Tokyo, 26 November, /AJMEDIA/
Tokyo stocks’ Nikkei index plunges to 1-month low on COVID variant concern
TOKYO – Tokyo stocks plummeted Friday, with the Nikkei index ending at a one-month low, as concerns were raised following reports of a new COVID-19 variant in South Africa and its potential impact on the global economic recovery.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 747.66 points, or 2.53 percent, from Thursday at 28,751.62, its lowest close since Oct. 25. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 40.71 points, or 2.01 percent, lower at 1,984.98.
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Japan Cabinet to OK 36 tril. yen extra budget for economic stimulus
TOKYO – Japan’s Cabinet is set to approve Friday a record 36.0 trillion yen ($314 billion) supplementary budget for fiscal 2021 to fund the government’s latest economic stimulus to put the coronavirus pandemic-stricken economy on a recovery track.
The first extra budget for the current fiscal year from April entails new national bond issuance worth 22.1 trillion yen. It means most of the extra budget will be financed by debt, adding a further blow to the country’s fiscal health.
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NTT Docomo faces gov’t order after “serious” mobile system failure
TOKYO – The Japanese government issued an administrative order Friday to NTT Docomo Inc. following a system failure last month that affected at least 12.9 million users and was labeled a “serious incident” by the communications ministry.
The ministry ordered Japan’s largest mobile carrier to prevent a recurrence after many users nationwide were left without voice and data services at one point on Oct. 14 due to the failure caused by work on NTT’s network. It took about 29 hours for services to be fully restored.
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52 die in coal mine blast accident in Siberia: local media
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia – A total of 52 people, including six rescuers, died in a coal mine blast accident in Kemerovo in Russia’s Siberia on Thursday, Tass news agency and other local media quoted authorities as saying.
The local government said 285 people were working in the Listvyazhnaya mine when the blast occurred.
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Bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers visits Taiwan
TAIPEI – A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation that includes five House of Representatives members arrived in Taiwan on Thursday, the island government’s Foreign Ministry said, the latest in a series of visits by U.S. officials that are certain to rile China.
The visit comes amid bipartisan support within the United States for the self-ruled island that is facing diplomatic and military pressure from an increasingly assertive China.
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Japan film director Naomi Kawase appointed UNESCO goodwill ambassador
PARIS – Film director Naomi Kawase, winner of several Cannes awards, was appointed a UNESCO goodwill ambassador on Thursday, becoming the first Japanese woman to take the position, according to Japan’s permanent delegation to the U.N. organization.
Kawase, 52, also the fifth Japanese to be appointed to the role, was tapped in recognition of her film work focusing on the stories of women across the generations. She is expected to use the position to promote gender equality in the culture industries.
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Honda turns to AI-powered tech to make roads safer
TOKYO – Honda Motor Co. is integrating artificial intelligence into its vehicles to warn drivers of imminent traffic hazards and help them avoid accidents caused by human error, as the Japanese car and motorcycle maker aims to meet its target of zero fatalities by 2050.
Honda’s AI-powered driver assistance technology — unveiled Thursday by the automaker in what it says is a world-first — checks a driver’s movements and health using a monitoring camera and sensors.
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Soccer: Nadeshiko Japan lose 1st game under new manager Ikeda
ALMERE, Netherlands – Japan’s women lost their first game under new manager Futoshi Ikeda on Thursday, falling 2-0 to Iceland in an international soccer friendly.
In a game held in the Netherlands, Nadeshiko Japan went behind in the 14th minute when Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir scored on a counter after winning the ball in midfield. Berglind Bjorg Thorvaldsdottir doubled the lead in the 71st minute from a long ball.
