The cancellations at New Chitose Airport, the region's main airline hub, were equivalent to 60% of flights arriving at or departing from the airport in a day, according to its operator.

Whether the cases were of the highly transmissible omicron variant was unknown, as was the breakdown of the U.S. bases affected.

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency is considering providing operational data and designs to TerraPower, a company co-founded by Microsoft Corp.'s Bill Gates.

The omicron coronavirus variant may throw a wrench in the prime minister's plans to have 2022 be a "year of actively promoting summit diplomacy.”

Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen marked the new year with a message for China: military conflict is not the answer.

In his New Year's address, Kishida also said he would step up summit diplomacy in 2022 and that constitutional reform would be a "major theme" of the year.

The emperor used a video message to look back on the second year of the pandemic, voicing his wish to meet the public in person again and calling on people to "support each other."

Compared with earlier variants, omicron may cause less damage to the lungs, new animal research suggests.

The domestic focus of the speech underscored the economic crises Kim faces at home, where self-imposed anti-pandemic border lockdowns have left North Korea more isolated than ever before.

South Africa, which first raised the alarm about the new fast-spreading coronavirus variant, became the first country to declare its omicron wave had crested.

The economic and social policies that countries around the world choose now as they look to move on from the pandemic will have consequences for decades to come.

Washington has opened markets to ASEAN nations but not public investment in public goods such as infrastructure — nowhere close to the scale of Chinese investment.

Many of the big questions for 2022 are related to inflation.

Astrologers say the tiger denotes strength, vitality and growth — qualities that will hopefully stand us in good stead as we look to move past the uncertainty that COVID-19 has wrought.

Takumi Kitamura stands out as one half of an unnamed couple in Hana Matsumoto’s drama, which follows a typical movie romance arc until a cleverly devised twist changes everything.

The International Olympic Committee and Japanese officials have been holding behind-the-scenes talks that could secure Sapporo's bid.