Tokyo, June 12 (Jiji Press)–The annual number of consultation requests made to consumer affairs centers across Japan regarding social media topped 100,000 for the first time in 2025, a government report showed Friday. Such consultations totaled 101,045 last year, nearly double the

Osaka, June 12 (Jiji Press)–The Osaka prefectural and city governments Friday held the first meeting of a statutory council discussing a system for the so-called Osaka metropolis plan, with an eye toward an envisioned third referendum on the plan. Osaka Governor Hirofumi

Tokyo, June 12 (Jiji Press)–Drunken driving accounted for some 10 pct of accidents involving specified small motorized two-wheel vehicles, including electric kick scooters, in Japan in 2025, a government white paper on traffic safety said Friday. Drunken driving was blamed for 43

By Hiroki Shimoo Tokyo, June 9 (Jiji Press)–Japan and Canada can work more closely together to accelerate the real-world adoption of artificial intelligence, an expert at a Toronto-based, cutting-edge research institute says. “AI will be the technology that will power the future,”

Tokyo, June 12 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government on Friday decided to revise its basic plan that outlines measures to be taken over the next decade in preparation for a possible powerful earthquake occurring directly beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area. In the revised

Tokyo, June 12 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese parliamentary panel Friday approved a bill submitted by the government to reform the country’s retrial system. The Judicial Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament, passed the

Tokyo, June 12 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Fair Trade Commission plans to order about 30 construction companies, including Haseko Reform Inc., to pay a total of 1.6 billion yen in fines for bid-rigging in large-scale condominium renovation contracts in violation of the antimonopoly

Tokyo, June 12 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average temporarily surged over 2,800 points Friday morning, reflecting rising anticipation that the ongoing armed conflict between the United States and Iran would end. After rising as high as 67,065.94 in the early

Tokyo, June 12 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, successfully launched an H3 rocket on Friday morning, after an unsuccessful launch attempt last December. The H3 rocket lifted off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, at

Nashville, Tennessee, June 11 (Jiji Press)–Wataru Endo, the captain of the Japanese men’s national soccer team, has withdrawn from the country’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to injury, the Japan Football Association said Thursday. In a social media post,

Tokyo, June 12 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average temporarily surged over 2,600 points in early trading Friday. At 9:25 a.m., the index of 225 selected issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s top-tier Prime section gained 2,686.25 points, or 4.18

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani on Thursday defended Israel’s right to exist and and to not come under attack from Iran-backed Lebananese militant group Hezbollah, but underlined that the Jewish state must not attack Lebanon.  “Israel has the right to

Tokyo, June 11 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government has started work on drawing up a bill to revise the Imperial House Law, after the country’s legislative branch compiled its consensus Wednesday on measures to secure a sufficient number of Imperial Family members. The

(Adnkronos) – The European Union will collectively decide Europe’s envoy to help mediate dialogue between Ukraine and its invader Russia, Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said in Rome on Thursday.  “The whole European Union will decide this, not (Russia’s president Vladimir) Putin

(Adnkronos) – Beijing imposes sanctions against the Philippine Defense Minister for “repeatedly making irresponsible statements regarding China.” Gilberto Teodoro will be banned from entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Beijing claims sovereignty

(Adnkronos) – “Tonight there will be more massive raids, they no longer have air defenses.” This is what Donald Trump said, interviewed by Fox News, stating that last night the US launched “bombs worth 250 million dollars” against Iran. “We are not

(Adnkronos) – The British Defense Secretary, John Healey, has resigned, citing in a letter disagreements with Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the defense budget. “This is a letter I never thought I would write, and I do so now with great regret

(Adnkronos) – Zohran Mamdani was forced to cancel the meeting, scheduled for this week in New York, with Gustavo Petro, the outgoing left-wing Colombian president who accuses the Trump administration of interference in the elections which saw the surprising exploit of far-right

Sagamihara, Kanagawa Pref., June 11 (Jiji Press)–Police in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, arrested a man, 19, on Thursday for allegedly murdering a 17-year-old local high school girl. The man, a self-proclaimed painter and resident of the city of Sagamihara in Kanagawa,

Tokyo, June 11 (Jiji Press)–The bill to revise Japan’s retrial system is now likely to be enacted by the end of the current Diet session on July 17, after an opposition party indicated on Thursday that it will support the bill. At

(Adnkronos) – Government policies and a”strategic” position in the Mediterranean have made Southern Italy’s businesses “increasingly competitive” and interested in new partnerships with the United States, foreign undersecretary Massimo Dell’Utri told an event in New York, underlining the strength of bilateral economic

Tokyo, June 11 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to visit Ankara from July 6 to 8 to attend a NATO summit for the first time since taking office last year, Jiji Press learned Thursday. Takaichi aims to confirm with NATO

Tokyo, June 11 (Jiji Press)–Japanese ruling party heavyweight Shunichi Suzuki is expected to visit Vietnam and Singapore on July 20-26, Jiji Press learned Thursday. The Liberal Democratic Party secretary-general hopes to meet with senior government officials and leading lawmakers of the two

Tokyo, June 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Emperor Naruhito said Thursday he hopes a plan regarding the number of Imperial Family members that wins public support will be created. “I hope it will be something that gains the understanding of the people,” he said

Tokyo, June 11 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Thursday that her country can now maintain stable domestic oil supplies until March 2028, rather than until next spring as she had previously indicated. At a meeting of relevant minister on the

(Adnkronos) – The International Network on African Energy Transition (Inaet) is organizing its third conference in Abidjan, on June 11 and 12, bringing together recognized leaders in the energy sector to discuss solutions aimed at promoting a just, inclusive, and investment-oriented energy

Tokyo, June 11 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Thursday that she will propose three principles on energy security at the three-day summit of the Group of Seven major industrialized countries in France from Monday. With the proposal, Takaichi aims to

Sagamihara, Kanagawa Pref., June 11 (Jiji Press)–The body of a 17-year-old high school girl was found in the city of Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, on Thursday, and local police arrested a male acquaintance, 19, later in the day. Around 2:15

Tokyo, June 11 (Jiji Press)–Japanese electronics maker NEC Corp. said Thursday that major Japanese financial institutions, including Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. and MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings Inc., will participate in its strategic collaboration with U.S. startup Anthropic in the field of

Nagoya, June 11 (Jiji Press)–Japanese power generation company Jera Co. has signed a contract with a unit of Malaysian state-owned energy company Petroliam Nasional Bhd. to buy up to 2 million tons of liquefied natural gas per year for 20 years, starting