The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Biden vows to stand against Russia invasion of Ukraine in key address
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday vowed to stand against Russia's invasion of Ukraine that has shattered the post-Cold War peace in Europe, with his first State of the Union address suggesting Russia is emerging as an urgent challenge as China takes a backseat.
"Throughout our history we've learned this lesson: when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos," Biden said during the speech, which took place less than a week after Russia launched its attack on the former Soviet republic.
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Toyota restarts all plants in Japan after halt caused by cyberattack
NAGOYA - Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it restarted all of its domestic plants after their operations were halted the previous day by a cyberattack at one of its suppliers.
Toyota restarted its 14 plants using a makeshift production data system connected to Kojima Industries Corp., as it is expected to take one to two weeks for the supplier to restore its computer network, according to the automaker.
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Japan PM says sanctions to be imposed on Belarus possibly this week
TOKYO - Japan will impose sanctions on Belarus as early as this week for its role in Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday.
"Given Belarus' obvious involvement in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we have decided to take sanction measures against individuals including President (Alexander) Lukashenko as well as entities, and implement export control measures," Kishida said in parliament.
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Suspected Russian chopper enters Japan airspace off Hokkaido
TOKYO - A suspected Russian helicopter entered Japan's airspace off its northernmost main island Hokkaido on Wednesday, the Japanese government said, adding it lodged a protest with Moscow through diplomatic channels.
The incident came as Tokyo has joined the United States and European nations in imposing economic sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
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70 Japanese answer Ukraine's calls to arms against Russia
TOKYO - Around 70 Japanese, mostly former members of the Self-Defense Forces, have answered the Ukrainian Embassy's since-deleted Twitter post soliciting volunteers to fight against invading Russian forces, an embassy official said Wednesday.
The embassy in Tokyo had posted the tweet on the same day that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on foreigners to be part of an international legion to be organized to help repel Russian forces.
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U.S. reassures Taiwan of commitment amid Russian invasion of Ukraine
TAIPEI - A U.S. delegation to Taiwan reiterated Wednesday Washington's commitment to peace and stability in the region during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen that came as Russia's invasion of Ukraine causes concern that China might seize the self-ruled island.
Mike Mullen, former chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and head of the bipartisan delegation sent by President Joe Biden, told Tsai at the presidential office that "maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is not just a U.S. interest, but also a global one."
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Japan's embassy in Kyiv to temporarily close
TOKYO - Japan said Wednesday it will temporarily close its embassy in Kyiv as Russia's invasion of Ukraine escalates, with many civilians desperately fleeing the country.
The embassy's operations will be transferred to a temporary liaison office set up in Lviv in western Ukraine, according to the Foreign Ministry.
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U.S., Japan, others to release oil reserves amid Russia invasion
WASHINGTON - The International Energy Agency said Tuesday its member countries, including the United States and Japan, agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves to ensure the stability of oil markets amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Such a coordinated release of petroleum stocks, the first of its kind since 2011, is intended to "send a unified and strong message" to global markets that there will be no supply shortfalls as a result of the attack launched by Russia, the world's third-largest oil producer and largest exporter, the IEA said in a press release.
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Paralympians voice support for Ukraine ahead of 2022 Games
YANQING, China - Athletes from around the world have voiced support for war-torn Ukraine ahead of the upcoming Beijing Winter Paralympics, with some already in China expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian team ahead of its Wednesday arrival.
French Alpine skier and Paralympic champion Marie Bochet said Russia's invasion of Ukraine was "very disappointing" and she wanted to send "some love" to the Ukrainian people.
