Japanese authorities reported 2,688 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday.

They reported 47 deaths, including 12 in Osaka.

Sources say Tokyo prosecutors questioned former prime minister Abe Shinzo on a voluntary basis on Monday over alleged political funding violations involving his support group.

One of Abe's secretaries, who heads his support group, is said to be under investigation on suspicion of violating the political funds control law.

More than 30 percent of respondents to an NHK opinion poll have said next year's Olympics and Paralympics should be canceled.

The telephone survey was conducted over the weekend. More than 1,200 people answered the questions.

More than 30 percent of respondents to an NHK opinion poll have said next year's Olympics and Paralympics should be canceled.

The telephone survey was conducted over the weekend. More than 1,200 people answered the questions.

Police in Tokyo have arrested four officials at a staffing agency on suspicion of having a Vietnamese work illegally.

Those arrested are managing director Yamakawa Tomokazu and three others of Motoki Shoji, based in the city's Toshima Ward.

Officials in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, are culling about 134,000 chickens after the H5 strain of bird flu was detected at a local farm.

The officials say they found dead chickens at a farm in the city of Mihara on Sunday. They say the dead poultry tested positive for the virus.

Japanese financial regulators appear set to penalize the Tokyo Stock Exchange and parent firm the Japan Exchange Group for last month's full-day trading halt.

The Financial Services Agency plans to issue a business improvement order on Monday to prevent a similar shutdown from happening again.

A fireball was seen by people across wide areas of western Japan in the early hours of Sunday.

NHK cameras in the prefectures of Mie, Aichi and elsewhere captured the fireball in the southern sky at 1:34 a.m.

A panel of infectious disease experts has urged people in Tokyo to be on high alert for the coronavirus as a rapid increase in infections is just beginning.

Officials of the Tokyo metropolitan government and experts on public health and infectious diseases met on Thursday to assess the coronavirus situation.

Japan's SoftBank Group says its first-half net profit jumped four and half times from a year ago. That's as its investments in tech stocks jumped and it sold off assets to shore up its finances.

The company said on Monday that net profit in the April-September period came to about 1.9 trillion yen, or about 18 billion dollars.

Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has again defended his decision to reject some of the nominees for the Science Council of Japan, saying that it does not undermine the top academic body's independence.

Suga spoke at a Diet committee meeting on Friday about his refusal to appoint six nominees. His decision to break from the custom of appointing everyone recommended by the council has generated controversy.

Red Bull's preferred option would be to take over Honda's engine after the Japanese manufacturer pulls out of Formula One at the end of 2021, but the rules would have to be frozen to make it affordable, team boss Christian Horner said on Saturday.

"The more we look, there really only is one option that works," he told Sky Sports television at the Portuguese Grand Prix.

WASHINGTON — Nissan's U.S. lending arm agreed on Tuesday to pay a $4 million U.S. fine to settle a government agency's allegation that it improperly repossessed hundreds of consumers' vehicles.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said that between 2013 and 2019, Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp (NMAC), a subsidiary of the Japanese automaker's North American unit, "wrongfully repossessed hundreds of consumers' vehicles despite the consumer having made payments" or taken other actions. Nissan must pay up to $1 million distributed to consumers subject to a wrongful repossession.

Japan's Meteorological Agency says Tropical Storm Chan-hom may approach the country over the weekend.

Weather officials say Chan-hom was advancing northward on Tuesday over waters south of Japan and is expected to develop a storm zone.