The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Record 235 COVID-19 cases reported from U.S. forces in Okinawa
NAHA, Japan - A single-day record of 235 COVID-19 cases among U.S. forces in Okinawa Prefecture were confirmed Saturday, local officials said, following a cluster infection that broke out last month at one of the U.S. bases there.
Whether the cases were of the Omicron variant, a highly transmissible strain, was unknown, as was the breakdown of the U.S. bases affected. The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases related to the U.S. military has now reached 3,613.
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Taiwan's president urges Beijing to abandon "military adventurism"
TAIPEI - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen warned Beijing in her New Year's address on Saturday against trying to take Taiwan by force and said that only by upholding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait can regional tensions be reduced.
"We want to remind the Beijing authorities that they should not misjudge the situation, and that they should stop the spread of military adventurism within their ranks," Tsai said.
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European nations, U.S. report record COVID-19 cases as Omicron spreads
LONDON/WASHINGTON - European countries reported their highest daily COVID-19 infection figures yet on Friday, with the U.S. daily average also marking a record high, as the Omicron variant continues its spread.
There were 232,200 cases reported in France and 189,846 in Britain, while Italy confirmed over 144,243 and Greece 40,560.
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Japan research body, Mitsubishi to collaborate on U.S. fast reactor
TOKYO - The Japan Atomic Energy Agency and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. will soon sign a memorandum of understanding with a U.S. venture firm to provide technical support for its fast reactor development project, sources close to the matter said Saturday.
The agency, which has a history of operating sodium-cooled fast reactors such as the Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor in central Japan's Fukui Prefecture and the Joyo experimental fast reactor in Ibaraki Prefecture, is considering providing operational data and designs to TerraPower, a company co-founded by Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates.
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N. Korea's Kim vows to boost agriculture, defenses amid uncertainties
BEIJING - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to rebuild the agricultural sector and strengthen defense capabilities, state-run media reported Saturday, amid mounting uncertainties over the country's economic and security status.
Meanwhile, the Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, did not elaborate on whether Kim mentioned nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles during a key party gathering through Friday.
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Soccer: J-League trio Maeda, Hatate, Ideguchi join Celtic
LONDON - Scottish Premier League heavyweights Celtic announced the signing Friday of J-League players Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi in a blockbuster January transfer window move.
The Japanese trio will join Samurai Blue attacker Kyogo Furuhashi at the Glasgow club, which is managed by former Yokohama F Marinos and Australian national team boss Ange Postecoglou.
