Kyodo News Digest: April 30, 2026 -3-

Published: 2026-04-30 07:08:08 ET MET

Published on 04/30/2026 at 07:08 am EDT

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

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Japan PM Takaichi holds phone talks with Iran president: gov't source

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held phone talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday, a government source said.

The discussions came after the two previously held phone talks on April 8.

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Time for "decisive action" on yen weakness nears: Japan finance chief

TOKYO - Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said Thursday "decisive action" would be needed against yen declines, as the currency weakened beyond the mid-160 level against the U.S. dollar to its lowest since July 2024, amid Middle East tensions.

"The time for decisive action, which I have previously mentioned, is finally getting closer," Katayama told reporters as the yen briefly hit 160.72 earlier in the day. The U.S. currency continues to draw buying as a safer asset in times of uncertainty.

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Japan's financial watchdog orders MetLife to respond to data breach: source

TOKYO - Japan's financial watchdog has ordered a subsidiary of U.S. life insurer MetLife Inc. to respond to allegations of unauthorized data transfers, a source close to the matter said Thursday.

The Financial Services Agency has told the Japanese subsidiary of MetLife to present its preventive measures and analysis into why the misconduct occurred, according to the source.

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At least 358 executed under N. Korean leader Kim Jong Un: rights group

SEOUL - At least 358 people have been executed under North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to a report by the Transitional Justice Working Group, a Seoul-based international human rights organization.

The report, based on an analysis of testimonies from North Korean defectors and information from online media specializing in North Korea, aims to highlight what it calls "serious human rights violations" that ignore international concerns over arbitrary executions.

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Myanmar apparently further reduces Aung San Suu Kyi's prison term to 17 yrs

YANGON - The prison term of Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi appears to have been further reduced to around 17 years, following the military-led government's announcement Thursday of clemency for inmates in the Southeast Asian country.

Suu Kyi, 80, has been imprisoned since the 2021 coup on charges including corruption, with her supporters and many international observers deeming her detention politically motivated. The new government led by former military chief Min Aung Hlaing also announced a large-scale clemency on April 17.

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Middle East conflict dampens Japan industrial output in March

TOKYO - Japan's industrial output in March edged down 0.5 percent from the previous month, pressured by the Middle East conflict that affected output of chemical products due to disruptions in imports of their raw materials, government data showed Thursday.

The decrease followed an upwardly revised decline of 2.0 percent in February. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry kept its basic assessment of industrial production the same as the previous month, saying it "fluctuates indecisively."

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Japan parliamentary group eyes S. Korea trip in mid-May to meet president

TOKYO - The new head of a bipartisan group of Japanese lawmakers promoting ties with South Korea is arranging a visit to the country in mid-May for talks with President Lee Jae Myung, sources close to the group said Thursday.

If realized, it would be Ryota Takeda's first visit to South Korea since assuming the post in March. Tokyo and Seoul have maintained relatively stable ties, with leader-level reciprocal visits known as "shuttle diplomacy" gaining momentum.

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JAL reports record sales of 2 trillion yen in FY 2025 on strong demand

TOKYO - Japan Airlines Co. said Thursday its revenue rose 9.1 percent from a year earlier to a record 2.01 trillion yen ($12.5 billion) in the fiscal year ended March, the highest since its relisting in 2012, aided by robust demand for domestic and international travel.

Its net profit for fiscal 2025 jumped 28.6 percent to 137.60 billion yen, driven by an increase in travelers, including those flying on business and inbound tourists.

==Kyodo