JIJI English News-時事通信英語ニュース-

A meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 major economies was held in Washington on Thursday, but it did not produce a joint statement.

The Japanese government plans to have the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, or JAMSTEC, own and operate the successor to the Antarctic research vessel Shirase, officials said Thursday.

Japan's Justice Ministry said Friday it will set up a panel of experts to set guidelines on civil actions to seek damages for unauthorized use of performers' voices and images created by generative artificial intelligence.

Japan's House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the country's parliament, unanimously voted for legislation to set numerical standards for defining dangerous driving resulting in death or injury at a plenary meeting Friday.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Friday ruled out the possibility of the government using a planned national intelligence council for political purposes.

Japan's Fair Trade Commission filed a complaint against five oil distributors Friday over an alleged price cartel for gas oil sold to transport and other companies in Tokyo.

Some local governments in Japan have already started their Cool Biz workplace power-saving campaign for the hotter months earlier than usual, amid concerns over energy supplies due to Middle East tensions.

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Thursday that soaring crude oil prices complicate the central bank's monetary policy.

Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, gold medalists for the pairs figure skating event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, on Friday announced that they will retire from competitive skating at the end of this season.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with visiting representatives of some 30 NATO member countries permanently stationed at NATO headquarters in Brussels.