(Adnkronos) – Poland is further increasing its defense spending, starting this year, due to the growing threat posed by Russia, announced Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in a speech to Parliament. The defense budget will reach 4.8 percent of GDP in 2026, with

(Adnkronos) – Following the tender procedure for the assignment in Italy of the audiovisual rights for the Fifa World Cup 2026™, Rai has secured the exclusive multi-platform free-to-air broadcasting rights for a selection of 35 matches – which include the opening match,

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s foreign ministry on Thursday approved 295 soft loans managed by state investment agency Simest, totalling almost 150 million euros to support 285 Italian companies, the ministry said in a statement.  The loans greenlit by the ministry’s facilitation committee include

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s lower house of parliament speaker Lorenzo Fontana on Thursday held talks with France’s Senate speaker Gerard Larcher, according to a statement. 

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan is working to increase the number of female pilots in an effort to address the aging of commercial airline pilots and growing air travel demand, but progress has been slow. While the Japanese government aims to raise

Kuala Lumpur, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–The Japan International Cooperation Agency has announced that it will provide Malaysia with technical assistance for the development of critical minerals, including rare earths. This will be the first case of Japan’s technical cooperation with Malaysia in

Taipei, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Thursday bestowed the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon on legendary professional baseball player Sadaharu Oh in honor of his contributions to cultural exchanges between Japan and Taiwan through the sport.

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Prince Hisahito visited Imperial mausoleums in the western city of Kyoto on Thursday to report the completion of his coming-of-age ceremony last September. Dressed in a morning coat and carrying a top hat, Prince Hisahito proceeded slowly

Saitama, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors on Thursday demanded the death penalty for a 43-year-old man charged with killing three members of a family at their house in the city of Hanno, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, in December 2022. In seeking

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Total global vehicle sales at eight major Japanese automakers rose 0.7 pct from a year earlier to 1.94 million units in January, according to data released by the companies on Thursday. Toyota Motor Corp. posted a 4.7 pct

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party has drafted recommendations to strengthen the country’s intelligence activities, which is sought by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The recommendations call for granting the planned national intelligence agency the authority to gather information from

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Finance Ministry plans to simplify procedures for selling land plots inherited and later transferred to the central government, informed sources told Jiji Press on Thursday. The move aims to promote the sale of state-managed inherited land and

(Adnkronos) – Kim Jong-un says he is ready to resume dialogue with the United States if they “respect the position” of North Korea and “withdraw their hostile policy” towards Pyongyang, which is “ready for peaceful coexistence” as well as “eternal confrontation”. “We

(Adnkronos) – A series of attacks by armed groups in northwestern Pakistan has resulted in the deaths of 19 people, including police officers and civilians, over the past two days. A police official reported this, specifying that “in the last 48 hours,

(Adnkronos) – The Cuban government denounces an attempt of “infiltration with terrorist aims” by the crew of the speedboat, registered in the United States, which was stopped by the Coast Guard after entering Cuban territorial waters in a shootout in which four

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government held the first meeting of a new national council on Thursday to discuss a consumption tax cut and a refundable tax credit system. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expects the national council to draw up an

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Tasks that must be resolved for local residents change nearly 15 years after Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan was hit by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Governor Yoshihiro Murai has said. “Challenges remain in restoring

Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Pref., Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking to stop operations of the No. 3 reactor of Shikoku Electric Power Co.’s Ikata nuclear power plant in the western Japan prefecture of Ehime. “It cannot be

Kyoto, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Bank of Japan policymaker Hajime Takata on Thursday stressed the need to continue raising interest rates. “Our basic stance is to continue (raising interest rates) gradually,” Takata told a press conference in the western city of Kyoto. At

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s annual number of births fell to 705,809 in 2025, marking a preliminary record low for the 10th consecutive year, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said Thursday. According to the latest preliminary report, births decreased by

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–The number of elementary school children in Japan who became victims of sex crimes and other offenses through social media totaled 167 in 2025, the highest level in the past 10 years for which data are available, the

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed eagerness Thursday to compile a support program for the so-called employment ice age generation within fiscal 2025, which ends on March 31. “In this generation, the proportion of those worried about their

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average posted a record closing high for the second successive day on Thursday, while its topside was limited amid profit-taking pressure. The index of 225 selected issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police took action against 1,322 people aged under 20 last year for crimes linked to “tokuryu” anonymous and transient criminal groups, the National Police Agency said Thursday. Of them, 425 were involved in fraud, 247 in thefts

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average posted a record closing high for the second successive day on Thursday, while its topside was limited amid profit-taking pressure. The index of 225 selected issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–A government survey found Thursday that 46.2 pct of internet-using high school students in Japan have used generative artificial intelligence. The fiscal 2025 survey on children’s internet use, conducted by the Children and Families Agency in November-December, covered

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–A memorial was held in Tokyo on Thursday for those who died in the so-called Feb. 26 incident, in which young military officers killed senior government officials in a failed coup attempt 90 years ago. In front of

Saitama, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Public prosecutors on Thursday demanded the death penalty for a 43-year-old man charged with killing three members of a family at their house in the city of Hanno, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, in December 2022. Seeking the

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Of companies in Japan, 7.8 pct have implemented measures to address the impact of bears on their operations, according to a survey by Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd. The online survey, carried out between Jan. 30 and Feb. 6,

Tokyo, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average exceeded 59,000 for the first time ever to rewrite its all-time intraday high Thursday morning, boosted by higher U.S. equities overnight. The index of 225 selected issues listed on the Tokyo Stock