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ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Oct 19, 2015

Churches torn down in Indonesia's Aceh province after religious violence

Authorities in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province on Monday began tearing down several small Christian churches after hard-line Muslims demanded their closure, citing a lack of building permits. The move follows a spate of religious violence.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Oct 18, 2015

'Jack' event declares: ‘Let there be J-pop!’

Over the past two years, Simon Whybray's monthly club night and online mix series “Jack” (stylized in all caps) has featured high-energy songs from around the globe, including a healthy dose of J-pop. It's surprising, then, when he reveals his gateway into Japanese music was a delicate piano number...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 18, 2015

Beijing promotes low-paid college graduates to startup CEOs

Quitting her job as receptionist, joining rock bands and chancing her tattoo-sleeved arm at small business ventures would once have branded college graduate Ding Jia as a rebel in China. Now she can claim state endorsement as a "creative."
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.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 16, 2015

Security legislation promises more than it can deliver

Japan's new security legislation will do little to deter China or North Korea, and the SDF is not large or strong enough to turn the tides of war in international peacekeeping and possible U.S.-led war efforts.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 16, 2015

Barred from remote island, Myanmar's opposition sees dirty tricks in campaign

A sparsely populated cluster of Indian Ocean islands has become the unlikely focus of allegations that Myanmar's government is spiking the chances of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party in next month's landmark general election.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 16, 2015

Recent Nobels aside, Japan faces future slide in scientific research

Japan was euphoric last week after Japanese scientists won Nobel Prizes on two consecutive days — first in medicine and then in physics.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 15, 2015

France says Iran missile test 'worrying' violation of U.N. resolution

Iran's test of a ballistic missile earlier this week was a clear violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution and sends "a worrying message," French Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said on Thursday.
WORLD
Oct 15, 2015

Santa Claus elected to North Pole City Council

A man with a soft white beard who prides himself on being an advocate for young children has been elected as a city councilman in North Pole, Alaska.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 15, 2015

Bangladesh's vital garment sector braces as Western retail giants curb travel amid foreigner slayings

Business executives from global clothing giants H&M Inditex and Gap have canceled trips to Dhaka this month after the killings of two foreigners, industry sources said, causing anxiety for Bangladesh's $25 billion garment export sector.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Oct 14, 2015

Animal advocates divided over shelter practices

Foreign volunteers break off contact with Tokyo NPO over conditions at dog facility.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Oct 13, 2015

Pow! Wow! to pack a punch in Tokyo

Inspiration comes in many forms: It could be a piece of artwork that changes your vision of the world, or it could be a phone call from a friend that spawns an international art phenomenon.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Oct 11, 2015

Japan’s Constitution won’t protect revolting foreigners

It's worth bearing in mind that the most prominent case concerning the constitutional rights of foreigners involved an American who got kicked out of the country for participating in antiwar protests.
WORLD
Oct 11, 2015

U.N., World Bank to launch refugee and reconstruction bonds

International agencies plan to raise billions of dollars to tackle the worsening refugee crisis in the Middle East and North Africa by issuing new bonds to help displaced people and support reconstruction in the war-torn region.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Oct 10, 2015

'Omotenashi' comes up short on humility

A Japanese friend who used to travel a lot for work told me of a funny thing that once happened to her in a Tokyo hotel. She was checking in when a bellhop came up and, without saying anything, picked up her bag. She resented the presumption and tried to yank it out of his hand. A silent tug of war ensued....
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle / CHILD'S PLAY
Oct 10, 2015

One way to keep the kids on their toes

There are few certainties in parenthood, from the ever-changing sleeping habits of babies to the unpredictability of toddler tantrums.
JAPAN
Oct 10, 2015

New JICA head envisages 'effective approach' for ODA

Shinichi Kitaoka, the newly appointed president of Japan International Cooperation Agency, said he wants to carefully study the needs of recipients and work to provide development aid effectively given the country's limited financial resources.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 10, 2015

Tepco expects to begin freezing ice wall at Fukushima No. 1 by year-end

Tokyo Electric Power Co. expects to begin freezing a soil barrier by the end of the year to stop water entering the wrecked Fukushima nuclear facility.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 9, 2015

Putin's move in Syria could bring his downfall

Putin will now face a more direct choice between guns and butter, and his assumption that Russians will sacrifice for greater national glory will be true, until it is not.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 9, 2015

Second deluge looms for South Carolina coastal areas; residents told to flee

South Carolina's governor warned on Thursday that several coastal areas were about to be hit by a second round of major flooding, while residents inland hauled soaked furniture and appliances from homes left in ruins by unprecedented rainfall.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 8, 2015

Singapore Post tests drone mail service

Singapore Post said it has used a drone to deliver mail to an island community, joining postal services in other countries such as Finland that are testing unmanned aerial vehicles to deliver packages.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 8, 2015

China uses intimidation tactics at U.N. to silence critics

In a cafe lounge at the United Nations complex in Geneva, a Tibetan fugitive was waiting his turn earlier this year to tell diplomats his story of being imprisoned and tortured back home in China.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 7, 2015

Chomsky's take on the state of Thai democracy

Noted academic and commentator Noam Chomsky takes a keen interest in the political wars embroiling Thailand.
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Oct 7, 2015

Red flags and exit strategies: advice for English teachers in Japan

It's important for new instructors in Japan to know when they are being exploited, and, if so, how to improve their lot or extricate themselves from the situation as painlessly as possible.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 6, 2015

Tentative TPP rewrites trade rules for autos, drugs, produce, rice and IP, but faces legislative OKs

The tentative agreement on trade negotiated by a dozen Pacific Rim nations will slightly pry open Japan's famously closed rice market, protect brand-name drugs from generic competitors for at least five years and lower tariffs on automobiles.

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