Tokyo, Sept. 9 (Jiji Press)–East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, has unveiled images of three candidate characters for its Suica smart card system to succeed the current character based on a penguin. The three candidates–a brown squirrel, a purple rabbit and

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Members of the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan are considering forming a new party after leaving the CRA following the failure of a planned merger among the CRA, the CDP and Komeito,

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Members of the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan are considering forming a new party after leaving the CRA following the failure of a planned merger among the CRA, the CDP and Komeito,

(The final paragraph should have read, “…Typhoon Krovanh…” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) Level 5 Flood Warning Issued for Central Japan River Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Meteorological Agency and the land ministry issued the highest Level 5

(Adnkronos) – Romanian intelligence has announced that it foiled a sabotage operation on national territory coordinated by Russia. According to a note from the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), at the center of the investigation is a Russian citizen monitored since last February,

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Tuesday strongly urged Iran to exercise maximum restraint over attacks on civilian vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for crude oil shipments. During phone talks with his Iranian

(Adnkronos) – The air defense forces of the Iranian army claimed to have detected, tracked, and shot down a US Mq-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media reported that the unmanned aerial vehicle was intercepted by defense systems deployed in

Seoul, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stressed the importance of strengthening Japan-South Korea relations in a meeting with South Korean National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik in Seoul on Tuesday. “Compared with the situation in 2002, when I first

(Adnkronos) – Two paintings were abandoned in the gardens of the Renoir museum by the thieves who, this morning, shortly before 6 am, had stolen four paintings from the Auguste Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer (French Maritime Alps). The newspaper Nice-Matin reports that

(Adnkronos) – The Eiffel Tower reopened this morning, after the employees’ strike the previous day, who were “shocked” by the exclusion of female employees during the visit of a Hindu religious group. This was reported by Agence France-Presse (Afp). Shortly before 9:30

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering appointing one member of the Japan Innovation Party, the coalition partner of her ruling Liberal Democratic Party, to her cabinet when she reshuffles it as early as Sept. 16, government sources

(Adnkronos) – Qatar is working with partners in the region and around the world, including China, to facilitate the resumption of talks between the United States and Iran. This is according to a spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Qatar’s

(Adnkronos) – Polemica su un convegno in programma il 18 settembre in un hotel di Torino. L’iniziativa, promossa da Fsp-polizia di Stato, Associazione per la legalità e sicurezza sul lavoro e Fmpi dal titolo ‘Insicurezza urbana: il ruolo delle istituzioni e degli

(Adnkronos) – A suspect has been arrested as part of the investigation into acts of sabotage that have affected the German power grid. This is what the German police told Afp. According to the regional television broadcaster Wdr, it is the 48-year-old

(Adnkronos) – Iceland has summoned the United States ambassador following the publication by US President Donald Trump, on his social network, of a new map showing the island as belonging to American territory. The Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this. “The

Chong Chom, Thailand, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Illegal organ trafficking may have been conducted at a scam compound on the Thai border with Cambodia, the Thai military has revealed. The military believes that scam phone callers and other members of the fraud ring

(Adnkronos) – “Yemeni drones and missiles pound the Saudi enemy,” the Yemeni news agency Ansarollah, supported by Iran and affiliated with the Houthi, wrote on Telegram, adding in another post that the attacks hit Abha International Airport, King Khalid Air Base, and

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government will provide 3 million dollars in emergency grant aid to Nepal, which suffered severe damage from the recent devastating floods, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tuesday. The money will be used to provide humanitarian assistance

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japanese students earned top scores among the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in all three major domains of the OECD Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, for the first time in

Nishinomiya, Hyogo Pref., Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japanese ocean adventurer Kenichi Horie, 88, said Tuesday he will try to sail solo and nonstop across the Pacific Ocean by yacht next spring. If successful, he will break the world record for the oldest person

(Adnkronos) – Great Britain will announce today a ban on the import of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. This was announced by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden “The Foreign Secretary will make a

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has begun working with an industry group to take steps against malicious businesses among those that collect used goods for sale at secondhand shops, as the reuse market continues to boom. In early July, a

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to assess the impact of antidumping measures introduced by China against a semiconductor material made in Japan, officials said Tuesday. “We will fully examine their impact and respond appropriately to ensure there is no

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The yen surged to a seven-month high past 153 per dollar in Tokyo trading on Tuesday, amid speculation that the Bank of Japan could accelerate its policy interest rate hikes. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at 153.79-80

(Adnkronos) – Yemeni Houthi rebels have targeted oil and military facilities in Saudi Arabia using dozens of missiles and drones, in response to bombings attributed to Saudi forces in Yemen. “Yemeni armed forces conducted a large-scale military operation,” targeting facilities of oil

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Corporate bankruptcies with liabilities of at least 10 million yen in Japan in August rose 3.1 pct from a year earlier to 830, marking the highest level for the month in 14 years, Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd. said

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and health minister Kenichiro Ueno on Tuesday confirmed cooperation in improving the country’s life-saving and treatment capability for injured Self-Defense Forces personnel. The defense and health ministries will soon set up a vice-ministerial

Hakui, Ishikawa Pref., Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki has visited Ishikawa, Fukui and Toyama prefectures in the Hokuriku region, central Japan, to assess damage from heavy rain in late August. On Monday, Suzuki visited farmland near the Ouchigata lagoon in

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party decided at a meeting of party executives on Tuesday to give LDP President and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi discretion over a renewal of the party leadership. If the government adopts a fiscal 2027

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is preparing to allow North Korean athletes to enter the country for the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture, government officials said Tuesday. Japan generally prohibits North Korean nationals from entering the country as part