Japan

Police on Monday said they have arrested a 41-year-old man after he allegedly beat his father to death at his home. The accused, who has been named as Nobuhiko Hino, threw water at his 85-year-old father while he was asleep before pun...
Police on Monday said they have arrested a 41-year-old man after he allegedly beat his father to death at his home. The accused, who has been named as Nobuhiko Hino, threw water at his 85-year-old father while he was asleep before punching him in the face and stomach on Sunday,…
about 1 hour ago
Australia seized a record 23 tons of illicit drugs in 2011-2012 with arrests at a 10-year high, data showed on Monday, as officials warned the country had become a key target for traffickers. The annual Australian Crime Commission rep...
Australia seized a record 23 tons of illicit drugs in 2011-2012 with arrests at a 10-year high, data showed on Monday, as officials warned the country had become a key target for traffickers. The annual Australian Crime Commission report showed the amount caught was up 154 percent on the previous…
about 1 hour ago
Oh, Barcelona, you stunner, you. 10 things I learned in Spain:1. A large number of the men in Catalonia are named Jordi.2. A typical Spanish breakfast consists of Jamon Iberico, chorizo, and Manchego cheese, followed by freshly baked pas...
Oh, Barcelona, you stunner, you. 10 things I learned in Spain:1. A large number of the men in Catalonia are named Jordi.2. A typical Spanish breakfast consists of Jamon Iberico, chorizo, and Manchego cheese, followed by freshly baked pastries stuffed with apples and dried fruit, and glazed with icing sugar. The breakfast of champions includes a glass of cava.3. The word for “slate” in Spanish is llicorella, a beautiful example of the seductive musicality of the language. Just try saying it: llicorella. The syllables roll off your tongue like pearls.4. The white wines of Priorat -- an appellation famous for big, bold reds -- have a lot of potential. Many of these wines are made from white Grenache and are especially delicious with crusty bread and some of the piquant local olive oil.5. Goat’s cheese, fresh anchovies, and olive tapenade on toast is an outstanding combination, the perfect accompaniment to a glass of cava and an hour of people watching at the tapas bar Quimet y Quimet.6. After a few glasses of cava, the world shimmers with possibility. Despite the fact that you have not slept for days, can’t speak Spanish (or Catalan), and have a deadline looming over your head, you will feel excited to be alive and hanging out in Barcelona.7. Getting a reservation at Tickets is difficult, but well worth the effort.8. To arrive 2 hours before your flight at 6:50 am, you need to wake up at 3:35. Arriving 2 hours before your flight at 6:50 am is entirely unnecessary. 9. Dealing with JAL is a study in misery. Air France is only marginally better.10. Even before you set foot on the plane, you will miss this country and dream of returning one day.I have not yet cracked the mystery of how the Spaniards manage to eat dinner at 10 pm and still get up early for work in the morning.Overlooking vineyards in Priorat.The days have whizzed by in a blur. It’s been an amazing trip, down the leafy boulevards of Barcelona and on through the captivating, austere terrain of Priorat, two hours southwest of the city. The Priorat is a land of tough nature: serpentine mountain roads, twisted trees and grapevines sprouting from near-vertical slopes, and forests concealing tiny villages that look as though they’ve been forgotten by time. After the last few years of scant precipitation, the winemakers have welcomed this year's unexpected, heavy rain. Usually, the Priorat is a somber monochrome of burnt sienna and dusty sepia tones. Now, spiky bushes jut up from the hillsides and brazen wildflowers pepper the ground with sprays of yellow and fuschia. The landscape wears its verdant robes like an act of defiance -- a flinty-eyed Cinderella decked out in late-spring finery, ready to dance on bare, calloused feet. Beneath this mantle of unruly foliage, you can still see the dry, slate-flecked earth that gives the wines their mineral character. Our schedule was demanding: a tasting of 50 wines before embarking on the journey to Priorat, morning vineyard visits followed by five hours of tasting and late, Spanish-style dinners. Or, on another day, a long lunch in the stone cellar of a winery, surrounded by barrels and a 12-bottle line-up of wines. To be honest, I’ve lost track. Back in Barcelona, I rushed to meet my friends Alan and Anna, who, in true rock-star style, flew all the way from Hong Kong on a whim, to have dinner with me at Tickets (a great meal, which I will write about later). One more day, a lot more food, and two hours of sleep later, I’m back in the air -- looking forward to finally being home sweet home.
about 1 hour ago
The Japanese government on Monday upgraded its assessment of the economy in May for the first time in two months, in a sign growth is accelerating as exports and factory output pick-up. The economy is gradually recovering, according t...
The Japanese government on Monday upgraded its assessment of the economy in May for the first time in two months, in a sign growth is accelerating as exports and factory output pick-up. The economy is gradually recovering, according to the government's monthly economic report released on Monday. That was an…
about 1 hour ago
The leader of the opposition Your Party has indicated that he intends to renege on an agreement to cooperate with the Japan Restoration Party in the upcoming Upper House election. The decision is thought to be a result of offensive comme...
The leader of the opposition Your Party has indicated that he intends to renege on an agreement to cooperate with the Japan Restoration Party in the upcoming Upper House election. The decision is thought to be a result of offensive comments made by its Osaka Mayor and Restoration Party co-leader…
about 1 hour ago
Colin Greening scored 7:39 into double overtime as the Ottawa Senators rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins that cut their series deficit to 2-1 on Sunday night. Tyler Kennedy scored with just over a minute to play i...
Colin Greening scored 7:39 into double overtime as the Ottawa Senators rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins that cut their series deficit to 2-1 on Sunday night. Tyler Kennedy scored with just over a minute to play in the second period to give the Penguins a 1-0…
about 2 hours ago
United Airlines is getting its 787s back in the air. The planes are returning after being grounded for four months by the federal government because of smoldering batteries on 787s owned by other airlines. The incidents included an em...
United Airlines is getting its 787s back in the air. The planes are returning after being grounded for four months by the federal government because of smoldering batteries on 787s owned by other airlines. The incidents included an emergency landing of one plane, and a fire on another. The incidents…
about 2 hours ago
Pop stars Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift won the big prizes on Sunday at the Billboard Music Awards, which also honored legendary performers Madonna and Prince. Bieber, who was named top male artist, also performed at the show at the ...
Pop stars Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift won the big prizes on Sunday at the Billboard Music Awards, which also honored legendary performers Madonna and Prince. Bieber, who was named top male artist, also performed at the show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. He also took…
about 2 hours ago
The San Antonio Spurs drained 14 three-pointers in a convincing 105-83 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening game of the NBA's Western Conference finals. Tony Parker scored 20 points and handed out nine assists for the Spu...
The San Antonio Spurs drained 14 three-pointers in a convincing 105-83 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening game of the NBA's Western Conference finals. Tony Parker scored 20 points and handed out nine assists for the Spurs, whose stifling defense held Grizzlies' top scorer Zach Randolph to only…
about 5 hours ago
Lebanese Hezbollah militants attacked a Syrian rebel-held town alongside Syrian troops on Sunday and Israel threatened more attacks on Syria to rein the militia in, highlighting the risks of a wider regional conflict if planned peace tal...
Lebanese Hezbollah militants attacked a Syrian rebel-held town alongside Syrian troops on Sunday and Israel threatened more attacks on Syria to rein the militia in, highlighting the risks of a wider regional conflict if planned peace talks fail. Activists said it was the fiercest fighting in Syria's two year-old civil…
about 8 hours ago