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

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Japan's Digital Minister Kono intends to run in LDP leadership race

TOKYO - Digital Minister Taro Kono has informed a heavyweight of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that he intends to run in its presidential race in September, aiming to become Japan's next prime minister, a source close to the matter said Thursday.

Kono, known as an outspoken lawmaker, conveyed his intention to LDP Vice President Taro Aso, a former prime minister who heads an intraparty group that the minister belongs to, during a dinner meeting on Wednesday, the source said.

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Toyota global output falls in May for 4th month on price war in China

NAGOYA - Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday its global production for May fell 4.1 percent from a year earlier to 812,191 units, marking the fourth straight month of decline as the automaker continues to grapple with stiff competition in China.

Its production outside Japan fell 7.0 percent to 556,877 cars as output in China plunged 21.7 percent due to an ongoing price war with local brands in the world's biggest auto market, it said.

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U.N. rights expert expresses concerns over sexual abuse in Japan

GENEVA - A U.N. human rights expert expressed concerns on Wednesday about various "challenges" in Japan, including alleged sexual exploitation and abuse of talent signed with a major Tokyo-based entertainment agency and discrimination against sexual minorities.

Speaking in a U.N. Human Rights Council session in Geneva, Robert McCorquodale, chief of a working group that released a report on Japan-related issues last month, recommended the establishment of an "independent" national institution to tackle the problems, mentioning the scandal involving the company formerly known as Johnny & Associates Inc.

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Japan, U.S., S. Korea begin new military exercise to counter N. Korea

TOKYO - Japan, the United States and South Korea on Thursday began a new joint military exercise in the East China Sea spanning aerial, naval and cyber domains, apparently to boost their readiness against North Korea's missile and nuclear threats.

The three-day "Freedom Edge" drills involve the helicopter carrier Ise and the Aegis destroyer Atago from Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force and the U.S. nuclear-powered carrier Theodore Roosevelt, according to a trilateral statement released by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

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N. Korea claims multiple-warhead missile test was successful

BEIJING - North Korean state media reported Thursday the country successfully conducted the previous day a test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile carrying multiple warheads.

In the test, warheads carried by the solid-fuel ballistic missile separated and were guided correctly to three targets, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

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Gov't keeps economic view in June, warns of higher overseas rates

TOKYO - The government on Thursday maintained its view that the Japanese economy continues to recover moderately but warned downside risks from elevated overseas interest rates may weigh on global growth.

In its monthly economic report for June, the Cabinet Office did not change its assessments of almost all key components. It noted that industrial production showed signs of picking up "recently," signaling that the negative impact of a data-rigging scandal in the auto sector is waning.

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Japanese imperial couple bids farewell to British king, queen

LONDON - Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bid farewell to King Charles and Queen Camilla on Thursday, marking the end of the three-day official portion of their weeklong visit to Britain.

The imperial couple, who arrived in the country last Saturday and will stay through Friday, began their state visit on Tuesday, marking the first such visit since then Emperor Akihito's in 1998.

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China's Communist Party to hold key plenum on reforms from July 15

BEIJING - China's ruling Communist Party will hold a key meeting from July 15 to 18 on how to further deepen reforms, the country's state-run media said, amid economic challenges such as a prolonged property sector crisis.

The third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee, which had been widely expected to be held last fall, will also discuss issues on "advancing Chinese modernization," the official Xinhua News Agency said.

==Kyodo

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