The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan ruling bloc agrees on acquiring "counterstrike capability"
TOKYO - Japan's ruling parties agreed Friday that the country should pledge to acquire a "counterstrike capability" to address the rapid deterioration of the regional security environment, heralding a major shift in the nation's security policy.
The Liberal Democratic Party had advocated obtaining an enemy base strike capability, while its junior coalition partner Komeito, known as a pacifist party, had been wary that such a move would constitute a change in Japan's exclusively self-defense-oriented policy.
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Football: Japan rise from dead again to beat Spain and reach last 16
DOHA - Japan pulled their Qatar World Cup campaign out of the fire with another come-from-behind win over a soccer superpower, beating Spain 2-1 on Thursday to earn a place in the round of 16.
After another first half in which his team were completely outplayed, Hajime Moriyasu called on super sub Ritsu Doan to again save the day at the Khalifa International Stadium.
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Japan enacts 29 tril. yen extra budget to blunt inflation impact
TOKYO - Japan's parliament on Friday enacted a 28.92 trillion yen ($214 billion) extra budget for the current fiscal year to help struggling households cope with accelerating inflation and support an economy facing downward pressure.
The House of Councillors approved the second supplementary budget of the year through March 2023 on Friday after the House of Representatives passed it earlier this week.
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Japan, U.S., South Korea tighten sanctions on North Korea over ICBM launch
WASHINGTON/TOKYO - Japan, the United States and South Korea have tightened their sanctions against North Korea to curb Pyongyang's weapons programs following its latest intercontinental ballistic missile test in November, targeting the country's officials and organizations.
Tokyo said Friday that it has decided to freeze the assets of two trading companies and one hacking group as well as one individual for their involvement in North Korea's nuclear weapon and missile development programs.
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BOJ could suffer 28 tril. yen bond loss if yields rise 1%: deputy
TOKYO - The Bank of Japan could incur an unrealized loss of 28.6 trillion yen ($211 billion) on its holdings of Japanese government bonds if yields rise by 1 percent, a deputy governor said Friday.
The estimate made by Deputy Governor Masayoshi Amamiya at a parliamentary session highlights the difficulty that the central bank would face if it decides to exit years of bold monetary easing that has expanded its balance sheet.
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British lawmakers, Taiwan's Tsai agree to defend freedom, democracy
TAIPEI - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and visiting British lawmakers agreed in talks in Taiwan on Friday to defend shared values such as freedom and democracy, amid military threats from mainland China against the island.
The arrival of the group led by Alicia Kearns, chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, followed a visit in November by British trade minister Greg Hands, who exchanged views with Tsai on the two sides' bids to join an 11-country trans-Pacific free trade pact.
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No abnormalities found in emperor's prostate tissue sample
TOKYO - No abnormalities were revealed in an examination of a prostate tissue sample from Emperor Naruhito, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday.
The tissue sample was taken from the 62-year-old on Sunday after the agency announced in October his prostate-specific antigen level, a tumor marker, was slightly higher than normal and an MRI scan he underwent in early November had confirmed an enlarged prostate.
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Japanese lawmaker retracts past remarks on LGBT, other minorities
TOKYO - Japanese lawmaker Mio Sugita, a parliamentary vice minister for internal affairs and communications, on Friday retracted past remarks she has made against members of the LGBT and Ainu indigenous communities and offered an apology.
The member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party had been facing fresh scrutiny for the comments she made several years ago after being appointed to the government post this summer.
