The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japanese emperor, empress visit evacuees in quake-hit Ishikawa Pref.
TOKYO - Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Friday met evacuees and observed the effects of a powerful earthquake in their first visit to central Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture since the disaster struck on New Year's Day.
The imperial couple's one-day trip to the prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast covered the hard-hit cities of Wajima and Suzu, where more than 200 people lost their lives including those who died of disaster-related causes following the magnitude-7.6 temblor.
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Japan court rejects redress claims by unrecognized Minamata victims
KUMAMOTO, Japan - A Japanese district court rejected Friday compensation claims by 144 unrecognized sufferers of the Minamata mercury-poisoning disease against the state and others.
The Kumamoto District Court recognized 25 of the plaintiffs, who have not been eligible for relief payments under a special law, as victims of the disease, but did not award them compensation, citing the expiry of a 20-year statute of limitations for their damages claims.
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Government drops mention of "bold" monetary policy after BOJ's rate hike
TOKYO - The government dropped its calls for the Bank of Japan to pursue a "bold monetary policy" in its monthly report, after the central bank raised interest rates for the first time in 17 years in the belief that the country is on track to attain its inflation goal.
While maintaining its assessment of the Japanese economy from the previous month, the government also continued to stress the need to end deflation and pledged to work closely with the BOJ to ensure "flexible policy management."
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Football: Japan, North Korea not to play scheduled World Cup qualifier
TOKYO - The Japanese and North Korean men's national teams will not play each other in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday as scheduled, the Asian Football Confederation has announced.
The Asian Group B game, originally slated for Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Stadium, "will not take place as scheduled due to unforeseen circumstances," the AFC said Friday in a press release.
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IRS investigating fired interpreter Mizuhara: report
LOS ANGELES - The Internal Revenue Service is criminally investigating interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers for his alleged ties with an illegal bookmaker, The Associated Press reported Thursday.
Mizuhara, who had been Shohei Ohtani's interpreter since his move to MLB in 2017, placed bets on international football but not on baseball, the report said.
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China, N. Korea agree to bolster ties as senior officials meet
BEIJING - China and North Korea agreed during a meeting of senior officials in Beijing on Thursday to advance bilateral ties and their nations' friendship as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, according to the Chinese government.
Wang Huning, who is ranked No. 4 in the ruling Chinese Communist Party's top leadership, and Kim Song Nam, international department director of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, also called for expanded bilateral exchanges and cooperation.
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World-first "Dragon Ball" theme park to be built in Saudi Arabia
TOKYO - The first theme park devoted to the globally popular anime and manga series "Dragon Ball" is to start construction in Saudi Arabia, Toei Animation Co. said Friday.
The facility is set to cover over 500,000 square meters in Qiddiya, a cultural and entertainment city project being built on the outskirts of Riyadh, according to the company. Dates for either the start of construction or the completion of the park are yet to be announced.
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Figure skating: Uno, Kagiyama sit 1-2 after worlds short program
MONTREAL - Japan's Shoma Uno and Yuma Kagiyama are in first and second place after their performances Thursday in the men's short program at the figure skating world championships.
Seeking his third straight world title, Uno landed a quad flip and quad-triple toe loop combination to deliver a flawless performance in Montreal that earned him 107.72 points, the highest score recorded by any skater this season.
Video: Seaweed harvesting in Hyogo Prefecture
