Manila, July 22 (Jiji Press)–U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that he is concerned about deteriorating relations between Japan and China. “We see it with concern,” Rubio told reporters after meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Manila on

Manila, July 22 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi expressed a desire to strengthen cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, at a meeting with his counterparts from ASEAN countries in Manila on Wednesday. Motegi said ASEAN is “at the core”

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is planning to increase the number of employees at the Immigration Services Agency by about 200 starting next fiscal year, informed sources said Wednesday. The personnel increase is aimed at strengthening enforcement against illegal residents

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Wednesday defended Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after the leader’s social media post about being unable to get enough sleep drew criticism for running counter to workstyle reform efforts. Kihara avoided commenting

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–The first state-paid secretary to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a statement submitted to the chairman of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives that he did not create or disseminate defamatory videos targeting Takaichi’s

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, or parliament, began deliberations Wednesday on a bill to establish a secondary capital of the nation that would assume core government functions during major disasters. An outline of

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–A Russian hacker group calling itself “RansomHouse” has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack that disrupted the operations of major Japanese frozen food maker Nichirei Corp., it was learned Wednesday. Nichirei declined to provide details about the attack while

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–More prefectural chapters of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan oppose than support the opposition party’s possible merger into the Centrist Reform Alliance, a Jiji Press survey showed Wednesday. In the survey of senior prefectural chapter officials earlier

(Adnkronos) – According to the latest data released Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO), citing Congolese health authorities, the Ebola epidemic has so far caused 1,001 victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, exceeding one thousand.  In the

(Adnkronos) – A suspected case of bubonic plague has been reported in Khovd province, western Mongolia, the country’s National Center for Zoonotic Diseases (Nczd) said today. According to the Nczd, the individual is suspected to have contracted the disease after consuming marmot

(Adnkronos) – The Louvre Museum reopens its Galerie d’Apollon, or Apollo Gallery, today, nine months after the spectacular jewel theft, but visitors will find the sumptuous room stripped of the valuables and art treasures that once filled it. The museum’s director, Christophe

(Adnkronos) – “I have no other choice but to hand in my resignation. Either you are a minister or you are not.” Monique Barbut, French Minister for Ecological Transition, said this, announcing her resignation to President Emmanuel Macron after parliament approved the

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Wednesday that 10,857 people were transported to hospitals by ambulance for heatstroke in Japan in the week through Sunday, up 2.4 times from the preceding week. The weekly number exceeded 10,000

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–The foreign ministers from the Quad countries of Japan, Australia, India and the United States agreed Wednesday to strengthen their cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations amid China’s increasing assertiveness. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Australian

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to establish a national intelligence bureau on July 31, which will serve as the secretariat for a planned national intelligence council, officials said Wednesday. The cabinet is expected to approve the plan as early

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–Retired Japanese Nordic combined great Akito Watabe has been certified by Guinness World Records for the most individual World Cup starts in the sport, having made 303 appearances, it was learned Wednesday. Watabe, 38, a medalist at three

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–An expert panel of Japan’s health ministry on Wednesday broadly agreed on a plan to make it mandatory for businesses handling dietary supplements to report health issues associated with such products. The move comes on the heels of

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp., a unit of Sony Group Corp., on Wednesday announced plans to establish a joint venture to promote labor-saving and unmanned operations in manufacturing using artificial intelligence. Through the new firm,

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–The dollar traded at around 163 yen in Tokyo Wednesday, remaining at its highest levels in about 39 years against the Japanese currency. Traders bought dollars as a safe-haven asset amid concerns over the escalation in the conflict

(In an earlier version of this article, the name of the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance was misspelled as “Central Reform Alliance.”) Japan Opposition Parties Reject Tax Cut Proposal Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–Japanese opposition parties opposed the ruling bloc’s proposal that the

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara on Wednesday rejected China’s claim that Okinotorishima, a remote island under Tokyo’s jurisdiction, is a rock. China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy conducted firing drills within Japan’s exclusive economic zone off the island

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, or parliament, began deliberations Wednesday on a bill to establish a secondary capital of the nation that would assume core government functions during major disasters. An outline of

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese Central Social Insurance Medical Council, which advises the health minister, on Wednesday approved the application of public health insurance to RiHeart, a cardiac muscle cell sheet that uses induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells, effective on

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese research team has found that some cicada species in urban areas called at night, while few such calls were recorded in greener areas without street lights. This suggests that some cicada species may be changing their

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese House of Councillors committee approved Wednesday a bill to ease requirements for appointing poll watchers under the law on national referendums for amending the Constitution. The bill to revise the law was backed by the ruling

Japan Chain Stores Association July 22 Yr/Yr Change Total 6,318,862 M. Yen Up 0.7 pct Foodstuffs 4,508,043 Up 1.5 Clothing 279,005 Down 5.5 Sundries 598,410 Up 4.9 Furniture and Interior Goods 340,312 Down 5.7 Home Electric Appliances 17,105 Up 11.0 Note: Year-on-year

Japan Chain Stores Association July 22 Yr/Yr Change Total 1,034,769 M. Yen Down 1.7 pct Foodstuffs 758,651 Down 0.4 Clothing 45,045 Down 11.5 Sundries 97,974 Down 0.1 Furniture and Interior Goods 50,083 Down 15.7 Home Electric Appliances 2,874 Up 3.7 Note: Year-on-year

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s customs-cleared trade deficit more than halved in the first half of this year as the country’s oil imports from the Middle East decreased because of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the Finance Ministry said

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–A hacker group calling itself “RansomHouse” has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack that disrupted the operations of Japanese frozen food maker Nichirei Corp., it was learned Wednesday. Nobuo Miwa, president of information security service provider S&J Corp., said

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–Israeli Ambassador to Japan Gilad Cohen on Tuesday praised Japan’s response to Hamas’ surprise attack on his country in October 2023. “Japan stood by Israel, said that Israel has the right to defend itself on the international law,