Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his New Zealand counterpart, Judith Collins, on Friday agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in the security field amid China’s increasingly hegemonic moves in the Indo-Pacific region. Also on Friday, the Japanese and

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond yield, the country’s key long-term interest rate, hit a 26-year high in Tokyo trading Friday in a bond sell-off after the Bank of Japan’s decision to raise interest rates. The yield on

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan remains committed to the three non-nuclear principles of not possessing nuclear weapons, not producing them and not permitting their entry into the country, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Friday. “The government is firmly maintaining the three

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The yield on the latest issue of 10-year Japanese government bonds, regarded as the country’s benchmark long-term interest rate, rose to 2.00 pct in Tokyo trading Friday, reaching the highest level since May 2006. JGBs were hit by

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s government and ruling parties are considering convening next year’s ordinary session of the Diet, the country’s parliament, on Jan. 23, 2026, informed sources said Friday. The session is expected to run for 150 days until June 21.

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The Bank of Japan on Friday decided to raise its policy interest rate to a level unseen in 30 years in its first rate hike since January this year. At a two-day meeting from Thursday, the BOJ’s nine-member

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–The number of criminal law violations recognized in Japan in 2024 rose 4.9 pct from the previous year to 737,679, increasing for the third straight year and returning to almost the same level as 2019, before the COVID-19

Tokyo, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s core consumer price index in November rose 3.0 pct from a year earlier, lifted by continued increases in food prices and higher electricity bills, government data showed Friday. The core CPI, which excludes volatile fresh food prices,

Toyama, Dec. 19 (Jiji Press)–Loved by many children in Japan for decades for its colorful covers featuring photographs of insects and plants, the Japonica Gakushucho school notebook series has gone through a revamp to now feature illustrations on the covers. Under the

New York, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday condemning North Korea’s human rights violations, including its abductions of Japanese and other foreign nationals. The General Assembly endorsed a similar resolution for the 21st consecutive year. The resolution,

(Adnkronos) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced sanctions against two judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing them of “illegitimate harassment” against Israel. Haaretz reports that the measures target Gocha Lordkipanidze, a Georgian citizen, and Erdenebalsuren Damdin, of

(Adnkronos) – In a hypothetical duel for the White House in 2028, Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would narrowly beat Vice President JD Vance. This is what emerges, for the first time in a poll conducted for The Argument magazine, which gives the young

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Prosecutors in the criminal trial of Tetsuya Yamagami for the murder of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe carefully sought to prove the defendant’s responsibility for the attack, appearing to partly hope to dispel conspiracy theories. Rumors, such

(Adnkronos) – Large-scale drone attack in eastern Sudan. A military source told AFP, accusing paramilitaries. The attacks, according to the source, hit an important power plant, three people were killed, and blackouts are reported in the country, which is the scene of

(Adnkronos) – The march through the streets of Brussels by thousands of farmers from all over Europe to protest against European agricultural policy was broken up following unrest and clashes. Shortly after its start, around 12:30 PM near the Gare du Nord,

(Adnkronos) – As Morocco prepares to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations – with the first match on Sunday 21 – the government has come under fire for its repression of “Gen Z 212” youth protests, with hundreds of demonstrators arbitrarily

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–A senior Japanese government official told reporters Thursday that the country should possess nuclear weapons, given the increasingly severe security environment surrounding the country. The official said, however, that it will be difficult to review Japan’s nuclear policy

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s smartphone software competition promotion law came into full effect Thursday to regulate major information technology companies in the smartphone operating system market. The law prohibits Google LLC and Apple Inc. from blocking the use of other companies’

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro held a teleconference on Thursday and shared grave concerns over a recent incident in which a Chinese military jet aimed its radar at Japan Air Self-Defense Force

(Adnkronos) – Turkey will return the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, purchased ten years ago, in an attempt to convince US President Donald Trump to approve the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the country. Haaretz writes, citing Bloomberg. Last week, US

(Adnkronos) – Australian police announced they had stopped two cars in Sydney following a report that “a violent act might have been planned.” “At this time, police have not identified any connection to the ongoing investigation into the Bondi terrorist attack,” the

(Adnkronos) – The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office has indicted seven alleged members and one supporter of a far-right cell largely composed of young people accused of planning violent attacks against migrants. The prosecution accused the defendants, some of whom are teenagers, of

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–The number of people leaving Japan for overseas travel during the year-end and New Year holidays is projected to reach 1 million, up 31.5 pct from a year earlier, according to a survey by JTB Corp. The figure

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan will host its first summit with five Central Asian nations from Friday, aiming to deepen cooperation with the resource-rich region and strengthen supply chains. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will chair the two-day meeting in Tokyo and

Nara, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors on Thursday sought a life sentence for Tetsuya Yamagami, who is charged with fatally shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with a homemade gun in the western city of Nara in July 2022. In the

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party for the People agreed at a meeting of their tax panel chairs on Thursday to raise the taxable income threshold from the current 1.6 million yen to 1.78

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Former Japanese internal affairs minister Toranosuke Katayama, who served as co-chief of the Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin no Kai), died of old age at a hospital in Tokyo on Thursday. He was 90. Katayama, a native of

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government and ruling parties decided Thursday to implement a planned income tax hike in January 2027, as part of efforts to secure funding for increased defense spending. The decision, which will be included in the ruling

Nara, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors on Thursday sought a life sentence for Tetsuya Yamagami, who is charged with fatally shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the western city of Nara in July 2022. In the 15th hearing of the

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Emperor Naruhito held a meeting with visiting Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Thursday. In addition to the 20-minute meeting, Emperor Naruhito and the Kazakh leader had an hour-long luncheon at the