Politics | Nov 17

Myanmar releases ex-UK envoy, Aussie economist, Japan filmmaker

Nov 17 (Nikkei) - Myanmar's military regime has released former U.K. Ambassador Vicky Bowman, an Australian economist and Aung San Suu Kyi aide Sean Turnell, and Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota from prison as it attempts to mitigate a growing backlash against the generals.

Nikkei Asia confirmed that the three, along with a U.S. national Kyaw Htay Oo, have been released and were with diplomats from their countries at Yangon International Airport. The four foreigners are among nearly 6,000 prisoners who have been released, according to the military-backed State Administration Council (SAC), the official name of the regime's governing body. Htein Lin, Bowman's husband and a Burmese artist, is also among the released. ...continue reading


MORE Politics NEWS

In a significant move against what has been labeled as "breeding grounds for waste," the Japanese government has decided to terminate 15 state-funded projects, planning to return more than 540 billion yen to the national treasury.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has made a ritual offering at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo for its spring festival. (NHK)

In efforts to ensure stable imperial succession, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has summarized its stance on how to maintain the number of members in Japan's Imperial Family.

POPULAR NEWS

A cherry tree located at one of Kyoto's busiest pedestrian streets, Sanneizaka, a main pathway to Kiyomizu Temple, suddenly fell at 11:45 AM on Tuesday, trapping a school teacher beneath.

The biannual Spring Garden Party, hosted by the Emperor and Empress, took place at Tokyo's Akasaka Imperial Garden on Tuesday, with Princess Aiko gracing the event, warmly engaging with the guests.

The site of the former Tsukiji Market is set for a major transformation, including a stadium with a capacity of 50,000 people and a launch pad for flying cars.

The Nagoya District Court delivered a severe sentence on Monday to Mai Watanabe, 25, who operated under the alias "Itadakijoshi Riri-chan (Riri the sugar baby)" and was charged with fraudulently obtaining cash from men. She has been sentenced to nine years in prison and fined 8 million yen.

In a historic move, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has issued its first administrative sanction against American tech giant Google.

FOLLOW US