Hiroshima, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Bank of Japan policymaker Hajime Takata said Monday that now is a “prime opportunity” to raise interest rates, as the central bank’s price stability target has nearly been achieved. In a speech in the western Japan city of

(Adnkronos) – “A truly very big step.” This was stated by Sanae Takaichi, the first woman to lead the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who is preparing to become the first premier of the Land of the Rising Sun, after signing the coalition

(Adnkronos) – The Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has signed a coalition agreement with the opposition Innovation party, paving the way for the appointment of nationalist Sanae Takaichi as Japan’s new prime minister, who would become the first woman to hold the

(Adnkronos) – Neither a clear heir nor a roadmap to indicate one. How long will Xi Jinping remain in power in China? The New York Times asks this on the day the fourth Plenum of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–A signing ceremony for the Japan-U.S. tariff agreement will be held soon, U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass said at an event hosted by the Research Institute of Japan, a Jiji Press affiliate, on Monday. According to diplomatic

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–The cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will resign en masse at a cabinet meeting scheduled to begin at 8:50 a.m. on Tuesday. Ishiba’s tenure will end on the 386th day, making him the 24th longest-serving of

(Adnkronos) – Only Kiev can decide the fate of Ukrainian territory, Italy’s foreign minister said Monday, after US president Donald Trump denied media reports he pressured Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky at a tense meeting on Friday to give up the entire eastern

(Adnkronos) – Italy is ready to send more paramilitary Carabinieri police officers to the war-devastated Gaza Strip in a bid to shore up the shaky ceasefire and create “real peace” between Israel and the enclave’s Islamist Palestinian ruling group Hamas, foreign minister

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japanese office and household goods seller Askul Corp. has stopped accepting online orders as well as product shipments due to a cyberattack. A ransomware attack caused system failures, forcing the company to suspend order receipts and product shipments

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–The leaders of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) signed an agreement Monday to form a coalition government between the two parties. The pact, inked by LDP President Sanae Takaichi and

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani is taking part in the MED9 summit in Slovenia on Monday, where the latest events in war-shattered Gaza and the issue of European Union competitiveness are high on the agenda, said a foreign ministry statement. 

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. and retailer Aeon Co. have said they will jointly issue a new Waon e-money card that allows users to donate to food banks through shopping. The food bank support Waon card will

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average on Monday ended above 49,000 for the first time ever, reflecting waning concerns over Japan’s political situation. The Nikkei average closed at 49,185.50, up 1,603.35 points, or 3.36 pct, from Friday, hitting

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s health ministry has approved the over-the-counter sale of emergency contraceptive pill Norlevo by Aska Pharmaceutical Co., the company said Monday. It is the first time for an emergency contraceptive pill to be approved for sale without a

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Katsuji Ebisawa, former president of public broadcaster Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, died of pneumonia at a hospital in Tokyo on Sunday. He was 91. Ebisawa joined NHK as a reporter in 1957. He promoted high-definition television and

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average on Monday ended above 49,000 for the first time, reflecting waning concerns over Japan’s political situation. The Nikkei average closed at 49,185.50, up 1,603.35 points, or 3.36 pct, from Friday, hitting an

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–The leaders of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) in phone talks Monday morning effectively agreed to form a coalition government between the two parties. LDP President Sanae Takaichi and

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese court on Monday ordered the government to pay some 300,000 yen in damages over verbal abuse and other illegal acts by prison guards against an inmate in Aichi Prefecture. The ruling by Tokyo District Court came

(An earlier version of this article improperly described islands in the northwestern Pacific) Russia Gives Names to Uninhabited Northwestern Pacific Islands Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–The Russian government has given names to two uninhabited islands, part of northwestern Pacific islands controlled by

Hiji, Oita Pref., Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–An event that visitors with disabilities can also enjoy was held at the Sanrio Character Park Harmonyland theme park in Hiji in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Oita. At the park operated by a subsidiary of

Akiota, Hiroshima Pref., Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–A memorial service has taken place in Hiroshima Prefecture for Chinese workers who died after being forcibly brought to the western Japan prefecture during World War II, including victims of the 1945 atomic bombing. The ceremony

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average exceeded 49,000 for the first time temporarily Monday afternoon. At 12:35 p.m., the key index of major names on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s top-tier Prime section, stood at 49,014.88, up 1,432.73 points,

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japanese office equipment seller Askul Corp. has suspended order receipts on its “Askul” brand e-commerce website as well as product shipments due to a system glitch caused by a cyberattack. The company said Sunday that it is hurrying

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Leaders of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) will sign a coalition agreement at 6 p.m. Monday, Nippon Ishin chief Hirofumi Yoshimura said. The coalition will make it almost certain that LDP

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japanese stocks rebounded sharply Monday morning, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 average surging more than 1,300 points to hit a new record intraday high. At 10:45 a.m., the Nikkei stood at 48,939.83, up 1,357.68 points, or 2.85 pct,

Ito, Shizuoka Pref., Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Candidates opposing Ito Mayor Maki Takubo dominated the 20-seat assembly of the central Japan city in a closely watched election Sunday, raising the possibility of the mayor losing her job through a fresh no-confidence motion. Of

Beijing, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed his mourning for the death of Tomiichi Murayama, who served as Japan’s prime minister for about a year and a half from June 1994. Xi offered his condolences in a message sent

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Reusing products and materials instead of discarding them is taking hold as a new consumption model in Japan. The market has been expanding steadily, supported by a growing number of local governments rolling out related initiatives. Eager to

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Empress Emerita Michiko, wife of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and mother of Emperor Naruhito, marked her 91st birthday on Monday. The Empress Emerita broke her right thigh bone in October last year, but has recovered to almost the

Tokyo, Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Empress Emerita Michiko, wife of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and mother of Emperor Naruhito, marked her 91st birthday on Monday. The Empress Emerita broke her right thigh bone in October last year, but has recovered to almost the