Copyright (c) 2008 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. http://news.yahoo.com/i/2180 World - Japan en-us Sat, 17 May 2008 06:25:50 GMT 5 142 18 http://news.yahoo.com/i/2180 http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/nws/th/main_142b.gif http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080517/wl_asia_afp/japansuicidepoll afp/20080517/japansuicidepoll AFP Sat, 17 May 2008 06:25:50 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080517/wl_asia_afp/japansuicidepoll"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080517/capt.cps.nex84.170508082421.photo00.photo.default-512x349.jpg?x=130&y=88&q=85&sig=EWaqKFdK1dZBufFhzv944A--" align="left" height="88" width="130" alt="A girl prays for the dead in Hiroshima. Almost 20 percent of Japanese adults have considered killing themselves, a survey has found, with half the respondents saying movies and television are contributing to the high suicide rate(AFP/File/Toshifumi Kitamura)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Almost 20 percent of Japanese adults have considered killing themselves, a survey has found, with half the respondents saying movies and television are contributing to the high suicide rate.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080517/wl_asia_afp/japansuicidepoll"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080517/capt.cps.nex84.170508082421.photo00.photo.default-512x349.jpg?x=130&y=88&q=85&sig=EWaqKFdK1dZBufFhzv944A--" align="left" height="88" width="130" alt="photo" title="A girl prays for the dead in Hiroshima. Almost 20 percent of Japanese adults have considered killing themselves, a survey has found, with half the respondents saying movies and television are contributing to the high suicide rate(AFP/File/Toshifumi Kitamura)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080517/ap_on_re_as/skorea_japan_standoff ap/20080517/skorea_japan_standoff AP Sat, 17 May 2008 06:15:07 GMT AP - A standoff between the Japanese and South Korean coast guards ended peacefully after a joint investigation found that a Korean fishing boat did not violate Japanese waters, an official said Saturday. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080516/wl_asia_afp/japanusmilitarycrimecourt afp/20080516/japanusmilitarycrimecourt AFP Fri, 16 May 2008 18:24:58 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080516/wl_asia_afp/japanusmilitarycrimecourt"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080516/capt.cps.nev77.160508202430.photo00.photo.default-460x512.jpg?x=116&y=130&q=85&sig=tdHKyo491pAjk.2CsIcLLQ--" align="left" height="130" width="116" alt="An anti-US protest in Tokyo. A US military court on Friday sentenced a US Marine to four years in prison for sexually abusing a 14-year-old Japanese schoolgirl, in a case that triggered mass protests here.(AFP/File/Yoshikazu Tsuno)" border="0" /></a>AFP - A US military court on Friday sentenced a US Marine to four years in prison for sexually abusing a 14-year-old Japanese schoolgirl, in a case that triggered mass protests here.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080516/wl_asia_afp/japanusmilitarycrimecourt"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080516/capt.cps.nev77.160508202430.photo00.photo.default-460x512.jpg?x=116&y=130&q=85&sig=tdHKyo491pAjk.2CsIcLLQ--" align="left" height="130" width="116" alt="photo" title="An anti-US protest in Tokyo. A US military court on Friday sentenced a US Marine to four years in prison for sexually abusing a 14-year-old Japanese schoolgirl, in a case that triggered mass protests here.(AFP/File/Yoshikazu Tsuno)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080516/ap_on_re_as/japan_us_military ap/20080516/japan_us_military AP Fri, 16 May 2008 10:09:00 GMT AP - A U.S. Marine accused of raping a 14-year-old Japanese girl was convicted of a lesser charge Friday during a court martial and sentenced to four years in prison in a case that inflamed public anger at the American military presence on Okinawa. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080516/us_nm/japan_us_crime_dc nm/20080516/japan_us_crime_dc Reuters Fri, 16 May 2008 09:12:38 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080516/us_nm/japan_us_crime_dc"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/nm/20080516/2008_05_16t064506_450x288_us_japan_us_crime.jpg?x=130&y=83&q=85&sig=_ypAQ7UteP3V2eZUQ9hpHA--" align="left" height="83" width="130" alt="A van carrying U.S. Marine Tyrone Hadnott leaves a police station as he is transferred to prosecutors in Okinawa February 12, 2008. (Kyodo/Reuters)" border="0" /></a>Reuters - A U.S. court martial sentenced a Marine to four years in prison on Friday for sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl on the southern island of Okinawa, in a case that has sparked widespread public anger.