2025-05-08 22:02:00
On the 8th, the European Union announced its intention to file a dispute settlement request against the Trump administration's move to impose an additional 25% tariff on imported automobiles, claiming that this measure violates the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
2025-05-08 21:49:00
Following remarks made by Liberal Democratic Party Senator Masashi Nishida regarding the explanation of the Himeyuri Monument, which commemorates the souls of female students who died in the Battle of Okinawa, some factions in the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly are drafting a resolution of protest and other coordination is ongoing.
2025-05-08 20:35:00
A council of ruling and opposition parties was held to discuss the nature of election campaigns, and heard from social media operators about their systems for checking false information on social media, and it was decided that concrete measures would be considered in the future.
2025-05-08 19:38:00
On the 8th, US President Trump announced on social media that the first agreement to be reached regarding negotiations with various countries regarding tariff measures would be with the UK.
2025-05-08 19:13:00
Junior high school students from Tokyo visited the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture on a school trip and experienced rice planting. According to the prefecture, this is the first time that students on a school trip have visited the Noto region since last year's Noto Peninsula earthquake.
2025-05-08 18:27:00
Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Moscow and expressed their intention to further strengthen relations between the two countries, with the Trump administration in the United States in mind.
2025-05-08 18:25:00
The Japan Sport Council conducted a survey at sporting venues regarding parents with small children watching sports and found that more than 70% of respondents had concerns or were hesitant to watch games due to the difficulty of traveling and the nuisance they might cause to others.
2025-05-08 18:07:00
The operating company of "Kaldi Coffee Farm," which sells imported foods, etc., announced that Salmonella bacteria had been detected in some of the prosciutto sold in its stores, and that it has decided to voluntarily recall approximately 70,000 products.
2025-05-08 18:06:00
The conclave, the election to decide the new Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, was held on the 7th, but the first round of voting did not decide the pope, and the second day of voting is expected to take place on the 8th. Many people have gathered in the Vatican today to watch the birth of the new pope, and expectations are high.
2025-05-08 17:54:00
Princess Aiko, the eldest daughter of the Emperor and Empress, viewed the exhibits at the Osaka-Kansai Expo.
2025-05-08 17:52:00
The Fair Trade Commission has issued a warning to 15 major hotel operators in Tokyo to prevent recurrence of the practice of exchanging internal information, such as room rates, which could lead to a cartel that unfairly raises prices and violate the Antimonopoly Act.
2025-05-08 16:49:00
The Philippine military has accused two Chinese naval frigates of aggressive and dangerous maneuvering, including closely following a warship patrolling the South China Sea this month, but China, which effectively controls the reefs nearby, has denied the allegations, saying it was trying to stop the Philippine warship from entering its territorial waters.
2025-05-08 16:47:00
At a House of Representatives Constitutional Review Committee meeting, the issue of restricting the power to dissolve the Diet was discussed. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan argued that arbitrary dissolution should be restricted by law, while the Liberal Democratic Party expressed the view that caution should be exercised in restricting the opportunity for political decision-making in advance by law.
2025-05-08 16:46:00
The executive committee for the "Non-regular Spring Offensive," which brings together non-regular workers at different workplaces calling for wage increases, held a press conference and reported that more than half of the 134 companies to which they made requests had agreed to a wage increase.
2025-05-08 16:33:00
An organization made up of elderly care facilities across the country that provide meals to residents has published the results of a survey showing that monthly food costs have increased by more than 340,000 yen compared to the year before last due to rising prices. The organization says that this is putting a strain on the management of the facilities, and has decided to ask the government to expand support.
2025-05-08 16:05:00
A revised Industrial Safety and Health Act has been enacted, which makes freelance workers subject to the same Industrial Safety and Health Act, which stipulates safety measures in the workplace, as people employed by companies, and makes it mandatory for all businesses to conduct "stress checks" in the workplace.
2025-05-08 15:59:00
The bill to amend the law to increase teacher salaries is expected to be amended in the House of Representatives at the request of the opposition parties. Adjustments are being made to include in the supplementary provisions a reduction target for teacher overtime work and measures to be taken to realize a 35-student class size in junior high schools.
2025-05-08 15:44:00
According to the fire department, at around 2:15 pm on the 8th, a teacher at Harayama Elementary School in Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture, reported that "a dozen children were complaining of sore eyes and itchy throats after accidentally spraying a spray intended for suspicious people." When they rushed to the scene, they found that about 20 children were complaining of feeling unwell, but all symptoms were mild.
