The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan, EU to work closely amid tensions over Ukraine
TOKYO - Japan and European Union leaders agreed Tuesday to coordinate closely on efforts to ease tensions over Ukraine as concern is growing that Russia may invade the Eastern European nation.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, underscored their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said after their phone talks.
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Olympics: Japan's team pursuit title defense ends with fall on final bend
BEIJING - Japan's Olympic title defense in the women's speed skating team pursuit ended in heartbreak Tuesday at the Beijing Games after Nana Takagi fell on the last bend of the final to hand the gold medal to Canada.
The three-woman team of Ayano Sato, Miho Takagi and her older sister Nana came into the final at the National Speed Skating Oval looking to repeat as Olympic champions after winning four years ago in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
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Race for South Korea presidency starts as economy hurt by pandemic
SEOUL - Official campaigning for South Korea's presidential election began Tuesday, with the ruling candidate stressing the need to revive the economy from the coronavirus pandemic, while two opposition parties were exploring the possibility of agreeing on a single candidate before the vote on March 9.
Lee Jae Myung, the candidate of the ruling Democratic Party, emphasized his readiness to embrace all political opinions that could benefit the people.
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150,000 students unable to enter Japan due to COVID border controls
TOKYO - Some 150,000 foreign students who hold Japan visas were unable to enter the country by the end of last year due to its strict COVID-19 border controls, the top government spokesman said Tuesday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno also disclosed at a regular press conference that the number of people newly entering Japan from Nov. 29 to Feb. 10 totaled about 6,000.
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ANA ties up with U.S. aircraft startup to bring flying taxis to Japan
TOKYO - ANA Holdings Inc. will tie up with U.S. startup Joby Aviation Inc. to bring air taxi services to Japan, the companies said Tuesday.
The parent of All Nippon Airways Co. and the U.S. firm will work together on flight operations, traffic management, infrastructure development and pilot training for flying taxis, they said in a joint release.
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Singapore marks 80th anniversary of Japanese invasion in WWII
SINGAPORE - Singapore marked the 80th anniversary of the Japanese invasion of the then British-ruled island during World War II on Tuesday, but commemorative events were kept small and low-key due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
About 100 people attended a memorial service in downtown Singapore, continuing an annual tradition to remember civilians who perished during the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945.
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Olympics: Japan loses to Great Britain in women's curling
BEIJING - Japan suffered a 10-4 defeat to Great Britain in Beijing Olympics women's curling on Tuesday as their record fell to 4-3 in the 10-team round-robin.
Japan, the bronze medalist at the 2018 Olympics, could not respond to a strong start from Great Britain, which showed good accuracy from the early stages to improve to 4-3.
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RUSADA counters WADA claim over Valieva test result delay
BEIJING - Russia's anti-doping agency said Monday it should not be blamed for the results of figure skater Kamila Valieva's failed doping test arriving after the start of the Beijing Games, hitting back at a World Anti-Doping Agency statement.
RUSADA said it "strictly complies with the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Code and international standards" after WADA had insisted the sample sent to a Stockholm laboratory by RUSADA was not flagged as being a priority so the analysis could be fast-tracked.
