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

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Japan to conduct 1st thorough survey of PFAS chemicals in tap water

TOKYO - Japan will conduct its first thorough survey on the concentration of potentially harmful chemicals known as PFAS in tap water after the substances were detected in filtration plants and rivers across the country, a government source said Saturday.

The government called for prefectural governments and water utility companies authorized by the state in late May to provide data on PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as "forever chemicals." The results will inform discussions aimed at reconsidering water quality targets.

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Honda to end production of mini bikes amid stricter emissions rules

TOKYO - Honda Motor Co. is planning on ending the production of its mini motorcycles with 50 cc or smaller engines by November 2025 amid the need to comply with a stricter vehicle emissions standard, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.

The automaker has the largest market share for mini motorcycles in the engine size category. The Super Cub series, which Honda first began selling in 1958, has manufactured over 100 million units over the years to become the most popular motorcycle in the world.

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U.S. Marine commandant says littoral regiment to be set up on Guam

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Marines will deploy to Guam a littoral regiment capable of a flexible and rapid response in a "few years" as part of efforts to deal with China's growing assertiveness, its commandant said Friday.

Gen. Eric Smith, the commandant of the Marine Corps, told a press conference in Washington that the Marine Littoral Regiment is "designed as a counter to PRC aggression," referring to the acronym for the People's Republic of China, to protect Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.

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Football: J1 leaders Machida settle for home draw with Fukuoka

MACHIDA, Japan - Leaders Machida Zelvia were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Avispa Fukuoka on Saturday as the J-League first-division season reached its midway point.

The J1 debutants Machida had a tough test against a battling Fukuoka side, who had won their last three games. But Zelvia did enough to secure a point at western Tokyo's Machida Gion Stadium that lifted them up to 39 points from 19 games and two points clear at the top.

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Baseball: Lions finally get offense going to halt 5-game skid

OSAKA - The Seibu Lions ended their franchise-worst scoreless streak at 32 innings and beat the Orix Buffaloes 4-2 Saturday for their first win in six games.

The Lions built an early four-run lead on Takumi Kuriyama's first-inning sacrifice fly and Junichiro Kishi's three-run homer in the third at Kyocera Dome Osaka.

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Japan to face 36% truck driver shortfall in FY 2030: think tank

TOKYO - Japan will have 36 percent fewer truck drivers than required to meet the country's logistical demands in fiscal 2030 due to its graying population and the introduction this year of reforms aimed at curbing overwork, according to a recent study.

The country's road freight volume in the fiscal year ending March 2031 is projected to be 1.40 billion tons, declining slightly from 1.43 billion tons in fiscal 2020, the Nomura Research Institute said.

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Japan's imperial couple leaves for Britain as state guests

TOKYO - Japan's Emperor Naruhito on Saturday departed for Britain with Empress Masako, embarking on the first state visit to the country by a sitting emperor since his father Akihito's in 1998.

The couple, bound for London, left Tokyo's Haneda airport in a government plane in the morning. The official goodwill visit is their second overseas trip following a June 2023 visit to Indonesia after the emperor ascended the throne in May 2019.

==Kyodo

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