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

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Japanese food and beverage giant Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. has said that it decided to put off the launch of new products because of a cyberattack. Subject to the postponement are six items made by subsidiary Asahi Soft

Kagoshima, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–A Chinese survey ship was spotted once again within Japan’s exclusive economic zone off Amami Oshima, an island in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima, according to the Japan Coast Guard. The JCG’s 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, based

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Four Japanese companies have announced a partnership to develop a mass cultivation technology for stem cells to promote the practical use of regenerative medicine using 3D printers. Kuraray Co., Cyfuse Biomedical K.K., Chiyoda Corp. and Zacros Corp. will

Tokyo, Oct. 2 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), which on Wednesday marked 10 years since its founding, is playing a greater role as the control tower for unified management of defense equipment research and development and exports amid the

(Adnkronos) – A makeshift scaffolding installed at a church in Ethiopia has collapsed, killing at least 36 people and injuring more than 200. State media reported this. The district police chief, Ahmed Gebeyehu, told Fana newspaper that “the death toll has reached

(Adnkronos) – In Iran, a law has been approved that provides for harsher sentences for those found guilty of espionage and collaboration with Israel or the United States. According to local media, the law was presented to Parliament on June 23 –

(Adnkronos) – An internal family dispute, concerning an inheritance matter, is believed to be at the center of what happened today in Munich, where a man allegedly set fire to his parents’ house in the northern part of the city, shot his

(Adnkronos) – Tomahawk missiles for a Japanese warship. The ship, CNN reports, has set sail for the US to be equipped with cruise missiles capable of hitting a target approximately 1,600 kilometers away, in what appears to be the latest move by