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TOKYO – The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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Japan foreign minister holds phone talks with Rubio, ICC head Akane

TOKYO – Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Saturday he held separate phone talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane.

His talks with Rubio and Akane followed the U.S. announcement Friday of sanctions against the entire ICC. President Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly accused the Hague-based court of encroaching on state sovereignty, including through its investigations into alleged war crimes committed by U.S. military personnel.

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Nishiyama becomes 1st woman eligible for shogi’s main pro ranks

KANAZAWA, Japan – Shogi player Tomoka Nishiyama on Saturday became the first woman eligible to join the game’s main professional “kishi” ranks, which are open to both men and women.

The 31-year-old qualified for the ranks Saturday by winning her fifth Hakurei title, the most prestigious championship in women’s professional shogi.

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Taiwan’s Lai urges defense boost, accuses China of changing status quo

TAIPEI – Taiwan President Lai Ching-te called during an address Saturday for the strengthening of the island’s defense capabilities, accusing mainland China of seeking to alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.

“Our aim by increasing investment in national defense is not to provoke; rather, it is to deter war. And we are strengthening our self-defense not to abandon dialogue, but to ensure that dialogue can take place on the basis of parity and dignity,” Lai said.

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2 men die in float festival accidents in Osaka Prefecture

OSAKA – Two men died and more than a dozen others were injured Saturday when floats overturned during annual festivals in Osaka Prefecture.

In Izumisano, a 51-year-old man became trapped beneath a float that overturned while he was riding it with other participants, police said. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital, while seven others were injured.

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Volleyball: SV.League stages 1st official match, women’s opener in Bangkok

BANGKOK – Japan’s top-tier volleyball SV.League staged its women’s season opener in Bangkok on Saturday, marking its first official match overseas as part of a push to expand into the Asian market.

The match between Saga Hisamitsu Springs and Aleeza Aichi was held at Indoor Stadium Huamark in the Thai capital, attracting local fans and media attention.

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JR Kyushu lines fully restored 74 days after Kumamoto quake in late July

KUMAMOTO, Japan – JR Kyushu’s train lines were fully restored Saturday, 74 days after the devastating July 28 earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

Services resumed between Uto and Yatsushiro stations in Kumamoto Prefecture, a section that had remained suspended, with a passenger saying it represented “the first step of reconstruction.”

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Kansai Electric restarts reactor at Mihama nuclear plant in central Japan

FUKUI, Japan – Kansai Electric Power Co. said Saturday that it has restarted the No. 3 reactor at the Mihama nuclear power plant in central Japan, after it was manually shut down in September due to a water leak during adjustment operations as part of a regular inspection.

The reactor in Mihama, Fukui Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast, entered adjustment operations on Saturday and is scheduled to resume commercial operation on Nov. 4, the operator said. The reactor was also shut down in May following a vapor leak.

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Asian Para Games: Torch relay starts ahead of opening on Oct. 18

OKAZAKI, Japan – The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games torch relay started Saturday, ahead of the opening ceremony on Oct. 18, with around 3,000 athletes from more than 40 countries and regions expected to compete.

Yoshimi Kaji, who represented Japan in canoeing at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, became the first runner in her hometown of Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture.