Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has delivered his first policy speech in the Diet since taking office last month. Topping the agenda was the coronavirus pandemic.

Suga said, "The nationwide spread of infection has been declining since late June. But at the moment, this trend is slowing and the situation remains unpredictable. We will do everything to prevent an explosive increase in infections and protect people's health and lives. We will also resume social and economic activities and revitalize the economy."

Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide is to deliver a general policy speech on Monday when an extraordinary session of the Diet opens.

This will be the first Diet session since Suga took office in September.

The Japanese Diet has kicked off its latest session, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowing to impress the world with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympics.

Abe says the Games are a chance for communities hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami nearly nine years ago to show how far they've come.