Bank of Japan sees inflation for FY 2011

Japan’s central bank will change its fiscal 2011 forecast to show the return of consumer-price inflation when it issues its semi-annual outlook Friday, according to a report Tuesday. The Bank of Japan will project the consumer price index to rise 0.2% in the fiscal year that began this month, changing from a forecast for flat prices during the 12-month period, the Nikkei business daily reported. The report attributed the positive price movement, marking Japan’s emergence from deflation, to the economic recovery and rising resource prices. The outlook is due out the same day as the BOJ’s policy meeting, at which the central bank is expected to keep its interest-rate target and stimulus programs unchanged.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bank-of-japan-sees-inflation-for-fy-2011-report-2010-04-26

Japan’s Missed Opportunity

Japan, one of the postwar era’s strongest anti-nuclear voices, missed an opportunity at the nuclear summit that ended here on Tuesday to translate its commitment to disarmament into a premier spot on an emerging global agenda. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was overshadowed by those who came to Washington with specific ideas about how to shore up the global commitment to nonproliferation. The Japanese media have portrayed Mr. Hatoyama’s low profile as a reflection of the difficult state of U.S.-Japan relations. Although the issue of nuclear nonproliferation was identified early on as a priority after Japan’s new government took office in September, Mr. Hatoyama, who was seated next to President Obama over dinner, used his one-on-one time to discuss the relocation of the Futenma Marine Air Station on Okinawa, a thorn in the bilateral relationship.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/opinion/15iht-edsmith.html?scp=2&sq=Japan&st=cse

African Fossil Changes Ideas of Ant Origins

The first fossil ant from Africa, found in amber dating back 95 million years, challenges a previously held theory that ants originated in North America or East Asia. The finding is part of a larger study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences identifying 28 fossilized insects, one spider and one mite, as well as a variety of flora all trapped in amber from Ethiopia.The insects, the oldest that have been identified in Africa, are from the Cretaceous. There are also numerous fungi, ferns and spores that were previously unknown to paleontologists.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/science/06obamber.html?scp=1&sq=North%20Africa&st=cse

Missing-2/23/10:Coffin’s Emblem Defies Certainty

When the remains of hundreds of colonial era Africans were uncovered during a building excavation in Lower Manhattan in 1991, one coffin in particular stood out. Nailed into its wooden lid were iron tacks, 51 of which formed an enigmatic, heart-shaped design. The pattern was soon identified as the sankofa, a symbol printed on funereal garments in West Africa and it captured the imagination of scholars, preservationists and designers. Ultimately, it was embraced by many African Americans as a remarkable example of the survival of African customs in the face of violent subjugation in early America.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/arts/design/27sankofa.html?scp=10&sq=west+africa&st=nyt