Tokyo, 23 December, /AJMEDIA/
Japan to expand 3-day quarantine to nearly all travelers from U.S.
TOKYO – Travelers from nearly all parts of the United States will now have to spend three days of their two-week quarantine periods in government-designated facilities, as part of stricter quarantine requirements, the Japanese government said Wednesday.
The measure, effective Saturday, is part of strict border controls to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.
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U.S. regulators authorize first oral antiviral COVID-19 pill
WASHINGTON – U.S. drug regulators on Wednesday issued an emergency use authorization for the first oral antiviral coronavirus pill, developed by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc.
The pill, called Paxlovid, is authorized for mild-to-moderate coronavirus cases in patients aged 12 or older facing high risk of severe illness, and can be taken at home. The company is ready to ship limited supplies of the treatment, whose complex production process requires six to eight months for each batch.
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Hitachi unit admits to cheating in brake, suspension inspections
TOKYO – An auto parts subsidiary of Japan’s Hitachi Ltd. on Wednesday admitted to inspection lapses, including cheating in quality tests on brake and suspension systems, with the practice spanning from around 2000 through October this year.
Hitachi Astemo Ltd., a joint venture with Honda Motor Co. established this year through a merger of four suppliers, said the inspection misconduct affected about 57,000 braking system parts. The components were manufactured in Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo.
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Panel submits 2 proposals to stop Japan royal family from shrinking
TOKYO – A government panel tasked with studying ways to ensure a stable imperial succession submitted Wednesday two proposals to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that would stop Japan’s royal family from shrinking further, but postponed conclusions regarding specific measures on succession.
The two options — having female members who marry commoners retain their imperial status, and allowing male heirs from former branches to be adopted into the imperial family by revising the 1947 Imperial House Law — seek to address the dwindling number of eligible heirs.
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Japan’s former Emperor Akihito turns 88
TOKYO – Japan’s former Emperor Akihito turned 88 on Thursday, making him the longest living emperor on record, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
In good health, he has spent much of the year peacefully with his wife former Empress Michiko at their temporary home at the Takanawa Imperial Residence, after stepping down from the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019 to become the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in around 200 years.
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Japan reports 1st community spread of Omicron, braces for resurgence
TOKYO – Japan on Wednesday reported its first community transmission of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in Osaka Prefecture, with three family members, with no history of travel overseas, being infected through unknown routes.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the same day the government will ensure necessary steps are taken to prevent new untraceable cases of the highly transmissible strain from spreading, as new cases of the new variant nearly doubled to 160 nationwide Wednesday, after the first case was confirmed on Nov. 30.
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Over 4,400 Myanmar refugees flee to Thailand to escape fighting
BANGKOK – Over 4,400 people from Myanmar have fled into Thailand since Thursday last week to escape clashes between government soldiers and an armed ethnic minority group, the Thai military said Wednesday.
As the fighting between Myanmar’s ruling military and the Karen National Union intensifies in southeastern Kayin State and more refugees enter Thailand, Thai authorities in neighboring Tak Province have been tasked with accommodating them in temporary shelters and providing them with humanitarian assistance.
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Japan’s Mitsubishi launches rocket carrying British satellite
TOKYO – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. said Thursday it successfully launched an H-2A rocket carrying a British communications satellite from Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan, with the satellite entering its planned orbit about 26 minutes after liftoff.
The rocket carrying the first of two Inmarsat-6 satellites of Britain’s Inmarsat Global Ltd. was launched at 12:32 a.m. following a one-day delay due to poor weather.