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

----------

Court rules against restarting nuclear power plant in Hokkaido

SAPPORO - A Japanese court on Tuesday ordered a nuclear power plant in Hokkaido to remain offline as requested by over 1,000 plaintiffs due to safety concerns, in a rare decision issued while the operator is seeking permission from authorities to restart the plant.

The Sapporo District Court ruled that Hokkaido Electric Power Co. should not resume operation of all three reactors at its Tomari nuclear plant in the suit filed in November 2011.

----------

Japan enacts 2.7 tril. yen extra budget to tackle surging prices

TOKYO - Japan's parliament enacted Tuesday a 2.7 trillion yen ($21 billion) extra budget for fiscal 2022 to tackle recent rising fuel and food prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The extra budget for the year that started April 1 will finance part of a 6.2 trillion yen emergency economic package formed in late April which includes such measures as subsidies to oil wholesalers to pull down surging retail gasoline prices.

----------

More regional Japan airports to accept entrants from abroad: PM

TOKYO - Japan plans to allow more regional airports to accept entrants from abroad, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday, as the country gradually relaxes stringent border controls implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government will also unveil guidelines on inbound tourism on June 7, Kishida said, three days before it resumes accepting tourists from overseas, initially targeting those on package tours with guides and fixed itineraries.

----------

Japan may need to boost defense costs to 10 tril. yen: think tank

TOKYO - Japan may need to increase its annual defense costs to as much as 10 trillion yen ($80 billion) from the current nearly 6 trillion yen to deal with China's growing military threat, a Defense Ministry think tank said Tuesday.

The National Institute for Defense Studies said in an annual report that the increase of over 4 trillion yen in spending is not necessarily big considering the tremendous economic damage Japan could face if deterrence against China fails and a conflict arises between the two countries.

----------

FOCUS: China's Pacific island diplomacy may complicate ties with Japan

BEIJING - China's recent attempt to bolster its influence on the Pacific island countries is likely to further complicate relations with its neighbor Japan, a close U.S. ally in Asia, probably jeopardizing the security situation in the region.

If China gains a military foothold in the island nations, the United States would need to keep closer watch on the south of the Pacific Ocean, which could undermine deterrence against Beijing in the South China Sea and waters near Taiwan and Japan.

----------

Japan gov't bans intermediary body from introducing foreign trainees

TOKYO - The Japanese government on Tuesday revoked the permit of an intermediate organization that introduces foreign trainees to host companies after it failed to prevent the physical abuse of a Vietnamese man by his Japanese co-workers at a construction firm.

The organization, Okayama Sangyo Gijutsu Kyodo Kumiai in Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, was prohibited from introducing foreign trainees to companies for five years under an administrative punishment issued by the justice and labor ministries.

----------

U.S. will stand with Taiwan, senator tells President Tsai

TAIPEI - U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth reassured Taiwan Tuesday that the United States stands with the self-ruled island despite military and political threats from mainland China.

"The United States stands with Taiwan, and you will not stand alone," Duckworth told Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in their meeting at the presidential office.

----------

No survivors in small plane crash in Nepal

KATHMANDU - Rescuers on Tuesday morning recovered the body of the last missing person aboard a small plane that crashed in Nepal's Mustang district, officials said, confirming all passengers and crew died in the crash.

The Tara Air plane that crashed Sunday as it was flying from the resort town of Pokhara to Jomsom, a gateway to trekkers and pilgrims, was carrying 22 people including 19 passengers -- 13 Nepalis, two Germans and four Indians -- and was crewed by three Nepalis.

==Kyodo

© Kyodo News International, Inc., source Newswire