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080516/us_nm/japan_us_crime_dc"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/nm/20080516/2008_05_16t064506_450x288_us_japan_us_crime.jpg?x=130&y=83&q=85&sig=_ypAQ7UteP3V2eZUQ9hpHA--" align="left" height="83" width="130" alt="photo" title="A van carrying U.S. Marine Tyrone Hadnott leaves a police station as he is transferred to prosecutors in Okinawa February 12, 2008. (Kyodo/Reuters)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080516/wl_asia_afp/japanusmilitarycrimecourtverdict afp/20080516/japanusmilitarycrimecourtverdict AFP Fri, 16 May 2008 03:41:35 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080516/wl_asia_afp/japanusmilitarycrimecourtverdict"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080516/capt.cps.nev77.160508202430.photo00.photo.default-460x512.jpg?x=116&y=130&q=85&sig=tdHKyo491pAjk.2CsIcLLQ--" align="left" height="130" width="116" alt="An anti-US protest in Tokyo. A US military court on Friday sentenced a US Marine to four years in prison for sexually abusing a 14-year-old Japanese schoolgirl, in a case that triggered mass protests here.(AFP/File/Yoshikazu Tsuno)" border="0" /></a>AFP - A US military court martial found a US Marine guilty of sexual abuse of a 14-year-old Japanese girl in a case that triggered mass protests on the southern island of Okinawa.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080516/wl_asia_afp/japanusmilitarycrimecourtverdict"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080516/capt.cps.nev77.160508202430.photo00.photo.default-460x512.jpg?x=116&y=130&q=85&sig=tdHKyo491pAjk.2CsIcLLQ--" align="left" height="130" width="116" alt="photo" title="An anti-US protest in Tokyo. A US military court on Friday sentenced a US Marine to four years in prison for sexually abusing a 14-year-old Japanese schoolgirl, in a case that triggered mass protests here.(AFP/File/Yoshikazu Tsuno)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080515/ts_afp/japanbankingcompanyearningsmizuho afp/20080515/japanbankingcompanyearningsmizuho AFP Thu, 15 May 2008 07:49:23 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080515/ts_afp/japanbankingcompanyearningsmizuho"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080515/capt.cps.nek79.150508094829.photo00.photo.default-421x512.jpg?x=106&y=130&q=85&sig=zOF0NWUMYa_xIOKjLlsHUA--" align="left" height="130" width="106" alt="File photo shows pedestrians passing in front of a branch of Japanese megabank Mizuho Financial Group. Japan's second-largest bank has said its annual net profit had roughly halved amid heavy losses from the subprime loan crisis(AFP/File/Yoshikazu Tsuno)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Japan's second-largest bank Mizuho Financial Group said on Thursday that its annual net profit had roughly halved amid heavy losses from the subprime loan crisis in the United States.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080515/ts_afp/japanbankingcompanyearningsmizuho"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080515/capt.cps.nek79.150508094829.photo00.photo.default-421x512.jpg?x=106&y=130&q=85&sig=zOF0NWUMYa_xIOKjLlsHUA--" align="left" height="130" width="106" alt="photo" title="File photo shows pedestrians passing in front of a branch of Japanese megabank Mizuho Financial Group. Japan's second-largest bank has said its annual net profit had roughly halved amid heavy losses from the subprime loan crisis(AFP/File/Yoshikazu Tsuno)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080515/wl_asia_afp/japanwhalinggreenpeace afp/20080515/japanwhalinggreenpeace AFP Thu, 15 May 2008 07:37:33 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080515/wl_asia_afp/japanwhalinggreenpeace"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080515/capt.cps.nek72.150508093626.photo00.photo.default-346x512.jpg?x=87&y=130&q=85&sig=DKB6ObnH4.VT8niSbXJBCg--" align="left" height="130" width="87" alt="The Nisshin Maru, a mother ship of the Japanese whaling fleet docks at a pier at the Tokyo port in April. Greenpeace said Thursday that it had uncovered an embezzlement ring within Japan's "scientific" whaling hunt, with crew allegedly selling stolen meat on the black market.(AFP/File/Toshifumi Kitamura)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Greenpeace on Thursday accused Japanese whalers of stealing meat from the country's annual research hunt in the Antarctic and selling it on the black market.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080515/wl_asia_afp/japanwhalinggreenpeace"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080515/capt.cps.nek72.150508093626.photo00.photo.default-346x512.jpg?x=87&y=130&q=85&sig=DKB6ObnH4.VT8niSbXJBCg--" align="left" height="130" width="87" alt="photo" title="The Nisshin Maru, a mother ship of the Japanese whaling fleet docks at a pier at the Tokyo port in April. Greenpeace said Thursday that it had uncovered an embezzlement ring within Japan's "scientific" whaling hunt, with crew allegedly selling stolen meat on the black market.