The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Parallel gov't in Myanmar declares war on military
BANGKOK - A parallel government formed by Myanmar's pro-democracy forces declared Tuesday the launch of what it calls a "defensive war" against the country's military which ousted its members from power in a February coup.
The National Unity Government launched "a people's defensive war against the military junta," the group's acting president, Duwa Lashi La, said in a video speech posted on Facebook, calling on citizens across the country to revolt against "the rule of the military terrorists."
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Toyota to spend 1.5 tril. yen on battery development, supply by 2030
TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it will spend 1.5 trillion yen ($13.7 billion) by 2030 on the development and supply of batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles, as it pushes for carbon neutrality and competition intensifies over low emissions technology.
The world's biggest carmaker by volume is looking to ramp up its offering of zero-emission vehicles to meet stricter emission regulations in global markets.
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SoftBank to acquire 4.5% stake in Deutsche Telekom
TOKYO - SoftBank Group Corp. said Tuesday it will acquire a 4.5 percent stake in Deutsche Telekom AG as part of building a strategic partnership.
The partnership allows SoftBank's more than 300 portfolio companies to gain access to some 240 million Deutsche Telekom customers across Europe and the United States, the Japanese technology conglomerate said in a press release.
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Japan eyes use of vaccine passports for commercial activities
TOKYO - Japan is considering a wide usage of so-called vaccine passports for commercial purposes as part of efforts to regularize domestic social and economic activities that have long been stagnant due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a draft government plan.
Such certificates will allow users entry and usage at stores and sites for entry, with business operators free to decide what kind of services they will offer and to whom to provide such services, the draft says.
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Japan to receive 150 mil. shots of Novavax vaccine from early 2022
TOKYO - Japan will receive 150 million doses of U.S. pharmaceutical giant Novavax Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine from as early as the beginning of 2022, the health ministry said Tuesday.
The ministry said it has signed a deal with Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., which will handle manufacturing and distribution of the Novavax vaccine in Japan. Takeda and Novavax are currently developing the vaccine, aiming to use it as a booster and also to make it effective against coronavirus variants.
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Vaccine chief Kono draws flak for blocking Twitter critics
TOKYO - Japan's COVID-19 vaccine chief, Taro Kono, on Tuesday faced a backlash on Twitter for blocking scores of users who criticized him, a move the contender for next prime minister defended as protecting himself from online abuse.
A hashtag meaning "I've been blocked by Mr. Kono" in Japanese was trending with more than 33,000 tweets, with some users expressing frustration that someone in his position as a Cabinet minister is unwilling to engage in dialogue.
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North Korea promotes leader Kim's close aide to Politburo position
BEIJING - North Korea has promoted its military chief, a close aide to leader Kim Jong Un, to the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the ruling party, state-run media reported Tuesday.
Pak Jong Chon, chief of staff of the Korean People's Army, has also been elected as secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
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Japanese lawmaker Akimoto given 4-yr jail term over casino graft
TOKYO - A Japanese lawmaker was sentenced Tuesday to four years in prison and ordered to pay fines of about 7.6 million yen ($69,000) in a bribery case linked to the government's project to build casino resorts.
The Tokyo District Court ruled that former ruling Liberal Democratic Party member Tsukasa Akimoto was guilty of receiving bribes worth 7.6 million yen between September 2017 and February 2018 from a Chinese gambling operator aiming to enter Japan's casino market.
