The portion of unionized workers in the labor force has now halved from the 1989 peak of 198 in 1,000 workers. According to a recent report from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the nation’s rate of unionization stands at 9.8 percent.Unionism is weakening as blue-collar jobs are replaced by white-collar ones and the number of non-regular workers is on the rise. Even more damaging to unions is a perception widely shared among workers that they, or more accurately their leaders, do not serve

Salmon, once a pricey delicacy, is now an affordable staple at supermarkets and sushi restaurants everywhere. For that, we can thank fish farms. They produce 70 percent of the salmon eaten by consumers, who savor its subtle texture and rich flavor. Medical researchers say the fatty acids in salmon might help prevent cancer and heart disease. So it was troubling that researchers over the past few weeks may have found an infectious disease known as salmon anemia in wild fish in British Columbia. L

If we call the 20th century the age of physics and chemistry, the 21st century will be the age of biotechnology. Since Dr. James Watson and Dr. Francis Crick discovered the DNA double helix in 1953, biology has made great progress. Nowadays, so-called biotechnology can clone a life form in addition to manipulating genes. Since the first cloned sheep Dolly came into being in 1996 in Britain, also in Korea, a cloned cow Youngrongie and a cloned dog Snuppy have been “born” in succession.Moreover, K

Drunk any Kool-Aid lately? Or maybe you accused someone else of doing it? If so, congratulations, you’re right in step with one of the nation’s most popular idiomatic trends. A snappy, fruit-flavored way of referring to someone who unquestioningly embraces a particular leader or ideology, “drinking the Kool-Aid” has become a staple of self-righteous public discourse.Bill O’Reilly is fond of the expression, as is Washington Times columnist Marybeth Hicks, whose new book “Don’t Let the Kids Drink

The admission by Olympus Corp., a major maker of cameras and endoscopes, that it has covered up investment losses since the 1990s damages not only the firm but also the image of corporate Japan.It is all the more regrettable that the financial wrongdoing, which has become the target of a criminal investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department, was committed by a 92-year-old company known for its technological prowess and enjoying a more than 70 percent share in the global market for endosco

PHNOM PENH (AFP) ― The long-awaited trial of top Khmer Rouge leaders accused of genocide and other atrocities finally gets under way in Cambodia on Monday, but one of the four accused will be notably absent.More than three decades after the country’s “Killing Fields” era, a U.N.-backed war crimes court is set to hear opening statements in the case against “Brother Number Two” Nuon Chea, ex-head of state Khieu Samphan and former foreign minister Ieng Sary.Led by “Brother Number One” Pol Pot, who

Trial for heir to former dictator presents major test for new government’s commitment to human rightsZINTAN, Libya (AP) ― Moammar Gadhafi’s former heir apparent Seif al-Islam was captured by revolutionary fighters in the southern desert Saturday just over a month after his father was killed, setting off joyous celebrations across Libya and closing the door on the possibility that the fugitive son could stoke further insurrection.Seif al-Islam ― who has undergone a transformation from a voice of

BERN, Switzerland (AFP) ― The Libyan war, the Greek debt crisis and the Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal have all been rich fodder this year for news junkies ― but is today’s information overload healthy?A Swiss clinic has set out to help those who feel overwhelmed by such excess with an unusual exhibition that runs until July 15, 2012 at the Museum for Communication in Bern.On arrival the visitor walks into a darkened room with 12,000 books lined up on shelves, in an illustration of the sheer amo

NEW YORK (AP) ― Mariel Hemingway says her greatest mission in life is to survive a family with a suicidal history.For the past decade, the actress has been busy promoting suicide awareness and speaking on how lifestyle choices can affect mental well-being. She’ll do just about anything to prevent a suicide. That’s why her appearance in the cult film sensation “Archie’s Final Project” ― formerly known as “My Suicide” ― comes as no surprise.“There’s been at least seven suicides in my family, so ob