Japanese telecom giant Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, or NTT, plans to launch a service using artificial intelligence to help prevent phone scams.

The NTT group on Friday demonstrated the service to be available from next Monday.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping by phone on Friday for the first time since Suga took office last week.

Suga spoke to reporters after the talks.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has instructed the internal affairs and communications minister to work toward lower mobile phone charges.

Suga met Takeda Ryota at the prime minister's office on Friday.

Japan's new minister in charge of telecommunications has expressed eagerness to spur competition among mobile phone companies to lower fees.

Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Takeda Ryota spoke to reporters on Thursday, his first day in his new office.

Japan's Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is making arrangements to hold telephone talks with US President Donald Trump on Monday.

The prime minister announced his intention on Friday to step down due to a relapse of his illness. He suggested he will continue to carry out his duties until the next prime minister is in place.

Major mobile phone companies in Japan are using artificial intelligence in disinfecting efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Telecommunications firm KDDI launched the new system on Tuesday, which was developed by a startup company. The event was held at its "au" mobile phone outlet near the Ikebukuro railway station in Tokyo.

China's Ambassador to Japan says Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are expected to hold telephone talks soon to discuss how to jointly respond to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Ambassador Kong Xuanyou made the remarks at the Japan National Press Club on Friday. He said arrangements are being made for telephone talks between Xi and Abe.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is preparing to have a teleconference with the head of the International Olympic Committee. Tokyo plans to ask the IOC to make a decision as quickly as possible on how the Games should be handled amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Abe wants to discuss the matter with IOC President Thomas Bach, while joined by the head of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee and the governor of Tokyo.

Japan's communications ministry plans to require key mobile phone base stations to have at least 24 hours of backup power.

The move comes after a series of powerful typhoons caused prolonged disruption to mobile communications last year.