(Redundancy in 3rd para rectified) Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–The Confederation of Japan Automobile Workers’ Unions, or JAW, will demand a monthly pay scale hike of 12,000 yen or more in the upcoming “shunto” spring wage negotiations, after achieving the biggest rise

(The fourth paragraph should have read, “…Sanae Takaichi’s…,” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) Japan Farm Minister Visits Paris for Rice Exports Paris, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki has inspected “onigiri” rice ball and Japanese food shops,

Washington, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday reaffirmed close cooperation between their countries under the bilateral alliance. They met for some 50 minutes at the U.S. Defense Department in a Washington suburb.

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has called for united action to eliminate barriers facing women seeking leadership roles, at a meeting with female ambassadors to Japan held at the prime minister’s office. Meeting with members of the Group

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Single-story homes are becoming increasingly popular among dual-income families raising children in Japan. With no need to go up and down stairs and room layouts that allow for efficient housework, such homes match the growing emphasis on “time

Washington, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday reaffirmed close cooperation between their countries under the bilateral alliance. They met for some 50 minutes at the U.S. Defense Department in a Washington suburb.

Hanoi, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have agreed to work together on developing new artificial intelligence models and preparing related laws. The AI-sector cooperation was included in a joint statement adopted at a meeting of digital

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–In a surprising move, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, which had competed fiercely for many years, have opted to form a new party as a way to break the stalemate facing the two parties. With

Yokohama, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese research team has launched a trial of “anime therapy,” a method in which animated characters provide counseling to young people facing social challenges. The initiative marks Japan’s first use of animation in a therapeutic setting, according

Kiso, Nagano Pref., Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–A farm in the central Japan prefecture of Nagano is working to save a Japanese horse breed called “Kiso uma,” or Kiso horse, with only about 140 such horses remaining in the country. The Kiso horse

(Adnkronos) – The measure to prevent Donald Trump from ordering further military actions in Venezuela was blocked in the Senate after two of the five Republicans who had voted with the Democrats in support of the measure last week changed their position.

(Adnkronos) – The United Nations Security Council will meet this afternoon in New York for “a briefing on the situation in Iran,” as requested by the United States. This was announced by the Somali presidency of the Council. 

(Adnkronos) – Cuba welcomed with state honors the bodies of the 32 soldiers of Nicolas Maduro’s Guard killed in the US raid for the arrest of the President of Venezuela and his wife Cilia Flores last January third. The ceremony took place

(Adnkronos) – Russia is increasingly isolated. And not just politically. But also on the trade front. The trade surplus fell by 10.48 percent to 124.7 billion dollars in the period between January and November of last year, compared to the same period

(Adnkronos) – An Artificial Intelligence task force and free courses for residents are just two of the measures that London Mayor Sadiq Khan intends to adopt to win the challenge posed by these systems which, in the absence of urgent measures, risk

(Adnkronos) – The US military command for the Americas announced the seizure of another oil tanker, the sixth, in the Caribbean Gulf as part of the operation against the government in Caracas. “Veronica” is another oil tanker that defies the naval blockade

(Adnkronos) – The German armed forces today launched the operation to distribute questionnaires to 18-year-olds, as part of the new voluntary military service program approved by a law in force since January 1st. A ministry spokesperson confirmed this to Dpa. All young

Osaka, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura and Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama announced Thursday their intention to tender their resignations the following day and run in subsequent elections, in a bid to realize the so-called Osaka metropolis plan for local government

Tokyo, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–The ruling Liberal Democratic Party may lose many single-seat constituencies for the House of Representatives, as the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, the LDP’s former coalition partner, are set to jointly form a new

Tokyo, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Kimiya Yui and three other astronauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station on Thursday, aboard the U.S. spacecraft Crew Dragon. The spacecraft splashed down in waters off the coast of California at around 5:40 p.m.

Tokyo, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–The leaders of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, a former member of the ruling bloc, agreed Thursday to form a new centrist party as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is set to call a

Yokohama, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka was accused Thursday of abusive remarks and inappropriate behavior toward city officials and assembly members. Atsushi Kubota, 49, head of the human resources department at the Yokohama municipal government, held a press conference in

Tokyo, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese and Philippine foreign ministers met in Manila on Thursday and signed a bilateral acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, or ACSA, to allow Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine military to exchange supplies, such as fuel and ammunition,

Tokyo, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–The probability of an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8-8.5 occurring along the Chishima Trench off the city of Nemuro in the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido within 30 years has risen to around 90 pct from around

Tokyo, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese government panel began talks on Thursday to draw up a new growth strategy for the financial sector by this summer. “We hope to develop a financial strategy by the summer to unleash the potential of the

Tokyo, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–Leaders of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, also an opposition party, agreed Thursday to form a new centrist party consisting of the two parties’ House of Representatives lawmakers ahead of the next general

(Adnkronos) – An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 on the Richter scale was recorded in the Dead Sea and the southern Negev. This was announced by the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre. According to reports, the earthquake’s epicenter was located near Dimona. The Magen David

(Adnkronos) – Polls open in Uganda for legislative and presidential elections, with Yoweri Museveni seeking to extend his 40 years in power. As reported by AFP, two hours after the start of consultations, some polling stations have not yet opened. This affects

(Adnkronos) – American President Donald Trump lashed out at the city of Minneapolis, stating that ”there is no food, no cleanliness, no services, only fraud”. In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump stated that in Minneapolis ”people receive millions of taxpayer

Tokyo, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–The approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet increased 1.1 percentage points to 61.0 pct in January from the previous month, a poll conducted by Jiji Press showed Thursday. The cabinet has been able to maintain