(AFP/File/Toshifumi Kitamura)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080514/wl_nm/japan_rights_dc nm/20080514/japan_rights_dc Reuters Wed, 14 May 2008 18:38:45 GMT Reuters - Japan was urged by friends and critics in the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday to abolish the death penalty and take concrete steps to settle the long-standing issue of wartime "comfort women." http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080514/ts_afp/japanitalyaviationhistoryoffbeat afp/20080514/japanitalyaviationhistoryoffbeat AFP Wed, 14 May 2008 07:13:15 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080514/ts_afp/japanitalyaviationhistoryoffbeat"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080514/capt.cps.nec93.140508091034.photo00.photo.default-394x512.jpg?x=100&y=130&q=85&sig=WZHUSlPtwUzXFCE9ih.5bA--" align="left" height="130" width="100" alt="World's smallest one-man helicopter, GEN H-4, is seen here flying in the city of Matsumoto, Nagano prefecture, central Japan. It will soon take flight in the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, who is credited with having first thought of a vertical-flight machine, according to its developer.(AFP/HO/File)" border="0" /></a>AFP - The world's smallest one-man helicopter will soon take flight in the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, who is credited with having first thought of a vertical-flight machine, its developer said.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080514/ts_afp/japanitalyaviationhistoryoffbeat"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080514/capt.cps.nec93.140508091034.photo00.photo.default-394x512.jpg?x=100&y=130&q=85&sig=WZHUSlPtwUzXFCE9ih.5bA--" align="left" height="130" width="100" alt="photo" title="World's smallest one-man helicopter, GEN H-4, is seen here flying in the city of Matsumoto, Nagano prefecture, central Japan. It will soon take flight in the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, who is credited with having first thought of a vertical-flight machine, according to its developer.(AFP/HO/File)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080513/wl_asia_afp/japanweathertyphoon afp/20080513/japanweathertyphoon AFP Tue, 13 May 2008 12:13:07 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080513/wl_asia_afp/japanweathertyphoon"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080513/capt.cps.ndx16.130508141224.photo00.photo.default-512x418.jpg?x=130&y=106&q=85&sig=Cz5BvhtC.57LV2ZrYUB9eA--" align="left" height="106" width="130" alt="A Japanese businessman walks against strong winds as a typhoon heads towards Tokyo in 2007. Japan's weather agency downgraded Typhoon Rammasun as it passed over Pacific waters off Tokyo after generating hours of strong winds and waves.(AFP/File/Yoshikazu Tsuno)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Japan's weather agency downgraded Typhoon Rammasun on Tuesday as it passed over Pacific waters off Tokyo after generating hours of strong winds and waves.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080513/wl_asia_afp/japanweathertyphoon"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080513/capt.cps.ndx16.130508141224.photo00.photo.default-512x418.jpg?x=130&y=106&q=85&sig=Cz5BvhtC.57LV2ZrYUB9eA--" align="left" height="106" width="130" alt="photo" title="A Japanese businessman walks against strong winds as a typhoon heads towards Tokyo in 2007. Japan's weather agency downgraded Typhoon Rammasun as it passed over Pacific waters off Tokyo after generating hours of strong winds and waves.(AFP/File/Yoshikazu Tsuno)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080513/ap_on_re_as/japan_space_defense ap/20080513/japan_space_defense AP Tue, 13 May 2008 09:57:27 GMT AP - Japan's powerful lower house of parliament voted Tuesday to allow the country's space programs to be used for national defense, the latest move by Tokyo to give more freedom to the tightly controlled military. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080512/ts_afp/japanusspace afp/20080512/japanusspace AFP Mon, 12 May 2008 06:37:00 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080512/ts_afp/japanusspace"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080512/capt.cps.ndo58.120508083526.photo00.photo.default-359x512.jpg?x=91&y=130&q=85&sig=grErEcKFP1xQ9U_L7JpwrA--" align="left" height="130" width="91" alt="The US Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off. The human race will find life elsewhere in the universe as it pushes ahead with space exploration, astronauts back from the latest US space mission said(AFP/File/NICHOLAS KAMM)" border="0" /></a>AFP - The human race will find life elsewhere in the universe as it pushes ahead with space exploration, astronauts back from the latest US space mission said Monday.