Commentary / World Jul 16, 2015
Why you'll always lose wars with drones alone
by David Axe
How can the U.S. government truly know whether it's winning the war against Islamic State if it doesn't know for sure who or what it's bombing?
Asia Pacific Jul 4, 2015
Chinese Air Force checks quake area with drone for the first time
China's air force dispatched a drone to the site of an earthquake in the far-western region of Xinjiang on Friday to help in monitoring work, the first time it has used an unmanned aircraft for such a task. China is developing an ambitious drone program ...
National Jun 17, 2015
Kanagawa Gov. Yuji Kuroiwa said two camera-mounted drones will be used on Friday to inspect the evacuation zone around the Owakudani hot-spring district on Mount Hakone. The alert level for the mountain is at 2, advising against entry to areas around the volcanic vent. The ...
World Jun 13, 2015
The Chinese military is weighing the regular use of unmanned aircraft to monitor the East China Sea, a move that may exacerbate tensions with Japan over the Senkaku Islands, a Chinese document on Beijing's use of drones showed Friday. The document, compiled in October, suggested ...
National / Crime & Legal Jun 12, 2015
Drones to be banned from flying over crowded urban areas, at nighttime
The government has worked out a draft bill to ban drones from flying over crowded urban areas as well as during nighttime, sources close to the matter said Thursday, a move taken in response to concerns that the unmanned aircraft could be used for ...
National Jun 3, 2015
The envisaged rules would only allow users who take certain safety steps to fly their drones in residential areas or near airports, as well as barring nighttime flights.
National May 28, 2015
Guidelines eyed for drone operators recording video in residential areas
The government is drafting guidelines to prevent videos shot by drones flying in residential areas from infringing on people's privacy when posted online, the communications ministry said Thursday. While drones have been increasingly used at construction sites and in disaster areas, people are increasingly buying ...
National / Crime & Legal May 22, 2015
Man tells police he gave ¥250,000 to teen being held over drone
A man who claims to be a "supporter" of the teenager arrested earlier this week for allegedly planning to fly a drone over a Tokyo shrine told police Friday that he gave the 15-year-old ¥250,000 (about $2,080) for his efforts. "I enjoyed his (online) videos ...
National / Crime & Legal May 21, 2015
Teen arrested over alleged plan to fly drone over shrine festival in Tokyo
A 15-year-old boy known to police for flying drones in crowded places has been arrested after hinting online that he might fly one of the devices at a Tokyo festival.
National May 15, 2015
Teen whose drone was taken after Zenkoji accident found flying one near Diet
The Metropolitan Police Department said Thursday that a 15-year-old boy was found trying to fly a drone near the Diet building and believe he is the same person who flew one over Zenkoji Temple in Nagano Prefecture last week. Acting on a tip from a ...
National May 12, 2015
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has banned people from flying drones in metropolitan parks and gardens, officials said Tuesday. The managers of 81 parks and gardens run by the metropolitan government were informed of the decision on April 28. Officials said it was based on an ...
National / Crime & Legal May 5, 2015
The Abe administration is considering having a private entity assume practical work for regulating drone flights, such as identifying their operators, after one carrying a small amount of radioactive cesium was found on the roof of the prime minister's office last month, government sources ...