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Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 20, 2015

Frenchwoman kidnapped in Central African Republic

A French charity worker and a churchman were abducted on Monday in Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, the French Foreign Ministry and the Caritas charity said.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jan 20, 2015

Snowden documents show U.K. spies tapped fiber-optic cables, stored journalists' emails: Guardian

Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping agency stored emails from journalists working for several large media organizations, according to documents released by fugitive U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, the Guardian newspaper reported.
COMMENTARY
Jan 19, 2015

Frozen chickens threaten Venezuela's regime

While Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro blames 'saboteurs' for hoarding goods and scalping prices in an alleged plot to 'destabilize' the national economy, Venezuelans are steaming over an economy in deadfall, inflation heading to three digits and supermarkets stripped of frozen chickens.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY
Jan 19, 2015

Russia's European home

If Western sanctions are to be an effective tool in countering Vladimir Putin's ambitions, they must combine a firm hand toward Russia's president with an open one toward its people.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jan 19, 2015

More convenience stores adopting restaurant functions, and vice versa

Consumers are adopting a more casual attitude toward eating out.
WORLD
Jan 19, 2015

Ex-spy chief says outdated U.K. anti-terrorism laws are not fit for purpose

Britain's ability to prevent terrorist attacks is hampered by outdated laws that are "no longer fit for purpose," a former MI5 chief said in an interview published on Sunday, as the government considers new powers to monitor the Internet.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 19, 2015

Suspected Boko Haram fighters kidnap around 80 in Cameroon

Suspected Boko Haram Islamist fighters from Nigeria kidnapped around 80 people, many of them children, and killed three others on Sunday in a cross-border attack on villages in northern Cameroon, army and government officials said.
BASKETBALL
Jan 18, 2015

Lakestars halt Phoenix's win streak at 15

All streaks eventually come to an end.
Japan Times
JAPAN / NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Jan 18, 2015

Stealth tech no given in Japanese sub deal

Retired Vice Admiral Masao Kobayashi commanded Japan's submarine fleet from 2007 to 2009. In a recent interview in Tokyo with The Japan Times, when asked to explain one of the country's most tightly guarded military secrets, he seemed reflective.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 18, 2015

Indonesia executes six for drugs; envoys exit

Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in Indonesia after the Southeast Asian nation ignored their pleas for clemency and executed six prisoners for drug offenses on Sunday — the first executions under President Joko Widodo.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 18, 2015

Even with a change of regime in Colombo, China's sway will continue to grow in Sri Lanka

Indian policymakers are mistaken if they think the change of presidents in Colombo will dampen ties between China and Sri Lanka.
EDITORIALS
Jan 18, 2015

Rajapaksa's surprise

While the new president of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena, says he wants to build a nation based on Buddhist principles of nonviolence and compassion, it is not clear if he is prepared to investigate charges that war crimes were committed during the 26-year-long civil war with the Tamil Tigers.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Jan 17, 2015

Snark levels were on full blast for 'Kohaku'

The 2014 edition of NHK's venerated song contest, "Kohaku Uta Gassen," broadcast on Dec. 31, was remarkable for several reasons, though the performance that generated the most remarks was the one by the equally venerated pop-rock group Southern All Stars, their first on the show in 31 years.
COMMENTARY / World / COUNTERPOINT
Jan 17, 2015

Sri Lanka votes against fear and kleptocracy

The stunning ouster of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Jan. 8 was good news for that island nation of 20 million, and further evidence of a universal yearning for good governance.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jan 17, 2015

Kids do better when they go to preschool all day

Full-day preschool may prepare children better for learning and social development than part- time programs, new research showed, bolstering the case for putting kids in classrooms at younger ages.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 17, 2015

Tavenner, who oversaw botched 'Obamacare' website launch, to quit

The Obama administration official who oversaw the botched rollout of the "Obamacare" website, Healthcare.gov, announced Friday she will resign as head of the agency that also manages the Medicare and Medicaid health care programs.
Japan Times
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Jan 16, 2015

USOC gets Olympic bid wrong again

"Once you become predictable, no one's interested anymore."
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Jan 16, 2015

Nagoya museums on quest to track visitors' nationalities

The industrial tourism business in Nagoya will have a new mission in fiscal 2015. Museums and activity centers will begin tracking visitors' nationalities in order to target them better.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 16, 2015

Daihatsu dismantling 'Toyota Way' as market changes

When Daihatsu Motor Co. launched the Mira e:S minicar in 2011, the Toyota affiliate thought it had found a model for emerging markets. The Mira e:S — e for eco, S for smart — was capable of going 30 kilometers on a liter of gasoline (72 mpg) for a sticker price of just ¥795,000, or $6,637. And indeed,...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 16, 2015

Korean troops take part in exercises

Winter drills on either side of the demilitarized zone underscore the fragility of a potential thaw between North Korea and South Korea after Kim Jong Un raised the possibility of a summit.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Jan 16, 2015

Macau sex ring bust shows China expanding crackdown on graft

The arrest of a prominent Macau executive in the largest prostitution bust in the city's history shows Chinese President Xi Jinping is broadening his crackdown on corruption to restrict even long-tolerated vices.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Jan 15, 2015

Revolving door with coaches damaging growth of Japanese game

A troubling trend is one of the hallmarks of the 2014-15 Japan men's pro basketball season.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 15, 2015

Moving toward the next Chinese economy

After more than 30 years of extraordinary growth, the Chinese economy is shifting onto a more conventional development path. The difficult rebalancing now under way could lead to an economy that's stronger than ever.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 15, 2015

Documentary festival delivers an encore to Tokyo audiences

Last November, Japan Times film critic Kaori Shoji predicted that the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival's (YIDFF) program of screenings would slant toward sociopolitical analysis, focusing on substance over style. Audiences must have welcomed this weighty exposition of the documentary...

Longform

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