Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday announced plans to seek the first-ever changes to Japan’s post-war pacifist constitution and said he wants the revisions to take effect in 2020. The changes, which would spell out the status of the nation’s “self-defence” military forces, were announced as Japan marked the 70th anniversary of the constitution written … Read more
It’s got Michelin-starred chefs, solid cypress bathtubs and a cosy snug complete with roaring fire: the Shiki-Shima could hold its own against any five-star hotel. Not bad for a train. In a country best known for its super-fast “Shinkansen” bullet trains, the emphasis in Japan’s latest extravaganza on rails is on savouring the moment, with … Read more
Japanese police have arrested a drunken American man over a punch-up with another passenger on an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight, which caused a delay, officers said Wednesday. The man, whose name has not been released, was pulled off the Boeing 777 that was due to fly from Tokyo’s main gateway Narita airport to Los … Read more
French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has been accused of plagiarising defeated rival François Fillon in a speech she delivered on Monday. Several sections of her speech in Villepinte, north of Paris, appear to repeat almost word-for-word comments Mr Fillon made in an address on 15 April. An official of her National Front party said … Read more
French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has been accused of plagiarising defeated rival François Fillon in a speech she delivered on Monday. Several sections of her speech in Villepinte, north of Paris, appear to repeat almost word-for-word comments Mr Fillon made in an address on 15 April. An official of her National Front party said … Read more
Japan’s American-written “peace constitution” has survived unchanged for 70 years, but nationalists seeking an overhaul are gearing up for a major new push as concerns grow over North Korean belligerence. Conservatives have long called for the document they see as a national humiliation to be amended, but current political alignments and growing security concerns suggest … Read more
Japan has dispatched its biggest warship, in the first such operation since it passed controversial laws expanding the role of its military. The helicopter carrier Izumo is escorting a US supply vessel within Japanese waters. The US ship is heading to refuel the naval fleet in the region, including the Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group. … Read more
Japan will dispatch its biggest warship since World War II to protect a US supply ship, as tensions mount in the region over North Korea, media reports said on Sunday. The helicopter carrier Izumo will leave the mother port of Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, on Monday and join the US supply ship to escort it … Read more
The US is open to negotiations with North Korea aimed at removing nuclear weapons from the region, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said. But he said the US would use military force if necessary. The foreign minister of China, North Korea’s greatest ally, said a peaceful settlement was the “only right choice”. Mr Tillerson … Read more
British Prime Minister Theresa May assured Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe on Friday that the UK remains “steadfast” in its condemnation of North Korea as the two met at her country residence of Chequers. “As we meet today, North Korea continues to take provocative action in the Asia-Pacific region,” May said during a joint news conference. … Read more
China have turned to former Olympians Xia Xuanze and Zhang Jun as national badminton coaches to replace long-standing boss Li Yongbo as they battle to revive their dominance in the sport. Xia, a men’s singles bronze medallist at the 2000 Olympics, and Zhang, a two-time mixed doubles Olympic champion, will take charge of singles and … Read more
Asian markets took a step back Thursday after a four-day rally, tracking a weak lead from Wall Street, as traders assess the chances of Congress passing Donald Trump’s massive tax cuts. As expected, the administration unveiled plans to slash corporate and individual rates but there were few details and there are questions over how the … Read more
Paul McCartney on Tuesday announced a new leg of concerts across the United States, showing no signs of slowing down as he prepares to turn 75 in June. The former Beatle’s new dates were unveiled with a promotion outside Madison Square Garden, where a troupe dressed as Britain’s Beefeater royal guards appeared on a tour … Read more
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Russia this week for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin and Tokyo said Tuesday, as the two sides look to make headway on a decades-old territorial dispute. The Kremlin said talks set for Thursday will focus on “the state and prospects for development of Russo-Japanese cooperation … Read more
A US submarine has arrived in South Korea, amid worries of another North Korean missile or nuclear test. The missile-armed USS Michigan is set to join an incoming group of warships led by aircraft carrier Carl Vinson. North Korea is celebrating its army’s 85th founding anniversary on Tuesday. It marked the event with a large-scale … Read more
Nuclear-armed North Korea on Tuesday marked a military anniversary with a massive conventional firing drill, Seoul said, as a US guided-missile submarine docked in South Korea amid tensions over Pyongyang’s weapons ambitions. Speculation had mounted that the North could carry out a sixth nuclear test or another missile launch to mark 85 years since the … Read more
Australia and New Zealand stiffened their rhetoric against North Korea Sunday after the isolated state threatened Canberra with a nuclear strike, urging it to think twice before “blindly and zealously toeing the US line”. The move comes as US Vice President Mike Pence wraps up an Asia tour, which has included visits to South Korea, … Read more
The US supercarrier Carl Vinson will start joint exercises with Japan’s navy on Sunday, Tokyo’s defence ministry said, as the warship passes through the western Pacific after days of contention over its whereabouts. The strike group is in the region as tensions spike over North Korea’s rogue arms programme and concerns that Pyongyang is planning … Read more
The Asian Games in Indonesia will feature 39 sports, more than at the last event in South Korea, with some unusual additions including bridge, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said Friday. But cricket, which was at the last two Asian Games, is being dropped after the OCA complained that major sides had failed to … Read more
Rio Olympic Games silver medalist and former drug addict Luvo Manyonga of South Africa has his sights set on smashing the 26-year-old long jump world record of American Mike Powell. A leap of 8.95 metres by Powell in Tokyo during 1991 set a benchmark no rival has surpassed. “My dream is to become the first … Read more