Japan

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares skidded on Thursday as a reality check set in about longtime economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic, giving Wall Street its worst day since October.

Benchmarks in Japan, South Korea, Australia and China declined Thursday. The region is looking ahead to earnings season for a read on how companies are faring amid COVID-19 infections, which have been relatively low in some nations such as New Zealand, compared to other global regions.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga apologised on Wednesday after lawmakers from his ruling coalition visited night clubs despite his government’s call for people to avoid unnecessary outings to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The news is another headache for Suga whose approval rating has tumbled because of dissatisfaction with his handling of the pandemic, which critics have called too slow and inconsistent.

TOKYO (AP) — Remember the word: Playbook.

This is the rule book that the IOC and Tokyo organizers are set to roll out next week to explain how 15,400 Olympic and Paralympic athletes and tens of thousands of others will try to safely enter Japan when the Olympics open in just under six months.

Organizers and the International Olympic Committee are finally going public with their planning, hoping to push back against reports the Olympics will be canceled with Tokyo and much of Japan still under a state of emergency with COVID-19 cases rising.

TOKYO (AP) — A draft investigation report into the 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdown, adopted by Japanese nuclear regulators Wednesday, says it has detected dangerously high levels of radioactive contamination at two of the three reactors, adding to concerns about decommissioning challenges.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga faced renewed pressure on Monday over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with a new opinion poll showing many believed the government was too slow to respond to the latest wave of infections.

Opposition lawmakers were also increasingly frustrated with Suga’s taciturn leadership style, demanding he provide detailed answers to questions about the COVID-19 crisis and the Tokyo Olympics set to start in less than six months.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares rose Monday amid some hopes for recovering economies slammed by the pandemic, as market attention turned to upcoming company earnings.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained nearly 0.5% in morning trading to 28,767.43. Australia’s S&P/ASX200 added 0.4% to 6,829.60. South Korea’s Kospi gained 1.4% to 3,183.52. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 1.6% to 29,927.31, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.4% to 3,619.25.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher Wednesday, ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration as U.S. president. Japan’s benchmark lost early gains as worries grew about the surge in coronavirus cases.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost early gains to slip 0.4% in morning trading to 28,515.21. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.6% to 6,783.20, while South Korea’s Kospi edged up 0.5% to 3,109.21. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.9% to 29,921.79, while the Shanghai Composite rose nearly 0.4% to 3,579.93.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Monday his government will take all possible measures to protect the country’s medical system, as hospitals creak under the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suga this month issued a state of emergency for Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures in a bid to stem a resurgence of infections. He expanded it to seven more prefectures, including Osaka and Kyoto in western Japan.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices on Monday fell further from 11-month highs touched last week, ending a rally that started at end-October on production cuts and strong Chinese demand, with the market’s outlook questioned as coronavirus infections rise.

Brent crude fell 30 cents, or 0.5%, to $54.79 a barrel by 0622 GMT, after dropping 2.3% on Friday. U.S. oil was down by 21 cents, or 0.4%, at $52.15 a barrel, having declined 2.3% in the previous trading session.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan could consider fresh economic stimulus, including a possible fourth extra budget, as the government expands a state of emergency amid a record surge in coronavirus infections, a prominent cabinet minister said on Thursday.

“Suddenly demand has gone, so I think the government, if it is necessary, will be willing to inject money into the economy,” Taro Kono, the administrative and regulatory reform minister, said in an interview at the Reuters Next conference.