Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–A candidate backed by the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party beat the incumbent in the mayoral election in the city of Kiyose in western Tokyo on Sunday. Hiromi Harada, a 50-year-old former city assembly member,

(Adnkronos) – Foreign minister and deputy premier Antonio Tajani on Monday denied Italy’s rightwing government might call early elections after last week’s resounding defeat in a flagship referendum on reforms to the judiciary led to the resignations of several scandal-hit officials.  

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Four Japanese crew members of Japan-related vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz returned home on Monday, Japan’s Foreign Ministry has said. They went ashore in the early

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Supreme Court has upheld lower court rulings sentencing a 27-year-old man to 10 years in prison for attacking then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida with an explosive during an election campaign event in April 2023. The Third Petty

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has moved to secure naphtha supplies to avert disruption to medical care amid Middle East fuel concerns, Prime Minister Sane Takaichi said Monday. The government has set up a task force and appointed industry minister

(Adnkronos) – Spain has closed its airspace to flights involved in Operation Epic Fury, launched by the United States and Israel against Iran. Military sources cited by El Pais report this.  According to the sources, the Madrid government has not only banned

(Adnkronos) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Russia to agree to a mutual truce on attacks against energy facilities to help alleviate the global oil crisis triggered by the Israeli-American operation against Iran.  ”If Russia is ready to stop hitting Ukrainian

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government urged China on Monday to lift sanctions against a member of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party who heads a suprapartisan group of Japanese lawmakers seeking closer ties with Taiwan. The government said that the sanctions

Shizuoka, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors on Monday indicted without arrest Maki Takubo, former mayor of the city of Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, on suspicions including local autonomy law violation over her alleged academic fraud. Following the indictment by the Shizuoka

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. said Friday that the No. 6 reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, will begin commercial operations as early as April 16. The date marks a delay

(Adnkronos) – A ceasefire in the month-long United States-Israel war against Iran will be achieved “hopefully in a matter of weeks” and before a truce in Russia’s more-than-four-year-old invasion of Ukraine, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday.  “In my opinion,

Beijing, March 30 (Jiji Press)–The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Monday that the country will impose sanctions on Keiji Furuya, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who heads a suprapartisan group of Japanese lawmakers seeking closer ties with Taiwan, effective immediately.

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–A Jiji Press survey of 100 major Japanese companies has found that some of them are increasing opportunities for students seeking jobs to interact with employees, in a bid to prevent job offer rejections and early turnover. The

(Adnkronos) – Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, will have “full and immediate access” Church of the Holy Sepulchre after his entry was barred by police on Sunday, sparking criticism from Italy and several other western

(Adnkronos) – Cheng Li-wun, the leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), will visit China from April 7 to 12 after “happily” accepting the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. This was reported by her party and the Xinhua news agency.

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Emperor Naruhito held a meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and had lunch together at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Monday. After seeing Prabowo off at a palace entrance, the Emperor told reporters, “I have recovered”

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese Environment Ministry aims to raise the annual number of foreign visitors to national parks in the country to 14 million by 2030, up 1.4-fold from last year’s total. The target is to be included in the

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s corporate taxes amounted to a record 18,682.2 billion yen in fiscal 2024, National Tax Agency data showed Monday. The amount grew 13.9 pct from the previous year to top the previous all-time high of 17,748.4 billion yen

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo stocks tumbled Monday amid rising crude oil prices reflecting concerns over a prolonged conflict between the U.S.-Israeli side and Iran. The benchmark Nikkei 225 average plunged 1,487.22 points, or 2.78 pct, from Friday to close at 51,885.85,

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Diet enacted on Monday a stopgap state budget to cover expenditures for the first 11 days of fiscal 2026, which begins Wednesday. The stopgap budget, with 8,564.1 billion yen in general-account spending, was approved at a plenary

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo stocks tumbled Monday amid rising crude oil prices reflecting concerns over a prolonged conflict between the U.S.-Israeli side and Iran. The benchmark Nikkei 225 average plunged 1,487.22 points, or 2.78 pct, from Friday to close at 51,885.85,

(2nd para should have read “… vine …,” and 4th para “… batches …,” instead of as sent) Sydney, March 30 (Jiji Press)–High-end muskmelons produced in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture have started hitting the Australian market amid growing interest in Japanese food culture

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Four Japanese crew members of vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz went ashore in the early hours of Monday Japan time, Japanese transport ministry officials said. All four

Aomori, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Four advanced F-35A stealth fighters have arrived at the U.S. military’s Misawa base in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, marking the first deployment of the aircraft there by the U.S. military, it was learned Monday. The F-35As arrived at

Beijing, March 30 (Jiji Press)–The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Monday that the country will impose sanctions on Keiji Furuya, a member of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party who heads a suprapartisan group of Japanese lawmakers seeking closer ties with Taiwan, effective immediately.

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, or parliament, at a plenary meeting on Monday passed a stopgap state budget to cover expenditures for the first 11 days of fiscal 2026, which begins Wednesday. Meanwhile,

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–A Bank of Japan policymaker at the latest monetary policy meeting stressed the importance of the central bank being proactive in raising interest rates, according to a summary of opinions at the meeting released Monday. The bank will

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs Atsushi Mimura on Monday hinted at the possibility of Japanese authorities intervening in foreign exchange and other markets after the dollar rose above 160 yen over the weekend. “There are

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese health ministry is set to begin regular vaccinations for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which can cause pneumonia in infants, on Wednesday, the start of fiscal 2026. Infants in Japan are believed to be infected with

Tokyo, March 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock average sank more than 2,800 points in morning trading Monday, reflecting a surge in crude oil prices amid worsening tensions in the Middle East. At 9:13 a.m., the key index of 225 selected issues