The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Extension of Hokuriku Shinkansen line opens, tourism hopes boosted
FUKUI, Japan - An extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line connecting Kanazawa and Tsuruga in central Japan opened on Saturday, establishing bullet train services in Fukui Prefecture for the first time and carrying hopes for a tourism boost in areas hit by the New Year's Day earthquake.
The new section shortens travel time between Tokyo and the city of Fukui by 33 minutes to as fast as 2 hours and 51 minutes. Passengers now no longer must transfer to high-speed and limited express trains after Kanazawa.
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Ghibli Park's final Valley of Witches area opens to public
NAGOYA - A theme park in central Japan based on world-famous Studio Ghibli characters and scenes from hit anime films such as "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away" on Saturday opened its Valley of Witches area, completing the attraction after more than three years of construction.
Ghibli Park's final attraction is based on anime films "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Kiki's Delivery Service," and features the park's first rides -- a traditional carousel featuring motifs from the studio's films and a flying carousel inspired by a traveling fair.
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Exiled Iranian royal sees regime change as country's only way forward
WASHINGTON - Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last shah of Iran, is stepping up his efforts for a shift to secular democracy in his home country, urging that a leadership change in Tehran is the only path toward stability in the Middle East and beyond.
"The world has to come to the conclusion that so long as the Islamic regime exists in Iran, multiple problems for the world...will not disappear," said Pahlavi, 63, who was crown prince of Iran until the 1979 Islamic Revolution, in a recent interview with Kyodo News.
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Baseball: Shohei Ohtani vows to have strong start to season with Dodgers
SEOUL - Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani said Saturday he will try to get results early in the season to be an integral part of his new team.
"I appreciate all the attention," Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara at a press conference on Saturday at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome alongside teammates Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. "Obviously, the attention is always great, being a baseball player. Being able to play with these great guys next to me is just exciting."
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Emperor worried about weak ties to British royals before 1998 visit
LONDON - Japan's imperial couple "felt a sense of unease" about their links to the British royal family ahead of their state visit in 1998, newly released documents at the National Archives in London showed Saturday.
The files opened to public view show that, despite their past visits, then Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko felt they lacked the more intimate connections enjoyed by other members of the imperial family with Britain and its royal family.
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Basketball: Chiba routs Ryukyu in Emperor's Cup final
SAITAMA, Japan - The Chiba Jets trounced the B-League rival Ryukyu Golden Kings 117-69 in Saturday's final to win their second consecutive and fifth overall Emperor's Cup basketball title.
Christopher Smith scored a game-high 26 points and Yuki Togashi was next highest with 20 in front of 15,385 fans at Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo.
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Inflation dents budgets for cherry blossom viewing in Japan
FUKUOKA - The average planned budget for cherry blossom viewing this spring in Japan edged down from the previous year amid the impact of inflation, a recent private-sector survey showed.
People planning to go to see the flowers will likely spend an average of 6,872 yen ($47) per person, down 0.9 percent, although a larger number of people are expected to enjoy the popular seasonal event in Japan compared to last year, Tokyo-based marketing firm Intage Inc. said.
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Sumo: Kirishima slumps to 2-5 as tourney proceeds without yokozuna
OSAKA - Ozeki Kirishima's forgettable run of results continued Saturday at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament with a loss to third-ranked maegashira Takanosho.
The action inside the ring at Edion Arena Osaka was overshadowed by the withdrawal of lone yokozuna Terunofuji (2-5) earlier on Day 7 due to lower back pain and other health issues.
Video: Ukraine's hospital train shown to media
