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jp0004500
|
[
"world",
"crime-legal-world"
] |
2019/05/07
|
U.S. hands Chicago car bomb plotter 16-year prison sentence
|
CHICAGO - A U.S. judge on Monday sentenced a 25-year-old who was arrested as a teenager for an attempted car bombing in Chicago to 16 years in prison. Adel Daoud was 18 years old when he was arrested in 2012 for attempting to engage in “violent jihad” by blowing up a bar in the Midwestern city’s downtown. Daoud thought he had a car bomb, but undercover agents had in fact given him a dummy device and arrested him after he attempted to detonate it. Daoud, a U.S. citizen who lived in the Chicago suburb of Hillside, entered a guilty plea in November, in an unusual arrangement where he did not admit wrongdoing. A federal judge’s sentence Monday, which included 45 years of supervised release, was less than the 40 years imprisonment prosecutors were seeking. Daoud was to be credited the seven years he has already spent behind bars. According to an affidavit in the case, two undercover FBI agents contacted Daoud in response to material he posted online and began exchanging messages with him. “During these communications, Daoud expressed an interest in engaging in violent jihad, either in the United States or overseas, referred to his ongoing efforts to recruit other individuals to engage in violent jihad and mentioned that he had discussed plans for an attack with ‘trusted brothers,'” read the affidavit. Daoud sought guidance on carrying out a terrorist attack, was eventually given a phony bomb in a Jeep by an undercover agent, and attempted to detonate it in front of a bar. Daoud’s lawyers had raised questions about his mental health over apparent delusions such as claiming the government, judge and attorneys were all part of a vast conspiracy and members of the Illuminati. In a separate case, Daoud had also pleaded guilty to trying to solicit the murder of an FBI undercover agent and attacking another inmate while in jail.
|
terrorism;chicago;fbi;car bombing;adel daoud
|
jp0004501
|
[
"world",
"crime-legal-world"
] |
2019/05/07
|
At least eight dead as cops raid Rio slum amid sharp rise in killings by police
|
RIO DE JANEIRO - At least eight people died when police raided a drug-scarred Rio de Janeiro neighborhood on Monday, amid a sharp jump in police killing of suspected criminals in the state that underlines the tough new security measures favored by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. The raid began around 11 a.m., according to local media reports, and triggered a massive shootout between police and suspected gangsters. TV images showed a police helicopter hovering overhead as the gun battle emptied out local schools, with pupils fleeing through the streets. In a statement, Rio’s civil police said the operation was aimed at detaining Thomaz Jhayson Vieira Gomes, known as “3N,” a suspected drug baron. “There was resistance from the criminals and eight suspected traffickers were shot and killed in the confrontation,” the statement said. “Three others were taken to the police station, including one of 3N’s personal security guards and 3N’s wife.” The number of people in Rio state killed by police hit a quarterly record of 434 during the first three months of 2019, up 18 percent compared with the same period last year. The first-quarter tally was the highest since state records began in 1998, and comes as the number of statewide murders has fallen. Rio Gov. Wilson Witzel, who took office on Jan. 1, has urged police to take no prisoners in the battle against drug gangs and even suggested during the campaign using helicopters with snipers to take out gang bosses. Over the weekend, Witzel tweeted a video of himself onboard a police helicopter during a police raid on gangs in the city of Angra dos Reis, south of Rio. Witzel’s views echo those of Bolsonaro, a former army captain and federal lawmaker who represented Rio state for nearly 30 years. Bolsonaro has long advocated tough measures to kneecap violent gangs and quickly moved to loosen gun laws after he took office at the start of the year. Nonetheless, his flagship crime-fighting bill languishes in Congress. Violence in Brazil continued its downward march during Bolsonaro’s first three months in office. The number of homicides in Brazil, which hit a world record in 2017, fell more than 27 percent compared with the first quarter of 2018, according to preliminary state data compiled by Reuters. The fall in murders is attributed to the growing nationwide dominance of the First Capital Command gang, better state policing methods and the deployment of federal security agents to some of the country’s most violent states.
|
brazil;rio de janeiro;favelas;drug gangs;police shootings;jair bolsonaro
|
jp0004502
|
[
"world",
"crime-legal-world"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Trump would have faced obstruction charge if he was not president, nearly 400 ex-prosecutors say
|
WASHINGTON - Nearly 400 former federal prosecutors said in a joint letter Monday that the evidence in the Mueller report would have resulted in obstruction of justice charges against Donald Trump — were he not the president. The letter says that the evidence in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation indicating that obstruction was committed is “overwhelming.” Currently, Department of Justice policy forbids the indictment of a sitting president. But the letter appeared likely to add impetus to efforts by Democrats in Congress to hold hearings on Trump’s behavior and possibly even launch impeachment proceedings against the Republican leader. “Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report would… result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice,” the prosecutors said. “The Mueller report describes several acts that satisfy all of the elements for an obstruction charge: conduct that obstructed or attempted to obstruct the truth-finding process, as to which the evidence of corrupt intent and connection to pending proceedings is overwhelming.” Earlier Monday, the House Judiciary Committee said it was preparing to declare Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt for not supplying them an unedited version of the Mueller report together with underlying evidence. Mueller’s 448-page report on the nearly two-year investigation into Russia election meddling, completed in late March, mapped out multiple instances where Trump appeared to try to obstruct the probe. But Mueller, noting the Justice Department policy that a sitting president could not be indicted, opted not to rule on whether a crime was committed. “If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state,” his report said. “Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment.” That permitted the Trump-appointed Barr to declare the evidence insufficient and clear Trump — a move that sparked confusion and controversy, and apparently left Mueller himself dissatisfied. While not naming Barr, the prosecutors said in their letter that his view of the evidence being too weak “runs counter to logic and our experience.” If not for the Justice Department policy on indicting presidents, they said, “We believe strongly that . . . the overwhelming weight of professional judgment would come down in favor of prosecution for the conduct outlined in the Mueller Report.”
|
u.s. congress;robert mueller;donald trump;russia probe;obstruction of justice;william barr
|
jp0004504
|
[
"world",
"politics-diplomacy-world"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Guaido backers 'failed to follow through' in abortive uprising, Venezuelan opposition leader says
|
CARACAS - Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido said Monday that people who had pledged support for his abortive uprising last week had “failed to follow through” to dislodge President Nicolas Maduro. “There were people who failed to follow through,” Guaido said in an interview in Caracas, adding that “it doesn’t mean that they won’t do it soon.” Guaido, recognized as interim president by more than 50 countries, said it was “obvious today, there is widespread discontent from which the armed forces aren’t immune.” “We are very close to achieving change in Venezuela,” he said. National Assembly head Guaido, 35, has branded Maduro a usurper over his controversial re-election last year, and in January declared himself acting president, plunging Venezuela into a political crisis that deepened its already grave economic woes. But Maduro has held firm, bolstered by the continued support of the powerful armed forces.
|
venezuela;nicolas maduro;afp;juan guaido
|
jp0004505
|
[
"world",
"politics-diplomacy-world"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Top U.S. diplomat says Russian and Chinese actions in Arctic must be watched closely
|
RAVANIEMI, FINLAND - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that Russia is behaving aggressively in the Arctic and China’s actions there had to be watched closely as well, amid growing divisions in the polar region over global warming and access to minerals. Speaking as he arrived in northern Finland for a meeting of nations with territory in the Arctic, Pompeo said China appeared to have national security aims there, and Russia’s activities, including plans for new shipping channels from Asia to Northern Europe, deserved a closer look. “The United States and Arctic nations welcome transparent Chinese investment that reflect economic interests, not national security ambitions,” Pompeo said in a speech. Countries have been scrambling to claim territory or, like China, boost their presence in the region as thawing ice raises the possibility of exploiting much of the world’s remaining undiscovered reserves of oil and gas, plus huge deposits of minerals such as zinc, iron and rare earth metals. Pompeo said all were welcome to share in the Arctic’s wealth, but raised doubts about the aims of Russia and China, both of which have been increasing their presence in the region. “The Pentagon warned just last week that China could use its civilian research presence in the Arctic to strengthen its military presence, including by deploying submarines to the region as a deterrent against nuclear attacks,” he told delegates at the conference in Rovaniemi, Finland. “We need to examine these activities closely, and keep the experience of other nations in mind. China’s pattern of aggressive behavior elsewhere will inform how it treats the Arctic.” Russia has also been boosting its presence, reopening military bases closed after the Cold War and modernizing its powerful Northern Fleet to safeguard its interests. “In the Northern Sea Route, Moscow already illegally demands that other nations request permission to pass, requires Russian maritime pilots to be aboard foreign ships, and threatens to use military force to sink any that fail to comply,” Pompeo said. “These provocative actions are part of a pattern of aggressive Russian behavior in the Arctic.” The Arctic Council is made up of the United States, Canada, Russia, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. The region’s indigenous populations are also represented. The Arctic Council’s remit excludes military matters, but participants have already clashed, with the Washington Post reporting that the United States had refused to sign a final declaration, disagreeing with the wording on climate change. ( wapo.st/2VI80L4 ) “There are different tones with which different countries want to approach climate change,” Finland Arctic Ambassador Aleksi Harkonen said. “It’s not about whether climate change can be mentioned or not. It will be there in the final declaration.” Surface air in the Arctic is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the globe, and the ocean could be ice-free in the summer months within 25 years, according to some researchers. That may profoundly affect the world’s weather and wildlife and indigenous populations in the polar region. President Donald Trump has frequently expressed skepticism about whether global warming is a result of human activity and has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris climate accord. Pompeo’s warnings about Russian and Chinese behavior in the Arctic come amid trade tensions with Beijing and Moscow’s backing for Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro.
|
china;u.s .;russia;arctic;donald trump;mike pompeo;arctic council;sea route
|
jp0004507
|
[
"world",
"politics-diplomacy-world"
] |
2019/05/07
|
May's uneasy courtship of Jeremy Corbyn puts Brexit deal on knife edge
|
LONDON - As the gray dawn came up over London on the morning of June 9, 2017, Theresa May had one urgent mission: to stop Jeremy Corbyn from becoming prime minister. May was hunkered down inside her Conservative Party’s headquarters with her closest aides, trying to make sense of the shocking failure of her campaign to win a snap general election. By 4:30 a.m. it was clear she’d lost her majority, and the socialist Labour Party leader was within striking distance of replacing her in government. May held on — just — and has battled for 23 months at the head of a minority government. But the core policy she’s been fighting to implement — an orderly divorce from the European Union — now rests in the hands of the man she fought to keep from power. Desperate for Labour votes to help her Brexit deal pass in the House of Commons, May set out to woo Corbyn in April, giving the opposition leader the chance to dictate the terms of the U.K.’s withdrawal from the bloc. Based on accounts from people familiar with both sides of the negotiations, the political courtship has been uncomfortable and uneasy. It’s set to reach crunch point in a meeting on Tuesday and the outcome could be momentous for the fate of Brexit. If the talks fail, the chances of another referendum or even an emergency election will rise, while May herself could be forced out and ultimately replaced with a Brexit hardliner who is happy to leave the EU without any deal at all. In recent days officials on both sides have privately sounded optimistic about the prospects of an agreement. In part, that’s because of the generally positive atmosphere in which at least some of the discussions have taken place. Critically for the Tory side, Seumas Milne, Corbyn’s chief strategist, is said to be fully engaged and serious in the meetings that have taken place, asking detailed questions about the government’s position and the offers on the table, in a sign he’s interested in doing a deal. The discussions on how to ensure workers’ rights remain protected after Brexit have gone well. Business Secretary Greg Clark and his shadow, Rebecca Long-Bailey, produced successful results which are likely to be taken forward even if no wider deal is possible. Likewise, pro-Brexit Environment Secretary Michael Gove has sat down for constructive talks with his Labour counterpart, Sue Hayman, on securing ongoing standards of environmental protections. May’s aides have even gone as far as drafting a media plan for how to handle the publicity around the announcement, in preparation for an agreement being signed. Yet the tensions pulling the two sides apart are arguably stronger than the temptation to do a deal. Some pro-Brexit Cabinet ministers, including Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay, are deeply skeptical of the whole process. He seems far less engaged in the meetings than others, according to people familiar with the situation. There remains an abiding wariness and suspicion on both sides. Government officials have written down May’s offers and handed them out on pieces of paper to the Labour team to read in the meetings. At the end of those meetings, the government side collects those papers back again to stop Corbyn’s team taking them away and leaking the details. On Sunday, May appealed to Corbyn to “do a deal” but Labour’s finance spokesman, John McDonnell, declared he did not trust her after details of her offer were leaked to the press. The two party leaders have met twice in person and are not expected to meet again unless a deal is ready to be signed. The major focus of the talks is on future customs arrangements between Britain and the EU. May is under pressure to compromise and abandon her promise to keep the U.K. out of a formal customs union with the bloc. She’s willing to give ground on this issue but it’s not yet clear whether the offer she has in mind will go far enough to win over Corbyn. A temporary customs arrangement, alongside alignment with EU market regulations, would give certainty over the future until the next general election scheduled for 2022. Whoever wins that vote will be able to pursue softer or harder forms of Brexit. According to one of May’s most senior colleagues, the goal for the talks is to reach compromise positions on both the longer term U.K.-EU customs regime and the prospects of a second referendum that both Labour and the Tories can live with. There is some sympathy for Corbyn at the very top of May’s team. One of her most senior aides acknowledged that he has an extremely difficult calculation to make on a second referendum. Many Labour politicians want a so-called people’s vote on the terms of any Brexit deal but Labour is reluctant to promise one, in part over fears that this will alienate pro-Leave voters in the party’s northern English heartlands. If the talks break down, the focus will switch to whether Labour and the government can agree on a way to put alternative options to a series of so-called indicative votes in Parliament, allowing rank-and-file politicians to choose the way forward. Previous attempts to find a majority in Parliament have failed. Even if both leaders can agree to a blueprint for the divorce, questions will remain over how many members of their own parties will support it. Tory member of Parliament Lee Rowley’s message to May about the negotiations with Corbyn was succinct. “Stop this madness,” he wrote on Twitter, saying his views are supported by voters. “People didn’t vote for you to do a deal with a Marxist.”
|
eu;u.k .;conservatives;labour;brexit;theresa may;jeremy corbyn
|
jp0004508
|
[
"world",
"politics-diplomacy-world"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Hundreds protest Bolsonaro's public education funding cuts
|
RIO DE JANEIRO - Hundreds of students and professors protested against public education funding cuts outside a military high school in Brazil on Monday where far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was attending a ceremony. Bolsonaro’s ultraconservative government sparked outrage last week when it revealed at least 30 percent cuts to the annual budgets of federally funded high schools and universities. Holding posters warning the reductions would leave Latin America’s biggest country “rich in ignorance,” protesters crowded outside the main entrance to the state-run Military College of Rio de Janeiro, forcing Bolsonaro to leave by a side exit. “This will greatly jeopardize Brazil’s science and technology for an entire generation,” Katia Barbosa, a 57-year-old professor at the Fluminense Federal University, told AFP. Some former students of the military school made a heart sign with their hands as they paraded past the president, who was flanked by Vice President Hamilton Mourao — an ex-alumnus — Rio de Janeiro state Gov. Wilson Witzel and Mayor Marcelo Crivella. But others gave Bolsonaro the thumbs-down signal in an apparent show of solidarity with the protesters outside. Public education was under “attack” and the cuts would “freeze public education, research and technical education,” Maurilio Torres, a university student, told AFP. State-run military colleges would not be affected by the funding cuts because they come under the defense ministry, not education, G1 news site said. Bolsonaro said previously his government had been considering cutting public funds allocated to philosophy and sociology departments in universities. “The goal is to focus on streams that generate an immediate return to the taxpayer, such as veterinary, engineering or medical studies,” he said. Since assuming the presidency in January, Bolsonaro has been on an ideological campaign to promote his ultraconservative ideas and values, and to erase any trace of the 2003-2016 leftwing government Brazil had.
|
brazil;education;rio de janeiro;funds;jair bolsonaro
|
jp0004509
|
[
"world"
] |
2019/05/07
|
All 14 aboard reported killed when private jet from Las Vegas crashes en route to Mexico
|
MEXICO CITY - The remains of a plane that disappeared en route from the U.S. city of Las Vegas to Monterrey in northern Mexico have been found, a state government official said on Monday, with local media reporting that all 14 on board had died. Mexican newspaper Reforma said the private plane had 11 passengers and three crew members on board. The wreckage of the plane was found via aerial surveillance some 129 miles (208 km) northwest of the northern city of Monclova in the border state of Coahuila, said Fernando Orta of the state’s emergency services department. Officials had not yet arrived to inspect the site, he added. “The land is rather mountainous … so they’re going to take a while longer to arrive,” Orta said. FlightAware, an online flight tracking service, said the plane was a Challenger business jet made by Canada’s Bombardier Inc. The company was not immediately available for comment. A photograph published on local television network Milenio showed what it said were the burnt remnants of the plane, broken into pieces, spread over charred earth. A Mexican transport ministry spokesman could not say whether there had been any survivors. Local broadcaster Televisa reported the small twin-engine jet lost contact on Sunday with air traffic controllers sometime after 5:20 p.m. local time (2220 GMT) as the pilot descended to avoid a storm.
