JIJI English News-__________-

The Japanese government has begun considering potential measures against Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to one of the four Russian-controlled islands known as the Northern Territories in and claimed by Japan.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation said Friday it and two major U.S. banks, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase Bank, will jointly provide 4.61-billion-dollar loans for U.S. projects, based on an investment and loan pledge the Japanese government has made to the United State under their tariff agreement.

Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. said Friday that its consolidated net profit in January-June jumped 68.8pctfrom a year before to 99.1 billion yen, hitting a first-half record high, thanks to a weaker yen and the sale of a factory site.

The Chinese and Russian ambassadors to Japan have issued a joint statement claiming that their countries made huge sacrifices in the fight against Nazism and Japanese militarism during World War II.

The Japan Meteorological Agency on Friday raised the volcanic alert for Mount Aso in the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto to Level 3 from Level 2, banning entry to the mountain, due to increased volcanic tremor amplitudes and rapidly growing volcanic gas emissions.