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

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Mitsubishi Motors to join Nissan-Honda alliance for EV development

TOKYO - Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will join a strategic partnership formed between Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. to develop electric vehicles in a bid to catch up with powerful overseas rivals, the Japanese automakers said Thursday.

The tie-up will discuss a framework for further integration of intelligent technology and electrification of automobiles based on an agreement signed between Nissan and Honda in March, the three automakers said in a joint press release.

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Olympics: Japan's Oka wins men's all-around gymnastics gold

PARIS - Japan's Shinnosuke Oka won the men's all-around gymnastics gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, with compatriot Daiki Hashimoto finishing sixth in his attempt to defend the title he won three years ago in Tokyo.

First-time Olympian Oka totaled 86.832 to top the podium 0.233 ahead of highest qualifier Zhang Boheng of China, whose countryman Xiao Ruoteng claimed bronze 0.468 back of the winner at Bercy Arena.

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Tokyo stocks tumble as stronger yen dampens earnings prospects

TOKYO - Tokyo stocks tumbled Thursday, with the Nikkei index briefly sliding over 3 percent, on growing concerns over Japanese corporate earnings prospects as the yen climbed sharply following the Bank of Japan's interest rate hike.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 975.49 points, or 2.49 percent, from Wednesday at 38,126.33. The broader Topix index finished 90.57 points, or 3.24 percent, lower at 2,703.69.

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Toyota profits hit record high as weak yen covers quality scandal

TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday its net profit in the three months to June rose 1.7 percent from a year earlier to a record 1.33 trillion yen ($8.9 billion), as a boost from a weaker yen offset losses caused by a series of quality scandals that have dogged the world's biggest automaker group.

Its group-wide sales fell 4.2 percent to 2.64 million units as the company partially halted domestic production after cheating in vehicle certification tests was uncovered across the group. Tough competition in China also contributed to the fall.

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Canadian warship transits through Taiwan Strait, angering China

TAIPEI - A Canadian military frigate sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, the island's Defense Ministry said the following day, triggering an angry reaction from mainland China, which claims the self-ruled territory.

Canadian Joint Operations Command also said on the social media platform X that the Montreal has conducted a "routine" transit through the strait, adding, "Canada supports the rules-based international order by operating in accordance with international law."

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U.S. Fed chief says September interest rate cut "on the table"

WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that a cut in the central bank's benchmark interest rate could be "on the table" in September if inflation in the United States continues to moderate and the labor market remains in a better balance between demand for and supply of workers.

After a two-day meeting in which the rate was left unchanged at a 23-year high of 5.25-5.50 percent as widely expected, Powell acknowledged some positive developments in recent months in the fight against persistent rising prices.

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Japan names ex-top currency diplomat Kanda as Cabinet adviser

TOKYO - The Japanese government said Thursday that it has appointed Masato Kanda, former vice finance minister for international affairs, as a special adviser to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Kanda, who retired as the country's top currency diplomat the previous day, will be tasked with advising Kishida on the recent global financial situation, leveraging his extensive experience in the field.

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Olympics: China's Pan breaks own men's 100m freestyle world record

PARIS - China's Pan Zhanle broke his own world record in the men's 100-meter freestyle final at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday night.

Pan, who will be 20 on Sunday, touched the wall in 46.40 seconds, 0.40 inside his previous benchmark set in February and 1.08 ahead of Australian runner-up Kyle Chalmers, at Paris La Defense Arena.

==Kyodo

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