Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party will propose establishing a public-private council to promote investment and lending in 17 strategic fields including artificial intelligence and semiconductors, it was learned Tuesday. The proposal was included in a set of recommendations

Paris, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Finance ministers and top central bankers from the Group of Seven major industrialized nations expressed their concerns Tuesday that global economic uncertainty is increasing risks to growth and inflation amid the continuing turmoil in the Middle East. Free

(Adnkronos) – In response to reports regarding a confidential request for the issuance of an international arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that he would immediately sign an evacuation order for the Bedouin village of

(Adnkronos) – At least one person was killed today in Damascus in an explosion that may have been caused by a device hidden in a car in front of a government building near the old city. Syrian security sources told Afp, according

(Adnkronos) – Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is under investigation for influence peddling and other crimes in relation to the bailout of the small airline Plus Ultra. The judge of the Audiencia Nacional, Jose Luis Calama, announced the measure against the former socialist

(Adnkronos) – Russian attacks in Ukraine have caused at least six deaths and 34 injuries in the last 24 hours, according to regional authorities reported in the early hours of today, as Russia continues its campaign against Ukrainian energy infrastructure with the

Andong, South Korea, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung confirmed Tuesday that their nations will consider concrete measures for energy security cooperation, such as mutually supplying crude oil and bolstering oil reserves, in view

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–The administration of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to submit a fiscal 2026 supplementary budget bill to the Diet in early June, it was learned Tuesday. The government has notified the ruling parties of the plan, informed

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Fair Trade Commission on Tuesday conducted on-site inspections over alleged bid-rigging for a project to lay tracks for a planned extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet train line, Jiji Press learned. The probes targeted nine construction companies

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc., Fujitsu Ltd. and SoftBank Corp. said Tuesday they have agreed to collaborate to develop an app to support people’s daily health management and treatment by utilizing data managed by medical institutions. The companies

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Bank deposits in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures accounted for 50.7 pct of all deposits across Japan at the end of fiscal 2025, according to data from the Bank of Japan. The combined deposits in the Japanese capital

Andong, South Korea, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung confirmed Tuesday that the two nations will consider concrete measures for energy security cooperation, such as mutually supplying crude oil and bolstering oil reserves, in

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Liberal Democratic Party cybersecurity affairs leader Masaaki Taira has stressed the importance of involving U.S. technology companies in Japanese government responses to emerging cyber threats posed by artificial intelligence model Claude Mythos. The ruling LDP’s Headquarters for National

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan should take the initiative in reforming World Trade Organization rules to address the challenges of the 21st century, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said in an interview with Jiji Press in Tokyo on Monday. “Japan should play an

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Fair Trade Commission on Tuesday conducted on-site inspections over alleged bid-rigging for a project to lay tracks for a planned extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet train line, Jiji Press learned. The probes targeted nine construction companies

(Adnkronos) – The UN does not want “any particular entity to limit freedom of access” to this strategic waterway. This was stated by United Nations spokesperson Farhan Haq, referring to Iran’s creation of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority to administer navigation in

(Adnkronos) – From today until Thursday, the Russian Armed Forces will conduct an exercise on the preparation and employment of nuclear forces under the threat of aggression. This was announced by the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, cited by local news agencies.

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will visit New Delhi from Sunday through May 27 to attend a meeting of foreign ministers from the Quad countries–Japan, the United States, Australia and India, the Japanese government said Tuesday. The Quad

Takamatsu, Kagawa Pref./Fukuoka, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Two high courts in Japan on Tuesday ruled that the February general election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the country’s parliament, was constitutional in terms of vote-value disparities. A group of lawyers

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–A suprapartisan group of Japanese lawmakers confirmed Tuesday that they will hold thorough discussions in the Diet on a bill to reform the country’s retrial system, according to the group’s head, Masahiko Shibayama of the ruling Liberal Democratic

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese Trade Union Confederation, the largest umbrella organization for labor unions in the country, urged the government on Monday not to loosen rules governing discretionary work arrangements. The confederation, known as Rengo, expressed opposition to any “easy

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., May 19 (Jiji Press)–Four 16-year-old boys arrested as suspected perpetrators of last week’s high-profile robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, met the couple suspected of ordering them to commit the crime for the first time on the day

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Hitachi Ltd. said Tuesday that it has begun collaborating with U.S. startup Anthropic to develop systems for infrastructure, including electricity transmission and railways, by using Anthropic artificial intelligence models. Through the tie-up, Hitachi aims to enhance the

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament, on Tuesday passed a bill to establish a disaster management agency, which oversees the government’s disaster prevention and response measures. The bill is expected to

New York, May 18 (Jiji Press)–Japanese ballet dancer Yusei Sai was selected on Monday as youth grand prix winner at this year’s Youth America Grand Prix international ballet contest. Sai, 15, who lives in California, was awarded the prize in the junior

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Fisheries Agency said Monday that fishing quotas for snow crabs on the Sea of Japan side will be reduced for a one-year period starting in July to support a resource recovery. The quota will be reduced to

London, May 18 (Jiji Press)–The British government plans to commit around 6 billion pounds to the joint development of a next-generation fighter jet with Japan and Italy amid increasing pressure from Tokyo, the Financial Times reported Monday. The Japanese government ramped up

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s gross domestic product in January-March grew 0.5 pct from the previous quarter, or an annualized 2.1 pct, after price and seasonal adjustment, the Cabinet Office said Tuesday. The country marked a second straight quarter of economic expansion

Tokyo, May 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung are likely to agree on collaboration to secure stable supplies of energy and important goods during a summit in South Korea on Tuesday. Specifically, the two leaders

Paris, May 18 (Jiji Press)–Finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the Group of Seven major nations Monday agreed to closely monitor rising long-term interest rates in Japan, the United States and Europe amid concerns about inflation fueled by soaring energy prices