Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–Shinji Saito, a former member of popular Japanese comedy group Jungle Pocket, pleaded not guilty to sexual assault charges during the first court hearing of his trial on Friday. According to the indictment, Saito allegedly sexually assaulted a

(Adnkronos) – Italy has sent a message of condolence to Ethiopia after a massive landslide killed over 100 people in Gacho Baba district in the south of the country on Thursday following days of heavy rains which triggered the tragedy.   “The

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government adopted a bill to create a national intelligence council at a cabinet meeting on Friday and then submitted the bill to the Diet. The bill also calls for establishing a national intelligence bureau to serve

Nagasaki, March 13 (Jiji Press)–The four hibakusha organizations in Nagasaki Prefecture released a joint statement Friday condemning the ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. In the statement, the groups of survivors of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki, southwestern Japan, described the

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government on Friday approved its latest basic plan for gender equality, which calls for considering giving legal validity to the standalone use of maiden names, a key goal of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. It aims to

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Friday that deliveries of U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles to the Maritime Self-Defense Force have begun. The missiles will be deployed as part of Japanese efforts to develop standoff defense capability for attacking

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–The Budget Committee of Japan’s House of Representatives approved the government’s fiscal 2026 budget bill by a majority vote on Friday, paving the way for a full Lower House vote on the budget bill later in the day.

(Adnkronos) – Rai Way, an Italian operator of digital infrastructure and services, is a technological partner of Lega Calcio Serie A for the transport and distribution of signals from Primavera Competitions football matches. Rai Way provides its network infrastructure and expertise to

(Adnkronos) – Italy has voiced solidarity with Lebanon’s conflict-hit population and on Friday announced an airlift of 30 tonnes of essential aid items for 750,000 displaced people on top of 10 million euros of funding unveiled a day earlier by foreign minister

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–NTT Docomo Inc. will terminate its FOMA 3G mobile communication services on March 31, bringing to an end its “i-mode” wireless internet access service. The i-mode service, launched in February 1999, attracted users for its easy internet access,

Tomioka, Fukushima Pref., March 13 (Jiji Press)–A winery in the town of Tomioka in Fukushima Prefecture has taken off as a place for locals to interact with each other. This spring, the winery will sell the first wine made in the town

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Naha, Okinawa Pref., March 13 (Jiji Press)–A seven-year prison sentence has been finalized for a 23-year-old U.S. Marine charged with sexually assaulting and injuring a woman in Okinawa Prefecture. The defendant, Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, and prosecutors filed their waivers of the

Okuma, Fukushima Pref., March 13 (Jiji Press)–Although Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. still maintains its goal of decommissioning its tsunami-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant by 2051, the target appears very challenging to meet due to delays in work to

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the country’s parliament, used an artificial intelligence-generated voice to conduct a roll call during an open vote for the first time at a plenary session on Friday. Conventionally, the roll

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–Junya Ogawa, who took the reins of the Centrist Reform Alliance a month ago, faces a host of challenges, including, most importantly, rebuilding the Japanese opposition party following its humiliating defeat in last month’s parliamentary election. He has

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–The dollar hit 20-month highs above 159.60 yen in Tokyo trading Friday as persisting worries about the Middle East situation spurred safe-haven buying of the U.S. currency. The greenback pared its gains to stand at 159.41-44 yen at

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government’s fiscal 2026 budget bill is expected to clear the House of Representatives as early as Friday night, with support mainly from the ruling camp led by the Liberal Democratic Party. Following the passage in the

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–Nihon M&A Center Holdings Inc. intends to strengthen its successor search business by teaming with more regional banks across Japan through a subsidiary, President Suguru Miyake said in a recent interview. The subsidiary, J-Search Inc., connects prospective business

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–The French and Indonesian presidents will make their respective official trips to Japan from later this month for talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Friday. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to

New York, March 12 (Jiji Press)–PayPay Corp., a Japanese online payment company under SoftBank Group Corp., went public on the U.S. Nasdaq stock market Thursday. PayPay ended its first day at 18.16 dollars per share, with its market capitalization valued at 12.1

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–Japan will use its official development assistance to induce private-sector investment in developing countries, an annual government report said Friday. The 2025 white paper on cooperation and development noted ODA’s pump-priming effects for expanding private investment in aid

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government adopted at a cabinet meeting Friday bills aimed at introducing a system under which public health insurance will fully cover childbirth costs. The bills on medical insurance system reform also feature a program asking patients

Nagoya, March 13 (Jiji Press)–Dark clouds are gathering over a major redevelopment project around Nagoya Station in central Japan that is being planned in anticipation of the launch of the Chuo Shinkansen magnetic levitation superhigh-speed train line. The project, led by major

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average lost over 1,100 points in early trading in Tokyo on Friday, as investor sentiment was dampened by the sharp rise in crude oil prices due to the deteriorating situation in Iran. In

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–Amid an increasingly severe security environment, Japan’s Defense Ministry plans to establish a coastal defense system using thousands of drones, while there are still many issues to overcome. The “Shield” defense system will involve more than 10 types

(Adnkronos) – Russia has sent over 13 tons of medicines intended for the civilian population in Iran on the orders of President Vladimir Putin. This was announced by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, specifying that this is the first announcement of

(Adnkronos) – The Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco is in talks with at least two Ukrainian companies to purchase interceptor drones to defend its facilities from possible Iranian attacks. This is reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing informed sources, according to

(Adnkronos) – Fire on board the USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy aircraft carrier deployed in the Red Sea in support of the operation in the Middle East. The incident – reads a note from the U.S Navy – originated “in

Tokyo, March 13 (Jiji Press)–Rohm Co. and Toshiba Corp. will begin talks on the possible merger of their power semiconductor operations, it was learned Thursday. The move comes as automotive parts maker Denso Corp. is seeking to acquire Rohm, whose special committee