Cases in 10 hard-hit prefectures under a coronavirus state of emergency are declining at a slower pace, and may even stop falling, the panel said.

The fire in Ashikaga has continued despite efforts on the ground by firefighters and helicopter water-bombings carried out by the Ground Self-Defense Force and local governments.

Aichi, Gifu, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka could be removed from the list this weekend as infections have declined and hospitals have become less strained.

The drugmaker said it expects to gain results from a study on 200 Japanese participants age 20 or older in the second half of this year.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is expected to be among the first to receive the vaccine this weekend.

Health minister Norihisa Tamura says Japan will stick to the standard two-dose schedule, but some in the LDP are calling for a change of course.

Hiroto Saikawa admitted during the trial of Greg Kelly, who was a close aide to Ghosn, that he signed documents outlining Ghosn's post-retirement remuneration in front of his boss.

A local welfare association that sets up volunteer centers in times of disaster has not done so following the quake earlier this month, saying it has not received any requests for help.

An internal probe has found 13 officials have or are highly likely to have violated the National Public Service Ethics Law, which prohibits officials from receiving favors from stakeholders.

As part of his effort to re-energize American alliances frayed by the Donald Trump years, Blinken has spoken with dozens of his counterparts around the world but has yet to leave the U.S.

Any order would be part of a larger effort by the Biden team to determine how dependent the U.S. economy and military are on certain key Chinese exports.

The military has not given a time frame for a new election but it imposed a one-year state of emergency when it seized power so it would likely be after that.

Reflecting the latest figures, the cumulative number of cases in the capital now stands at 110,400.

Metal fatigue has emerged as the chief suspect in the engine failure, which caused no injuries.

The bill to revise the swords and firearms control act calls for limiting the possession of crossbows for purposes such as shooting sports and veterinary anesthesia.

The government introduced amendments to the so-called Media Bargaining Code after Facebook last week escalated a dispute over the new laws.

Since the trains have to slow down on sections of the track that were recently repaired, some journeys will take about an hour longer than normal.

A decadeslong war on poverty has yielded remarkable results, but it has not been a smooth journey up China's economic ladder for everyone.

Iran's blacklisted banking system also means players, with no access to internationally recognized credit cards, need to use fake identities and addresses.

U.S. President Joe Biden will announce a program to send cloth masks to disadvantaged communities to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

All of Tuesday’s witnesses said they were caught off guard by the coordinated violence from insurrectionists chanting support for Trump and threats of violence against members of Congress.

Bitcoin’s fivefold jump in the past year has come amid a flood of money pumped into the global financial system during the coronavirus pandemic.

The move would be a reversal of last year’s decision to pull back from Europe.

The military has repeatedly shut off the internet, isolating a country that had only in the past few years linked to the outside world.

The expected shortfall follows a big reduction in supplies in the first quarter and could hit the EU's ability to meet its target of vaccinating 70% of adults by summer.

Even as vaccines embolden countries to plot paths to reopening, authorities around the world are tightening the screws to stop COVID-19 mutations from slipping through quarantine.

In Japan, 6,976 women took their lives last year, nearly 15% more than in 2019. It was the first year-over-year increase in more than a decade.

Trade deals, like peace agreements, aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on without good faith vested in their implementation. Just weeks after the Brexit trade agreement entered into force, intentions over the part of the deal that applies to Northern Ireland have been called into ...

The pipeline across the Baltic has pitted the United States and the European Union against Germany, and a swelling chorus of domestic critics against German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Europe no longer has any illusions that Russia is on a trajectory toward liberal democracy that could be accelerated through engagement.

The case for maintaining a small yet strong military presence in Afghanistan is sound, if not popular.

After the one-year respite caused by COVID-19, carbon emissions will be staying stubbornly high, just as they were before the pandemic pushed down world energy demand for a while.

Many people were outraged to learn that the Chinese are supposedly devouring the country’s electricity in their bitcoin mining farms.

Riding the craft whisky boom at home and abroad, a small distillery north of Tokyo is boosting production to meet a growing demand for its world-renowned and award-winning Ichiro's Malt product. Venture Whisky Ltd. in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, has established itself as a pioneer in ...

Poet and publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti, whose City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco became a West Coast literary haven for Beat Generation writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, has died at the age of 101.

A unique online competition, established due to the inability to hold amateur meets in person due to the pandemic, is aiming to cast a rare spotlight on form and technique.

Rugby's crown jewels are in the sights of investors seeking to exploit the untapped potential of the market as struggling governing bodies try to replenish their coffers. U.S. private equity firm Silver Lake is reported to be offering around $340 million for a 15% share ...

Beach volleyball players will be able to wear bikinis for an upcoming tournament in Qatar, the sport's governing body said Tuesday, after two Germans and their coach vowed to boycott the event amid a row over strict dress regulations. Karla Borger and Julia Sude told ...

Japanese soccer's top flight will feature its largest-ever relegation zone as the league aims to rebalance its divisions following last year's pandemic-struck campaign.

Seattle Mariners leaders expressed their dismay on Tuesday and vowed to move on positively from comments made by former team CEO and president Kevin Mather, who resigned Monday after his insulting comments toward some players and groups were made public. "It's been a difficult couple ...

NBA All-Star Game captains LeBron James and Kevin Durant won't have to look hard to find familiar faces when they build their teams for the March 7 showcase. James Harden of the Brooklyn Nets and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers were among the ...

Tens of thousands are expected to flock to the world's biggest cricket stadium on Wednesday and India skipper Virat Kohli thinks England will be intimidated by the experience. The rebuilt Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, where former U.S. president Donald Trump held a rally last ...

Australia and Qatar, the two non-South American sides due to take part in this year's Copa America, have pulled out of the tournament, the secretary general of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) said on Tuesday. The two teams were set to join 10 others ...

Golfing champion Tiger Woods was hospitalized in Los Angeles on Tuesday with severe leg injuries suffered when his car swerved off a road and rolled down a steep hillside, requiring rescue crews to pry him from the wreckage.