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080512/ts_afp/japanusspace"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080512/capt.cps.ndo58.120508083526.photo00.photo.default-359x512.jpg?x=91&y=130&q=85&sig=grErEcKFP1xQ9U_L7JpwrA--" align="left" height="130" width="91" alt="photo" title="The US Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off. The human race will find life elsewhere in the universe as it pushes ahead with space exploration, astronauts back from the latest US space mission said(AFP/File/NICHOLAS KAMM)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080512/wl_asia_afp/japanpoliceaccidenttobacco afp/20080512/japanpoliceaccidenttobacco AFP Mon, 12 May 2008 03:11:00 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080512/wl_asia_afp/japanpoliceaccidenttobacco"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080512/capt.cps.ndn77.120508051024.photo00.photo.default-512x357.jpg?x=130&y=90&q=85&sig=7IbuH3q1rqz0KOyyrv2jPw--" align="left" height="90" width="130" alt="A police cordon near Nagoya in 2007. A Japanese man who had doused himself with kerosene in front of police died of burns after asking to smoke during interrogation, police and reports said Monday.(AFP/JiJi Press/File)" border="0" /></a>AFP - A Japanese man who had doused himself with kerosene in front of police died of burns after asking to smoke during interrogation, police and reports said Monday.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080512/wl_asia_afp/japanpoliceaccidenttobacco"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080512/capt.cps.ndn77.120508051024.photo00.photo.default-512x357.jpg?x=130&y=90&q=85&sig=7IbuH3q1rqz0KOyyrv2jPw--" align="left" height="90" width="130" alt="photo" title="A police cordon near Nagoya in 2007. A Japanese man who had doused himself with kerosene in front of police died of burns after asking to smoke during interrogation, police and reports said Monday.(AFP/JiJi Press/File)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080510/ap_on_re_as/japan_china ap/20080510/japan_china AP Sat, 10 May 2008 10:16:08 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080510/ap_on_re_as/japan_china"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080508/capt.cps.nct75.080508173345.photo01.photo.default-512x481.jpg?x=130&y=122&q=85&sig=_JH8ZAdZoimJd2Y7uyP2qQ--" align="left" height="122" width="130" alt="Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) plays table tennis at Waseda University's Okuma Garden House in Tokyo. Hu said Thursday that Japan had nothing to fear from his country's rise and engaged in a round of ping-pong diplomacy, but he faced protests over Beijing's rule in Tibet.(AFP/POOL/Koichi Kamoshida)" border="0" /></a>AP - Chinese President Hu Jintao toured two ancient Buddhist temples and a leading electronics company Saturday on the last day of what he termed a successful Japan visit.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080510/ap_on_re_as/japan_china"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080508/capt.cps.nct75.080508173345.photo01.photo.default-512x481.jpg?x=130&y=122&q=85&sig=_JH8ZAdZoimJd2Y7uyP2qQ--" align="left" height="122" width="130" alt="photo" title="Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) plays table tennis at Waseda University's Okuma Garden House in Tokyo. Hu said Thursday that Japan had nothing to fear from his country's rise and engaged in a round of ping-pong diplomacy, but he faced protests over Beijing's rule in Tibet.(AFP/POOL/Koichi Kamoshida)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080510/wl_asia_afp/japanchinadiplomacy afp/20080510/japanchinadiplomacy AFP Sat, 10 May 2008 09:35:16 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080510/wl_asia_afp/japanchinadiplomacy"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080508/capt.cps.nct75.080508173345.photo01.photo.default-512x481.jpg?x=130&y=122&q=85&sig=_JH8ZAdZoimJd2Y7uyP2qQ--" align="left" height="122" width="130" alt="Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) plays table tennis at Waseda University's Okuma Garden House in Tokyo. Hu said Thursday that Japan had nothing to fear from his country's rise and engaged in a round of ping-pong diplomacy, but he faced protests over Beijing's rule in Tibet.(AFP/POOL/Koichi Kamoshida)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Chinese President Hu Jintao on Saturday wound up his five-day visit to Japan, which has seen the traditional rivals commit to closer ties but also met with protests over Beijing's rule in Tibet.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080510/wl_asia_afp/japanchinadiplomacy"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080508/capt.cps.nct75.080508173345.photo01.photo.default-512x481.jpg?x=130&y=122&q=85&sig=_JH8ZAdZoimJd2Y7uyP2qQ--" align="left" height="122" width="130" alt="photo" title="Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) plays table tennis at Waseda University's Okuma Garden House in Tokyo. Hu said Thursday that Japan had nothing to fear from his country's rise and engaged in a round of ping-pong diplomacy, but he faced protests over Beijing's rule in Tibet.