Taiwanese repurpose old bunkers into sheds, parks and photo-op sites
Dotted around Taiwan lie the remains of abandoned bunkers originally built to repel an invasion from China. They date from a period in the island's history when it was under martial law and fear of a Chinese attack was a part of daily life. The ...
Long friendship comes full circle with Welsh gift of ginkgo trees to Japan
Over a dozen ginkgo tree saplings have been sent to Japan from Pembrokeshire, a location noted for its remarkable history in Wales' long-standing ties with Japan. The tree the 15 saplings came from is said to have been donated in 1877 by Japanese envoy to ...
How socialism and the left wing failed in Japan
Three decades ago, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Malta Summit signified the end of the Cold War and the defeat of left-wing forces, including the socialists and communists. The communists lost power in the East, and the socialist parties in the West ...
Big history helps understand today's issues
A sweeping study of historical data yields fascinating revelations about the past, present and future.
16th-century anchors found off Mexican coast offer clues into Spanish conquest
Archaeologists have discovered two iron ship anchors off Mexico's Gulf Coast that they say date back 500 years and could have belonged to Spaniard Hernan Cortes' fleet, which landed in 1519 before overthrowing the Aztec empire. The anchors, found on the ocean floor near the ...
Supposed relic from Jesus' manger arrives in Bethlehem as Christmas gift from pope
A fragment of wood reputed to be from the manger where Jesus was laid after his humble birth arrived in Bethlehem as a gift from the Vatican on Saturday, kicking off Christmas season at the town revered as the place of Jesus' birth. The wood ...
Japan-South Korea friction flares again after GSOMIA intel pact rescue
Japan and South Korea take fresh swipes at one another, raising questions about whether relations between the U.S. allies will improve after reaching a last-minute deal to rescue an expiring intelligence-sharing pact.
GSOMIA lives, but what's next for Japan and South Korea ties?
After South Korea’s surprise announcement to remain a party to a key intelligence-sharing pact with Japan, wartime labor, the issue at the heart of strained bilateral ties, remains far from being resolved.
Rome will return relics of Jesus' supposed manger to Bethlehem before Christmas
Wooden relics said to be from the manger that held the infant Jesus will be returned from Rome to Bethlehem in time for the Christmas season, Palestinian officials said on Friday. Bethlehem's mayor, Anton Salman, told the Palestinian news agency WAFA the move followed President ...
Julia Roberts once floated for role as African-American slavery hero Harriet Tubman
A Hollywood movie studio executive once suggested that Julia Roberts could play Harriet Tubman, the 19th century escaped slave who is seen as an African-American icon. Gregory Allen Howard, the co-writer of the new biopic "Harriet," starring Cynthia Erivo, said the idea was floated 25 ...
No progress by Japan and South Korea defense chiefs over intel pact in Bangkok
During ministerial talks between the Japanese and South Korean defense chiefs in Bangkok, little progress is made over a bilateral military intelligence-sharing pact set to expire this month.
