Tokyo, June 27 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese government council started discussions at a meeting Friday on compiling its proposal on the size of hike in minimum wages for fiscal 2026. In this year’s “shunto” labor-management negotiations, the wage hike rate has topped 5

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese and Indian governments will establish a framework to promote vehicles that run on biogas, viewed as an environmental-friendly energy source, Jiji Press learned Friday. The two sides will aim to increase the number of plants in

(Adnkronos) – Retired Russian soldier Aleksandr Lunin, known for his social media videos, has requested a public meeting at the Kremlin, broadcast live on television, with Vladimir Putin, in two Instagram posts that immediately went viral with 11 million views in less

(Adnkronos) – Within eight hours, three violent earthquakes struck geographically distant areas: northern California, where a 5.6 magnitude Richter scale tremor occurred on Wednesday, Japan, hit off the northern coast by a 7.2 magnitude quake, and Venezuela, with two subsequent tremors of

(Adnkronos) – “As I jokingly said before going on stage, if Watergate happened tomorrow, the news would disappear from the media after 12 hours. The idea that it brought down a presidency is crazy.” Thus Jd Vance, presenting his book at the

(Adnkronos) – A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of the Philippines, less than three weeks after another strong quake in the same area caused over 80 casualties. This was reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).  The tremor

(Adnkronos) – The death toll from the earthquake that hit Venezuela has further worsened. According to interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, there are at least 589 dead and 2,980 injured. “We will save those who are still trapped – said Rodriguez – We

Tokyo, June 27 (Jiji Press)–A strong earthquake struck the central Japan prefecture of Yamanashi on Friday night, measuring lower 6, the third-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, in the town of Fujikawaguchiko. Following the quake, no abnormalities were reported in

(Adnkronos) – Hours after the Supreme Court ruling that upheld the Trump administration’s decision to revoke humanitarian protections for immigrants from Haiti and Syria, panic spread through immigrant communities across the country, as the ruling potentially exposes 1.3 million people currently living

(Adnkronos) – Iran and the United States have created ”a line of communication” in the Strait of Hormuz ”to prevent incidents that could trigger a military escalation”. This was reported exclusively by a well-informed source to the Iranian broadcaster Press TV, citing

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government on Friday presented a funding plan for the proposed reduction of the consumption tax rate on food items from 8 pct to 1 pct for 2 years starting next April, stating that it will avoid

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to consider nationalizing defense equipment production facilities to secure production capacity during emergencies, it was learned Friday. This plan is expected to be included in the government’s new economic and fiscal management guidelines, according

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–A strong earthquake struck central Japan on Friday night, measuring lower 6, the third-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, in the town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake occurred

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Friday that the sons of adoptees into the Imperial Family would have the right to inherit the throne, despite a fierce backlash from opposition parties when House of Representatives Speaker Eisuke

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese opposition parties are poised to boycott all proceedings in the House of Representatives after the Lower House steering committee decided on Friday, without their agreement, to leave the Lower House seat reduction and second capital bills to

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Friday returned from their state visits to the Netherlands and Belgium. A Japanese government plane carrying the Imperial couple landed at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport in the afternoon following the two-week trip.

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese government advisory panel on Friday called for a virtuous cycle of investments and wage hikes to achieve a strong economy. This call was included in the Fiscal System Council’s proposals submitted to Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama

(Adnkronos) – Saved by smartphones: many people who own Android phones were able to save themselves thanks to alerts launched by their devices, even minutes before Venezuela was hit by the two deadly earthquakes. Many nations have developed systems to alert the

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Justice Ministry disposed of official documents linked to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s screening of a bill to revise the Code of Criminal Procedure for retrial system reform, Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi said Friday. The disposal is

(Adnkronos) – Belgian police announced they have arrested 7 people responsible for the explosion of a device that occurred on March 9 in front of the synagogue on Rue Léon Frédéricq in Liège. Israeli websites report this. The attack caused no casualties

(Deletes the section about Indonesia the second paragraph from the bottom, which contained a factual error. A corrected substitute story follows.) Canada Sends Trade Mission to Japan in Diversification Effort By Hiroki Shimoo Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Canada has sent a large-scale

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit India for three days from Wednesday for a summit with her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on Thursday, the government said Friday. The summit was initially scheduled to take

Brussels, June 26 (Jiji Press)–With this year marking the 160th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Japan and Belgium, festivals across the European country will continue to showcase the two countries’ cultural exchanges even after the state visit of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan will provide a total of 15 million dollars in emergency grant aid to Iran, Lebanon and Palestine to address the worsening humanitarian situation in the region, the Foreign Ministry said Friday. The aid will be used to

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament, approved bills by a majority vote on Friday aimed at addressing the misuse of social media during election campaigns. The bills are expected to be

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese companies from different sectors are entering rice production after supply disruptions triggered price surges in the country last summer. These moves are expected to help realize sustainable agriculture at a time when abandoned farmland is increasing due

Dusseldorf, Germany, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Hendrik Wust, minister-president of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, has expressed hopes for enhancement of cooperation with Japan in the defense industry. In a recent interview with Jiji Press, he said there is a strong

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Rafael Mariano Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, on Friday confirmed their close collaboration in efforts to peacefully resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear program. At their meeting at the

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been accused of making false statements in her political organizations’ funds reports. Hiroshi Kamiwaki, a professor at Kobe Gakuin University, filed a criminal complaint with public prosecutors on June 3, accusing Takaichi

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit India for three days from Wednesday for a summit with her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on Thursday, according to a government plan approved Friday. The summit was initially