Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Bank for International Cooperation said Friday it and two major U.S. banks, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase Bank, will jointly provide 4.61-billion-dollar loans for U.S. projects, based on an investment and loan pledge the Japanese government has

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. said Friday that its consolidated net profit in January-June jumped 68.8 pct from a year before to 99.1 billion yen, hitting a first-half record high, thanks to a weaker yen and the sale of

(Adnkronos) – The Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced that they shot down an Mq-9 Reaper drone in the skies of the southern province of Hormozgan. According to Iranian state television, the aircraft was intercepted and destroyed using a “new and advanced defense system”

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–The Chinese and Russian ambassadors to Japan have issued a joint statement claiming that their countries made huge sacrifices in the fight against Nazism and Japanese militarism during World War II. The statement was released on Thursday, when

(Adnkronos) – Several people were injured in a fire that broke out inside a multi-story residential building in the Friedrichshain district of Berlin. Dramatic moments were experienced during the rescue operation, a fire department spokesperson announced, with people leaning out of windows

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Meteorological Agency on Friday raised the volcanic alert for Mount Aso in the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto to Level 3 from Level 2, banning entry to the mountain, due to increased volcanic tremor amplitudes and rapidly

Manila, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday expressed his eagerness to conclude maritime demarcation talks with Japan by the end of this year. During a press conference, Marcos said that he does not see “any great obstacle” in

Chiba, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Heavy rain that struck Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, on Thursday evening has left five people dead and two others in cardiopulmonary arrest before subsiding in the small hours of Friday, the prefectural government’s disaster response headquarters said.

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will visit Saudi Arabia and Oman from Monday through Aug. 22 for talks with local officials on normal maritime navigation and infrastructure reconstruction in the Middle East, the Foreign Ministry said Friday. The

(Adnkronos) – North Korea has condemned the joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, calling them “more provocative than last year’s.” Pyongyang’s state news agency (Kcna) quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying that “military cooperation between the United States,

(Adnkronos) – Russian air defense systems shot down 553 Ukrainian drones overnight over various regions of Russia and over the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. This was announced by the Russian Ministry of Defense, according to the

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Combined net profits at listed Japanese companies soared 64 pct year on year in April-June, thanks to strong demand related to artificial intelligence and semiconductors, the weaker yen and the reduced impact of U.S. tariffs, according to a

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi will visit Australia and India for five days from Monday, Japan’s Defense Ministry said Friday. In Australia, Koizumi is expected to meet with his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, and discuss ways to deepen

New York, Aug. 13 (Jiji Press)–The United Nations on Thursday called for restraint by all parties concerned following a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to one of four western Pacific islands held by Russia and claimed by Japan. “This is a

(Adnkronos) – The Ukrainian army launched a drone attack overnight against the Leningrad Oblast, Russia, damaging the port infrastructure of Ust-Luga. Regional governor Alexander Drozdenko reported this. Located west of St. Petersburg, Ust-Luga is one of Russia’s largest ports on the Baltic

(Adnkronos) – The American ambassador in Tokyo stated that he recognizes Japan’s “sovereignty” over the Kuril Islands, visited yesterday by Russian President Vladimir Putin and disputed with Japan. “The United States maintains unwavering support for Japan, its most important ally, and recognizes

(Adnkronos) – Eighteen people were injured, two of them seriously, after a passenger train derailed yesterday in southern England, trapping passengers inside overturned carriages. The South East Coast Ambulance Service stated that two people sustained “serious injuries,” while another 16, with “less

Tokorozawa, Saitama Pref., Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japanese manga artist Kazuyoshi Takeda, author of a series that depicts a World War II battle on the western Pacific island of Peleliu, emphasized the importance of learning about war so as not to repeat past

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Environment Ministry plans to set up an office in fiscal 2027 to help the country ensure stable procurement of critical minerals such as rare earths and rare metals, Jiji Press has learned. Japan, which heavily depends on

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Japanese companies are promoting efforts to prevent employees from suffering heatstroke as temperatures passed 40 degrees Celsius at some locations in the country this summer. General contractor Obayashi Corp. employees work at construction sites from 7 a.m. to

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to one of the four northwestern Pacific islands at the center of a long-standing territorial dispute between Moscow and Tokyo may have been intended to shore up his popularity at home ahead

Hikawa, Kumamoto Pref., Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–A temporary pet care service has been offered to pet owners in areas devastated by a powerful earthquake that last month hit Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, as some evacuation centers refuse to admit their beloved animals.

Seoul, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Friday sent a message to a ceremony to commemorate so-called former comfort women that included neither criticism of nor demands on Japan, reflecting his policy of placing importance on ties with the

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Overnight stays by foreign visitors in Japan reached an estimated 179.92 million in 2025, up 55.6 pct from the prepandemic level in 2019, with 39 of the country’s 47 prefectures recording levels above those seen before the COVID-19

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