|
mexico;las vegas;aircraft accidents;challenger;monterrey;bombardier
|
jp0004510
|
[
"world"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Pilot says lightning caused deadly Aeroflot crash during emergency landing
|
MOSCOW - The pilot of a Russian passenger plane that erupted in a ball of fire on the runway of Moscow’s busiest airport, killing 41 people, said lightning led to the emergency landing. Investigators were on Monday working to understand the causes of the blaze after the Sukhoi Superjet-100 had to return to Sheremetyevo airport shortly after takeoff Sunday evening. Pilot Denis Yevdokimov told Russian media the aircraft lost communication and needed to switch to emergency control mode “because of lightning” on the Aeroflot flight to the Arctic city of Murmansk. He did not specify if the plane was struck directly. “We managed to restore communication through the emergency frequency on our radio connection. But the link was only for a short time and kept cutting out … it was possible to say only a few words,” he told the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper. Videos on social media showed the plane crash on landing and then speeding along the runway with flames pouring from its fuselage. People could be seen leaping onto an inflatable slide at the front and running from the blazing plane as columns of black smoke billowed into the sky. Another video shot inside the cabin showed roaring flames outside the window and passengers crying out in panic. Yevdokimov said he believed the plane burst into flames on landing, most likely because of full fuel tanks. Aside from the dead, nine people were hospitalized, three of them seriously injured, authorities said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said a U.S. citizen died as he expressed “sincere condolences” to the families of those killed or injured. Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to the victims’ loved ones and said the investigation into the disaster “should be as thorough as possible”. The jet — carrying 73 passengers and five crew members — took off from Sheremetyevo at 6:02 p.m. (1502 GMT) and the crew issued a distress signal shortly afterward, officials said. Flight tracking site Flightradar24 showed the plane circling near the capital before landing. The aircraft’s black boxes have been found and handed over to investigators, a source in the Russian emergency services told news agencies. Transport Minister Yevgeny Dietrich said there were no plans to ground the Superjet-100 model. The charred aircraft could still be seen from the runway surrounded by vehicles, according to an AFP journalist at the scene on Monday afternoon. Several of the 78 people on board said they believed lightning was the cause of the tragedy, which came at the end of several days of public holidays following Workers’ Day on May 1. Passenger Pyotr Yegorov told media: “We had just taken off when the plane was hit by lightning … the landing was very hard, we almost passed out from fear. “The plane bounced on the tarmac like a grasshopper and burst into flames on the ground.” “We had taken off, we were in a cloud, there was heavy hail,” flight attendant Tatyana Kasatkina told the Rossiya 24 news channel. “Then it was like a slap, a flash, like electricity. It all happened very fast.” Vladimir Yevmenkov, a passenger from the city of Severomorsk, near Murmansk, told TV news he saw lightning striking the right engine of the plane twice from his seat after takeoff. “There were two very loud bangs and two flashes, but the engine did not catch fire.” Russia’s national carrier Aeroflot was once notorious for a poor safety record but in recent years its image has improved and it has not had a fatal accident in more than a decade. The Russian Sukhoi Superjet-100, however, has been dogged with problems since its launch in 2011. In 2012, a Superjet performing at an Indonesian air show slammed into a volcano, killing all 45 people on board. Indonesia blamed the crash on pilot error. Technical problems with the plane have been reported in recent years and Russia has struggled to convince foreign carriers to purchase it. The government offered subsidies to encourage Russian airlines to buy the Superjet and Aeroflot has became its main operator. In 2018, it announced a record order of 100 Superjet-100s. Russian regional airline Yamal said Monday it had canceled an order for 10 of the jets but said this was to do with servicing costs rather than the crash. The Murmansk region — where many of those killed or injured are believed to be from — went into a three-day period of mourning from Monday.
|
moscow;aeroflot;aircraft accidents;sheremetyevo;sukhoi superjet-100;lightniing;superjet
|
jp0004511
|
[
"asia-pacific"
] |
2019/05/07
|
All directly involved in Sri Lanka attacks dead or arrested: police
|
COLOMBO - Two bomb experts were among the suicide attackers who struck churches and hotels on April 21 in Sri Lanka and all those directly involved in the bombings are either dead or under arrest, police said. Acting police Chief C.D. Wickramaratne also said in a statement late Monday that explosives the Islamic State-linked group stacked for use in more attacks have been seized. The bombings killed 257 people and wounded hundreds at three churches and three hotels. Seven suicide bombers died at their targets while another exploded his device later at a guesthouse after his device failed at a leading tourist hotel. A ninth killed herself to avoid capture by police at her home. Police have detained 73 suspects for investigations since the bombings and have seized stocks of explosives, improvised explosives devices and hundreds of swords. They have also found $140,000 in cash in bank accounts connected to the group and another $40 million worth of assets in land, houses, vehicles and jewelry. Authorities had repeatedly said another attack from the extremist group was possible. Sri Lanka’s Catholic church hierarchy closed churches for a second weekend on Sunday as the faithful celebrated Mass from home via television. But on Tuesday, one of the churches targeted in the attacks, St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, opened a section of the church to the public for the first time since the bombing, enabling devotees to pray in the church as was customary every Tuesday. Catholic schools remain closed until further notice after reports said two of their locations were to be attacked last weekend. Government-run schools reopened for students of higher classes Monday but fewer students attended out of fear. Army Cmdr. Mahesh Senanayake on Monday urged the public to resume normal activities and trust the security forces. “I ask the people not to fear unnecessarily, not to believe rumors … believe in the tri-forces and police that defeated one of deadliest terrorist organizations in the world,” he said of the ethnic Tamil separatists who fought a 26-year civil war. The conflict ended 10 years ago.
|
religion;christianity;terrorism;islam;sri lanka;islamic state;sri lanka attacks
|
jp0004512
|
[
"asia-pacific"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Weapons tested by Pyongyang could strike deep into South Korea
|
SEOUL - The weapons North Korea launched over the weekend traveled into the stratosphere and flew at a distance long enough to strike deep into South Korean territory, according to a South Korean assessment. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not indicate what was fired off of North Korea’s east coast on Saturday and into the sea, but experts believe at least one ballistic missile was launched and the testing may indicate that North Korea has improved its capabilities to strike the South. The multiple short-range projectiles were fired on Saturday from 9:06 a.m. to 10:55 a.m. and reached altitudes of between 20-60 kilometers (12-37 miles). They covered a distance of about 70 to 240 kilometers (45 to 150 miles), Kim Joon-rak, a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a briefing. That means the weapons could strike a region stretching from the Seoul area — accounting for about half of the country’s population — to the central city of Daejeon. Neither the U.S. nor South Korea have confirmed North Korea fired a ballistic missile, which would be in violation of international agreements and complicate their current detente with Pyongyang. Rather than condemn the move, U.S. and South Korean officials played down the threat, a move analysts said that could keep the door open for nuclear negotiations but also signal to Kim Jong Un that he has the green light to do more short-range testing. The weapons test indicates that North Korea may be looking to thwart U.S. missile interceptors, according to Kim Ki-ho, a defense professor at Kyonggi University in Seoul and former army colonel. The U.S. operates a system known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, also called THAAD, which can intercept missiles flying at an altitude of 40 kilometers or more. Low-altitude missiles can be defended by the Patriot missile defense system. The latest North Korean weapons appeared to fly “too low to be intercepted by the THAAD” and “too fast” to be intercepted by the Patriot system, he said. “The latest tactical guided weapons could incapacitate those system.” When asked about the interceptor-evasion possibility, South Korea’s defense ministry said separately in a statement that “comprehensive reviews are underway, including such matters.” U.S. Forces Korea did not immediately respond to requests for comments. Based on a photo Pyongyang released in its state media, a satellite image from Planet Labs Inc. showing what appeared to be a single missile contrail at the exercise site and the missile’s trajectory, North Korea appears to have fired a new solid-fuel ballistic missile similar to a Russian Iskander, said Melissa Hanham, a nonproliferation expert and director of the One Earth Future Foundation’s Datayo Project. North Korea had unveiled a similar weapon, which could be stored while fueled, deployed and fired with less detection time, during a military parade in February 2018. The last time North Korea fired a ballistic missile was in November 2017, at the height of tensions with the U.S.
|
u.s .;north korea;kim jong un;weapons;missiles;south korea
|
jp0004513
|
[
"asia-pacific"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Beijing military vows to stay 'on high alert' after U.S. warships sail near man-made islets in South China Sea
|
A Chinese military spokesman has said the People’s Liberation Army will remain “on high alert and take all necessary measures” to protect what it claims is its “national sovereignty” after the U.S. Navy sent two warships near two Chinese-held man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea. Senior Col. Li Huamin, a spokesperson for the PLA’s Southern Theater Command, said the military had sent warships and aircraft to warn off the guided-missile destroyers USS Preble and USS Chung Hoon after the two vessels conducted what the U.S. calls “freedom of navigation operations” (FONOP) Monday near two islets in the South China Sea’s Spratly island chain. China’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed the operation, saying that the sailings had “violated China’s sovereignty and undermined peace, security and healthy order in the relevant sea areas.” The U.S. military confirmed the FONOP, offering up rare details of the operation. “Preble and Chung Hoon sailed within 12 nautical miles of the Gaven and Johnson Reefs in order to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law,” Cmdr. Clay Doss, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet, said in a statement. “U.S. forces operate in the Indo-Pacific region on a daily basis, including in the South China Sea,” he added. “All operations are designed in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows. That is true in the South China Sea as in other places around the globe.” Doss said that the FONOPs were “routine and regular” and “are not about any one country, nor are they about making political statements.” Washington and Beijing have frequently jousted over the militarization of the South China Sea, where China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines all have competing claims. China has constructed man-made islands, some of which are home to military-grade airfields and advanced weaponry, in the strategic waterway. The U.S. fears those outposts could be used to restrict free movement in the waterway — which includes vital sea lanes through which about $3 trillion in global trade passes each year — and regularly conducts FONOPs in the area. The back-and-forth between the two powers came as the U.S. said China had backtracked on substantial commitments it made during trade talks with the United States, prompting President Donald Trump to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods slated to go into effect Friday. That move abruptly ended a five-month truce in a trade war that has cost the two countries billions of dollars and slowed global growth. It also came just days after the Pentagon released its latest report on China’s military power. That report said that last year, “China continued militarization in the South China Sea by placing anti-ship cruise missiles and long-range surface-to-air missiles on outposts in the Spratly Islands, violating a 2015 pledge by Chinese President Xi Jinping that ‘China does not intend to pursue militarization’ of the Spratly Islands.”
|
china;u.s .;military;disputed islands;south china sea
|
jp0004515
|
[
"asia-pacific",
"social-issues-asia-pacific"
] |
2019/05/07
|
U.S. says it's 'gravely concerned' over human rights in North Korea, days after Trump praises Kim
|
WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department said Monday it was “gravely concerned” about human rights in North Korea, including its detention of an estimated 100,000 people in political prison camps, two days after President Donald Trump again praised leader Kim Jong Un. Trump is seeking a potentially landmark accord with North Korea on ending its nuclear program, with human rights on the backburner during his two summits with Kim. But in a statement to mark an annual week of advocacy in Washington over North Korea’s rights record, the State Department hailed defectors and other activists who “shine a light on the dire human rights situation” in the totalitarian state. “We remain gravely concerned and deeply troubled by these abuses,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. “We continue to work with the international community to raise awareness, highlight abuses and violations, enhance access to independent information and promote respect for human rights in North Korea,” she said. She estimated that 100,000 North Koreans are jailed in political prison camps, including family members of those accused of violations, and said that those who tried to flee “are often tortured or killed” when caught. Trump on Saturday defended Kim and his own diplomacy as North Korea said that Kim oversaw a test of a rocket and “tactical guided weapons.” Trump tweeted that Kim knew of the “great economic potential” of North Korea — a prospect dangled by the United States as it looks to make a deal. “He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!” Trump tweeted. Trump has repeatedly boasted that his diplomacy has stopped North Korea from testing missiles. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also played down the latest test by saying that the rockets did not cross any international boundary.
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u.s .;north korea;human rights;kim jong un;donald trump;mike pompeo
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jp0004516
|
[
"asia-pacific"
] |
2019/05/07
|
From camps to factories: Muslim detainees say China using forced labor in Xinjiang
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ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN - As Gulzira Auelkhan toiled to stitch gloves in a factory in China’s troubled Xinjiang region, her managers made no secret of where her production would be sold. “They told us openly that the gloves will be sold abroad, so we should do a good job,” Auelkhan recalled of a labor stint she says was enforced by Chinese “re-education” officials. Auelkhan, a 39-year-old Chinese citizen of Kazakh descent, says she was part of a network of mostly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang who pass from what China calls “vocational training centers” to factories where they are forced to work for far less than the local minimum wage. China says the education centers are part of its efforts to fight terrorism and separatism in Xinjiang — a region populated by mostly Muslim minority groups — and denies any use of forced labor. But rights groups, and former workers like Auelkhan, say the practice used against Chinese minorities is widespread and at least one foreign company has dropped its Chinese supplier over the concerns. Auelkhan says she was transferred to the glove factory at the Jiafang industrial estate in Xinjiang’s Yining county after spending 15 months in two different “re-education” facilities. More than a million people from Muslim minorities — mostly ethnic Uighurs, but also Kazakhs like Auelkhan, Kyrgyz and Hui — are being held in internment centers across Xinjiang, according to a United Nations panel of experts. Auelkhan has residency rights in Kazakhstan but had traveled to China to see family when she was detained and put into a re-education center. She said life in the camps was brutal, with residents struck over the head with electrified batons for spending more than two minutes in the bathroom. So even though they were not free to leave, it was an improvement when she and hundreds of other camp inmates were transferred to work at the factory, Auelkhan said in an interview in Kazakhstan’s biggest city, Almaty. “Every day we were taken to and from a dormitory three kilometers from the factory,” she said, hugging the five-year-old daughter she didn’t see for nearly two years. “When we were studying at the camp they told us we would be taught a trade and work for three months,” Auelkhan said. Auelkhan said she was paid only 320 yuan ($48) for close to two months’ work before her time at the factory was curtailed in December and she was allowed to return to her family in Kazakhstan. Xinjiang’s average minimum wage ranges between 820 yuan and 1,460 yuan per month, according to official statistics. Beijing and officials in the region have fiercely denied any connection between the camps and underpaid labor. A representative of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region Government Press Office said by email that there was “no labor contract between Education and Training Centers and enterprises” and “no enterprise obtains labor from training centers.” But rights groups insist the connection exists and some companies have started taking notice. In January, Badger Sportswear, a firm based in the U.S. state of North Carolina, announced it would stop sourcing clothing from its Xinjiang supplier Hetian Taida over concerns it was using forced labor linked to the “re-education” campaign. Auelkhan believes she was only released from forced labor because of a public campaign launched by her husband and supported by a Xinjiang-focused rights group in Almaty. Originally, re-education officials had told her and other center residents that they would be “at (their) disposal” for at least six months, she said. Oil-rich Kazakhstan’s government is a Beijing ally that positions itself as “the buckle” in China’s trillion-dollar “Belt and Road” trade and investment agenda, a strategy for infrastructure and development projects throughout Asia, Europe and Africa. Kazakh diplomats have entered into a dialogue with Beijing over Xinjiang, without publicly mentioning the re-education centers or criticizing China’s policies. In December a representative of Kazakhstan’s foreign ministry said during a briefing that China had allowed more than 2,000 ethnic Kazakhs to travel to Kazakhstan as “a kind gesture.” The ministry refused repeated requests to clarify the remarks, which lent hope to many in Kazakhstan that they would be able to bring Xinjiang-based relatives over the border to safety. For most, however, this has been a crushing false dawn. During a recent visit to the Almaty office of the Ata Jurt rights group dedicated to supporting relatives of the Xinjiang missing, AFP spoke to several Kazakhs who claim their relatives have merely swapped “re-education” for other forms of confinement. One of them, Aibota Janibek, 34, said her sister Kunikei Janibek telephoned her from Xinjiang in January after months without contact to confirm she had been “assigned a job” by the state at a carpet factory in Shawan county. Aibota Janibek has since lost touch with her sister, but heard from other relatives that she was transferred from the carpet factory to another position. “A relative told me she is now at a factory that makes paper towels for airplanes,” Janibek said.
