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Tokyo reports record high 570 new coronavirus cases; nationwide tally 2,524
The Tokyo metropolitan government on Friday reported a record high 570 new cases of the coronavirus, up 89 from Thursday. The number is the result of 9,792 tests conducted on Nov 24. The tally brought Tokyo's cumulative total to 39,649. By age group, the highest number of cases were people… Read
Japan to test 15,000 people for coronavirus antibodies by end of year
Japan will test around 15,000 people for novel coronavirus antibodies by the end of the year to get a better grasp of the infection situation amid a nationwide resurgence in new cases, the health minister said Friday. The testing, the second of its kind since June, will take place in… Read
Couple arrested after infant’s body left in refrigerator
Police in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, have arrested a common-law couple on suspicion of leaving the body of an infant inside a refrigerator at their apartment. On Wednesday, a meeting between the police and local government officials regarding protective custody for children in danger of abuse was held, Fuji TV reported.… Read
Aoi (蒼) and Himari (陽葵) most popular baby names of 2020: survey
The most popular baby names for 2020 were Aoi (蒼) for boys and Himari (陽葵), according to an annual survey by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. The results of the company survey covered about 18,000 children born this year to its customers. The most popular names for boys contained the kanji… Read
Nikkei extends rally to 4th straight day; another 29-year high
Tokyo stocks ended higher Friday, with the benchmark Nikkei extending its rally to a fourth straight day and renewing a 29-year high, as buying in real estate and high-tech shares wiped out initial losses on the yen's rise. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 107.40 points, or 0.40 percent,… Read
Once Australia's COVID-19 hotspot, Victoria goes 28 days without an infection
Australia's second-largest state, Victoria, once the country's COVID-19 hotspot, said on Friday it has gone 28 days without detecting any new infections, a benchmark widely cited as eliminating the virus from the community. The state also has zero active cases after the last COVID-19 patient was discharged from hospital this… Read
S Korea braces for bed shortages as coronavirus cases near nine-month high
South Korea reported more than 500 new coronavirus cases for the second consecutive day on Friday, a level unseen in nearly nine months, as a third wave of infections spread nationwide, leaving authorities scrambling to provide more hospital beds. "The situation is extremely serious and acute, as all of the… Read
4 major cities seek shorter business hours to try and contain coronavirus
The city of Nagoya said Thursday it will ask stores that serve alcohol to shorten their operating hours to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, joining the ranks of Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo amid growing unease of a resurgence in metropolises and record-breaking numbers across Japan. The government of Hokkaido,… Read
Japan rejects China's proposal for easing tensions over isle sovereignty
Japan will not accept China's proposal to ease bilateral tensions over the sovereignty of the Senkaku Islands, the government's top spokesman said Thursday, dismissing it as part of an attempt to advance Beijing's claims to Tokyo's territory. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had suggested fishing boats from both countries be… Read
Olympics minister says it is not government's role to look into bid payments
Japan's Olympics minister Seiko Hashimoto says it is not the central government's role to look into reports about large payments the Tokyo campaign made to various entities in the run-up to the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) vote in 2013. In response to a question from a lawmaker about Reuters' reporting… Read
