Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–Only 25.7 pct of Japanese companies expect a positive impact from a possible consumption tax cut, according to a survey by research firm Teikoku Databank Ltd. Meanwhile, 48.2 pct said that they anticipate no particular impact, apparently because

(Adnkronos) – Italian and Vatican diplomats undergoing training gathered in Rome on Tuesday for an annual meeting which this year focused on the 1929 Lateran Treaty and ties between Italy and the Vatican, Italy’s embassy to the Holy See wrote on X. 

Osaka, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–A female Japanese prosecutor has sued the state for damages related to a high-profile sexual assault case involving a former head of the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office. The lawsuit, filed with Osaka District Court, demands a total

Hiroshima, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–The Hiroshima District Public Prosecutors Office on Monday indicted Hiroshima Toyo Carp fielder Ryutaro Hatsuki on charges of violating the pharmaceuticals and medical devices law by allegedly using etomidate, a designated drug also known as “zombie cigarette.” According

(Adnkronos) – Italy’s special envoy for the reconstruction of Gaza, Bruno Archi, held talks Tuesday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh on cooperation with local organisations aimed at scaling up aid for the war-shattered Palestinian enclave’s civilians, the embassy wrote on X.  “Special

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–Emboldened by a historic victory in the Feb. 8 House of Representatives election, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is demanding to retake key parliamentary posts. The LDP, which was a minority force before the general election, now controls

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will pledge in her upcoming policy speech to accelerate efforts to submit bills to revise tax-related legislation, aiming to cut consumption tax on food to zero for two years, it was learned Tuesday.

Jakarta, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–The Indonesian government is grappling with mounting financial strain from its much-touted high-speed railway project led by China. Roughly two years after the line began operations in October 2023, ballooning construction costs and weaker-than-expected passenger demand have made

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–Mercian Corp. on Tuesday announced a recall of a total of about 620,000 bottles of three Chilean rose wines containing copper citrate, an additive that has not been approved in Japan. No health problems related to the products

Washington, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)–U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday claimed credit for the Japanese ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide victory in the latest House of Representatives election. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, also

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to revise the economic security promotion law to support companies with economic security-linked projects overseas. This will be the first revision of the law, established in 2022. The move comes amid a rapidly changing

Morioka, Iwate Pref., Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–Iwate Prefecture still faces a host of challenges nearly 15 years after a massive earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan, including Iwate, Governor Takuya Tasso said in an interview. “Work to restore hard infrastructure is almost

Otsu, Shiga Pref., Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–A 36-year-old Japanese man on Tuesday admitted to murdering a “hogoshi” private-sector volunteer probation officer in charge of him in 2024, while the defense for him argued that he is not mentally competent to bear responsibility

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–Renesas Electronics Corp. said Tuesday it will broaden its strategic partnership with U.S. contract chipmaker GlobalFoundries Inc. to reinforce international supply chains and respond to customer demand with agility. The Japanese chip designer will harness cutting-edge fabrication technologies

(In the story “‘Kokuho’ Earns 20 B. Yen at Japan Box Office,” moved on Monday, the second paragraph should have read, “…all-time…,” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) “Kokuho” Earns 20 B. Yen at Japan Box Office Tokyo, Feb. 16

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s major opposition Centrist Reform Alliance on Tuesday recommended Keiichi Ishii as vice speaker of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament. Ishii, 67, is expected to be chosen as Lower House

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–An increasing number of profit-making large companies in Japan are trimming their workforces, including through voluntary retirement programs. Although cutting jobs has been a traditional tactic to boost the finances of loss-making firms, it is now being used

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–Yamanashi and eight other Japanese prefectures have formed a framework aimed at deepening exchanges with India, whose economy continues growing rapidly. The prefectures, also including Iwate, Miyagi, Toyama, Nagano, Shizuoka, Aichi, Tottori and Kagawa, hope to strengthen cooperation

(The final paragraph should have read, “…its first-round record…,” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) Japan Ties Record Winter Games Medals with Figure Skating Pairs Gold Milan, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara secured gold in figure

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan suffers an estimated annual economic loss of around 1 trillion yen due to the “social jet lag” mismatch between people’s sleep patterns on weekdays and holidays. The estimate comes from a University of Tsukuba research group that

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–Former Sega Corp. President Hideki Sato, who helped develop the firm’s flagship gaming consoles, including the Mega Drive, died at 75 on Friday, the company said on its official X account Monday. A native of the northernmost prefecture

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura, also governor of Osaka Prefecture, has indicated the possibility of considering returning to national politics. Yoshimura told a meeting of JIP executives in the city of Osaka, the capital of the western

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan will help young people in Gaza gain economic independence and prevent them from radicalizing, Takeshi Okubo, Japanese ambassador in charge of assisting the reconstruction of the Palestinian territory, said in an interview with Jiji Press on Monday.

(Adnkronos) – In Nepal, the election campaign has begun ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for March 5. These will be the first since the protests five months ago that left dozens dead and led to the end of Khadga Prasad Sharma

(Adnkronos) – Russian oil producers may be forced to drastically cut production in the coming months due to increasing pressure from the United States and the European Union on energy exports, which are causing overloaded depots and jeopardizing the Kremlin’s military budget.

(Adnkronos) – At least 28 people have died in an attack that hit a market in North Kordofan, Sudan. This is what the Emergency Lawyers organization reported on X, the day after the alleged massacre, stating that “drones” “bombed the market in

(Adnkronos) – After seeking to reassure European allies by stating, from the podium of the Munich security conference, that “Donald Trump is temporary”, California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom today in London signed a memorandum of understanding with the British Energy Minister, Ed

(Adnkronos) – Muhammad Yunus, until today leading the interim administration of Bangladesh, has announced his resignation, four days after the first elections since the end of the Sheikh Hasina era. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman, son of Khaleda

Tokyo, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)–A proposal to reduce the number of seats in Japan’s House of Representatives may be put on hold following the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide victory in the Lower House election earlier this month. Calls for shelving the

Tokyo, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s transport ministry said Monday that it has launched a certification system to simplify the import process for passenger cars produced in the United States. This initiative was agreed with the United States in July last year, in