2025-05-08 14:57:00
Following the accident in which a blade fell from a wind turbine at Akita City's Seaside Park, an emergency inspection was carried out at the wind power plant in Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture, where numerous wind turbines are installed, to check for any abnormalities in the blades.
2025-05-08 14:44:00
On the 7th, Angels pitcher Yusei Kikuchi started in the Major League Baseball game against the Blue Jays and pitched well, allowing only one run in six innings, but the game was not credited with a win or loss, and he was once again unable to earn his first win of the season.
2025-05-08 14:10:00
Toyota Motor Corporation announced that its group-wide financial results for the last fiscal year showed that operating revenue, which corresponds to sales, increased 6.5% from the previous fiscal year to 48.367 trillion yen, a new record high. However, due to increased investment in advanced technology and improving the work environment, operating profit, which indicates the profit from the company's main business, decreased 10.4% to 4.7955 trillion yen, and final profit decreased 3.6% to 4.765 trillion yen, both of which decreased for the first time in two years. In addition, in the earnings forecast for this fiscal year, operating revenue is expected to increase 1% from last year to 48.5 trillion yen, but operating profit is expected to decrease 20.8% to 3.8 trillion yen, and final profit is expected to decrease 34.9% to 3.1 trillion yen, both of which are expected to be significant decreases. The company has provisionally factored in the impact of the US tariff policy for the two months from last month to this month, and said that it will be a factor in pushing down operating profit by 180 billion yen.
2025-05-08 13:53:00
Regarding the consumption tax, a group of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers have proposed to Secretary-General Moriyama that the reduced tax rate on food and other items be permanently set to zero percent, taking into account rising prices. Moriyama indicated his intention to set up a forum to discuss the consumption tax at the party's tax system research committee.
2025-05-08 13:36:00
On the 8th, the Bank of Japan released the minutes of its March Monetary Policy Meeting, in which it decided to keep the policy interest rate unchanged. Although the meeting took place before the Trump administration in the United States implemented measures such as uniform tariffs and automobile tariffs, it was revealed that several opinions were expressed that further interest rate hikes should be considered more cautiously due to concerns about the negative impact on the domestic economy.
2025-05-08 13:32:00
Two 18-year-old suspects living in Kyoto City were arrested for stealing wallets and other items from lockers at an unmanned 24-hour sports gym, according to an interview with a person involved in the investigation. Police suspect that the group targeted unmanned gyms under the guise of "gym activities" among themselves.
2025-05-08 13:22:00
Regarding the issue of political funding within the Liberal Democratic Party factions, at a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee directors, the opposition parties demanded that former Abe faction leader and former Chairman of the Policy Research Council Shimomura be called as an expert witness. However, the Liberal Democratic Party insisted that this was not necessary, as an explanation had already been given, and it was decided that discussions would continue.
2025-05-08 13:16:00
Regarding a weekly magazine report that Prime Minister Ishiba is suspected of not reporting some of his party ticket income in his political funds income and expenditure report, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi explained that Prime Minister Ishiba's office responded to the weekly magazine's interview by saying that political funds are handled appropriately in accordance with laws and regulations and that income and expenditures are reported accordingly.
2025-05-08 13:06:00
In response to LDP Senator Nishida Masashi's comment that "this is what happens when you rewrite history" in regards to the explanation of the Himeyuri Monument, which commemorates the souls of female students who died in the Battle of Okinawa, Constitutional Democratic Party leader Noda said, "That comment offends the feelings of the people of Okinawa Prefecture," and expressed the view that it should be corrected.
2025-05-08 13:05:00
US President Trump has announced that he will announce the first agreement on negotiations with various countries regarding tariff measures on the 8th. A major US newspaper has reported that he is expected to announce an agreement with the UK, and interest is growing in the content of the agreement.
2025-05-08 12:18:00
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, just before 11:00 a.m. on the 8th, a 110 call was made reporting a suspicious individual breaking into Tachikawa Municipal Third Elementary School in Tachikawa, Tokyo. Two men entered the school building and broke windows. The two have already been detained by teachers and staff. Five teachers and staff members have been injured, but their injuries are believed to be minor. No students have been injured so far.
2025-05-08 12:05:00
Rui Hachimura of the NBA (American professional basketball) Lakers has announced that he will be holding a training camp for junior and senior high school students in Japan this August. According to the announcement, the camp will be held in Nagoya City for three days from August 18th, and 150 boys and girls from the first year of junior high school to the third year of high school who have Japanese nationality can participate.
