Taylor Anderson from Richmond, Va., is the first known American victim of the March 11 tsunami. The tsunami hit the Tohoku region of Japan after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast. (See timeline.) Anderson, 24, taught English as an Assistant Language Teacher in Ishinomaki, Miyagi. She had moved to Japan in 2008 as a […]
Officials are still struggling to restore power at the Fukushima nuclear power plant 11 days after the worst earthquake in Japanese history and subsequent tsunami triggered an automatic shut down at the plant and destroyed backup generators, which caused a partial meltdown. As of this writing, an estimated 18,400 people have died in the 9.0-magnitude […]
Harvard historian Niall Ferguson’s ‘six killer applications’ theory is the latest attempt to unravel the mystery of the decline of Western civilization. Ferguson in his recent work Civilization: The West and the Rest, chronicles the rise of the Western Civilization during the past 500 years and explains how China and the east may soon overtake […]
Today I will look at another story that fell through the cracks this past week during the earthquake/nuclear crisis coverage–that of four Somali pirates brought to Japan to face trial. This is the first transfer of pirates to Japan since the passing of Japan’s antipiracy laws in July 2009. The four pirates were captured after […]
Traces of radiation have been found in milk and spinach near the Fukushima nuclear power plant, as well as in tap water in Tokyo. Tests done on milk found 20 miles from the plant detected small amounts iodine-131 and cesium-137. Iodine has been linked to thyroid cancer, and cesium poses a cancer risk to the […]
Talk about India’s “demographic dividend” is now ubiquitous but as a new study reminds us, another population trend is also underway that will dim the country’s prospects: a rather pronounced deficit of females.
The nuclear crisis following March 11’s earthquake and tsunami is still top news in Japan, but for today’s post, I’ll be taking a look at an important story that fell through the cracks this past week. Tsunehiko Maeda, former Osaka prosecutor, may be facing two years in prison after tampering with evidence in an investigation […]
The somewhat plodding resolution of the Raymond Davis affair last week was good news. Strategic and coordinative relations between the U.S and Pakistan were on the mend. But the recent drone attack that killed nearly 40 people has cut short that much needed re-engagement and amity. Relations have deteriorated so much so that Islamabad […]
Today marks one week since an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale devastated the Tohoku region of Japan and caused a tsunami with 33-foot waves that swept six miles inland. As of this writing, 5,692 deaths have been confirmed, along with 2,409 injuries and 9,522 people missing as a result of the disaster. Tokyo […]
Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) spokesman Hajime Motojuku claimed the “condition is stable” at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 reactor. Another TEPCO spokesman, Naoki Tsunoda, said they are close to completing a new power line that could end the crisis. This seems at odds with the surge in radiation levels, unexplained white smoke and spent fuel […]
India has an inclination for strengthening democracy as opposed to spreading it. With the recent flurry of popular protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and other countries of the Middle East it looks like balancing support for democracy with strategic national interests has emerged as the central theme for contemporary global relations. The United States while expressing […]
Last week’s ruling by the WTO Appellate Body on the U.S. trade remedies regime went mostly unnoticed, due to the dramatic developments in Japan and Libya. However, its implications could be significant… thought not immediate. The Appellate Body reversed a previous panel decision which allowed the U.S. government to apply higher tariffs to imports from […]
Timor Leste officially applied for membership to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) last week in an effort to reap the economic and political advantages that come with membership to the regional organization. Despite the backing of Indonesia, the current chair of the ASEAN, Timor Leste’s path to membership will be arduous with […]
Two explosions at Fukushima’s Daiichi nuclear power plant have caused the nuclear situation to deteriorate rapidly. The explosions follow Friday’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara referred to as “tembatsu,” divine retribution, for the greed of the Japanese people. (This is the same man I referred to in Sunday’s post. I […]
Confusion persists as to the extent of the damage to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant following Friday’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake, which left 10,000 dead or missing, and sped up the earth’s rotation, shortening the day by 1.8 microseconds. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is currently pumping seawater into the reactor in an attempt to keep the […]
