The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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No imminent signs of Russia nuke use after Biden warns of Armageddon
WASHINGTON - The United States has not seen any indications that Russia is preparing to imminently use nuclear weapons, government officials said Friday, after President Joe Biden warned of the potential risk of "Armageddon" as Moscow continues its nuclear-saber rattling amid its war in Ukraine.
Asked if new intelligence had prompted the president to deliver the stark warning, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, "No."
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Japan says Britain may join trans-Pacific free trade pact this year
SINGAPORE - Members of a trans-Pacific free trade pact could agree in principle to allow Britain to join as a new member this year, using the European country's case as a model for future aspirants, Japan's economic minister Daishiro Yamagiwa said Saturday.
Yamagiwa said at a joint press conference, following a ministerial meeting in Singapore of the regional trade deal, he believes that based on the views of some members, there could be a basic agreement "perhaps within this year."
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North Korea says missile tests are for self-defense, pose no threat
BEIJING - North Korea said Saturday its missile tests are for self-defense in response to U.S. military threats and do not pose a danger to air traffic or neighboring countries.
The statement by a spokesman for the country's National Aviation Administration came after North Korea on Thursday conducted its sixth round of ballistic missile launches since late September, following one that flew over Japan for the first time since 2017.
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Woman pays for "Russian astronaut" to return to Earth in alleged scam
OTSU, Japan - Police are investigating whether a woman in central Japan was scammed into sending around 4.4 million yen ($30,000) to a person who claimed to be a Russian astronaut working at the International Space Station and needing money to return to Earth to marry her.
The 65-year-old woman in Shiga Prefecture, became acquainted with the person on a social networking site in June before they communicated through the Line messaging app. The person repeatedly told her they loved her and proposed marriage, the police said.
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U.S. tightens export controls on high-end chips to China
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Commerce Department said Friday it is tightening export controls to restrict China's ability to access certain high-end chips that could be used by Beijing to produce advanced military systems.
The move is part of efforts to protect the United States' national security and foreign policy interests, the department said in a press release, underscoring the intensifying competition between the world's two largest economies over technology.
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Japan, Singapore to pace up talks on defense equipment pact
SINGAPORE - The foreign ministers of Japan and Singapore agreed Saturday to seek an early conclusion of bilateral deal on defense equipment and technology transfer, as Tokyo aims to counter China's maritime assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan also agreed to coordinate on responses to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
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Putin signs decree to create new operator for Sakhalin 1 oil project
TOKYO - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a decree to create a new operating company for the Sakhalin 1 oil and gas project, according to Russian media.
With the signing, Russia will ask foreign stakeholders if they wish to remain part of the project, which is partly financed by the Japanese government and companies, including Itochu Corp. and Marubeni Corp., through Sakhalin Oil and Gas Development Co., or SODECO.
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Moai statues on Easter Island suffer irreparable damage in fire
SAO PAULO - Some of the iconic moai statues on Chile's Easter Island have suffered "irreparable" damage caused by a wildfire that tore through parts of the island earlier in the week, local media reported Friday.
"About 60 hectares were affected, including some moai," according to a Twitter post by Carolina Perez, Chile's cultural heritage undersecretary.
