Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Japanese agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi met with his Philippine counterpart, Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., in Manila on Thursday and asked the Southeast Asian country to begin importing Japanese grapes, including the renowned Shine Muscat variety. After the meeting,

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–The results of the first round of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership election on Saturday are expected at around 2:10 p.m., and those of a runoff are expected at around 3:20 p.m., LDP officials said Thursday. The

(Adnkronos) – Lawmakers and members of the public have “an absolute duty” to unite against “all forms” of the “disquieting monster” of anti-Semitism amid a re-emergence of the scourge, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday.   “For Parliament and the

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s National Police Agency said Thursday that it will conduct a special inspection of the Saga prefectural police department after a former employee at its crime laboratory was found to have repeatedly falsified DNA analysis. The NPA will

Kagoshima, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–A Chinese marine research ship has been spotted again within Japan’s exclusive economic zone off the island of Amami Oshima in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kagoshima, the Japan Coast Guard said Thursday. The JCG’s 10th Regional Coast

(Adnkronos) – Montenegro must become the “28th country” of the EU by “2028”. This was stated by the president of the Balkan country, Jakov Milatovic, on the sidelines of the Epc summit in Copenhagen. Pristina, he recalls, “started its negotiations in 2012,

(Adnkronos) – Two planes collided on the runway of LaGuardia Airport in New York. This was announced by the local port authority and Delta Airlines. The incident involved two Endeavor Air jets, a company owned by Delta, and occurred at 9:58 PM

Kawasaki, Kanagawa Pref., Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–The mother of Megumi Yokota, a Japanese abductee to North Korea, said on Thursday that her daughter is alive, ahead of Megumi’s 61st birthday on Sunday. “Mom will never forget,” Sakie Yokota, 89, told a press

(Adnkronos) – Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas will be in Rome on 7 November for talks with the Italian government aimed at strengthening the PA, foreign minister Antonio Tajani told the lower house of parliament.  “We are ready to welcome President Abbas

Maebashi, Gunma Pref., Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–The mayor of Maebashi, the capital of Gunma Prefecture, said Thursday that she wants time to decide how to take responsibility for her “love hotel” visits with a married male city employee. “I need time to

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida said Thursday that Japanese business sentiment is positive thanks to decreased uncertainty stemming from a trade agreement between Japan and the United States. The central bank’s “tankan” quarterly survey, released on

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–The number of foreign children of elementary or junior high school age living in Japan who were not or may not have been in education amounted to 8,432 as of May 2024, an education ministry survey showed Thursday.

Nagoya, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police have arrested a 38-year-old man in Aichi Prefecture for allegedly receiving refunds from a food delivery service firm by falsely claiming that ordered food had not arrived. Takuya Higashimoto, a resident of Nagoya, is suspected of

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–The Liberal Democratic Party-led administration is coordinating to convene the Diet for an extraordinary session on Oct. 15 to elect Japan’s next prime minister, following the ruling party’s upcoming leadership election, it was learned Thursday. A vote to

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–The proportion of female executives at companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime top-tier section stood at 18.4 pct as of July, up 2.3 percentage points from the previous year, a survey by the Japan Business Federation,

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–A study led by Japan’s National Cancer Center has shown that there are many cases in which colon cancer spreading to the liver seemed to have disappeared in post-drug treatment imaging tests, but actually had not been eradicated.

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Princess Aiko has tested positive for COVID-19, the Imperial Household Agency said Thursday. The daughter of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako underwent testing after reporting a fever of about 38.5 degrees Celsius and throat pain at

Osaka, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Timber used in the Grand Ring, a symbol of the World Exposition in the western Japan city of Osaka, will be reused for public housing for recovery from last year’s strong earthquake and heavy rain in the central

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Transport Safety Board on Thursday urged Isumi Railway in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, to improve its track maintenance system after a derailment incident last year. The public-private, or third-sector, railway operator lacks facility maintenance skills,

Washington, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Finance ministers from the Group of Seven major industrialized countries said Wednesday that they have agreed to increase pressure to significantly reduce Russia’s oil exports. “Now is the time to maximize pressure on Russia’s oil exports,” a major

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Digital Agency said Thursday that it will cooperate with OpenAI to fully use artificial intelligence technology in administrative work and service. As part of the initiative, the agency will enable its employees to use OpenAI’s cutting-edge large

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven major democracies released a statement Thursday supporting the reinstatement of U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran following the country’s continued failure to meet its requirements under the 2015 nuclear deal

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Finance Ministry on Thursday raised the coupon rate on new 10-year government bonds to 1.7 pct in October, the highest level since July 2008, up from 1.5 pct in September. The increase came in line with higher

Washington, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Former Japanese economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, a candidate for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership election set for Saturday, expressed hopes on Wednesday for dialogue with Chinese leaders over Taiwan. “Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Three major Japanese department store operators have posted year-on-year growth in same-store sales for September. According to their reports released Wednesday, sales rose 7.9 pct at Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co., 4.4 pct at Takashimaya Co. and 3.5

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–On-the-ground reporting is increasingly important amid heightened global uncertainties, Michael Mainville, Asia-Pacific regional director at Agence France-Presse, or AFP, said Wednesday. There is significance “of knowing that there are people who can see with their own eyes and

Piedmont, South Carolina, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Isuzu Motors Ltd. on Wednesday held a groundbreaking ceremony for a vehicle plant in South Carolina, which will become the Japanese commercial vehicle maker’s first independent factory in the United States. The new plant is expected

New York, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–U.S. new vehicle sales by six Japanese automakers rose 4 pct in the first nine months of this year from a year earlier to 4,551,879 units, led by hybrid models from Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor

By Nobutoshi Kobayashi Commentary Writer Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Some children miss out on formative extracurricular experiences, such as sports, music lessons and travel, because access to these activities often depends on family finances, as do educational opportunities. Emphasizing the importance of