TOKYO – More than a week after declaring a state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and five other prefectures in Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expanded the declaration to the entire country in a bid to prevent the further spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19).

MANILA/TOKYO – President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday that the Philippines is ready to join the clinical trials of Japan's antiviral drug Avigan (favipiravir) as potential COVID-19 treatment.

TOKYO – The Japanese government is considering a proposal to hand out 100,000 yen in cash to each person without setting an income limit to help alleviate hardships brought on by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

TOKYO/MANILA – The new coronavirus (COVID-19) is taking a greater toll on men than women in Japan and in the Philippines.