Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is considering including in its sixth basic plan for gender equality a policy to legalize the use of original surnames alone for individuals who changed their family names due to marriage, it was learned Thursday.

(Adnkronos) – Italy is working with European and regional partners to de-escalate the crisis in the Middle East triggered by the United States and Israel’s six-day-old strikes on Iran and Tehran’s reprisal attacks centred on the Gulf, and believes diplomacy is the

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling bloc on Thursday withdrew a proposal to hold a general question-and-answer session on the government’s draft fiscal 2026 budget at the House of Representatives Budget Committee on Saturday. The move came as opposition parties are criticizing

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese labor ministry survey showed Thursday that 10.5 pct of workers in the country want to work longer hours, including 0.5 pct who hope to work beyond the monthly overtime ceiling of 80 hours. Meanwhile, 30.0 pct

(Adnkronos) – Italy is not at war and does to intend to go to war “with anyone”, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said Thursday in the lower house of parliament, where he reported to MPs on the widening conflict in the Middle East

Nagoya, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors on Thursday indicted a 69-year-old woman on suspicion of fatally stabbing a housewife in Nagoya in the central Japan prefecture of Aichi more than a quarter century ago. According to the indictment, Kumiko Yasufuku is suspected

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Total spending on advertisements in Japan in 2025 marked a record high for the fourth straight year, with the share of online ads topping 50 pct for the first time, a survey by major advertising agency Dentsu Inc.

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates this week pledged continued cooperation in ensuring a stable oil supply to Japan amid disruptions from an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. Japan relies on the two Middle

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Defense Ministry is stepping up preparations to send Self-Defense Forces aircraft to evacuate Japanese nationals from the Middle East amid rising tensions in the region following the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. The ministry “is taking concrete steps,”

(Adnkronos) – A “real risk of conflict escalation” exists in the Middle East amid the daily air strikes on Iran begun by United States and Israel last weekend and Tehran’s reprisal attacks on US allies in the Gulf and elsewhere in the

(Adnkronos) – Republican senators have blocked a bipartisan measure that would have limited Donald Trump’s power to continue the war against Iran without congressional authorization, even, as is happening, with the extension of the conflict. The motion to transfer the resolution from

(Adnkronos) – An oil tanker was hit by a “large explosion” in waters off Kuwait, causing an oil spill. This was reported by Ukmto, the British maritime security agency, explaining that the affected tanker was anchored 30 nautical miles southeast of Mubarak

(Adnkronos) – Internet connection in Iran is “around 1% of ordinary levels”, with a communications blackout ongoing for five days, following the launch of the Israeli-American operation. This was stated by the monitor Netblocks.  “The internet blackout in Iran has now exceeded

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday raised its travel alert for six countries in the Middle East, in response to the worsening situation in the region following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. The alert is now at Level 3, the

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–The number of teacher positions unfilled at publicly run elementary, junior high, high and other schools across Japan came to 3,827 as of May 1, 2025, an education ministry survey showed Thursday. The figure jumped from 2,065 in

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)– Japan’s Subaru Corp. said Thursday that it will launch the Trailseeker electric SUV in the domestic market April 9. The Trailseeker, developed jointly with Toyota Motor Corp., is the first EV to be produced by Subaru. The

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Honda Motor Co. said Thursday it will sell two U.S.-built models in Japan starting in the second half of this year, a move that could help narrow the United States’ trade deficit with Japan as Washington criticizes the

Nagoya, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors on Thursday indicted a 69-year-old woman on suspicion of fatally stabbing a housewife in Nagoya in the central Japan prefecture of Aichi more than a quarter century ago. According to the indictment, Kumiko Yasufuku is suspected

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, will appoint Shinya Katanozaka, 70, chairman of ANA Holdings Inc., as chairman of its Board of Councillors, Jiji Press learned Thursday. The incumbent board chairman, Tetsuro Tomita, 74, adviser of East Japan

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Disaster orphans need a supportive environment where they can share their experience of losing family members with others, a Japanese survey has found. Published by Ashinaga Foundation on Wednesday, the survey covered 1,444 people who received support grants

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo stocks rebounded on Thursday after three days of hefty losses, as concerns about the situation in the Middle East eased for now. The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average closed at 55,278.06, up 1,032.52 points, or 1.9 pct,

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Japanese industry minister Ryosei Akazawa on Thursday urged the United Arab Emirates to maintain a stable oil supply even amid disruptions caused by Iranian attacks. In a meeting with his UAE counterpart, Sultan Al Jaber, in Tokyo, Akazawa

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office and the Fair Trade Commission searched Eneos Wing Corp.’s Tokyo branch on Thursday, the second straight day of raids in a probe into an alleged cartel fixing prices of gas oil sold

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Democratic Party for the People chief Yuichiro Tamaki said Thursday that the opposition party will now join the National Council on Social Security, which is considering the details of a proposed zero consumption tax rate for food products.

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–An umbrella organization for labor unions in the automotive, electronics and three other industries in Japan said that as of Monday, member unions were demanding an average monthly pay-scale increase of 14,638 yen per month in this year’s

Jakarta, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Indonesian immigration authorities arrested 13 Japanese nationals after uncovering a fraud base in Bogor in West Java, near Jakarta. The arrests announced on Wednesday mark the first such case involving Japanese citizens in Indonesia, according to the Japanese

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Consumer sentiment in Japan improved to the highest level in about seven years in February as rice and fresh vegetable prices paused their recent surge, a survey released by the Cabinet Office on Wednesday showed. The impact of

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s annualized real gross domestic product growth for last year’s October-December period is forecast to be revised up to 1.2 pct, according to estimates by 10 private think tanks. The figure, which represents the average among the research

Tokyo, March 5 (Jiji Press)–Kohei Otsuka, a former member of Japan’s House of Councillors, died of heart failure on Monday. He was 66. A native of the central city of Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Otsuka got a job at the Bank of Japan

(A typo in the fifth paragraph has been corrected.) Kairos No. 3 Rocket Launch Unsuccessful Kushimoto, Wakayama Pref., March 5 (Jiji Press)–The launch of Japanese startup Space One Co.’s Kairos No. 3 small rocket ended in failure on Thursday morning, following the