TOKYO, March 16 Kyodo - Japan's economy is ''worsening rapidly'' and is ''in a severe situation,'' the
government said Monday, leaving its economic assessment unchanged for the first

TOKYO, March 16 Kyodo -
Japan Post Holdings Co. officially gave up a plan to sell its nationwide
''Kampo-no-yado'' inn network in fiscal 2008 as the internal affairs ministry

TOKYO, March 16 Kyodo -
A group of scholars and writers filed a lawsuit Monday, demanding the
government disclose documents that they say indicate the existence of a secret

SAN DIEGO, California, March 16 Kyodo -
Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched six shutout innings and his teammates pounded out 12

TOKYO, March 16 Kyodo - Justice Minister Eisuke Mori on Monday granted a 13-year-old Filipino girl a
special permit to stay in Japan for a year, after her parents decided last week

TOKYO, March 16 Kyodo -
Japan and South Korea on Monday warned North Korea of a harsh international

TOKYO, March 16 Kyodo - Nippon Television Network Corp., one of Japan's main commercial broadcasting
companies, said Monday that President Shintaro Kubo will resign from his post

TOKYO, March 16 Kyodo - Hitachi Ltd. said Monday it has appointed Takashi Kawamura, its former vice
president and currently chairman of its affiliate Hitachi Maxell Ltd., as its

TOKYO, March 16 Kyodo - The International Monetary Fund will launch an early warning exercise in April
together with the Financial Stability Forum to try to prevent a financial

TOKYO, March 16 Kyodo - Prime Minister Taro Aso on Monday held the first meeting of an expert panel to
explore fresh ideas on bolstering the flagging economy, aiming to reflect their