September 2, Thursday, 2021 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline

1. Japan’s Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide is planning to reshuffle executives of his Liberal Democratic Party next week, ahead of the LDP’s leadership race later this month. 2. A survey by Japanese researchers suggests that two shots of a coronavirus vaccine have a 95-percent efficacy rate in protecting the recipients from infection. Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases presented the preliminary results of its survey at a meeting of health ministry experts on Wednesday.
3. Japan has confirmed its first infections with a new coronavirus variant classified as one of interest by the World Health Organization. The health ministry says two travelers who tested positive for the new coronavirus at quarantine stations at two airports have been found infected with the Mu variant. The variant has been found in South America and Europe.