Japan

TOKYO, March 23. /TASS/: Postponing the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo to next year due to the threat of the coronavirus pandemic will cause international financial losses of about $5.8 bkn, Kyodo agency reported referring to the forecast of professor of economics at Osaka University Katsuhiro Miyamoto.

According to the forecast, in this case another fundraiser would need to be held for athletes training and maintenance of sports facilities. In addition, the additional qualifying competitions will also require large financial investments.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s pledge of “huge” stimulus will involve spending of at least $137 billion financed in part by deficit-covering bonds, sources say, joining global efforts to cushion the economic blow from the coronavirus pandemic.

While the amount of debt issuance is likely be modest, it will put considerable market focus on Japan’s dire fiscal position - at a time the market rout caused by the outbreak is prodding investors to dump even safe-haven assets like government bonds in favor of cash.

TOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Olympics are going to happen — but almost surely in 2021 rather than in four months as planned.

This became clear after the IOC on Sunday announced it was considering a postponement. Major Olympic nations like Canada and Australia have added pressure by saying they will not go if the games are staged this year.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach sent a letter to athletes explaining the decision and why it might take so long, while also acknowledging the extended timeline might not be popular.

TOKYO, Mar 21 (NNN-NHK) – Japan’s health ministry and local governments, said today that, the number of COVID-19 infections nationwide had risen to 1,016 cases as of 9:00 p.m. Friday local time.

The death toll currently stands at 43 people, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship, that was quarantined in Yokohama, close to Tokyo.

TOKYO, March 16. /TASS/: The leaders of G7 countries will hold a teleconference on March 16 to discuss the spread of the novel coronavirus in the world, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday at the debates in the country's parliament.

"I have recently held telephone talks with the leaders of the United States, France and the United Kingdom. Today the heads of the G7 countries will hold a teleconference at 11pm [local time]," Abe said. "I hope that we will discuss measures on how to unite in the fight against the virus spread," he added.

16 March 2020; AFP: A Japanese man was sentenced to death on Monday for the stabbing murder of 19 disabled people at a care home, in one of the country's worst mass killings.

Satoshi Uematsu never disputed his involvement in the grisly rampage but his lawyers entered a plea of not guilty, arguing the 30-year-old was suffering a "mental disorder" linked to his use of marijuana.

TOKYO (AP) — The Bank of Japan has convened an emergency policy meeting after the U.S. Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate to 0.25% to combat the blow to the economy from the virus outbreak.

Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda called the meeting for Monday instead of Wednesday and Thursday as originally planned.

A BOJ statement said the meeting was “to discuss monetary control matters based on recent economic and financial developments.”

TOKYO, Mar 14 (NNN-XINHUA) – Japan’s health ministry and local governments said, the number of COVID-19 infections rose by 21 to 697 cases in Japan, as of 6:30 p.m. local time here.

The death toll currently stands at 26, according to the health ministry, with the figure including those from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship, that was quarantined in Yokohama, close to Tokyo.

Of the 697 confirmed cases, the majority are in Japan’s northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, which has confirmed 136 cases and previously declared a state of emergency over the situation.

TOKYO, Mar 14 (NNN-NHK) – Tokyo 2020 will work closely with all municipalities and related organisations in Japan, to ensure the Olympic Torch Relay safely begins on Mar 26, the organisers said, after the torch relay for the Games on Greek soil was cancelled.

The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) announced on Friday, the suspension of the Greek leg of the Olympic Torch Relay, citing concerns about public gatherings amid the spread of the COVID-19 in Greece.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has instructed his close aide and ruling party heavyweight Akira Amari to consider tax cuts to help the economy weather the hit from the coronavirus outbreak, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Saturday.

Amari, head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s tax panel, said he discussed with Abe “various options on budget and tax measures” that could be considered if the economy needed support, the paper said.