A Japanese venture firm is about to launch what could become the first privately-funded spacecraft to land on the moon. The spacecraft will be carried by a US rocket.

The unmanned lunar lander was developed by Tokyo-based start-up ispace. The rocket carrying the lander will be launched by US firm SpaceX from the state of Florida.

Japan's Defense Ministry is considering offering a ferry as temporary accommodation for evacuees from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the coronavirus outbreak.

The evacuees have been transported from Wuhan aboard government-chartered flights. They are being housed at a hotel in Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, and elsewhere in the capital after being checked by medical professionals.