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china;rights;ethnicity;uighurs;xinjiang;forced labor
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jp0004517
|
[
"asia-pacific",
"crime-legal-asia-pacific"
] |
2019/05/07
|
As world cheers Reuters reporters' release, advocates call for sweeping reforms of Myanmar's 'suffocating' press freedom
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YANGON - Media freedom advocates praised the surprise release of Reuters reporters in Myanmar but stressed the pair should never have been jailed in the first place and called for sweeping reforms of paralyzing press laws. The Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters walked free from Yangon’s Insein prison Tuesday after more than 500 days behind bars as part of a large presidential amnesty following a global campaign calling for their release. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were sentenced to seven years in prison under the draconian Official Secrets Act last year after probing a massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state. The killings occurred in the conflict-wracked region of Myanmar that has been largely off-limits to journalists since an army crackdown forced some 740,000 members of the stateless Rohingya minority to flee to Bangladesh. But as the world cheered the sudden release Tuesday, media watchdogs cautioned against celebrating the move as a new chapter for Myanmar’s tainted press freedom record. Nicholas Bequelin of Amnesty International called the case against the Reuters reporters “a travesty of justice from start to finish.” He said there were still “a range of repressive laws used to detain journalists, activists and any perceived critic” in place. “Until these laws are repealed, journalists and activists remain under a permanent threat of detention and arrest.” The United Nations on Tuesday echoed Amnesty’s fears after welcoming the pair’s release. “The situation for freedom of expression (in Myanmar) is dire,” U.N. human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in Geneva. She added that “no positive progress has been observed” since the rights office issued a set of recommendations last year aimed at improving free speech in Myanmar. Myanmar is ranked 138 out of 180 countries for press freedom by Reporters Without Borders, and critics say it employs colonial-era legislation to target journalists and activists. That includes a roster of legislation such as the State Secrets Act and laws on unlawful association and incitement. A telecommunications law passed in 2013 has also been used to target reporters and government critics. There are currently almost 130 prisoners behind bars in Myanmar either convicted or awaiting trial for politically motivated reasons, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Yangon. The Reuters saga is not the first time Myanmar has courted unwanted attention for press freedom issues. On June 2017 three journalists from two independent news outlets — the Irrawaddy and Democratic Voice of Burma — were arrested by the military at a checkpoint after reporting from an ethnic armed group-controlled area. They were charged with unlawful association and held for 10 weeks before the military dropped the case. Another journalist Swe Win faces an ongoing case of online defamation that has dragged on for almost two years and which requires him to make frequent trips to another city hours away to attend hearings. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo’s release does little to change Myanmar’s “suffocating media environment,” said Matthew Bugher of Article 19, a freedom of expression organization. “If the government was serious about media freedom, it could start by reforming the repressive colonial-era law that was used to charge the two men, as well as a whole host of other laws that stifle independent journalism and free speech,” he added. Bugher said the pair’s release was a “face-saving response to persistent international pressure and bad publicity.” Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, once considered a democracy icon, faced intense scrutiny for not intervening to secure the reporter’s freedom. Her party swept to power in 2015 elections, the first polls in decades, after spending a combined 15 years under house arrest during the military regime. She is currently in an uneasy power-sharing agreement with Myanmar generals, and she has been stripped of several honors internationally over her failure to speak up for the Rohingya. Suu Kyi has also refused to lend her voice in defence of the Reuters pair despite evidence revealed in court that they had been set up in a sting. A government spokesman said Tuesday that the reporters were released for the “long-term interest” of the country. Reuters lawyer U Khin Maung Zaw thanked President Win Myint on Tuesday after his clients were freed and called for more protections for the country’s journalists. “We really need an effective law that protects the journalists from going to prison when doing their job,” he said.
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myanmar;press freedom;aung san suu kyi;wa lone;kyaw soe oo;reuters reporters;_asia
|
jp0004518
|
[
"asia-pacific"
] |
2019/05/07
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Two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar freed after more than 500 days
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YANGON - Two Reuters journalists jailed in Myanmar after they were convicted of breaking the Official Secrets Act walked free from a prison on the outskirts of Yangon on Tuesday after spending more than 500 days behind bars. The two reporters, Wa Lone, 33, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 29, had been convicted in September and sentenced to seven years in jail, in a case that raised questions about Myanmar’s progress toward democracy and sparked an outcry from diplomats and human rights advocates. President Win Myint has pardoned thousands of other prisoners in mass amnesties since last month. It is customary in Myanmar for authorities to free prisoners across the country around the time of the traditional New Year, which began on April 17. Reuters has said the two men did not commit any crime and had called for their release. Swamped by media and well-wishers as they walked through the gates of Insein Prison, a grinning Wa Lone gave a thumbs up and said he was grateful for the international efforts to secure their freedom. “I’m really happy and excited to see my family and my colleagues. I can’t wait to go to my newsroom,” he said. Kyaw Soe Oo smiled and waved to reporters. Before their arrest in December 2017, the two had been working on an investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys by security forces and Buddhist civilians in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State during an army crackdown that began in August 2017. The operation sent more than 730,000 Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh, according to U.N. estimates. The report the two men authored, featuring testimony from perpetrators, witnesses and families of the victims, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting in May, adding to a number of accolades received by the pair for their journalism. Calls to a spokesman for the Myanmar government were not immediately answered. Japan welcomed the pair’s release, with Foreign Minister Taro Kono saying in a tweet later Tuesday that Japan “hopes Myanmar will further develop as a democratic state.” Reuters Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler said he was thrilled with the news. “We are enormously pleased that Myanmar has released our courageous reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. Since their arrests 511 days ago, they have become symbols of the importance of press freedom around the world. We welcome their return,” Adler said. Myanmar’s Supreme Court had rejected the journalists’ final appeal in April. They had petitioned the country’s top court, citing evidence of a police setup and lack of proof of a crime, after the Yangon High Court dismissed an earlier appeal in January. The reporters’ wives wrote a letter to the government in April pleading for a pardon, not, they said, because their husbands had done anything wrong, but because it would allow them to be released from prison and reunited with their families. The Reuters journalists were released at the prison to Lord Ara Darzi, a British surgeon and health care expert who has served as a member of an advisory group to Myanmar’s government on reforms in Rakhine State, and a Reuters representative. “This outcome shows that dialogue works, even in the most difficult of circumstances,” Darzi said. In a statement, Darzi said discussions about the pardon for Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo had involved the Myanmar government, Reuters, the United Nations and representatives of other governments but did not provide more details. Darzi had informed Reuters this year of his efforts to secure the release of the two and the company was grateful for his role in making it happen, a Reuters spokesman said. Darzi has been a member of an advisory commission that was formed to see through the advice from a panel headed by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan on solving the long-running conflict in Myanmar’s western region in the state of Rakhine. Rakhine State, on the Bay of Bengal, was the home to most Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Hundreds of thousands fled to Bangladesh after a military-led crackdown on the region in 2017.
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media;censorship;courts;myanmar;military;rights;prisons
|
jp0004519
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[
"national"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Flight data recorder from Japan's crashed F-35A retrieved, but key data still missing
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The Defense Ministry has retrieved part of the flight data recorder from a F-35A stealth fighter that went missing last month, but it was heavily damaged and also did not include a storage device to record speed and altitude data, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters Tuesday. The discovery on the sea floor, the exact location of which has been withheld for security reasons, is therefore unlikely to help determine the cause of the crash. What looked like some parts of the stealth fighter — which cost more than ¥10 billion — were also spotted on the sea floor, about 1,500 meters below the surface. The Defense Ministry plans to salvage them, said a public relations officer with the Air Self-Defense Force in Tokyo. The F-35A stealth fighter went missing on April 9 about 135 kilometers east of Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture, during a combat exercise together with other three F-35As. The pilot, Maj. Akinori Hosomi, has yet to be found. The crash of the F-35A, which was made by U.S. firm Lockheed Martin and assembled by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Ltd., is believed to have been the first in the world for that particular model, drawing much attention from military analysts around the world as a result. The stealth jet is packed with top-class military technologies that are highly confidential, and as such the Defense Ministry is continuing its search for the wreck. Japan currently plans to procure a total of 147 F-35 fighter jets, 105 of which are expected to be F-35A models. The rest will be F-35Bs, which are set to be deployed on two Izumo-class warships that the Defense Ministry plans to convert into multipurpose aircraft carriers. The jet fighter that crashed in April was the first of nine F-35As to have been assembled and checked prior to delivery by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. The remaining four were assembled and checked in the U.S.
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u.s .;accidents;military;self defense forces;lockheed martin;mitsubishi heavy industries;f-35a
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jp0004520
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[
"national",
"science-health"
] |
2019/05/07
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Top official hopeful Japan's space activities will take off after observation rocket success
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Takuya Hirai, minister for space policy, expressed hope Tuesday over the expansion of the country’s space activities following the successful liftoff of a small observation rocket by a startup. “It was good that the third time was the charm” for the rocket, Momo-3, whose successful blastoff came after the launches of its two preceding models ended in failure, Hirai told a news conference. “The creation of a business of launching small, low-cost rockets by private-sector companies will help upgrade and vitalize Japan’s space activities as a whole,” he added. Hirai also said the government will support the activities of space venture companies as much as it can. On Saturday, Interstellar Technologies Inc., based in Taiki, Hokkaido, launched Momo-3 in the first successful liftoff of a rocket developed single-handedly by a private-sector company in Japan. The single-stage rocket, which is 10 meters in height and 50 centimeters in diameter, uses ethanol as fuel.
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space;astronomy;interstellar technologies inc .;momo-3
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jp0004521
|
[
"national"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Deaths in Japan from truck accidents rose in 2017, the first increase in five years
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The number of people who died in truck accidents in Japan totaled 298 in 2017, up 11 from the previous year for the first increase in five years, according to the transport ministry and the Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis. Regarding casualties, truck accidents accounted for the most in incidents involving vehicles for business purposes, such as taxis and buses. The ministry has set a goal of reducing the figure to 200 by 2020. “The number of fatalities is dropping in the long run. We’ll move forward with measures to achieve the goal,” a ministry official said. In 2017, truck accidents saw the greatest number of deaths per 100 million kilometers traveled, at 0.46, among those by business vehicles, compared with 0.4 for taxis and 0.35 for passenger buses. The figure for private passenger vehicles stood at 0.38. Fatal truck accidents occurred most frequently when pedestrians were crossing the road, totaling 68, followed by trucks hitting other vehicles, at 41, and collisions caused when trucks passed each other, at 40. The number of accidents in which trucks struck objects such as guardrails and utility poles increased 50 percent to 45. Among accidents involving small trucks, many were caused by drivers neglecting to stop when they should have or not paying due attention to the road ahead. Accidents caused by midsize trucks were mainly due to drivers exceeding legal speed limits at night, misjudging the speed of oncoming vehicles when turning right, and not paying enough attention to the presence of pedestrians. As for accidents involving large trucks, many stemmed from drivers failing to concentrate, misjudging the speed of oncoming vehicles, and lack of attention to pedestrians. The number of truck accidents has been decreasing every year since 2011, totaling 17,986 in 2017. The ministry has set a goal of reducing the figure to 12,500 in 2020. Meanwhile, the number of deaths from accidents involving taxis dropped by 13 from the preceding year to 39, while that of passenger bus accidents increased by five to 11. Accidents involving taxis were mainly caused by driver inattention to the road ahead while looking for customers, according to informed sources. Fatal passenger bus accidents were chiefly due to collisions with cyclists and drivers’ lack of attention to safety when the vehicle had no customers.
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accidents;trucks;fatalities;transport ministry
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jp0004522
|
[
"national",
"politics-diplomacy"
] |
2019/05/07
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Emperor Naruhito conducts first regular duties at Imperial Palace
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Emperor Naruhito carried out his first regular duties in his new role at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Tuesday, the Imperial Household Agency said. The emperor signed and sealed documents related to a Cabinet meeting. They were his first duties at the palace, except for rituals for his accession on May 1. The agency released photographs of him working in his office the same day. The emperor currently lives at an imperial residence in Akasaka Estate near the palace with his family. He will continue commuting to the palace until Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko move to their temporary residence in Tokyo, and renovation work is completed. The former emperor and empress will eventually move to a new residence being prepared at Akasaka Estate.
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royalty;imperial family;imperial palace;emperor naruhito
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jp0004523
|
[
"national",
"politics-diplomacy"
] |
2019/05/07
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Abe and Trump discuss North Korea's projectile drill in phone call
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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump “completely” agreed Monday that, following Pyongyang’s firing of projectiles into the Sea of Japan late last week, their countries will seek a complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula by coordinating bilateral efforts. Speaking to reporters after his phone conversation with Trump, Abe said Japanese and U.S. experts will analyze the nature of the projectiles, and that he is still willing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “without conditions” despite the latest development. “President Trump and I completely agreed on every aspect of how we should deal with North Korea,” Abe said. “We are completely on the same page that we will seek to have the agreement between the United States and North Korea (on denuclearization) implemented swiftly.” The White House said the two leaders reaffirmed their unity on how to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea, and also discussed Trump’s state visit to Japan in late May as well as regional and bilateral trade issues. Trump emphasized his “strong support” for American farmers, the White House said, a sign that he may have urged Abe to reduce tariffs on American agricultural products. North Korea launched the projectiles between 9:06 a.m. and 9:27 a.m. Saturday from an area around the Hodo Peninsula, near Wonsan, and they traveled between 70 and 200 kilometers to the northeast before falling into the sea, South Korea’s military said earlier. South Korea’s Defense Ministry has said the projectiles included a new tactical guided weapon, while some U.S. and South Korean military experts believe they were short-range ballistic missiles. North Korea is prohibited from conducting ballistic missile launches under U.N. Security Council resolutions, and no such tests by the country have been confirmed since November 2017. The launches followed a lack of substantive progress on the denuclearization of North Korea despite two high-profile summits between Trump and Kim. The launch, seen as a sign of Pyongyang’s frustration with Washington, came as Kim has stepped up diplomacy through face-to-face meetings with his foreign counterparts including Russian President Vladimir Putin. After speaking with Trump, Abe expressed his willingness to meet with Kim to resolve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, a top priority for him. “To resolve the abduction issue, I myself need to face Chairman Kim without conditions,” Abe told reporters after talking to Trump, adding that he will seize “every opportunity available” to settle the long-standing issue, which has prevented the two countries from normalizing relations. Abe’s previous stance had been that he would meet with Kim only if there was a guarantee progress would be made toward resolving the issue of abductees. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday that Abe’s willingness to hold an unconditional summit with Kim demonstrates his determination to find a resolution to the abductions and other outstanding issues. “The prime minister has said he will end mutual distrust and meet with Chairman Kim to resolve North Korea’s nuclear, missile, and most importantly, abduction issues. His alluding to a summit without conditions reflects that determination more clearly,” Suga said at a news briefing. Asked if the Japanese government has changed its policy toward North Korea, Suga said pledges made in a bilateral declaration signed in 2002 are still valid. In the declaration, the two countries agreed to seek a comprehensive settlement of the nuclear, missile and abduction issues, as well as a normalization of bilateral relations. Abe has yet to meet with Kim, who has had face-to-face meetings with other world leaders such as Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
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shinzo abe;north korea;military;kim jong un;donald trump
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jp0004524
|
[
"national"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Back to the grind: Workers in Japan return after extended Golden Week holiday
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The nation went back to work following this year’s unprecedented 10-day Golden Week holiday on Tuesday — the first working day of the Reiwa Era. Naoto Tokunaga, 24, showed up at his office near Tokyo Station 30 minutes earlier than usual because he was impatient to get there. “Due to work, I could only take about half the holidays off,” he said. Even during his trip to Amami Oshima island with his girlfriend, he could not stop thinking about work, he said. Now that the holiday is over, he said he “will work hard” to deal with backlogs. Some parents had little time to rest over Golden Week, which was extended to 10 days because of Emperor Naruhito’s ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1. A 37-year-old worker in Tokyo said her husband went on a business trip during the second half of the holidays, so she had to look after her two children — a first-grader and a two-year-old — by herself. Because the children’s activity center her kids attend was closed during the holidays, the mother said she had to take her children to a park every day. “The 10 consecutive days off were too long. I’m relieved that it’s over,” she said. Health experts have warned that the unusually long Golden Week could prompt new students and employees who enrolled at schools or joined a company in April to suffer from gogatsubyō , literally translated as May disease, when the holidays end. Symptoms include depression and strong anxiety often developed as a result of being unable to adapt to a new environment after a long holiday. ChildLine, which offers a free help line providing mental health advice, among other things, for children 18 years old and under, made the service available in all prefectures daily between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. during Golden Week. Because of the long break, banks had been concerned over possible problems with their systems and long queues at branches because credit card payments and other transactions were likely to be concentrated on Tuesday. An official of a major bank said there have so far been no reports of system glitches nor congestion at counters. Internet-based Rakuten Bank said that its clients are experiencing difficulty logging in to their accounts on its website. The bank was looking into possible causes, including a potential system failure, but said a spike in traffic could be to blame. It said it is not experiencing any issues with transactions made at its ATMs. At Osaka’s Chuo Ward office, more than 10 people were waiting in line before it opened at 9 a.m. Takara Tanaka, 65, said he returned to Japan in late April from Malaysia, where he had been transferred for work, and was at a loss because he could not create an insurance card during Golden Week. Official documents featuring the new era name were issued at government offices. At the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, an official said it would take a while for him to get used to seeing administrative documents printed with Reiwa.
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holidays;golden week;abdication;reiwa;emperor naruhito
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jp0004525
|
[
"national"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Sports federation chiefs voice concerns over Tokyo 2020 preparation
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GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - With less than 15 months until next year’s Tokyo Games, international sports federations voiced concerns Tuesday about event logistics including athlete services and venue presentation. During an international sports meeting in the Gold Coast, Australia, officials from the Japanese organizing committee for the 2020 Olympics pledged to do their utmost to address the anxieties. “We’re extremely concerned with the service levels that are being proposed for athletes at venues,” World Sailing chief executive Andy Hunt told the general assembly at the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations. “For example at sailing, no hot food for athletes at the venue, lack of athlete shade and water provision, medical services not matching athlete needs. These matters need to be urgently addressed and rethought, as they really are very basic athlete services.” While organizers are optimistic that the games will be a success, reports of further budget cuts have left many federations concerned. “I know there is a budget constraint, but we understand that athletes are first,” Koji Murofushi, sports director of the Tokyo committee, said in response to Hunt’s questions. Murofushi, the men’s hammer throw gold medalist at the 2004 Athens Games, acknowledged the issues were “very, very important” and vowed to provide athlete services that were to the sporting federations’ satisfaction. Several bodies, including the International Judo Federation, also voiced worries about the budget allocated to venue presentation during the meeting, which was part of the SportAccord Summit. “We have events in Tokyo every year. The venue looks much better than what we are being proposed now,” said Larisa Kiss, a senior official from the International Judo Federation. “This would be a pity, to have a yearly IJF (competition) look better than the Olympics,” she said. Hidemasa Nakamura, games delivery officer of the committee, said he would discuss the issue with the financial backers of the games, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the International Olympic Committee. “We understand it’s not just decoration but a very important part of the games,” Nakamura said.
