The leaders of Japan and Italy said Monday they will bolster their cooperation in security and defense, including their joint next-generation fighter jet development with Britain, as Tokyo welcomed the European nation's shift toward playing a greater role in the Indo-Pacific.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, after meeting his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni, welcomed Italy's move to increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific region, where several visits by Italy's warships, including its strike group, and joint exercises are planned this year.
"Japan and Italy are valuable strategic partners that share values and principles such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law," Kishida said.
Kishida also praised progress in their joint development of a new advanced fighter jet with Britain.
The three countries in December signed an agreement to establish a joint organization to develop a new advanced jet fighter for deployment in 2035.
Meloni said that the next-generation fighter jet meant "innovation, growth and jobs." She indicated joint military exercises with Japan later this year would include an Italian aircraft carrier and fighter jets.
Japan, which is rapidly building up its military, hopes to have greater capability to counter China's rising assertiveness while welcoming Britain's bigger presence in the Indo-Pacific region. Italy recently left China's global Belt and Road Initiative after apparently seeing little benefit from it.
The joint fighter jet development involves Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy, Britain's BAE Systems PLC and Italy's Leonardo.
The project, however, hinges on Japan easing its postwar ban on exporting jointly developed lethal weapons to third countries, which Kishida's government is struggling to finalize by the end of February.
Kishida promised a full backing for Meloni to successfully convene their Puglia summit in June.
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Associated Press writer Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report.
A judge will decide Monday whether new evidence warrants a re-examination of the convictions of Erik and Lyle Menendez in the shotgun murders of their parents in their Beverly Hills home more than 30 years ago.
Second Cup Café has closed two of its franchise locations in Montreal following allegations of hateful remarks and gestures made by the franchisee in a video that was widely circulated online during a pro-Palestinian protest.
At least 17 people are missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea following warnings about rough seas, Egyptian officials said Monday.
A Winnipeg Police Service officer is recovering after he was stabbed in the throat Sunday evening.
The Utah Hockey Club got the full Toronto experience Sunday night ahead of their first-ever matchup against the Maple Leafs—bumper-to-bumper traffic that forced the team to walk to the game.
An intoxicated woman in Elliot Lake has been charged with breaking into her neighbour's apartment and choking their dog.
A DHL cargo plane crashed on approach to an airport in Lithuania's capital and skidded into a house Monday morning, killing a Spanish crew member but not harming anyone on the ground. The cause is under investigation.
A large cargo ship remains stuck in the St. Lawrence River after running aground on Saturday afternoon.
The discovery of a severed horse head, and a cow quartered with its bloodied dead calf on top, have rattled a Sicilian town, with authorities treating the incident as a mafia threat.
An intoxicated woman in Elliot Lake has been charged with breaking into her neighbour's apartment and choking their dog.
A Winnipeg Police Service officer is recovering after he was stabbed in the throat Sunday evening.
Second Cup Café has closed two of its franchise locations in Montreal following allegations of hateful remarks and gestures made by the franchisee in a video that was widely circulated online during a pro-Palestinian protest.
A family in Riverview, N.B., is making plans for Christmas and the future after escaping a fire in their home on Nov. 14.
A B.C. man has been awarded nearly $800,000 in damages as compensation for injuries he sustained from a defective bear banger, according to a recent court decision.
A large cargo ship remains stuck in the St. Lawrence River after running aground on Saturday afternoon.
The discovery of a severed horse head, and a cow quartered with its bloodied dead calf on top, have rattled a Sicilian town, with authorities treating the incident as a mafia threat.
Thousands of supporters of Pakistan's imprisoned former premier Imran Khan have defied a lockdown and widespread arrests to head to the capital Monday to demand his release.
At least 17 people are missing after a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea following warnings about rough seas, Egyptian officials said Monday.
A mammoth rape trial in France moved into a new phase Monday as prosecutors began to lay out the verdicts and punishments they want for dozens of men accused of raping Gisele Pelicot while she was drugged and rendered unconscious by her husband.
The United Arab Emirates said Monday police arrested three Uzbek nationals for the killing of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi.
Foreign ministers from the world's leading industrialized nations met Monday, with the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine entering decisive phases and a certain pressure to advance diplomatic efforts ahead of the new U.S. administration taking over.
Montreal's police chief says he expects more arrests stemming from a Friday anti-NATO protest that turned violent, with smashed windows and burned cars in downtown Montreal.
The chair of the United States House intelligence committee says Canada needs to accelerate its defence spending targets, especially with its military in 'desperate' need of investment.
Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien is calling the federal government's proposed GST holiday and $250 rebate cheques a 'targeted approach' to address affordability concerns.
A disease often thought to only affect 18th century sailors is reemerging in Canada.
Ontario failed to meet its own legislated target this past year for the average number of hands-on hours of care that long-term care residents receive, a newly updated document shows.
Joshua Orson sits on the edge of a bed in a bright, clean room, thinking about his journey from addict to health-care worker.
Canadian neurosurgeons in partnership with Elon Musk's Neuralink have regulatory approval to recruit six patients with paralysis willing to have a thousand electrode contacts in their brains.
An advocate for major social media platforms told an Australian Senate committee Monday that laws to ban children younger than 16 from the sites should be delayed until next year at least instead of being rushed through the Parliament this week.
Astronomers have spotted orbiting around a young star a newborn planet that took only three million years to form, quite swift in cosmic terms.
