Tokyo, 28 January, /AJMEDIA/
Police arrest man after hostage standoff near Tokyo
SAITAMA, Japan – Police arrested a man early Friday after he allegedly attacked three medical workers making a visit to his home near Tokyo the previous night, shooting one of them in the abdomen and taking another hostage.
The hostage, a 44-year-old male doctor, showed no vital signs when rescued, the police said.
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U.S. economy grows 5.7% in 2021 in pandemic rebound, best since 1984
WASHINGTON – The U.S. economy expanded 5.7 percent in 2021, marking the best one-year performance since 1984 and underscoring the recovery from a coronavirus pandemic-induced economic downturn, data from the Commerce Department showed Thursday.
In the October to December quarter, the economy grew an annualized real 6.9 percent from the preceding quarter. The growth in terms of inflation-adjusted gross domestic product exceeded the average market forecast of 5.5 percent.
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North Korea says it carried out missile tests on Jan. 25, 27
BEIJING – North Korea said it has carried out missile tests on Tuesday and Thursday.
Pyongyang launched two long-range cruise missiles on Tuesday, while firing two tactical guided missiles on Thursday, the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Friday.
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Japan’s daily COVID cases near 80,000, record high for 3rd day
TOKYO – Japan’s daily count of new COVID-19 cases neared 80,000 Thursday to hit a record high for the third consecutive day, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant continues its rapid spread in Tokyo and elsewhere.
The nationwide tally on Thursday reached 78,920 as 27 of Japan’s 47 prefectures logged record daily high figures, with Tokyo confirming 16,538 coronavirus cases the same day.
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Japan’s entry ban hurting foreign students’ mental health: survey
TOKYO – Students across the world who have been unable to enter Japan for study due to the current COVID-19 entry ban mostly feel that their mental health has deteriorated, a private survey showed Thursday.
Davide Rossi, who runs a Tokyo-based company helping foreign students study in Japan, said his online survey conducted for 10 days through Sunday found that 58.4 percent of 3,115 respondents felt their mental health “significantly declined” and 26.2 percent “slightly declined.”
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Japan mulls shortening quarantine for COVID close contacts to 7 days
TOKYO – The Japanese government is considering shortening the quarantine period to seven days from the current 10 for people who have been in close contact with someone infected with the novel coronavirus, sources close to the matter said Thursday.
The move comes as the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus continues to spread rapidly, threatening to disrupt essential services. Japan on Thursday confirmed a record number of daily coronavirus infections for the third consecutive day with 78,920 new cases.
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6 sue Fukushima nuclear plant operator for developing thyroid cancer
TOKYO – A group of six people filed a damages suit against the operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant on Thursday, seeking compensation over claims that they developed thyroid cancer after radiation exposure due to the 2011 disaster.
The lawsuit was filed with the Tokyo District Court by people aged between 6 and 16 who were living in Fukushima Prefecture when the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant occurred. They are demanding Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. pay a total of 616 million yen ($5.3 million) in damages.
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Nissan, Renault, M’bishi rev up EV push, $26 bil. outlay, 35 models
TOKYO – Nissan Motor Co., Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Thursday they will bolster their alliance in the electric vehicle business, pouring 23 billion euros ($26 billion) over the next five years into helping launch 35 new EV models by 2030 in the intensifying global race for green vehicles.
The three-way alliance will also use common platforms for 80 percent of their all EV models and jointly develop by fiscal 2028 an all-solid-state battery, a key component to make batteries safer and give vehicles greater range.
