Common in compounds and as a suffix meaning 'report' or 'bulletin', e.g., ニュース速報 (breaking news), 天気予報 (weather forecast). As a standalone noun, it often appears in formal or written contexts.
Obsolete standalone use; now mainly encountered in classical texts or fixed expressions like 因果応報 (retributive justice).
News of the accident came in.
The meteorological agency issued a special heavy rain warning.
We haven't received any report on this matter yet.
The proverb 'inga ouhou' contains the idea that there is reward or retribution according to one's deeds.
Everyone was shocked upon receiving the news of his death.
報告 is the standard word for the act or document of reporting something, while 報 is a more abstract, suffix-like element mostly seen in compounds.
The kanji 報 originally depicted a criminal being forced to kneel and a hand holding a tool, implying punishment or retribution. Over time it extended to mean 'report' or 'information' in Chinese, and Japanese inherited both meanings. The 'reward/retribution' sense is now obsolete except in set phrases.
warning; alarm; alert
retaliation; revenge; reprisal · retorsion; retortion
good news; happy news; glad tidings
intelligence; secret information
sad news; tragic report · news of a death; death notice
daily report; daily bulletin
notification; information; news or intelligence
follow-up report; further news; update
news of a death; obituary
telegram
time signal; time announcement · news report; newsletter
bulletin; newsletter; report
false report; misinformation; false alarm
advisory; warning
brief notice; letting someone know; dropping a line · first report; initial report
news; newspaper (in names)
news flash; special report
report; inform; announce · repay; return; requite
bonus; reward; bounty
official bulletin; communiqué
detailed report; full report; particulars