The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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8 dead, 2 missing as South Korean chemical tanker capsizes off west Japan
FUKUOKA - Eight crew members perished, and two others remain unaccounted for after a South Korean chemical tanker capsized off the western Japanese city of Shimonoseki on Wednesday, a local coast guard office said.
The 870-ton Keoyoung Sun's crew radioed for help around 7:05 a.m., reporting that the ship anchored near Mutsure Island off Shimonoseki was capsizing, according to the Moji Coast Guard Office near the area.
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Australia raises bilateral concerns with China's top diplomat, Wang
SYDNEY - Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Wednesday she raised issues such as human rights, trade tariffs and regional security in talks with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, while saying her nation seeks to manage differences with China wisely.
In a bilateral strategic dialogue, the two nation's top diplomats agreed to continue engagements on issues including consular cases, defense and trade, and to expand dialogue in areas such as the Pacific, climate and energy cooperation, and enhancing understanding and transparency, according to the Australian minister.
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Sumo: Takerufuji ties Taiho's top-tier rookie win streak record of 11
OSAKA - No. 17 maegashira Takerufuji won his 11th straight bout to begin the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday, matching the record for a top-tier makuuchi-division debutant's perfect start set in January 1960 by legendary yokozuna Taiho.
The 24-year-old Takerufuji defeated his fellow title rival and ozeki Kotonowaka (8-3) at Edion Arena Osaka, moving a step closer to securing a historic title at the 15-day meet.
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China successfully launches satellite for lunar missions
BEIJING - China successfully launched on Wednesday a satellite tasked with relaying communications between Earth and the Moon, a crucial component for the country's future exploration missions on the far side of the Moon, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
A Long March-8 rocket carrying the satellite Queqiao-2 lifted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in southern China's Hainan Province. Its deployment is a key step for lunar exploration missions to be conducted by the unmanned probe Chang'e-6, which will be launched by the end of June, and its successors, Xinhua said.
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Japan vows to build peaceful future for Pacific islands
TOKYO - Defense Minister Minoru Kihara pledged Wednesday that Japan will work together with Pacific island nations to build them a future of peace, stability and prosperity, apparently with China's growing military clout in the region in mind.
On the second day of ministerial-level defense talks in Tokyo between Japan and Pacific island states, Kihara said the Pacific Ocean must be "free, open and stable" under the global order based on the rule of law.
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Princess Aiko graduates from Gakushuin University
TOKYO - Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, on Wednesday graduated from Gakushuin University where she studied Japanese literature, describing her days with her schoolmates as "unforgettable."
From April, she will work at the Japanese Red Cross Society's headquarters in Tokyo.
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S. Korean police investigating bomb threat targeting MLB opener
SEOUL - South Korean police are pursuing the author of an email containing a threat to bomb Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome at the time of the U.S. Major League Baseball's season opener on Wednesday, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The email threatening to harm players, which include Los Angeles Dodgers' Japanese star Shohei Ohtani, was reported to the South Korean police on Wednesday morning by an employee at South Korea's Consulate General in Vancouver, Canada, the report said.
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Japan aiming for wealthy Asians to visit rural areas near 2025 Expo
OSAKA - Japan is seeking to attract inbound tourists, particularly wealthy travelers from Southeast Asia, to visit rural areas in and around Osaka and Kyoto prefectures when the 2025 World Exposition is held in western Japan.
The industry ministry's branch in Osaka invited officials of travel companies in Thailand and Malaysia in late February to a program that included sightseeing beyond the usual trips downtown. They were also briefed about the expo by its organizers.
Video: Wooden tablet from 8th-century Japan unearthed in Nara
