Tokyo, Jan. 31 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government’s excess debts over assets calculated using the private sector’s accounting methods reached 699.9 trillion yen at the end of fiscal 2024, an increase of 4.2 trillion yen from a year before, the Finance Ministry has

(Adnkronos) – “The Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa has informed the government of the State of Israel of the decision to declare Ariel Seidman, chargé d’affaires of the Israeli embassy, persona non grata.” This is stated in a

(Adnkronos) – The Trump administration is significantly expanding the network of immigrant detention centers through the acquisition and conversion of large industrial warehouses in at least 23 locations across the United States, raising strong concerns among local authorities and residents. This is

(Adnkronos) – Austria will hold a referendum on the extension of compulsory military service. This was announced by Chancellor Christian Stocker, specifying that the outcome of the consultation will be “binding for political parties and the government”.  The proposal comes after a

(Adnkronos) – The self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for an attack in the area of Niger’s main airport. This was reported by Site, which monitors the online activities of extremist groups, after testimonies from Niamey shortly after midnight on Thursday

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Finance Ministry data confirmed Friday that there had been no foreign exchange market intervention in the period between Dec. 29 and Wednesday. During the period, the dollar plunged from over 159 yen to near 157 yen in

Yokosuka, Kanagawa Pref., Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Gyu-back, agreed to conduct mutual visits every year, at a meeting on Friday at the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture, south

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is considering treating Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as a state guest during her possible visit to the United States this spring, Japanese and U.S. government sources told Jiji Press on

(Adnkronos) – The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Kurdish-led, announced in an official statement that they have reached a comprehensive agreement with the Syrian government for a ceasefire, which includes a gradual and sequential integration process of military forces and administrative structures between

(Adnkronos) – A convoy of several dozen tankers was set on fire in Mali in an attack attributed to Jnim jihadists, in which several soldiers and attackers were killed. Local officials told AFP. The attack occurred yesterday on a road leading from

(Adnkronos) – Less than two weeks before the parliamentary elections and the February 12 referendum in Bangladesh, the United States urges its citizens in the country to exercise caution due to fears of violence in the days leading up to and following

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–The likelihood of Japan adopting a consumption tax reduction following the upcoming general election is high, with most major parties proposing related measures, but discussions on how to foot the massive bill are lacking. With some even doubting

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–Housing starts in Japan fell 6.5 pct from the previous year to 740,667 units in 2025, down for the third straight year and hitting a 62-year low, the land ministry said Friday. The drop reflected deterioration in consumer

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–Private rice stocks in Japan surged 34 pct from a year earlier to 3.38 million tons at the end of December, reflecting slow rice sales due to elevated prices, an agriculture ministry report showed Friday. This is the

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–A labor-management forum hosted by the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, was held in Tokyo on Friday, kicking off full-fledged “shunto” spring wage negotiations. The focal point of this year’s shunto is whether pay increases exceeding 5 pct

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan is facing the challenge of becoming less dependent on rare earth imports from China amid souring ties between Tokyo and Beijing. In its harsh response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s “Taiwan contingency” remarks, the Chinese government

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–Akira Iriye, a renowned scholar of international politics and professor emeritus at Harvard University, died in the United States on Tuesday at the age of 91, according to informed sources. An expert in U.S. diplomatic history, Iriye was

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Children and Families Agency has set up a working group to discuss possible regulation of social media services to prevent juveniles from being caught up in problems via the internet. The group will mull measures while taking

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–The politics of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party have deteriorated step by step over the past three decades, Kazuo Shii, chairman of the Japanese Communist Party’s Central Committee, said in a recent interview. Recalling his tenure of more

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–The number of foreigners entering Japan rose 15.4 pct from the previous year to 42.43 million in 2025, marking a record high for the second straight year, preliminary government data showed Friday. The annual tally exceeded 40 million

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–Train services on East Japan Railway Co.’s Joban Line were partially suspended for about seven hours Friday after an overhead power line snapped at Tokyo’s Ueno Station. The power outage occurred around 7 a.m. near Ueno Station in

Osaka, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–Hirofumi Yoshimura, leader of the Japan Innovation Party, said that his party will take the role of the “accelerator” in propelling its coalition with Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party forward. Asked in a recent interview about his party

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–Train services on East Japan Railway Co.’s Joban Line were partially suspended for about seven hours Friday after an overhead power line snapped at Tokyo’s Ueno Station. The power outage occurred around 7 a.m. near Ueno Station in

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–A labor-management forum hosted by the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, was held in Tokyo on Friday, kicking off full-fledged “shunto” spring wage negotiations. In Japan, pay hikes have yet to catch up with inflation, with real wages

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police have arrested a 27-year-old male host on suspicion of violating the amusement business law by using a dating app to solicit female customers to a “host club” in Tokyo. The arrest marked the first crackdown in

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s average ratio of effective job openings to seekers in 2025 fell 0.03 point from the previous year to 1.22, declining for the second straight year, the labor ministry said Friday. The drop came as many companies moved

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–A group of Japanese and Chinese people were robbed of an estimated 423 million yen in Tokyo on Thursday night, quickly followed by an assault on a different group also carrying a lot of cash. Both groups said

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–The number of foreign workers in Japan as of the end of October 2025 jumped 11.7 pct from a year before to 2,571,037, hitting a record high for 13 years in a row amid the country’s labor shortages,

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–The number of child abuse cases handled by child consultation centers across Japan in fiscal 2024 came to 223,691, falling by 1,818 cases, or 0.8 pct, from the previous year, the government said Friday. “The situation remains unchanged,

Tokyo, Jan. 30 (Jiji Press)–The number of food and beverage price hikes in Japan will drop nearly 60 pct from a year earlier next month, showing a sign of food inflation calming down, a private research firm survey showed Friday. The country’s