Japan's latest trade data shows the country's exports and imports continued to fall last month as the coronavirus pandemic weighed on economic activity.

Exports slid nearly 15 percent in August from a year earlier, while imports tumbled about 21 percent.

Suga Yoshihide has been chosen as Japan's 99th prime minister in the Diet.

The new leader of Japan's main ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Suga Yoshihide, is set to be elected as prime minister in the Diet on Wednesday.

The vote among lawmakers is virtually assured to name Suga as the successor to Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, since an LDP-led coalition controls both houses.

Japan's exports declined 14.8 percent in August from a year earlier, preliminary trade data released by the Finance Ministry on Wednesday showed.

Imports also decreased sharply, falling 20.8 percent year on year. That left the country with a trade surplus of about 248 billion yen, or approximately 2.4 billion dollars.

Japan is on the cusp of getting a new Cabinet---and NHK is learning details about who will serve in key posts.

Aso Taro will remain as deputy prime minister and finance minister. Health Minister Kato Katsunobu will become chief cabinet secretary.

Japan's main ruling party has elected Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide its new leader.

The 71-year-old politician is virtually assured to succeed Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, who announced last month his intention to step down to deal with his health.

Edano Yukio, the inaugural leader of Japan's newly expanded opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, has revealed his choices for party executive positions.

The original CDP will officially merge with another opposition party, the Democratic Party for the People, on Tuesday.

Japanese airlines are offering people a chance to revisit the joys of flying while the coronavirus pandemic limits air travel. They are arranging special sightseeing flights to let passengers enjoy the views from the skies.

Japan Airlines is planning a 3-and-a-half-hour flight that leaves Narita Airport and returns there on September 26. Passengers will be able to enjoy views of the sunset and star-lit sky. They will dine on in-flight meals supervised by noted chefs that are normally served on the carrier's Hawaii route.

Two of Japan's biggest opposition groups are merging to challenge the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and gain control of the Diet.

The alliance on Thursday voted as its leader Edano Yukio, the head of one of the groups, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Edano said "if the LDP tries to dissolve the Lower House to hold an election and escape debating us in the Diet, we'll be ready to take them on and provide an alternative for the people."

Japan's GDP for the April to June quarter has been revised downward, confirming that the economy shrank at a record pace as the coronavirus impact was bigger than initially estimated.

The Cabinet Office now says the economy shrank at an annualized rate of minus 28.1 percent in real terms. That's a bit worse than preliminary figure of minus 27.8 percent announced in August, which was already a record.

Campaigning for the leadership of a new opposition party in Japan kicks off on Monday. The party is being created through a merger of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Democratic Party for the People.

Two lawmakers are expected to run -- Constitutional Democratic Party leader Edano Yukio and Izumi Kenta, chair of the Policy Research Committee of the Democratic Party for the People.

A large typhoon is moving northward, engulfing the southern main island of Kyushu and parts of the Chugoku region. Officials are warning of torrential rain, strong winds, higher than normal tides and high ocean swells.

Weather officials say that at 6 a.m. on Monday, Typhoon Haishen was at sea 40 kilometers southwest of Tsushima City, Nagasaki Prefecture. They say it was moving north at 40 kilometers per hour.

A leadership race is underway among Japan's opposition ranks. Two of the largest opposition parties are set to merge next week, when a lawmaker from one of the two groups is named its head.

Nearly 150 members of the Diet have registered to join the new political party, including more than 100 in the Lower House. This means it will have nearly as many Lower House seats as its precursor, the Democratic Party of Japan, just before the party took power 11 years ago.

A large and very strong typhoon is moving northward, engulfing the southern main island of Kyushu and parts of the Chugoku region. Officials are warning of torrential rain, strong winds, higher than normal tides and high ocean swells.

Weather officials say that at 6 a.m. on Monday, Typhoon Haishen was at sea 40 kilometers southwest of Tsushima City, Nagasaki Prefecture. They say it was moving north at 40 kilometers per hour.