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Japan Early Election Talk Grows Under PM Takaichi

Japan Early Election Talk Grows Under PM Takaichi

January 11, 2026 1:30 am

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi may be moving closer to calling an early general election, according to the leader of her coalition partner, following reports that a snap vote could be held as early as February.

Hirofumi Yoshimura, head of the Japan Innovation Party, said on Sunday that recent discussions with Takaichi suggested her thinking on election timing had entered what he described as a new phase. His remarks came after domestic media reported the prime minister was weighing a February election.

An early election could allow Takaichi, Japan’s first woman prime minister, to seek a fresh mandate while public …

Sanae Takaichi Pushes For More Women’s Toilets In Parliament

Sanae Takaichi Pushes For More Women’s Toilets In Parliament

January 3, 2026 12:14 pm

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi backs the petition highlighting long queues and outdated facilities amid growing female representation in the Diet.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is spearheading a campaign to increase the number of women’s toilets in the nation’s parliament, joining over 50 female lawmakers in calling for more adequate facilities in the House of Representatives.

Currently, just two cubicles serve 73 female members, resulting in long lines before plenary sessions. The petition, signed by 58 lawmakers from seven political parties, argues that the shortage hampers productivity and underscores broader issues of gender inequality within Japanese politics.

The parliament building, …

he Most Anticipated Latest Trains Launching Worldwide In 2026

The Most Anticipated Latest Trains Launching Worldwide In 2026

December 31, 2025 4:28 am

From high-speed links to luxury sleepers, rail operators across Europe and Asia are unveiling new trains and routes that signal a global renaissance in long-distance travel.

Few moments in travel rival the quiet thrill of standing in a major rail station, eyes fixed on a glowing departure board, imagining where the next train might take you. Whether you are a frequent traveler or setting off for the first time, that pause before departure carries a promise of possibility.

In global hubs such as Zurich, London, Vienna, Tokyo, and Shanghai, the scale of modern rail travel makes spontaneity tempting. One platform …

Knife, Bleach Attack At Japan Factory Injures Fifteen People

Knife, Bleach Attack At Japan Factory Injures Fifteen People

December 27, 2025 12:22 pm

Man arrested after stabbing eight and spraying bleach at Yokohama Rubber factory in Mishima, raising safety concerns amid rare violent crimes in Japan.

At least 15 people were injured in a combined knife and bleach attack at a tire factory in central Japan on Friday, authorities said, as police detained the suspect.

The incident occurred at the Yokohama Rubber Company facility in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, west of Tokyo. Eight workers were stabbed by a 38-year-old man, while seven others suffered chemical burns after being sprayed with bleach, according to the Fujisan Nanto Fire Department.

Five of the stabbing victims were

…
Japan Fiscal Spending Push Meets Market Jitters

Japan Fiscal Spending Push Meets Market Jitters

December 17, 2025 4:10 am

Japan’s prime minister said on Wednesday that the country must lean on targeted government spending to strengthen growth and lift tax revenue, pushing back against calls for sharp budget restraint as markets react nervously to rising debt levels.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told a business policy forum in Tokyo that her administration remains committed to reviving a still fragile economy through carefully planned fiscal support, even as government borrowing costs rise.

“When I say proactive fiscal policy, I am talking about the strategic deployment of fiscal stimulus,” Takaichi said in a statement read at an economic panel hosted by …

China-Japan Tensions Escalate After Fighter Jet Radar Incident

China-Japan Tensions Escalate After Fighter Jet Radar Incident

December 12, 2025 10:31 am

China accuses Japan of military threats after J-15 jets locked radar on F-15s; Japan calls the action dangerous, lodging formal protests.

China and Japan are locked in heightened tensions following a reported radar incident over international waters near Japan’s Okinawa islands. Japanese officials say Chinese J-15 fighter jets twice aimed fire-control radar at Japanese F-15s on December 6, 2025, prompting formal protests from Tokyo.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the incident as “extremely regrettable” and “dangerous,” asserting that Japanese aircraft maintained a safe distance throughout their mission. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara added that Japan denied China’s accusations that …

Japan: 7.5 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Northeastern Coast

Japan: 7.5 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Northeastern Coast

December 12, 2025 3:38 am

Devastating 7.5 quake off Japan’s northeast injures dozens, prompts mass evacuations, and raises warnings of potential stronger tremors.

Powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 shook Japan’s northeastern coast on the night of Monday December 8, 2025, injuring at least 30 people and triggering the evacuation of more than 100,000 residents. Authorities warned that additional tremors of similar or greater intensity could follow in the coming hours.

Videos and photographs from affected areas showed damaged buildings, collapsed walls, and debris scattered across streets. Emergency services quickly mobilized to assist those injured and to secure affected zones. Hospitals reported treating people …

Jeremy O. Harris Released After Japan Drug Arrest

Jeremy O. Harris Released After Japan Drug Arrest

December 9, 2025 4:41 am

American playwright and actor Jeremy O. Harris has been released from custody in Japan, nearly a month after his arrest on suspicion of attempting to bring illegal drugs into the country, according to a Japanese police spokesperson on Monday.

Harris was detained on November 16 at Naha Airport in Okinawa after customs officials discovered 0.78 grams of crystal material in his luggage that was later identified as containing MDMA, a synthetic drug strictly prohibited under Japanese law. The arrest immediately placed the American artist under Japan’s rigorous criminal justice procedures, which allow for lengthy detention while investigations continue.

The release …

Japan Rebukes China After Fighter Jets Lock Radar

Japan Rebukes China After Fighter Jets Lock Radar

December 9, 2025 4:19 am

Tensions between Asia’s two largest powers edged higher this weekend after Japan accused Chinese fighter jets of locking their targeting radars onto Japanese aircraft — an act widely interpreted by militaries as a signal of possible attack.

Tokyo says the incidents happened twice on Saturday near the southern Okinawa islands. In both cases, Chinese J-15 jets, operating from the carrier Liaoning, directed their fire-control radars at Japanese planes, prompting Japan to scramble its own fighters. No damage or injuries were reported, but the symbolism was unmistakable.

China promptly rejected the claim, accusing Japan of “harassing” its forces during a routine …

China Japan Radar Incident Sparks New Security Tensions

China Japan Radar Incident Sparks New Security Tensions

December 7, 2025 2:45 am

Japan said on Sunday that Chinese fighter jets directed fire-control radar at Japanese military aircraft in two separate encounters near the Okinawa islands, prompting a diplomatic protest and heightening concerns over already strained relations between the two Asian powers. China rejected the accusation, calling Japan’s account false and irresponsible.

The incidents, which occurred on Saturday, mark some of the most serious military run-ins between the two nations in years and come amid worsening tensions over Taiwan and disputed territory in the East China Sea.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the Chinese jets’ radar behavior exceeded what was necessary for safe …

Japan Interest Rate Hike Nears As Kiuchi Backs BOJ Talks

Japan Interest Rate Hike Nears As Kiuchi Backs BOJ Talks

December 5, 2025 7:04 am

Japan’s economic revitalisation minister Minoru Kiuchi urged the central bank on Friday to keep steady communication with the government as it finalises its next policy steps, while refraining from opposing a possible interest rate increase later this month.

His remarks arrive at a sensitive moment for the Bank of Japan, which is widely expected to consider lifting its benchmark rate to zero point seven five percent from zero point five percent at its December eighteen to nineteen meeting. According to Reuters, government officials anticipate the decision and are not preparing to resist it, even though Kiuchi himself has long …

China Maritime Deployment Sparks Concern In Taiwan And Japan

China Maritime Deployment Sparks Concern In Taiwan And Japan

December 5, 2025 6:31 am

Taiwan and Japan raised alarms on Friday after reports that China had sent an unusually large number of naval and coast guard vessels across East Asian waters. The deployment marks one of Beijing’s most extensive maritime operations in recent years, according to information reviewed by Reuters.

The activity, which involved more than one hundred ships at its peak, stretched across several strategic zones, from the Yellow Sea to the western Pacific. The scale of the movement drew regional attention because it extended far beyond the Taiwan Strait and included the contested Senkaku Islands area in the East China Sea.

Speaking …

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𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤, is a nonpartisan online news portal founded on the truth to provide you with weekly, insightful articles written with precision and current updates on current events from Africa in particular and the rest of the world in general. All of our reports undergo extensive fact-checking to ensure their veracity, and we adhere strictly to the facts, no matter whose ox is gored.

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