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

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Japan's Seven & i pres. reappointed in proxy fight vs activist fund

TOKYO - Shareholders of Japanese retail giant Seven & i Holdings Co. on Thursday approved the reappointment of Ryuichi Isaka as president, rejecting a demand by a U.S. activist fund for the removal of the top executive in a high-profile proxy fight.

ValueAct Capital Management LP proposed naming four candidates it had selected as board members at an annual shareholders' meeting, saying the current management is not doing enough to maximize its shareholder value.

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Florida Gov. DeSantis declares bid for U.S. presidency

WASHINGTON - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he will seek the Republican Party nomination for next year's U.S. presidential election, with many recent polls showing the prominent conservative trailing former President Donald Trump.

DeSantis, 44, is regarded as a top alternative to the scandal-tainted Trump, but the second-term governor has struggled to rally support in the run-up to his campaign launch.

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China, Russia to boost economic ties in countering West

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin agreed Wednesday to boost their economic ties as they apparently showed unity in Beijing in countering pressure from the Group of Seven nations, which displayed a tough stance against them during their recent summit.

Xi told Mishustin that Beijing and Moscow should continue to tap their potential and "improve the level of economic, trade and investment cooperation," China's official Xinhua News Agency said.

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Former Spain great Iniesta announces departure from Vissel Kobe

KOBE - Former Spain and Barcelona great Andres Iniesta announced Thursday he will leave J-League side Vissel Kobe during the current season.

The 39-year-old midfielder will play his final home game for Kobe on July 1 against Consadole Sapporo at Noevir Stadium.

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Japan's flu season yet to end due to low immunity, end of COVID rules

TOKYO - The flu season in Japan has continued into May, with experts attributing the prolonged spread of infections to low herd immunity and government relaxation of coronavirus measures.

Group infections have forced some schools to close entirely or close some classes even after infections peaked in February.

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Hokkaido melons fetch $25,000 in auction, 2nd highest bid

SAPPORO - A pair of premium melons in Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido fetched 3.5 million yen ($25,000) at the year's first auction on Thursday, securing the event's second highest bid on record.

The bid for the melons grown in the city of Yubari exceeded the previous year's by 500,000 yen but failed to top the record bid of 5 million yen in 2019.

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Narita airport to hike user fees in Sept. reflecting price increases

TOKYO - The operator of Japan's Narita airport plans to raise user charges for international passengers from September, including up to 330 yen ($2) for a facility fee, reflecting recent price and labor cost hikes, a source close to the matter said Wednesday.

Under the plan, the operator Narita International Airport Corp. will raise the passenger service facility charge by up to 330 yen, resulting in a maximum 2,460 yen, and the passenger security service fee by 20 yen, both effective for tickets issued from Sept. 1, the source said.

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Japan firms invest 10 bil. yen in floating nuclear plant project

TOKYO - About a dozen Japanese companies, including major shipbuilders, have invested a total of about 10 billion yen ($72 million) in a British start-up developing floating offshore nuclear power plants, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

Onomichi Dockyard Co. and Imabari Shipbuilding Co. are among the companies that provided funds to Core Power Ltd., which has been working on the project along with TerraPower LLC, a U.S. venture founded by Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates, the sources said.

==Kyodo

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