Tokyo, May 13 (Jiji Press)–Aichi Financial Group Inc. and San ju San Financial Group Inc., regional banking holding companies of central Japan, said Wednesday that they have reached a basic agreement on a business integration set for April next year. The two

Tokyo, May 13 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average rose on Wednesday to close above 63,000 for the first time, thanks to buying of shares in companies that logged robust earnings. The index of 225 select issues on the Tokyo Stock

Tokyo, May 13 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s current account surplus hit a record high for the third consecutive year in fiscal 2025 partly because the trade balance swung back to the black, preliminary data from the Finance Ministry showed Wednesday. The surplus in the

Kyoto, May 13 (Jiji Press)–Major Japanese motor maker Nidec Corp. said Wednesday that improper activities, such as changing materials, manufacturing processes and designs without customer approval, are suspected for some of the firm’s products. There are believed to be more than 1,000

Tokyo, May 13 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese health ministry council on Wednesday approved the public health insurance coverage for a regenerative medicine for Parkinson’s disease produced from induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells, effective from May 20. With the approval by the Central

Paris, May 13 (Jiji Press)–The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development suggested in a report Wednesday that Japan’s macroeconomic policies “be calibrated carefully.” As the East Asian economy is shifting toward “a new equilibrium in terms of higher prices and wages,” careful

Tokyo, May 13 (Jiji Press)–The Diet, Japan’s parliament, enacted a bill Wednesday to promote work-style reforms for truck drivers by encouraging the use of systems that allow multiple logistics firms to relay cargo. The bill to revise the logistics streamlining law was

Kyoto, May 13 (Jiji Press)–Immune cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells that are genetically modified to produce two specific proteins simultaneously can improve the therapeutic effect against solid cancers, a Japanese group said Wednesday. The findings may lead

Tokyo, May 13 (Jiji Press)–The yield on the most recent issue of 10-year Japanese government bonds, regarded as the country’s benchmark long-term interest rate, rose to as high as 2.600 pct in Tokyo interdealer trading Wednesday morning. The reading was the highest

Tokyo, May 13 (Jiji Press)–Mathias Cormann, secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, has expressed concern over the Japanese government’s plan to temporarily lower the consumption tax on food items to zero, calling it not cost-effective. While acknowledging that “we

Kyoto, May 13 (Jiji Press)–Major Japanese motor maker Nidec Corp. said Wednesday that improper activities, such as changing materials, manufacturing processes and designs without customer approval, are suspected for some of the firm’s products. There are believed to be more than 1,000

Osaka, May 13 (Jiji Press)–About one year after launching sweeping management reforms aimed at restoring profitability, major Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic Holdings Corp. is entering a decisive stage in its turnaround efforts. Over the past year, Panasonic has worked to revamp its

Seoul, May 13 (Jiji Press)–A South Korean court has sentenced a man to five years in prison for drunken driving that left a Japanese tourist in her 50s dead and her daughter in her 30s seriously injured in Seoul last year. The

Kyoto, May 13 (Jiji Press)–Major Japanese motor maker Nidec Corp. said Wednesday that improper activities, such as changing “materials, processes and designs without customer approval,” are suspected for some of the firm’s products. The company said it has begun contacting and providing

Kyoto, May 13 (Jiji Press)–Japanese chipmaker Rohm Co. has reported a record consolidated net loss of 158.4 billion yen for the fiscal year that ended in March, hit by slowing demand for electric vehicles. The figure was larger than a net loss

Tokyo, May 13 (Jiji Press)–The Legislative Bureau at Japan’s House of Representatives and others have drafted an outline of an emergency clause that may be included in the Constitution as part of a planned reform of the country’s fundamental law. The draft

Tokyo, May 13 (Jiji Press)–The yield on the most recent issue of 10-year Japanese government bonds, regarded as the country’s benchmark long-term interest rate, rose to as high as 2.580 pct in Tokyo interdealer trading Wednesday morning. The reading was the highest

Tokyo, May 13 (Jiji Press)–Major Japanese bearing makers NSK Ltd. and NTN Corp. have announced a basic agreement to integrate their operations. The two companies, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s top-tier Prime section, will establish a joint holding company in October

(Adnkronos) – The Sarmat RS-28, successfully tested today and to be deployed by the end of the year, “can be used both as a ballistic missile and as a suborbital trajectory missile, which allows it to reach a maximum range of 35,000

(Adnkronos) – The Taliban-governed Afghanistan “rejects” the accusations made yesterday by Islamabad after Sunday’s suicide attack in which 15 police officers were killed in northwestern Pakistan. For the Taliban government, the “recent statements from Pakistani officials, who claimed the attack on the

London, May 12 (Jiji Press)–Japanese soccer star Kaoru Mitoma has been diagnosed with an injury that will likely prevent him from returning in time for the 2026 World Cup, which begins on June 11., Jiji Press learned Tuesday. The 28-year-old midfielder who

(Adnkronos) – A cold reception for Friedrich Merz from the participants gathered in Berlin for the Federal Congress of the German Trade Union Confederation: the approximately 400 delegates listened to the chancellor for little more than fifteen minutes before the first boos

(Adnkronos) – The Russian government has revised downwards its growth projections for 2026. The economy will grow by only 0.4 percent, compared to the 1.3 percent forecast last September, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak announced in an interview with Vedomosti. Inflation by

(Adnkronos) – At least nine people have died and 33 were injured in a powerful explosion in the Lakki Marwat district, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in northwest Pakistan. The Pakistani newspaper Dawn reports this two days after an attack in the

(Adnkronos) – The third minister of the Starmer government has resigned, which appears increasingly precarious. The BBC reports that the Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, announced her resignation on X, as pressure on the Prime Minister

(Adnkronos) – A second minister of the Starmer government has resigned. This is Jess Phillips, Minister for Child Protection, as pressure grows from an increasing number of Labour MPs on the prime minister to step aside. In a letter to Starmer, reported

Tokyo, May 12 (Jiji Press)–Japan is expected to secure over 70 pct of its crude oil procurement in June from sources other than the Middle East, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday. At a meeting of related ministers on the day, Takaichi

Tokyo, May 12 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Mathias Cormann, secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, on Tuesday agreed to expand Japan-OECD cooperation in the field of economic security. The agreement was reached when the two held

Tokyo, May 12 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met in Tokyo on Tuesday, reaffirming bilateral cooperation on economic security, such as strategic investments and critical minerals, ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to

Tokyo, May 12 (Jiji Press)–Swedish investment fund EQT AB said Tuesday that it will conduct a tender offer for Japan’s Kakaku.com Inc., the operator of the Tabelog user-generated restaurant review website. The fund will offer 3,000 yen per share, valuing the deal