Japan

TOKYO, March 27. /TASS/: The Japanese authorities are considering the possibility of halving the number of official guests of the Tokyo Olympics, who are not directly related to participation in the competition, the Kyodo agency reported on Saturday.

TOKYO (Reuters) -Oil prices reversed a sharp sell-off a day earlier to rise about 2% on Friday on mounting fears that it could take weeks to dislodge a giant container ship blocking the Suez Canal, which would squeeze supplies of crude and refined products.

Prices, however, were still headed for a third consecutive weekly loss, with the outlook for demand dented by fresh coronavirus lockdowns in Europe.

Brent crude was higher by $1.09, or 1.8%, at $63.04 a barrel by 0750 GMT, after dropping 3.8% on Thursday.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up

TOKYO (Reuters) - Myanmar activists in Japan called for the Japanese government and international community to take stronger steps “to stop the killing” in their homeland, urging the imposition of an arms embargo to put pressure on the military junta.

Though Western nations have imposed more sanctions on groups and individuals linked to last month’s coup, activists said more pressure was needed, particularly from Japan.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Americans Michael Taylor and his son Peter could face jail terms of up to three years after Tokyo prosecutors charged them on Monday with illegally helping former Nissan Motor Co Ltd Chairman Carlos Ghosn flee Japan more than a year ago.

Extradited by U.S. authorities this month, the U.S. Army Special Forces veteran and his son have been detained in the same prison in the Japanese capital where Ghosn was held.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed Monday as sentiment was shaken by the U.S. Federal Reserve’s announcement that it would end some emergency measures put in place last year to help the financial industry deal with the pandemic.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 1.8% in morning trading to 29,248.90. South Korea’s Kospi edged nearly 0.1% lower to 3,036.61. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.7% to 6,754.80. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.2% to 28,921.82, while the Shanghai Composite added 0.7% to 3,429.37.

TOKYO, March 20. /TASS/: A 7.2 magnitude earthquake has hit northeastern Japan, the national weather agency said, adding that a tsunami warning had been issued.

Strong tremors are being felt in the country’s capital of Tokyo. 

TOKYO, March 20. /TASS/: Overseas spectators won’t be allowed to attend the Tokyo Olympic Games due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event’s organizers announced after an online meeting on Saturday.

"The decision comes primarily from the need to ensure security amid the pandemic," Japan’s Olympics Minister Tamayo Marukawa told reporters. According to her, a decision on Japanese spectators will be made in April.

TOKYO, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, said here on Thursday that she was "shocked" to learn of the derogatory remarks made by chief creative director Hiroshi Sasaki and pledged to appoint his successor as soon as possible.

Sasaki resigned after making the insulting remarks about popular female Japanese entertainer Naomi Watanabe, dealing another blow to the postponed Olympic Games with four months to go until the opening ceremony.

TOKYO (AP) — Imported American beef in Japan has proved so popular it’s topped the annual limits called “safeguards,” and the U.S. Meat Export Federation on Thursday urged Tokyo to raise the threshold.

Japan’s import limit for American beef of 242,000 metric tons was reached in early March, and so tariffs will be raised from 25.8% to 38.5% for a month, starting Thursday through April 16, according to the Japanese Finance Ministry.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed Wednesday as world markets cautiously awaited the U.S. central bank’s latest comments on the economic outlook.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 inched up nearly 0.1% to 29,948.69. South Korea’s Kospi slipped 0.8% to 3,041.72. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.8% to 6,772.60. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged up 0.1% to 29,057.59, while the Shanghai Composite was little changed, recouping early losses, gaining less than 0.1% to 3,448.53.