Washington, Dec. 13 (Jiji Press)–It is necessary for Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines to conclude a “collective defense pact” to contain China and ensure regional peace and stability, Ely Ratner, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security

Tokyo, Dec. 14 (Jiji Press)–Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s administration released 123 prisoners on Saturday, including former Japanese language teacher Masatoshi Nakanishi and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski, according to local and other media reports. The Japanese Embassy in Belarus confirmed that

Tokyo, Dec. 14 (Jiji Press)–The number of Japanese workers at U.N. agencies as of the end of 2024 was 979, the highest since records began in 1990. While the figure is close to the Japanese government’s target of 1,000 workers in 2025,

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., Dec. 13 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama on Saturday effectively signaled acceptance of an anticipated interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan. “There is no major disagreement between us and the BOJ,” Katayama said in a speech

Tokyo, Dec. 13 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government on Saturday reaffirmed its commitment to resolving the long-standing issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea decades ago, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stressing its urgency. “The abduction issue is not history, but

Tokyo, Dec. 13 (Jiji Press)–Japanese film director Masato Harada, known for socially conscious works including “Climber’s High,” died on Monday at the age of 76, Tsubasa Project, a talent agency that had a business partnership with him, said Saturday. Born in Shizuoka

Tokyo, Dec. 13 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s land ministry is considering giving prefectures the authority to coordinate efforts to preserve beautiful landscapes that span municipal boundaries, informed sources told Jiji Press. Regarding scenic spots involving multiple municipalities, such as large mountains, for which regulations

Tokyo, Dec. 13 (Jiji Press)–A court in Moscow handed down guilty rulings to nine people including Tomoko Akane, president of the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the Investigative Committee of the Russian

Tokyo, Dec. 13 (Jiji Press)–Japanese office supplies retailer Askul Corp. said that a ransomware cyberattack discovered in October led to the leakage of about 740,000 sets of data concerning its individual customers, corporate clients and employees. Of the total, about 590,000 sets

Nanjing, China, Dec. 13 (Jiji Press)–A state memorial ceremony marking the 88th anniversary of the Nanjing incident perpetrated by the former Imperial Japanese Army was held in Nanjing in the eastern China province of Jiangsu on Saturday. “We will never tolerate any

Tokyo, Dec. 13 (Jiji Press)–A clinical trial by a Tokyo-based venture company originating from Keio University has confirmed that transplanting cardiac muscle cell clusters called cardiomyocyte spheroids created from induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells into patients with severe heart failure improved

(Adnkronos) – The Norwegian Nobel Committee has condemned the “brutal” arrest in Iran of activist Narges Mohammadi, recipient of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, and has demanded her unconditional release. “Given the close cooperation between the regimes of Iran and Venezuela, the

(Adnkronos) – A Turkish ferry was damaged in a Russian air attack on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, on the Black Sea. This was announced by Ukrainian Reconstruction Minister Oleksiy Kuleba. “Russia launched a missile attack against civilian port infrastructure in

Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)–Chinese military ships, including the aircraft carrier Liaoning, entered the East China Sea from the Pacific on Friday by sailing north between the main island of the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa and Miyako Island, part of Okinawa,

(Adnkronos) – The head of United Nations peacekeeping operations has warned of the risk of escalation in the Great Lakes region following the new offensive by the M23 armed group in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. “In recent

(Adnkronos) – The Israeli security cabinet has approved the “creation and regulation” of 19 settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law. Israeli media reported this, adding that among these are two settlements in the northern West Bank that

Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party for the People agreed Friday to continue discussions on raising the minimum taxable annual income level from the current 1.6 million yen to 1.78 million yen. The agreement

Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)–Kyocera Corp., Fujifilm Holdings Corp. and other Japanese firms are considering investing in Rapidus Corp., which aims to mass-produce next-generation semiconductors, it was learned Friday. The new funds are expected to put the Japanese chipmaker on track to

(Adnkronos) – ”A ceasefire limited to ports and energy infrastructure could be useful”. This is what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed during a meeting with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, according to the Ankara presidency. Turkey, Erdogan reiterated, supports peace efforts between

(Adnkronos) – Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani “share a common vision of Europe’s role,” Tajani wrote Friday on X after talks with Merz at a European People’s Party meeting in Heidelberg.  “In Heidelberg, I had a very

(Adnkronos) – Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate 2023, has been arrested in Iran. The Hengaw human rights organization announced this, explaining that Mohammadi was arrested in Mashhad, a city in northeastern Iran, and taken to an unknown location.  Along with her,

Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)–“Black Box Diaries,” an Oscar-nominated film directed by Japanese journalist Shiori Ito documenting her experience after suffering sexual violence, was released in Japan on Friday. “I spent 10 years making the film,” Ito said in a speech after

Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)–Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. plans to appoint Junichi Hanzawa, 60, president of its key operating subsidiary MUFG Bank, to succeed Hironori Kamezawa as president of the parent holding company, it was learned Friday. Kamezawa, 64, will step

(Adnkronos) – Debris from a Ukrainian drone struck an apartment building in Tver, about 180 kilometers northwest of Moscow, injuring seven people and sparking a fire. Local authorities reported this: regional governor Vitaly Korolyov spoke of six adults and one child injured

(Adnkronos) – Sweeping reforms of the foreign ministry from 1 January are aimed at dealing with ‘increasingly fierce’ global competition, “unprecedented” trade tensions, a plethora of conflicts and “disruptive” artificial intelligence, whose emergence is impacting people’s daily lives, foreign minister Antonio Tajani

Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)–A bill related to a cut in the number of seats in Japan’s House of Representatives is unlikely to be enacted during the ongoing extraordinary session of the Diet, or parliament, which ends Wednesday. While senior officials of

Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)–The Confederation of Japan Automobile Workers’ Unions compiled a draft proposal on Friday to seek a monthly pay scale hike of at least 12,000 yen in next year’s “shunto” spring wage negotiations. JAW, which consists of labor unions

(Adnkronos) – European nations wants an end to the devastating war in Ukraine that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022, but they “must be part of” any peace settlement, Italy said on Friday.  “We want to work

Tokyo, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)–Nippon Steel Corp. plans to invest 6 trillion yen in facilities and business in fiscal 2026-2030, including in United States Steel Corp., which was acquired by the Japanese steelmaker in June, according to its new management plan released

Kyoto, Dec. 12 (Jiji Press)–Early cancer genomic panel testing aimed at detecting genetic changes in cancer cells significantly increases patients’ chances of receiving effective therapies and reduces mortality risk, according to a study released recently by Kyoto University Hospital. One in four