2025-03-16 23:03:00
Ahead of the opening series of the Major League Baseball season in Japan, the Cubs played an exhibition game against the professional baseball team, the Giants, and won 4-2. Cubs player Seiya Suzuki started as the third batter and designated hitter, but was hitless in three at-bats.
2025-03-16 23:02:00
Regarding the issue of Prime Minister Ishiba distributing gift certificates to the offices of LDP members of the House of Representatives who have only been elected once, Senator Maidate Noboru Haruhi, who belongs to the same Tottori Prefectural LDP chapter as Prime Minister Ishiba, said at a prefectural chapter meeting, "Something that has been a normal practice for past prime ministers has become such a problem, and we must take seriously the criticism that it is far from common sense, given the current situation and the current severe climate of high prices. Even if there is no legal issue, there is no way to refute it if a moral issue is pointed out. As Prime Minister Ishiba has said, all we can do is keep quiet and show an attitude of remorse and do our best. We have to fight the upcoming elections in such a difficult situation."
2025-03-16 20:54:00
A fire broke out at a nightclub in North Macedonia, southeastern Europe, and local authorities have revealed that 51 people were killed. Authorities are investigating the details of the incident, as fireworks were set off at the nightclub where a concert was being held.
2025-03-16 20:04:00
In the Chiba mayoral election, which was a contest between the incumbent and two newcomers, independent incumbent Shunichi Kamiya (51) has been assured of being elected for a second term.
2025-03-16 20:01:00
In the Chiba Prefectural Governor election, which was a contest between the incumbent and three newcomers, independent incumbent Toshihito Kumagai (47) was assured of being elected for a second term.
2025-03-16 19:07:00
Regarding the issue of Prime Minister Ishiba distributing gift certificates to the offices of a Liberal Democratic Party member of the House of Representatives who had only been elected once, Constitutional Democratic Party leader Noda indicated his intention to intensify his investigation, including by calling for an explanation at the Political Ethics Review Committee.
2025-03-16 18:14:00
In Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, where a large forest fire broke out, rain fell on the 16th, and local residents expressed hope that the fire would be extinguished soon. However, the city government said, "It appears to have had a certain effect, but the area that has spread is wide, so further investigation is needed," indicating that it will take some time before the fire can be declared extinguished.
2025-03-16 18:10:00
To support the recovery from the Noto Peninsula earthquake, a rugby match between Waseda University and Keio University was held in Kanazawa City, with alumni and current players participating, and junior high school students from the disaster-stricken areas also enjoyed the exciting match.
2025-03-16 18:04:00
In the United States, tornadoes, strong winds, and severe thunderstorms occurred over a wide area in the Midwest and South, causing the collapse of houses and traffic accidents, and more than 30 people died. Meteorological authorities are calling for vigilance as there is a possibility of large-scale tornadoes occurring in the future, mainly in the South.
2025-03-16 18:00:00
Regarding the pension system reform bill, whose submission to the Diet has been postponed, Prime Minister Ishiba met with Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Fukuoka and instructed him to continue making adjustments in order to submit the bill to the current Diet session.
2025-03-16 16:43:00
The remains of an atomic bomb victim who died two years ago were placed in a grave in Tokyo where the remains of atomic bomb victims with no relatives are usually kept, and those involved offered prayers.
2025-03-16 15:28:00
Ahead of the opening series of the Major League Baseball in Japan, the Dodgers played an exhibition game against the professional baseball team Hanshin, and Shohei Ohtani, who started, was hitless in two at-bats. Hanshin won the game 3-0, thanks to the excellent pitching of starting pitcher Hiroto Saiki, and achieved consecutive wins against major league teams, following the game against the Cubs on the 15th.
2025-03-16 15:19:00
A problem with an aging substation in Cuba has caused widespread power outages since the 14th. Meanwhile, the Trump administration in the United States is taking a tough stance against the socialist country, and it looks like electricity and other shortages will become even more serious in the future.
2025-03-16 13:50:00
On the 16th, a fire broke out at a house in Higashinari Ward, Osaka, and according to police and firefighters, three people were injured and taken to the hospital.
2025-03-16 13:23:00
As dependency on China for rare earths, which are essential for electric vehicles, etc., becomes an issue, the Japanese government has decided to invest approximately 16 billion yen in a rare earth smelting project planned in the south of France, with the aim of making it a new supplier for domestic companies.
2025-03-16 12:45:00
At the Women's Curling World Championships, which will determine qualifying spots for next year's Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics, Japan defeated Italy 10-5 in the second match of the qualifying league, marking their first victory of the tournament.
