Japan's top government spokesman says U.S. President Joe Biden's recent labeling of Japan as xenophobic is "regrettable," but pledged to continue efforts to bolster bilateral ties.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and French President Emmanuel Macron agree to initiate negotiations on a reciprocal access agreement so the two countries can facilitate closer defense cooperation such as joint exercises and disaster relief operations.
U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for an official meeting in spring, whether by coincidence or design, was allusive and laden with thematics calculated to sustain progress made between the countries even if both men fail to hold onto power later this year.
Prosecutors are considering building criminal cases in January against accountants of two factions of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party over a political fundraising scandal, prior to the start of the ordinary Diet session, sources close to the matter say.
Japan's parliament convenes an extraordinary session, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government aiming to ensure the passage of a planned supplementary budget to fund a new economic package to tackle rising prices.