The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan PM Kishida's disapproval rate reaches 50%, highest since December
TOKYO - The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet remained at a dismal 33.6 percent, while the disapproval rating reached the highest point since December at 50.0 percent, a Kyodo News poll showed Sunday, amid lingering public concerns over the national identification card system and inflation.
The support rate has declined in recent months and is now only a tad higher than the lowest level since Kishida took office in October 2021, which was 33.1 percent logged in November and December 2022.
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Kishida vows safety over Fukushima water release during on-site visit
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Sunday during a visit to the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant that he has urged the operator to prioritize safety ahead of the planned release of treated radioactive water stored at the facility into the sea.
With fishermen remaining concerned over how their businesses could be affected by the move, Kishida also told reporters that he plans to meet with the head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations on Monday.
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Half of bus drivers greet each other via hand wave, defying rules
TOKYO - Nearly half of bus drivers in Japan still exchange greetings waving or nodding when their vehicles pass each other, despite rules banning such gestures to prevent accidents, according to a data analysis group.
An investigation conducted by the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis in nine prefectures across the country found that out of a total of 612 drivers, 292 individuals, or 47.7 percent, raised a hand or gave a quick nod to their fellow drivers.
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Competition heats up in Japan's remote control claw game market
TOKYO - Competition is heating up in the Japanese market for remote control claw machine games after playing the popular arcade game on smartphones quickly caught on during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the online form of the game was first introduced around 2011, game companies, including Sega Corp. and Taito Corp., have expanded their offering of prizes to lure more players.
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Basketball: Australia wary of Japan, Boomers' B-League star Kay says
TOKYO - FIBA Basketball World Cup medal contender Australia does not expect an easy time against co-host and Group E opponent Japan despite the gulf between the teams in the world rankings, forward Nick Kay said Sunday.
The 31-year-old frontcourt workhorse, who won Olympic bronze with the Boomers two years ago in Tokyo, knows the Akatsuki Japan roster better than most after spending the past two seasons with Japanese B-League franchise Shimane Susanoo Magic.
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Football: Mitoma scores in win for Brighton, Endo makes Liverpool debut
WOLVERHAMPTON, England - Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma scored his first goal of the season and set up another in a 4-1 victory away to Wolverhampton in the English Premier League on Saturday.
Fellow Japan international Wataru Endo made his debut for Liverpool as he came on as a 62nd-minute substitute in a 3-1 win at home to Bournemouth.
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Video: Destruction in Ukraine's "pearl of the Black Sea"
