Ahmedabad, India | AFP | India’s first bullet train project, a $19-billion initiative linking Ahmedabad to Mumbai, was launched Thursday as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe hailed fast-growing ties between Asia’s two biggest democracies. The project is seen as emblematic of warming relations between New Delhi …
Read More »THIS WEEK: New textile firm to open in Rwanda’s Burera District
Kigali, Rwanda | THIS WEEK | The entry of Burera Garment Factory in Rwanda is expected to tighten competition in the country’s textile industry. The firm that plans to start its operations in Burera District soon, is a joint venture by Burera District and Noguchi Holdings, a Japanese venture capital firm as …
Read More »Nissan unveils new electric car in bid to drive off competition
Chiba, Japan | AFP | Japanese giant Nissan Wednesday unveiled a new electric car with an extended range and semi-autonomous driving functions, as it seeks to battle off competitors in a sector it once pioneered. The second-generation Nissan Leaf has a potential range of 400 kilometres (250 miles) between charges, …
Read More »US shoots down missile in test off Hawaii coast
Washington, United States | AFP | The US military shot down a medium-range ballistic missile target off the coast of Hawaii early Wednesday, in a successful test of a missile interception system Japan is seeking to bolster its defense against North Korea. The test was performed by the US Missile Defense …
Read More »N.Korea defends ‘tough counter-measures’ as missile alarms Japan
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea defended its right to take “tough counter-measures” in response to what it called US aggression, after firing a ballistic missile over Japan which sparked fear and fury in Tokyo Tuesday. The test launch by the nuclear-armed nation was seen as a major escalation …
Read More »Trump: ‘All options’ on table after NKorea missile launch over Japan
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that “all options” remained under consideration after North Korea launched a missile over Japan. “Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime’s isolation in the region and among all nations of the world,” the White House …
Read More »North Korea does it again, fires ballistic missile over Japan
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | Nuclear-armed North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday in a major escalation that triggered global alarm and a furious response from the government in Tokyo. A visibly unsettled Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said it was an “unprecedented, serious and …
Read More »Japan’s ‘highway doctor’ does checkup on ageing roads
Tokyo, Japan | AFP | As Japan takes on the mammoth task of upgrading its capital’s outdated roads and infrastructure, a local “highway doctor” is betting that its 3-D technology can led a hand. Tokyo’s sprawling maze of ageing expressways, measuring 320 kilometres (or 200 miles) in length, have long been …
Read More »New US envoy reassures Japan over security pact
Narita, Japan | AFP | The new US ambassador to Japan on Thursday reassured the country of an “ironclad” commitment to their security alliance, but urged Tokyo to step up its role in the pact, amid heightened tensions over North Korea’s missile threats. Tokyo remains on alert against potential military provocations …
Read More »Watch out Messi, here come the footballers at RoboCup
Nagoya, Japan | AFP | With steely focus, player number 3 scored a stunning opening goal in the first few minutes of the high-stakes football match between a dominant Bordeaux and their plucky Chinese opponents. But as the crowds cheered, the pint-sized player, known as Arya, showed none of the customary …
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