National
NRA makes new reactor safety regimen official
The Nuclear Regulation Authority officially approves new safety requirements for reactors aimed at preventing disasters like the catastrophe at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant.
National Mar 26, 2013
Japan, EU agree to open FTA talks in April
by Reiji Yoshida
Prime Minister Abe and two European Union leaders agree in a teleconference to start official negotiations on a free-trade pact in April.
Business Mar 23, 2013
Cyprus scrambles as ECB readies ax
The eurozone, a centerpiece of Europe’s efforts to knit its far-flung nations into a coherent whole, edged toward rupture Thursday as the European Central Bank said it was ready to pull the plug on Cyprus. The stark ultimatum came in a terse statement Thursday ...
Economy Mar 22, 2013
Abe, EU leaders to discuss plan to mesh auto standards
To cut vehicle development costs and facilitate approval processes, the government is considering conforming to European Union automobile safety and environmental standards, sources said Thursday. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will discuss the issue with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President ...
Business Mar 19, 2013
Eurozone urges Cyprus to shield small savers
The eurozone told Cyprus on Monday to ditch the part of a hugely controversial €5.8 billion ($7.5 billion) grab on savings that stung even the smallest of account holders in exchange for a €10 billion sovereign bailout deal, according to a statement issued after ...
Business Mar 19, 2013
Cyprus president desperately seeks to stop bank run
Amid fears of a run on bank accounts in Cyprus, President Nicos Anastasiades is trying to persuade lawmakers to back an EU bailout deal that slaps a levy on bank savings. Anastasiades, in an address to the nation Sunday night, said that rejecting the ...
National Mar 4, 2013
Japan, EU paving way for free-trade talks in March
Japan and the European Union are preparing to hold summit talks in Tokyo in late March, to declare the launch of formal negotiations on a free-trade accord.
Global-related Mar 4, 2013
Austerity poses perils when productivity lags
by Harold Meyerson
If a Mediterranean diet lengthens life spans as reported, inhabitants of southern Europe can look forward to long lives — of anxiety and privation.
National Mar 3, 2013
Japan, EU paving way to kick off free-trade talks in March
Japan and the European Union are preparing to hold summit talks in Tokyo in late March, to declare the launch of formal negotiations on a free-trade accord.
Politics & Diplomacy Feb 20, 2013
EU shoots down bid to arm Syrian rebels
Rejecting a push by Britain, European governments on Monday decided against providing weapons to Syrian rebel forces, expressing fears that more arms would only lead to more bloodshed in a conflict that already has taken nearly 70,000 lives. The decision, by European Union foreign ...
World Feb 10, 2013
Cameron calls EU cuts a win
Prime Minister David Cameron claimed victory in his battle to slash the EU budget Friday, saying marathon talks proved that his promise of a referendum on EU membership had not left Britain isolated. Cameron had vowed to accept nothing less than a real-term freeze ...
Economy Feb 10, 2013
Outline of European Union budget from 2014 to 2020
Actual spending, or “payments” in EU jargon, was set at €908.4 billion ($1.2 trillion), with an absolute ceiling of €960 billion for spending “commitments” ― the maximum amount that can be allocated to programs. The commitment figure is just 1 percent of the bloc’s ...
Business Feb 8, 2013
EU member states to lift ban on imports of Japanese beef
The European Commission said Wednesday that European Union member states have decided to allow imports of Japanese beef, a move that will enable Japan’s beef producers to tap into the bloc of some 500 million people. Beef exports to the European Union are expected ...