Sunday, 17 August 2014

Japan plans fund to develop military technology with universities

The Defense Ministry plans to set up a fund to develop military technology by aiding research projects at universities and other civilian institutions.

Scientist weighs homecoming risks in Fukushima

When scientist Junko Nakanishi stepped into radiation-contaminated towns and villages in Fukushima Prefecture 10 months after the nuclear power plant meltdowns of 2011, she realized ...

U.S. military told troops not to visit Yasukuni Shrine

U.S. military leaders in Japan advised against a planned visit by some of their troops to war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in early April, before President Barack ...

The realist behind the idealist Constitution

A mystery surrounding late Prime Minister Hitoshi Ashida was his postwar call for Japan to re-militarize despite constitutional limits imposed by war-renouncing Article 9.

Pope Francis on a mission to tap booming Asian industry: Christianity

A nighttime landing at Seoul’s Gimpo Airport offers a cityscape heartening to any Christian proselytizer, with neon red crosses sprinkled across the capital marking the ...

Most major firms expect to see economy grow by year-end

A domestic survey of 106 major companies has found that 100 expect the economy to expand toward year-end, and that 76 do not oppose the ...

Small-minded leaders flirt with a ‘sunlit picture of Hell’

One hundred years later, we Americans, Australians, British, Chinese, Europeans, Indians, Japanese, Koreans and Russians still have leaders with the same narrow chauvinist mind-set that ...

Devastating use of barrel bombs in Syria, Iraq

In spite of a U.N. Security Council resolution banning the use of "barrel bombs" — a type of improvised explosive device filled with shrapnel, oil ...

Rising hope for nations with falling birthrates

The lamentations of some economists in the advanced economies would have us believe that a shrinking population is a bad thing. In fact, the benefits ...

Intransigent India

India's new prime minister, Narendra Modi, has perplexed international supporters by torpedoing a World Trade Organization deal that would have reformed customs rules and made ...

Tokyo combats flood threats with second mammoth reservoir

Below the condos and boutiques of Tokyo’s upscale Minato Ward — which includes Roppongi Hills, home to Goldman Sachs Group’s Japan headquarters — a boring ...

Could the lingua franca approach to learning break Japan’s English curse?

Learning English as a lingua franca (ELF) involves approaching the language as a tongue shared by non-native speakers around the world rather than as a ...

From 2015, you may not have to work 25 years to draw a pension

The period you have to pay into the system to be eligible to draw a pension is supposed to be cut down to 10 years ...

A cat named Piccola: talk to me

Piccola is a sassy Siamese that, naturally, loves to talk.

Tanaka has pain-free workout

New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, rehabbing a torn elbow ligament, threw 25 fastballs off a bullpen mound on Saturday and said he felt no ...

Swansea spoil’s Van Gaal’s debut with Manchester United

New season, new manager — same misery at Manchester United. Louis van Gaal failed to usher in the bright new era expected at United on ...

Takeda wins pitching duel as Hawks hold off Buffaloes

Shota Takeda won a scintillating pitcher’s duel on Sunday to help the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks beat the Orix Buffaloes 1-0 and avoid a three-game sweep ...

Huge rally in fourth quarter lifts Giants past Colts

Ryan Nassib finally showed the New York Giants how this new offense should look. Crisp, efficient and potent. After three quarters of bumbling around in ...

Brewers beat ace Kershaw

On a night when Clayton Kershaw couldn’t keep the ball in the ballpark, Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo held the Los Angeles Dodgers in check and sent ...

Chicago fans cheer Rose as U.S. tops Brazil

The roars for Derrick Rose started with the pregame introductions and did not fade until the final buzzer. The Chicago Bulls superstar was back on ...