Female leaders from African countries attending an international conference in Tokyo have stressed the need to take measures to ensure a stable food supply.

The first Asia Pacific Africa Women's Economic Exchange Summit opened on Monday. The conference was organized by a Japanese organization supporting African nations. Participants include female leaders from seven African countries, such as Uganda and Malawi and Japanese lawmakers.

Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is making arrangements to hold a news conference at the prime minister's office on Friday. He is expected to mention his health, as he has recently undergone medical checks.

This will be Abe's first news conference since the one he gave in Nagasaki City on August 9. It will also be the first one at the prime minister's office since June 18. That was one day after the end of the ordinary Diet session.

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have watched an online conference about risk management for water-related disasters amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Imperial couple viewed the meeting from their Akasaka residence in Tokyo on Thursday. The Emperor has been researching global water issues for many years.

Time to mark your diaries, Sony has confirmed that its 2020 MWC press conference will be taking place at 8.30am (CET) on 24 February. A livestream will also be available on the Sony Xperia YouTube channel.