Authorities in Japan are racing to contain a surge in coronavirus infections, ahead of upcoming summer holidays. Tokyo remains the major hotspot. Metropolitan government officials confirmed 258 new cases in the capital on Monday.

It's the seventh consecutive day with more than 200 infections. Across the country, the total number of infections has topped 40,000.

A survey conducted by NHK's Hiroshima bureau has found that about 70 percent of young Americans think that nuclear weapons are unnecessary.

The station conducted an online survey this year on three groups of people between the ages of 18 and 34, ahead of the 75th anniversary of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Students in Japan are having a much shorter summer break this year to make up for classes that were cancelled in the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While August is usually a month off for students, the education ministry says more than 1,700 boards of education across the country plan to shorten summer holidays to offset the lost time.

Many people in Japan are mourning the death of former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui.

Lee died of multiple organ failure last Thursday at the age of 97. He contributed to Taiwan's democratization. One of his biggest achievements was realizing the first direct vote to choose the territory's president.

A major Japanese food chain, Curry House CoCo Ichibanya, on Monday opened a restaurant in India, the home of curry dishes.

The restaurant in the suburbs of New Delhi was initially planned to open earlier this year, but the coronavirus pandemic put the plan on hold.

Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has pledged that the government will do all it can to protect the elderly and other vulnerable people from coronavirus infections.

Abe told a meeting of government and ruling party members on Monday that new case counts are rising across the country. The number of severely ill patients stands at 80 nationwide.

NHK has learned that the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases has drawn up a set of guidelines on diagnosis of seasonal influenza and COVID-19.

The association compiled the guidelines to advise hospitals and clinics on how to deal with the diseases.

The organizers of the Tokyo Paralympics on Monday announced the competition schedule for the postponed Games. A few adjustments were made to the timing of some sports, but they were able to secure the same venues that had been planned for this year.

The Paralympics will run for 13 days, from August 24, 2021, one day earlier than the start planned for this year. Athletes from around the world will compete in 539 events across 22 sports.

Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo plans to attend the ceremonies to mark the 75th anniversary of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Abe told government and ruling coalition executives on Monday that he will participate in the ceremonies in Hiroshima on Thursday and in Nagasaki on Sunday.

The coronavirus shows no signs of a summer slowdown in Japan as the upward trend continues. Officials are turning a worried eye to the season's upcoming holidays.

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is calling on people to keep taking thorough measures against the virus.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 258 new cases of the coronavirus in the Japanese capital on Monday.

The daily tally was under 300 for the second straight day. The total number of coronavirus infections in Tokyo has now reached 13,713.

A group of ruling party lawmakers is seeking legislation for surveys of the Senkaku Islands and the surrounding waters to strengthen Japan's effective control over them.

The move comes as Chinese government ships are increasing their activities in waters around the islands. Chinese patrol boats have navigated in the contiguous zone outside the Japanese territorial waters around them for more than 100 days in a row.

Major Japanese automakers are returning domestic factories to normal production levels. The companies say global demand for automobiles is on the mend .

Eight Japanese carmakers were forced to adjust output due to the pandemic.

Major Japanese retailer Seven & i Holdings is to buy a US refinery's chain of convenience stores for 21 billion dollars.

Marathon Petroleum Corporation's Speedway unit has about 3,900 gas stations with convenience stores across the United States. That makes Speedway the country's third-largest convenience-store operator.