier and marking the largest seizure for the period, according to the Finance Ministry which oversees international trade and customs operations. Including other illegal drugs, the total stood at around 2,073 kg, up 33 percent from a year earlier.
VIDEO: Candidates for ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election hold debate
