The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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South Korea's next leader Yoon vows future-oriented ties with Japan
SEOUL - South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol of the country's conservative main opposition People Power Party vowed Thursday to build a future-oriented relationship with Japan, its neighbor with which ties have been strained over wartime issues.
"South Korea-Japan relations especially need to focus on finding what kind of future movement would benefit both countries and the people of the two countries," Yoon told reporters in Seoul hours after defeating the ruling Democratic Party's Lee Jae Myung in a tight race, which was confirmed by the National Election Commission.
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Japan's Kishida hopes to improve ties with South Korea under Yoon
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday congratulated Yoon Suk Yeol on winning South Korea's presidential election, expressing hope to improve a bilateral relationship that has been strained over wartime issues.
"I intend to closely work with the new president to improve Japan-South Korea ties," Kishida told reporters, underscoring that a healthy relationship between the neighboring countries is crucial for global peace and stability.
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Nikkei logs largest rise in 21 months on lower oil prices
TOKYO - The Nikkei index recorded its highest point gain since June 2020 after briefly surging by more than 1,000 points on Thursday, as investors welcomed an overnight drop in crude oil futures that had been climbing amid the Ukraine crisis.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 972.87 points, or 3.94 percent, from Wednesday at 25,690.40. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 71.14 points, or 4.04 percent, higher at 1,830.03.
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Ukraine, Russia foreign ministers meet for 1st time since invasion
ANTALYA, Turkey - The Ukrainian foreign minister and his Russian counterpart started cease-fire talks in Turkey on Thursday, meeting face to face for the first time since Moscow's invasion of the Eastern European country, local media said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Russia's Sergey Lavrov met in the Turkish resort city of Antalya as Russia's aggression continued to intensify, with previous discussions between the two countries failing to halt the conflict.
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Australia to expand defense personnel by 30% by 2040
SYDNEY - Australia will increase the number of troops by around 30 percent by 2040 to a total of almost 80,000 personnel to keep Australians safe "in an increasingly uncertain global environment," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday.
For the biggest increase in the size of the Australian Defense Force since the Vietnam War, Canberra will invest at least AU$38 billion ($28 billion) between now and 2040, the prime minister said.
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FOCUS: South Korea's president-elect may not work for North's denuclearization
BEIJING - The victory of conservative main opposition candidate Yoon Suk Yeol in South Korea's presidential race Wednesday is expected to further undermine the possibility of North Korea giving up its nuclear arsenal, jeopardizing regional security and stability.
With Seoul having failed to act as an intermediary to facilitate denuclearization negotiations between North Korea and the United States under President Moon Jae In of the liberal ruling Democratic Party, Pyongyang is unlikely to cozy up to the South under the new president for the time being
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Hitachi suspends business in Russia
TOKYO - Hitachi Ltd. said Thursday it will suspend its business operations in Russia, following other major Japanese companies, as Moscow's invasion of Ukraine continues.
After a request from a Ukrainian deputy prime minister, Hitachi said in a statement it is pausing all manufacturing activities in Russia for the time being and suspending exports to the country.
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Japan angered by Russia's tariff-free zone on disputed islands
TOKYO - Japan expressed regret Thursday after Russia signed into law a bill establishing a tariff-free zone on four Russian-held islands claimed by Japan.
The Russian move came as Tokyo and Moscow have been discussing a plan to hold joint economic activities on the islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, without harming the legal stance of either country.