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It's been more than 40 years since coal was king in the scenic Crowsnest Pass of southwestern Alberta, but a referendum vote Monday could sway a contentious debate on bringing it back.
Swiss watchmaker Swatch has won a suit against the Malaysian government after a court ordered the return of 172 Swatch watches seized last year due to designs that authorities said bore 2SLGBT+ elements.
The richest person in the world got even richer Friday, with Musk’s net worth hitting a record US$347.8 billion, Bloomberg reported.
The Chess World Championship begins in Singapore on Monday with China's Ding Liren seeking to defend his title against India's Gukesh Dommaraju, better known as Gukesh D, who is still just 18 years old and could become the youngest ever person to be crowned world champion.
The Australian government introduced what it's called 'world-leading' legislation in parliament this week to wipe social media accounts – including Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and X – from the devices of children under 16.
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The Utah Hockey Club got the full Toronto experience Sunday night ahead of their first-ever matchup against the Maple Leafs—bumper-to-bumper traffic that forced the team to walk to the game.
Sidney Crosby became the 21sth player to score 600 NHL goals during the second period of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 6-1 loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday night.
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Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles from Kia, Hyundai and Genesis are being recalled in Canada over a potential power loss issue that can increase the risk of a crash.
Northvolt AB has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, but said the move will not jeopardize the manufacturer's planned electric vehicle battery plant in Quebec — though hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in the parent company could be lost.
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The holidays may be a time for family, joy and togetherness, but they can also be hard on the wallet.
Humans weren’t the only ones who struggled through the bomb cyclone that formed off the B.C. coast this week, bringing intense winds and choppy seas.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
Toronto radio and podcast host Jax Irwin has recently gone viral for videos of her cute -- and at times confusing -- phone conversations.
The Lotto Max jackpot has climbed to $80 million for just the second time in Canadian lottery history.
Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
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British Columbia's new health minister says she's aiming for more treatment beds and fewer deaths in a revamped approach to the province's drug overdose crisis.
Abbotsford police are requesting dash cam video and witness information after a frightening car journey with an unknown male left a woman “extremely shaken up,” police say.
The Utah Hockey Club got the full Toronto experience Sunday night ahead of their first-ever matchup against the Maple Leafs—bumper-to-bumper traffic that forced the team to walk to the game.
A suspect in a deadly daylight shooting in St. Catharines was arrested over the weekend following an hours-long standoff, police say.
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Mayor Jyoti Gondek will be giving a post-budget on Monday. Her remarks will be the keynote speech at a luncheon hosted by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.
It's been more than 40 years since coal was king in the scenic Crowsnest Pass of southwestern Alberta, but a referendum vote Monday could sway a contentious debate on bringing it back.
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Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) has announced that all schools will be closed on Monday due to heavy snowfall and hazardous road conditions.
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Some local businesses say the federal government’s recent plan to pull back GST on several items is a positive initiative, but it should have been rolled out earlier in the holiday season.
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An intoxicated woman in Elliot Lake has been charged with breaking into her neighbour's apartment and choking their dog.
Environment Canada has issued a winter weather advisory for areas in and around Greater Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins.
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An overnight crash in Tiny Township is under investigation, where a car allegedly crashed into a tree and both occupants were taken to hospital.
Simcoe Muskoka saw its first signs of snow of the season Sunday morning, with a mix of flurries and rain leading to worsening road conditions and police reporting multiple collisions.
The Maple Ridge Ravens girls’ basketball team won a gold medal at the Girls AAA OFSAA Championships this weekend in Brampton, defeating the Mother Teresa Spartans 46-42 in comeback fashion.
Windsor police are on the scene of what's being called an, "active investigation." "Expect a sustained police presence in the area," read a post on social media.
Around 3 p.m. on Sunday, OPP were dispatched to a vehicle rollover collision involving a passenger vehicle on Lanoue Street near Rygate Drive.
If you were hoping to see the CPKC Holiday Train this year, you’re in luck! The train is chugging through Canada and the U.S., stopping in Chatham-Kent and Windsor-Essex on Monday.
British Columbia's new health minister says she's aiming for more treatment beds and fewer deaths in a revamped approach to the province's drug overdose crisis.
A boater is grateful for the services of local rescue groups after being left stranded in the cold waters of Cowichan Bay after his vessel capsized.
A B.C. man has been awarded nearly $800,000 in damages as compensation for injuries he sustained from a defective bear banger, according to a recent court decision.
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It's been more than 40 years since coal was king in the scenic Crowsnest Pass of southwestern Alberta, but a referendum vote Monday could sway a contentious debate on bringing it back.
Snow routes were declared active in Lethbridge, the city posted on its website. Starting at 9 a.m. Monday, parking restrictions will be in effect for streets declared to be snow routes.
The Hurricanes dropped their third straight game on Friday night, losing 6-3 to the Winterhawks in Portland.
An intoxicated woman in Elliot Lake has been charged with breaking into her neighbour's apartment and choking their dog.
Environment Canada has issued a winter weather advisory for areas in and around Greater Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins.
Practice this week for the Sault College Men’s Hockey Team was taken to another level, as the Cougars face off against cross-border rival Lake Superior State University this weekend.
A Newfoundland energy company's embrace of data centres is raising doubts about eastern Canadian hopes of harnessing the region's howling winds to supply Germany with power from green hydrogen.
An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy.
A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada's plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized.
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