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

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Top diplomats of Japan, U.S., South Korea meet in New York

NEW YORK - The top diplomats of Japan, the United States and South Korea on Monday held a trilateral meeting in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, with North Korea likely to be high on the agenda.

The meeting involving Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun came after North Korea raised the possibility of reengaging with the United States.

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More than 1.3 mil. Osaka expo tickets remain unused before Oct. end

OSAKA - More than 1.3 million admission tickets for the World Exposition in Osaka remain unused, less than a month to go before the event ends on Oct. 13, according to the organizer's data released Monday.

Visiting time slots are almost fully booked until the final day, meaning some people may not be able to use their tickets to enter the venue. And the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition said that it will not refund them in such cases.

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China's Spring Airlines denies Taiwan passport ban for int'l flights

TAIPEI - Chinese budget airline Spring Airlines denied Monday that it has barred travelers from using Taiwan passports to purchase tickets for overseas flights, calling earlier reports "misinformation" amid claims the move was intended to align with Beijing's "one-China principle," Taiwan media reported.

Earlier reports said the policy, in effect since Sept. 12, required travelers to present either a mainland Chinese passport or one from a country recognized by Beijing when booking international flights, affecting Taiwanese residents in China attempting to purchase Spring Airlines tickets to destinations such as Japan and South Korea.

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South Korea arrests Unification Church head in case involving ex-first lady

SEOUL - The Unification Church leader has been arrested over an allegation that she gave gifts to the wife of then President Yoon Suk Yeol in 2022, South Korean media reported Tuesday.

The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant for Han Hak Ja, 82, who leads the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, the official name of the international religious group whose members are known as Moonies in some countries.

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Japan city passes ordinance to cap smartphone use at 2 hours per day

NAGOYA - The assembly of a central Japan city on Monday passed an ordinance that recommends all residents limit their use of smartphones, video game consoles and other digital devices to two hours a day outside of work and school, though there will be no penalties.

The ordinance enacted in Toyoake in Aichi Prefecture comes amid concerns over the impact of excessive technology exposure and is believed to be the first of its kind in Japan. It is slated to come into effect on Oct. 1.

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Malaysia receives drones from Japan under security framework

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's military has received some surveillance drones from Japan as part of its security assistance, in a bid to boost the Southeast Asian nation's maritime border surveillance, officials of the two countries said Monday.

Under a framework called Official Security Assistance, which Japan launched in 2023 to provide defense equipment to like-minded countries, several of the 14 Japan-made drones to be given to Malaysia have already arrived in the country, with the military planning to deploy them to areas facing the South China Sea.

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N. Korea open to talks with U.S. if denuclearization demand withdrawn: Kim

BEIJING - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said Pyongyang could resume talks with Washington if the United States does not seek its denuclearization, adding he personally has "good memories" of U.S. President Donald Trump, state-run media said Monday.

Kim said in a speech delivered Sunday at a session of the Supreme People's Assembly, the country's legislature, that there is "no reason" for North Korea and the United States to avoid dialogue if Washington wants peaceful coexistence, the official Korean Central News Agency said.

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FOCUS: Koizumi may gain ground in LDP leadership race with wider lawmaker support

TOKYO - Amid expectations that the 44-year-old lawmaker could negotiate more smoothly with opposition forces over cooperation, farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi may gain the upper hand in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election.

The race comes as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, head of the LDP, announced his resignation earlier this month to take responsibility for the ruling bloc's loss of a majority in both chambers of parliament in recent national elections.

==Kyodo

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