2025-05-08 12:02:00
In a case where a woman's body was abandoned in Kawasaki City, it was learned from an interview with an investigator that the smartphone data of the arrested ex-boyfriend had been almost completely erased as of January this year. The police did not check the smartphone during the voluntary questioning immediately after the woman went missing, and it was later discovered that the data, including correspondence with the woman, had been erased, and the police are currently investigating how they responded at the time.
2025-05-08 11:58:00
Amid Russia's ongoing military invasion of Ukraine, an NHK analysis has found that exports of video game consoles and accessories from China to Russia have surged. Experts point out that it is highly likely that game console controllers are being repurposed into devices to control military drones.
2025-05-08 11:55:00
In an incident on the 7th at Todai-mae Station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line where a 43-year-old suspect was arrested for stabbing a university student passenger with a kitchen knife, interviews with investigators have revealed that the suspect had remained inside the station ticket gates 30 minutes before the incident.
2025-05-08 11:49:00
On the 8th, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department sent papers to the prosecutor's office on suspicion of gambling against two professional baseball players belonging to the Yomiuri Giants, after they were found to have been gambling money at online casinos.
2025-05-08 11:43:00
South Korean police have referred a Japanese woman in her 50s to prosecutors for allegedly kissing a member of the popular South Korean group BTS at an event.
2025-05-08 10:31:00
It has been learned that NTT has decided to make NTT Data Group, a major IT service company that handles the group's overseas operations, a wholly owned subsidiary. The aim is to speed up decision-making within the group and to increase the competitiveness of its overseas operations.
2025-05-08 10:18:00
According to the Ministry of Defense, a possible ballistic missile was launched from North Korea on the morning of the 8th. It is believed to have already fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and the Ministry of Defense is continuing to collect information and conduct vigilance and surveillance.
2025-05-08 10:03:00
It has been revealed that Ford, a major American automaker, plans to raise prices for vehicles produced in Mexico for the U.S. market. In light of the impact of the Trump administration's tariffs, attention will be focused on how other major automakers will respond in the future.
2025-05-08 09:53:00
American entertainment giant Walt Disney announced on the 7th that it will build a new theme park in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
2025-05-08 09:20:00
Shohei Ohtani of the Major League Baseball Dodgers played in the game against the Marlins on the 7th, reaching base four times, including a three-base hit that led to the team's first run, and contributing to the team's victory.
2025-05-08 09:00:00
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff announced at around 8 a.m. on the 8th that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan. According to a Defense Ministry official, this launch will have no impact on Japan.
2025-05-08 07:01:00
In an interview with the British public broadcaster BBC, former U.S. President Biden criticized President Trump's pressure on Ukraine to make concessions to Russia over the territorial dispute, saying, "It's foolish to think that will make Putin stop," indicating that the invasion of Ukraine will continue even if Russia makes concessions on the territorial dispute.
2025-05-08 07:00:00
Russia, which continues its military invasion of Ukraine, unilaterally announced a ceasefire to coincide with Victory Day in World War II on the 9th of this month, which began on the 8th. However, the Ukrainian side is resisting, making it difficult to realize the ceasefire.
2025-05-08 06:56:00
The US Federal Reserve Board held a meeting to decide monetary policy and announced on the 7th that it had decided to postpone any interest rate cuts and to keep the policy interest rate unchanged. This is the third consecutive meeting in which the policy interest rate has been kept unchanged, but Chairman Powell pointed out at a press conference after the meeting that the Trump administration's tariff measures will certainly increase the risk of rising inflation and unemployment rates.
2025-05-08 05:59:00
On the 7th, at Todaimae Station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, a 43-year-old suspect was arrested for stabbing a male passenger with a knife. Interviews with investigators have revealed that the suspect chased the man and slashed him multiple times in the head and other areas. The suspect and the man are not believed to have known each other, and the Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the details of the incident.
2025-05-08 05:58:00
Ahead of the House of Councillors election this summer, the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito are planning to consider new economic measures. While Komeito is calling for tax cuts and subsidies to be included, there are cautious opinions within the LDP, and adjustments are expected to be made in the future.
2025-05-08 05:06:00
The conclave, the election to decide the new Pope, began in the Vatican on the 7th, but the first round of voting on the first day did not decide the pope. The second round of voting is scheduled to take place in the afternoon of the 8th, Japan time.
