TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan gov't to impose tougher requirements for permanent residency
TOKYO - The government plans to raise the bar for granting permanent residency to foreigners by requiring incomes higher than the average for Japanese households and a certain level of projected pension benefits, a source familiar with the matter said Saturday.
The move comes as the government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pushes for tougher measures to address illegal activities and other concerns involving foreign nationals.
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Muhi cream sets Guinness record as longest-selling anti-itch product
TOYAMA, Japan - Japanese anti-itch medicine Muhi cream has been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the longest-selling drug of its kind, having marked 100 years since its launch.
An official adjudicator of the Guinness records on Saturday handed a certificate marking the record as the longest-selling over-the-counter bite and sting anti-itch product brand to the president of the medicine's maker Ikeda Mohando Co. at an event held in Toyama Prefecture, central Japan.
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Japan seeking int'l AI partnerships to reduce U.S., China dependence
TOKYO - Japan has been establishing dialogue frameworks for artificial intelligence with like-minded countries and Global South partners to reduce reliance on top U.S. and Chinese firms and promote domestic companies abroad.
The outreach signals a growing recognition among those countries of the need for cooperation, rather than going it alone, to survive in the increasingly competitive field of AI. At home, Japan is seeking to foster its own domestic AI ecosystem.
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Seven & i gives up on investing in Poland's largest convenience store chain
TOKYO - Seven & i Holdings Co. said Saturday it has given up on investing in Zabka Group, Poland's largest convenience store chain, but is continuing to explore business opportunities in Europe.
"The company was unable to reach an agreement with the seller on terms that the company determined would be in the best interests of Seven & i's shareholders and other stakeholders," the Japanese operator of the Seven-Eleven convenience store chain said in a press release.
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Ukraine calls for Japan support over licensed production of Patriot system
KYIV - Ukraine hopes to gain support from Japan as it looks to produce Patriot air defense systems under U.S. license, citing the expertise of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. that manufactures the interceptors for the Japanese defense forces, an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday.
"We maintain political dialogue" toward seeking cooperation from Japan, which is one of the few countries granted a license to build the Patriot surface-to-air missile system, Sergiy Kyslytsya, first deputy head of Ukraine's Office of the President, said in an interview with Kyodo News.
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Baseball: Ex-major league baseball player Iguchi tapped as next Samurai Japan manager
TOKYO - Tadahito Iguchi, who previously managed the Lotte Marines, has been tapped as the next skipper of Japan's national baseball team, Nippon Professional Baseball said Saturday, becoming the first former major leaguer to take the helm.
The 51-year-old Iguchi will take over from Kazuhiro Ibata, who led Samurai Japan in the World Baseball Classic earlier this year and stepped down following his squad's defeat against Venezuela in the quarterfinals.
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Baseball: Okamoto overtakes Ohtani with 23rd homer in rookie MLB season
BOSTON - Kazuma Okamoto topped Shohei Ohtani's Japanese record for home runs in a rookie MLB season as he went deep for the 23rd time Friday in the Toronto Blue Jays' 6-4 loss against the Boston Red Sox.
Okamoto cut the Blue Jays' deficit to 4-3 in the seventh inning at Fenway Park as he crushed a first-pitch sinker from Greg Weissert to center for a three-run shot, bettering Ohtani's 22 homers in his debut 2018 season with the Los Angeles Angels.
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Sumo: Aonishiki overcomes Takerufuji to close in on Nagoya title
NAGOYA - Ukrainian sekiwake Aonishiki moved a win away from his third Emperor's Cup on Saturday after beating fellow title contender Takerufuji to retain the outright lead after 14 days at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.
Aonishiki (12-2) found himself in a vulnerable position in a testing start against one-time, top-tier makuuchi-division winner Takerufuji (10-4) after allowing the No. 13 maegashira a right overarm belt hold and then a left underarm grip at IG Arena in Nagoya.
