Gov't to stick to Okinawa base plan despite referendum result

The Japanese government said Monday it will proceed with the controversial relocation of a U.S. air base within Okinawa Prefecture despite over 70 percent of voters rejecting the move in a nonbinding local referendum.The relocation "cannot be postponed any further," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters following the first-ever Okinawa prefectural plebiscite Sunday focused specifically on the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.The prime minister said he "sincerely" accepts the outcome of the referendum and vowed to continue "all-out efforts to alleviate the base-hosting …READ FULL ARTICLE