Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s internal affairs ministry will scrutinize how some local governments are offering foreign wine in return for donations made under the country’s “furusato nozei” program, which offers tax relief to donors. Some local governments are treating imported wine

Chiba, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Heavy rain in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, left four people dead and another in cardiopulmonary arrest before subsiding in the small hours of Friday, according to the prefectural disaster response headquarters. The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded Level

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Crested ibises, a species designated as a special national natural treasure in Japan, took to the skies over the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, in May, marking the first release of the birds on Honshu, the

Washington, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–The U.S. government supports Japan’s sovereignty over four Russian-held northwestern Pacific islands claimed by Japan as the Northern Territories, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told Jiji Press on Thursday. Asked about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first visit Thursday

Naha, Okinawa Pref., Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–With only a month left to go until the Sept. 13 Okinawa gubernatorial election, neither of the two main potential candidates has been able to secure decisive support in the closely watched race for the leader

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prosecutor-General Ryuji Kawahara has said in an interview with Jiji Press that he is eager to promote public prosecutors’ use of a plea bargaining system. “It is the position of the prosecution, as a law-enforcement agency, to

Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–One person died and another is in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest due to torrential rain that hit the eastern Japan prefecture of Chiba on Thursday afternoon. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued Level 5 emergency heavy rain warnings

(Adnkronos) – The Israel Defense Forces (Idf) have struck a company commander of Hamas’ military wing in the Khan Yunis area. The terrorist, the Israeli army reports in a Telegram post, “had planned to carry out terrorist attacks against Idf troops operating

(Adnkronos) – Iran has reported environmental damage in the Strait of Hormuz after an oil slick reached the southern coasts of Qeshm Island, demanding compensation from those responsible. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that the spill has “degraded the waters”

(Adnkronos) – Air India pilots will undergo mandatory drug tests starting today, after a commander involved in a serious flight incident reportedly tested positive for cannabis. This is reported in an internal document, seen by AFP.  Current regulations require airlines to randomly

Kumamoto, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–The Kumamoto prefectural government said Thursday that the Kyushu Expressway will be fully reopened to traffic for ordinary vehicles Friday morning, more than two weeks after the July 28 powerful earthquake. The expressway in the Kyushu southwestern region

Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Meteorological Agency issued an emergency heavy rain warning for 16 cities in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, on Thursday evening. The cities are Chiba, Ichihara, Sakura, Yotsukaido, Yachimata, Inzai, Shiroi, Ichikawa, Funabashi, Matsudo, Narashino, Kashiwa, Yachiyo,

(Adnkronos) – The Sudanese capital Khartoum, for the second consecutive day, is targeted by drone attacks launched by paramilitaries. An Afp agency journalist and witnesses reported this.   Since April 2023, a conflict has been ongoing in Sudan, pitting the Army against

(Adnkronos) – The presence of a suspected explosive device at Treuchlingen station, south of the German city of Nuremberg, in Bavaria, has blocked railway traffic in the region. Special police forces inspected the object found on the tracks by a technician at

Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is considering covering revenue losses at local governments resulting from a planned consumption tax cut, according to informed sources. As local governments use consumption tax revenues for social security services, the central government intends to

Ginowan, Okinawa Pref., Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–Okinawa International University President Hajime Asato called for the immediate closure of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma air station, at a gathering Thursday to mark 22 years since a U.S. military helicopter crashed into the premises

(Adnkronos) – The X account of Yemen’s Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Saree, has been suspended. “We suspend accounts that violate X rules,” reads the message when trying to access the account, which until yesterday was used to claim Houthi “operations.” The Houthis

(Adnkronos) – In the Odesa region, a Russian rocket hit the locomotive of a passenger train, killing the driver and his assistant. This was reported by the press service of Ukrainian Railways. “Today we have terrible news for the railway family. An

(Adnkronos) – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they have identified the remains of a soldier who died in 1948. He is Shlomo Haimson, killed by guards in a detention camp in Cyprus during an escape attempt in September 1948 and

(Adnkronos) – Venezuela’s public sector will work reduced hours to ease pressure on the country’s dilapidated power grid, interim leader Delcy Rodriguez said Wednesday. Authorities are seeking to ration electricity supply as domestic consumption has reached its highest level in a decade.

(Adnkronos) – A US jury has ordered Boeing to pay 29 million dollars in a civil lawsuit filed by the family of Michael “Mick” Ryan, an Irish UN engineer who died in the crash of a 737 MAX 8 in 2019. Ryan

Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s infrastructure ministry is considering a subsidy program for companies that renovate vacant stores negatively impacting local landscapes and rent them out, Jiji Press learned Thursday. The new program, in which local governments will designate companies engaging in

Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first visit to one of the four Russian-held western Pacific islands that Japan calls the Northern Territories on Thursday, according to reports from Russia’s state-run Tass news agency and other media outlets.

Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to one of the four northwestern Pacific islands claimed by Tokyo but controlled by Moscow. Putin’s visit to Etorofu, one of the islands Japan calls

Brussels, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–A popular flower carpet event kicked off in Brussels on Thursday, featuring a design inspired by an iconic work of renowned traditional Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print artist Katsushika Hokusai to mark the 160th anniversary of Japan-Belgium diplomatic relations.

Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to one of the four northwestern Pacific islands claimed by Tokyo but controlled by Moscow. Putin’s visit to Etorofu, one of the islands Japan calls

Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Crown Prince Akishino declined to discuss the revised Imperial House Law, enacted last month, at a press conference at the Akasaka East Residence in Tokyo on Thursday. “I have various thoughts,” but added, “I would like to

Kumamoto, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–Amid the summer holiday season, the tourism industry in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is suffering a 6-billion-yen blow from the recent massive earthquake. According to the prefectural government, the July 28 earthquake, which measured the maximum seismic intensity

Kanazawa, Ishikawa Pref., Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–An 83-year-old virtual YouTuber, or VTuber, who was born in Manchuria, now northeastern China, during World War II and returned to Japan at an early age, began to post videos of her and other people’s wartime

Tokyo, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–The number of passport applications in Japan in July increased 1.6-fold from a year earlier to about 530,000, following a fee reduction starting that month, Jiji Press learned Thursday. There were about 3.3 times more applications in the