The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.----------Nikkei rises 19% in 2024, highest year-end finish on recordTOKYO - The Nikkei stock index ended the final trading day of 2024 on a down note but, for the year, rose 19 percent from 2023, closing at a record high on strong corporate earnings and a weaker yen boosting export-oriented stocks.The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 386.62 points, or 0.96 percent, from Friday at 39,894.54. The broader Topix index finished 16.76 points, or 0.60 percent, lower at 2,784.92.---------…READ FULL ARTICLE