News Headlines - 20 June 2020

▽100 Days of Cuomo: NY Governor ends daily COVID-19 briefings - The Mainichi

Gov. Andrew Cuomo wrapped up a string of more than 100 daily briefings that became appointment viewing around the nation, alternatively informative, grave, jocular and combative, by declaring Friday that New York has "done the impossible" in taming the coronavirus.
Cuomo appeared alone behind his desk during a brief address, a departure from his routine of presenting slides with bar graphs of COVID-19 hospitalizations and then taking questions from reporters.

▽Vladimir Putin: The Real Lessons of the 75th Anniversary of World War II | The National Interest

The Russian president offers a comprehensive assessment of the legacy of World War II, arguing that "Today, European politicians, and Polish leaders in particular, wish to sweep the Munich Betrayal under the carpet. The Munich Betrayal showed to the Soviet Union that the Western countries would deal with security issues without taking its interests into account."

▽Japan's economy 'almost stopped deteriorating,' government report says | The Japan Times

Japan’s economy nearly ceased worsening as it began to reopen following the complete lifting of a nationwide state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, the government said in its monthly economic report for June released Friday.
The government, which said the economy was “worsening rapidly” in its May report, revised its monthly assessment upward for the first time since January 2018.

▽Japanese companies graduate from 'hanko' stamps era - Nikkei Asian Review

The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 is upending a Japanese business tradition that goes back more than 100 years -- hand-stamping documents to authenticate them.
Not even the government appears to want to safeguard the tradition. On Friday it issued guidelines essentially saying carved hanko or inkan seals are not necessary when concluding contracts.
These tools, used instead of signatures, have been ingrained in Japanese corporate culture. But the practice, and internal regulations that bar employees from taking home company stamps, became an obstacle as offices emptied out in early spring and employees dodged the novel coronavirus by working from home.

▽Basketball: Hachimura, Wizards march against racial injustice

Washington Wizards rookie Rui Hachimura marched with teammates Friday in Washington to protest racial injustice and police brutality... Naomi Osaka and Shohei Ohtani are among other Japanese athletes based in the United States who joined an online demonstration earlier this month.