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olympics;2020 tokyo olympics
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jp0004526
|
[
"national"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Drone flights reported again near Imperial Palace in Tokyo in wake of ascension
|
Police are investigating witness reports of a drone being flown Monday evening near the Imperial Palace and other downtown Tokyo areas, after a number of similar sightings were noted last week following the ascension of Emperor Naruhito. The flying of drones is banned in central Tokyo. Riot police observed what they thought was a drone flying over the Kitanomaru Garden located just north of the palace at around 7:30 p.m. Monday, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Further reports were made later saying a drone had been spotted flying over Tokyo’s Nagatacho district, where the country’s Diet and the Prime Minister’s Office are located, as well as in the Yotsuya and Roppongi areas of the city, according to the police. The police searched the areas but failed to track down the pilot. The drone had multiple rotors and flashing lights, they said. On Thursday night, the police received multiple reports of drones flying near the Imperial Palace and the Akasaka Estate, currently home to Emperor Naruhito and a few other members of the imperial family. The emperor ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1. A drone was also witnessed Thursday flying near the Musashi Imperial Graveyard in the city of Hachioji on the outskirts of Tokyo, where imperial family members including the great-grandfather and grandfather of Emperor Naruhito are buried. It is illegal to fly drones in densely populated areas or near airports. Flying drones anywhere at night without permission is also prohibited.
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tokyo;drones;imperial palace;abdication;emperor naruhito
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jp0004527
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[
"national"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Teen girl in Ibaraki takes her own life after leaving note accusing school club coach of verbal abuse
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MITO, IBARAKI PREF. - A 15-year-old junior high school girl killed herself last week after leaving a note accusing a male coach at her table tennis club of verbal abuse, a local education board said Monday. In the note left at her home, the site of her death on April 30, she wrote that the coach, who is also a teacher at her school, had called students “idiots” and told them, “I will kill you.” He also made physical contact with several club members, according to the board of education in the city of Takahagi, Ibaraki Prefecture. The teacher is a veteran table tennis coach and the club has a track record of sending players to compete in national tournaments. He largely admitted to the girl’s allegations, saying, “the coaching had gone too far,” the board said. In a questionnaire distributed last September by her school, the name of which the girl’s family has requested be withheld, the girl wrote, “I enjoy going to school but club activities are boring. I get frustrated when I participate.” She continued to attend the school but stopped going to the table tennis club from March 15, the board said. In March, the education board received an anonymous phone call about the teacher, prompting the school to give him a verbal warning and to begin monitoring him during club activities. The teacher was also seen slamming a paddle on the floor when he became very angry, the board said. “I’ve heard that the student was cheerful and energetic, and saw things through to the end once she decided to do them,” said Tomio Ouchi, head of the education board. “Responsibilities of the school and the education board are very grave. We apologize deeply.” Though the school principal and others had warned the teacher after receiving complaints about his coaching, they failed to extend sufficient care to students, the board said. The board said it will set up a third-party panel involving a lawyer to investigate the cause of her suicide and to study measures to prevent a similar incident from occurring again. It will also offer counseling to students. Meanwhile, one of the girl’s friends said she had also been stressed about her relationship with her family before her death. Yuji Sunaga, deputy leader of a nonprofit group tackling child suicide, said, “It is necessary to examine how the school responded after exploring the cause of her suicide from various perspectives, including her relationship with teammates and concerns about her family.”
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suicide;bullying;abuse;schools;ibaraki;takahagi
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jp0004528
|
[
"national"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Nagano mountain hut owner hopes emperor will not give up passion for trekking
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The owner of a hut on the Yatsugatake mountain range hopes newly enthroned Emperor Naruhito will not give up his passion for trekking. The 59-year-old emperor, who ascended the throne Wednesday, is known to be very fond of outdoor activities including skiing and jogging, but might be forced to quit most, if not all, of them because of a significant increase in his imperial duties. His father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, for example, gave up horse riding when he was enthroned in 1989, saying any injury resulting from his long-loved hobby could interfere with his duties. Masatoshi Yonekawa, 77, who runs the Kuroyuri Hyutte hut for trekkers in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, accompanied then-Crown Prince Naruhito as a guide during a September 2017 hike up 2,646-meter Mount Tengu and realized the prince did not have much freedom even during private visits because he is always followed by escorts and bound by a precise schedule. Yonekawa surmised that he enjoyed “having a greater sense of solitude than usual” during his time on the mountain range, which is on the border of Nagano and Yamanashi prefectures. During his stay at the hut, he was accompanied by about 50 people, including police officers, Yonekawa said. Places to rest, take pictures and fix his hair were precisely set in advance. His stay came after his father made a rare video message aired in August 2016 hinting at his desire to abdicate. When Yonekawa invited the then-crown prince to come back with his wife to see the mountain range covered in snow, he replied that it would be “a little difficult,” Yonekawa said. “I wondered then if he thought it was going to be his last opportunity to climb a mountain,” he recalled. Yonekawa later heard that the crown prince, a member of the Japanese Alpine Club, told a club official he wanted his membership to remain as it is when the club offered to make him an honorary member. “I then figured he just meant he could not come during a snowy season,” Yonekawa said. “I truly hope he will manage the restrictions he has (as emperor) and continue to enjoy the mountains.”
|
imperial family;abdication;trekking;emperor naruhito
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jp0004529
|
[
"national",
"history"
] |
2019/05/07
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Annual pilgrimage to Manzanar internment camp for Japanese-Americans still resonates
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LOS ANGELES - After he was expelled from college for “inciting a riot” while fighting for African Americans’ civil rights and protesting the Vietnam War, Warren Furutani decided it was time to galvanize a Japanese American community that had experienced mass incarceration two decades earlier. Just 22 years old at the time of his first pilgrimage to the Manzanar internment camp site in 1969, Furutani, now 71, said recently from his home in Gardena, California, “As Japanese Americans and Asian Americans, we were looking for an issue that would bring people together around civil rights or human rights.” On April 27, Furutani took part in the 50th pilgrimage to Manzanar, where an annual interfaith service pays homage to the 10,000 Japanese Americans who were forcibly taken to the site. Furutani’s parents, both born in California, were among approximately 120,000 people of Japanese descent who were forced from their homes and incarcerated in camps across the U.S. West and Midwest as “protection against espionage and against sabotage” after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. For last month’s pilgrimage, they gathered at the Rohwer War Relocation Center in Arkansas, one of 10 similar facilities in the country. “We knew there was a thing called a ‘camp.’ We knew it was important because people would always talk about it, but sort of in whispers,” said Furutani. “But as sansei (third-generation Japanese Americans), yonsei (fourth-generation), we didn’t know anything about it because our parents didn’t talk about it.” When exclusion based on race became a pivotal American issue in the 1950s and 1960s, Furutani and fellow Los Angeles-area activist Victor Shibata decided to drive to investigate Manzanar, the nearest World War II-era internment camp, three hours north of Los Angeles near Death Valley National Park. At the time, the mass internment was “like a forgotten chapter of American history” — not depicted in Hollywood movies, documentaries or history textbooks, Furutani said. What the two young men found at Manzanar was an “archaeological treasure.” With limited knowledge of Japanese kanji, Shibata realized they had stumbled on Manzanar’s cemetery. Nearby, they found a pile of trash, old cans and U.S. Army-issued ceramic dinner plates. “It was like it was buried in a shallow grave and the wind blew the top surface off to reveal what was underneath,” said Furutani. “That was like the (internment) experience — it was something that had been buried by our community, that people didn’t talk about very much, but over time the wind blew the top surface, and now it was starting to reveal itself. Sansei, yonsei, we were the ones to sort of rediscover this.” Afterward, Furutani and Shibata pledged to return with other community members to educate themselves on the internment experience. In December 1969, 150 Japanese Americans made the first pilgrimage to Manzanar. Shibata “came up with the word ‘pilgrimage’ — coming back to a very important, sacred place,” said Furutani. “And that’s what it’s turned out to be: a pilgrimage.” After Sue Embrey, a second-generation Japanese American who had worked on Manzanar’s newspaper, shared her “camp” experience, other internees opened up to the younger generations. “It became very healthy for them to talk about this traumatic experience, and stories started to come out and people started to write books,” said Furutani, who acknowledged that he and his friends experienced a backlash from some people who resented their efforts to reopen old wounds. “That’s when we started to redefine the Japanese American community,” he said. Shortly after making the first pilgrimage, former Manzanar internee Robert Nakamura released a documentary on his internment experience in 1972. A year later, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston published her memoir, “Farewell to Manzanar.” “Over these 50 years of the pilgrimage, we’ve gone through redress reparations, we’ve gotten an apology from the president of the United States,” said Furutani, who has taken part in every Manzanar pilgrimage since 1969. “There’s been a lot of healing, a lot of history, but what political activists like myself have learned early on is we didn’t want this to just be nostalgia, or a history lesson — a critically important history lesson. It had to be relevant to today.” In 2017, months after U.S. President Donald Trump issued an ill-fated executive order — widely referred to as the “travel ban” — that temporarily barred people from seven Muslim-majority nations from visiting the United States, 150 Muslim-Americans joined the pilgrimage to Manzanar. After Trump signed the order, organizations such as the Japanese American Citizens League pledged support for Muslim-Americans, stating that an exclusionary presidential act similar to the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans should not be repeated. “There’s this continuity of political policy in America where if you run into a group of people who are in the way, or you need someone to blame problems on, you take them and you move them out of the way,” Furutani said. “If the issue was just historical, reminiscing, remembering old times, that would be one thing. But it’s not, it has a contemporary application.”
|
wwii;u.s .;history;california;internment;japanese-americans;manzanar
|
jp0004530
|
[
"national"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Rugby Australia boss to Japan: Prepare to host a different kind of fan at World Cup
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SYDNEY - The CEO of Rugby Australia on Monday warned organizers of this year’s World Cup to be prepared to deal with spectators that can be more a little more exuberant than the typical Japanese fan. Speaking with a group of Japanese media outlets at Rugby Australia headquarters in Sydney, Raelene Castle said Japanese are known for being orderly, lining up nicely and being calm and patient. “That is not true of international rugby fans who are coming from all around the world,” she warned. A large number of that boisterous foreign contingent will be Australia, according to World Rugby, with fans from that country purchasing 90,000 of the 1.8 million tickets sold for the Sept. 20-Nov. 2 tournament to be played across 12 Japanese cities. Traditionally, English fans, well known for their loud singing voices and ubiquitous all-white jerseys, make up the largest World Cup traveling contingent. Australians make up the next biggest group. Castle said, however, that Japan has already passed one test, with the third Bledisloe Cup match between Australia and New Zealand played in Yokohama last October proving a “very good practice game” for the Rugby World Cup organizing committee. With a little over four months before the event kicks off, World Rugby has also endorsed Japan’s preparations, saying the country is on track in its efforts to deliver rugby’s biggest show in Asia for the first time. When questioned about what Japan can learn from Australia in promoting the sport locally, Castle said the “very proud” Brave Blossoms have a unique and exciting style, but that there is room for improvement on the field. “It would be very beneficial for Rugby Australia and Southern Hemisphere rugby if Japan were stronger and … more consistent on the world stage,” the 48-year-old Castle said, adding Rugby Australia has held talks with the Japanese Rugby Football Union about assisting with player development. While pointing out that it is difficult to speak about another nation’s rugby setup, Castle said Japan must do everything it can to ensure more Japanese are playing for Japan. “You need to develop your own Japanese players. Use the experience of other international players to help them grow and develop, but you need Japanese players playing for Japan,” she said. While the Brave Blossoms do have a large number of foreign-born players, most notably captain Michael Leitch, who moved to Japan from New Zealand when he was 15, the situation is very similar for the Wallabies and many other rugby powers. Several of the players that started for the Wallabies in that Bledisloe Cup game in Yokohama hail from outside of Australia, including Papua New Guinea-born scrumhalf Will Genia, Fiji-born backs Sefa Naivalu and Marika Koroibete, and former captain David Pocock, who was born and grew up in Zimbabwe. “I think the development of that Top League competition that they’ve got, anything they can do to support that having more Japanese players play in it (is positive),” said Castle. She added that Rugby Australia would do “whatever we can to help them grow and be more consistent … so that they can be really competitive against the other Southern Hemisphere countries.”
|
australia;2019 rugby world cup;raelene castle
|
jp0004531
|
[
"national",
"crime-legal"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Hong Kong court sentences Japanese turtle smuggler to one year in prison
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HONG KONG - A 43-year-old Japanese man was sentenced to one year in prison by a Hong Kong court Tuesday for smuggling 60 endangered turtles from Japan last year. Naoki Hiraguchi was caught with 60 live Ryukyu black-breasted turtles that were placed in two boxes inside his checked-in suitcase as he arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on Oct. 26. Hiraguchi in a hearing on Friday last week pleaded guilty to importing an endangered species without a permit. He claimed that he was helping a friend in Okinawa bring the turtles into Hong Kong for breeding purposes. He was scheduled to testify on the claim Tuesday but decided against it at the last minute. Deputy District Court Judge Emily Cheung ruled that the trafficking of the turtles was for commercial gain and the fact that they had to endure several hours inside the luggage compartment of the airplane during the flight exposed them to risk of death “It’s purely out of luck rather than good management that all 60 turtles survived … the journey,” Cheung said. “I do not accept that the defendant was only doing a favor for his friend and I am satisfied that the 60 turtles were (brought) for commercial purpose.” One of the turtles later died “by natural causes,” the court heard, while the rest were returned to Japan in March. They were estimated to have a total market value of between 510,000 Hong Kong dollars ($65,000) and HK$2.4 million. The 12-month prison sentence includes time served before the trial. Hiraguchi appeared calm and nodded when the ruling was announced. His defense lawyer said they have not decided whether to file for appeal. Japan listed the turtles as endangered species in 2000. The Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle is found only on three islands of Okinawa Prefecture where it has been designated as a “natural monument” since 1975. There has been concern among biologists over illegal capture and changes in its habitat.
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hong kong;smuggling;turtles
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jp0004532
|
[
"national"
] |
2019/05/07
|
Japan's tourist hubs struggle to find polite ways to stop people eating while walking
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KYOTO - Tourist destinations are struggling for ways to ask tourists to stop eating while walking without offending them. One such place is Nishiki Market, which for over 400 years has been known as the kitchen of Kyoto. The municipal government estimates that around 30 percent of all foreign tourists in Kyoto in 2017 visited the market and its more than 120 stores selling kyōyasai (heirloom vegetables), fresh fish or pickled vegetables. In recent years, many shops have been selling foods that are easy to eat while walking, such as fried food on skewers, in line with the increase in foreign travelers, according to the market association. However, litter has now become common on the narrow street. Also, concern has grown that in crowded conditions pedestrians risk getting injured by sharp food sticks carried by others. In a bid to address these problems, the association has asked stores since last October to display signs saying “No eating while walking” in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. Since the market association doesn’t want to drive tourists away, for now it is asking them to cooperate rather than outright banning the practice. On its website, the association calls on people to eat their food at the shop where it was purchased. A recent visitor, Karen Choi, 39, of Canada, appeared surprised at how crowded the market was. She expressed understanding toward the association’s efforts. Michelle Wang, 30, visiting from China, defended eating and walking, saying it helps people enjoy the market’s atmosphere. “We want to keep protecting the traditions of the market while showing care for foreign travelers. We want visitors to return home without any trouble,” said Katsumi Utsu, 81, president of the association. Another area where this has been a concern is Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its Komachi-dori, a 360-meter-long street lined with eateries and shops, is visited by 50,000 to 60,000 tourists a day. The city introduced an ordinance in April aimed at improving street manners. While stopping short of stipulating penalties, the ordinance describes eating while walking in crowded areas as a public nuisance that can ruin other peoples’ clothes. “We can’t ban the act of eating while walking,” as this is one of the ways to enjoy sightseeing, said Norikazu Takahashi, 76, president of the store association . “We want to make the street a place where both travelers and residents can feel good.”
|
food;kyoto;tourism;kamakura;kanagawa
|
jp0004533
|
[
"business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
GM will sell Lordstown plant and invest in Ohio, says Trump
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WASHINGTON/TORONTO - General Motors Co. moved to solve two major political headaches on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump announced the Detroit automaker will sell its Lordstown, Ohio, plant to a company to build electric trucks, while GM said it would maintain some operations at a Canadian plant. The decision came after GM faced months of criticism over its plan announced in November to close five North American plants and cut 15,000 jobs. GM’s decision to close the small-car Ohio assembly plant in a key state in the 2020 election had already become fodder for several Democratic presidential candidates. GM did not immediately comment but said it planned to make an announcement later in the day. Trump, in a tweet, said the sale of the Ohio plant to Workhorse Group Inc. will require the approval of the United Auto Workers union. Trump said GM will invest $700 million in three other Ohio facilities and add 450 jobs. A person briefed on the matter said GM will make investments in its Toledo, Parma and Lorain operations. Workhorse shares jumped nearly 70 percent on Trump’s tweet and were briefly halted. They were recently up about 40 percent. The UAW did not immediately comment. Separately, GM and the largest union representing Canada’s auto workers have reached a deal to partly rescue an Ontario carmaking plant slated to close this year by turning it into a parts-making facility, the automaker said in a statement. The transformation of GM’s Oshawa site, which would also be used to conduct advanced vehicle testing, would save 300 jobs and have “the potential to grow and generate significant additional jobs in the coming years, as the business attracts new customers,” the U.S. automaker said in a statement. Unifor, which had fiercely opposed the shutting of the plant’s doors, had previously said the closure was contrary to a contract that stipulates there would be no plant closure.
