Main news(2025/03/05)
Fake videos about President Zelensky surge after meeting with US President
2025-03-05 22:39:00
Following his heated exchange with US President Trump, social media posts containing fake videos about Ukrainian President Zelensky and false information alleging that he is misusing aid from overseas and living a lavish lifestyle have skyrocketed, with more than 18,000 posts in Japanese in just three days, according to an analysis by NHK. Some of this information has been spread by media close to the Russian government for some time, and the Ukrainian government has called for caution.
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National burden rate expected to be 45.8% this fiscal year, 0.3 percentage points lower than last fiscal year
2025-03-05 22:15:00
Regarding the "national burden rate," which indicates the proportion of tax and social insurance premiums paid by individuals, companies, etc. on income, the Ministry of Finance has announced that due to the impact of the flat-rate tax cuts, it is expected to be 45.8% in fiscal 2024, 0.3 percentage points lower than the previous fiscal year.
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Prefectural Assembly approves report of 100-article committee finding "certain facts" regarding Governor Saito's power harassment allegations
2025-03-05 21:23:00
The Hyogo Prefectural Assembly's plenary session approved the report of the 100-Article Committee, which stated that the report "contained certain facts" regarding suspected power harassment by Hyogo Prefecture Governor Saito.
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Large-scale Russian military attacks continue; Ukrainian official says attacks should stop
2025-03-05 21:12:00
As Russia continues its military invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military continued to carry out large-scale drone attacks on the 5th, and a senior Ukrainian official said, "If Russia truly wants to end the war, it must stop its attacks."
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Cancer patients' group calls for meeting with Prime Minister Ishiba next week over high medical expenses
2025-03-05 21:07:00
Regarding the review of the high-cost medical care system, at the House of Councillors Budget Committee on the 5th, Prime Minister Ishiba indicated his intention to adjust dates to meet with patients. In response, Todoroki Hiromi, director of the National Federation of Cancer Patients' Organizations, said, "If possible, we would like Prime Minister Ishiba to make time next week, but we don't just want to meet with him. We would like him to carefully read the voices of over 3,600 patients and families collected in the survey, and understand that if things continue as they are, it will lead to a decrease in medical visits."
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Members of the Omuta High School relay team in Fukuoka will transfer en masse to a high school in Tottori Prefecture
2025-03-05 19:25:00
It has been learned that most of the members of the track and field club at Omuta High School, a private school in Omuta City, Fukuoka Prefecture, which has won the boys' national high school relay race five times, will be transferring to a private high school in Tottori Prefecture starting next month.
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Asahikawa high school student murder case: 19-year-old defendant sentenced to 25 years in prison
2025-03-05 19:10:00
In April last year, a 19-year-old defendant was charged with murder and other crimes for the murder of a 17-year-old high school girl by pushing her into a river from a bridge in a valley in Asahikawa City, Hokkaido. The prosecution called for a 25-year prison sentence, calling it an "extremely cruel crime that violates the dignity of the individual." On the other hand, the defense argued that a 15-year prison sentence was appropriate, stating that the defendant followed instructions from the 22-year-old defendant, who was also indicted.
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Hyogo Governor Saito: "One opinion" of the 100-article committee report: Response is appropriate
2025-03-05 18:59:00
Hyogo Prefecture Governor Saito said in a report compiled by the Prefectural Assembly's Article 100 Committee that the allegations of power harassment against the governor "contained certain facts," but that the prefecture's response to the allegations "was seriously problematic throughout the whole process." He said he "takes seriously the fact that one opinion has been expressed," and reiterated his view that the prefecture's response so far has been appropriate.
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JR East subsidiary "Atre" warned by Japan Fair Trade Commission over changes to tenant contract
2025-03-05 18:01:00
It has been discovered that Atre, a wholly owned subsidiary of JR East that operates commercial facilities in station buildings mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area, has unilaterally changed its contracts with tenants to require them to cover part of the operating costs of a point service. The Japan Fair Trade Commission has issued a warning, stating that this may be in violation of the Antimonopoly Act.
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Minimum wage increase as planned leads 20% of small businesses to consider closing down or going out of business
2025-03-05 17:08:00
Following the government's goal of raising the minimum wage to 1,500 yen nationwide in the 2020s, a survey conducted by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry found that if the targeted increase is implemented from fiscal 2025, 200% of small local businesses responded that they would consider closing or going out of business due to declining profits.
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Trial Holdings announces that general merchandise store "Seiyu" will become a wholly owned subsidiary
2025-03-05 17:02:00
Trial Holdings, which operates discount stores mainly in the Kyushu region, has announced that it will acquire 100% of the shares of Seiyu, a general supermarket chain under the umbrella of an American investment fund, making it a wholly owned subsidiary.
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Three workers transported from demolition site in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, suspected to have been poisoned by carbon monoxide
2025-03-05 15:49:00
On the 5th, just before noon, three male workers were taken to the hospital from a demolition work site in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, one of whom was temporarily unconscious. The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the details of the incident, as they were working using a generator at the time.
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Dodgers' Roki Sasaki takes to the mound for the first time in a real game, with Otani and Yamamoto starting
2025-03-05 13:51:00
On the 4th, the Dodgers played against the Reds in an exhibition game, and pitcher Roki Sasaki took to the mound as the second pitcher in the major leagues to pitch in a real game, pitching three scoreless innings. Shohei Otani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto both started in this game, making it the first time that three Japanese players have appeared in the same game.
