The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan emperor expresses sorrow at world suffering, prays for peace
TOKYO - Emperor Naruhito, on the occasion of his 63rd birthday Thursday, expressed deep sorrow at the suffering of people in conflicts around the globe and offered prayers for peace in Japan and the rest of the world.
While the agency in charge of the imperial family's affairs has been considering a new approach to public relations, potentially including the use of social media, the emperor acknowledged the need to send out information "in a manner that is easy to understand."
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U.N. General Assembly holds meeting on Russia war ahead of 1st anniv.
NEW YORK - The U.N. General Assembly convened an emergency session Wednesday in an effort to adopt a resolution urging Russia to halt its offensives in Ukraine.
The extraordinary high-level meeting of the 193-member assembly, which was requested by 11 countries including Japan as well as the European Union, comes before the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of its neighboring country.
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Putin tells China's top diplomat he awaits Xi's Russia visit
BEIJING - Russian President Vladimir Putin told China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Wednesday he is awaiting a visit to Russia by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the spring, as the two countries deepen ties amid the deterioration of their relations with the United States.
Putin expressed appreciation for the fast development of bilateral cooperation at the outset of his talks with Wang, the Chinese Communist Party's top foreign policy official. The meeting in Moscow was broadcast by the two countries' media.
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FOCUS: G-7 chair Japan urged to lead global efforts to rebuild Ukraine
TOKYO - With Friday marking one year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, calls have been mounting for Japan, this year's chair of the Group of Seven countries, to take the lead in global support for Kyiv, including postwar reconstruction.
Foreign affairs experts have also urged Japan, the only nation to have been attacked with atomic bombs, to show its unwavering commitment to tackling nuclear threats at a G-7 summit in Hiroshima in May, amid fears that Russia could use nukes in the war.
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Glico opens largest "Pocky" plant in Indonesia, targeting Asia, U.S.
KARAWANG, Indonesia - Japanese confectioner Ezaki Glico Co. has opened in Indonesia what it calls its largest-ever factory for its mainstay "Pocky" chocolate snack, aiming to supply the growing Southeast Asian market as well as North America.
Indonesia will be Glico's "new growth engine" as it is the most populous country in Southeast Asia and the fourth in the world with a rising middle-class population, Asia Pacific Chief Operating Officer Hideaki Nagahisa said Thursday as the company invited media to tour the plant that began production in November.
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Basketball: Japan down Iran 96-61 to open World Cup year
TAKASAKI, Japan - Japan opened the men's basketball World Cup year with a win Thursday, easing past Iran 96-61 in Group F in the second round of Asian qualifying.
Japan, already qualified as a tournament co-host alongside the Philippines and Indonesia, got a game-high 20 points from debutant Ren Kanechika in a promising win at Gunma Prefecture's Takasaki Arena.
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3 giant pandas arrive in China from western Japan zoo
WAKAYAMA, Japan - A 30-year-old giant panda and his 8-year-old Japan-born female twins arrived in China on Wednesday night after spending years at a zoo in western Japan under a joint breeding program with the two countries.
Eimei and twins Ouhin and Touhin flew from Kansai airport in Osaka Prefecture on a charter plane after they had been transported from Adventure World zoo and amusement park in Wakayama Prefecture.
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Japan to offer 2 COVID-19 booster shots to elderly by year-end
TOKYO - Japan will offer two more booster shots to the elderly and other people at high risk of serious illness from the novel coronavirus by the end of this year, health ministry officials said Wednesday.
People aged 65 years or older, those with underlying medical conditions and health care professionals will have a chance to get inoculated from May to August, as well as from September to December. Other age groups eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations can also get a shot during the four months through December.
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Video: Steller's sea eagles on drift ice
