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WORLD
Oct 27, 2015

Free Syrian Army groups deny reports of Moscow visits

Delegations from Free Syrian Army rebel groups did not visit Moscow, representatives of four factions fighting under the FSA banner said Tuesday, denying Russian news agency reports that such visits had taken place.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Oct 26, 2015

Planned U.S. patrols to raise stakes with Beijing in disputed South China Sea

U.S. plans to send warships or military aircraft within 12 nautical miles of China's artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, possibly within days, could open a tense new front in Sino-U.S. rivalry.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 25, 2015

Just how dangerous is China-Britain nuclear agreement?

China does not share Western values about domestic social order, or about cyber espionage, but it does share our values about the need to avoid war.
EDITORIALS
Oct 23, 2015

Opposition eyes campaign tie-up

The opposition camp could cut into the ruling bloc's grip on the Diet if the parties can agree to cooperate for next summer's Upper House election.
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2015

Asahi Kasei subsidiary worker linked to leaning Yokohama condo handled 41 projects over 10 years, firm reveals

An Asahi Kasei Construction Materials Corp. employee at the center of a tilting condo controversy oversaw 41 projects in nine prefectures over 10 years.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 22, 2015

Ex-Ishin no To members refuse to give up seal, bankbook as party paralyzed by leadership struggle

Ishin no To may be on the verge of vanishing as rebellious members threaten procedures to legally disband the party.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 20, 2015

Asahi Kasei vows independent probe over tilting condo building

Top executives of Asahi Kasei Corp., parent of the company that handled the piling work for a tilting Yokohama condominium building, apologize and say the company will do its best to discover the facts surrounding the case.
JAPAN
Oct 20, 2015

Yamaguchi-gumi split, toughened laws will weaken gangs: experts

The recent fracturing of the Yamaguchi-gumi, the country's largest and most powerful crime syndicate, will considerably weaken the gang organization and all yakuza groups in general, two noted experts told a news conference Tuesday in Tokyo.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 20, 2015

Too early for TPP cheers

The Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations were a major blow against democracy and good governance, and the deal is studded with measures distorting capitalism and free markets.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 20, 2015

U.S. must rethink the size and shape of its navy

As China increases its arsenal of land-based anti-ship missiles, how much longer will aircraft carriers be able to play a central role in the U.S. Navy's projection of force in Asia?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 20, 2015

U.S. regulator may expand Takata air bag probe

U.S. regulators said Monday they could expand their investigation into Takata Corp. air bag inflators beyond the current 11 automakers, amid questions about whether vehicle design played a role in the devices posing a deadly risk to the public.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 20, 2015

Democrat Webb weighing possible independent bid for White House

Democratic presidential candidate Jim Webb is considering an independent bid for the White House, and will hold a news conference about his candidacy on Tuesday, his campaign said on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 20, 2015

Panel clears Obuchi over career-damaging scandal

A panel investigating former trade and industry minister Yuko Obuchi's alleged misuse of political funds ruled Monday she had no legal responsibility for the scandal that led to her resignation last year.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 19, 2015

UNESCO strikes political nerve with Nanking Massacre documents

A fierce battle is raging over UNESCO's stewardship of history.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 18, 2015

Earthquake in northwest Argentina kills at least one, collapses homes

A magnitude-5.9 earthquake struck northwest Argentina on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported, leaving at least one person dead, injuring several more and damaging homes, according to local media.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 17, 2015

Amid safety concerns, U.S. plans to establish registry for drones

The Obama administration, faced with a surge in unauthorized drone flights, is set to announce a new initiative on Monday aimed at registering the owners of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), people familiar with the matter said Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 16, 2015

In an about face, JCP says it would support Japan-U.S. military pact in some scenarios

The Japanese Communist Party, which has long regarded the United States as its sworn enemy, has made what appears to be a historic change of its policy stance — at least for now.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / NBA
Oct 15, 2015

Odom 'took cocaine' before hospitalization

Basketball and reality TV star Lamar Odom was reportedly fighting for his life in a Las Vegas hospital on Wednesday after he was found unresponsive at a legal brothel, where employees said he used cocaine and a sexual performance-enhancing supplement, a sheriff said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 14, 2015

Abe orders reduced rates to cushion blow from 2017 tax hike

The prime minister instructs the new tax panel chief to introduce special reduced tax rates for certain products in time for the planned April 2017 consumption tax hike.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 14, 2015

Syrian Army, allies plan offensive against insurgents in Aleppo

Syria's army, along with Iranian and Hezbollah allies, will soon launch a ground attack supported by Russian airstrikes against insurgents in the Aleppo area, two senior regional officials said Tuesday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Oct 13, 2015

South Korea announces plans for state-issued history textbooks

South Korea's conservative government has announced plans to adopt new government-backed history textbooks for middle and high schools — a move that resembles a similarly controversial push in Japan.

Longform

A sinkhole in Yashio, which emerged in January, was triggered by a ruptured, aging sewer pipe. Authorities worry that similar sections of infrastructure across the country are also at risk of corrosion.
That sinking feeling: Japan’s aging sewers are an infrastructure time bomb