February 26, Friday, 2021 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline

  1. The Japanese government plans to lift a state of emergency for six prefectures on Sunday as the number of coronavirus cases decline. But the declaration will remain in place for Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures.
  2. Firefighters struggling to contain a forest fire in Ashikaga City, north of Tokyo, say there’s no prospect of bringing the blaze under control soon, as dry conditions are expected to continue for days.
  3. Japan’s benchmark long-term interest rate has risen to its highest in over 5 years.