The ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties on March 7 decided to forcibly hold a House of Representatives Constitutional Research Committee meeting under the authority of the committee chair, showing their strong zeal for a bill to establish procedures for constitutional revisions.

My first trip to Vietnam was in 1972 during the war, when Nixon decided to bomb Hanoi during the Christmas holidays. The contrast with today’s Vietnam was enormous.

A government panel on the strengthening of national security functions of the Prime Minister's Official Residence on February 27 submitted its final report to Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, calling for an establishment of a "National Security Council."

The US military lawyer representing Australian Guantánamo Bay detainee David Hicks says he may be removed from the case. The move would further delay proceeding in his case.

On February 21, workers and local residents took part in rallies, demonstrations, and representations around the country for the success of the 2007 Spring Struggle.

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi on February 19 criticized a US bipartisan group of experts for "moving to assist advocates of Japan's constitutional revision and further strengthen the Japan-U.S. military alliance" in its report on the Japan-U.S. alliance.

“We are appalled by the announcement that the Federal Government has secretly agreed to set up a new USA base at Geraldton, in WA”, Australian Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition National Coordinator Denis Doherty said.

The polls are showing that the Howard Government and even Howard himself could be defeated in the Federal elections due in the second half of this year.

The recent round of the Six-Party Talks in Beijing ended on February 13 after adopting a joint document stipulating that North Korea will shut down and seal the Yongbyon nuclear facility and accept IAEA monitoring and verifications and that other parties in response will carry out energy assistance to North Korea.

“David Hicks’ situation can be drawn to a quick and fair close. If the US believes he violated US federal law, then Australia should demand that the US immediately try Hicks in a US federal court.

Aiming at finishing the work by the end of September, the Japanese and U.S. governments are working on the revision of the 2001 Japan-U.S. joint operation plans in order to deal with possible contingencies on the Korean Peninsula.

Local and foreign experts have acknowledged Viet Nam's endeavours in developing a legal framework to ensure women's rights. However, they have also voiced the need to draw greater attention from society to ensure gender equality in the country.

The Abe Cabinet on January 25 approved an economic and financial basic policy for the next five years entitled "Course and Strategy for the Japanese Economy," the backbone of which is to put the Japanese economy on a new growth course.

Those who commented on the Australia Day celebrations and how pleased they were to see so many different and diverse people in the crowds – friendly faces that want to live in peace with their neighbours irrespective of race or religion.

Prime Minister Abe reportedly is planning to strengthen Japan's cooperation with NATO in Afghanistan. This is a plan to dispatch the Self-Defense Forces to the region where NATO forces are currently deployed. Cooperation between military alliances for dispatching forces abroad is very dangerous.

On the ABC AM program earlier in January, Kevin Rudd, in declaring his “strong support” for the US alliance declared that “America has been a noble force for good in the world since World War II”.

The Philippine Chapter of the International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL) vehemently denounces the recent escape of convicted rapist Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith to the US Embassy staged by conniving Philippine and US officials.

The United Nations General Assembly in December adopted a resolution entitled, "Renewed determination towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons" of which Japan was the leading sponsor.

As developing countries like the Lao PDR play a growing role in the global economy, they must tread carefully to take advantage of the tremendous opportunity while avoiding the economic pitfalls that have plagued many countries around the world over the past few decades.

Three months after receiving reports of serious worker rights abuses and police violence against protesting workers at its Chong Won Fashion supply factory in the Philippines, Wal-Mart is still delaying taking the necessary steps to fix the problem.