The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a heavy rain emergency warning for parts of Gifu and Nagano prefectures in the central part of the country. The warning is the highest level of alert on the agency's scale.

The areas are experiencing rainfall that has not been seen in several decades. Agency officials say serious damage from flooding and landslides is likely.

A group of researchers at the University of Tokyo says symptoms of 10 out of 11 COVID-19 patients were alleviated after taking a pancreatitis drug Futhan together with an anti-flu drug Avigan.

The team used a combination of Futhan and Avigan on the 11 patients suffering serious pneumonia in April. Futhan is normally used for acute pancreatitis, as well as other diseases that cause blood clots in various parts of the body.

Prosecutors in Tokyo are expected to indict Lower House lawmaker and former Justice Minister Kawai Katsuyuki, along with his wife, Upper House member Kawai Anri, on charges of election law violations on Wednesday.

The prosecutors believe the couple gave about 270,000 dollars in cash to about 100 local politicians and supporters. They think the aim was to secure votes last July for the wife, who won her seat.

Japanese defense officials plan to speed up talks with their US and British counterparts about how to cooperate on the development of Japan's new fighter jet.

The Japanese government plans to lead the development, with a view to international collaboration, of a new stealth fighter to replace the Air Self-Defense Force's F-2 aircraft. The F-2s are scheduled to be retired from around 2035.

In southwestern Japan, emergency crews are searching for survivors and assessing the damage after days of torrential rain. The extreme weather has left dozens of people dead on the island of Kyushu. Weather officials are asking people to remain on alert for landslides and rivers bursting their banks.

In Oita Prefecture, a major river overflowed in the city of Hita. Rescuers are searching for a woman in her 70s after her home was washed away. Authorities say more flooding is expected in several cities along the river.

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has instructed a government taskforce to speed up work to declare the torrential rain in southwestern Japan an "extraordinary disaster." That would enable victims to receive special support to rebuild their lives.

Abe said on Tuesday that many districts in affected areas have been cut off by floods and landslides. He asked for continued efforts to rescue and support survivors, and to search for the missing.

United Airlines has launched flights from Tokyo to Chicago after a three-month delay amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In March, Haneda Airport had planned to increase the number of total flights by 50 per day -- many to and from the West and China. But the launch of most flights were delayed due to the pandemic.

Japan's Defense Ministry has proposed that the production of new fighter jets that will succeed the Air Self Defense Force's F-2s should start in fiscal 2031.

The government plans to lead the development of stealth fighter jets with a view to international collaboration. It also plans to have the new jets serviced in Japan.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide says the government will make its best efforts to patrol territorial waters, after commenting on two Chinese patrol ships that remained for more than 39 hours.

Two Chinese patrol ships entered waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on July 2, and approached a Japanese fishing boat.

Several Japanese IT-firms are collecting donations through crowdfunding to help people affected by torrential rain and floods in southwestern Japan.

Readyfor has set up a site where people can make donations starting from 3,000 yen, or about 28 dollars.

Sources at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government say 106 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Japan's capital on Tuesday.

This brings the total number of infections in Tokyo to 6,973, on a sixth straight day of over 100 new cases.

In Japan's southwestern region of Kyushu, the heavy rainfall is now being blamed for the deaths of more than 50 people.

Weather officials have switched a heavy rain emergency warning issued for Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki prefectures to a warning.

Japan's chief cabinet secretary says the government may declare the torrential rain in Kyushu an "extraordinary disaster." That would enable victims to receive special support to rebuild their lives.

Suga Yoshihide spoke to reporters on Tuesday. He said heavy rain is forecast through Wednesday in wide parts of eastern and western Japan.

Japan's labor ministry says over 32,000 workers have been discharged by their employers or faced contract nonrenewal amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Ministry officials counted 32,348 such workers from the end of January through last Friday. Some 4,000 were added over the past week. The figures were taken from job placement agencies nationwide and other sources.