NEWSWORTHY
Okinawa Gov. Tamaki meets defense minister, steps up conflict with central government over base move
Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki ups the ante with the central government over plans for a U.S. military base transfer within the prefecture.
Pro- and anti-base candidates kick off campaigns for Nago assembly in Okinawa
Official campaigning kicked off Sunday for the Nago Municipal Assembly election in Okinawa Prefecture, with the planned construction there of a new U.S. military base to facilitate the closure of an unpopular airfield elsewhere in the prefecture a hot-button issue. The results of the Sept. ...
Senior Cabinet Office official quits after downplaying U.S. aircraft problems in Okinawa
A senior official in the Cabinet Office resigns after being criticized in the Diet for making light of a U.S. helicopter incident in Okinawa.
Japan to ask U.S. to fly around Okinawa schools in wake of chopper's window drop
The government will ask the U.S. military to avoid flying over schools in Okinawa Prefecture after a window that fell off one of its choppers almost hit students at an elementary school earlier in the week, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said. Suga, who doubles ...
Japan begins construction work for controversial new U.S. base in Okinawa
The construction of sea walls around a planned replacement facility for the U.S. Air Station Futenma in Okinawa Prefecture comes despite persistent local opposition.
North Korea says missile launches were training for striking U.S. bases in Japan
North Korea said Tuesday its launch exercise a day earlier involving multiple missiles simulated an attack on U.S. bases — a type of saturation attack that experts say could leave Japan vulnerable.
Former Okinawa U.S. base worker accused of killing woman set to deny murderous intent
A U.S. civilian base worker indicted for raping and slaying a 20-year-old woman in Okinawa will deny murderous intent at his trial, his defense has said.
U.S. scales back service members at Europe bases to save $500 million
The Pentagon on Thursday unveiled sweeping plans to consolidate its forces in Europe, taking thousands of U.S. military and civilian personnel out of bases mostly in the United Kingdom and Portugal, in an effort that will save about $500 million each year. Off-setting some of ...
Rebels advance on two government bases in northwestern Syria
Rebels and al-Qaida militants took over at least three government checkpoints Sunday around a pair of military bases in northwestern Syria, activists said. The positions that fell to opposition fighters in heavy fighting are located around the Wadi Deif and Hamidiyeh bases outside the town ...
U.S. seeking 'larger-than-disclosed' site for Futenma relocation
A blueprint showing plans to build more facilities than disclosed at the replacement site for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma shows it might be bigger than expected.
