Japan
27 Nov
A senior Japanese public prosecutor on Wednesday bowed in apology to Iwao Hakamada, the world's longest-serving death row prisoner whose conviction was quashed this year. The octogenarian spent 46 years on death row for a quadruple murder in 1966 but a court acquitted him in September, ruling that evidence had been fabricated. Last month the…
22 Nov
Japan's minority government was set Friday to sign off on a $140-billion stimulus drive aimed at putting more money in consumers' pockets after the ruling party's worst election result in 15 years. The October 27 contest saw voters -- angry over corruption in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and inflation -- deprive new Prime Minister…
15 Nov
Japan's growth slowed in the third quarter after warnings of a major earthquake hit activity, official data showed Friday, as Prime Minister
12 Nov
Japan cancelled a joint naval training exercise with the United States on Tuesday as it searches for a sailor missing after a minesweeping ship caught fire and sank. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said a search was underway for a 33-year-old after the Ukushima went up in flames on Sunday in waters off southwestern Fukuoka. The…
11 Nov
New lawmaker Saria Hino takes her seat on Monday as one of a record number of women in Japan's parliament, but while campaigning ahead of the recent election, a voter asked her, "Who's looking after your children?" The mother-of-four was among 73 women elected to the 465-seat house of representatives in October's vote—the most ever,…
7 Nov
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Thursday he had agreed with US president-elect Donald Trump in a phone call to strengthen the nations' alliance, after the tycoon's victory sent defence-related shares surging. Trump's "America First" approach could mean less cash from Washington for security in the Asia-Pacific region, analysts say -- with investors betting on…
5 Nov
The world's first wooden satellite has blasted off on a SpaceX rocket, its Japanese developers said Tuesday, part of a resupply mission to the International Space Station. Scientists at Kyoto University expect the wooden material to burn up when the device re-enters the atmosphere, potentially providing a way to avoid generating metal particles when a…
9 Oct
Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved parliament on Wednesday, saying that an election this month was a chance to "create a new Japan" by revitalizing rural regions. Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner are almost certain to be re-elected on October 27, with the premier banking on his honeymoon popularity…
23 Sep
Rescuers combed the debris-strewn banks of a river in central Japan on Monday, searching for victims after homes were swept away in flooding and landslides that claimed at least six lives.
21 Sep
Fiji retained the Pacific Nations Cup with a sizzling second-half performance in a 41-17 win over Japan in Saturday's final in Osaka. The Fijians scored four tries after the break to lift the trophy and deny Eddie Jones his first title since returning as Japan head coach at the start of the year. The win…
21 Sep
Japanese authorities told tens of thousands of people to evacuate the quake-hit region of Ishikawa on Saturday as "unprecedented" rains triggered floods and landslides. A dozen rivers in the region, on the west coast of central Japan, had burst their banks by 11:00 am (0200 GMT), land ministry official Masaru Kojima said. Three people were…
17 Sep
The operator of Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant said on Tuesday it has suspended an operation to remove a sample of highly radioactive material because of a new technical problem. Extracting the estimated 880 tons of highly radioactive fuel and debris inside the former power station remains the most challenging part of decommissioning the facility,…
Latest
1 day ago
Former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, has faulted the notion held in certain quarters that he plotted the elimination of 159 officers in the ill-fated C-130 Air Crash on September 26, 1992. According to Babangida in his autobiography titled "A journey in Service" launched on Wednesday in Abuja, such talks spoke volumes of…
1 day ago
The World Sustainable Development Goals (WSDGs) Organisation, has announced the appointment of Engr. Raphael Chukwudimma Chukwu
1 day ago
The Federal government on Friday implored governors of the 36 states of the federation to deepen the implementation of Human Capital Development (HCD) programmes in their respective states. It observed that the path chosen by Nigeria in the 21st century can only be determined by the strength of the nation's workforce, the education of its…
1 day ago
A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has issued a restraining order against the People's Democratic Party (PDP) from conducting its South-South Zonal Congress. The court's decision was in response to a suit filed by Tony Uchechukwu Ehogu and Field Nkor, candidates for the scheduled congress. Justice G.V. Obomanu, presiding over the case, directed…
1 day ago
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressive Congress has berated the State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party over an enrolled order
1 day ago
An Ilorin-based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO,) Lekan Adewoye Foundation, has obtained Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms for 1,000 admission seekers in the state. The sponsor said that the gesture covers 83 wards spanning the seven local governments of Kwara South senatorial zone. Beyond the JAMB sponsorship, the Foundation also pledged full academic scholarships…
1 day ago
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has disclosed that none of the 31 requests for state creation have met the constitutional requirements. Speaking at a two-day retreat in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Kalu, who also chairs the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, stated that the submission deadline…
1 day ago
A cholera outbreak in western Ethiopia has killed 15 people and struck more than 200 people this month, a regional health official said Friday, appealing for more medicine. Several regions of Ethiopia and other African countries have been fighting cholera outbreaks in recent weeks, including Sudan and Angola. "Fifteen people have died, and we have…
1 day ago
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky faced pressure on Friday to sign a deal to hand the United States preferential access to Ukraine's mineral deposits following harsh criticism from US President Donald Trump. Trump wants Ukraine to give US companies access as compensation for the tens of billions of dollars of aid delivered under his predecessor Joe…