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Number of applications for welfare benefits last year reached 12-year high, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare
2025-03-05 12:40:00
The number of applications for public assistance last year exceeded 250,000, up 0.3% from the previous year, the highest number in the past 12 years. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare commented that "the increase in applications may be due to various factors, including the increase in single-person households and the impact of rising prices."
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US Under Secretary of Defense candidate attends hearing: "Japan's defense spending should be 3% of GDP"
2025-03-05 11:52:00
Colby, who was nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, appeared at a congressional hearing and argued that Japan should increase its defense spending as a percentage of GDP to at least 3%.
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Prime Minister: "We will maintain the high-cost medical care system while preventing people from avoiding medical treatment"
2025-03-05 11:50:00
The new fiscal year budget proposal began deliberations in the House of Councillors on the 5th. In response to the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan's repeated request to freeze the increase in the upper limit of the high-cost medical care system, Prime Minister Ishiba asked for understanding, saying that he would aim to maintain the system while preventing people from refraining from visiting doctors.
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NATO to withdraw observer participation in Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Conference of States Parties
2025-03-05 11:37:00
At the third conference of the parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which bans the development, possession, and use of nuclear weapons, there were no observer countries from NATO member states under the U.S. nuclear umbrella.
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Myanmar military chief meets with Putin to confirm military cooperation
2025-03-05 10:43:00
On the 4th, Commander-in-Chief of the military, Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, met with President Putin in Russia, where he confirmed that the two countries will strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas, including the economy and the military. It is believed that Myanmar is aiming to demonstrate its good relationship with Russia in order to demonstrate the legitimacy of its own government.
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China's economic growth target for this year is "around 5%"; defense spending to increase by 7.2%
2025-03-05 10:17:00
The Chinese government has announced that it will set this year's economic growth target at around 5%, the same level as last year. This will be officially announced at the National People's Congress, which will decide China's important policies, starting soon.
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Panama Canal port company sells business to US asset management giant
2025-03-05 10:04:00
As U.S. President Trump continues to make statements calling for the return of the Panama Canal in Central America, a Hong Kong company that holds the operating rights to the ports surrounding the canal has announced that it will sell the port business to a consortium including a major American asset management company.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga pitches 4 scoreless innings, on track for opening day
2025-03-05 09:02:00
Shota Imanaga, the opening pitcher for the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball, took the mound for the second time in an exhibition game on the 4th, pitching four scoreless innings and showing that he is in good shape for the opening game which is just two weeks away.
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Arab League summit agrees to plan to allow Gaza residents to remain and rebuild
2025-03-05 08:10:00
A meeting of Arab leaders was held to discuss the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in Palestine. While U.S. President Trump expressed his intention to relocate Gaza residents to other locations, the Arab countries agreed to a plan for residents to remain in the Gaza Strip and work toward reconstruction.
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More than 20% of companies surveyed say they will not meet their planned number of new graduate hires this spring
2025-03-05 07:44:00
In a survey of 100 major Japanese companies on this year's spring new graduate hiring, NHK found that over 20% of the companies that responded said they "did not reach the planned number of employees." The reasons cited included a higher number of people declining job offers than expected, suggesting that even major companies are finding it difficult to secure human resources.
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"Supply gap" estimated for October to December last year turned positive for the first time in six quarters
2025-03-05 07:28:00
The Cabinet Office announced that the estimated "supply gap," which indicates the difference between demand and supply capacity in the Japanese economy, for the period from October to December last year turned positive for the first time in six quarters.
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Ukrainian Prime Minister: "US support is essential" - emphasizes continued cooperation
2025-03-05 07:02:00
Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmykhali said at a press conference on the 4th that in response to the Trump administration's decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine, U.S. support is essential and that the country will do everything it can to maintain cooperation in the future.
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Nissan to hold "nomination committee" soon to discuss future of President Uchida
2025-03-05 06:34:00
Nissan Motor Co. will soon hold a "nomination committee" to decide on the personnel of the management executives. As voices are raised that hold them responsible for the deterioration of business performance, the focus is on what kind of discussions will be held about the new management structure, including the future of President Makoto Uchida.
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President Trump to deliver second term policy speech to Congress
2025-03-05 06:26:00
On the morning of the 5th (Japan time), US President Trump will address Congress on his one-year policy plan for the first time since taking office for the second term. Reuters reports that with regard to the Ukraine situation, which is the focus of attention, President Trump hopes to announce in his speech that an agreement has been reached with Ukraine over mineral resource rights, which had once broken down.
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China's National People's Congress to begin on the 5th, with focus on economic growth targets and economic measures
2025-03-05 06:03:00
The National People's Congress, China's parliament, which will decide important policies for the coming year, will begin in Beijing on the 5th. With the economy slowing and trade friction with the Trump administration in the United States intensifying, the focus is on how to set economic growth targets and implement proactive economic measures.
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Ofunato forest fire continues one week after outbreak, health impact concerns
2025-03-05 05:49:00
It has been one week since the forest fire broke out in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, five days ago. 8% of the city's area has been burned and firefighting efforts are ongoing, but there is no prospect of the fire being contained, and the exact extent of damage to homes and other structures is unknown. Evacuation orders have been issued to 14% of the city's residents, and as evacuations continue, there are concerns about the impact on residents' health, etc.
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New fiscal year budget bill passes House of Representatives, moves to House of Councillors for deliberation
2025-03-05 05:21:00
The new fiscal year budget bill was revised based on an agreement between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the Komeito Party, and the Japan Restoration Party, and passed the House of Representatives on the 4th. According to the provisions of the Constitution, the budget bill is to be enacted early next month, but the government and ruling parties have decided to expedite deliberations in the House of Councillors in order to have it enacted by the end of this month.
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