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COMMENTARY / World

Mar 24, 2001

Detours on Pakistan's road to democracy

By Farhan Bokhari

ISLAMABAD -- Leaders of some of Pakistan's opposition parties took no time in boycotting a live broadcast on national television this week upon news of a crackdown on prodemocracy activists.

COMMENTARY

Mar 24, 2001

The long view on the Kurils

By Gregory Clark

Can Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori stage a political comeback via his March 25 talks in Irkutsk with Russian President Vladimir Putin? Aides have hinted that he favors the "two-island" compromise solution to Japan's long-festering dispute with Russia over ownership of the so-called Northern Territories....

COMMENTARY / World

Mar 23, 2001

Indian politicians bought for a few good lakhs

By Gautaman Bhaskaran

NEW DELHI -- Time was when India's politicians never tired of bragging about their country's Internet revolution. But what happened the other week must have stopped them in their tracks and got them wondering whether such development was good for their political games and intrigues.

COMMENTARY

Mar 23, 2001

Challenges for Japan-U.S. ties

By Keizo Nabeshima

The joint statement issued in Washington Monday by Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and U.S. President George W. Bush is the first political declaration issued by Japan and a Republican administration in the United States in eight years. It marked a starting point for redefining terms of the Japan-U.S. security...

EDITORIALS

Mar 23, 2001

The fear on the farm

Britain has closed zoos, animal parks and tourist attractions, banned protest marches and political gatherings in some rural communities, and postponed the Crufts dog show and the Cheltenham horse races. Portugal has banned bullfights. Governments in Northern African and Central European have threatened...

EDITORIALS

Mar 22, 2001

A surprisingly successful summit

The first Japan-U.S. summit since the election of President George W. Bush has gone off without a hitch. Sad to say, but low expectations get a lot of the credit for the success of the meeting. Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori is a lame duck, both countries' economies are slumping and the tragic accident...

COMMENTARY / WASHINGTON UPDATE

Mar 22, 2001

Bush rises while Mori falls

By Bob Keefe

We are just past the halfway mark in the first 100 days of the term of U.S. President George W. Bush. How is he doing? How is he doing it? What is he changing?

COMMENTARY

Mar 22, 2001

No winner in France's vote

By Andre Fontaine

PARIS -- A year before the 2002 general and presidential elections, the results of the municipal and local elections that took place the last two Sundays represent a major development in French politics. They will not ease the relationship between President Jacques Chirac and his likely rival next year,...

EDITORIALS

Mar 21, 2001

Welcome return to zero-interest rates

In yet another move to roll back deflationary pressures, the Bank of Japan on Monday decided to increase the money supply and bring the key overnight money-market rate back to zero. The decision, which follows a round of marginal interest-rate cuts in February, indicates that the central bank is pulling...

COMMENTARY / World

Mar 21, 2001

President Bush, be cautious with Iraq

By Stanley Kober

When he ended his recent visit to the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell implied that sanctions against Iraq needed to be revised to make them more acceptable to other countries in the region. He noted, however, that such a revision would be viewed as a softer approach to Iraq and might...

COMMENTARY / World

Mar 21, 2001

Dissenting from globalism

By Ramesh Thakur

In discussions with frontline humanitarian agencies, it becomes clear that they are experiencing a mild backlash against global human-rights instruments. Some countries have become apprehensive of signing agreements for fear of later intervention by outside powers on grounds of noncompliance.

COMMENTARY / World

Mar 21, 2001

An Asian financial crisis, Chinese-style

By David Wall

CAMBRIDGE, England -- The Chinese government has announced that death sentences have been imposed on seven people for tax fraud, in this case fraudulent claims for value-added-tax refunds on export sales. More death sentences, followed quickly by executions, are expected during what Premier Zhu Rongji...

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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