Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Belgian counterpart, Theo Francken, at a meeting in Tokyo on Monday agreed to deepen security cooperation between their countries. Koizumi welcomed Belgium’s first assignment of a defense attache to its embassy

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–Japanese government agencies and ministries have submitted their tax system reform requests for fiscal 2027, including measures aimed at realizing a strong economy as advocated by the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, such as spurring companies’ growth

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–General-account budget requests from Japanese government agencies and ministries for fiscal 2027 are expected to exceed 143 trillion yen, hitting a record high for the fourth consecutive year. The figure will be much higher than the 122,445.4 billion

(Adnkronos) – The Algerian government has confirmed the dispatch of four fighter jets to Niger for a “support mission” to the military after last weekend’s attempted coup. In a note, the Algerian Ministry of Defense announced that the dispatch of “two patrols

(Adnkronos) – North Korea has accused the United States of pursuing a “hostile” policy against it, vowing to respond with the “toughest” countermeasures. In a statement released by the official Kcna agency, a spokesman for the North Korean Foreign Ministry attacked Washington

(Adnkronos) – The Trump administration has expelled over one hundred migrants from Afghanistan, Cuba, Nicaragua, and other countries in ten days, transferring them to eight African states of which they are not citizens. Cbs News reports this, citing internal US government documents,

(Adnkronos) – The Pentagon has reportedly hired several military veterans with a large social media following and conservative views for civilian roles, without making their positions public. These individuals have supported and defended the political and cultural battles of Defense Secretary Pete

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