Fifth time’s a charm as former defense minister finally wins Japan ruling party leadership contest and will become country’s next leader

Former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba will become Japan’s new prime minister after winning his party’s leadership contest on Friday, following a crowded race that ended in a runoff vote.

The 67-year…[Read more]

Shigeru Ishiba to become Japan’s next PM

Shigeru Ishiba, a veteran politician with a reputation for irking his conservative colleagues, is set to become Japan’s next prime minister after winning the leadership race for the Liberal Democratic Party Friday.

Ishiba, a 67-year-old former defense minister, defeated socially conservative foreign pol…[Read more]

Who’s in the running to be Japan’s next prime minister?

Japan’s governing party is choosing a new leader in a race analysts say is more unpredictable than usual.

Japan’s governing party will choose a new leader on Friday to replace Fumio Kishida who announced his resignation in August.

The winner of the contest for leadership of the Liberal…[Read more]

Japan’s Ex-Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba Set To Become PM Next Week

The 67-year-old train lover beat arch-nationalist Sanae Takaichi — who would have been the country’s first-ever woman leader — 215 votes to 194 in a run-off.

Former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba will become Japan’s prime minister next week after winning the conservative…[Read more]

Shinkansen makes emergency stop when cars uncouple en route to Tokyo

A shinkansen made an emergency stop between northeastern Japan and Tokyo on Thursday after its two linked trains uncoupled, railway operator JR East said, but no injuries were reported among the some 320 people aboard.

The incident involving the Komachi and Hayabusa high-speed…[Read more]

BOJ keeps interest rates unchanged, weighs July hike impact

The Bank of Japan left its key interest rate steady at around 0.25 percent as widely expected at the end of a two-day policy meeting Friday, as it continued to assess the impact of its previous rate hike two months ago.

The central bank stood pat after it raised the target for the…[Read more]

Child dies after stabbing near Japanese school in China

Japan condemns ‘despicable act’ committed against the 10-year-old boy who was on his way to the Shenzhen Japanese School.

A 10-year-old boy enrolled in a Japanese school in China’s Shenzhen city has died after being stabbed by a 44-year-old man, according to officials in both count…[Read more]

Japan faces labor shortages and demographic crisis as elderly population hits record high

Japan commemorated its “Respect for the Aged Day” earlier this week, with the national holiday underscoring a somewhat problematic fact — the country has a record number of elderly citizens to celebrate.

Government data released ahead of the event showe…[Read more]

‘The end of Schengen’: Germany’s new border controls put EU unity at risk

Critics say tightened land border checks a ‘transparent’ bid to appease far right that breaches free movement rights

Germany’s decision to tighten controls at every one of its land borders seems driven chiefly by politics, is difficult to justify in law, deals a heavy blo…[Read more]

The German woman who helped build an Indian university

In a Muslim graveyard in Delhi, a tombstone stands out.
It has an inscription written in the Urdu language, but beneath it lies the name of a German-born Jewish woman – Gerda Philipsborn – followed by the epithet ‘Aapajaan’ or ‘elder sister’.
This is an unusual sight as the graves of the…[Read more]

Germany: Second explosion shakes Cologne

The explosion was the second in a week in Cologne’s city center. Police said it was still too early to say if there was a connection. Sniffer dogs were on the site as officers investigated.

The western German city of Cologne saw a small explosion for the second time in a week early on Wednesday.

The…[Read more]

Germany has stopped approving war weapons exports to Israel: Report

Germany faces mounting pressure from legal cases arguing that German weapons exports to Israel breach humanitarian law.

Germany has put a hold on new exports of weapons of war to Israel while it deals with legal challenges, according to the Reuters news agency.

A source close…[Read more]

German far right hails ‘historic’ election victory in east

Germany’s anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) is celebrating a “historic success”, with a big victory for the far-right party in the eastern state of Thuringia.
The AfD won almost a third of the vote, nine points ahead of the conservative CDU, and far in front of Germany’s…[Read more]

An ‘earthquake’ at Volkswagen – and a crisis for Germany?

The company is seen as crucial not just to local but national wellbeing – and never before have its workers been threatened in their own homeland like this

‘Earthquake at Volkswagen” ran the stark headline in the Wolfsburger Nachrichten, the newspaper serving the north German city that i…[Read more]

German Chancellor Scholz expands border checks to tackle immigration

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ruling coalition agreed to temporarily extend frontier controls to all nine of Germany’s land borders as part of a crackdown on irregular immigration and an effort to strengthen domestic security.

Germany already has temporary controls on its bor…[Read more]

Japan’s premier hopefuls pledge more spending to support economy

Japan will likely see another stimulus package under a new prime minister, with several candidates running in the ruling party’s leadership race pledging fresh spending measures to boost growth and cushion the blow to households from rising inflation.

In announcing his int…[Read more]

Japan’s economy is growing, but political uncertainty is among the risks

Japan’s economy grew at an annual rate of 2.9%, slower than the earlier report for 3.1% growth, in the April-June period, boosted by better wages and spending, revised government data showed Monday.

That shows clear risks remain, including U.S. economic growth, which g…[Read more]

Japan’s Prince Hisahito turns 18, first male royal to reach adulthood in nearly 40 years

In a significant moment for Japan’s royal family, Prince Hisahito celebrated his 18th birthday on Friday, marking the first time in nearly four decades that a male royal has reached adulthood.

This milestone is especially crucial for Japan’s imperial fam…[Read more]

How to plan the ultimate trip to Japan

Tradition and ritual are still vital in the daily life of this pacific nation, whether exploring neon-lit metropolises and onsen spa towns or mountain trails and subtropical islands.

Known as Edo under the rule of the shoguns — Japan’s military rulers — until 1868, Tokyo sits at the centre of a histo…[Read more]