Tokyo, 15 December, /AJMEDIA/
Toyota sets global sales target of 3.5 mil. electric vehicles in 2030
TOKYO – Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it lifted its electric vehicle sales goal to 3.5 million units for 2030 and plans to spend 8 trillion yen ($70 billion) by that year to boost product electrification, in a quicker shift to zero-emission cars as it plays catchup with global rivals.
The new annual sales target will be 75 percent higher than its previous plan of 2.0 million electric vehicles, including fuel cell vehicles, as the automaker aims to roll out 30 new EV models worldwide by 2030, more aggressive than its earlier projection of launching 15 new models by 2025.
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Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill 90% effective against hospitalization, deaths
WASHINGTON – U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. said Tuesday that its experimental antiviral pill against COVID-19 has shown nearly 90 percent efficacy in preventing hospitalization or death in high-risk patients, citing final study results.
The oral tablet, called Paxlovid, is under development to be prescribed at the first sign of infection or the first awareness of exposure, potentially helping patients avoid severe illness, according to Pfizer. The company is already seeking emergency use authorization of the treatment from U.S. drug regulators.
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U.S. vows to bolster Indo-Pacific security, hopes China can change
WASHINGTON – The United States will work with allies and partners to bolster security in the Indo-Pacific and ensure it remains open and accessible, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a speech Tuesday in Indonesia, citing calls from across the region for China’s assertive behavior to be addressed.
“We all have a stake in ensuring that the world’s most dynamic region is free from coercion and accessible to all,” Blinken said, pointing to Beijing’s concerning actions including claiming open seas as its own, engaging in economic practices considered to be unfair and taking punitive economic action against countries with which it disagrees.
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New app allows travelers paperless entry into Japan
TOKYO – Visitors and returnees to Japan will be able to go through simpler customs, immigration and quarantine procedures by using an application software from next week, the country’s Digital Agency said Tuesday.
Travelers will not have to submit CIQ paper documents if they register themselves for the “Visit Japan Web” service, scheduled to be launched on Monday, via smartphone and other devices beforehand.
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Japan PM agrees with new German chancellor to deepen ties
TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed during their phone talks on Tuesday to deepen bilateral ties and expand defense cooperation, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
Kishida congratulated Scholz, who became chancellor last week, telling him during their roughly 20-minute phone conversation that Japan has put emphasis on its relationship with Germany as the two countries share basic values such as democracy.
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Year-end Japan train bookings up 81% as COVID concern eases
TOKYO – Reservations for bullet and express train services during the year-end and New Year holiday soared 81 percent from a year earlier, Japan Railway operators said Tuesday, signaling easing public concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
A total of 2.32 million seats have been reserved for the period between Dec. 28 and Jan. 5, according to the six passenger railway companies that are part of the JR group.
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Germany to host G-7 summit at Bavarian resort in June 2022
MUENSTER, Germany – The German government said Tuesday it will host a Group of Seven summit at Schloss Elmau, a castle resort in the Bavarian Alps in southern Germany, from June 26 to June 28 next year.
The announced venue was previously used when Germany convened a G-7 summit in 2015. Germany will assume the group’s rotating presidency in 2022.
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Cambodia detects 1st case of Omicron variant
PHNOM PENH – The Cambodian government said Tuesday it has detected the country’s first case of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus in a Cambodian woman who recently visited Ghana.
The 23-year-old woman who tested positive had traveled from the African country through Dubai and Thailand before arriving in Cambodia on Sunday, the Health Ministry said in a statement.