The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Over 200 firms expected to join Tokyo meeting on Ukraine's recovery
TOKYO - Around 100 businesses each from Japan and Ukraine are expected to participate in a conference later this month in Tokyo to promote the recovery of the Eastern European country, under invasion from Russia since February 2022, sources close to the matter said Saturday.
Ahead of the Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Reconstruction on Feb. 19, Tokyo is considering measures for promoting Japanese companies to launch businesses in Ukraine, in order to help the war-torn country's reconstruction, the sources said.
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Quake evacuees begin moving into temporary housing in Ishikawa
KANAZAWA, Japan - Evacuees from areas hit by the Jan. 1 earthquake which killed over 200 people in central Japan began moving into the first batch of temporary homes completed in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Saturday.
Wajima, one of the areas impacted most by the magnitude-7.6 quake, said 18 families will receive keys to their temporary homes which each have a kitchen, bath and air conditioners.
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U.S. launches strikes against Iran-linked sites in Iraq, Syria
WASHINGTON - The United States on Friday launched retaliatory airstrikes against Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, about a week after a drone attack killed three U.S. troops at a remote base in Jordan.
U.S. Central Command said more than 85 targets associated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Quds Force and militias were hit with over 125 precision munitions.
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North Korea conducted "cruise missile super-large warhead power" test
BEIJING - North Korea said Saturday it conducted a "cruise missile super-large warhead power test" as well as a test of a new anti-aircraft missile the previous day in the Yellow Sea, according to state-run media.
The country's Missile Administration said the tests are a part of "normal activities" for the rapid development of technologies related to the functioning, performance and operation of new weapons systems, the official Korean Central News Agency said.
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Taylor Swift back in time for Super Bowl, Japan embassy assures fans
WASHINGTON - Taylor Swift will reach Las Vegas in time to see her boyfriend Travis Kelce play in the Super Bowl on Feb. 11 after wrapping up her tour dates in Tokyo, the Japanese embassy in Washington said Friday.
The embassy reassured anxious fans of the American pop star in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, after her presence at the big game became a hot topic when the Kansas City Chiefs won the AFC championship last Sunday.
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China ships warn Japan SDF planes to leave airspace near Senkakus
BEIJING - China Coast Guard vessels began last month to issue warnings for Japanese Self-Defense Forces planes to leave airspace over and around the Japan-controlled, China-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday.
The warnings via radio communications are based on Beijing's claim that SDF aircraft could violate Chinese territorial airspace around the islands, called Diaoyu in China, and have been made several times since January, the sources said.
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Japan's Tanaka wins top prize at Rotterdam film festival
TOKYO - The Japanese film "Rei" directed by Toshihiko Tanaka won the top Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, an annual event for up-and-coming filmmakers.
Tanaka's film, which explores human connections through a woman who embarks on a journey through the mountains and her encounter with a deaf photographer, was selected from 14 titles in the feature competition.
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Figure skating: Kagiyama wins 1st Four Continents title
SHANGHAI - Japan's Yuma Kagiyama claimed his first Four Continents figure skating title Saturday in Shanghai.
The silver medalist at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics earned 200.76 points in the free skate for a total of 307.58, the world's second-highest score of the season.
Video: Graduation ceremony held at Imperial Guard police academy
