Society

Suga asks Pfizer for additional COVID-19 vaccine supplies to Japan

Apr 18 (Kyodo) - Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga asked U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. on Saturday to provide additional supplies of COVID-19 vaccine to Japan, Japanese officials said.

Suga made the request during telephone talks with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on the last day of his three-day visit to Washington for a White House meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.

Bourla was quoted by the officials as saying Pfizer would like to promote consultations about the request swiftly and coordinate closely with the Japanese government.

The talks came as Japan trails far behind Britain, the United States and elsewhere in providing vaccinations to people.

Japan relies solely on imported coronavirus vaccines, and Pfizer's vaccine is the only one the country has approved so far.

Over 300 New Geoglyphs Discovered by Yamagata University in Nazca

Yamagata University, which has been conducting research on the Nazca geoglyphs in Peru, announced the discovery of over 300 new geoglyphs, depicting a variety of subjects, including humans and animals.

University of Tokyo Raises Tuition Fees for First Time in 20 Years

The University of Tokyo has officially decided to increase tuition by approximately 110,000 yen for incoming undergraduate students starting next academic year, bringing the total to 642,960 yen.

Death toll rises to 9 in Japan's Ishikawa following heavy rain

Emergency officials say the death toll from record rainfall in Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture has risen to nine. (NHK)

Russian military plane intrudes into Japanese airspace, Tokyo lodges protest

A Japanese government spokesperson says a Russian military airplane entered Japanese airspace three times on Monday. (NHK)

Kishida vows in meeting with Zelenskyy continued support for Ukraine

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has conveyed his country's intention to maintain support for Ukraine to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (NHK)

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