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Kyodo news summary -1-
[December 03, 2012]

Kyodo news summary -1-


(Japan Economic Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) TOKYO, Dec. 4 -- (Kyodo) _ ---------- Campaigning starts for election that could end DPJ's 3-yr rule TOKYO - Official campaigning kicked off Tuesday for the Dec. 16 House of Representatives election, which opinion polls suggest could end the ruling party's three-year hold on power, highlighting Japan's revolving-door politics yet again.



Amid expectations the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party could gain most seats but no party would secure a majority, the focus is on how a coalition government will be formed, with so-called third forces trying to counter the Democratic Party of Japan and the LDP, the two dominant political parties.

---------- Chiba Nippo daily wins human rights award from gov't TOKYO - The Justice Ministry said Monday that the newspaper publisher Chiba Nippo Co. and the vocational school operator Ryoma Gakuen in Kochi City have won its 2012 minister's awards for achievements in defending human rights.


The Chiba City-based daily was noted for the numerous articles it has published on activities to raise awareness on human rights while the educational cooperative was cited for its volunteer participation in theatrical plays themed on human rights, according to the ministry.

---------- Nov. new car sales in U.S. post strong gains, Japanese companies jump NEW YORK - New car sales in the United States in November grew 15 percent from a year earlier to 1,143,505 units, with Japanese automakers making particularly strong gains, owing to a rebound in demand from hurricane-affected October, according to preliminary data released Monday by U.S. research service Autodata Corp.

The figure translates into a seasonally adjusted, annualized 15.54 million cars, up 1.25 million cars from the previous month, a level last seen in January 2008, before the financial crisis in September that year, when annualized sales hit 15.55 million.

---------- Sharp to receive up to 10 bil. yen capital injection from Qualcomm OSAKA - Sharp Corp. and Qualcomm Inc. have reached a basic agreement on a capital and business tie-up, with the U.S. telecommunication product maker investing up to 10 billion yen in the struggling Japanese electronics firm, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.

The two companies will jointly develop energy-efficient display panels for smartphones, the sources said. They are expected to announce their agreement possibly later Tuesday, they said.

---------- Obama warns Syria not to use chemical weapons WASHINGTON - U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday warned Syria not to use chemical weapons on its people, saying there would be consequences for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad if it does so.

Calling the use of chemical weapons "totally unacceptable," Obama said in a speech in Washington, "If you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons, there will be consequences and you will be held accountable." ---------- Preventing nuclear terrorism to remain top security priority: Obama WASHINGTON - U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday he will continue to make efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring nuclear weapons as one of his top security policies in his second term.

Warning that terrorists would use nuclear weapons if they obtained them, Obama said in a speech in Washington, "That's why working to prevent nuclear terrorism is going to remain one of my top national security priorities as long as I have the privilege of being president of the United States." ---------- U.N. passes Japan-led nuke abolition resolution by widest margin NEW YORK - A resolution sponsored by a group of countries led by Japan calling for the total elimination of nuclear weapons passed by the widest-ever margin at a plenary session of the U.N. General Assembly on Monday.

It was backed by 174 countries, with only North Korea voting against it, while 13 others including China, India, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan and Syria were among those that abstained from casting votes. It is the 19th year in a row that such a resolution has been passed.

---------- Dollar trades in lower 82 yen range in early Tokyo deals TOKYO - The U.S. dollar traded in the lower 82 yen range early Tuesday morning in Tokyo, little changed from its overnight levels in New York.

At 9 a.m., the dollar fetched 82.14-18 yen compared with 82.20-30 yen in New York and 82.30-32 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Monday.

(c) 2012 Kyodo News International, Inc.

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