Washington, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–Asian nations should deepen economic integration by expanding their regional trade agreements to spur growth, Thomas Helbling, deputy director of the International Monetary Fund’s Asia and Pacific Department, said. Helbling, speaking in a recent interview with Jiji Press,

Tokyo, Oct. 24 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese opposition Democratic Party for the People and former ruling coalition member Komeito have agreed to jointly submit a bill to regulate political donations to the ongoing extraordinary session of the Diet, the country’s parliament. According to

Tokyo, Oct. 24 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is working to create a framework for policy coordination with its new coalition partner, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), including regular talks between their senior officials, following the launch of the

(Adnkronos) – It could take between 20 and 30 years to clear the surface of Gaza of unexploded ordnance. This was indicated by the US-based NGO Humanity & Inclusion, describing the Palestinian enclave as a “horrible unmapped minefield”.  “If you consider a

(Adnkronos) – Russia has acquired Western technology through a secret supply network to protect its submarine fleet and build an underwater surveillance system in the Arctic Sea or Barents Sea where they operate, the Washington Post reports at the end of a

(Adnkronos) – New York’s outgoing mayor, Eric Adams, has officially announced that he will support former governor Andrew Cuomo in his electoral race for the November vote, hoping to slow the rise of Zohran Mamdani. The New York Times reported this. “I

(Adnkronos) – Foreign minister Antonio Tajani was set to welcome 49 Palestinian scholarship students and researchers and 16 Palestinians with relatives in Italy when the group arrives at Rome’s Ciampino airport late on Thursday, the foreign ministry said in a statement.  The

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–New Japanese industry minister Ryosei Akazawa disclosed plans Thursday to tighten regulations on large-scale solar power plants to prevent environmental damage. In an interview with media organizations held after he assumed his current post on Tuesday, Akazawa pointed

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–New Japanese agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki on Thursday indicated a potential shift in the policy of increasing rice production advocated by the administration of former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Suzuki said in an interview with media organizations that

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prince Hisahito, the only son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, has been infected with influenza, the Imperial Household Agency said Thursday. The prince had a fever and left his university early on Monday, and

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is preparing to highlight progress in purchasing U.S.-made liquefied natural gas, soybeans and automobiles at the upcoming summit between Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, it was learned Thursday. The

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter, Princess Aiko, visited the Tokyo memorial hall on Thursday to mourn the victims of the U.S. military’s air raid on the Japanese capital 80 years ago during World War II.

(Adnkronos) – Ten dead and 12 missing: this is the toll from an explosion in a factory in Kopeysk, central Russia, according to the governor of the Chelyabinsk region. “According to the latest information – wrote Alexei Teksler on Telegram, without providing

(Adnkronos) – North Korea has stolen billions of dollars by breaching cryptocurrency platforms and creating fictitious identities to obtain remote jobs at foreign technology companies. This is revealed by an international report, according to which the activities, orchestrated by Pyongyang officials, would

(Adnkronos) – The election campaign for next April’s legislative elections in Hungary effectively kicks off today, with opposing street demonstrations in Budapest. On the anniversary of the beginning of the brief 1956 uprising against the Soviet Union, crushed by the bloody intervention

(Adnkronos) – A group of Palestinian scholarship students and Palestinian family members from the Gaza Strip are due to arrive late Thursday at Rome’s Ciampino airport from Jordan aboard two Italian planes, according to a foreign ministry statement.  “Transport from Jordan will

(Adnkronos) – With the European Union set to agree in principle on Thursday to make a 140 billion euro loan to Ukraine using Russian frozen assets, Italy urged the bloc to carefully check the legal validity of the plan before proceeding.  “Before

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–New Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday met with the families of Japanese citizens abducted to North Korea decades ago and vowed to seek support from U.S. President Donald Trump to resolve the abduction issue. Takaichi, who

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will attend summits related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in South Korea, both set to begin later this month, Chief Cabinet Secretary

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, said Thursday it plans to demand pay increases of 5 pct or more in “shunto” annual spring wage negotiations for the third straight year next year. The umbrella body for labor

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Shipbuilders’ Association of Japan said Thursday that it plans to invest 350 billion yen in capital expenditures in a bid to double ship building output by 2035. The association, comprising 17 Japanese shipbuilders, also aims to prepare

Naha, Okinawa Pref., Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–U.S. military police will conduct a patrol in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, in the early hours of Nov. 1, in an effort to prevent a recurrence of sexual assault cases involving U.S. military personnel

Sapporo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–Police searched locations linked to a now-closed zoo in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Thursday over allegations of unauthorized land development. The North Safari Sapporo, operated by Success-Kanko Corp., opened in July 2005. The zoo

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–Supermarket sales across Japan in April-September rose 1.6 pct from a year earlier on an all-store basis, the first increase in two years for the first half of a fiscal year, the Japan Chain Stores Association said Thursday.

(Adnkronos) – New commercial partnership opportunities and bilateral economic ties were the focus of the Italy-Iraq Business Council’s launch event in Baghdad on Thursday, the Italian embassy wrote on X.  “Inspiring discussions on bilateral economic bonds and emerging opportunities for commercial partnerships

(Adnkronos) – The ‘excellent’ relations between Italy and Iraq and November parliamentary elections were the focus of talks in Baghdad Thursday between ambassador Niccolo Fontana and interior minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari, the embassy wrote on X.  “Always a pleasure receiving interior minister

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–Mazda Motor Corp. said Thursday that it has strengthened collaboration with Nippon Steel Corp. in vehicle development and materials procurement, aiming to cut costs while securing vehicles’ safety performance. The step came as Mazda sought to make its

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–Jera Co., Japan’s largest power generation company, said Thursday that it will finalize a deal worth about 1.5 billion dollars with U.S. energy companies to acquire their rights in shale gas development and production in Louisiana. Jera is

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–Total costs to raise a first child in Japan soar when the child enters junior or senior high school, a study by the National Center for Child Health and Development showed. The total cost to raise a child

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, said Thursday it plans to demand pay increases of 5 pct or more in “shunto” annual spring wage negotiations for the third straight year next year. The umbrella body for labor