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Mandarin ducks are pictured by the Hino River in the town of Hino in the western Japan prefecture of Tottori on Oct. 31, 2024. (Kyodo)
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Osaka gov. says to run for head of Japan No. 2 opposition party
OSAKA – Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said Tuesday he will run in the leadership race of Japan’s second-largest opposition party early next month, following its setback in the Oct. 27 general election.
With the Japan Innovation Party seeking to bolster its support base beyond the Kansai region centered on Osaka, many members have urged Yoshimura, who is nationally recognized, to take the lead in rebuilding the party, which suffered a significant loss of seats.
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Over 10 dead, 100 injured as car rams into people in southern China
ZHUHAI, China – A car rammed into pedestrians at a sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai, leaving more than 10 dead and injuring nearly 100, with the driver detained at the scene, Hong Kong’s Ming Pao newspaper reported Tuesday.
Local police said investigations are underway for the incident that happened Monday evening, in which the 62-year-old driver, surnamed Fan, was arrested. The incident occurred a day before a major airshow opened in the city.
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Baseball: Ohtani named finalist for National League MVP
NEW YORK – Shohei Ohtani was named among the finalists for the National League MVP Award on Monday following a historic season in which he became the founding member of Major League Baseball’s “50-50” club and won his first World Series title with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The nomination is Ohtani’s first for the NL MVP after being the unanimous American League MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a member of the Los Angeles Angels.
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Seven & i shuts all 8 Israel stores amid Middle East tensions
TOKYO – Japanese retail giant Seven & i Holdings Co. has closed all eight of its convenience stores in Israel, as the tensions in the Middle East raised risks of continuing business, a source close to the matter said Tuesday.
The retailer is the first known Japanese company to conduct a large-scale closure of stores or withdraw from Israel since the latest Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in October last year, according to credit research company Teikoku Databank Ltd.
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Russia official urges China to jointly counter U.S. containment
BEIJING – Russia’s top security official urged Beijing on Tuesday to jointly counter “the policy of containment” pursued by the United States and its allies in his meeting with the top Chinese diplomat in the Chinese capital, Tass news agency reported.
In his talks with China’s Wang Yi, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu, who is on a five-day visit to China through Friday, also stressed the need for the two countries to further expand foreign policy coordination, Tass said.
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Japan gov’t urges COVID shots for seniors amid sluggish vaccinations
TOKYO – The Japanese health ministry on Tuesday called for seniors to take routine coronavirus vaccinations ahead of the winter, when infections are expected to rise, with data signaling sluggish progress in getting the shots.
It is the first winter since the government ended in March its free COVID-19 vaccinations for anyone aged 6 months or older. Those aged 65 years or older and others at risk, however, are eligible for shots at a reduced fee.
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Chinese man arrested after woman scammed record 809 mil. yen
MITO, Japan – A Chinese national was arrested Tuesday for allegedly scamming a 71-year-old woman in eastern Japan out of 809 million yen ($5.3 million), in what marks the largest reported loss in a social media-based investment scam in Japan, police said Tuesday.
The woman, a company executive from Ibaraki Prefecture, was lured into an investment scheme through a fake Line messaging app account impersonating Japanese economic analyst Takuro Morinaga, according to the police, who have arrested 34-year-old Wen Zhuolin on suspicion of fraud.
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Universal Studios Japan to open Donkey Kong-themed area on Dec. 11
OSAKA – The operator of Universal Studios Japan in Osaka said Tuesday it will open a new attraction area based on Nintendo Co.’s popular Donkey Kong game series on Dec. 11 after postponing it from this spring.
In a world first, the Donkey Kong Country area will replicate the jungle home of the ape-like character Donkey Kong and his friends and expand by 70 percent the park’s Super Nintendo World area featuring augmented reality attractions of iconic characters such as Mario.
Video: Freshman lawmakers enter parliament complex