|
u.s .;canada;jobs;gm;ohio;democrats;donald trump;lordstown;workhorse group
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jp0004534
|
[
"business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Australia's central bank admits 'responsibilty' for typo in millions of bank notes
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SYDNEY - Millions of 50 Australian dollar bank notes, each worth around ¥3,800, have an embarrassing typographical error that was overlooked by the country’s central bank before they were printed and circulated. The goof first became known Thursday when a listener on radio outlet Triple M sent the station a magnified photo of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) new AU$50 note highlighting the word “responsibility” misspelled as “responsibilty” three times. The AU$50 currency is the most widely circulated in Australia and accounts for nearly half the total value of other bank notes in use, according to the RBA. The note came into circulation on Oct. 18 last year, with new security features designed to deter counterfeiting and with tactile elements for the visually impaired. It sports a headshot of Edith Cowan, who served from 1921 to 1924 as the first woman elected to an Australian legislature. The typo appears in an excerpt of Cowan’s maiden speech to Western Australia’s parliament, which features several times on the note and reads: “It is a great responsibilty to be the only woman here and I want to emphasize the necessity which exists for other women being here.” The spelling “responsibilty” instead of “responsibility” in the quote is as the note reads. A bank spokeswoman wrote in an emailed statement that it “is aware of it and the spelling will be corrected at the next print run.” The bank said in its latest annual report that its note printing subsidiary delivered 227 million Australian bank notes in 2017-18, including around 184 million new series AU$50 bank notes. The RBA did not immediately respond to questions on exactly how many of the new notes are in circulation, or whether they would be withdrawn as a result of the spelling error.
|
australia;banks;currency;gaffes;reserve bank of australia
|
jp0004535
|
[
"business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Uber and Lyft drivers set to strike in cities across the U.S. and Europe
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NEW YORK - Drivers for ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft are turning off their apps, to protest what they say are declining wages at a time when both companies are raking in billions of dollars from investors. Organizers planned demonstrations in 10 U.S. cities Wednesday, including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, as well as some European locations like London. The protests come just ahead of Uber’s initial public stock offering, which is planned for Friday. Uber hopes to raise $9 billion and is expected to be valued at up to $91.5 billion. It’s not the first time drivers for ride-hailing apps have staged protests. Strikes were planned in several cities ahead of Lyft’s IPO last month, although the disruption to riders appeared to be minimal. More cities are participating in Wednesday’s protest, however. “Drivers built these billion dollar companies and it is just plain wrong that so many continue to be paid poverty wages while Silicon Valley investors get rich off their labor,” said Brendan Sexton, executive director of the Independent Drivers Guild, in a statement. “All drivers deserve fair pay.” In New York, striking drivers shut down their services at 7 a.m. and planned to remain inactive until 9 a.m., though it was still easy to locate a driver during rush hour near Wall Street in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday. Drivers in Los Angeles were planning a 24-hour strike and picket line at Los Angeles International Airport. In a prepared statement Wednesday, Uber said it is constantly working to improve the working environment for drivers. “Drivers are at the heart of our service … we can’t succeed without them … and thousands of people come into work at Uber every day focused on how to make their experience better, on and off the road.” Lyft said its drivers’ hourly earnings have increased over the last two years, that 75 percent of its drivers work less than 10 hours per week to supplement existing jobs and that on average the company’s drivers earn over $20 an hour. “We know that access to flexible, extra income makes a big difference for millions of people, and we’re constantly working to improve how we can best serve our driver community,” Lyft said. In New York, striking drivers were planning to proceed in a caravan across the Brooklyn Bridge and then hold a rally outside Uber and Lyft offices in Queens. Strikes were also planned in Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, San Diego and Stamford, Connecticut.
|
strike;business;wages;labor issues;uber;ride-hailing;lyftm
|
jp0004536
|
[
"business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Once opposed by Republicans, U.S. Senate OKs EXIM Bank nominees and restores lending powers
|
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed President Donald Trump’s choice of three new board members of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, filling vacancies that had long prevented the agency from financing large sales of exports such as commercial aircraft. The Senate voted to confirm Kimberly Reed as the new president of EXIM and board member Judith Pryor for terms that expire Jan. 20, 2021. It also approved a board seat for Spencer Bachus, a former Alabama congressman, for a term ending in January 2023. Each candidate won more than 70 votes, indicating bipartisan support for the 85-year-old institution. The vote restores a quorum to the EXIM board that allows the agency to resume financing and loan guarantees for sales and projects over $10 million for the first time since July 2015, when conservative Republicans in Congress waged a battle to shut down the bank. It was a victory for U.S. manufacturing giants, including Boeing Co. Caterpillar Inc. and General Electric Co., which have been unable to offer overseas customers government-backed export financing for aircraft and large equipment orders. EXIM acting president Jeffrey Gerrish said in a statement that the bank has nearly $40 billion worth of export deals in the pipeline waiting for approval that can now proceed. “The Senate’s bipartisan votes today renew opportunities for U.S. exporters to compete on a level playing field in markets and industries where China and other nations are aggressively supporting their exporters,” said Gerrish, who also serves as deputy U.S. Trade Representative. He said U.S. exporters would have a “fighting chance” to win export sales on quality and price rather than the availability of government-backed financing. The 85-year-old bank had become a popular target for conservatives, who branded it as a provider of “corporate welfare” and “crony capitalism” in 2015 when they sought to block renewal of its charter. That effort failed, but conservatives could again try to kill EXIM this year, as its charter must be renewed by Sept. 30. But President Donald Trump and other members of his administration have voiced strong support for the bank as a tool to boost exports, grow manufacturing jobs and compete more effectively for international projects with China, whose state-backed financing dwarfs that provided by the United States.
|
china;u.s .;congress;boeing;trade;republicans;donald trump;exim bank
|
jp0004537
|
[
"business",
"economy-business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Nomura experts see only slim chance of comprehensive China-U.S. trade deal this week
|
LONDON/BEIJING - Nomura analysts see a high likelihood that further negotiations between the United States and China will be needed before a final trade deal is reached, dragging out a dispute between the world’s two biggest economies that has kept investors on edge. “At this point, we think that both the Trump administration and the Chinese government will have a hard time backing down from the negotiating positions they have laid out in the last few days,” analysts at the bank said. Nomura sees a 10 percent possibility of the U.S. and China coming to an agreement on a comprehensive trade deal this week, and a 5 percent chance that negotiations “completely break down.” The bank said there is a 45 percent chance new tariffs on Chinese imports threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump will go into effect Friday and negotiations will continue thereafter, and a 40 percent chance the U.S. postpones the tariffs and talks continue. Ratcheting up pressure just hours ahead of talks in Washington, China vowed Thursday to retaliate if Trump goes ahead with more tariff hikes in the dispute over trade and technology. Beijing will be forced to impose “necessary countermeasures” if the increases take effect Friday as planned, the Commerce Ministry said. It gave no details of possible penalties. Trump threw global financial markets into turmoil with his threat Sunday to raise import duties on $200 billion of Chinese goods, from 10 percent to 25 percent. The U.S. president complained talks were moving too slowly, and said that Beijing was trying to backtrack on earlier agreements. “China deeply regrets that if the U.S. tariff measures are carried out, China will have to take necessary countermeasures,” China’s Commerce Ministry said in a statement. Stock markets fell for a third day Thursday after the volley of threats reignited jitters about global economic growth. The Nikkei 225 stock average extended declines Thursday, falling 0.9 percent to mark its lowest close in about six weeks. If talks break down and the tariff hikes go ahead, “risks of a financial market collapse, extreme risk aversion and sharp slowdown in global growth will spike,” Philip Wee of DBS Group said in a report. Before this week’s acrimony both sides had said negotiations were making progress, which had helped to stabilize financial markets. But economists warned a deal might be further away than investors hoped.
|
china;u.s .;trade;economy;tariffs;nomura;trade war
|
jp0004538
|
[
"business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Answer to climate change will be found in labs, Exxon Mobil CEO says
|
HOUSTON - For Darren Woods, Exxon Mobil Corp.’s chief executive officer, the answer to climate change won’t be found in solar panels or high-profile global accords, but rather in a U.S. government laboratory. At a time when environmentalists want Exxon to leave more oil and gas in the ground, Woods is pressing an alternative strategy. He wants to explore the “fundamental science” behind climate change for a way to cut carbon emissions without forcing consumers “to give up the use of energy, and give up their standards of living.” To that end, Exxon will unite with the Energy Department to study technologies including algae biofuels and carbon capture and storage, the company said in a statement. Exxon is contributing as much as $10 million a year to the effort, or the equivalent of about five hours of profit for the oil major. Exxon says the pact is one of the largest between the department’s laboratories and the private sector and will run for a decade. “We’re working on a solution that doesn’t exist but is needed,” Woods said in an interview. “Somebody needs to be doing that. There’s more value in that than investing in technologies that already exist but are not comprehensive enough.” The partnership will focus on innovations that work at the massive scale needed to make a meaningful effect on the climate. Exxon’s contributions can help federal scientists “fail fast” on unworkable concepts so they can advance to ideas that might, said Martin Keller, director at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Unsurprisingly for the leader of the West’s biggest oil and gas company, Woods prefers to focus on reducing emissions through technology that takes carbon out of the atmosphere, taxing carbon and reducing methane leaks, rather than limiting oil and gas production. “Frankly we haven’t seen a strong desire around the world for folks to do that,” Woods said. For many, it will be too little too late. The world is already warming at a rate that makes the Paris climate accord a serious challenge. And, like its Big Oil rivals, Exxon has become a lightning rod for climate activists an its annual meetings. This year will be no different. The New York State Common Retirement Fund and Church of England last week said they will vote against all Exxon directors and urged other shareholders to do the same. They say the super major has “failed to respond adequately” to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions since 2005 in contrast to peers such as BP PLC, Chevron Corp., Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Total SA. Exxon says it adequately considers climate risks in its business planning. Shell and other oil majors have won plaudits for expanding their ownership of wind and solar assets, and for expanding into power generation. For Exxon, though, that is the wrong approach, Woods said. “We don’t see us adding a lot of unique value in that space,” Woods said. “More fundamentally, if you look at what society is asking for, it’s not for companies like ourselves to go into those sectors. Instead what they’re looking for is solutions to the risk of climate change.”
|
energy;gas;oil;emissions;climate change;renewables;environment;exxon
|
jp0004540
|
[
"business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Kenya to upgrade old rail line to deliver Uganda link, shunning China-funded project
|
NAIROBI - Kenya plans to modernize an old railway track to link a newer line to neighboring Uganda at a cost of $210 million, with funding from an unidentified private backer rather than building another modern one with Chinese money. The development of Kenya’s railways has been part of China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative, a multibillion dollar series of infrastructure projects upgrading land and maritime trade routes between China and Europe, Asia and Africa. Kenya opened a modern railway linking the port of Mombasa with the capital Nairobi in 2017 at a cost of $3.2 billion. This was then linked with another new line, costing $1.5 billion and also funded by Chinese loans, to Naivasha in the Rift Valley. The Nairobi-Naivasha standard gauge rail (SGR) line, will be opened in August but does not yet extend to Uganda. “We need to make sure that when we commission the SGR in August, we have connectivity to Uganda from the SGR so we have to rehabilitate that line to make sure it is properly functional,” Kenyan transport minister James Macharia told Reuters, adding that the work will take a year to complete. Macharia said that spending $150 million to rehabilitate a decades-old line from Malaba on the border with Uganda and using the rest to build another short track connecting the SGR at Naivasha would be a quicker option than building another SGR. A Chinese loan worth $3.7 billion for the extension of the SGR from Naivasha to Malaba, which was last month reported by Kenyan media to be imminent, did not materialize, with neither government offering any explanation. “It is much faster to rehabilitate because the (Naivasha-Malaba) SGR would take three to four years,” Macharia said, without commenting on the potential loan that fell through. “Eventually we will do the SGR anyway but for the time being it is good to have something which is working,” the minister said, adding that the funding will come from a private firm which will recoup its investments by operating the line. “We have got a private sector partner who will do this work. And then for the recovery we have a PPP (Public Private Partnership) arrangement with them,” he said. Critics say Kenya is saddling future generations with debt from China, while the government says borrowing to build the infrastructure will spur economic development.
|
china;rail;kenya;uganda;infrastructure;belt and road
|
jp0004541
|
[
"business",
"financial-markets"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Dollar falls close to ¥109.60 in Tokyo trading
|
The dollar weakened to levels near ¥109.60 in Tokyo trading Thursday, as a risk-averse mood grew ahead of the start of ministerial-level trade talks between the United States and China. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥109.62, down from ¥110.13 at the same time Wednesday. The euro was at $1.1187, down from $1.1205, and at ¥122.64, down from ¥123.40-41. The dollar slipped through ¥109.90 after U.S. President Donald Trump said Beijing “broke the deal” it had made in trade negotiations with Washington and the benchmark 225-issue Nikkei average made another dismal start. After buying by Japanese importers waned, the dollar came below the recent low of ¥109.71 as a sense of caution spread ahead of the ministerial trade negotiations starting in Washington on Thursday, according to an official at a foreign exchange margin trading service firm. The talks are scheduled to continue into Friday, the day the Trump administration plans to raise tariffs on Chinese products worth $200 billion. Speculative dollar-selling versus the yen by European players on the back of slumps in Asian stock markets was detected, a currency broker said. If the talks fail to produce a deal and the tariffs are raised, the greenback could sink below ¥109.60, a domestic bank official said.
|
foreign exchange;forex;currencies;fx
|
jp0004542
|
[
"business",
"financial-markets"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Nikkei drops to 21,402 as trade war fears continue to grow
|
Rising concerns about a possible escalation in the trade war between the United States and China led to another sell-off on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday. The 225-issue Nikkei average fell another 200.46 points, or 0.93 percent, to end at 21,402.13, after sliding 321.13 points on Wednesday. It was the key market yardstick’s first finish below 21,500 since March 29. The Topix index of all first-section issues closed down 21.62 points, or 1.38 percent, at 1,550.71. It plunged 27.51 points the previous day. The market took a dive right after the opening bell, as investors rushed to sell in the wake of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s posting of a notice to the Federal Register that the United States will raise tariffs on Chinese products worth $200 billion from 10 percent to 25 percent on Friday. In a quick response, Beijing said it was ready to retaliate. Stocks accelerated their downswings later in the morning, with investor sentiment further dampened by U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported comment that China “broke the deal.” In the afternoon, however, the market showed some resilience, aided by buybacks, brokers said. Investors refrained from buying because of the difficulty in predicting the outcome of the ministerial-level negotiations expected to start in Washington on Thursday, brokers said. “The Tokyo market may show wild swings on Friday too, depending on what will happen in the trade talks,” said Tomoaki Fujii, head of the investment research division at Akatsuki Securities Inc. If the talks break down and the tariffs are actually raised, the Nikkei could fall below 21,000, Fujii said. But he added the index might rebound sharply to 22,000 if some sort of agreement is struck. Falling issues trounced rising ones 1,819 to 282 in the TSE’s first section, while 39 issues were unchanged. Volume rose to 1.689 billion shares from Wednesday’s 1.496 billion shares. The broad-based market plunge was also traced to a stronger yen and share price drops stemming from poor earnings reports. Losing issues included Ono Pharmaceutical and automaker Honda. Among other noticeable losers were industrial robot producer Fanuc and drug maker Daiichi Sankyo. On the other hand, telecommunications carrier SoftBank attracted purchases on rosy earnings forecasts for the year through March and plans to boost dividend. Clothing store chain Fast Retailing and trader Mitsubishi enjoyed sound gains on selective buying while many other retailers and trading firms were downbeat. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key June contract on the Nikkei average lost 200 points to end at 21,380.
|
stocks;tse;nikkei 225;tokyo stock exchange
|
jp0004543
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Takeda sells dry-eye drug to Novartis for deal valued at up to $5.3 billion
|
TOKYO/HONG KONG/LONDON - Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd has agreed to sell its dry eye drug to Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG for $3.4 billion and potential milestone payments of up to $1.9 billion, in the first divestment since its takeover of the U.K.’s Shire. Japan’s biggest drugmaker aims to dispose of $10 billion worth of assets to cut debt taken on for the $62 billion Shire acquisition sealed in January, which catapulted it into the world’s top 10 drugmakers by sales but also made it one of the most indebted. The sale of Shire’s Xiidra dry eye treatment is likely to close in the second half of 2019, Takeda and Novartis said in a statement. Dry eye is a common condition that occurs when tears fail to provide adequate lubrication. If left untreated the condition can become extremely painful, leading to permanent damage to the cornea and vision. It affects an estimated 34 million people in the United States, Novartis’ statement showed, and can hinder daily activities ranging from reading to driving. Xiidra, approved to treat signs and symptoms of dry eye in the United States, Canada and Australia, would bolster Novartis’ front-of-the-eye portfolio, the Swiss drugmaker said. The drug had about $400 million in sales last year, according to Novartis. With its sale, the first and only prescription treatment for dry-eye disease approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, about 400 employees who are based primarily in the United States and Canada will be transferred to Novartis, Takeda said. Novartis has just spun off its Alcon contact-lens and surgical-products unit but previously transferred eye drugs from the unit to its main pharmaceutical business in 2016. Xiidra competes with Allergan Plc’s blockbuster Restasis. The drug could generate peak sales of as much as $1.4 billion, according to Elizabeth Krutoholow, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. The transaction is the first major deal for Takeda since it laid out a scenario of a potential $10 billion in divestments, in an effort to deleverage after net borrowings more than doubled with the takeover of Shire. The company is looking to divest overseas businesses where it isn’t an industry leader and doesn’t have critical mass. Takeda said it had also agreed to sell its business for sealant patch products, designed to help stop bleeding during surgery, to Ethicon Inc., a subsidiary of major U.S. drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, for about $400 million in cash. “These initial divestitures represent important steps in advancing the growth strategy Takeda outlined following our transformational acquisition of Shire earlier this year,” said Takeda President and CEO Christophe Weber in a statement. The Japanese firm said it will focus on treatments for diseases in key business areas including gastroenterology, oncology and neuroscience, “creating long-term value for Takeda shareholders.” The company’s completion of the purchase of Shire in January was the biggest-ever Japanese acquisition of a foreign firm. Its shares rose as much as 3.3 percent in early trading Thursday before ending up 0.2 percent, compared with a 0.9 percent loss in the 225-issue Nikkei average. Under CEO Vas Narasimhan, Novartis is narrowing its focus on cutting-edge drugs for cancer and rare diseases and betting on treatments such as gene therapies to potentially cure severe illnesses. In his first year at the helm, the new chief split with Alcon, ditched a stake in a consumer-health venture and carried out three crucial acquisitions to revamp the Basel, Switzerland-based company.
