Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–The leaders of the Centrist Reform Alliance, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito confirmed at a meeting Monday that the three opposition parties will not merge, a development probably leading to the breakup of the CRA.

(Adnkronos) –  

Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Pref., Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–The industry ministry on Monday asked the city of Hitachiomiya in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, to accept a literature survey for selecting a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. If realized,

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. said Monday they have agreed to jointly develop and standardize operating systems and other core components for software-defined vehicles, with both planning to install them in their new models from fiscal

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese prisons are engaging with citizens through an “interactive facility visit” program that allows visitors and prison officers to exchange views. The initiative follows the integration of the criminal punishment of imprisonment with mandatory labor into imprisonment without

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Defense Ministry said Monday that it will ask for a record 8,890.8 billion yen under the government’s budget for fiscal 2027, which starts next April. The figure is based on the existing Defense Buildup Program, which sets

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that it seeks a budget of 1,216.5 billion yen for fiscal 2027, up 48.9 pct from the fiscal 2026 initial budget, as it moves to bolster strategic cooperation with like-minded countries. The ministry

(Adnkronos) – A car bomb exploded overnight between Sunday and Monday in front of a police station in Mexico, injuring seven people. Authorities reported this. The explosion occurred in Ojocaliente, in the state of Zacatecas, where Mexico’s two largest drug cartels are

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s House Foods Group Inc. is considering selling listed subsidiary Ichibanya Co., the operator of the restaurant chain Curry House CoCo Ichibanya, or CoCo Ichi, it was learned Monday. The major food maker is apparently looking to streamline

(Adnkronos) – The Japanese Ministry of Defense has requested a record budget of 8.9 trillion yen for next year, equivalent to approximately 48 billion euros, as Tokyo also focuses on artificial intelligence to accelerate decision-making processes amid growing tensions in the region.

(Adnkronos) – A South Korean court has sentenced the leader of the Unification Church, a secret and influential organization, to two years in prison on charges of bribing government officials, including the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. This was reported

(Adnkronos) – Nepalese authorities are warning of the possibility of new floods, as the water level of the Bhotekoshi river continues to rise, after the devastating floods of Wednesday, August 26. Residents of the affected districts have been asked to pay particular

(Adnkronos) – 15 people are reported missing following the flood that hit Grand Canyon National Park on August 29. The National Park Service announced this, adding that it is working with Arizona (USA) authorities to evacuate people and locate the missing. The

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–The leaders from the Centrist Reform Alliance, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito confirmed at a meeting Monday that the three opposition parties will not merge. “In order to expand centrist forces and realize a change

Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Pref., Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–The industry ministry Monday asked the city of Hitachiomiya in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, to accept a literature survey for selecting a final disposal site for high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. If realized, Hitachiomiya

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s oldest person, Shigeko Kagawa, died Thursday at the age of 115, sources including the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Monday. Kagawa, from the city of Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture, western Japan, was born in May 1911. The

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. on Monday started the fifth round of treated water releases for fiscal 2026 from its disaster-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan into the ocean. In the operation, set

Sapporo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura and Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki on Monday agreed to work together to get both prefectures designated as Japan’s secondary capitals. The two governors signed a cooperation agreement to seek secondary capital designations at a

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Prices of 4,923 products from 195 major food and beverage makers in Japan are set to rise in September, with the number of affected items up about threefold from a year earlier, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Monday. The

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–A Children and Families Agency survey showed on Monday that 35 pct of unmarried young people in Japan have no wish to marry. According to interim results of the survey, about 15,000 of some 43,500 unmarried people asked

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s health ministry plans not to impose consumption tax on additional out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs with ingredients and effects similar to those of over-the-counter medicines, Jiji Press learned Monday. The ministry asked that the additional charges be

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese education ministry plans to give elementary and junior high schools more discretion to determine class hours as part of an overhaul of the country’s school curriculum guidelines, it was learned Monday. The plan was included in

“The lead should have read, … “mainly reflecting”…instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) Japan’s Industrial Output Up 0.1 pct in July Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s industrial production in July inched up 0.1 pct from the previous month, rising for

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–The speed limit on residential roads in Japan with no center lines or maximum speed signs will be lowered to 30 kilometers per hour from the current 60 kph on Tuesday. The measure is aimed at reducing accidents

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–The yield on the most recent 10-year Japanese government bond issue, a key long-term interest rate, briefly hit a 30-year high of 2.95 pct on JGB selling in Tokyo interdealer trading Monday. According to Japan Bond Trading Co.,

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Medical expenses in Japan for fiscal 2025 rose 2.6 pct from the previous year to a record 49.2 trillion yen, reflecting the country’s aging population and advances in medical technology, according to preliminary data. The expenses paid to

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock average briefly lost over 1,500 points to fall below 65,000 on Monday morning, chiefly as semiconductor-related components tracked declines in U.S. tech stocks late last week. At 9:06 a.m., the index of 225 major

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–A decade after Japan launched its Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is seeking to update the diplomatic framework to address an increasingly complex regional environment and emerging economic security challenges, including the need for

Takamatsu, Kagawa Pref., Aug. 30 (Jiji Press)–Toyohito Ikeda, governor of Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, secured re-election in Sunday’s gubernatorial poll, which was held due to the expiration of his term. Ikeda, 65, ran as an independent candidate endorsed by the Liberal Democratic

Tokyo, Aug. 30 (Jiji Press)–Toyohito Ikeda, governor of Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, is certain to secure re-election in Sunday’s gubernatorial poll, which was held due to the expiration of his term. Ikeda, 65, ran as an independent candidate endorsed by the ruling