Koshigaya, Saitama Pref., Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–Princess Aiko, daughter of Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, hosted a duck-netting reception for foreign diplomats on Wednesday. The princess welcomed guests from Mexico and 15 other countries, including ambassadors and their spouses, to the

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–Mizuho Financial Group Inc. said Wednesday that it will acquire Indian investment bank Avendus Capital Private Ltd. for a maximum of around 47 billion Indian rupees to strengthen its operations in the growing Indian capital market. Mizuho Securities

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Ministry of Finance disclosed Wednesday a fifth set of documents related to a dubious land sale to Moritomo Gakuen to the widow of a MOF regional official who committed suicide after being ordered to tamper with official

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government will hold the first summit meeting with five Central Asian countries in Tokyo for two days from Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara announced Wednesday. Through the meeting with her counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan,

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–The Diet, Japan’s parliament, concluded its 58-day extraordinary session Wednesday after passing a fiscal 2025 supplementary budget and legislation to abolish the provisional gasoline tax surcharge. The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, aborted the launch of an H3 rocket on Wednesday after detecting a ground equipment anomaly. According to JAXA, the launch was halted just before the rocket’s scheduled liftoff at 11:11 a.m.

Osaka, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–Victims of an arson attack on a psychosomatic clinic in Osaka were remembered on Wednesday, the fourth anniversary of the 2021 incident that killed 26 people including clinic head Kotaro Nishizawa, then 49. In front of the building

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s seasonally adjusted core machinery orders in October rose 7.0 pct from the previous month, up for the second consecutive month, the Cabinet Office said Wednesday. Private-sector orders excluding those for ships and power equipment, closely watched as

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s exports to the United States in November increased 8.8 pct from a year earlier to 1,816.9 billion yen, up for the first time in eight months, preliminary customs-cleared trade data from the Finance Ministry showed Wednesday. The

Bangkok, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–Cambodian authorities have taken into custody 16 Japanese nationals for their suspected involvement in so-called special fraud, such as telephone scams, the Japanese Embassy in the Southeast Asian country said Wednesday. In a series of crackdowns on special

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–Financial assets held by Japanese households as of the end of September grew 4.9 pct from a year earlier to 2,286 trillion yen, hitting a record high for two quarters in a row, Bank of Japan data showed

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–SBI Shinsei Bank made a comeback to the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Wednesday, fetching the first quotation of 1,586 yen apiece, higher than its initial public offering price of 1,450 yen. Based on the first quotation, the market

London, Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)–Nissan Motor Co. said Tuesday it has started production of the third generation of the Leaf electric vehicle at its Sunderland plant in northeastern Britain. The Japanese automaker has invested 450 million pounds to revamp the plant for

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–SBI Shinsei Bank made a comeback to the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Wednesday, fetching the first quotation of 1,586 yen apiece, higher than its initial public offering price of 1,450 yen. Based on the first quotation, the market

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–Honda Motor Co. said Tuesday that it will raise its stake in Japanese auto parts maker Astemo Ltd. from 40 pct to 61 pct as part of efforts to accelerate the development of software defined vehicles and self-driving

Washington, Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)–The U.S. government said Tuesday that it has approved support for upgrading Japanese Aegis destroyers and notified Congress of the decision. The estimated total cost for the Japanese government is 100.2 million dollars. According to a statement, the

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–One year after receiving the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, or Nihon Hidankyo, is seeking ways to continue its activities amid the aging of hibakusha atomic bomb survivors. The average

Tokyo, Dec. 17 (Jiji Press)–Local governments and fishery operators in Japan have sprung into action after lush “moba” seaweed and seagrass beds throughout the country have turned barren due to rising sea temperatures and overgrazing by fish and shellfish. Known as “a

(Adnkronos) – Nineteen years old, university student, Polish, “fascinated by Islam and terrorism”. This is the description provided by the Polish authorities of the boy they reported arresting on suspicion of contacts with the self-proclaimed Islamic State and of preparing an attack

(Adnkronos) – This winter, more than one in three children are facing critical levels of hunger in Afghanistan, an 18% increase compared to a year ago. This is the alarm raised by Save the Children, the international organization that has been fighting

(Adnkronos) – 85% of people who received a federal pardon or clemency in the United States in 2025 are white, while those indicted for the January 6, 2021 Capitol assault represent 90% of beneficiaries. This is what emerges from a report by

(Adnkronos) – The manhunt is still ongoing in connection with the Brown University shooting, which occurred on Saturday and claimed the lives of two students. The FBI stated that agents and analysts are working closely with law enforcement partners to identify the

Tokyo, Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)–Japan expressed grave concern on Tuesday over the conviction of Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily in Hong Kong, for violating the national security law. “We are deeply concerned about the impact on the freedoms of

(Adnkronos) – “I know that the people of the United States will tie the hands of the crazy warmongers who want to impose a war for oil in South America.” This is what Nicolas Maduro said in a speech broadcast by Venezuelan

(Adnkronos) – The project to build a Trump Tower in Belgrade, transforming the ruins of the former Yugoslav General Staff headquarters, which has been dilapidated since it was bombed by NATO in 1999, has been halted. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed today

(Adnkronos) – One of the two men accused of the Bondi Beach massacre in Australia, which claimed the lives of at least 15 people, was an Indian citizen. This has been confirmed by the Indian Police. “Sajid Akram is originally from Hyderabad,

Tokyo, Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)–Two people who were found dead after a fire at a sauna facility in the Akasaka district of Tokyo’s Minato Ward on Monday may have been trapped inside a sauna unit due to a broken door, investigative sources

Tokyo, Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling parties have given up on enacting a bill to reduce the number of House of Representatives seats before the current extraordinary session of the Diet ends on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, president of

Tokyo, Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)–Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. announced Tuesday that Junichi Hanzawa, currently president of MUFG Bank, will succeed Hironori Kamezawa as president of the group next spring. The appointment will take effect on April 1, marking the first leadership

Tokyo, Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Foreign Ministry will set up by the end of March next year a new office tasked with mediating peace between third countries, it was learned Tuesday. The move comes in line with a coalition agreement between the