Japanese say at least seven people are missing after part of a highway tunnel collapsed early Sunday west of Tokyo. Television reports showed black smoke billowing from the 4.7 kilometer Sasago tunnel in Yamanashi prefecture, about 80 kilometers west of Tokyo. Firefighters put out the flames at 11 am , about three hours after the […]
Japanese Highway Tunnel Collapses
Posted December 1st, 2012 at 10:25 pm (UTC-5)
Japanese police say a highway tunnel collapsed early Sunday west of Tokyo, trapping an undetermined number of vehicles. The incident at the Sasago tunnel occurred in the Tokyo-bound lanes of the Chuo Expressway, about 80 kilometers west of the capital. There are early reports that some vehicles are on fire, but police had no estimates […]
U.S. Condemns North Korean Rocket Launch Plan
Posted December 1st, 2012 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
The United States has responded to North Korea’s announcement that it plans to launch a long-range rocket, saying the act would be “highly provocative” and would threaten peace and security in the region. It said any such launch using ballistic missile technology would be in direct violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions adopted earlier […]
Somali Pirates Release 4 South Korean Sailors
Posted December 1st, 2012 at 6:50 am (UTC-5)
South Korean officials say Somali pirates have released four commercial seamen they had held for 19 months, after the payment of a ransom. A South Korean foreign ministry official said Saturday the ministry had assisted in ransom talks between the ship’s owner and the pirates, but declined to say how much had been paid for […]
North Korea Announces Planned Rocket Launch in December
Posted December 1st, 2012 at 5:15 am (UTC-5)
North Korea’s official news agency says the Stalinist state plans to launch a long-range rocket later this month. In a statement carried Saturday by the Korean Central News Agency, the Korean Committee for Space Technology said it plans to send a working satellite into orbit between December 10 and 22. The statement said scientists had […]
Senate Reaffirms US Support for Japan in Land Dispute With China
Posted December 1st, 2012 at 4:25 am (UTC-5)
The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved an amendment that reaffirms Washington’s commitment to Japan in its territorial dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea. The measure was attached Thursday to the National Defense Authorization Bill for Fiscal Year 2012, which is still being debated in the Senate – the upper body of […]
Chinese, US Soldiers Complete Joint Disaster Exercises
Posted November 30th, 2012 at 1:10 pm (UTC-5)
The Chinese and U.S. militaries are getting to know each other better, even as tensions rise across the Asia-Pacific region. Officers from the two countries completed a joint exercise Friday in Chengdu with the goal of finding ways to better coordinate a response to a natural disaster. The United States and China have spoken several […]
ASEAN Chief Worries Beijing Raising Stakes in South China Sea
Posted November 30th, 2012 at 12:45 pm (UTC-5)
South-East Asia’s leading diplomat is joining those worried China is dangerously raising tensions over the disputed South China Sea. ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan says Beijing’s plan to possibly board and search foreign ships is alarming. “Certainly it has raised a lot of concern and anxiety and I think it is creating a bit of […]
Nephew of Blind Chinese Activist Sentenced to Prison
Posted November 30th, 2012 at 7:35 am (UTC-5)
The nephew of blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has been sentenced to more than three years in prison in a case seen by rights groups as retaliation for Chen’s escape from house arrest earlier this year. The Yinan County People’s Court convicted Chen Kegui Friday of assaulting officials earlier this year who stormed into his […]
Nephew of Blind Chinese Activist on Trial
Posted November 30th, 2012 at 5:55 am (UTC-5)
The nephew of blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has gone on trial in a case seen by rights groups as retaliation for Chen’s escape from house arrest earlier this year. The father of Chen Kegui said his son faced charges Friday in the northeastern Yinan County Court that he assaulted officials who stormed into his […]
