Japan Times :: Friday, April 24, 2009

• 10. NATIONAL NEWS :: ASDF scrambled fewer times in '08
  April 24, 2009
  Kyodo News
  The Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighter jets to counter foreign aircraft 237 times in fiscal 2008, down 70 from the previous year, the Self-Defense Forces said Thursday. continued ...


• 11. NATIONAL NEWS - MASAMI ITO :: Machimura bides his time
  April 24, 2009
  LDP veteran fully supports Aso but wants top job himself one day
  By MASAMI ITO, Staff writer
  Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura revealed that he has ambitions to someday lead the nation, but said that as chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's largest faction, his present role is to give full support to Prime Minister Taro Aso. continued ...


• 12. NATIONAL NEWS - TOSHIYUKI INABA :: Ibaraki airport not winning over airlines
  April 24, 2009
  By TOSHIYUKI INABA, Kyodo News
  MITO, Ibaraki Pref. — With just a year left until Ibaraki airport opens, South Korea's Asiana Airlines is the only carrier so far that has decided to fly into the airport. continued ...


• 15. NATIONAL NEWS :: Disputed isle trio get special visas
  April 24, 2009
  Kyodo News
  Japan has issued entry visas to residents of the disputed Russian-held islands off Hokkaido, ahead of their visit to Sapporo for talks on a bilateral visa-free exchange program, government and Foreign Ministry officials said Thursday. continued ...


• 16. NATIONAL NEWS :: Six-party North talks still said best
  April 24, 2009
  Kyodo News
  Although North Korea's April 5 rocket launch has made dealing with Pyongyang a priority for the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, the six-party talks should remain the main forum for engaging the North, according to an intelligence analyst. continued ...


• 18. NATIONAL NEWS :: Officials say Chiba mayor told them to favor firm's contract bid
  April 24, 2009
  CHIBA (Kyodo) Chiba Mayor Keiichi Tsuruoka, who was arrested Wednesday for allegedly receiving a ¥1 million bribe from a construction company, is suspected of ordering city officials to favor the firm by allowing it to bid on a public works project, investigation sources said Thursday. continued ...


• 19. NATIONAL NEWS :: Suit on legality of SDF Iraq dispatch rejected
  April 24, 2009
  OKAYAMA (Kyodo) The Okayama District Court dismissed a lawsuit Thursday in which more than 200 plaintiffs argued the past deployment of Self-Defense Forces elements in and around Iraq was unconstitutional. continued ...


• 33. NATIONAL NEWS - MASAMI ITO :: Lower House passes bill widening MSDF antipiracy role
  April 24, 2009
  By MASAMI ITO, Staff writer
  The Lower House passed an antipiracy bill Thursday to create a permanent law enabling the Maritime Self-Defense Force to protect ships of any nationality against pirates, amid strong protests from opposition parties. continued ...


• 50. EDITORIAL :: Tokyo by-law threatens freedoms
  April 24, 2009
  Street performances are fun for many people and give character to streets and communities such as Tokyo's Shibuya, Harajuku, Akihabara and Kichijoji areas. But now such activities may be restricted or banned due to a revision of the Tokyo metropolitan by-law for "the building of safe and secure communities," which took effect April 1. continued ...