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

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Japan beats Australia in softball to start Olympic competition

FUKUSHIMA, Japan - The Tokyo Olympics began after a one-year postponement due to the coronavirus with the first pitch of Wednesday's softball game as host and defending champion Japan homered three times in an 8-1 win over Australia at Fukushima Azuma stadium, north of the capital.

The venue, among those chosen in northeastern Japan, which was battered by the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, was in line with organizers using the Tokyo games as a vehicle to boost the region's recovery.

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WHO head says not possible to reduce COVID risk to zero at Tokyo Olympics

TOKYO - The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday it is not possible to reduce the risk of coronavirus to zero at the Tokyo Olympics, which will open later this week, and the success of the games should be judged on how well infection cases are handled.

As uncertainty remains over whether the Olympics can be held safely, Chile's national Olympic committee said a taekwondo athlete will withdraw after testing positive. It is the first known time an athlete has cited a COVID infection as a reason for pulling out of the games after arriving in Japan.

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Around 15 world leaders to attend Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony

TOKYO - Leaders from around 15 countries and international organizations are slated to visit Japan for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, the government's top spokesman said Wednesday, down from the roughly 40 that attended the same event for the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a press conference about 70 Cabinet-level officials are also set to visit Japan, while adding that the number of foreign VIPs attending the ceremony at the National Stadium on Friday night could remain in flux until the last minute.

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Japan, U.S., South Korea affirm peace across Taiwan Strait

TOKYO - Senior diplomats from Japan, the United States and South Korea affirmed Wednesday the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, where mainland China is increasing pressure on the self-ruled island, according to the U.S. State Department.

The three countries agreed to oppose to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea where the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands are located, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said, in an apparent move to confirm their alliance to counter China's growing military presence.

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Ugandan athlete in Japan for Olympics who went missing to return home

TOKYO - An athlete from Uganda who went missing last week from his pre-Olympic training camp in western Japan has been found and will return home as early as Wednesday, the African country's embassy in Tokyo said.

Confirming a man found in the central prefecture of Mie on Tuesday by police is Julius Ssekitoleko, the embassy said, "Any issues to do with alleged absconding from the duty he had been flown to perform in Japan and related disappearance from the training camp, will be handled appropriately upon his return to Uganda."

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Japan's 2021 1st-half exports up 23.2%, sharpest rise in 11 yrs

TOKYO - Japan's exports in the first half of 2021 rose 23.2 percent from a year earlier, marking the largest year-on-year growth in 11 years, reflecting the global economic recovery from the slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Wednesday.

The increase was the largest on a half-year basis since the 37.9 percent jump logged in the first half of 2010 when the world economy was rebounding from the global financial crisis, according to a preliminary report by the Finance Ministry.

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Honda to temporarily halt plant in central Japan amid chip crunch

TOKYO - Honda Motor Co. said Wednesday it will temporarily halt production at a central Japan plant for five days in early August due to a global semiconductor shortage, which would cut output by an estimated 10,000 vehicles.

The automaker said it will make up for the lost output at its Suzuka plant in Mie Prefecture from Aug. 2 to Aug. 6 by running the production lines on holidays from September.

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Mongolian wrestler Terunofuji becomes sumo's 73rd yokozuna

TOKYO - Four-time makuuchi division champion Terunofuji was officially named sumo's 73rd yokozuna on Wednesday, as the Mongolian became the first wrestler in four and a half years to be promoted to the ancient sport's highest rank following an epic career comeback.

Terunofuji, who narrowly missed out on a fifth title on Sunday at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, where he finished with a 14-1 record, is the first new grand champion since Japanese-born Kisenosato in 2017.