|
medicine;drugs;novartis;takeda
|
jp0004544
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Court OKs change of residence in Tokyo for bailed former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn
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Former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn has been permitted by a court to change his residence to a house in Tokyo from a condominium while he is on bail, investigative sources said Thursday. The 65-year-old ousted chairman, who has denied all charges of financial misconduct, made the request to move into a house in Minato Ward after he was released on bail set at ¥500 million ($4.5 million) on April 26. Under the bail conditions Ghosn’s residence was restricted to a condominium in Shibuya Ward in the capital, and he was prohibited from making contact with his wife without approval from the Tokyo District Court. The condominium was designated as his residence following his first release on ¥1 billion bail on March 5, after his initial arrest in mid-November over allegations of underreporting his remuneration for years. Ghosn was then rearrested on April 4. In his fourth indictment, Ghosn was accused of having a Nissan subsidiary in the United Arab Emirates pay a total of $10 million to a distributor in Oman between July 2017 and last July, and having $5 million of that transferred to a savings account at a Lebanese investment firm that he effectively owns. He has also been charged with aggravated breach of trust over a separate case involving the alleged transfer of private investment losses to Nissan’s books in 2008 and paying $14.7 million in company funds later to a Saudi businessman who extended him credit.
|
tokyo;courts;corruption;scandals;nissan;carmakers;carlos ghosn
|
jp0004545
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Lixil Chairman Ushioda's vision 'harmful to employees and shareholders,' band of executives allege
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Ten executives of housing equipment maker Lixil Group Corp. have joined forces to rebel against Chairman Yoichiro Ushioda, sources with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday. The 10 executives sent a letter critical of founding family member Ushioda, also chief executive officer, to a member of Lixil Group’s nomination committee, according to the sources. Also criticizing President and Chief Operating Officer Hirokazu Yamanashi as being unqualified for his corporate leadership role, the letter called for the return of former President and CEO Kinya Seto who was effectively dismissed by Ushioda. The nomination committee is currently holding final discussions to set the list of director nominees that will be proposed at a general meeting of shareholders in June, the sources said. The list will be made public as soon as it is decided. “Ushioda’s vision is harmful to Lixil Group’s employees and shareholders,” the 10 executives said in the letter, asking the committee to choose the nominees without being influenced by the current top leadership. At a news conference last month Ushioda announced his intention to take responsibility for the ousting of Seto, which triggered an internal feud. Ushioda promised to step down as board member on May 20 and as chairman and CEO after the shareholder meeting. Yamanashi, whom Ushioda had proposed as Seto’s successor, also agreed to quit the board. But he said he would leave the nomination committee to decide whether he should stay as COO or in any other post. Ushioda also told a meeting with analysts just after the news conference that he wants to give the post of CEO to Yamanashi. That has raised concerns among those opposed to Ushioda, including Seto and some foreign institutional investors, that the chairman is trying to maintain his influence through Yamanashi. At the shareholder meeting, Seto, who still sits on Lixil Group’s board, plans to propose a list of director nominees who support him. The origins of Lixil Group go back to the 2001 business integration of aluminum sash maker Tostem Corp. and tile and toilet maker Inax Corp. Ushioda is from Tostem’s founding family. Those opposed to Ushioda include board member Keiichiro Ina, from the Inax founding family. The group has welcomed the 10 new rebels. “Leaders in the field have risked their jobs and raised their voices,” a source said. “The impact should be huge.” The team hopes to win support from the nomination committee and a wide range of shareholders, sources said.
|
scandals;lixil
|
jp0004546
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
SoftBank Group net profit grew by third to ¥1.41 trillion in fiscal 2018 as Vision Fund bets paid off
|
SoftBank Group Corp. said Thursday its net profit in fiscal 2018 rose 35.8 percent to ¥1.41 trillion, supported by gains from investments in technology startups through its nearly $100 billion Vision Fund. The investment and telecommunications group posted a record operating profit of ¥2.35 trillion in the same year, up 80.5 percent from a year earlier, on sales of ¥9.60 trillion, up 4.8 percent. SoftBank Group did not release an earnings forecast for the current fiscal year through March 2020. Of the ¥2.35 trillion in operating profit, the group earned ¥1.26 trillion from its fund management operations including the Vision Fund, which was founded in 2017 with partners including Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. The fund has invested in 69 companies, including U.S. ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies Inc. and Indian hotel operator Oyo Hotels & Homes. The group has shifted focus, to investments in global technology startups from telecommunication services, since listing its mobile phone carrier SoftBank Corp. on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December.
|
saudi arabia;tech;softbank;startups;financial results;vision fund;softbank group
|
jp0004547
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Toyota to boost eco-friendly car and engine output in China with investment topping $2.2 billion
|
Toyota Motor Corp. will invest over $2.2 billion (¥242 billion) in China to boost eco-friendly vehicle and engine production with a local partner to meet growing demand. Toyota plans to add 400,000 units to its annual production capacity for eco-friendly cars at GAC Toyota Motor Co. in Guangzhou, southern China, its Chinese partner Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. said. The target for additional units is equivalent to two-thirds of last year’s output. GAC Toyota Motor, owned equally by Toyota and the Chinese partner, will invest $1.6 billion to expand production capacity in two phases scheduled to complete in 2022, Guangzhou Automobile said in a statement. Toyota says the output of Toyota brand cars, including hybrid Camry sedans, at the Guangzhou manufacturing unit totaled 599,000 units last year. Toyota and its Chinese partner will also step up engine production at GAC Toyota Engine Co. in the capital of Guangdong province. They are earmarking $605 million to add 432,000 engines to annual output capacity by 2021 as part of efforts under Toyota New Global Architecture, a program to enhance production quality and reduce costs with the introduction of a new vehicle platform, the statement said. Toyota has not made public the engine production capacity of GAC Toyota Engine, which is 70 percent owned by Toyota and the remainder by the Chinese automaker. “We will implement various measures to accelerate business in China,” said a spokesman for Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co., a local unit in charge of public relations and other activities. In China, 2018 sales of new-energy vehicles, like electric vehicles and hybrid cars, surged 61.7 percent to 1,256,000 units, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Those sales are expected to grow further this year, increasing at least 400,000 units to 1.6 million, the industry group predicts.
|
china;toyota;carmakers;emissions;guangzhou automobile group
|
jp0004548
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Toyota and Panasonic to merge housing units and team up on 'smart town' business
|
Toyota Motor Corp. and Panasonic Corp. said Thursday they will integrate their housing businesses in an expansion of an existing tie-up, as they seek to collaborate on “town development” for next-generation lifestyles where homes and vehicles are connected to the internet. The companies plan to set up a joint venture on Jan. 7, 2020. Toyota will focus on new mobility services using self-driving technology, while Panasonic brings strengths in developing smart homes equipped with appliances supported by internet and other digital technologies. The venture, Prime Life Technologies Corp., will bring housing units of both companies under its wing, including Toyota Housing Corp., Misawa Homes Co. and Panasonic Homes Co. The move by the leading carmaker and electronics manufacturer comes amid shrinking demand in the domestic housing market due to Japan’s declining population. The tie-up also deepens the partnership between the companies. In January they announced a joint venture to build electric vehicle (EV) batteries that would pool the R&D and manufacturing strengths of one of the world’s largest automakers and battery makers, to compete in the fast-growing EV market. They also announced they would expand their existing tie-up on developing and manufacturing batteries for EVs. Prime Life Technologies will be equally owned by Toyota and Panasonic and headed by Makoto Kitano, senior managing executive officer of Panasonic. Trading house Mitsui & Co. is also considering investing in the company, Toyota and Panasonic said. “From here on out, information will link all items and services that support people’s daily lives,” Toyota President Akio Toyoda said in a statement. “I want to take on the challenge of providing a new kind of lifestyle.” Panasonic President Kazuhiro Tsuga said in the same statement, “Through this collaboration, Panasonic will further challenge itself to continue advancement in the town development business, aiming to deliver the ‘ideal lifestyle’ for each customer.” Toyota has been stepping up efforts to develop autonomous cars and offer various services, especially for elderly people living in rural areas, including transportation, food and package delivery and ride-hailing. It is planning to conduct testing for potential market feasibility in various regions in the early 2020s using the e-Palette concept vehicle — a box-shaped, battery-powered vehicle with no driver’s seat that was unveiled by Toyota last year. Panasonic has been developing homes equipped with appliances that can be remotely controlled through the internet, including air conditioners, lighting and refrigerators. Toyota has been proceeding with connected cars that can share information on usage — data that could be leveraged for on-demand ride-sharing, insurance and maintenance. The automaker has said it will tap into its partner’s network and operations, which range from building and selling cars to homes and companion robots, to expand into new transportation and home energy services. “If we are able to use this network going forward not only to manufacture and sell vehicles but to also provide new services, our future possibilities will greatly expand,” President Akio Toyota told reporters on Wednesday. “In addition to cars, I think that having our own housing business and connected business will be a big advantage for us.”
|
housing;toyota;panasonic;carmakers;self-driving;ev;toyota housing;misawa homes;panasonic homes
|
jp0004549
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Troubled engineering firm Chiyoda to get Mitsubishi adviser as chairman and CEO
|
Troubled plant engineering firm Chiyoda Corp. formally announced Wednesday the appointment of a corporate adviser from general trader Mitsubishi Corp., Chiyoda’s top shareholder, as its chairman and chief executive officer. Chiyoda expects the Mitsubishi adviser, Kazushi Okawa, 62, to lead the company’s turnaround efforts after it suffered a large loss over a liquefied natural gas plant project in the U.S., according to sources with knowledge of the matter. Before taking on the advisory post in April, Okawa headed Mitsubishi’s infrastructure project and plant engineering departments. Current Chiyoda President and CEO Masaji Santo is expected to become president and chief operating officer. Due partly to the loss from the U.S. plant project, Chiyoda has reported a group net loss of ¥215 billion for the year that ended in March. The company is currently in talks to get financial assistance, including from Mitsubishi.
|
mitsubishi;financial results;chiyoda
|
jp0004550
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Sharp to re-enter U.S. TV market after reaching agreement with Hisense on brand rights
|
OSAKA - Sharp Corp. said Wednesday it will re-enter the U.S. TV market for the first time since 2015 after reaching a deal with Chinese electronics maker Hisense Group on rights to sell its brand in the world’s largest economy. Sharp sold its rights to use the Aquos brand and its production facilities to Hisense in 2016 as part of restructuring efforts. The Japanese display maker decided to buy back its brand from the Chinese group after being acquired by Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. in 2016, but negotiations between them had stalled. Sharp is expected to put its high-end 8K ultra-high-definition TVs on sale in the United States as early as this fall ahead of the Christmas holiday season, with plans to eventually expand to Canada and Mexico, company sources said.
|
electronics;hon hai;sharp corp .;hisense group
|
jp0004551
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
SoftBank to make Yahoo Japan a subsidiary, lifting expected sales and profits
|
Telecommunications carrier SoftBank Corp. said Wednesday it will make Yahoo Japan Corp. a consolidated subsidiary. The share acquisition will help SoftBank log record consolidated sales and operating profit in the year ending in March 2020. At present, Yahoo Japan is under the wing of SoftBank Group Corp., the carrier’s parent. Next month, the telecommunications arm will raise its equity stake in Yahoo Japan to 45 percent from 12 percent in terms of voting rights, by acquiring ¥456.5 billion in new shares that will be issued by Yahoo Japan. The acquisition is aimed at maximizing the competitive edge of SoftBank through enhanced collaboration with Yahoo Japan’s operations beyond telecommunications, SoftBank President Ken Miyauchi said. SoftBank expects sluggish growth in its mainline communications services for the current year due to planned cuts in mobile phone rates. But with Yahoo Japan set to become a subsidiary, SoftBank’s consolidated sales are projected to expand 2.1 percent from the previous year to ¥4.8 trillion. Operating profit is forecast at ¥890 billion, up 3.5 percent. For the year that ended in March, SoftBank earned an operating profit of ¥719.46 billion, up 12.8 percent, on sales of ¥3.75 trillion, up 4.6 percent. The growth reflected an increase in smartphone subscribers.
|
internet;softbank;yahoo japan;acquisitions;telecoms
|
jp0004552
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Japanese fast-food chain Yoshinoya ditches rice for veg with new take on gyūdon beef bowl
|
Fast-food restaurant operator Yoshinoya Holdings Co. started selling on Thursday a bowl of beef on vegetables, instead of the usual steamed rice, responding to requests from health-conscious people. The restaurant chain said Wednesday its first-ever beef bowl without rice had been made in collaboration with fitness club chain Rizap Group Inc. Yoshinoya operates in the United States, China and other countries, but the new product is expected to only be sold in Japan, according to an employee. Yoshinoya’s typical beef bowl dish, known as gyūdon , consists of a bowl of steamed rice served with cooked beef and sweet onion. Its new dish will use the same beef and onion, but will also be prepared with chicken, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and beans and a soft-boiled egg. It will cost ¥540 (about $4.90) per bowl. Although the product weighs more than 300 grams, the new bowl has 30 percent fewer calories and 80 percent less carbohydrate compared with a medium-size serving of gyūdon, the company said. A single bowl can offer one-third of the recommended vegetable intake per day, it also said. “We tried to respond to requests from customers who want to eat gyūdon but are worried” about staying in shape, Rizap said in a news release.
|
food;restaurants;fast food;meat;gyudon;yoshinoya;diets;rizap
|
jp0004553
|
[
"world",
"social-issues-world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
'Off the charts': Number of migrants nabbed at U.S. southern border tops 100,000 again
|
WASHINGTON - The number of migrants apprehended at the southern border topped 100,000 for the second month in a row, as the Trump administration manages an ever increasing number of Central American families streaming to the U.S. According to Homeland Security figures, there were 109,144 migrants encountered in April, including more than 58,000 families and 8,800 unaccompanied children taken into custody. Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost told senators on Wednesday that apprehension numbers were “off the charts,” and she’s had to divert agents to care for children. As she spoke, images of Border Patrol agents holding small children flashed behind her. She said shifting resources will not address the crisis. She said she is worried about drugs and other contraband that is getting through as resources are shifted to caring for children.
|
u.s .;immigration;mexico;refugees;u.s.-mexico border;donald trump;carla provost
|
jp0004554
|
[
"world",
"social-issues-world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
After ballot, Denver set to become first U.S. city to decriminalize magic mushrooms
|
NEW MEXICO - Based on final unofficial results Wednesday of a ballot initiative about the hallucinogenic drug, Denver will become the first city in the United States to decriminalize magic mushrooms. The initiative called for the Colorado state capital to end the imposition of criminal penalties for individuals at least 21 years of age for using or possessing psilocybin, widely known as magic mushrooms. The Denver Elections Divisions will certify results on May 16, but the final count on its website Wednesday was 50.56 percent of voters in favor and 49.44 percent against. If the initiative is approved, psilocybin will still remain illegal under both Colorado and federal law. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration classifies the drug as a Schedule 1 substance, meaning the agency has deemed that it has a high potential for abuse with no accepted medical application. Decriminalize Denver, the group behind Tuesday’s ballot question, said psilocybin has a wide range of medical benefits. It has been shown to reduce depression and anxiety and to help in treating tobacco, alcohol and opioid addictions, and with alleviating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the organization. Some opponents worry that if passed, the initiative will increase the city’s image as a haven for drugs, given that Colorado was one of the first states to legalize possession and sale of marijuana for adult recreational use. Denver District Attorney Beth McCann opposed the initiative. But if the measure were approved, she supported formation of a review panel under the initiative to study the effects of the drug and the impact the ordinance will have on Denver, spokeswoman Carolyn Tyler said. Denver residents first voted to decriminalize marijuana possession in 2004, years before Colorado voters ultimately approved its legalization statewide for recreational purposes, establishing a full regulatory framework to license retail outlets and collect sales taxes on cannabis products.