2025-03-16 12:03:00
The private spacecraft launched from the United States carrying Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi and others is scheduled to arrive and dock at the International Space Station at around 1:00 p.m. on the 16th, Japan time.
2025-03-16 11:51:00
On NHK's Sunday Debate, ruling and opposition party leaders in the House of Councillors exchanged opinions on the issue of Prime Minister Ishiba distributing gift certificates to the offices of LDP members of the House of Representatives who had only been elected once. The LDP expressed the view that it is necessary to hold Prime Minister Ishiba accountable, while the Constitutional Democratic Party stated that it will pursue the issue, citing not only the possibility of violating the law but also moral responsibility.
2025-03-16 11:41:00
On the 18th, Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who will be starting in the opening game of the Major League Baseball season in Japan, held a press conference and spoke about his determination for the opening game, which will see him face off against Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga, saying, "This is a special game with two Japanese players starting, so I want to do my best and show my strength."
2025-03-16 11:15:00
On the night of the 15th, a fire broke out on a minesweeper of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force sailing off the coast of Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture. The fire was put out about an hour later, no one was injured, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is currently investigating the cause.
2025-03-16 10:12:00
Regarding how to respond to the issue of Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, "It's complicated. We'll have to discuss it later," indicating his intention not to make it a subject for discussion at this time, but to prioritize discussions with the Trump administration in the United States, which is working hard to achieve a ceasefire.
2025-03-16 09:47:00
US President Trump announced that he would apply the "Enemy Alien Act," which allows the detention and deportation of foreigners without court procedures, in order to prevent the invasion of the US by gangs from Venezuela. This law is known for being used to detain immigrants from Japan and other countries during World War II, and its application has been controversial within the country.
2025-03-16 09:24:00
As the 30th anniversary of the Aum Shinrikyo subway sarin gas attack approaches, Hiroyuki Nagaoka (86) and his wife Eiko (77), who have supported members who have left the cult as their families, gave an interview. While they themselves were victims who were attacked by the cult and temporarily lost consciousness, they have continued to face the fact that their family members belonged to a cult that committed an unprecedented terrorist attack. The couple said, "We don't think our feelings of regret will ever go away. Cults are still all around us. We want people to think for themselves."
2025-03-16 08:25:00
US President Trump said on social media that he had ordered the US military to launch strong military action against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have repeatedly carried out terrorist attacks against the US and other nations. The Houthi side said that the US military's attack on the capital, Sana'a, killed 13 people.
2025-03-16 07:26:00
On the early morning of the 16th, a house in Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, was completely burned down, and two men and women believed to be in their 60s died. Police are investigating the cause of the fire while confirming the identities of the two people who died.
2025-03-16 07:09:00
Due to the influence of a rapidly developing low pressure system, very strong winds accompanied by snow are expected to blow mainly on the Pacific side of northern Japan through the 17th, and the Japan Meteorological Agency is urging people to be on guard against heavy snowstorms and snowdrifts that could affect traffic.
2025-03-16 05:56:00
Tornadoes and other strong winds occurred in the Midwest and Southern United States, causing a series of home collapses and traffic accidents, and at least 18 people were killed.
2025-03-16 05:31:00
The leaders of nearly 30 countries, mainly from Europe, met online to discuss the situation in Ukraine and agreed to continue to pressure Russia to accept the ceasefire proposal proposed by the United States. British Prime Minister Tom Starmer said he would begin discussions on the operation of peacekeeping forces, citing growing support for a coalition of the willing to maintain peace after the ceasefire.
2025-03-16 05:29:00
In Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, where a large-scale forest fire occurred, the city is seeking businesses and others willing to accept volunteers to help support affected industries.
2025-03-16 05:19:00
The US military announced that it had killed the number two leader of the extremist group IS (Islamic State) in Iraq in the Middle East. Remnants of IS are still hiding out in Iraq and neighboring Syria, and there are concerns that they may regain their strength by taking advantage of the chaos caused by the collapse of the Assad regime.
2025-03-16 04:57:00
Two years ago, the off-site center in Saga Prefecture, which is the base for responding to the nuclear accident, experienced two power outages due to a phenomenon called "induced lightning," in which high-voltage current flows due to a nearby lightning strike. When NHK investigated the state of countermeasures against "induced lightning," it was found that no countermeasures were being taken at the off-site centers in 10 of the 13 prefectures and prefectures that have nuclear power plants.
2025-03-16 04:22:00
At the World Single Distance Speed Skating Championships in Norway, Miho Takagi won the gold medal in the women's 1000m with a time of 1 minute 14.75 seconds, achieving her second consecutive victory in the tournament. This is the first time that a Japanese female athlete has won consecutive victories in an individual event at this tournament.
