Niigata, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Classmates of Megumi Yokota, a Japanese national abducted by North Korea decades ago, gathered Thursday at their alma mater in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, praying for her return. The tranquil spring day recalls April 10, 1977, when Megumi’s

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Crown Princess Kiko attended a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the National College of Nursing in Kiyose, Tokyo, on Thursday. The school was established by the health ministry in 2001 to foster nursing staff for the

Sunagawa, Hokkaido, April 9 (Jiji Press)–The Hokkaido prefectural government on Thursday apologized and returned a hunting rifle to a 77-year-old hunter following a Japanese Supreme Court ruling finding the revocation of his hunting gun license to be illegal. Haruo Ikegami, head of

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–The University of Tokyo will put its hospital under the direct control of the university headquarters by the end of June at the earliest as part of reform efforts following corruption scandals involving doctors at the university. The

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s National Police Agency on Thursday unveiled a model of a handbook to be issued to crime victims in an effort to ease their burden. The NPA instructed prefectural police departments across the country to use the model

Miyazaki, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Former Miyazaki Governor Hideo Higashikokubaru said Thursday that he intends to run in a gubernatorial election in January in the southwestern Japan prefecture. “Miyazaki needs a game changer to stem its decline,” Higashikokubaru, 68, said at a press

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Mizuho Bank said Thursday it will raise its long-term prime lending rate by 0.2 percentage point to 3 pct, its highest level in about 29 years, effective Friday. The move by the Japanese bank comes in response to

London, April 8 (Jiji Press)–A group led by prominent Japanese architect Kengo Kuma will design a new wing for the National Gallery in London, the museum has said. Kengo Kuma and Associates, together with two British architecture companies, have won the competition

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Ministop Co. on Wednesday posted a third straight year of net loss for the year that ended in February, hurt by the fallout of a scandal involving falsified expiration dates for handmade prepared foods sold by the Japanese

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Local governments along proposed Shinkansen high-speed rail routes in Japan are stepping up efforts to advance plans for lines that have remained in the planning stage for more than half a century, with no progress toward construction. Hoping

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has decided to add 17 airports and ports to its list of designated facilities to allow the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard to use them from peacetime onward as part of efforts to

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)–Calls for a supplementary budget have already begun to grow among Japanese ruling and opposition parties, following the enactment of the government’s fiscal 2026 budget this week. The annual budget includes 1 trillion yen in reserve funds, but

(Adnkronos) – Germany rejects the accusation of interference in the Hungarian elections, launched against EU countries by JD Vance precisely during the American Vice President’s visit to Budapest a few days before the crucial vote for Donald Trump’s iron ally, Viktor Orban.

(Adnkronos) – Hezbollah has ”the right to respond” to the attacks launched by Israel on Lebanon today, in which at least 89 people lost their lives, while another 720 were injured on the first day of the ceasefire agreement reached by Iran

(Adnkronos) – The death toll from Israeli attacks across Lebanon today is rising. According to Beirut’s Ministry of Health, at least 112 people have died and 837 are injured, Al Jazeera reports.  

Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)–Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko on Wednesday lodged a protest with Japan over a Japanese firm’s investment in a Ukrainian defense-related company that handles interceptor drones. The protest came during a meeting between Rudenko, who is in

(Adnkronos) – Israel was informed late about the agreement between the United States and Iran without being consulted and “did not like it”. The Wall Street Journal writes this, citing mediators and an informed source, according to whom the consultation was limited

(Adnkronos) – Israeli air attacks conducted today on Beirut and the southern suburb of Dahiyeh have caused over 300 dead and injured. This was reported by the head of the Lebanese Red Cross to Al Arabi, as stated by the Haaretz website.

Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Gyu-back, agreed Wednesday to continue cooperation between their countries and among the two plus the United States over issues including those related to North Korea. In an

Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, on Wednesday affirmed bilateral cooperation to ensure safe ship navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. In their phone talks, the two ministers welcomed the two-week ceasefire agreement

Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)–The average retail price of regular gasoline in Japan as of Monday fell 2.80 yen from a week earlier to 167.40 yen per liter, down for the third straight week, industry ministry data showed Wednesday. The pump price

Kawasaki, Kanagawa Pref., April 8 (Jiji Press)–Three workers died after scaffolding at the Keihin District of JFE Steel Corp.’s East Japan Works in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, collapsed Tuesday, local authorities have said. A total of five workers, all men, were

Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)–Industry representatives have raised objections to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s plan to reduce the consumption tax rate on food to zero for two years. At a working-level meeting of the National Council on Social Security on Wednesday,

Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)–Sentiment among so-called economy watchers in Japan fell to the lowest level in about four years in March, reflecting tensions over Iran, a Cabinet Office survey showed Wednesday. The seasonally adjusted diffusion index that shows the current sentiment

Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his visiting Australian counterpart Richard Marles agreed Wednesday to deepen bilateral defense cooperation to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region. At their meeting in Tokyo, the ministers mainly discussed the tensions in

Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)–While the United States and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire agreement, 42 Japan-linked ships still cannot leave the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has suggested that it will allow

Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi asked Iran to de-escalate the tensions in the Middle East at an early time, in a roughly 25-minute phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday. Takaichi also called on the Middle

(Adnkronos) – The Iranian navy has informed ships off the Strait of Hormuz that it is still necessary to obtain permission from Iran to cross it. The Wall Street Journal reports this, based on a recording shared by a crew member of

(Adnkronos) – Two ships have crossed the Strait of Hormuz, the first since the announcement of the two-week truce between the United States and Iran, MarineTraffic, a maritime traffic tracking site, reported. The cargo ship NJ Earth, owned by a Greek shipowner,

(Adnkronos) – A 76-year-old French pensioner shot down a drone that had been sent to check the condition of the roof of a public building in Nohic, Tarn-et-Garonne. The man, a resident of the area, said he was convinced that the aircraft