Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Business sentiment among large manufacturers in Japan improved for two consecutive quarters, the Bank of Japan’s “Tankan” survey for September showed Wednesday. The headline diffusion index for large manufacturers’ current business conditions rose to plus 14 from plus

Misawa, Aomori Pref., Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force and the Royal Australian Air Force kicked off their “Bushido Guardian” joint exercise in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Tuesday. The Japan-Australia exercise is joined by the U.S. Air Force for the

Minabe, Wakayama Pref., Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Undeterred by major setbacks that recently befell the famed “Kishu ume,” or plums grown in the western Japan prefecture of Wakayama, “umeboshi” pickled plum makers are working on developing new products using hail-damaged ume. Wakayama has

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Sanae Takaichi and Shinjiro Koizumi are neck-and-neck in support among rank-and-file members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party ahead of Saturday’s party leadership election, a Jiji Press survey has found. The survey covered 47 senior local LDP officials

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–An elderly woman was stabbed at an apartment in Machida, Tokyo, on Tuesday evening and died shortly after being transported to hospital. Officers from Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department rushed to the scene after a relative of the woman

(Adnkronos) – A 6.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded off the coast of the Philippines. The epicenter, according to the USGS (US Geological Survey), was recorded approximately 11 kilometers east-southeast of the Calape area, in Bohol province, with a population of approximately 33,000

(Adnkronos) – Eight people were killed and several others were injured in a car bomb explosion outside the headquarters of the Pakistani security forces in the southwestern city of Quetta. Local authorities reported that before the vehicle exploded, four armed men on

(Adnkronos) – At least 31 people have been arrested in Moldova during opposition protests, following the defeat in Sunday’s parliamentary elections won by the pro-European ruling party Pas. This was announced by the Chisinau police, the day after the demonstrations in front

(Adnkronos) – Decisive week for Sébastien Lecornu: by next Monday, the French Prime Minister – who has come under fire in recent hours with accusations of lying about his master’s degree – plans new consultations, is preparing to detail his budget draft,

(Adnkronos) – Jian Guo, former assistant to European Parliament member Maximilian Krah, a prominent figure of the German far-right party Afd, Alternative for Germany, has been sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison for espionage activities in favor of China.

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who is running for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership, on Tuesday called for restricting the number of foreign workers the country accepts. “I’m not thinking of accepting them without limit,” Koizumi said

Busan, South Korea, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met in Busan, South Korea, on Tuesday and agreed that the two countries will continue “shuttle diplomacy,” or reciprocal visits by their leaders, to

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Mizuho Securities Co. plans to reorganize and expand its workforce to strengthen sales efforts aimed at wealthy individuals and corporate clients, President Yoshiro Hamamoto has said. The brokerage’s retail and business banking division posted net operating revenue of

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office on Tuesday indicted without arrest former lawmaker Akira Ishii and a former staffer at his office, Kaaru Okawa, 60, for alleged fraud involving state-paid salaries of a secretary. The prosecutors did not

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Association of Corporate Executives, or Keizai Doyukai, said Tuesday that it has accepted the resignation of its chairman, Takeshi Niinami. Until Niinami’s successor is appointed, the activities of the association’s chief will be undertaken by Senior

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese power generation company Jera Co. said Tuesday that it has decommissioned five aging units at its thermal power plants in three prefectures. Their equipment had deteriorated as all of the plants have been in operation for more

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Busan, South Korea, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met in Busan, South Korea, on Tuesday and agreed that their countries will continue “shuttle diplomacy,” or reciprocal visits by leaders, to foster stable

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Association of Corporate Executives, or Keizai Doyukai, said Tuesday that it has accepted the resignation of its chairman, Takeshi Niinami. Until Niinami’s successor is appointed, the activities of the association’s chief will be undertaken by Senior

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Former Japanese economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi called for studying the launch of an external intelligence organization, at a two-day event from Tuesday co-hosted by Jiji Press. “It’s time to start studying the establishment of an external intelligence

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Public hospitals across Japan ran a combined deficit of 395.2 billion yen in fiscal 2024, with 83.3 pct operating in the red, the internal affairs ministry said Tuesday. Both the deficit and the proportion of loss-making hospitals, 703

(Adnkronos) – Iran has announced the return to the country in the coming days of 120 citizens expelled from the United States, as part of the anti-immigration measures adopted by the Trump administration. “One hundred and twenty people are expected to be

(Adnkronos) – In South Korea, the national cybersecurity center, operating under the intelligence service, has raised the alert level from “attention” to “caution” amid fears that hackers could exploit vulnerabilities in the chaos generated by a data center fire that paralyzed government

(Adnkronos) – YouTube has announced a settlement of over $24 million to end the lawsuit initiated by former US President Donald Trump after his account was banned in 2021, following the Capitol assault. The platform had justified the suspension with “concerns about

(Adnkronos) – Starting next October 14, the United States will impose additional 10% tariffs on imports of softwood and wood products, while it will apply a new 25% tax on cabinets and other furniture made from this material. This is according to

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Three major Japanese opposition parties on Tuesday found it difficult to cooperate in a parliamentary vote to select the country’s new prime minister, following the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership election scheduled for Saturday. This view was shared

Busan, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday visited the grave of Lee Soo-hyun, a South Korean student who died in 2001 while trying to rescue a Japanese man who had fallen onto the tracks of a Tokyo train

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has indicted without arrest former lawmaker Akira Ishii for alleged fraud involving state-paid salaries of a secretary, sources said Tuesday. Ishii, a former member of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has decided to allow same-sex couples to be treated as being in de facto marriages under a total of nine more laws and ordinances, including the disaster condolence grant law, it was learned Tuesday. The

Tokyo, Sept. 30 (Jiji Press)–Senior officials of Japan’s ruling parties and the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan on Tuesday affirmed a plan to resume discussions on introducing a refundable tax credit program after the Liberal Democratic Party forms a new