Amid the spread of the omicron variant, the government is considering shortening the interval for third booster shots to seven months for those under 65 from March onward.

The news comes shortly after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen met with Myanmar's military ruler Min Aung Hlaing.

An estimated five million foreign tourists are expected to enter the kingdom in 2022 if current travel patterns remain the same.

Tepco aims to take pictures of melted nuclear fuel debris and other deposits using six types of underwater robots.

Trade minister Koichi Hagiuda visited Singapore and met his counterpart during a six-day tour of Southeast Asian nations.

A district court branch in the city of Daegu issued an order on Dec. 30 to sell 194,000 shares worth about ¥94 million in a joint venture involving the firm.

Akira Yamaguchi was found guilty of recruiting people in 2020 to assist with a bid to oust Aichi Gov. Hideaki Omura.

The confidence index of workers with jobs sensitive to economic trends rose from November, but fell below the boom-or-bust line when looking ahead.

While Japan's economy remains in a "severe" situation, the nine areas reported that economic conditions had been "picking up" or had shown "signs of a pickup."

Spain is calling for COVID-19 to be treated as an endemic disease, becoming the first major European nation to explicitly suggest that people live with it.

Japanese courts are going all out to make information technology available for judicial procedures, a move that has been in part spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The legislation will add to a national security law imposed directly on Hong Kong by Beijing that has empowered authorities to carry out a widespread crackdown on dissent.

The education minister said that he will ask national and other public universities to offer measures to those who will be unable to take the unified entrance exams.

While Japan has called on the junta to stop the violence and restore democracy, it wants to remain close to Myanmar as part of a strategy of countering China’s influence.

The growing capability gives Pyongyang another weapon adept at evading defenses while providing ammunition to those championing a major shift in Japan’s defense-only security posture.

When Switzerland became one of the last Western European nations to legalize same-sex marriage last year, it made waves next door in the tiny Alpine country of Liechtenstein.

The trade balance declined for the fourth straight month as high energy prices continued, the Finance Ministry said.

More Japanese firms are opting for price increases, led by market leaders often with speciality products, as commodities and transport costs soar due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a quarterly survey by the Bank of Japan, 77.4% of those polled feel prices are more expensive now than they were a year ago.

According to President Kentaro Kawabe, 90% of the company’s employees are now working remotely, and their performance has held steady or improved at home.

Although the U.S. side has not given any reason for the cancellation, the coronavirus infection situation is believed to have been behind the decision.

Battered by mounting losses on loans to developers including China Evergrande Group, China Minsheng Banking Corp. saw their stocks tumble 31% in the 12 months through last week.

The older console uses less advanced chips, is simpler to make and provides a budget-friendly alternative to the flagship model.

Sake that pairs well with foreign cuisine and custom-made drinks are expected to hit the shelves soon thanks the initiative.

The pandas will be viewable for only three days and to a limited number of visitors amid a resurgence of coronavirus infections.

Private insurers in the U.S. have mostly declined to cover Aduhelm, saying they need more proof of its efficacy and that benefits outweigh risks like brain swelling.

Beijing’s ‘COVID zero’ strategy meant factories stayed open, but if tougher restrictions are needed there will be knock-on effects at Chinese ports and factories.

The top U.S. scientist cited the contagiousness of the virus and its propensity to mutate into new variants, and the large pool of unvaccinated people.

The health ministry said Tuesday it had received about 85,000 applications as of Thursday for free cloth face masks left in storage.

An advisory group called for the development of new jabs that protect against serious illness and also stop people from catching the virus in the first place.

The U.K. prime minister's leadership faces its most serious threat yet after it emerged his private secretary invited over 100 people to a gathering at his official residence in May 2020.

The U.S. president slammed Republicans in a fiery speech designed to breathe life into the fight to pass federal voting laws and win over skeptical Democratic activists.

The SDP is at a critical moment as it may lose its status as a political party in this summer's election.

When COVID-19 and its economic disruptions hit, already vulnerable demographics found themselves in particular need.

The 'breathtaking arrogance' of the government's continued stance on Djokovic's COVID-19-detention is more frightening than the original blunder.

Beyond the issues associated with the U.S. military’s lax COVID-19 containment measures, SOFA has a long history of incidents.

To champion his own policy agenda, Kishida will have to wait and see how much political capital he has after the next Upper House election.

A close call eventually ended in victory for the sport's lone yokozuna in a thrilling conclusion to Wednesday's bouts.

The Japan Sumo Association's tie-up with the world's biggest video game franchise could be a big step in attracting younger fans to the sport.

The issue of Saudi Arabia's human rights record has been discussed widely since the Spanish FA signed a lucrative contract with the West Asian nation through 2029.

The world No. 1 men's player, who is seeking to win a record 21st tennis major at the Australian Open, said his lawyers had provided additional information to the government on Wednesday.

The double-Olympic gold medalist, who shed tears at the finish, has now won more races in a single discipline than any other skier, male or female, in World Cup history.

All of the six nominees will appear on the ballot next year, as the Hall of Fame's policies allow nominees to remain on the ballot for up to three years if not voted in.

Kohei Uchimura thrived in an era where difficult routines were key to winning gymnastics titles, but his memorable artistic qualities were a critical component of his enormous success.

The team features 13 returning players from the Pyeongchang Games roster and is currently stationed inside a "bubble" environment in Calgary ahead of its planned Jan. 26 flight to Beijing.

The decision came two days after the team capped off a disappointing 4-13 campaign with a loss to division rival Washington.