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

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Quake death toll in central Japan tops 80, with 72-hr window closing

TOKYO - Search and rescue operations continued in central Japan after it was struck by a powerful earthquake on New Year's Day, with the death toll rising above 80 and some 180 unaccounted for in Ishikawa Prefecture as of Thursday.

In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called for an "all-out effort" to save as many lives as possible during the first 72 hours following the magnitude-7.6 quake disaster, after which the victim survival rate is said to drop sharply.

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U.S. to provide Japan quake support including through military: envoy

TOKYO - Japan has accepted a U.S. offer to assist in response to the powerful quake that rocked the central region on New Year's Day, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said Thursday, noting that logistical support from the military as well as food and other supplies are being readied.

"When Japan is in a time of need, we're here to support them, both civilian with resources, military with logistics," the ambassador told Kyodo News. Initially the aid will be worth around $100,000 but that would be a "down-payment," he said.

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Crew's quick decisions behind safe escape from burning JAL plane

TOKYO - Quick decisions by cabin attendants and cooperation by level-headed passengers contributed to the safe evacuation of 379 people from a burning Japan Airlines plane at Tokyo's Haneda airport, an escape described in overseas media as a miracle.

The nine flight attendants overcame several obstacles during the emergency deplaning after a runway collision. With only three of the eight exits usable, cabin crew had to carry out a rapid evacuation of the 67-meter fuselage with only limited input from the cockpit as communication systems failed, according to officials of the major Japanese airline.

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Japanese photographer Kishin Shinoyama dies at 83

TOKYO - Japanese photographer Kishin Shinoyama, known for portraits of Beatles musician John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono among other celebrities, died Thursday, people close to him said. He was 83.

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U.S. says Russia fired N. Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine

WASHINGTON - Russia recently fired North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine and is now seeking to acquire close-range ballistic missiles from Iran, a White House official said Thursday, as Moscow races to replenish its depleted stock of weapons.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said North Korea has provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers, and the United States expects additional missiles supplied by Pyongyang will be used to target Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and kill its innocent people.

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U.S. says analysis of Osprey crash off Japan coast to take weeks

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it has recovered the flight data recorder from its Osprey aircraft that crashed off a southwestern Japan island in late November, and analysis of the records is expected to take several weeks.

The recorder, also known as a black box, and other critical equipment for the ongoing investigation of the fatal accident will be sent to laboratories for data retrieval, according to the Air Force Special Operations Command.

==Kyodo

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