(AFP/POOL/Koichi Kamoshida)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080509/wl_asia_afp/japanpoliticsspacemilitarynkoreachina afp/20080509/japanpoliticsspacemilitarynkoreachina AFP Fri, 09 May 2008 08:42:53 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080509/wl_asia_afp/japanpoliticsspacemilitarynkoreachina"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080509/capt.cps.ncy09.090508104205.photo00.photo.default-512x305.jpg?x=130&y=77&q=85&sig=24wWhLiJ47LMzG154Dx4mA--" align="left" height="77" width="130" alt="Japanese lawmakers (pictured here on April 9) voted Friday to allow the military use of space, breaking a decades-old taboo in the officially pacifist country which has an increasingly ambitious space programme.(AFP/File/Toshifumi Kitamura)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Japanese lawmakers voted Friday to allow the military use of space, breaking a decades-old taboo in the officially pacifist country which has an increasingly ambitious space programme.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080509/wl_asia_afp/japanpoliticsspacemilitarynkoreachina"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080509/capt.cps.ncy09.090508104205.photo00.photo.default-512x305.jpg?x=130&y=77&q=85&sig=24wWhLiJ47LMzG154Dx4mA--" align="left" height="77" width="130" alt="photo" title="Japanese lawmakers (pictured here on April 9) voted Friday to allow the military use of space, breaking a decades-old taboo in the officially pacifist country which has an increasingly ambitious space programme.(AFP/File/Toshifumi Kitamura)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080509/wl_asia_afp/japanusmilitarycourtrape afp/20080509/japanusmilitarycourtrape AFP Fri, 09 May 2008 06:18:22 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080509/wl_asia_afp/japanusmilitarycourtrape"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080509/capt.cps.ncx52.090508081740.photo00.photo.default-512x342.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=nEHya0c87ldksOhHnTgWqw--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="Young Japanese women hold banners during a major rally against the US military at a park in Okinawa after a string of serious miscondut by its soldiers including alleged rapes in the Japan's southern island province, in March. The US stations more than 40,000 troops in the country under a security alliance reached after World War II, when Japan renounced the right to wage war.(AFP/File/Toru Yamanaka)" border="0" /></a>AFP - The US military said Friday it had given a Marine a two-year prison term and dishonourable discharge for sexual misconduct with a Japanese woman, even though he was cleared of charges of gang-rape.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080509/wl_asia_afp/japanusmilitarycourtrape"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080509/capt.cps.ncx52.090508081740.photo00.photo.default-512x342.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=nEHya0c87ldksOhHnTgWqw--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="Young Japanese women hold banners during a major rally against the US military at a park in Okinawa after a string of serious miscondut by its soldiers including alleged rapes in the Japan's southern island province, in March. The US stations more than 40,000 troops in the country under a security alliance reached after World War II, when Japan renounced the right to wage war.(AFP/File/Toru Yamanaka)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080509/wl_nm/japan_space_defence_dc nm/20080509/japan_space_defence_dc Reuters Fri, 09 May 2008 05:07:38 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080509/wl_nm/japan_space_defence_dc"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/nm/20080509/2008_05_09t015511_293x450_us_japan_space_defence.jpg?x=84&y=130&q=85&sig=H8ZkIkpx2.6ePlr0WYvK8w--" align="left" height="130" width="84" alt="A rocket carrying a probe is pictured blasting off from the island of Tanegashima, about 1,000 km (620 miles) south of Tokyo, on September 14, 2007. (Kyodo/Reuters)" border="0" /></a>Reuters - Japan cleared the way for a law allowing non-aggressive military use of space on Friday, overturning a decades-old policy of limiting space development to peaceful uses.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080509/wl_nm/japan_space_defence_dc"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/nm/20080509/2008_05_09t015511_293x450_us_japan_space_defence.jpg?x=84&y=130&q=85&sig=H8ZkIkpx2.6ePlr0WYvK8w--" align="left" height="130" width="84" alt="photo" title="A rocket carrying a probe is pictured blasting off from the island of Tanegashima, about 1,000 km (620 miles) south of Tokyo, on September 14, 2007. (Kyodo/Reuters)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080509/ap_on_re_as/japan_us_marine ap/20080509/japan_us_marine AP Fri, 09 May 2008 04:32:10 GMT AP - A U.S. Marine accused in an alleged gang rape of a Japanese woman last year was sentenced to two years in prison Friday for "wrongful sexual contact and indecent acts" but cleared of rape, the U.S. military said.