Photo taken on April 1, 2025, shows a water show unveiled to the media at the site of the 2025 World Exposition on an artificial island in Osaka, ahead of the start of the event on April 13. The 20-minute "Under the Midnight Rainbow" show, sponsored by Suntory Holdings Ltd. and Daikin Industries Ltd., will be held every night during the expo through mid-October. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
----------
Japan medical team arrives in quake-hit Myanmar to offer assistance
TOKYO - A Japanese medical team arrived Wednesday in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, to deliver emergency relief supplies, including sanitary items, water and water purifiers, days after a powerful earthquake struck the Southeast Asian country.
The 32-member team, the first of its kind to be dispatched by Japan, will engage in medical activities at the site through the government-backed Japan International Cooperation Agency and the United Nations, the Foreign Ministry said.
----------
China continues drills near Taiwan, deploys aircraft carrier
BEIJING - China on Wednesday continued military drills around Taiwan that involved simulated strikes on ground and maritime targets by the Shandong aircraft carrier fleet and long-range live-fire drills, according to its forces.
The Eastern Theater Command, which covers the Taiwan Strait, said it employed the aircraft carrier group in coordination with naval and air units in waters east of Taiwan on the second day of the exercise to evaluate the troops' capabilities of "multidimensional blockade and control."
----------
EU fines 15 major carmakers, entity 458 mil. euros over cartel
BRUSSELS - The European Union said Tuesday it has fined 15 major carmakers, including Toyota Motor Corp., and a European industry body a total of around 458 million euros ($494 million) for taking part in cartel over vehicle recycling.
The European Commission said the European Automobiles Manufacturers' Association facilitated the cartel by organizing meetings and contacts between 16 car manufacturers for over 15 years.
----------
Japan PM to hold one-on-one debate with opposition chiefs every month
TOKYO - Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to hold one-on-one debates with opposition leaders every month during the ordinary parliamentary session through June, a senior official of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan said Wednesday.
The decision marks a shift from the recent trend of fewer leadership debates and was agreed upon Tuesday by the main opposition party and Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The first of the three debates is expected to be held on April 23.
----------
Outgoing chief of Japan Post vows leadership change amid scandals
TOKYO - The outgoing president of Japan Post Holdings Co. on Wednesday stressed the need to revamp the company's leadership amid a series of scandals, including the misuse of personal information from its banking unit's customers.
"As it has been five and a half years since I took office, I judged that it is time for a leadership change," Hiroya Masuda said at a press conference, adding that the former state-owned postal and financial giant will promote a "drastic" generational shift.
----------
No more living recipients of Japan gov't benefits for war trauma
SAITAMA, Japan - The last retired military personnel or civilian employee who received Japanese government medical benefits for trauma or other mental conditions developed in the line of duty died in 2021, government records showed Wednesday.
With the passing of the individual in Shimane Prefecture, western Japan, the number of firsthand witnesses to the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II has further dwindled, making it increasingly difficult to fully grasp the psychological impact of the conflicts.
----------
Japan Pavilion in Osaka Expo opens with rare Mars meteorite exhibit
OSAKA - Japan has opened its pavilion in the World Exposition in Osaka, less than two weeks before the global event begins, with the first-ever public exhibit of a "Mars rock" discovered in Antarctica by a Japanese research team.
The Japan Pavilion showcases three areas based on "circulation," a concept referring to reusing and recycling for a sustainable society. It also features biogas power generation using food waste from the expo site and underlines the role of microorganisms in meeting energy needs.
----------
Football: Former J-League star Domingues dies at 41
TOKYO - Brazilian playmaker Leandro Domingues, who helped Kashiwa Reysol become the first team to win the J-League football championship in their top-division debut season in 2011, died Tuesday, one of his former clubs, Brazil's EC Vitoria, said. He was 41.
He had been battling testicular cancer since 2022, according to local reports.
Video: Osaka Expo water show
