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

----------

5 nations including U.S., Russia, China vow to prevent nuclear war

WASHINGTON - The United States, Russia, China and two other countries with nuclear weapons on Monday issued a joint statement affirming that nuclear war must be avoided and that the role of such armaments should be limited to defensive purposes and to deter aggression.

China hailed the statement as the first of its kind released by the leaders of the five so-called nuclear-weapon states on the issue of nuclear arms. But whether any progress will materialize toward the goal of nuclear disarmament is unclear amid the growing rivalry between the United States and China.

----------

Apple becomes 1st U.S. firm with $3 trillion market value

NEW YORK - Apple Inc. became the first U.S. company with a market value topping $3 trillion on Monday, aided by robust sales of iPhones and laptop products amid solid demand for remote learning and telework devices due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Crossing the milestone means that Apple's market value has tripled since August 2018 when it hit $1 trillion. It went on to surpass the $2 trillion mark in August 2020.

----------

M6.3 quake hits south of Tokyo, strong shaking in Ogasawara Islands

TOKYO - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 struck near the Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific Ocean, south of Tokyo, on Tuesday morning but there was no fear of a tsunami, the weather agency said.

The quake occurred at 6:09 a.m., registering upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 on Hahajima Island, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. There were no immediate reports of injuries, police said.

----------

Tokyo's daily coronavirus cases top 100 for 1st time in 3 months

TOKYO - Tokyo confirmed 103 daily coronavirus cases Monday, marking the first time in about three months that the count has surpassed 100, as concerns grow over a gradual rebound in infections in Japan with the spread of the virus's Omicron variant.

The daily figure reported by the Tokyo metropolitan government was up from the 84 cases logged Sunday during the country's New Year holidays. New cases in the Japanese capital had been below 100 after 135 cases were confirmed on Oct. 8.

----------

Travelers returning from New Year holidays crowd roads, airports

TOKYO - Travelers returning from New Year holidays crowded expressways and airports across Japan Monday as a decline in coronavirus infections toward the end of last year and progress in vaccinating the public unlocked pent-up travel demand.

According to All Nippon Airways Co., the number of seats reserved on domestic flights between Dec. 25 and Jan. 4 totaled 1.14 million, up about 50 percent from the same period a year ago.

----------

Another Hong Kong news outlet to shut as media crackdown continues

HONG KONG - Hong Kong online news portal Citizen News will cease operations on Tuesday, making it the latest pro-democracy media outlet to fold as Beijing continues its efforts to crack down on dissent in the former British colony.

In an online statement Sunday, Citizen News said that its closure after five years in operation is to ensure the safety and well-being of its staff amid a "deteriorating media environment."

==Kyodo

© Kyodo News International, Inc., source Newswire