Kyodo News Digest: Sept. 2, 2023

Sea otter Riro dunks a basketball during a show at Marine World in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, on Sept. 1, 2023, as Japan co-hosts the FIBA Basketball World Cup. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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

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Japan’s opposition party incumbent head Tamaki re-elected

TOKYO – Yuichiro Tamaki was re-elected on Saturday as the head of the Japanese opposition Democratic Party for the People, as he faces the task of dealing with his party’s relationship with the ruling camp ahead of a possible Cabinet reshuffle sometime this month.

“We will cooperate beyond ruling and opposition parties toward the implementation of our policies,” Tamaki, 54, said at a press conference after beating the party’s acting chief, Seiji Maehara, in the leadership election.

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Basketball: Japan beats Cape Verde at World Cup, earns Olympic berth

OKINAWA, Japan – FIBA Basketball World Cup co-host Japan punched its ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics after holding on for an 80-71 victory over Cape Verde on Saturday.

Big man Josh Hawkinson contributed 29 points and seven rebounds as world No. 36 Japan secured direct qualification to the Olympics by finishing as Asia’s top World Cup performer with a 3-2 record.

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North Korea fires cruise missiles into Yellow Sea: South Korea

SEOUL – North Korea fired several cruise missiles toward the Yellow Sea on Saturday, the South Korean military said, just days after the end of joint U.S.-South Korea military drills.

The missile launches began at around 4 a.m., South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding that “while strengthening our monitoring and vigilance, our military is maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States.”

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Japan fair trade body probes scandal-hit Bigmotor over subcontracts

TOKYO – Japan’s Fair Trade Commission has launched an investigation into Bigmotor Co.’s business practices as the scandal-hit used car dealership and repair chain is suspected of infringing on the profits of subcontractors, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.

Bigmotor, embroiled in a scandal over excessive repair fees and auto insurance fraud, may have forced its subcontractors to lower prices and have their company vehicles undergo periodic inspections at its workshops, according to the sources.

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India launches 1st space mission to sun, days after lunar landing

NEW DELHI – India on Saturday successfully launched its first space mission to the sun, just days after it made history in landing a spacecraft near the Moon’s unexplored south pole.

The Aditya-L1 orbiter took off aboard a spacecraft from the country’s main space center in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. According to the Indian Space Research Organization, it will travel around 1.5 million kilometers from the Earth over four months.

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Singapore PM’s ex-deputy Tharman wins presidential election

SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s former deputy Tharman Shanmugaratnam has been elected the city-state’s president, a largely ceremonial role, Singapore’s election authorities said Saturday.

Tharman, who was a heavyweight in the ruling People’s Action Party before quitting it in the run-up to the election, was the frontrunner in the race to become the country’s head of state.

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Nihon Univ. suspends American football team again over cannabis allegations

TOKYO – Nihon University said Friday that it has indefinitely suspended its American football team again and closed its dormitory over the suspected of possession of cannabis by more team members.

A team member was arrested for alleged possession of cannabis and an illegal stimulant on Aug. 5 following a police search of the football team’s dormitory in Tokyo.

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Japan business leaders to make 1st China visit after COVID in January

BEIJING – Japanese business leaders will visit China in January for the first time since 2019 following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with preparations underway for a meeting with President Xi Jinping’s leadership, sources familiar with the bilateral relationship said Friday.

Despite ongoing tensions stemming from various issues, such as the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, the business group aims to emphasize the significance of economic cooperation between the two Asian neighbors.

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Baseball: Seiya Suzuki hits 14th homer as Cubs win doubleheader Game 1

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki hit his 14th home run of the season in a 6-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of Friday’s doubleheader.

The two-time batting champion in Japan’s Central League pushed the Cubs’ lead to 4-1 with a solo drive to center in the eighth inning off Daniel Duarte at Great American Ball Park.

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Baseball: Yamamoto gets past WBC teammate as Buffaloes beat Fighters

KITAHIROSHIMA, Japan – Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto went head to head with Japan World Baseball Classic teammate Hiromi Ito and just barely scraped out a 1-0 victory over the Nippon Ham Fighters on Saturday.

At Es Con Field Hokkaido, Ito (7-8) was in top form, allowing a run on two first-inning hits while striking out 11 without a walk over the distance against the Pacific League leaders.

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Video: Disaster drills held across Japan on 100th anniv. of Great Kanto Earthquake