March 17, Wednesday, 2021 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline read by Ms. Yamamoto Miki

1. Japanese government officials are thinking about lifting the coronavirus state of emergency that is currently in place for Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures, as the strain on the healthcare system is easing.
2.The European Union’s medicines watchdog has reiterated that the benefits of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine outweigh the risks of blood clots that have been reported in some recipients. 3. The British government says it will raise the ceiling on its nuclear warhead stockpile from 180 to 260 as part of a national security policy review.