Irish sprinters Thomas Barr and Phil Healy have welcomed the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics until 2021, a decision announced today after talks between Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, and International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach.

The Games will not now take place in 2020, but will happen no later than the summer of 2021.

Irish athletes are starting to add their voices to the calls for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to postpone this summer's Games in Tokyo.

Governments should rely on fiscal rather than monetary measures when responding to natural disasters or epidemics such as the new COVID-19, writes Koichi Hamada

Irish tourism chiefs are on high alert over the summer season as question marks were raised for the first time about major global sporting events, including the Olympics -- if the coronavirus threat is not contained.

Mitsuru Kitano, the new Japanese ambassador to Ireland, was hopeful of a good performance from his side as he opened his residence to host his first official event last week.

Whaling boats embarked on their first commercial hunts since 1988 on Monday.

Asia has long benefitted from the movement of goods and people and is advocating a similar policy for data, ‘free flow with trust’, says Shinzo Abe ahead of the G20 summit

In a midsummer week that may culminate when — if — the sinister buffoon Boris Johnson becomes the 14th British prime minister of Queen Elizabeth’s near seven-decade reign, it is not hard to argue that politics have failed.

Promoting a new nuclear deal would not lead to normalisation of diplomatic ties with Iran, but it would dramatically reduce the chance of war, writes Richard N Haass.

Trump has exposed rifts within America’s alliances when it comes to the North Korean nuclear issue. By contrast, Kim Jong-un is building ties with China and Russia, writes Kent Harrington.

Toyota and Honda forecast profit and sales short of analysts’ estimates as a trade spat between the US and China threatens global car sales already sputtering from weaker demand.

Japan's government has apologised to tens of thousands of people who were forcibly sterilised under a now-defunct eugenics law, designed to "prevent the birth of poor-quality descendants", and promised to pay compensation.

China's slowing growth, Brexit woes and US-China trade disputes pose risks to the world economy, Japan's prime minister has said.

Japan’s Emperor Akihito, the country’s 125th, is to abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne in April, which will make him the first emperor to do so in over two centuries.

On Friday the US and Canada resolved enough differences to trigger a statement from US president Donald Trump to Congress that he intends to keep Canada as part of the new North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), setting in motion a 90-day clock for the parties to sign the agreement, writes John Whelan.

The EU and Japan have signed a wide-ranging free-trade deal that both sides hope will act as a counterweight to the protectionist forces unleashed by US president Donald Trump.

After six years of seclusion, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seems to want to get out and see the world.

US vice president Mike Pence is using his appearance at the Winter Olympics to call on the international community to get tougher on North Korea's nuclear ambitions and human rights abuses.

The US is preparing to announce the "toughest and most aggressive" economic sanctions against North Korea, boosting pressure on the regime during the Winter Olympics, Mike Pence has said.

Japan's Emperor Akihito will abdicate in 2019 - becoming the first emperor to step down in more than two centuries.

Donald Trump has pushed for equitable trade deals and opted to prioritise strategic interests over human rights during a meeting with Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte in Manila.

President Donald Trump said efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear weapons programme would be "front and centre" of his two-day visit to South Korea and he projected optimism that the rising tensions could be calmed.

Donald Trump has said North Korea is "a threat to the civilised world" and vowed that the US "will not stand" for Pyongyang menacing America or its allies.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to tackle what he called Japan's two national crises: the military threat from North Korea and an ageing and shrinking population.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has dissolved the lower house of parliament, paving the way for a snap election on October 22.

Latest: US President Donald Trump's insult, calling leader Kim Jong Un "rocket man", makes "our rocket's visit to the entire US mainland inevitable all the more", North Korea's foreign minister said.

President Donald Trump has ordered new sanctions on individuals, companies, and banks doing business with North Korea as the US increases pressure on Pyongyang for its weapons programmes.

President Donald Trump has announced a new order to help the US target people, companies and banks financing and facilitating trade with North Korea.

North Korea has fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean - the second such test in recent weeks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for talks with North Korea, saying sanctions are not a solution to the country's nuclear and missile development.

Latest: US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has reacted to North Korea's latest nuclear test by saying threats to the United States and its allies "will be met with a massive military response".

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has inspected the loading of a hydrogen bomb into a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the country's state media has said.

Japan's deputy prime minister has retracted a comment that seemed to praise the motives of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said Britain stands "shoulder to shoulder" with Japan in efforts to put an end to North Korea's nuclear and missile tests.

US president Donald Trump has described his lengthy head-to-head encounter with Russian president Vladimir Putin as a "tremendous meeting".

Latest:: North Korea's has claimed to have launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile in what is seen as a potential game-changing development in its push to militarily challenge Washington.

Japan and the EU could forge a trade agreement later this week, officials said.

North Korea has test-launched a ballistic missile that landed in the Sea of Japan.

Russian president Vladimir Putin and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe have discussed joint economic projects on disputed islands which could pave the way for the countries to finally sign a peace treaty.