May 8, Wednesday, 2024

1. Toyota Motor has posted a record group operating profit topping 5 trillion yen, or 34.5 billion dollars, for fiscal 2023, the highest-ever figure for a listed Japanese company. 2. The second round of a Japanese government-backed subsidy program to support tourism in quake-hit areas in central Japan has begun. This round, which began on Tuesday, only covers Ishikawa Prefecture. The government introduced the program earlier this year to help areas affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake that struck on New Year’s Day. 3. Two rival companies in Japan have joined hands to develop a mosquito spray to fight the growing spread of dengue fever in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. Kao Corporation teamed up with Earth Corporation to combine expertise and shorten the development period for the product. The companies say the spray uses a fine mist to saturate the wings and bodies of mosquitoes to prevent them from flying.