06/20/2016  'NIHONIUM' WINS OFFICIAL BACKING
An international chemistry organization has endorsed a proposal to name an atomic element after the Japanese word for Japan.The Japanese researchers who created the substance 12 years ago want to call it "nihonium." They recommended the idea to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. The organization recently recognized the element and allowed the researchers to suggest a name.The team of scientists, led by Kyushu University Professor Kosuke Morita, also proposed the atomic symbol "Nh." Morita issued a comment saying his group is the first in Asia to have discovered a new element and then earned naming rights to it. He said the group decided on the name, keeping in mind the great support it has received from the Japanese people.The organization has now put the name up for public review. Officials will make a formal decision around the end of this year. If the name wins approval, "nihonium" will appear in the periodic table.
06/20/2016  MONKEY BUSINESS
A thief snuck into a jewelry shop in India and fled with a bundle of cash. Nothing unusual there, except that the thief was less than a meter tall and had a tail.Surveillance cameras caught a monkey entering the store in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. The store clerk initially leaves the intruder alone. Monkeys are considered sacred in India. The monkey pulls out a bundle of bills from a drawer and ignores the clerk, who tries distracting it with a banana. It flees with about 150 dollars worth of rupees.Some believe the animal may have been coached. This is reportedly the second time it has shown up. On its first run, it may have been casing the shop for the robbery.
06/21/2016  ASSEMBLY ACCEPTS RESIGNATION
The resignation of Tokyo's governor has been accepted by the Metropolitan Assembly. Yoichi Masuzoe spent the last few weeks fighting allegations he misused political funds for private purposes. Masuzoe addressed the assembly Wednesday evening.(Yoichi Masuzoe / Tokyo Governor)"It is regrettable that I have to resign at the midway point of my four-year term. It's all my fault."The governor tendered his resignation letter on Wednesday morning, just hours before he was expected to lose a no-confidence motion. In the lead-up to his resignation, he faced intense questioning from legislators about his spending. He was accused of spending public money on family trips, dozens of pieces of art, and even comic books.Masuzoe will officially leave his post next Tuesday. He is still entitled to a retirement package of over 200,000 dollars.
06/22/2016  CLINTON, TRUMP TRADE BLOWS
The two candidates vying to replace Obama in the White House are seizing on the attack. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are highlighting the differences in their response to hot-button issues.The Democratic front-runner gave a speech focusing on national security and gun control.(Hillary Clinton / Democratic candidate)"It's essential that we stop terrorists from getting the tools they need to carry out the attacks. I believe weapons of war have no place on our streets."The presumptive Republican nominee ripped into both Obama and Clinton. He accused them of being weak on terrorism.(Donald Trump / Republican candidate)"She says the solution is to ban guns. They tried that in France. One hundred and thirty people were brutally murdered by Islamic terrorists."Political observers say terrorism and gun control will be big issues in the presidential election in November.
06/23/2016  ICHIRO SETS CAREER HIT RECORD
Japan's Ichiro Suzuki has made baseball history. The Miami Marlins veteran outfielder broke the record for the most hits ever by a Major League ballplayer. But there is some debate over that record as some of his hits were in Japan. Ichiro reached the milestone against the San Diego Padres as soon as the game started. The Japanese legend used his speed to snatch an infield single. In the ninth inning, Ichiro belted a double to mark his 4,257th hit. It surpassed the record held by baseball great Pete Rose.But Ichiro's record is unofficial because his hit total spans two professional baseball leagues. Ichiro first racked up 1,278 hits with the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization in Japan. Then he made the move to the U.S. with Major League Baseball, where so far he has whacked 2,979 hits. At 42 years of age, Ichiro is in his 16th season in the MLB.
06/24/2016  PINPOINT CANCER ATTACK
Japanese researchers have developed a promising new way to treat cancer cells. They say the technique has succeeded in shrinking tumors without harming the surrounding tissue.Scientists at the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology developed the new method. A group of researchers used a large accelerator to collide helium with bismuth, a metal, to create a substance called astatine. They combined that with a substance that tends to gather in cancer cells. The resulting agent can directly reach cancer cells, where it emits alpha rays within a 0.1 millimeter radius.The group tested the agent on cancers in mice. Two weeks after giving them injections, the tumors in the animals were half as large. Tumors in mice without the injections tripled in size.A major challenge with radiotherapy has been the damage caused to nearby healthy cells. The group says the new method can overcome this problem. Researchers hope to use the new technique on humans within seven years.
07/04/2016  COMMEMORATING THE BATTLE
People in southern Japan are remembering one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Seventy-one years ago today, the Imperial Japanese military ended major operations against U.S. forces in Okinawa. A quarter of the population was killed in the battle.More than 4,300 people participated in an annual ceremony at the Peace Memorial Park in the city of Itoman. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy was among those who attended. At noon, people observed a moment of silence. Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga read a peace declaration. He brought up the recent death of a local woman. A former U.S. Marine working at an American base is suspected of killing her. Onaga reiterated his call for a reduction of Okinawa's burden. The prefecture hosts a large proportion of American military facilities in Japan. Resentment against the U.S. presence has been on the rise, driven by the woman's death.Many residents also want Washington and Tokyo to scrap a plan to move a major U.S. base to the northern part of the island. They want the Futenma Air Station out of the prefecture altogether.
07/05/2016  CHINESE VILLAGERS STAGE PROTEST
Residents of a village in southern China are expressing their anger after authorities arrested the leader they'd picked in a democratic election.About 3,500 people took to the streets in Wukan to demand the release of the village chief. Police detained Lin Zulian last Friday, accusing him of corruption, but locals disputed those claims. Prosecutors released a video purportedly showing Lin admitting that he accepted bribes.Wukan has been called a "democracy village." Four years ago, authorities in Guangdong Province allowed residents to choose their leader by popular vote. Authorities made the rare concession after villagers staged protests about land seizures.The situation has not improved, and Lin was reportedly preparing to approach authorities about the issue. Tuesday's rally was held under a heavy police presence. No major disruptions were reported.
07/06/2016  COLOMBIA, FARC SIGN CEASEFIRE
The government of Colombia and the FARC guerilla group have reached a historic deal. They've agreed to a ceasefire, ending more than five decades of conflict.The country's president, and the leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, signed the agreement at a ceremony in Havana, Cuba. Cuban President Raul Castro helped negotiate the terms. He and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon were on hand for the signing.Both sides said FARC rebels should now lay down their arms. President Santos says he hopes a final deal will be in place by July. FARC will begin demobilizing its fighters within 150 days of that agreement. The current deal calls for transition zones where fighters can prepare for civilian life.The war between FARC and the Colombian government began in the 1960s. It has claimed the lives of around 220,000 people.
07/07/2016  TEEN CHARGED WITH HACKING
Tokyo police have served a new arrest warrant to a 17-year-old boy. They say he admitted to hacking into the systems of a school board in southwestern Japan. The boy was previously brought to Tokyo and arrested for uploading illegal programs that gave people free access to pay TV.Police say they checked the boy's computer and other electronic devices at his home in Saga City, and they found a large amount of data they believe is from a senior high school in Saga Prefecture. It includes the names, addresses and the school performance of students. Usually, only teachers can access the information. Police say they found traces of his unauthorized entry into the system, and they say he admitted to hacking into it three times.