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COMMENTARY / World

Jul 20, 2007

That hazy, crazy bubbly feel of liquidity

By Robert J. Shiller

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut — We increasingly hear that "the world is awash with liquidity," and that this justifies expecting asset prices to continue rising. But what does such liquidity mean, and is there really reason to expect that it will sustain further increases in stock and real estate prices?...

EDITORIALS

Jul 19, 2007

A dash of insecurity from Moscow

Russia continues to up the ante in its relations with the West. Last week, Moscow announced that it will suspend its obligations under a key arms control treaty in Europe. The move underscores rising tensions with the United States and is another attempt to drive a wedge into the Atlantic Alliance. ...

COMMENTARY

Jul 19, 2007

'Quad Initiative': an inharmonious concert of democracies

By Brahma Chellaney

NEW DELHI — The newly launched Australia-India-Japan-U.S. "Quadrilateral Initiative" has raised China's hackles, but its direction is still undecided owing to differing perceptions within the group over what its aims and objectives ought to be.

COMMENTARY / World

Jul 19, 2007

Palestinians still paying for past failures

By Shlomo Avineri

PRAGUE — Every week, it seems, brings another backward step for Palestine. President Mahmoud Abbas' failure to convene the Palestinian Legislative Assembly, due to a Hamas boycott, may lead inexorably to the final breakdown of the political structures created under the Oslo Accords.

COMMENTARY / World

Jul 19, 2007

Is Frank Hsieh a moderate?

By David G. Brown

WASHINGTON — Frank Hsieh Chang-ting has been nominated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as their presidential candidate. Many in Taipei now believe he has a good chance of winning the election, assuming he does not withdraw as he has said he would if indicted on the corruption allegations...

EDITORIALS

Jul 19, 2007

Tremors spotlight nuclear plants

The earthquake that hit Niigata and Nagano prefectures on Monday brought to light safety problems that could arise at nuclear-power plants during a powerful earthquake. The magnitude-6.8 quake occurred in the Sea of Japan, only 9 km north of Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear-power...

EDITORIALS

Jul 18, 2007

Pulling the plug on Yongbyon

North Korea has shut down its plutonium-producing reactor at Yongbyon and other facilities and accepted inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency. Although this is a welcome development, little optimism is warranted. The shutdown means only that North Korea has stopped producing any more...

COMMENTARY

Jul 18, 2007

The terrorists in our midst

By Hugh Cortazzi

LONDON — The terrorists who committed the atrocities in London on July 7, 2005, seemed to have been of limited education and from relatively poor backgrounds. The four terrorists who were convicted recently of plotting mass murder on the London transport system on July 21, 2005, were refugees from...

EDITORIALS

Jul 18, 2007

Flagging quake resistance

The fierce earthquake that struck Niigata and Nagano prefectures Monday reminded both the government and the public of the need to make Japan more resilient toward earthquakes. The magnitude-6.8 quake was focused about 60 km southwest of the city of Niigata and some 17 km below the bottom of the Sea...

EDITORIALS

Jul 17, 2007

Women remain in the background

The fiscal 2007 government white paper on gender equality shows a low level of advancement by Japanese women in politics, government and business compared with other countries. The situation won't change unless political, business and labor leaders get serious about the issue.

EDITORIALS

Jul 17, 2007

Restoration of human bonds

This year's government white paper on people's lives, the 50th such report since 1956, focuses on the importance (or rather the weakening) of human bonds in Japanese society at home, in local communities and in the workplace. It points out that long working hours, children's attendance at cram schools,...

COMMENTARY / World

Jul 16, 2007

Winning with opium in Afghanistan

By Norine Macdonald and Raymond Kendall

PRAGUE — Despite considerable effort by the international community in Afghanistan since 2001 to eliminate the Taliban and al-Qaida, the insurgency in the south of the country has gathered momentum at breakneck speed in recent months. Our field research shows that we are not winning the campaign for...

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.

What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

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