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

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Japan and the U.S. conduct their first joint foreign exchange intervention in 15 years, with more actions possible

TOKYO – Japan and the United States announced on Monday that they carried out synchronized yen purchases at the end of last week, marking their first joint market intervention in 15 years aimed at halting the currency’s recent decline to a 40-year low compared to the U.S. dollar, and cautioned that they might take further action.

A move during New York trading on Friday occurred following the yen’s drop to 163.99 against the U.S. dollar on July 23, its lowest point since 1986, due to increasing concerns over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s aggressive financial policy and the method of its financing.

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Japan will allocate more than 20 billion yen from reserve funds to deal with the earthquake, says Takaichi.

KUMAMOTO, Japan – The Japanese government plans to use more than 20 billion yen ($130 million) from its emergency funds to assist regions severely affected by a major earthquake that struck the Kumamoto prefecture in the southwest nearly a week ago, according to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday.

Takaichi’s government will approve the use of reserve funds from the fiscal 2026 budget, amounting to roughly 1 trillion yen, she stated to reporters in Kumamoto, the prefecture’s capital, following her visit to regions affected by last Tuesday’s 7.1-magnitude earthquake and discussions with Gov. Takashi Kimura.

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U.S. states controlled by Democrats take legal action against the Trump administration regarding new tariffs

WASHINGTON – On Monday, a group of 25 U.S. states led by Democrats filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration concerning its recent tariffs, which reach as high as 12.5 percent on products from 60 different trading partners. The states claim that the president lacked the legal power to implement these taxes.

A legal action initiated in the U.S. Court of International Trade located in New York asserted that the administration “is not allowed to use forced labor as a justification to maintain its unlawful tariff system.”

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Japan’s governing party defers the decision on the tax reduction proposal to the policy leader

TOKYO – On Monday, Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party chose to defer the decision regarding a proposal to reduce the consumption tax on food to its tax policy leader, as the suggestion encountered resistance from fiscal conservatives.

At the party’s tax and social security research committees, the majority of members backed the proposal as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who also leads the LDP, aims to reduce the consumption tax on food from 8 percent to 1 percent for two years beginning next April to alleviate the effects of inflation.

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Nissan records its first net profit in two years for the period of April to June due to restructuring initiatives.

YOKOHAMA – Nissan Motor Co. announced on Monday that it has regained profitability for the first time in two years, reporting a net profit of 3.76 billion yen ($24 million) for the three months ending June, as it continues to implement its restructuring initiatives.

The figure represented a shift from a net loss of 115.76 billion yen compared to the previous year, as the automaker reduced expenses related to labor, production, development, and procurement, while a weaker yen also improved the final earnings.

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Myanmar’s Suu Kyi engages with a Red Cross representative in an uncommon meeting beyond the country’s borders

YANGON – The military-aligned administration of Myanmar stated on Monday that Arnaud de Baecque, the International Committee of the Red Cross’ representative in Myanmar, had a meeting with pro-democracy figure Aung San Suu Kyi, who is confined to her residence in the capital city of Naypyitaw.

A number of images were made public, featuring one from Monday morning’s meeting and others showing Suu Kyi receiving and cutting a birthday cake, which is thought to have been captured on her June 19th birthday.

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Kuwait is in discussions with Arab allies regarding a pipeline designed to circumvent the Strait of Hormuz.

KUWAIT CITY – The oil minister of Kuwait stated on Sunday that the country is engaging in discussions with Saudi Arabia and other Arab neighbors to establish a new pipeline for crude oil exports, which would avoid the Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview with Kyodo News in Kuwait City, Oil Minister Tariq Sulaiman Al-Roumi stated that the nation’s oil exports have “fully ceased” because of Iran’s complete shutdown of the strait, and mentioned that restoring some damaged oil storage facilities would require “a minimum of a year.”

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Three lions at a zoo in western Tokyo have died due to suspected heat-related issues.

TOKYO – Three lions at a zoo in Tokyo have passed away since late July due to suspected heat-related issues, according to the metropolitan government, as extreme summer temperatures persisted.

The three lions were part of a group of 16 held at Tama Zoological Park in Hino, western Tokyo. They were discovered to be suffering from serious dehydration and failure of several organs.