The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan's daily coronavirus cases surpass 200,000 for 1st time
TOKYO - Japan's daily COVID-19 cases topped 200,000 for the first time, according to a tally of new cases reported Saturday, marking the fourth straight day of a record count during the seventh wave of coronavirus infections.
Tokyo logged 32,698 new cases, exceeding the 30,000 mark for a third straight day. The government said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno tested positive for the virus on the same day.
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Biden's COVID-19 symptoms improved after taking antiviral pill
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Joe Biden's COVID-19 symptoms have improved since he started taking an antiviral drug, his physician Kevin O'Connor said Friday, a day after the 79-year-old tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
"President Biden completed his first full day of Paxlovid last night," O'Connor said in a memorandum, referring to the oral COVID-19 pill developed by Pfizer Inc. "His symptoms have improved," the doctor said.
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Athletics: Kitaguchi wins historic javelin bronze for Japan at worlds
EUGENE, Oregon - Haruka Kitaguchi won bronze in the women's javelin at the world athletics championships Friday, becoming the first Japanese woman to medal in a throwing event at either the worlds or the Olympics.
The 24-year-old threw 63.27 meters in the final for Japan's third medal at the ongoing championships in Oregon. Yukifumi Murakami was Japan's last javelin medalist when he took bronze in the men's competition at the 2009 worlds.
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Thai PM Prayut survives no-confidence motion in lower house
BANGKOK - A no-confidence motion against Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and 10 ministers was voted down Saturday in the House of Representatives, keeping his administration alive amid the opposition's intensified campaign against the government.
As the ruling coalition led by Prayut's Palang Pracharath Party fended off criticism about its mishandling of economic problems and the COVID-19 pandemic, he received 256 confidence votes versus 206 negative ones amid his apparent bid to secure a controversial third term.
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50% of Japanese women think work hampers married life: survey
TOKYO - Around 50 percent of women think work gets in the way of married life, according to a survey of women registered with a Tokyo-based temporary staffing agency, highlighting the difficulties women face in trying to balance work and family in Japan.
The women who said they "somewhat think" that work becomes a hindrance to marriage accounted for 37.7 percent, with an additional 10.9 percent saying they "strongly feel so," the survey by b-style holdings Inc.'s research arm said.
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Sumo: Terunofuji, Ichinojo remain tied for lead after Day 14 losses
NAGOYA - Overnight leaders Terunofuji and Ichinojo both suffered underwhelming defeats at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Saturday and will head into the final day deadlocked at 11-3.
Mongolian-born grand champion Terunofuji took a controversial loss against ozeki Shodai, while No. 2 maegashira Ichinojo fell to No. 10 Meisei on the penultimate day of the 15-day tournament at Dolphins Arena, where the field has been ravaged by the coronavirus.
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Ukraine, Russia agree to resume grain exports amid soaring prices
ISTANBUL - Representatives from Ukraine and Russia signed Friday an agreement to resume grain exports in a meeting mediated by the United Nations, as fears mount over a food crisis triggered by soaring commodity prices.
The deal, reached in Istanbul during a four-way meeting also including the United Nations and Turkey, will guarantee safe sea routes, after passage through the Black Sea was blocked due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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Japan to create 2 Cabinet minister posts to support startups, cut CO2
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday he plans to create two new ministerial posts within his Cabinet responsible for promoting startup businesses and decarbonization efforts in the country.
Unveiling the positions during a speech in central Japan's Nagano Prefecture, Kishida aims to increase investment in decarbonization by aligning the public and private sectors while driving economic growth through the cultivation of more startups.
