TOKYO – The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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5-year-old boy dies after being trapped in ski lift at resort in Hokkaido
SAPPORO – A 5-year-old boy died after his right arm became trapped in a ski lift at a resort in northern Japan on Sunday, local authorities said.
Firefighters said they received an emergency call from the boy’s mother at about 10 a.m. saying the boy was trapped on the conveyor-belt lift in Otaru, Hokkaido.
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Wolf recaptured after escape causes chaos at western Tokyo zoo
TOKYO – A zoo in western Tokyo was forced to close for much of Sunday after a wolf escaped from its enclosure, though the facility operator confirmed it had been recaptured inside the park later in the day.
According to the Tama Zoological Park in Hino, a zoo attendant spotted the wolf on a public pathway after the facility’s opening time of 9:30 a.m.
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Horse racing: Museum Mile steals Arima Kinen honor for 2nd G1 win
FUNABASHI, Japan – Third-favorite Museum Mile won the 70th running of the Arima Kinen at Nakayama Racecourse near Tokyo on Sunday, the second Grade 1 win for the 3-year-old colt.
Italian jockey Cristian Demuro kept his ride toward the back of the field for most of the race before unleashing his mount after the final corner to pass the leaders on the outside and pip Cosmo Kuranda by half a length to claim the winning purse of 500 million yen ($3.2 million).
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Russia vows to support China if Taiwan contingency flares up: top diplomat
MOSCOW – Russia will support China if a Taiwan contingency flares up, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the country’s Tass news agency, as Beijing’s tensions with Japan continue to escalate over the issue.
Lavrov also said in the interview, released Sunday, that Japan’s leadership is seeking to accelerate militarization, citing defense spending increases under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration, in remarks seen as a warning to Tokyo.
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Myanmar’s 1st general election since 2021 coup begins under military rule
NAYPYITAW – Myanmar’s ruling authorities on Sunday began the first phase of a general election, the country’s first since a 2021 coup that ousted and jailed elected civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
The junta, led by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, has described the election as a “return to democracy”, but the international community has widely criticized the vote as an attempt to legitimize continued military rule and tighten its grip on power.
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Expressway reopened after fatal 67-vehicle pileup northwest of Tokyo
MAEBASHI, Japan – An expressway in Gunma Prefecture northwest of Tokyo was reopened Sunday about 41 hours after a 67-vehicle pileup killed two people, the operator said.
East Nippon Expressway Co. reopened the section between Tsukiyono and Minakami interchanges on the outbound lanes of the Kan-etsu Expressway in Minakami at around 1 p.m., ending all restrictions, though a passing lane remained closed for repairs.
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Taiwan rattled by M7 quake late Sat., causing power outage, minor damage
TAIPEI – A magnitude 7.0 earthquake rattled Taiwan late Saturday, with some areas experiencing a power outage and a ceiling at the island’s Taoyuan airport sustaining damage, though local media reported no injuries.
The quake struck off Yilan County in northeastern Taiwan at around 11:05 p.m. Saturday at a depth of 72.8 kilometers, according to Taiwan’s weather authorities.
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FEATURE: Naruse Akari novel series concludes after capturing readers nationwide
OSAKA – By moving through life on her own terms, Naruse Akari has struck a chord with readers, helping turn her story into a widely read novel series.
The bestselling series featuring Naruse concluded with the release of its third installment on Dec. 1.
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Video: 2 dead, 26 injured in 67-vehicle expressway pileup northwest of Tokyo
AloJapan.com