Japan

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares mostly declined Thursday amid concerns about the impact of China’s “zero-COVID” strategy mixed with hopes for economic activity and tourism returning to normal.

France’s CAC 40 added 0.4% in early trading to 6,631.06. Germany’s DAX rose 0.9% to 14,367.89. Britain’s FTSE 100 sank 0.3% to 7,328.30. U.S. shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures up 0.3% to 33,694.00. S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% to 3,984.50.

Benchmarks fell in Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong and Shanghai, while gaining in Sydney. Oil prices fell.

TOKYO (AP) — European stock benchmarks mostly edged higher in early trading Wednesday after Asian shares finished generally lower.

Investors have been jittery over global risks after Poland said a Russian-made missile killed two people there.

France’s CAC 40 edged up 0.1% in early trading to 6,650.25, while Germany’s DAX slipped nearly 0.2% to 14,354.27. Britain’s FTSE 100 gained 0.3% to 7,388.77.

U.S. shares were set to drift higher, with Dow futures rising 0.3% to 33,712.00. S&P 500 futures gained 0.3% to 4,012.50.

TOKYO, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Japan's daily COVID-19 cases on Tuesday surpassed the threshold of 100,000 for the first time in two months, local media reported.

This came after the government scrapped COVID-19 border controls and introduced a domestic travel subsidy program in a bid to spur inbound and local tourism last month, Kyodo News reported.

As the nation braces for the eighth wave of infections, the figure recorded on Tuesday was the highest since Sept. 14, when the daily caseload stood at 100,260, the report said.

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delayed his departure Friday to Southeast Asia’s three upcoming summits in order to sack and find a replacement for his justice minister over a remark he made about capital punishment that was criticized as inappropriate.

Justice Minister Yasuhiro Hanashi told reporters he submitted his resignation Friday to Kishida, two days after he made a comment at a party meeting that his low-profile job makes lunchtime news only when he uses his “hanko” stamp to approve executions in the morning.

TOKYO, Nov 10 (NNN-NHK) – Tokyo prosecutors, yesterday indicted former Tokyo Olympic organising committee executive, Haruyuki Takahashi, on charges of receiving some 54 million yen (370,000 U.S. dollars) in bribes, from a major advertisement company, and a firm that sold stuffed dolls of the games’ mascots.

TOKYO, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government on Thursday decided on a policy to allow each prefectural government to declare stepped-up coronavirus measures, amid growing concerns about the possible arrival of the eighth infection wave.

Japan's health ministry also decided at a meeting to revise the current five-scale alert of infection status to a four-scale one. A level similar to the seventh wave or higher will be rated as Level 3, which means infections continue to expand.

TOKYO, Nov 9 (Reuters) - A beloved Japanese candy eaten by generations, so iconic it even appeared in a hit anime film, has come to the end of the line, a victim of surging raw material and energy prices.

Tokyo-based Sakumaseika Co said on Wednesday that it would go out of business in January due to rising production costs, a labour shortage and a drop in sales of its main product "Sakuma's Drops".

The discontinuation of its trademark candy - hard, colourful fruit drops sold in a red steel can - threw Japan into mourning.

TOKYO, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Japan's lower house of parliament on Tuesday approved a bill to revise the infectious disease prevention law to prepare for future pandemics.

The bill was approved at a lower house plenary meeting by a majority vote from members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

TOKYO, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- An advisory panel for the finance minister on Monday proposed that the Japanese government end free-of-charge coronavirus vaccinations, highlighting concerns over a further increase of its financial strain.

Japan's Ministry of Finance convened a subcommittee meeting on Monday and asked a panel of experts to start discussing possible charges for the COVID-19 shots, like the ones for seasonal influenza and other infectious diseases.

YOKOSUKA, Japan, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Japan hosted its first international fleet review for seven years on Sunday with ships from 12 other nations in a show of unity as North Korea fires record numbers of missiles and China increases its pressure on Taiwan.

The naval parade in Sagami Bay near Tokyo involved 38 vessels, 18 from friendly countries such as the United States, South Korea, Britain, Australia, Singapore, India and Thailand. Thirty-three aircraft flew overhead, including submarine-hunting patrol planes and helicopters.