A nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea on Wednesday for joint military exercises, the US Navy said, in the latest show of force against the North. The USS Carl Vinson berthed in the southern port of Busan as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson began a tour of the region, where tensions have … Read more
Toshiba shares plunged Wednesday afternoon as fears grow about the future of one of Japan’s best-known firms, which is battling massive losses and accounting fraud allegations at its US nuclear unit. The Tokyo-listed stock dropped 13.62 percent to 186.5 yen with concerns growing that the embattled company’s shares could be delisted from the bourse. The … Read more
As the northeastern United States braces for the biggest snowstorm of the winter, officials in Washington had other concerns — the fate of the city’s prized cherry blossoms, which draw hordes of tourists every year. “There is no risk for the trees themselves. They’ve seen snow, cold temperatures, wind,” National Park Service (NPS) spokesman Mike … Read more
Japan plans to dispatch its largest warship on a three-month tour through the South China Sea beginning in May, three sources said, in its biggest show of naval force in the region since World War Two. China claims almost all the disputed waters and its growing military presence has fueled concern in Japan and the … Read more
With North Korea’s drive to field a nuclear-armed missile rapidly emerging as President Donald Trump’s first foreign crisis, his top diplomat is heading to a nervous region. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, a former oil executive with no government experience, has yet to make an impact in Washington, where he has not even appointed … Read more
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman arrived in Tokyo Sunday, making the first visit to Japan by a monarch from the oil-rich nation in nearly five decades. The 81-year-old king, who was greeted by Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito at Haneda airport, will meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday and as he kicks off the Japanese leg … Read more
The yellow-carding of Takuma Asahara proved costly for the Japanese Sunwolves as they lost 38-31 to the Central Cheetahs of South Africa in Super Rugby Saturday. The replacement prop was sin-binned after 65 minutes for a second offence in quick succession with the visitors clinging to a 31-30 lead at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. … Read more
Japan paused Saturday to mark six years since a deadly earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster devastated its northeastern coast, as more than 100,000 people remain unable or unwilling to return home. The magnitude 9.0 quake, which struck under the Pacific Ocean on March 11, 2011, and the tsunami it spawned left about 18,500 people dead … Read more
Already under fire over soaring expenses, Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic organisers on Friday sought to downplay fears that further ballooning costs could hit the trouble-cursed main stadium. Amid media reports that temporary structures at the showpiece venue could more than double in cost from bid estimates, Japanese organisers did little to ease concerns. “The estimate for … Read more
Satsuki Sekine’s home was destroyed in Japan’s 2011 tsunami disaster and her family fled in the nuclear panic that followed. But crueller still were the insults and stigmatisation she faced in the community where she sought refuge. Rather than offer sympathy, Sekine’s new classmates bullied her with nasty jibes — part of an epidemic of … Read more
Japan is moving to pass its strictest-ever smoking laws, but the country’s powerful tobacco lobby wants to stub out measures that were adopted years ago by other developed nations. The government is keen to change Japan’s image as a puffing paradise — smoking is still allowed in most bars, restaurants and cafes — as Tokyo … Read more
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye is one of a long list of world leaders to have gone through an impeachment process or forced to resign following legal proceedings against them. Not all impeachment proceedings are successful: The best-known survivor is probably former US president Bill Clinton, who remained in office despite an attempt to remove … Read more
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Brussels this month, European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said Thursday, as the EU aims to close a free trade deal with Tokyo this year. Abe will meet with Juncker and freshly re-elected EU President Donald Tusk on March 21 in the latest get-together between the leaders of the … Read more
Japanese political dissenters chalked up a small victory Wednesday when a court struck down a city’s move to ban a “mannequin flash mob” anti-government protest. The Yokohama District Court nullified an injunction issued by Ebina city, south of Tokyo, against a local politician who took part in the silent demonstration against the government of Prime … Read more
With its red-painted window frames and sooty facade, the empty two-storey building on Gongping Road is typical of many of Shanghai’s pre-World War II structures — but this one houses dark memories. The crumbling mansion is one of 150 sites in the Chinese metropolis formerly used as “comfort stations”, part of the vast system of … Read more
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will visit South Korea, Japan and China, the State Department announced Tuesday, just a day after North Korea launched ballistic missiles close to ally Japan. On his first visit to the region as top US diplomat, March 15-19, Tillerson will speak with authorities after the tests, which were followed … Read more
Former sprinter Frankie Fredericks quit Tuesday as head of the IOC commission monitoring candidates for the 2024 Olympics amid a probe into money he accepted from a sports marketing chief accused of corruption. Fredericks, 49, strongly denied any wrongdoing in accepting nearly $300,000 (283,000 euros) around the day that Rio de Janeiro was awarded the … Read more
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are expected to give an overall 32.3 trillion yen ($284 billion) boost to the Japanese economy, according to the Tokyo city government. Euphoria surrounded the award of the Games to Tokyo in 2013 but scandals and cost overruns have overshadowed the hosting of the event. The original design for a new … Read more
Nuclear-armed North Korea said Tuesday its missile launches were training for a strike on US bases in Japan, as global condemnation of the regime swelled. Three of the four missiles fired Monday came down provocatively close to US ally Japan, in waters that are part of its exclusive economic zone, representing a challenge to US … Read more
US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned Monday that the threat from North Korea had “entered a new stage,” following another defiant missile test. The two leaders spoke by telephone after North Korea fired off four ballistic missiles, in what Pyongyang provocatively called a training exercise for a strike on US … Read more