Japan PM voices deep regret over WWII suffering in Asia on 64th anniversary of war surrender

September 25th, 2009 NH WWII pilot gets wish for 1 more B-24 flightLACONIA, N.H. — Bernerd Harding's last flight aboard a B-24 bomber ended with the New Hampshire World War II pilot bailing out over Germany 65 years ago.

September 2nd, 2009 Anniversary of WWII's end observed at Pearl HarborPEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — About 20 aging veterans, family members and dozens of government officials gathered aboard the Battleship Missouri Memorial to mark the 64th anniversary of the end of World War II. The battleship was anchored in Tokyo Bay on Sept.

September 2nd, 2009 WWII vets mark Japan's surrender aboard battleshipPEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — The famous battleship where Japanese officials signed the surrender documents that officially ended World War II played host on Wednesday to about 20 aging U.S. veterans and dozens of observers as they marked the 64th anniversary of the war's end.

August 30th, 2009 USS Missouri to get Pearl Harbor shipyard makeoverPEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — The "Mighty Mo," the World War II battleship best known for hosting the formal surrender of Japan in 1945, is heading to the shipyard for repairs. The USS Missouri, now a decommissioned vessel called the Battleship Missouri Memorial, will leave its historic spot at Battleship Row at Pearl Harbor in October.

August 15th, 2009 SKorea's Lee renews aid offer to NKoreaSEOUL, South Korea — South Korea's president renewed his offer of aid Saturday for impoverished North Korea if it abandons its nuclear weapons on the 64th anniversary of the divided peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule. In a nationally televised speech, President Lee Myung-bak said he wanted "a candid dialogue" with North Korea about dismantling its nuclear programs so the communist nation can prosper economically with its southern rival.

August 14th, 2009 Germans, Poles rebury about 2,000 WWII remainsWARSAW, Poland — Polish and German officials are burying the remains of more than 2,000 bodies dating to World War II believed to be German civilians killed in the final months of the conflict. The bodies were being buried Friday at a German war cemetery in western Poland near the German border.

August 9th, 2009 Nagasaki mayor urges worldwide nuclear arms banTOKYO —The mayor of Nagasaki called for a global ban on nuclear arms at a ceremony marking the 64th anniversary of the devastating U.S. attack on the Japanese city that killed about 74,000 people.

August 6th, 2009 Hiroshima mayor calls for abolishing nuke weaponsHIROSHIMA, Japan — Hiroshima's mayor urged global leaders on Thursday to back President Barack Obama's call to abolish nuclear weapons as Japan marked the 64th anniversary of the world's first atomic bomb attack. In April, Obama said that the United States — the only nation that has deployed atomic bombs in combat — has a "moral responsibility" to act and declared his goal to rid the world of the weapons.

July 27th, 2009 New AP bureau chief appointed in TokyoNEW YORK — Malcolm Foster, The Associated Press business editor for the Asia-Pacific region, was named Monday to be bureau chief in Tokyo. Foster will lead the AP staff in Tokyo to produce insightful coverage of Japan as its corporate giants and society grapple with the worldwide economic crisis, the effects of an aging population and its struggle to find a new role in Asia in the face of an increasingly powerful China and worries about a nuclear-armed North Korea.

May 15th, 2009 KUANTAN - India trounced Japan 5-1 in a classification match to finish fifth in the Asia Cup hockey tournament here Friday. Tushar Khandekar scored two goals (64th, 69th minutes) while Rajpal Singh (2nd minute), skipper Sandeep Singh (21st) and Prabhjot Singh (66th) sounded the board once each.

April 20th, 2009 Sri Lanka gives 24 hours for rebels to surrenderCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka's military says rebels will face military action if they do not surrender in 24 hours. Defense spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella says that rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran has been given until noon Tuesday (1730 GMT) to make a decision or face a "military course of action." The statement came Monday after the military said it broke through rebel defenses in a designated "no-fire zone" and freed some 25,000 people who were trapped there.

April 20th, 2009 COLOMBO - Closing in on the last Tamil Tiger base, Sri Lanka Monday ordered rebel chief Velupillai Prabhakaran and his fighters to surrender by Tuesday noon or face death. 'We have issued the last and final 24-hour ultimatum to Prabhakaran and his group to surrender,' defence ministry spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters Monday.

April 1st, 2009 TOKYO - Japan's key Tankan index of manufacturer sentiment hit a record low in March, the Bank of Japan said Wednesday. The survey of large firms dropped to minus 58 in March, the lowest number recorded in Tankan's 35-year history.

February 25th, 2009 BOGOTA - Fifteen rebels of Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) have deserted the group after drugging their commanders with a sleep-inducing plant in the deep jungles of the country's southwestern Narino province, EFE reported. The incident took place last week in the Barbacoas area along the Pacific coast.

January 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The announcement of a six-event professional golf series in the Asia-Pacific region - China, Australia and South Korea, with the possibility of Japan joining in - has set the stage for a potential conflict with Asian Tour that governs golf in the continent. The Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) of Australia, which has been keen on a Tour to revive itself as its own tour has failed to elicit interest, announced the series with six events, three of which will be held in China.