Tokyo, Dec. 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to lower passport application fees by up to 7,000 yen, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has announced. It aims to submit a passport law amendment to next year’s ordinary parliamentary session, slated to begin in

Tokyo, Dec. 24 (Jiji Press)–The United States has informed Japan of its hope to additionally use heavy weapons, such as antitank missiles and rocket launchers, in the Marine Corps’ live-fire training at five firing ranges of Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force. The notification

(Adnkronos) – “Greenland is our country, our decisions are made here.” Thus, the premier of the Danish autonomous island territory, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, replied to Donald Trump, who reiterated last night that the United States needs Greenland for “national security.” In a Facebook

(Adnkronos) – Half of British voters believe Keir Starmer will be replaced as prime minister by the end of 2026. This emerges from a YouGov poll for Sky News, which indicates a climate of growing unease even among Labour ranks, fueled by

(Adnkronos) – The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, announced that an agreement had been reached with Moscow to extend gas supplies from Russia for three months, until March 31, “so that people can be safe and sleep peacefully” during the winter. Gazprom

(Adnkronos) – Russia claims control of two more localities in Ukraine, one in the Kharkiv region and another in the Dnipropetrovsk region. According to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, Prylipka, in the Kharkiv region, and Andriivka, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, are

(Adnkronos) – Iranian naval and ground forces are ready to face any scenario and the Islamic Republic has not yet used its true missile power. This was emphasized by Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman for the Tehran Army, claiming that during the

(Adnkronos) – Amidst the increasingly military escalation with Venezuela, Donald Trump once again turns his arrows against Gustavo Petro, with new accusations and threats against Colombia’s first leftist president. “We love Colombians, but the new leader is a troublemaker, and he better

Fukui, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Atomic Energy Agency said Tuesday that about 20 milliliters of water containing radioactive tritium leaked at its Fugen advanced converter reactor in the city of Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan. The leak occurred when a

Hiroshima, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–A Japan-U.S. research institute said Tuesday it will analyze the genomes of children of hibakusha who survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 to understand the impact of radiation from the bombs on the children.

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan plans to raise overall government-set medical service fees by 2.22 pct in fiscal 2026, informed sources said Tuesday. The government is set to increase the main portion of the fees, which mainly covers labor costs for medical

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. said Tuesday that it will appoint Kazuya Oyama, the current president of core subsidiary Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, as president of the parent company, marking the group’s first leadership change in about five

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan placed 24th in terms of per-capita gross domestic product in 2024 among the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Cabinet Office said Tuesday. This marked the lowest position since 1994, when

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government said Tuesday that it will resume bilateral economic aid for Syria after 15 years of suspension. Through its official development assistance scheme, Japan plans to support the Middle Eastern country, now led by the interim

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology said Tuesday that it will conduct a test to excavate the deep seabed off Minamitorishima, a remote Tokyo island, and collect clay-like sediment rich in rare earths. The test, to

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Income inequality in Japan was the largest in 2023, reflecting an increase in elderly households earning less than working-generation households, a welfare ministry survey showed Tuesday. The Gini coefficient, a common measure of income inequality ranging from zero

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo police on Tuesday dismissed a 43-year-old inspector who was arrested for allegedly leaking investigative information to a group believed to have illegally brokered women it scouted on the street to sex parlors and hostess bars across Japan.

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government decided at a meeting of related ministers on Tuesday to consider ending the current subsidy program for large-scale solar power plants in fiscal 2027 amid growing concerns about environmental impacts. The government has promoted solar

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party plan to postpone the formulation of the sixth basic program for promoting gender equality, initially scheduled to be compiled by the end of the year, Jiji Press learned Tuesday.

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The impact from the separation of the payload fairing was stronger than usual in Monday’s failed launch of the No. 8 H3 rocket, it was learned Tuesday. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, reported this at a

(Adnkronos) – Donald Trump has ordered nearly 30 ambassadors from diplomatic posts around the world to return to the United States within a few weeks, a move that, according to the American foreign service union, is unprecedented in the history of US

(Adnkronos) – Russia has sent weapons and military personnel to Madagascar, in support of Michael Randrianirinaha’s military junta, which seized power last October following a coup, denounced the President of the National Assembly, Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, former opposition leader. A Russian military plane

(Adnkronos) – The United States government has announced a bonus worth 3,000 dollars and paid travel for undocumented foreigners who agree to leave the country before the end of the year. “Undocumented immigrants should take advantage of this opportunity and self-deport, because

(Adnkronos) – At least five people are victims of the plane crash that occurred in the waters off the American state of Texas, where a Mexican Navy aircraft engaged in a humanitarian mission crashed. Eight people were on board the plane, the

Taipei, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The mother of a Thai girl who was forced to work illegally at a massage parlor in Tokyo was repatriated to Thailand on Tuesday, Taiwanese immigration authorities said. After leaving her daughter in Japan and traveling from Thailand

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Daiwa Securities Group Inc. plans a pay hike of about 5 pct for its employees for the business year from next April, President Akihiko Ogino said in a recent interview. The company also plans to raise the

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan ranked 28th in labor productivity in 2024 among the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, falling by two notches from the previous year, reflecting sluggish economic growth, according to a survey by

New York, Dec. 22 (Jiji Press)–Suntory Global Spirits Inc. will halt production of its bourbon whiskey Jim Beam for a year at its distillery in the U.S. state of Kentucky amid falling demand, it was learned Monday. The weak demand followed U.S.

Tokyo, Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association on Tuesday urged the government to consider appropriate protection of content, saying that news articles have been used by generative artificial intelligence without permission. The request was included in a written

Sakai, Osaka Pref., Dec. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Sharp Corp. aims to increase the proportion of its home appliances sold overseas to nearly 70 pct in five years, to make up for a decline in domestic sales, President and CEO Masahiro Okitsu said