(Adnkronos) – In Austria, girls under 14 will no longer be allowed to wear the Islamic veil, the hijab, inside schools. The Vienna Parliament decided this by approving the measure with a large majority. The proposal has already been challenged by activists

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s government and ruling parties are in the final stages of discussions on introducing a new tax relief system to promote companies’ research and development activities for cutting-edge technologies, it was learned Thursday. The aim is to foster

(Adnkronos) – After more than two and a half years, Emergency’s pediatric center in Mayo, Sudan, reopened its doors. It had been closed in April 2023 after the start of the war due to a lack of safety conditions for staff and

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s state investment agency Simest and the Indian Chamber of Commerce signed an accord on Thursday to propel economic growth by bolstering cooperation between Italian and Indian companies and supporting bilateral investments in both countries.  The Memorandum of Understanding aims

Seoul, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling that ordered Nippon Steel Corp. to pay a total of 100 million won, or about 11 million yen, in damages to South Korean plaintiffs for wartime labor,

Taipei, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Taiwanese police plan to send back to Thailand the mother of a Thai girl who was forced to engage in illegal work at a massage parlor in Tokyo, it was learned Thursday. The mother arrived in Taiwan in

(Adnkronos) – Italy and India want to achieve trade worth 20 billion euros a year by 2029, foreign minister Antonio Tajani confirmed at a joint press conference in Mumbai on Thursday with industry and trade minister Piyush Goyal.  “As (India’s) prime minister

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s three megabanks plan to provide loans totaling up to around 2 trillion yen in stages from fiscal 2027 to Rapidus Corp., which aims to mass-produce cutting-edge chips, Jiji Press learned Thursday. This would mark the first private-sector

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Fisheries Agency and others announced measures Thursday to address the mass deaths of farmed oysters in the western prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama and Hyogo, all facing the Seto Inland Sea. The measures include financially supporting affected oyster

(The second paragraph should have read, “…Japan Innovation Party…,” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) (Update) Japan Lower House OKs FY 2025 Extra Budget Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s House of Representatives on Thursday passed the government’s draft supplementary budget

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s policy toward China lacks strategy, University of Tokyo professor Tomoko Ako said Thursday, at a time when tensions between the two countries are rising due in part to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark over a possible

Hachinohe, Aomori Pref., Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–A 70-meter-high steel tower of NTT East Inc. in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, has been found damaged after a powerful earthquake that struck Monday night, prompting the government of the city to order 48 nearby households to

(Adnkronos) – The planned India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC) to foster connectivity and economic integration between Asia and Europe is “a priority for Italy”, which is striving “to achieve this goal quickly”, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said in Mumbai on Thursday.  

(Adnkronos) – Pakistan’s former intelligence chief, Faiz Hameed, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison on charges of violating state secrets and abusing his authority. This was announced by the Islamabad army. Hameed led Pakistani intelligence during the government of then-Prime

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–A series of earthquakes with magnitudes of 7 or 8 may occur after a 7.5-magnitude quake struck off the east coast of Aomori Prefecture, part of Japan’s Tohoku northeastern region, on Monday, a research institute has said. Fumiaki

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Nearly 40 pct of people in Japan support Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks on a Taiwan contingency, which angered China, a Jiji Press survey showed Thursday. In the interview survey, 39.5 pct of respondents said that the

(Adnkronos) – Italy’ foreign minister Antonio Tajani on Thursday sent congratulations to Switzerland’s former president and foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis, on his appointment as vice-president of the government.  “Congratulations to @ignaziocassis on his appointment as Vice President of the Swiss Federal Council,”

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi is considering visiting the Middle East, including Israel and the Palestinian region, in mid-January 2026, informed sources said Thursday. During the visit, Motegi is expected to meet with senior government officials and exchange

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–The powerful earthquake that struck off Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Monday night has highlighted problems nursing homes there face in coping with disasters. After the quake, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued an advisory that warns of a

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s House of Representatives on Thursday passed the government’s supplementary budget bill for fiscal 2025, which will finance the first comprehensive economic policy package compiled under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. At a plenary meeting of the lower chamber

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government and the ruling coalition are considering allowing companies to deduct 7 pct of capital spending from corporate tax to help spur domestic investments, people familiar with the matter said Thursday. Under the plan, companies will

Seoul, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling that ordered Nippon Steel Corp. to pay a total of 100 million won, or about 11 million yen, in damages to South Korean plaintiffs for wartime labor,

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–A UNESCO intergovernmental committee decided Thursday to add six items from Japan, including Murakami Festival in the city of Murakami, Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, to the U.N. agency’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. This marked the first registration of

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Over 40 pct of people in Japan support restarting nuclear power plants nationwide, a Jiji Press opinion poll showed Thursday. The survey found that 44.7 pct of respondents were in favor of bringing nuclear plants back online, while

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Japanese fighter jets joined U.S. bombers in exercises over the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, the Japanese Joint Staff said Thursday, in what was seen as a coordinated move aimed at countering military threats from China and Russia.

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet fell 3.9 percentage points from the previous month to 59.9 pct in December, a monthly survey by Jiji Press showed Thursday. The approval rate dipped after logging the second-highest

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government and ruling parties are considering raising the minimum taxable income threshold from the current 1.6 million yen to 1.68 million yen in 2026, it was learned Thursday. The minimum taxable income level represents the combined

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Business sentiment among major Japanese companies was positive for the second straight quarter in October-December, a government survey showed Thursday. The business sentiment index for companies with capital of 1 billion yen or more as of Nov. 15

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government Thursday proposed a draft financial support plan for oyster farmers affected by the mass deaths of farm-raised oysters in the western prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama and Hyogo facing the Seto Inland Sea. Attending a meeting

Tokyo, Dec. 11 (Jiji Press)–Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet fell 3.9 percentage points from the previous month to 59.9 pct in December, a monthly survey by Jiji Press showed Thursday. The approval rate dipped after logging the second-highest