The "Luminarie" illumination event opens on Jan. 24, 2025, in Kobe in memory of the victims of the January 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake in the western Japan city and its vicinity that killed more than 6,400 people. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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Japan lawmakers may attend U.N. nuclear ban meeting, Ishiba to skip

TOKYO - Lawmakers from Japan's ruling parties may attend a convention of signatories to a U.N. nuclear weapons ban treaty in New York this March, but no government representatives will attend, government sources said Saturday.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba plans to skip the event to be held ahead of the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki this year.

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Top U.S. diplomat makes Trump's approach clear in talks with China

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday made clear to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in a phone call that the new Donald Trump administration will focus on American interests above all else, the State Department said.

Rubio, who was sworn in Tuesday as Trump's top diplomat, also expressed deep concern over China's "coercive" actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea, the department said, adding he underscored Washington's commitment to its allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

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U.S. Senate confirms Trump's pick for defense chief Hegseth

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate on Friday narrowly confirmed Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News Channel host and combat veteran, to be President Donald Trump's defense secretary after his pick had sparked controversy because of allegations of sexual misconduct and heavy drinking.

With Vice President JD Vance's tiebreaking late-night vote in favor of Hegseth, he was confirmed by a final tally of 51-50 in the 100-member Republican-controlled Senate despite objections not only from Democrats but also from three senators of Trump's party.

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Chinese court sentences man to death for killing Japanese boy: Japan

BEIJING - A Chinese court sentenced a man to death on Friday for fatally stabbing a 10-year-old Japanese boy in Shenzhen last September, Japan's government said, a day after another court handed down the same penalty in a separate knife attack involving Japanese citizens.

At the first hearing on the case, the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court convicted the Chinese man of killing the boy in the Sept. 18 knife attack near a Japanese school in the southern city, Japanese Ambassador to China Kenji Kanasugi told reporters.

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Snowboarding: Japan's Hiroto Ogiwara golden in X game big air debut

ASPEN, Colorado - Japan's Hiroto Ogiwara won the men's snowboarding big air gold medal Friday and made history in the process in his first X Games, where compatriot Taiga Hasegawa failed to win for the second straight time and settled for silver.

According to organizers, Ogiwara, who, like Hasegawa, is 19, became the first in competition to land a backside 6-1/2-revolution trick scoring 97.33 points to earn the win in Aspen, Colorado.

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Baseball: Nationals sign Japanese lefty Shinnosuke Ogasawara to 2-year deal

NEW YORK - The Washington Nationals said Friday they have signed Japanese left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara to a two-year deal.

The contract is worth $3.5 million, according to The Associated Press. Friday was the last day of his 45-day posting window to sign with a Major League Baseball club.

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BOJ lifts rate to 17-year high of 0.5% with wage hike expectations

TOKYO - The Bank of Japan on Friday raised its policy interest rate to 0.5 percent from 0.25 percent, its highest level in about 17 years, amid expectations for robust wage hikes in this year's annual labor-management negotiations.

Speaking at a press conference following its board meeting, BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda expressed a willingness to tighten monetary policy further to curb inflation, although such steps could hinder domestic economic growth as consumption and investment shrink.

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Japan looks to cash in on matcha boom to boost green tea exports

TOKYO - The government is considering measures to prompt Japanese green tea farmers to shift more production to "tencha" leaves that can be ground into matcha powder, from "sencha," commonly consumed in Japan, to boost tea exports, according to farm ministry sources.

It seeks to capitalize on the booming market abroad for matcha, often used in desserts and drinks, to make up for falling green tea consumption at home.


Video: Illumination event in Kobe in memory of quake victims