NHK has learned that the Japanese government's expenses for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer will total more than 390 billion yen, or about 3.76 billion dollars.
Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide says he looks forward to working closely with the new president of the United States on global issues to make the Japan-US alliance stronger.
Germany on Tuesday toughened a partial lockdown and extended it to February 14, with Chancellor Angela Merkel warning of possible border checks to contain "the danger" of new coronavirus variants believed to be more contagious.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Tuesday that the government will only allow public hospitals to use imported COVID-19 vaccines in the initial stage of the vaccination program.
More than 400,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the United States since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday, the eve of the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, who has made the fight against the coronavirus a priority of his first term.
