News Headlines - 13 December 2017

▽Toyota Deepens Panasonic Battery Ties in Electric-Car Rush - Bloomberg

Toyota Motor Corp. deepened a partnership with battery producer Panasonic Corp. as Asia’s biggest carmaker, which bet big on hydrogen for clean technology, accelerates efforts to make its presence felt in electric cars.
The largest supplier of electric-car batteries and Toyota together are exploring the development of prismatic cells, and the collaboration will include solid-state batteries, the two companies said at a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday. The agreement builds on a joint venture Toyota and Panasonic have had for over two decades.

▽Nintendo Switch sells 10 million worldwide - Nintendo Official Site

Despite launching in March, a month not usually reserved for home console launches, and with the busy holiday shopping season still in full swing, the Nintendo Switch system has already sold 10 million units to consumers around the world, according to Nintendo’s internal sales figures... The robust and diverse library on Nintendo Switch features two of the most acclaimed video games of all time in Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. At The Game Awards last week in Los Angeles, Super Mario Odyssey won the award for Best Family Game. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was honored with the awards for Game of the Year, Best Action/Adventure Game and Best Game Direction.

▽Schoolchildren start voting for Tokyo 2020 Games Mascots - Japan Today

Voting for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots kicked off Monday, with 6.5 million children at elementary schools across Japan given the opportunity to choose their favourite from three shortlisted pairs – each containing one mascot for the Olympic Games and one for the Paralympic Games. Each class can cast a single vote for their chosen mascots at any time in the 10-week voting period.

▽Inside Trump’s Hour-by-Hour Battle for Self-Preservation - The New York Times

Watching cable, he shares thoughts with anyone in the room, even the household staff he summons via a button for lunch or for one of the dozen Diet Cokes he consumes each day.

▽Putin orders partial withdrawal of Russian troops in Syria - France 24

President Vladimir Putin flew into Syria and ordered "a significant part" of Moscow's military contingent there to start withdrawing on Monday, declaring their work largely done.