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- Friday marks one year since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Japan. But the outbreak shows no sign of abating. 2.An NHK survey shows that a majority of respondents say they are ready to accept restrictions on their personal freedoms to help contain the coronavirus. 3.A survey has found that university seniors in Japan are having trouble getting jobs, due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
- U.S. lawmakers have voted to impeach President Donald Trump for a historic second time. Ten Republican lawmakers broke ranks to vote to impeach the president. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump a “clear and present danger” to the country. The impeachment resolution won majority support in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. 2.A 20-year prison term for former South Korean President Park Geun-hye for bribery and other crimes has been finalized. The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal by prosecutors and upheld the sentence handed down by the Seoul High Court in July last year. 3.The Japanese government plans to suspend the entry of all foreigners as the coronavirus continues to spread around the world. Japan halted all new arrivals of non-nationals last month after new strains of the coronavirus that are believed to be highly transmissible were confirmed in the U.K. and elsewhere.
- The Japanese government is set to expand its state of emergency to seven more prefectures amid a resurgence of coronavirus infections. The seven additional prefectures are Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Aichi, Gifu, Fukuoka, and Tochigi. The declaration currently covers Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures, and was put in place last Friday. 2.An opinion poll conducted by NHK earlier this month shows only 16 percent favor holding the postponed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics as scheduled. This contrasts sharply with the close to 80 percent who say the Games should be canceled or postponed again. 3.The U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff have issued a message to all service members, calling on them to unite under incoming President Joe Biden. The move comes at a time when confusion continues over the country’s transfer of power.
- The World Health Organization has told that herd immunity against the coronavirus will not be achieved this year, despite the growing availability of vaccines. 2.The Japanese government is moving toward declaring a state of emergency for another three prefectures in western Japan as early as this week. Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures are already subject to the measure. 3. U.S. House Democrats introduced an impeachment resolution against President Donald Trump on Monday. The Democrats criticized Trump for his role in the riot at the U.S. Capitol last week.
- Monday is Coming of Age Day in Japan for new adults. But the coronavirus pandemic has forced many municipalities to postpone their ceremonies for the 20-year-olds. 2. The New Year Grand Sumo Tournament kicked off at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan arena on Sunday without 65 wrestlers belonging to four stables who either tested positive for the new coronavirus or were in close contact with those who did. 3. A research team based in Britain says an arthritis drug developed in Japan can significantly improve the survival rate of critically ill COVID-19 patients. Researchers from Imperial College London and elsewhere reported their findings from a clinical trial of the rheumatoid arthritis drug Actemra, which is also known as tocilizumab.
- U.S. Capitol Police say an officer has died from injuries he sustained when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the legislative building. A statement by the Capitol Police says the officer died on Thursday night. It says he was injured while physically engaging with protesters and passed away at a hospital. 2. U.S. President Donald Trump has acknowledged that Joe Biden will be the next president. In a video posted on Twitter on Thursday, Trump said, “Now Congress has certified the results and new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power.” 3.A record 7,841 new coronavirus cases were reported in Japan as of 8 p.m. on Friday. The nationwide daily tally has set a record for a fourth day in a row.
- The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 2,447 new cases of the coronavirus in the capital on Thursday, setting a new high for the second day in a row. 2.Japan’s labor ministry says over 80,000 jobs have been lost as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 3.Supporters of President Donald Trump have stormed the Capitol building in Washington where lawmakers were finalizing President-elect Joe Biden’s victory at the ballot box. The proceedings were temporarily suspended but Congress reconvened after order was restored in the building.
- The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says it confirmed 1,591 new cases of the coronavirus in the Japanese capital on Wednesday. The figure is the highest daily count to date. The latest figure marks an increase of more than 250 from the previous single-day record of 1,337 reported on December 31. 2. U.S. media reports say the Democratic Party has won at least one Senate seat in two closely contested runoff elections in the state of Georgia. Voting took place for two of the 100 Senate seats on Tuesday. The Republican Party had 50 seats after the November elections, and the Democrats had 48. 3. Japan’s government will make a final decision on Thursday on a plan to declare a state of emergency for Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures to curb the coronavirus. Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has urged relevant ministers to quickly finalize details of measures that would be taken under such a declaration.
- Twin runoff elections in the U.S. state of Georgia on Tuesday are set to determine whether President-elect Joe Biden’s Democratic Party will gain control of the Senate. Two seats are to be contested. If Democrats fail to secure both of them, Republicans will gain control of the Senate, as the party will secure 52 seats in the 100-member chamber. Since the Democrats maintained control of the House of Representatives in the elections held in November, Biden’s administration will then have to contend with a divided Congress. 2. Ten former U.S. secretaries of defense have urged President Donald Trump to accept his Democratic rival Joe Biden’s victory in the country’s presidential election. 3. The Japanese government is planning to declare a state of emergency for Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures as early as Thursday in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
- Japan’s government is planning to issue a state of emergency for a second time to contain rising coronavirus cases in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures. 2. 2021 is expected to see a big increase in the areas of Japan where people can use the next generation 5G wireless networks. The nation’s main mobile carriers are planning to introduce cheaper rates for using high-speed, high-capacity 5G networks. 3. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says tougher restrictions may be necessary in his country, where a variant of the coronavirus is rapidly spreading.