Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Two regional banks in Ehime Prefecture, western Japan, are in the final stage of talks on integrating their operations in April next year at the earliest, it was learned Thursday. Iyogin Holdings Inc., which has Iyo Bank as

(Adnkronos) – Bilateral ties, training within the framework of Italy’s 5.5 billion Mattei Plan to propel Africa’s development, combatting illegal immigration, the quest for “sustainable diplomatic solutions” stability and freedom of navigation in the Middle East amid a widening regional conflict were

(Adnkronos) – From geothermal energy to contemporary art, passing through the protection of forests and traditional craftsmanship: Japan looks to its islands as a sustainable development laboratory to face increasingly pressing challenges, from depopulation to climate change. The experiences of Hachijojima, Naoshima

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling and opposition parties intensified their battle Thursday over a bill to create a secondary capital of the country, during talks at the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, or parliament. With the extended

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s currency authorities are struggling to halt the weakening of the yen, as their possible yen-buying market intervention would unlikely have a lasting impact. “Our stance has not changed at all,” Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said Thursday morning,

(Adnkronos) – Italy and Senegal enjoy “solid” relations and want to bolster cooperation in the agricultural and food security sectors, agriculture minister Francesco Lollobrigida and Senegalese counterpart Cheikhou Oumar Ba agreeed at talks in Rome on Thursday that focused on the public-private

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–The board of the steering committee at Japan’s House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, decided Thursday to change the English name of the chamber to the Senate. In line with the name change, members of the

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Football Association said Thursday that Go Oiwa will serve as head coach of the Japanese men’s national soccer team, nicknamed Samurai Blue, from an international friendly next March, succeeding Hajime Moriyasu. Oiwa, 54, will concurrently serve

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan will continue efforts to mitigate the impact of U.S. tariffs on domestic businesses, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Thursday, marking the first anniversary of the Japan-U.S. tariff agreement. At a press conference on the day, Kihara

Naha, Okinawa Pref., July 23 (Jiji Press)–Four Chinese coast guard ships sailed in Japanese territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in the city of Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, on Thursday. The Haijing ships crossed into the Japanese waters at a point around Uotsurijima,

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese retail giant Seven & i Holdings Co. and smartphone payment firm PayPay Corp. are considering integrating their customer identification data, it was learned Thursday. Seven & i’s 7iD system is expected to be integrated into the PayPay

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her visiting Solomon Islands counterpart, Matthew Wale, confirmed Thursday that the two countries will strengthen their ties based on Tokyo’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, which the Japanese leader has pledged to

Kochi, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Police in Kochi Prefecture, western Japan, have arrested former professional tennis player Rika Hiraki, who won the mixed doubles title at the 1997 French Open, for her alleged involvement in a social media-based fraud case, it was learned

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s government will unveil “a plan and a proposal” to allocate “13-14 billion euros” to “energy-related” measures, using the greater fiscal flexibility granted last month to European Union countries by the bloc’s executive, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday. 

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–The mercury rose to as high as 41.1 degrees Celsius in Tenryu Ward in the city of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, on Thursday, hitting the highest level in the country this year, according to the Japan Meteorological

(Adnkronos) – This morning, Albanian Police used tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators trying to approach the Parliament in Tirana to protest against a tourism project linked to the Trump family and to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama. 

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo police have sent to public prosecutors papers on Japanese soccer star Kaoru Mitoma for his suspected negligent driving resulting in injury, investigative sources said Thursday. Mitoma, 29, has admitted the allegations, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

Manila, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan and the Philippines celebrated the 70th anniversary of the normalization of their diplomatic relations on Thursday, as the two countries strengthen their national security and economic cooperation. The Philippine Embassy wrote on X, “Philippines-Japan Friendship Day reminds

Seoul, July 23 (Jiji Press)–A UNESCO panel on Thursday urged Japan to enhance exhibits at the Sado Island Gold Mines, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the central Japan prefecture of Niigata, to provide a comprehensive view of the mining history. The

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–An exchange program for young people in Japan and Russia is expected to resume in August after a seven-year break, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said Thursday. Some 15 students from Japanese universities and graduate schools will be

(Adnkronos) – The Trump Administration is considering launching military operations in Mali against the jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (Jnim), affiliated with al-Qaeda and currently considered the most dangerous armed group in the Sahel. This was revealed by the Washington Post,

(Adnkronos) – Five security officers were killed in a shooting in southern Thailand, during which about ten armed and masked men opened fire on a roadblock on a road in Narathiwat province. Six civilians, including a 3-year-old and a 10-year-old child, were

(Adnkronos) – Robert James Woolsey, a national security expert who led the CIA for two turbulent years after his appointment by President Bill Clinton, has died at the age of 84. According to several newspapers, Woolsey, who became CIA director in early

(Adnkronos) – The Lebanese Ministry of Health stated that, since March 2, 4,328 people have been killed and 12,232 injured in Israeli attacks, according to the Lebanese National News Agency. The data was released by the ministry’s emergency operations center, which specified

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese public prosecutors on Thursday arrested the former president of a “yakiniku” barbecue restaurant chain on suspicion of evading income tax through the alleged misuse of a tax break designed to promote investments in startups. The 55-year-old former

Manila, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Thursday that he exchanged greetings with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Manila on Wednesday. “We talked about Japan-China relations,” Motegi said at a press conference in the Philippine capital, adding, “I

Chiba, July 23 (Jiji Press)–While demand for data centers is surging amid spreading use of artificial intelligence technology, plans for their construction have created friction with local residents. The residents are concerned about the negative effects the facilities may cause on their

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–The average price of used condominiums in Tokyo’s 23 special wards fell 0.8 pct from the previous month in June, marking the first monthly decline in 26 months, real estate research firm Tokyo Kantei Co. said Thursday. The

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s fisheries panels on Thursday adopted a resolution urging the government to keep negotiating for a larger Pacific bluefin tuna catch quota. The LDP’s Fisheries Division and Research Commission on Fishery Policies adopted

Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his British counterpart, Ed Miliband, affirmed the two countries’ commitment to strengthening cooperation in national security, including their joint project with Italy to develop a next-generation fighter jet, at a meeting in