Dollar changes hands around 107.36 yen level in early trade in Tokyo

11:43, March 18, 2020

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  Greece hands over Olympic flame to Tokyo 2020

  File photoGreece on Thursday handed over the Olympic flame to Tokyo 2020 organisers at a ceremony held behind closed doors amid calls for the Olympics to be postponed over the coronavirus pandemic.In the absence of spectators, Olympic gymnastics champion Lefteris Petrounias ran a lap with the flame and Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi lit a cauldron inside the all-marble Panathenaic stadium, where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896.The flame was then handed to Tokyo 2020 representative Naoko Imoto, a swimmer who competed in the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Imoto, a UNICEF representative, was reportedly a last-minute appointment as she already lives in Greece and did not have to travel from Japan.Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou in a statement said the ancient Olympic values of "concord, goodwill, brotherhood... are the weapon to use" against the virus.- Hard decisions -Last weeks flame lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia was also carried out without spectators as Greece registered its first death from the virus."Regretfully the COVID-19 outbreak made us take hard decisions and change our initial plans. We deeply regret that you... were not able to travel to Greece and join us here today," Greek Olympic Committee chairman Spyros Kapralos said, addressing Tokyo organisers absent from Thursdays ceremony.Authorities decided to cancel the torch relays Greek leg after a crowd mobbed Hollywood actor Gerard Butler at a cauldron lighting ceremony in Sparta last week.COVID-19 has infected more than 200,000 people worldwide and caused over 8,000 deaths across 150 countries and territories. There are five confirmed deaths in Greece. A sixth death was reported on Thursday.Most major sporting events across the world have been rescheduled or scrapped as a result of the pandemic, and doubts are increasingly being expressed about holding the Olympics in its current slot.But the International Olympic Committee says it...

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  Tokyo stocks open sharply higher as yen's retreat lifts exporters

  File photoTOKYO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks opened sharply higher Tuesday as the safe-haven yens retreat against the U.S. dollar bolstered sentiment and lifted the key exporter sector.As of 9:15 a.m., the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average surged 814.38 points, or 4.82 percent, from Monday to 17,702.16.The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, climbed 36.51 points, or 2.83 percent, at 1,328.52.Mining, machinery and securities house-linked issues comprised those that gained the most in the opening minutes after the morning bell.

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  Oil prices seesaw in early Asian trade

  File photoOil prices seesawed in early Asian trade Wednesday, a day after a strong rebound from a major rout triggered by the start of a price war between Riyadh and Moscow.West Texas Intermediate fluctuated between small losses and gains, with the price hovering around $34 a barrel, while Brent crude was up around 0.5 percent at $37 a barrel.Prices had surged over 10 percent Tuesday, a day after plunging almost a third in their biggest one-day drop since the Gulf War in the 1990s.Despite the rebound, investors remain on edge after energy titan Saudi Aramco indicated Tuesday it would flood the market with crude -- and Russias energy minister hit back, saying it could also ramp up production.Mondays rout was triggered by Riyadh driving through the biggest price cuts in two decades at the weekend, following Moscows refusal to agree to reduce production.Saudi Arabia and others from oil-exporting cartel OPEC led a push last week to reduce output further to shore up prices amid slumping demand due to the new coronavirus.But Moscow, the worlds second-biggest oil producer, blocked the move -- signalling an alliance with OPEC that was aimed at supporting the market was unravelling.Analysts said positive sentiment was underpinned by the US administration promising relief measures to combat the coronavirus, but warned the outlook was still uncertain."Oil investors are taking comfort, and prices are finding support, from the White House administration plans for economic stimulus and a slowdown of new COVID-19 cases in both China (and South Korea)," said Stephen Innes, chief market strategist at AxiCorp.