Shintaro Ishiara, the controversial 80-year-old governor of Tokyo, resigned last Thursday to start his own political party in a bid to challenge the gridlocked Japanese establishment. Shintaro, a prize-winning author who was befriended by Yukio Mishima in days long gone by, is the outspoken nationalist who was behind the fundraising scheme to buy the Senkaku/Diaoyu […]

The “pivot to Asia” has been one of Obama’s signature foreign policy moves, but it’s not entirely unique in the world. In a white paper released earlier this week, the Australian government unveiled it’s own pivot, Australia in the Asian Century.In order to take advantage of the forthcoming “Asian century,” the paper says, Australia needs to achieve […]

Even self-involved New Yorkers fretting about our own problems have had to take note of the suffering in New Jersey following hurricane Sandy. Though the storm raged up the East Coast, it has become increasingly apparent that New Jersey took the brunt of it. Officials estimated that the state suffered many billions of dollars in […]

The Syrian conflict isn’t just about Syrians fighting Syrians. Well into its second year, it has become a much larger conflict drawing in a wide range of states and ethnic and religious groups. Iraqis are picking sides. And Palestinians are getting involved as well. (Syria has been home to thousands of Palestinian refugees since the creation […]

At Via Meadia we’ve been closely following the ongoing Libyan afterparty, which saw thousands of heavily armed mercenaries flood south across the Sahara, promptly leading to war and a coup in Mali, which not so long ago bright eyed development optimists touted as one of Africa’s model democracies and a sign of a bright new […]

The giant corruption trial in Brazil is capturing the nation’s attention as it enters its fourth straight month. The case centers around a vote-buying scheme in which government officials under the previous administration payed off members of opposition parties in exchange for votes. While many government officials have already been convicted in what has become known as the mensalão (large monthly payment) […]

The Wall Street Journal reports that the number of top MBA students entering careers in finance is dropping as grads are passing up jobs on Wall Street. This could prove a significant blow for an industry that has long relied on a steady stream of talented recruits. But with salaries stagnating and banks pushing longer hours […]

The BBC brings news of an exciting new construction technology: Self-reparing concrete. By placing limestone-producing bacteria within the mixture used to create concrete, scientists are developing a new, more durable form with the ability to self-repair its own cracks. Considering that concrete is the most common building material in the world, this is no small matter. […]

The New York Times notes that scientists and flood experts have been warning about the risks of flooding in New York for years and have suggested everything from levees to floodgates in New York Harbor to minimize potential damage. Yet neither the city nor the state government has taken serious steps to act on these suggestions: With […]

FT: China has started making concerted efforts to chase Japanese ships out of waters surrounding the disputed Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, ratcheting up tensions between Asia’s two largest economies.The Chinese State Oceanic Administration – which enforces the nation’s maritime interests – said four of its ships on Tuesday tried to expel Japanese vessels out […]