Japan OKs $1.5 billion contract for new Tokyo stadium

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's government has approved a plan for a nearly 150 billion yen ($1.5 billion) contract with a joint venture to build a new main stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Officials on Friday said the stadium construction will begin in December, more than a year after an earlier plan was scrapped because of spiraling cost and an unpopular design.

The Japan Sport Council, a government-funded organization operating the project, said the stadium is scheduled for completion at the end of November, 2019.

An earlier design by the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid had risen to 265 billion yen ($2.65 billion), more than twice the forecast amount.

The stadium delay is part of Japan's…