The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan, U.S. to exclude Russian COVID vaccines over Ukraine invasion
TOKYO - Japan and the United States are set to exclude Russian COVID-19 vaccines from a list of items subject to financial assistance when manufactured in developing countries, sources familiar with the plan said Tuesday.
The move, which comes as Western nations step up sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, is especially aimed at dissuading India from fulfilling an agreement to produce Russian vaccines under the funding support scheme, the sources said.
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Biden likely to visit Japan from May 22 for "Quad" summit: sources
TOKYO - U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to visit Japan from May 22 for a "Quad" summit also involving the leaders of Australia and India, with a one-on-one meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida being arranged on May 23, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.
Biden's visit to Japan will be his first since becoming president in 2021.
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30,000 foreign students entered Japan since COVID border curbs eased
TOKYO - Around 30,000 foreign students have arrived in Japan since March when the government eased COVID-19 border controls, education minister Shinsuke Suematsu said Tuesday.
The government estimates around 110,000 overseas students were waiting to enter Japan as of last month after being kept out for roughly two years by the country's strict border restrictions.
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Japan OKs asset freezes on Putin's daughters, 396 other Russians
TOKYO - Japan's Cabinet approved Tuesday additional sanctions against Russia, freezing the assets of 398 Russian individuals, including President Vladimir Putin's two daughters and the wife of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and banning imports of vodka and other goods.
In step with punitive measures taken by the United States and European countries, Japan will freeze assets of 28 more Russian organizations, such as those related to military business, and two more lenders, Sberbank and Alfa Bank. The measure for the banks will be implemented on May 12.
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Honda to launch 30 EV models by 2030, spend $60 billion on R&D
TOKYO - Honda Motor Co. said Tuesday it will launch 30 electric vehicle models globally by 2030 and spend about 8 trillion yen ($63 billion) on research and development over the next 10 years.
Honda said it will try to achieve an annual output of over 2 million EV units by 2030 as it accelerates efforts to increase the ratio of electric and fuel-cell vehicles to 100 percent of its overall new car sales by 2040.
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Taiwan's Tsai meets Europe lawmakers, vows ties against autocracy
TAIPEI - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen told European parliamentarians on Tuesday that the island seeks closer international cooperation in the face of the rise of authoritarianism threatening democracy in Ukraine and elsewhere, her office said.
Tsai thanked the members of joint Swedish, European Parliament delegation for their long commitment to Taiwan-related issues and active promotion of bilateral exchanges and cooperation, calling them "all good friends of Taiwan," according to the Office of the President.
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Japan PM eyes trip to Southeast Asia amid Russia, China worries
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to visit Southeast Asia during the Golden Week holidays starting in late April, seeking to strengthen cooperation amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's growing assertiveness in the region, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.
Kishida is planning to travel to Thailand in early May during his trip that will include Indonesia and Vietnam, while he is also considering visiting Europe in the holiday period.
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Demolition begins at iconic Nakagin Capsule Tower
TOKYO - Demolition work began Tuesday on architect Kisho Kurokawa's Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo, an experimental housing block that had fallen into disrepair since its completion 50 years ago.
The iconic structure in the capital's Ginza district symbolized the "metabolism" concept promoted by the late Kurokawa and other architects that called for a metropolis to be a living organism. The tower's 140 capsule units were originally intended to be replaced every 25 years, but this idea did not materialize.
