Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–Bank of Japan policymakers in September held an in-depth discussion about the advisability of raising interest rates, minutes from the central bank’s monetary policy meeting released on Wednesday showed. The minutes of the Sept. 18-19 meeting showed that

Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei stock average plunged Wednesday, briefly slipping below 50,000 on an intraday basis for the first time since Oct. 27. The index finished at 50,212.27, down 1,284.93 points, or 2.49 pct, from Tuesday, after losing more

Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday that it has revised up its consolidated net profit forecast for fiscal 2025 to 2.93 trillion yen from 2.66 trillion yen, on the back of robust hybrid vehicle sales in North America. For

Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–A subcommittee of a finance ministry advisory panel Wednesday started discussions to formulate the Japanese government’s budget for fiscal 2026, which starts in April next year. It will be the first budget compiled under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s

Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Wednesday that she will not replace Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato, a House of Councillors lawmaker involved in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s “slush funds” scandal. In a question-and-answer session on

Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling and opposition parties formally agreed Wednesday to scrap the provisional gasoline tax surcharge Dec. 31 while putting off a decision on how to secure stable alternative revenue sources by about a year. The agreement was reached

Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–Market players are skeptical that a 30-minute expansion of the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s trading hours a year ago had a significant effect in boosting trading value. The TSE pushed back its closing time from 3 p.m. to 3:30

Akita, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force on Wednesday signed an agreement with the Akita prefectural government to dispatch troops to the northeastern Japan prefecture to help capture wild bears amid a spate of attacks on people. The GSDF members are

Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average tumbled about 2,400 points to end below 50,000 Wednesday morning, dragged down by heavy selling of chip-related stocks following a weak overnight performance of Wall Street. The Nikkei stood at 49,104.05 at

Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average briefly tumbled more than 2,000 points Wednesday morning to slip below 50,000, dragged down by heavy selling of semiconductor-related shares. At 10:32 a.m., the Nikkei average stood at 49,441.52, down 2,036.20 points,

Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–Amid a recent spate of bear attacks on people, a variety of outdoor events, including school marathons, have been canceled across Japan since October because of reported sightings of the animal in the vicinity. Miyagi Prefecture Sendai Daiichi

Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–Japanese telecommunications company NTT Inc. has said it will establish a new company in December to promote the practical application of self-driving technology. The new company, NTT Mobility Inc., aims to begin offering services such as procuring autonomous

Tokyo, Nov. 5 (Jiji Press)–As the hiring of people with disabilities has become more common, Japanese companies, especially large ones, are building personnel management frameworks that assume a diverse workforce. They are rolling out a range of initiatives to address challenges such

(Adnkronos) – The leader of the Dutch far-right, Geert Wilders, has publicly admitted defeat in the parliamentary elections, congratulating centrist Rob Jetten, who, at 38, seems destined to become the youngest prime minister of the Netherlands.  With Jetten leading by 28,000 votes,

(Adnkronos) – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro stated that the Venezuelan authorities and people will respond “with works, facts, and results” to the “psychological warfare” of the United States, meaning the administration of Donald Trump and those he called “media scoundrels” in Miami. 

(Adnkronos) – Donald Trump is once again attacking the ‘filibuster’, the Senate rule that requires a 60-vote threshold to pass most laws, and urges Republicans to abolish it with the so-called “nuclear option”. “Democrats have a much better chance of winning the

(Adnkronos) – Thirty years ago, on the night of November 4, 1995, three gunshots ended the life of Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli general who became a man of peace. Born in Jerusalem in 1922, a fighter in the Palmach unit tasked with

(Adnkronos) – The Russian Chargé d’Affaires, Mikhail Rossiyskiy, summoned by the Farnesina for Moscow’s words on the collapses at the Torre dei Conti, during the meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “expressed his firm grievances regarding the aggressive, deplorable anti-Russian campaign

(Adnkronos) – Albania “is on the right track” to achieve its “ambitious goal” of closing accession negotiations by 2027. This was announced by the European Commission after adopting the annual enlargement package, which presents an assessment of the progress of accession negotiations

(Adnkronos) – In Sudan, October was the bloodiest month for civilians since the conflict between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began two years ago in April: this is what emerges from an AFP agency analysis of Acled data, which

Tokyo, Nov. 4 (Jiji Press)–Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, and West Japan Railway Co., or JR West, have both logged record group sales and net profits for April-September, thanks to the 2025 World Exposition in the western city of Osaka

Tokyo, Nov. 4 (Jiji Press)–New automobile sales in Japan in October fell 1.8 pct from a year before to 395,189 units, decreasing for the fourth consecutive month, industry data showed Tuesday. The sales were below levels of a year ago at six

Tokyo, Nov. 4 (Jiji Press)–Suntory Spirits Ltd. on Tuesday announced its plan to raise shipping prices on 187 products by 2 to 20 pct starting April 1 next year, mainly due to rising raw material costs. The suggested retail price of the

Tokyo, Nov. 4 (Jiji Press)–Profits went up at three of Japan’s four major securities firms in the April-September first half of fiscal 2025 thanks to high stock prices, according to their earnings results released by Tuesday. Each firm focuses on a type

Tokyo, Nov. 4 (Jiji Press)–Fumitake Fujita, co-leader of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) in the ruling coalition, said Tuesday that his reported payments from public funds to a firm headed by his secretary were “lawful.” At a press conference in

Tokyo, Nov. 4 (Jiji Press)–Asian black bear sightings in Japan from April to September totaled 20,792, the highest for the six-month period since data began in fiscal 2009, the Environment Ministry said Tuesday. The figure far surpassed the previous record of 15,832

Tokyo, Nov. 4 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Tuesday dismissed China’s protest over the recent meeting between Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and former Taiwanese Vice Premier Lin Hsin-i. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

Matsue, Shimane Pref., Nov. 4 (Jiji Press)–The Matsue branch of Hiroshima High Court ruled on Tuesday that the House of Councillors election in July was held in a “state of unconstitutionality” due to vote-value disparities of up to 3.13 times. This was

(The third paragraph should have read “Ueno also said…” instead of as sent.) Japan to Counter Foreigners Refusing to Pay Health Insurance Premiums Tokyo, Nov. 4 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s health ministry is planning to deny in principle the renewal or change of residential

Tokyo, Nov. 4 (Jiji Press)–Three major Japanese department store operators on Tuesday reported year-on-year growth in their same-store sales for October, reflecting a rise in the number of visitors to Japan during China’s National Day holiday season. Sales increased 9.3 pct at