Tokyo, 3 February, /AJMEDIA/
U.S. to send thousands of troops in coming days over Ukraine tension
WASHINGTON – The United States on Wednesday announced plans to deploy thousands of additional military troops to Europe in the coming days to assure its allies in the region amid growing fears that Russia may further invade Ukraine.
The administration of President Joe Biden has also approached several major natural-gas importers in Asia, including China and Japan, about sending their fuel to Europe to address any energy shortages that may occur in the region dependent on Russia’s supplies, according to Bloomberg.
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Japan’s daily COVID-19 cases exceed 90,000 for first time
TOKYO – Japan confirmed a record 94,908 coronavirus cases Wednesday, eclipsing the previous record logged late last week by nearly 10,000 and exceeding the 90,000 mark for the first time, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant continues to wreak havoc across the country.
While Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said he is not considering declaring a state of emergency in Tokyo despite the recent spike in infections, the capital’s daily count continued to climb Wednesday, exceeding the previous record last Friday by nearly 4,000 cases to reach 21,576.
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Olympics: 1st Japanese athlete tests positive for COVID-19 in Beijing
BEIJING – The Japanese Olympic Committee on Wednesday announced the first positive coronavirus case among Japanese athletes attending the Beijing Games.
The JOC said a “skier” has tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday in Beijing after testing negative before departing for China. The athlete’s name has not been released due to the JOC’s privacy policy, although it was confirmed the person is asymptomatic.
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Modest Beijing Olympic torch relay begins 2 days ahead of opening
BEIJING – The Beijing Olympic torch relay kicked off in a modest manner in the center of the capital on Wednesday amid lingering concern over the COVID-19 pandemic, just two days before the opening of the global sporting event.
Around 1,200 people are set to join the three-day torch relay that started at Beijing’s Olympic Forest Park. The event has been scaled back to ensure the health and safety of the public against the backdrop of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
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Panasonic’s April-Dec. net profit up on brisk sales of EV batteries
TOKYO – Panasonic Corp. on Wednesday reported a net profit of 195.63 billion yen ($1.70 billion) in the April-December period, up 50.3 percent from a year earlier, on the back of strong sales of batteries for electric vehicles.
The automotive and energy segments, key growth areas for the electronics company, logged sales of 774.9 billion yen, up 7 percent from a year earlier, and 568.0 billion yen, up 27 percent, respectively, due to strong overseas demand for in-vehicle equipment and electric car batteries for Tesla Inc.
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Sony lifts FY 2021 operating profit outlook to record 1.2 tril. yen
TOKYO – Sony Group Corp. on Wednesday raised its operating profit outlook for the current business year to a record 1.20 trillion yen ($10.45 billion), as solid movie and mobile gaming segments along with a weak yen against the U.S. dollar are expected to make up for weak sales of its PlayStation 5 game consoles amid a global chip crunch.
In October, the Japanese electronics and entertainment giant forecast an operating profit of 1.04 trillion yen for the year through March.
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Japan’s sanctions over Ukraine “counterproductive”: Russian envoy
TOKYO – Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin on Wednesday warned that Japan’s plans to adopt punitive measures against Russia in line with tougher sanctions imposed on Moscow by some Western nations in the event of military aggression in Ukraine would be “counterproductive.”
The envoy’s remarks came after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged during a virtual summit with U.S President Joe Biden late last month to take “strong action in response to any attack” on Ukraine by Russia, which has increased its military presence on the border fueling concern about a possible invasion.
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Tonga enters nationwide lockdown after aid deliveries import virus
SYDNEY – Tonga entered nationwide lockdown on Wednesday as five coronavirus cases were reported in the previously virus-free Pacific island country, confirming fears that international aid would bring COVID-19 to the country devastated by a volcanic eruption and tsunami last month.
According to local media, Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku said in an urgent national address late Tuesday that two men handling the incoming shipments at the capital’s port had returned positive results in routine testing.