|
u.s .;drugs;mental health;denver
|
jp0004555
|
[
"world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Superjet flights scrubbed following Russian plane disaster
|
MOSCOW - Russian national carrier Aeroflot canceled four flights that normally use the Sukhoi Superjet aircraft Wednesday, days after a deadly crash during an emergency landing in Moscow where 41 people died in a fire. A total of five Aeroflot flights were canceled by early evening, according to the Sheremetyevo airport online schedule, four of which usually use the Sukhoi Superjet. These included flights to domestic destinations and the Swedish city of Gothenburg, AFP saw. An Aeroflot spokeswoman had no immediate comment. The Baltic news agency BNS reported a Tuesday Superjet flight from Moscow to Riga being delayed by three hours because passengers demanded a different plane after complaints of a burning smell, causing panic. It departed after a safety check and arrived at its destination, reports said. An investigation is ongoing following the accident on Sunday, in which a Superjet-100 bound for the Russian arctic city of Murmansk turned around after being struck by lightning. It bounced on the runway and caught fire, with thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the air. Aeroflot was once notorious for its poor safety record but in recent years its image has improved and it has not had a fatal accident in more than a decade. The Russian Sukhoi Superjet-100, however, has been dogged with problems since its launch in 2011 and Russia has struggled to convince foreign carriers to purchase it. A petition to “completely stop flights on Sukhoi Superjet during ongoing investigation” has gathered over 170 thousand signatures in two days. While there is no concrete evidence that the tragedy was a result of a technical problem, many Russian outlets published criticism of the Russian-assembled plane. The plane required colossal government investment to be developed and has been promoted at the highest level. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked to comment on the petition, said that “only competent aviation authorities” would be able to make a decision to ground the plane. The jet is widely used by flagship airline Aeroflot on short-haul flights.
|
airlines;moscow;russia;aviation;aeroflot;air accidents;sukhoi superjet
|
jp0004556
|
[
"world",
"science-health-world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
The only way is down: subterranean survival warning
|
NAPLES, ITALY - Solutions to the biggest threats facing our planet lie underground, according to experts who insist climate change, overpopulation and food shortages can all be tackled by going subterranean. “We are coming to a point in our history in which we need to start looking for more space,” Han Admiraal, a civil engineer with over two decades of experience in underground space, said on the sidelines of this year’s World Tunnel Congress. Efforts to meet seven of the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals — from cleaning up pollution-clogged metropolises to ending world hunger — could be given a big boost by repurposing spaces below street level, he said. “We don’t seem to realize that we’re losing a lot of arable land at an alarming rate each year (to soil degradation, urbanization and intensive farming), where we should be increasing it to feed the growing world population. “Underground spaces could easily be used for growing crops,” he said, as he toured the cavernous Bourbon Tunnel, dug deep under the Italian city of Naples as a potential escape route for King Ferdinand II of Bourbon after the 1848 riots. Scientific developments in areas like aquaponics — where vegetables and fish are farmed together — could help relieve the pressure on the food supply chain, and dramatically cut transport costs if such new farms were situated under cities. Micro greens — tiny seedlings of plants such as fennel, radish or coriander usually harvested when they are full size — are already being grown underground, as is lettuce, Admiraal said. “We could look at adding products like soy or lupin, which can be used as the basis for creating more protein-rich products that can be used as a substitute for meat,” reducing our reliance on one of the biggest climate destroyers: the meat industry. “You can also think about underground car parks: we know that cars are killing cities. We’re moving towards electrical vehicles, autonomous vehicles. So the question is, will those spaces still be needed in the future in the way they are now? “You could give them a new lease of life that actually supports the livability of the city,” he said. From Boston to Oslo, Rio de Janeiro, Seattle and Sydney, structures such as multilane highways are being moved underground, with the disused spaces converted into parks, according to urban planner Antonia Conaro. “Cities where the population growth is very strong, and which are struggling with resources, with the impact on their natural habitat … are looking at innovative ways to expand,” she said. “They’re looking at floating cities but are realizing that’s not the solution, because it affects marine life and is difficult to build, so why not go downwards?” added Cornaro, who is on the ITACUS international underground space committee with Admiraal. Metropolises like Singapore and Hong Kong have already begun changing legislation to allow for everything from universities to libraries, shopping centers, cinemas and sports facilities to move underground. Trees planted in new green areas will do their bit to help rein in climate change, as well as help prevent soil degradation. Going underground can also help protect populations from the severe weather events climate change is expected to spark. “For flooding, and also for other natural disasters, it can really help make the city more resilient to exploit the underground for shelter,” Cornaro said. “Fiber optics can bring sunlight below the surface, and also you can simulate daylight nowadays,” she adds. A lack of sunlight has certainly not stopped ferns from growing among the dust-covered wrecks of cars abandoned in the Bourbon Tunnel decades ago, when it was used as a police pound. How well plants can grow without the sun’s rays is the focus of current studies looking into the optimal frequency of artificial light for photosynthesis, Admiraal said.
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emissions;climate change;renewables;environment
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jp0004557
|
[
"world",
"science-health-world"
] |
2019/05/09
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Global obesity rising faster in rural areas than in cities, study finds
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PARIS - Obesity worldwide is increasing more quickly in rural areas than in cities, a study reported Wednesday, challenging a long-held assumption that the global epidemic of excess weight is mainly an urban problem. Data covering 200 countries and territories compiled by more than 1,000 researchers showed an average gain of roughly 5 to 6 kilograms (11 to 13 pounds) for each adult living in the countryside from 1985 to 2017. City-dwelling women and men put on 38 and 24 percent less than their rural counterparts over the same period, according to the findings, published in Nature. “The results of this massive global study overturn commonly held perceptions that more people living in cities is the main cause of the global rise in obesity,” said senior author Majid Ezzati, a professor at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health. “This means that we need to rethink how we tackle this global health problem.” The main exception to the trend was sub-Saharan Africa, where women gained weight more rapidly in cities. Obesity has emerged as a global health epidemic, driving rising rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and a host of cancers. The annual cost of treating related health impacts could top a trillion dollars by 2025, the World Obesity Federation estimated in 2017. To date, most national and international policies to curb excess body weight have focused on cities, including public messaging, the redesign of urban spaces to encourage walking, and subsidized sports facilities. To factor health status into the comparison across nations, the researchers used a standard measure known as the “body-mass index” (BMI) based on height and weight. A person with a BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight, while 30 or higher is obese. A healthy BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9. Approximately 2 billion adults in the world are overweight — and nearly a third of those obese. The number of obese people has tripled since 1975. The study revealed important differences between countries depending on income level. In high-income nations, for example, the study found that rural BMI were generally already higher in 1985, especially for women. Lower income and education levels, the high cost and limited availability of healthy foods, dependence on vehicles, the phasing out of manual labor — all of these factors likely contributed to progressive weight gain. Conversely, urban areas “provide a wealth of opportunities for better nutrition, more physical exercise and recreation, and overall improved health,” Ezzati said. Around 55 percent of the world’s population live in cities or satellite communities, with that figure set to rise to 68 percent by mid-century, according to the United Nations. The most urbanized regions in the world are North America (82 percent), Latin America and the Caribbean (81 percent) and Europe (74 percent). More recently, the proportion of overweight and obese adults in the rural parts of many low- and middle-income countries is also rising more quickly than in cites. “Rural areas in these countries have begun to resemble urban areas,” Barry Popkin, an expert on global public health at the University of North Carolina, said in a comment, also in Nature. “Modern food supply is now available in combination with cheap mechanized devices for farming and transport,” he added. “Ultraprocessed foods are also becoming part of the diets of poor people.” At a country level, several findings stand out. Some of the largest BMI increases from 1985 to 2017 among men were in China, the United States, Bahrain, Peru and the Dominican Republic, adding an average of 8 to 9 kilograms per adult. Women in Egypt and Honduras added — on average, across urban and rural areas — even more. Rural women in Bangladesh, and men living in rural Ethiopia, had the lowest average BMI in 1985, at 17.7 and 18.4 respectively, just under the threshold of healthy weight. Both cohorts were well above that threshold by 2017. The populations — both men and women — in small South Pacific island nations have among the highest BMI levels in the world, often well above 30. “The NDC Risk Factor Collaboration challenges us to create programs and policies that are rurally focused to prevent weight gain,” Popkin said.
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health;obesity;exercise;rural;urban;studies
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jp0004558
|
[
"world",
"science-health-world"
] |
2019/05/09
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Bat-winged dinosaur was intriguing, brief detour in evolution of flight
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WASHINGTON - A fossil unearthed in northeastern China of a feathered dinosaur a bit bigger than a blue jay that possessed bat-like wings represents a remarkable but short-lived detour in the evolution of flight and the advent of birds, scientists said on Wednesday. The dinosaur, named Ambopteryx longibrachium, lived 163 million years ago during the Jurassic Period and took flight with membranous wings made of skin supported by a long, pointed wrist bone, dramatically different from the distinctive feathered wings of birds. Before aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the first successful airplane, others dabbled with various experimental flying machines. There was an analogous period of flight experimentation among dinosaurs before small feathered ones evolved into the first birds about 150 million years ago. Unlike birds, Ambopteryx had membranous wings resembling pterosaurs, flying reptiles that appeared roughly 230 million years ago, and bats, flying mammals that appeared roughly 50 million years ago. Its fossil, found in 2017 by a local farmer in Liaoning Province, was well preserved, boasting details of soft tissue like the wing membranes, bristly body feathers, stomach contents of its last meal and gizzard stones. It lacked the long, strong flight feathers characteristic of birds. Ambopteryx is the second-known dinosaur with membranous wings, joining Yi qi, which lived 2-3 million years later. Yi’s fossil, published in 2015, was found 50 miles (80 km) away. “The discoveries of Ambopteryx and Yi completely change our view about the origin of avian flight,” said paleontologist Min Wang of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. “For a long time, we thought feathered wings were the only flight apparatus” in the evolution of birds, Wang added. “However, these new discoveries clearly exhibit that membranous wings also evolved in some dinosaurs closely related to birds. Put together, the breadth and richness of the experimentation pertaining to flight is greater than was previously thought during the dinosaur-bird transition. And we may be seeing just the tip of the iceberg.” Membranous wings in dinosaurs appear to have been short-lived experimentation, added Wang who led the research was published in the journal Nature. Wang said Ambopteryx, about 13 inches (32 cm) long and about 11 ounces (306 grams) in weight, was certainly capable of gliding but it is difficult to know whether it could achieve powered flight. Likely omnivorous, Ambopteryx lived an arboreal lifestyle in a forested environment.
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china;evolution;dinosaurs;birds;ambopteryx longibrachium
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jp0004559
|
[
"world",
"science-health-world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Figures show most EU nations cut output of CO2 last year
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BRUSSELS - Most European Union countries reduced carbon dioxide emissions last year, estimates showed Wednesday, marking a turnaround in the battle against greenhouse gases as campaigners urged faster action to avoid the most damaging effects of climate change. Overall EU emissions from burning oil, coal and gas were 2.5 percent lower in 2018 than the previous year, Eurostat figures showed, with 20 of the bloc’s 28 countries reporting reductions. That was better than 2017, which saw combined emissions 1.8 percent higher than 2016 and only seven countries recording decreases, according to the EU’s statistics office. The EU has pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. “After four years without substantial emission reductions, the EU has finally started to walk the road to the zero-carbon economy,” said Wendel Trio, who heads the activist group Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe. “To be able to avoid ever wilder extreme weather events, greater drought, food shortages and economic devastation, we need sharp falls in emissions every single year,” Trio added. Portugal took the lead with the sharpest decrease, Eurostat figures showed, recording a 9 percent drop in emissions from 2017. It was followed by Bulgaria, with an 8.1 percent reduction. Ireland’s was 6.8 percent lower and Germany’s fell 5.4 percent. Britain was last in line, with a slim 0.3 percent decrease compared to 2017. On the other hand, Latvia recorded the poorest result, with emissions up 8.5 percent from the year before. Other countries in the bloc whose emissions rose include Poland, which recorded an increase of 3.5 percent. The EU has vowed to lead the way in saving the Paris climate agreement since the United States, the world’s second-biggest polluter, after China, withdrew in 2017. The pact aims to keep the worldwide rise in temperatures “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial times. Germany, the bloc’s most populous country and its most powerful economy, accounted for the largest share of the union’s emissions last year, at 22 percent. It was followed by Britain at 11.4 percent, Poland at 10.3 percent as well as by France and Italy, at 10 percent each. Germany, Britain, France and Italy are among the bloc’s leading economies and have the largest populations. Poland, whose population is significantly lower than the other top polluters, relies on antiquated coal-fired power plants to generate nearly all of its electricity, giving it some of the highest carbon emissions in the EU. In other developments, Britain’s National Grid Electricity System Operator revealed it has managed a week of powering electricity without using coal for the first time since 1882, as the country targets zero carbon emissions. And German insurer Allianz announced it aims to make the massive investments that back its business “climate-neutral” by 2050. It means Allianz will no longer invest money in shares or bonds issued by companies whose activity is harmful to the climate.
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europe;energy;eu;emissions;climate change;environment
|
jp0004560
|
[
"world",
"science-health-world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Ex-ministers blast Jair Bolsonaro for dismantling Brazil's environmental protections
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BRASILIA - Eight former Brazilian environment ministers blasted new right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro and his administration in a letter on Wednesday, saying it is dismantling the country’s environmental protections. The former officials criticized the government’s decision to strip the environment ministry’s authority over forestry and water agency services, while also saying a lack of clear directives to combat climate change is threatening Brazil’s ability to meet its commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions. “All this reinforces in the end a sense of impunity, which is the byword for more deforestation and more violence,” they wrote, arguing that this perceived dismantling was unconstitutional. Brazil’s current Environment Minister Ricardo Salles responded point by point to the letter in a statement and blamed external forces for what he saw as a campaign against the country. “What is damaging Brazil’s image is the permanent and well-orchestrated defamation campaign by NGOs and supposed experts, within and outside of Brazil,” Salles’ letter said. Bolsonaro on the campaign trail railed against what he has called “an industry” of environmental fines targeting farmers and at one point considered pulling out of the Paris Agreement on climate change. He still maintains climate change may not be man-made, although Brazil remains a party to the agreement. His remarks have spurred fears among environmentalists that deforestation will spike in Brazil’s portion of the Amazon rain forest, which absorbs vast amounts of greenhouse gases. Brazil’s Amazon deforestation, however, has fallen 34 percent year-on-year in the first four months of the year, according to data from the country’s space agency, INPE. The former environment ministers who drafted the letter include Rubens Ricupero, who served in the early 1990s, and Edson Duarte, who stepped down at the end of the previous government. In his response, which is longer than the original letter, Salles said he agreed with the former ministers’ call for robust and efficient environmental regulations. “The current government did not reject, nor deconstruct, any previously assumed commitment that is tangible, advantageous and concrete for Brazilian society,” he wrote. Salles criticized a lack of action in a variety of areas by previous governments. He defended moving the authority over forest services and the water agency ANA to other ministries. saying it would help kickstart action in those areas. “We reaffirm our commitment to combat illegal deforestation, with effective actions and not merely rhetoric,” he wrote.
|
pollution;nature;brazil;forests;amazon;development;environment;jair bolsonaro
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jp0004562
|
[
"world",
"crime-legal-world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
FBI has 850 open cases on domestic terrorism, officials say
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WASHINGTON - The Federal Bureau of Investigation has around 850 open investigations into domestic terrorism, most of them involving anti-government and white nationalist extremists, a senior FBI official said Wednesday. About half of the 850 involved anti-government, anti-authority actors, Michael McGarrity, the FBI assistant director for counterterrorism, told the House Homeland Security Committee. Another 40 percent are racially driven extremists, he said. “Within that a significant majority are racially motivated extremists who support the superiority of the white race.” McGarrity said the internet and social media have driven the recent rise in domestic extremist threats, which he said develop similarly to threats from domestic Islamic extremists, which the FBI labels homegrown violent extremists. “What we’re seeing is the velocity in which our subjects and the velocity in which we are working our cases … is much quicker than it has ever been before,” he said. Individuals can go on the internet and easily find content matching their specific ideology, without having to travel or meet others in person, he said. That allows them “to be able to radicalize fairly quickly and then mobilize to that violence quickly,” McGarrity said. The hearing came as deaths from domestic extremist attacks have risen in recent years to surpass those from Islamic-inspired attacks. Attention has recently focused especially on white nationalists who meld together anti-immigrant, and-Black and anti-Semitic sentiments. Last month a teenage gunman who wrote a hate-filled manifesto online opened fire at a synagogue in Poway, California, leaving one woman dead and three others injured, including a rabbi. That came exactly six months after another man spouting anti-Semitic and white nationalist vitriol shot dead 11 and wounded six others at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.
