Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday appointed Arata Takebe of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party as the new agriculture minister following the resignation of his embattled predecessor, Kazuo Yana. Takebe, 56, a former state minister of agriculture,

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Panasonic Corp. said Thursday that it will recall some 640,000 front-loading washer-dryers sold in Japan and Taiwan due to smoke and fire risks. The recall covers 18 models for the Japanese market manufactured between 2021 and 2024 as

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Convenience store operators FamilyMart Co. and Lawson Inc. enjoyed record operating profits for March-August, according to their latest earnings reports released by Thursday. Rival Seven & i Holdings Co. also secured a profit increase in the first half

Kumamoto, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s underlying inflation is gradually stabilizing at around the Bank of Japan’s 2 pct target, Junko Koeda, a member of the central bank’s Policy Board, said on Thursday. The BOJ will adjust interest rates “in a timely and

Bangkok, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the Group of 20 major economies met in Bangkok on Thursday to discuss ways to address rising inflation as crude oil prices remain high amid turmoil in the Middle East. Participants

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese ruling and opposition parties were divided over a proposed reduction in the number of seats in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, during a meeting on Lower House election system reform on Thursday. The

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa on Thursday praised the U.S. semiconductor plant project selected for the third round of Japanese funding in the United States under the two countries’ tariff agreement. The project “holds great

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s nuclear waste disposal body said Thursday that it has begun a literature survey in Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, as part of the process for selecting a site for the permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste from

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average posted its third-biggest point loss on record Thursday amid a sell-off in artificial intelligence-related shares. The index of 225 major stocks listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime section ended at 64,425.95,

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–The public approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet fell 1.7 percentage points from the previous month to 42.4 pct in October, hitting the lowest level since she took office a year ago, a Jiji Press

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–A majority in Japan support legislation to cut the consumption tax on food and introduce an income-linked benefit program, a Jiji Press opinion poll showed. The poll found that 55.3 pct of respondents supported the legislation while 37.3

(Adnkronos) – Twenty-seven students and one teacher have died following the collapse of a school roof in the city of Peshawar, in northwest Pakistan. Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar reported this, adding that over 30 people were injured, six of whom are

(Adnkronos) – A new bridge connecting China and North Korea has been inaugurated. This was reported by AFP, according to which the infrastructure is intended to deepen economic ties between the Asian giant and its neighbor. In the late morning, trucks with

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s health ministry plans to introduce a new system designed to reflect financial income in the calculation of public medical insurance premiums for people aged 75 and older and in determining their share of medical costs, starting in

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–A majority in Japan support legislation to cut the consumption tax on food and introduce an income-linked benefit program, a Jiji Press opinion poll showed. The poll showed that 55.3 pct of respondents supported the legislation while 37.3

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–The public approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet fell 1.7 percentage points from the previous month to 42.4 pct in October, hitting the lowest level since she took office a year ago, a Jiji Press

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday denied that the government has been involved in espionage activities in Russia, in response to Moscow’s detention of a Japanese reporter on suspicion of espionage. “We’ll convey our position,” Takaichi told

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering appointing Arata Takebe of her ruling Liberal Democratic Party as Japan’s new agriculture minister to replace embattled Kazuo Yana, informed sources said Thursday. An attestation ceremony for Takebe, 56, a former

Washington, Oct. 14 (Jiji Press)–U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday attributed the selection of a U.S. semiconductor plant construction project for the third batch of Japanese investments in the United States to his “historic” trade deals. The investment deal “is a result

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s National Police Agency said Thursday it will establish an expert panel to study the introduction of GPS tracking devices for stalkers to prevent murders and other serious crimes committed by them. The panel, whose first meeting is

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s seasonally adjusted core machinery orders rose 5.2 pct from the previous month in August, the Cabinet Office said Thursday. The private-sector orders excluding those for ships and power equipment, a leading indicator of corporate capital investment, reached

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Russia’s detention of a Japanese reporter in Sakhalin in the country’s Far East came amid tensions between the two countries that heightened following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The news came on Tuesday when Russia’s Federal Security Service, or

New York, Oct. 14 (Jiji Press)–The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based international nonprofit organization, on Wednesday called for the immediate release of a Japanese newspaper reporter detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage. Russia claims that the male reporter for

Toyohashi, Aichi Pref., Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–A cafe in central Japan set up an old bus stop with a fake timetable installed but no buses arriving, serving as an early example of an initiative known as a “benevolent lie” for individuals with

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average lost more than 3,200 points in Thursday morning trading. High tech-related issues, especially those related to generative artificial intelligence, bore the brunt of the selling following overnight falls in their U.S. counterparts

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average briefly lost more than 3,100 points in Thursday morning trading. High tech-related issues, especially those related to generative artificial intelligence, bore the brunt of the selling following overnight falls in their U.S.

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to appoint Arata Takebe of her ruling Liberal Democratic Party as Japan’s new agriculture minister to replace embattled Kazuo Yana, informed sources said Thursday. Yana resigned Wednesday following a series of

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Foreign Ministry has raised its travel alert for northern and western parts of Saudi Arabia from Level 1, which calls for exercising caution, to Level 2, which calls for avoiding nonessential travel. Following the latest change, announced

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average briefly lost more than 2,400 points in Thursday morning trading. At 9:32 a.m., the index of 225 major issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime section plunged 2,421.93 points, or 3.58

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Imperial Household Agency on Thursday released the list of approximately 1,700 invitees for an autumn garden party to be hosted by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo on Oct. 29. The