The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
----------
Brazil apologizes for WWII-era persecution of Japanese immigrants
BRASILIA - The Brazilian government on Thursday offered its first apology over the persecution of Japanese immigrants in the country during and after World War II, a landmark movement for restoring their honor ahead of next year's 80th anniversary of the end of the war.
The apology was made over two cases -- one in which Brazil, as part of the Allies, evicted Japanese immigrants from their houses in Santos during the war, and another involving mistreatment on Anchieta Island of people imprisoned amid postwar unrest in the immigrant community.
----------
Japan, China top diplomats agree to deepen dialogue to solve disputes
VIENTIANE - The foreign ministers of Japan and China confirmed Friday that they will continue communicating with each other, as bilateral relations remain strained over the release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea.
During the 50-minute talks on the sidelines of ASEAN-related gatherings in Laos, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, were at odds over several issues, including the water discharge, Taiwan and Beijing's detention of a Japanese man.
----------
South Korea says listing Japan's Sado mine as World Heritage site likely
SEOUL - South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Friday that the registration of a gold and silver mine complex on Japan's Sado Island as a UNESCO World Heritage site seems likely, as he believes the two countries are reaching a consensus over the issue, which is linked to disagreements over wartime history.
The positive remark was made by a ministry official and comes on the back of South Korea, which argues the Sado mine complex is linked to wartime forced Korean labor, having previously raised concerns about listing the site as one of World Cultural Heritage, urging that its "whole history" be reflected at the site if it is registered.
----------
Japanese life expectancy rises in 2023 for 1st time in 3 years
TOKYO - The average life expectancy of Japanese people increased in 2023 for the first time in three years, government data showed Friday, rebounding from a period of decline due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The average life expectancy of women in Japan stood at 87.14, up 0.05 from 2022, while for men it was 81.09, up 0.04, according to data by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
----------
2 dead as northeastern Japan battered by heavy rain
YAMAGATA - At least two people were reported dead with multiple unaccounted for after heavy rain pounded parts of northeastern Japan, triggering river flooding and landslides, local authorities said Friday.
Yoshio Sato, 86, is believed to have been carried away by the flooded Omono River in Akita Prefecture and was found dead, while another man was reported missing at a construction site in Yuzawa in the same prefecture.
----------
French rail network hit by arson ahead of Olympic opening ceremony
PARIS - France's high-speed rail network was hit by "malicious acts" including arson attacks, disrupting traffic on the day of the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics, national railway operator SNCF said Friday.
Local media, quoting SNCF, reported that a massive attack was carried out in a bid to paralyze the TGV network from Thursday night to Friday and is expected to affect at least 800,000 people.
----------
Okinawa mayor found dead in Tokyo hotel, illness suspected
NAHA, Japan - A mayor of a city in the southernmost Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, which hosts a U.S. military base at the heart of a controversy over its relocation, was found dead in a Tokyo hotel on Friday, police said. He is suspected to have died from an illness.
Masanori Matsugawa, mayor of Ginowan, was discovered on a bed in his hotel room after he failed to show up at a planned engagement.
----------
Sumo: Terunofuji closes on 10th career championship
NAGOYA - Yokozuna Terunofuji overcame a desperate effort from demotion-threatened ozeki Takakeisho on Friday at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament to close on his 10th career championship.
With his two maegashira pursuers, No. 6 Takanosho and No. 12 Churanoumi, winning their earlier bouts to improve to 10-3 at Dolphins Arena, Terunofuji (12-1) needed a victory to take his two-win lead into the weekend and move within a single win of the title.
Video: Japan House opens at Paris Olympics
