TOKYO -
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Typhoon Mekkhala approaches Kanto's Pacific coast, 1 dead in landslide
TOKYO - Typhoon Mekkhala was heading along central Japan's Pacific coast but is expected to skirt Tokyo on Saturday after another typhoon passed close to the area earlier in the day, leaving one dead and three injured, the weather agency and local authorities said.
The two typhoons and a seasonal rain front have already brought downpours to western and southwestern regions, causing landslides and damaging roads.
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Beijing confirms light aircraft crash into skyscraper, pilot dead
BEIJING - Beijing authorities confirmed Saturday that a light aircraft had crashed into a skyscraper the previous evening, leaving the pilot dead and 13 people injured.
The announcement by the Chaoyang district government in the capital came a day after videos and images of the incident at the CITIC tower, the city's tallest building, went viral on Chinese social media.
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Taiwan legislative speaker Han exchanges views with U.S. House Speaker
TAIPEI - Taiwanese Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu met U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson in Washington on Friday and exchanged views on security and economic cooperation, his office said.
Han thanked Johnson "for his longstanding and steadfast support for Taiwan and for advancing Taiwan-U.S. relations," according to a statement from the Legislative Yuan.
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10 sustain minor injuries in M5.6 quake near Mt. Fuji
TOKYO - Japanese authorities said Saturday they had received reports of 10 people sustaining minor injuries due to the magnitude-5.6 earthquake near Mt. Fuji in central Japan the previous day.
The quake, which shook the central and eastern regions including the Tokyo metropolitan area at around 10:28 p.m. Friday, registered lower 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in part of Yamanashi Prefecture.
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Virtual AI police chief introduced in Osaka amid rising imposter scams
OSAKA - A virtual AI police chief has been introduced in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, following a rise in imposter scams, with local police hoping that "AIko" will raise public awareness of such fraud, especially among younger generations.
AIko, whose name combines "AI" and "ko," the Japanese suffix attached to female names, has the voice and appearance of a young woman. She is warning through the prefectural police's YouTube channel about scams spreading among not only the elderly population, but also people in their 20s to 60s.
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Baseball: Okamoto hits 19th home run for Blue Jays in loss to Rangers
TORONTO - Kazuma Okamoto blasted a home run for the second straight game, taking his tally to 19 for the Toronto Blue Jays in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers.
With the Blue Jays trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the 29-year-old third baseman launched a two-run shot deep to left field to cut the deficit to one run.
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Football: Japan mentor Minamino hopeful of another upset against Brazil
NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Facing a round-of-32 encounter with Brazil on Monday, squad mentor Takumi Minamino is optimistic that Japan can clear the momentous hurdle and make an extended run at the World Cup.
The 31-year-old Monaco attacker was ruled out in December after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee but has been accompanying Japan's World Cup squad in a nonplaying capacity while working on his recovery.
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Baseball: Debate lingers over introduction of 7-inning high school games
TOKYO - Debate continues over a proposal to reduce high school baseball games in Japan from nine to seven innings, with several experts invited to a governing body panel calling for a clearer decision-making process.
The move to shorten games has been driven by concerns for player safety during the increasingly hot summer months, including the hugely popular national high school tournament held in August.
