Caught between a pacifist constitution and a rapidly ageing demographic, Japan’s efforts to build military deterrence against China don’t bode well for its future.
Japanese ruling party president Yoshihide Suga wins a parliamentary vote to replace outgoing leader Shinzo Abe, the country's longest-serving Prime Minister, who resigned due to health reasons.
Yoshihide Suga is expected to easily win a parliamentary vote for prime minister after becoming the Liberal Democratic Party's new leader with 377 of a total of 534 valid votes.
Second powerful typhoon to slam Japan in a week unleashes fierce winds and rain on southern islands, blowing off rooftops and leaving homes without power as it edged northward into an area vulnerable to flooding and mudslides.
A popular ex-defence minister and a colourful Twitter user are among the list of potential contenders to lead Japan following Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's resignation due to health problems.
Abe said he was receiving a new treatment for the condition but is expected to stay in office until his ruling Liberal Democratic Party can choose a successor.
Japan's economy has shrunk at an annual rate of 2.2 percent, better than the early estimations due to the hit of coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing trade conflict between US and China, country's most important trading partners.
Japan declared a month-long state of emergency on April 7, in Tokyo and six other urban areas. It has 14,281 Covid-19 cases with 432 deaths, according to the Japanese Health Ministry.
The coronavirus disease has infected at least 2.3 million people and killed more than 150,000 globally. Here are the updates for April 18:
The official declaration of the state of emergency would likely come as soon as Tuesday, Shinzo Abe told reporters, as the country grapples with a recent spike in coronavirus cases, especially in the capital Tokyo.
Some world leaders had to self-isolate due to proximity to the virus or even testing positive, but all of them are carefully monitored by medical professionals and maintained regular appearances both remotely and publicly.
Tokyo Governor's plea for the tens of millions of people in the capital and surrounding regions to avoid non-essential, non-urgent outings until April 12, and particularly this weekend, followed a surge in coronavirus infections this week.
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