US military imposes Japan-wide alcohol ban after crash

TOKYO - A Japanese man was killed in a truck collision involving a US marine who was well over the legal alcohol limit for driving, police said of a case that was likely to stoke resentment over the US military presence on the southern island of Okinawa.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Food for thought on future of children

KABUL - Concerns are growing for children in Afghanistan, with poor access to schools and worsening malnutrition becoming increasingly worrying for health agencies.

VR swimming with dolphins aids disabled

APELDOORN, Netherlands - Swimming with wild dolphins is something most can only dream of, and jumping into pools with captive animals has become increasingly controversial with environmentalists condemning it as cruel.

Europe turns on tech giants for tax revamp

BRUSSELS - They have revolutionized the way we live, but are United States tech giants the new robber barons of the 21st century, banking billions in profit while shortchanging the public by paying only a pittance in tax?

'Selling death': Lease of life for Australia graves

ADELAIDE, Australia - From the graveside to the dinner plate, olive oil is being harvested from centuries-old trees at an Australian cemetery in a bid to shake up people's attitudes toward death and burial sites.

Museum rolls out toilet tutorials

NEW DELHI - A throne with a built-in commode for a French monarch takes pride of place at a New Delhi museum trying to break taboos surrounding toilets in a country where such convenience remains a sensitive issue.

German firms bullish on China

German companies doing business in China are more optimistic than last year on their economic prospects in the country, according to a survey published by the German Chamber of Commerce in China on Friday.

Safety a key concern for self-driving cars

Self-driving vehicles still have a long way to go before they can reach the mass production stage or be used commercially on a large-scale due to safety concerns, although such cars have become the development trend, experts said.

CBRC tightens rules for commercial banks

China's top banking regulator has drafted a regulation on equity management for commercial banks to tighten controls on financial risk and combat illegal activities.

Nation to further boost digital economy

China is committed to developing a digital economy with openness and shared benefits and the rapid development of the country's internet is visible proof of its success, said Ren Xianliang, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China.

Guangzhou rental housing scheme gets fresh impetus

State-owned Yuexiu Group and Pearl River Enterprise Group unveiled their subsidiaries for the rental housing business in Guangzhou on Thursday, with local branches of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and China Construction Bank pledging at least 1 trillion yuan ($151 billion) in financial support during the coming five years.