The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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North Korea launches ICBM, ballistic missile within hours of each other
TOKYO/SEOUL - North Korea fired a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, the South Korean government said Monday, just hours after another missile was launched in the same direction.
A Japanese government official said the missile seems to have fallen into the sea outside the country's exclusive economic zone off the northern island of Hokkaido after flying for 73 minutes, saying no damage has been reported.
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Japan PM Kishida vows to take lead in decarbonization in Asia
TOKYO - Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged Monday that Japan will "take the lead" in efforts to achieve a carbon-free Asia as he spoke at a multinational forum focused on discussing decarbonization measures in Tokyo.
Kishida said Japan will try to create a huge "decarbonization market" capable of attracting investment from around the world to Asia, adding that reducing carbon dioxide emissions is a "common challenge" for the region.
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H.K. media tycoon Lai's landmark national security trial begins
HONG KONG - The high-profile national security trial of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai, the founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, began on Monday, with proceedings expected to last for 80 days.
Lai is one of the most prominent figures to be charged under the sweeping national security law, which criminalizes acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces and is punishable by a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
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Nippon Steel to buy U.S. Steel for $14. bil. in all-cash deal
TOKYO - Nippon Steel Corp. will buy United States Steel Corp. for about $14.1 billion in an all-cash transaction, the two companies said Monday.
Nippon Steel will make the major U.S. steelmaker a wholly-owned subsidiary once the deal is closed in the second or third quarter of 2024, subject to approval by the U.S. firm's shareholders and U.S. regulators, they said.
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Japan to nominate shodo calligraphy for UNESCO heritage list in 2026
TOKYO - Japan decided Monday to nominate shodo Japanese calligraphy for inscription to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in the fall of 2026, while also approving applications to add six items to its existing listings in 2025.
The government will submit all nomination documents to the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization by the end of March, officials said.
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Record rainfall, floods hit Australia's northeast, hundreds evacuated
SYDNEY - Floods caused by record rainfall in the wake of a tropical cyclone forced hundreds of people to evacuate in Australia's northeast on Monday, with floodwaters cutting off several tourist towns along the Great Barrier Reef.
More than 300 people were rescued from floodwaters in the Far North Queensland region of Queensland state overnight, officials said in a televised press conference, with emergency services rescuing dozens of stranded residents off rooftops.
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China's top diplomat meets with senior N. Korean official
BEIJING - China's top diplomat Wang Yi met Monday in Beijing with Pak Myong Ho, vice foreign minister of North Korea, and exchanged views on issues of common concern, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, with Pyongyang's launches of ballistic missiles possibly discussed between the two.
Wang and Pak met before Beijing and Pyongyang mark in 2024 the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. They agreed to deepen the two countries' friendship and promote the steady development of bilateral ties, the ministry said.
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Japan plans stamp price hike for letters to 110 yen from 84 yen
TOKYO - The Japanese government said Monday it plans to hike the stamp price for standard size letters to 110 yen ($0.77) from 84 yen next fall at the earliest, as postage operations have fallen into the red due to fewer postal deliveries.
In what would be the first postage price rise in 30 years, excluding increases in line with consumption tax hikes, the internal affairs ministry said it also plans to raise the prices for Japan Post's standard postcards from 63 yen to 85 yen.
Video: Cursing festival held at Atago Shrine
