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

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KDDI mobile customers across Japan hit by prolonged network troubles

TOKYO - KDDI Corp., one of Japan's top three carriers, said Saturday its mobile customers have been facing difficulties making calls and getting online for over half a day, with the disruption of its nationwide networks also impacting services from banking and transmission of weather data to parcel deliveries.

The "au" mobile brand operator said work to restore the networks continues after the disruption began at around 1:35 a.m., but no time frame for a resumption of services has been provided.

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Russia to install new operator for Sakhalin 2 energy project

TOKYO - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to set up a new operating company for the Sakhalin 2 oil and liquefied natural gas project, Russian media reported, casting the investments of two major Japanese trading houses into doubt.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida denied it would immediately cause a halt in the shipment of LNG to Japan. "We must communicate with the operator and consider how to respond," he told reporters in Okinawa Prefecture.

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Rugby: Japan unable to keep up intensity in 42-23 loss to France

TOYOTA, Japan - Japan made a strong start before fading in the second half of a 42-23 loss to France in Saturday's first test at a sweltering Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture.

Center Yoram Moefana scored one try and set up another for the Six Nations champions, who showed why they will be among the favorites to lift the trophy when they host the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The teams were deadlocked 13-13 at halftime, but the Brave Blossoms struggled to match the physicality of world No. 2 France as the game wore on.

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Sumo: Former ozeki Takayasu, Tagonoura stable to miss Nagoya tourney

TOKYO - Former ozeki Takayasu, currently wrestling as a No. 4 maegashira, and the rest of the Tagonoura stable will miss the upcoming Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament due to coronavirus infections, the Japan Sumo Association announced Saturday.

It is the second time an entire stable will sit out a tournament and the first time since January. The 32-year-old Takayasu and a lower-division wrestler were found to be infected on Tuesday, while another tested positive on Saturday.

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Soccer: Leo Cera hat-trick powers Marinos past S-Pulse

TOKYO - Leo Ceara set up Yokohama F Marinos' first goal and followed that with a hat-trick in the J-League first-division leaders' 5-3 win over Shimizu S-Pulse on Saturday.

Marinos broke the ice in the 10th minute at Tokyo's National Stadium. After drawing a crowd of defenders just outside the area, Leo rolled the ball forward for midfielder Takuma Nishimura to smash past keeper Shuichi Gonda.

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Baseball: McBroom puts Carp on verge of series sweep against Giants

HIROSHIMA - Ryan McBroom's two-run ninth-inning home run powered the Hiroshima Carp to a 2-0 Central League win over the Yomiuri Giants on Saturday.

The win before 30,465 at Mazda Stadium pulled the third-place Carp to within a half-game of the second-place Giants after a pitchers' duel between Yomiuri ace Tomoyuki Sugano and Hiroshima's Masato Morishita left both without a decision.

==Kyodo

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