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TOKYO – The following is the most recent compilation of selected news summaries from Kyodo News.

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APEC officials seek to ensure robust energy supply networks despite the ongoing Middle East conflict

SUZHOU, China – Trade officials from 21 Asia-Pacific nations emphasized the significance of ensuring robust supply networks for energy and other critical goods during a two-day gathering in Suzhou, eastern China, which concluded on Saturday, in the context of the Middle East conflict.

In a shared declaration released following the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial gathering, the trade officials reiterated their commitment to “maintain the flow of trade and ensure essential infrastructure supports the sustainability and reliability of global supply chains.”

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Okamoto and Efira from Japan receive the best actress honor at the Cannes Film Festival.

CANNES, France – Japanese actress Tao Okamoto and Belgian-French performer Virginie Efira were honored with the best actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, marking Okamoto as the first Japanese woman to achieve this distinction.

Both actors appeared in the movie “All of a Sudden,” also referred to as “Soudain,” which was directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. The film features a theater director struggling with cancer, portrayed by Okamoto, and a nursing home administrator, played by Efira, who develop a strong bond.

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Japan and China’s trade officials hold discussions, marking the first ministerial-level meeting amid a dispute

SUZHOU, China – On Saturday, Japanese Trade Minister Ryosei Akazawa mentioned that he had a short conversation with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, during a regional economic conference in Suzhou, eastern China. This marked the first high-level meeting between the two nations since their recent diplomatic conflict escalated last year.

Sino-Japanese relations have worsened since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi mentioned in parliament last November that Japan might send its military forces if there is a dispute over Taiwan, the island that Beijing claims as its own.

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The royal couple intends to visit regions affected by the 2016 earthquake in Kumamoto in September.

TOKYO – Plans have been finalized for Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to travel to Kumamoto Prefecture, which recently commemorated the 10th anniversary of catastrophic earthquakes, according to sources acquainted with the situation on Saturday.

The Imperial Household Agency is planning a two-day journey involving inspections of recovery efforts and discussions with those affected by the disaster, according to sources. This would mark the first time the emperor and empress visit the regions impacted by a series of consecutive earthquakes that resulted in over 270 fatalities, since the emperor took the throne in 2019.

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A sense of disappointment is growing among atomic bomb survivors in Japan regarding the NPT conference.

TOKYO – Victims of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, along with their mayors, voiced frustration on Saturday following the conclusion of a review conference on the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, which once more failed to produce a consensus statement.

Senior officials involved in the month-long meeting in New York were unable to resolve conflicts on Friday, mainly concerning the Iranian nuclear program, even though the conference chair engaged in discussions with nations such as Iran and the United States, one of the five countries permitted to have nuclear weapons under the agreement.

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A U.S. soldier stationed in Okinawa was reported to prosecutors for sexual assault in April.

NAHA, Japan – A U.S. soldier based in Okinawa was sent to prosecutors by local authorities due to allegations of sexually assaulting a woman and causing her harm in April, according to an investigative source on Saturday.

The source did not specify if the man in his 20s acknowledged the accusations prior to the referral on Friday. He was taken into custody following the woman’s report of the incident to the police via a third party.

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Japanese voice actor requests TikTok operator to eliminate AI-generated replica

TOKYO – Japanese voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda is seeking through a legal action submitted to a Japanese court that the TikTok app’s operator delete videos that feature an AI-generated replica of his voice, created without his permission, according to his attorney on Saturday.

As per the legal action, 188 videos concerning urban myths and interesting facts, with a voice resembling Tsuda’s, were uploaded to an account by an unknown user between July 2024 and September 2025.

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Football: Beleza are defeated by Naegohyang from North Korea in the Women’s ACL final

SUWON, South Korea – In the Women’s Asian Champions League final on Saturday, Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza lost 1-0 to Naegohyang from North Korea.

Newcomers Beleza came close but ultimately failed to secure a victory in the final match of their 39-year-old defender and 2011 World Cup champion Azusa Iwashimizu’s career, as she stayed on the bench during the game in Suwon, South Korea.

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