The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Foreign minister says Japan willing to provide further aid to Gaza
TOKYO - Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Saturday that Japan will continue considering providing further aid to the Gaza Strip, which is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis amid the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
During a speech at an international conference held in the suburbs of Cairo and shown online to discuss the conflict, Kamikawa also pledged to make diplomatic efforts "to prevent the instability from spilling over" into the Middle Eastern region.
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Aid trucks start entering Gaza as Egypt opens Rafah border crossing
JERUSALEM/CAIRO - Trucks carrying humanitarian supplies started entering Gaza on Saturday as Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing, local media reported.
About 20 trucks crossed into the Gaza Strip to deliver desperately needed aid for the first time since Israel announced a complete blockade on the region on Oct. 9 following the Hamas militant group's surprise attack on the country, the reports said.
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No cease-fire until Russia returns Ukrainian territory: security head
KYIV - Cease-fire negotiations with Russia are off the table as long as Moscow refuses to return territory it has occupied in Ukraine, the country's national security secretary said in a recent interview.
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, in the exclusive interview with Kyodo News, also indicated the country's intention of continuing its counteroffensive on military infrastructure in Russia, adding that Moscow has become "subordinate to China" in its attempts to draw closer to Beijing for diplomatic and economic support.
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Ragnar Locker ransomware gang taken down in international sweep
TOKYO - A man believed to be a key figure in a ransomware group has been arrested in France over a string of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure across the world, including one in 2020 against Japanese video game maker Capcom Co., police said Friday.
Law enforcement authorities from Japan, the United States and nine European countries cooperated in the investigation targeting the Ragnar Locker group, which threatened to publish and block access to victims' personal data unless ransoms were paid for decryption tools.
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Next-gen EVs from SUV to minicar in spotlight at Japan mobility show
TOKYO - A wide variety of vehicles from a sleek crossover sport-utility and an upscale autonomous minivan to a mini recreational car, all powered by batteries, will be among the eye-popping concepts at the Tokyo auto show next week when a record 475 companies participate in the event.
The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, the event organizer, calls this year's show -- the first since 2019 following a pandemic-induced hiatus -- the Japan Mobility Show to highlight a variety of advanced technologies beyond the auto industry, such as robots and drones.
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Tennis: Mochizuki's breakout run ends in Japan Open semifinals
TOKYO - World No. 215 Shintaro Mochizuki's impressive run at the Japan Open tennis championships ended Saturday in a straight-sets semifinal defeat to 50th-ranked Russian Aslan Karatsev.
The 20-year-old Mochizuki, the 2019 Wimbledon junior singles champion, entered the ATP 500 event at Tokyo's Ariake Colosseum as a wildcard without a win on tour but took down world No. 10 and top seed Taylor Fritz of the United States in the second round.
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SDF plane carrying Japanese, South Koreans from Israel arrives in Tokyo
TOKYO - A Self-Defense Forces plane carrying Japanese, South Korean and other evacuees from Israel arrived in Tokyo on Saturday, as war rages between the Middle East nation and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The KC-767 refueling and transport aircraft landed at Haneda airport at around 3:15 a.m., a day after transporting 60 Japanese, 18 South Koreans and five foreign family members to Jordan from the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
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Former J-League head Kawabuchi, novelist among cultural award recipients
TOKYO - Saburo Kawabuchi, who played a key role in the launch of Japan's professional football league, and novelist Nanami Shiono were among seven people selected as this year's recipients of Japan's top cultural award, the government said Friday.
Kawabuchi, an 86-year-old former president of the Japan Football Association and inaugural chairman of the J-League, is known for his contribution to the development of the Japanese sports community overall. He has also been instrumental in the founding of the professional basketball league in Japan.
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Football: Sasaki brace as Kobe overpower Kashima, stay 4 pts clear
TOKYO - Daiju Sasaki hit a brace as leaders Vissel Kobe brushed aside Kashima Antlers 3-1 on Saturday to maintain a four-point cushion in search of their first J-League first-division title.
Second-place Yokohama F Marinos hammered Consadole Sapporo 4-1 at home, with former Arsenal winger Ryo Miyaichi rolling home the opener to improve to 57 points, another four points clear of third-place Urawa Reds.
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Video: People arrive in Tokyo from Israel aboard SDF plane
