The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Foundation to compensate wartime labor damages is best: South Korea gov't
SEOUL - South Korea's Foreign Ministry said it considers proposals for a South Korean foundation to compensate plaintiffs on behalf of Japanese corporate defendants over wartime labor issues as the best possible option for resolving the matter, during a public hearing held Thursday.
The public hearing, hosted by the ministry to discuss wartime labor issues stemming from Japan's colonial-era rule of the Korean Peninsula, was organized to find a way to compensate South Koreans following 2018 Supreme Court rulings that ordered two Japanese companies to pay damages to the plaintiffs.
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Japan, U.S. agree China poses "greatest strategic challenge"
WASHINGTON - The top foreign and defense officials of Japan and the United States agreed Wednesday that China's growing power poses the "greatest strategic challenge" in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, vowing to reinforce deterrence as well as expand the scope of their security treaty into space.
In the face of serious security threats, also from North Korea and Russia, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada along with their U.S. counterparts Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin agreed to modernize and optimize the countries' alliance at a so-called two-plus-two meeting in Washington.
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Japanese astronaut apologizes for data tampering, issued warning
TOKYO - A Japanese astronaut on Thursday apologized for a data tampering incident that occurred a few years back, with the country's space agency issuing a warning to the individual who is slated for a second stint on the International Space Station later this year.
Satoshi Furukawa, 58, the third Japanese person to have completed a long-term mission in space, was responsible for an experiment conducted between 2016 and 2017 that simulated life on the ISS. He prioritized conducting research over immediately reporting a mistake, a source linked to the experiment said earlier.
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Japan's immigration law revision to retain controversial proposal
TOKYO - The government and ruling parties plan to resubmit a revision bill to Japan's immigration law, government sources said Thursday, retaining a controversial proposal that triggered criticism and led to its withdrawal in 2021.
The proposal is that foreign nationals who apply for refugee status more than twice would be eligible for deportation, an issue almost certain to provoke a backlash from opposition parties when the bill is submitted to the ordinary Diet session set to convene Jan. 23.
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Japan PM disappointed with China's visa suspension
LONDON - Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed disappointment Wednesday over China's decision to suspend the issuance of visas to Japanese travelers in response to Tokyo tightening border controls on visitors from China to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections.
"It is extremely regrettable that China has unilaterally implemented restrictions that seem to have nothing to do with countermeasures against the novel coronavirus," Kishida told reporters while visiting Britain.
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TSMC mulls building second chip plant in Japan: CEO
TAIPEI - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is considering building a second chip plant in Japan, following an $8.6 billion factory currently under construction in Kumamoto Prefecture, its chief executive officer said Thursday.
TSMC is also evaluating the possibility of a plant in Europe, CEO C.C. Wei said at a press conference, amid increasing calls for a more geographically diverse supply chain.
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India hosts 1st Voice of Global South summit
NEW DELHI - India on Thursday hosted its first summit of developing countries from Asia, Africa and South America, bringing together the perspectives and priorities of issues shared by what is collectively called the Global South.
In the virtual two-day summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that as India holds the presidency of the Group of 20 major economies this year, it is natural that the aim of the country remains to amplify the voice of the Global South.
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Tennis: Naomi Osaka pregnant, to return after 2023 season
LOS ANGELES - Japanese former world No. 1 tennis player Naomi Osaka is pregnant, a source at her management company confirmed Wednesday, after she suggested she was expecting her first baby and will not be in action in 2023.
In a Twitter post with a photo of a sonogram appearing to show a fetus, Osaka said, "2023 will be a year that'll be full of lessons for me and I hope I'll see you guys in the start of the next one cause I'll be at (Australian Open) 2024."
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Video: Rapeseed blossoms in bloom in eastern Japan
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