The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance to spend 23 bil. euros in EV push

TOKYO - An alliance of Nissan Motor Co., Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Thursday it will invest 23 billion euros ($26 billion) over the next five years to boost the electrification of their vehicle lineup.

The auto group said in a release that it will also roll out 35 new electric vehicle models by 2030.

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Woman who may be involved in exam leak turns herself in to police

TOKYO - A 19-year-old female student who may have been involved in leaking a unified university entrance exam question has turned herself in to police, investigative sources said Thursday.

In what the police are investigating as a case of suspected cheating, a photographed image of the world history question was leaked via a video calling app during the test earlier this month.

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Japan, U.S., S. Korea foreign ministers may meet in Feb. on N. Korea

WASHINGTON - Japan, the United States and South Korea are making arrangements to hold a meeting of their foreign ministers possibly in mid-February in Hawaii to advance their cooperation in dealing with North Korea, diplomatic sources said Thursday.

If realized, it will be the first such gathering since Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took office in October last year. The move comes as North Korea continues to test-fire ballistic missiles despite U.S. calls for dialogue.

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Top U.S., Chinese diplomats fail to agree on Ukraine situation

WASHINGTON/BEIJING - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi about the "global security and economic risks" of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, but they apparently fell short of reaching an agreement on the issue.

The phone call took place as U.S.-Russia tensions are running high over Moscow's massive military buildup on the Ukrainian border, while President Vladimir Putin has demanded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization pull back troops and weapons from Eastern Europe.

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Beijing Olympic villages officially open ahead of Winter Games

BEIJING - Three Olympic Villages, two in Beijing and one in Zhangjiakou, officially opened their doors to athletes for the Beijing Winter Games on Thursday, eight days before the opening ceremony.

The villages in Beijing's Chaoyang and Yanqing districts include about 3,500 beds, while the village in Zhangjiakou, about 160 kilometers northwest of the Chinese capital, will accommodate some 2,800 athletes and team officials staying for the Feb. 4-20 games.

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N. Korea fires 2 suspected short-range ballistic missiles: S. Korea

SEOUL - North Korea on Thursday fired two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles northeastward toward the Sea of Japan, the South Korean military said, the latest in a series of missile tests by the North this month.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the suspected missiles were launched from the Hamhung area in the eastern part of North Korea five minutes apart at around 8 a.m. and flew about 190 kilometers while reaching an altitude of about 20 km.

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Nikkei plunges over 3% to 14-month low on Fed rate expectations

TOKYO - The Nikkei stock index plunged over 3 percent on Thursday, finishing at its lowest level in 14 months, as selling accelerated on growing fears that the U.S. Federal Reserve may implement more interest rate increases than expected.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 841.03 points, or 3.11 percent, from Wednesday at 26,170.3, its lowest closing level since Nov. 24, 2020. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 49.41 points, or 2.61 percent, lower at 1,842.44.

==Kyodo

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