(From L) Bronze medalist Ali Lacin of Germany, gold medalist Ntando Mahlangu of South Africa and silver medalist Richard Whitehead of Britain pose for a photo after competing in the T61 final of the men's 200 meters at the Tokyo Paralympics on Sept. 3, 2021, at the National Stadium. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

 

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

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Tennis: Naomi Osaka may take indefinite break after shock U.S. Open loss

NEW YORK - Naomi Osaka said she is taking another break from tennis after a shock U.S. Open loss to 18-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the women's singles third round held Friday night.

The defending champion slammed her racket on the court several times, screamed after missing a shot and was visibly frustrated in her 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-4 loss to the world No. 73 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Early in the third set, Osaka smacked the ball into the stands and received a code violation for ball abuse.

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Paralympics: Japan's Satomi wins women's WH1 badminton singles gold

TOKYO - Japan's Sarina Satomi won the gold medal Saturday in the women's badminton WH1 singles at the Tokyo Paralympics, becoming the first Japanese player to win gold in the sport that was newly introduced at the Tokyo Games.

Satomi, 23, defeated Sujirat Pookkham of Thailand 14-21, 21-19, 21-13 in the 55-minute final at Yoyogi National Stadium.

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Tokyo Paralympic-linked COVID-19 cases reach nearly 300 in 3 weeks

TOKYO - Another 10 people associated with the ongoing Tokyo Paralympics have tested positive for COVID-19, the games' organizing body said Saturday, with the cumulative total reaching nearly 300 in three weeks.

Of the 297, those tested positive for COVID-19 were mostly contractors. As for the daily count, the committee said no athletes tested positive for the fourth straight day, and nine of the 10 were contractors.

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Baseball: Shohei Ohtani grabs 9th win after early injury scare

ANAHEIM, California - Shohei Ohtani overcame an early injury scare to earn his ninth win Friday, holding the Texas Rangers to two runs over seven innings in the Los Angeles Angels' 3-2 win for his eighth straight winning decision.

Ohtani (9-1) struck out eight in a gutsy 117-pitch effort at Angel Stadium, giving up seven hits and two walks. The two-way star had an off-day at the plate, going 0-for-4 including a deep fly to right field in the fifth inning with two on and two outs.

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Japan removing physical barriers to disabled, but prejudices remain

TOKYO - Although the Tokyo Paralympics have drawn praise for embodying the ideals of an inclusive society, in terms of social attitudes, Japan appears a long way from achieving the "barrier-free spirit" the government has pushed.

Opportunities for everyday interaction between the able-bodied and disabled remain scarce in Japan, and friction between the two groups exists. So, while Paralympic venues and public transportation have made strides in hardware, much remains to be done in upgrading the population's mental software.

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Thai PM survives no-confidence vote amid criticism on virus response

BANGKOK - Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and five ministers survived a vote of no-confidence in Parliament on Saturday after facing censure for mismanaging the response to COVID-19 and countenancing corruption.

Members of the Lower House of Parliament voted 264-208 in favor of Prayut, while Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and four other cabinet members also comfortably survived the censure motion.

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Japanese wins first prize at Swiss international piano competition

VEVEY, Switzerland - A 19-year-old Japanese took first prize at the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition, considered a springboard for young pianists to an international career, when the finals were held in western Switzerland on Friday.

Yumeka Nakagawa, a first-year student at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar in Germany, became the laureate of the 29th edition of the prestigious contest after playing Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2.