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u.s .;terrorism;ethnicity;racism;fbi;white supremacists;michael mcgarrity
|
jp0004563
|
[
"world",
"crime-legal-world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
U.S. Senate panel subpoenas Trump's son over Russia contacts
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WASHINGTON - The Russia probe plunged Washington into turmoil Wednesday as Donald Trump’s son reportedly was ordered to testify before a Senate panel and the White House refused to release material on investigations into the president. A day after the top Republican in Congress called the Russia probe “case closed,” Trump’s conflict with his Democratic opponents escalated to new heights as a House panel voted to hold the nation’s Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt for refusing to turn over key documents. Following a day of drama that included Trump asserting executive privilege for the first time in his presidency, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee took the surprise step of issuing a subpoena to Donald Trump Jr. to testify as part of its investigation into Russian election interference, U.S. media reported. It was the first known legal summons issued to a member of the president’s family to force testimony in the ongoing investigation, and comes after special counsel Robert Mueller declined to accuse Trump’s 2016 campaign of criminal conspiracy to collude with the Russians. Trump Jr., 41, has testified voluntarily in private once to the committee, and was peppered with questions about a June 9, 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York that he and other campaign officials had with a Russian lawyer who had offered them dirt on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Committee aides would not confirm the subpoena or what they want to discuss with the president’s eldest son, who currently helps run the Trump Organization. Citing a person close to Trump Jr., The Wall Street Journal reported he had offered to answer questions in writing from the committee, and planned to fight the subpoena, which demands he testify in person. The White House has been seeking to shield a large swathe of material — including redacted portions of Mueller’s report — subpoenaed by lawmakers seeking to exert their oversight responsibility. The rare move to invoke executive privilege came as the House Judiciary Committee took its most substantive step yet against a member of the Trump administration by approving a contempt motion against Barr. “This was a very grave and momentous step we were forced to take today,” committee chairman Jerry Nadler said after the party-line vote. Nadler said the contempt citation will proceed “rapidly” for a full House vote but did not offer a timeline. He accused Trump and the White House of stonewalling by preventing America’s congressional representatives from conducting oversight of the executive branch. “It’s an attack on the essence of our democracy,” Nadler said. “We are now in a constitutional crisis.” The Department of Justice swiftly shot back, branding the contempt vote “inappropriate political theatrics.” Hours earlier, Trump made clear he would assert his executive privilege to keep Mueller’s full report under wraps. “Neither the White House nor Attorney General Barr will comply with Chairman Nadler’s unlawful and reckless demands,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd stressed that Trump had moved to keep “the entirety of the subpoenaed materials” from the eyes of Congress. Nadler warned that such action “represents a clear escalation in the Trump administration’s blanket defiance of Congress’s constitutionally mandated duties.” Democrats have struggled with their battle plan in the wake of the Mueller report. Some have called for impeachment proceedings against Trump, while others stress the need to refocus on issues affecting everyday Americans ahead of the 2020 election. Trump claimed the document exonerated him of wrongdoing. On the question of obstruction of justice, the report did not conclude Trump committed a crime, but Mueller wrote that “it also does not exonerate him.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Trump’s nemesis in Congress, has refrained from calling for his impeachment. But on Wednesday she voiced support for the contempt move, and delivered a stinging message about the White House refusal to release the unredacted report. “Is this what it looks like when you have nothing to hide?” Pelosi tweeted. For several hours in the tense judiciary hearing, lawmakers traded barbs about Barr’s brazen protection of the president and the calculated effort by Democrats to punish him and gain access to key material. Addressing a rally of supporters in Florida on Wednesday night, Trump defended his attorney general as “great” and said that after Mueller’s two-year probe found “nothing,” the Democrats were not finished. “You know it was going to be, like, ‘we want the Mueller report.’ Now they say, ‘Mueller report, no, we want to start all over again.’ It is a disgrace.” Barr defied a subpoena to turn over a complete copy of Mueller’s report and the underlying evidence, and last week refused to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. The panel approved the 27-page contempt citation in which Nadler wrote that even the redacted report “offers disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels.”
|
u.s .;congress;robert mueller;donald trump;donald trump jr .;russia probe
|
jp0004564
|
[
"world",
"crime-legal-world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Ex-member of alleged New York sex cult tells jury of forced encounter and 'shame'
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NEW YORK - A former member of an alleged New York sex cult testified on Wednesday that the secretive group’s leader forced her into an unwanted sexual encounter and took nude photos of her after he announced that he was her “grand master.” The leader of the Nxivm group, Keith Raniere, 58, is charged with ordering numerous women to have sex with him, branding them with his initials and forcing them to adhere to a near-starvation diet. Sylvie, a 32-year-old British woman who testified under her given name only, is the first alleged victim to appear as a witness at Raniere’s trial in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. “I felt shame,” a tearful Sylvie said, telling jurors she did not want to engage in sexual acts with him but felt she had no choice. “Now you’re part of the inner circle,” she recounted Raniere telling her after the encounter. Raniere has pleaded not guilty to charges including sex trafficking and child pornography, and his lawyer has argued that he never forced any women to act against their will. He faces life in prison if convicted. Sylvie told jurors how her involvement in Nxivm eventually led her to become a “slave” in a secret sorority within the group called DOS, which required her to recruit other women. She now lives in England with her husband, also a former Nxivm member, and testified under an immunity agreement with prosecutors. She painted a picture of an organization awash in misogyny. Nxivm’s co-founder, Nancy Salzman, who has pleaded guilty, once instructed a women’s class that “abuse” is a variable concept and that the age of consent is as young as 12 in some places, Sylvie testified. “We were taught that women were self-absorbed, narcissistic,” she said. “I feel like in some ways that was the worst part of it for me.” During cross-examination, defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo, showed Sylvie text messages she sent to Raniere that were full of affection, even after their sexual encounter. He also pressed her on whether she could have left Nxivm during her decade-plus as a member. “Yeah, no one held me there,” she conceded, though she also said it did not feel like staying was entirely her decision, either. Nxivm, which started under another name in 1998 and is pronounced “Nexium,” was based in Albany, New York, and operated numerous self-improvement centers across North and Central America. Prosecutors say Raniere established DOS in 2015, setting up a pyramid-like structure of female slaves and masters with himself alone at the top. Participants were forced to provide potential blackmail material, or “collateral,” such as explicit videos or damaging information. Raniere is standing trial alone after five co-defendants, including Seagram heiress Clare Bronfman and former “Smallville” star Allison Mack, pleaded guilty to related crimes.
|
u.s .;new york;sex crimes;cults;nxivm;keith raniere
|
jp0004565
|
[
"world",
"crime-legal-world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
N.Y. Senate votes to grant U.S. Congress access to Trump's state tax returns
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NEW YORK - The New York Senate adopted a bill Wednesday to grant the U.S. Congress access to Donald Trump’s state tax returns, after the U.S. president blocked attempts by congressional committees to review his past filings. The bill still has to be approved by the New York State Assembly, but that body is dominated by Democrats, making its passage all but certain. The bill — the latest round in a battle between the Republican president and the Democrat-led House of Representatives — will then have to be signed by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has already signaled his support for the plan. Introduced by Democratic Sen. Brad Hoylman, the bill authorizes the state’s fiscal authorities to share tax declarations with three congressional committees in Washington. In most U.S. states, taxpayers have to submit three separate tax returns — one to the federal government, one to the state and one to the city or municipality they live in. On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury refused a demand by Congress to hand over Trump’s federal tax returns, which it was demanding as part of the wide-ranging investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections. The submission of the former real-estate mogul’s New York state tax returns could offer a first, if partial, insight into the current financial situation of the president, who has declared himself to be a multi-billionaire. Trump is the first president since the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s not to make his tax returns public. Two years ago, the MSNBC journalist Rachel Maddow uncovered Trump’s tax filings from 2005, but nothing more recent has so far been unearthed and the president has refused to any effort to release them. On Tuesday, the New York Times published a report that Trump declared business losses of $1.17 billion between 1985 and 1994.
|
u.s .;congress;new york;taxes;andrew cuomo;donald trump
|
jp0004566
|
[
"world",
"crime-legal-world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
House panel to hold William Barr in contempt of Congress over refusal to turn over Russia report
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WASHINGTON - A Democratic-led House panel on Wednesday approved a measure to hold U.S. Attorney General William Barr in contempt for refusing to hand over an unredacted copy of the Mueller report on Russian election interference even as President Donald Trump invoked the legal principle of executive privilege to block its disclosure. Throwing down another challenge to Trump, the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted to recommend that the full House cite Barr, the top U.S. law enforcement official and a Trump appointee, for contempt of Congress after he defied its subpoena for the complete report and underlying evidence. The confrontation escalated a constitutional clash between the Democratic-controlled House and Republican president over congressional powers to investigate him, his administration, his family and his business interests. In a step likely to trigger a high-stakes court battle, with fines and possible imprisonment at stake for Barr, the committee approved the recommendation on a party-line 24-16 vote, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed. The vote came hours after the White House took its own provocative step, asserting executive privilege to block the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s full report on Russian actions to boost Trump’s candidacy in the 2016 U.S. election and related evidence such as investigative interviews. Executive privilege is only rarely invoked by U.S. presidents to keep other branches of government from getting access to certain internal executive branch information. Trump had not previously taken such a step in his showdown with Congress. House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler said the White House was misapplying executive privilege in “a clear escalation in the Trump administration’s blanket defiance of Congress’s constitutionally mandated duties,” adding that neither Barr nor Trump should be permitted to be “above the law.” The White House said Democrats forced the move. “Faced with Chairman Nadler’s blatant abuse of power, and at the attorney general’s request, the president has no other option than to make a protective assertion of executive privilege,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. In a letter to Nadler, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd said Barr could not comply with the subpoena “without violating the law, court rules, and court orders, and without threatening the independence of the Department of Justice’s prosecutorial functions.” Trump, seeking re-election in 2020, is stonewalling numerous probes by House Democrats, ranging from Mueller’s inquiry to matters such as Trump’s tax returns and past financial records. Contempt of Congress is an offense that can be enforced several ways, most likely by a civil lawsuit, which could lead to a judge ordering imposing daily fines on the defendant or even arrest and imprisonment, according to legal experts. The next step will be a floor vote by the full House. No action in the Republican-led Senate is needed. Barr, who released a 448-page redacted version of the report on April 18, missed two deadlines to turn over the requested material after Nadler last month subpoenaed it. Nadler said lawmakers need the material to determine whether Trump obstructed justice by trying to impede Mueller’s inquiry. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, said Trump’s moves to thwart House subpoenas were obstructing oversight by lawmakers and inquiries into Russian election interference. “Every single day the president is making the case. He’s becoming self-impeachable,” Pelosi told the Washington Post, referring to the impeachment process in Congress to remove a president from office. Pelosi added that Barr, who last week also refused to testify before the House panel, should be held in contempt of Congress. She last week accused Barr of committing a crime by lying to lawmakers. Trump has filed lawsuits meant to block House subpoenas seeking some of his financial and business records, and his administration refused to disclose his subpoenaed tax returns. In a letter obtained by Reuters last week, White House legal counsel Emmet Flood asserted that Trump has the right to instruct his advisers not to testify before congressional oversight probes related to the Mueller investigation. The clash between Trump and House Democrats presents political risks for both going into the 2020 election, with neither side backing down. In a lengthy Judiciary Committee meeting, Republicans condemned the move to hold Barr in contempt. “What a cynical, mean-spirited, counterproductive and irresponsible step,” said Doug Collins, the panel’s top Republican. Other Republicans accused Democrats of paving the way for impeachment. Democrats said the Trump administration waived executive privilege when it allowed some senior Trump advisers, including former White House Counsel Don McGahn, to talk to Mueller’s team during the investigation. The Justice Department said allowing such cooperation did not mean Trump relinquished the right to assert executive privilege now. “I can only conclude that the president now seeks to take a wrecking ball to the Constitution of the United States of America,” Democratic Representative Sheila Jackson Lee said. When the House was controlled by Republicans, it voted in 2012 to hold Eric Holder, attorney general under Democratic President Barack Obama, in contempt for failing to turn over subpoenaed Justice Department documents about a gun-running investigation. It was the first time Congress had held any Cabinet member in contempt. A 1974 Supreme Court ruling made clear the contours of the doctrine of executive privilege. In the case U.S. v. Nixon, President Richard Nixon was ordered to deliver tapes and other subpoenaed materials to a federal judge for review. The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that a president’s right to privacy in his communications must be balanced against the power of Congress to investigate and oversee the executive branch. Mueller’s report detailed extensive contacts between Trump’s campaign and Moscow, as well as the campaign’s expectation of benefiting from Russia’s efforts to tilt the election in Trump’s favor. But Mueller concluded there was insufficient evidence to show a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the campaign. The report also described numerous actions by Trump to try to impede Mueller’s investigation, but Mueller offered no conclusion on whether Trump committed criminal obstruction.
|
u.s .;congress;robert mueller;donald trump;russia probe;jerrold nadler;william barr
|
jp0004567
|
[
"world",
"politics-diplomacy-world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Trump moves to strangle Iran's economy with more sanctions as nuclear deal withers
|
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday tightened the screws further on Iran with sanctions on its mining industry after a frustrated Tehran said it would suspend some promises it made under a nuclear deal rejected by Washington. On the anniversary of Trump’s withdrawal from the accord he denounced as “horrible,” tensions were soaring after the United States deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and nuclear-capable bombers to the region and accused Iran of “imminent” attacks. In an announcement previewed for days, Iran said it would immediately stop implementing some restrictions under the 2015 deal — a move aimed largely at pressing Washington’s European allies to step up to preserve the agreement. Tehran said it would abandon even more if the remaining parties to the agreement — Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia — failed to start delivering on their commitments to sanctions relief within 60 days. President Hassan Rouhani said the ultimatum was intended to rescue the nuclear deal from Trump, whose sanctions have caused severe pain in Iran — which had anticipated an economic boon from the agreement negotiated under then-President Barack Obama. “We felt the (deal) needed surgery and that the year-long sedatives have not delivered any result. This surgery is meant to save the (deal), not destroy it,” Rouhani said at a cabinet meeting broadcast live on state television. Rouhani denounced European countries for seeing the U.S. as the world’s “sheriff” and said their view kept them from making “firm decisions for their own national interests.” Trump quickly fired back as he moved to inflict greater economic pain on Iran, imposing sanctions that would punish anyone who buys or trades the country’s iron, steel, aluminum and copper. The White House had already acted forcefully to prevent all countries from buying Iran’s oil — its crucial money-maker — and said that the steel and mining sector was the country’s second largest source of foreign revenue, accounting for 10 percent of exports. “Tehran can expect further actions unless it fundamentally alters its conduct,” Trump said in a statement. But in a shift in tone, Trump — who talked tough on North Korea before two landmark summits with leader Kim Jong Un — said he was willing to negotiate face-to-face. “I look forward to someday meeting with the leaders of Iran in order to work out an agreement and, very importantly, taking steps to give Iran the future it deserves,” he said. Observers believe it is highly unlikely that Iran’s leaders — who have made hostility to the United States a bedrock principle since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled the pro-Western shah — would want to meet Trump, who has repeatedly threatened the country. But Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif regularly saw his counterpart in the Obama administration, then Secretary of State John Kerry, and recently dangled the prospect of a prisoner swap with the United States. Zarif, who was visiting Moscow, accused European governments of not fulfilling their obligations under the nuclear deal. “Our friends in Russia and China maintained very good relations with us in this year but the rest of the … participants did not meet any of their obligations,” Zarif said. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it no longer considered itself bound by the agreed restrictions on stocks of enriched uranium and heavy water. It said that after 60 days, it would also stop abiding by limits on the level to which Iran can enrich uranium and modifications to its Arak heavy water reactor that were designed to prevent the production of plutonium. Uranium enriched to much higher levels than Iran’s current stocks can be used as the fissile core of a nuclear weapon, while heavy water is a source of plutonium, which can be used as an alternative way to produce a warhead. But on a practical level, Robert Kelley, a former U.N. nuclear inspector now with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, said the commitments Iran was dropping had no bearing on its ability to develop an atomic bomb. He said that Iran was simply seeking to “save face” after “striking a deal which was not respected by the other side.” The three European parties to the deal tried to save the accord with a trade mechanism meant to bypass reimposed U.S. sanctions, but their attempt was dismissed by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “bitter joke.” The European powers voiced alarm at Iran’s statement and expressed hope that the nuclear deal could be preserved. “It is important to avoid any action that would prevent the enactment of the obligations by parties currently upholding the agreement or that might fuel an escalation,” a French foreign ministry spokesperson said. Germany urged Iran to uphold the nuclear deal. “We as Europeans, as Germans, will play our part and we expect full implementation from Iran as well,” Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the nuclear accord was “a major achievement” in boosting international security and said he “strongly hopes” that it can be preserved, according to U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq.
|
china;u.s .;russia;nuclear weapons;iran;nuclear energy;sanctions;hassan rouhani;iran nuclear deal;donald trump
|
jp0004568
|
[
"world",
"politics-diplomacy-world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Sudan protest coalition calls for civil disobedience campaign and hits military for dragging its feet
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KHARTOUM - Sudanese protest and opposition leaders on Wednesday called for a campaign of civil disobedience in response to what one of them described as the military’s “disappointing” answer to their proposals for an interim government. This could put the protesters and the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) on a collision course following weeks of wrangling over how to manage an interim period after the ousting of long-ruling President Omar al-Bashir from office. “We call for and prepare for civil disobedience,” Madani Abbas Madani, a leader of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF), told a news conference in Khartoum. The DFCF, the opposition groups’ umbrella body, did not give details of what it planned. But the DFCF has led work strikes, marches, protest sit-ins and other acts of civil disobedience for weeks. Protesters have also blocked bridges, roads and rail tracks, disrupting Sudan’s transport infrastructure. Khalid Omar Yousef, another protest leader, said the aim was not to start a confrontation with the military but to speed up efforts to resolve the impasse. Thousands of protesters have camped for weeks outside the Defense Ministry in central Khartoum and, having secured a military overthrow of Bashir, are now demanding that the TMC hand over power to civilians. The constitutional draft prepared by the DFCF describes the duties of a sovereign transitional council that would replace the TMC, but does not specify who would sit on it. The plan, seen by Reuters, also outlines the responsibilities of the Cabinet and a 120-member legislature. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan spoke with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the chairman of the TMC, on Wednesday and urged it to reach agreement with the DFCF that reflects the will of the Sudanese people and to move “expeditiously” toward a civilian-led interim government. In a statement, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Sullivan also “encouraged the TMC to allow peaceful protest and the freedom of expression consistent with Sudan’s human rights obligations.” A senior Kenyan diplomat praised the “responsible” and “patient” behavior of the opposition protesters. “Us as a neighbor … send our solidarity message into Sudan to express our support for the people and to urge an inclusive process,” Monica Juma, Kenya’s chief Cabinet secretary for foreign affairs, told reporters in Washington after launching a strategic dialogue with the United States. “We called on all parties to act with restraint … because it is important that this process evolves in a peaceful manner,” she said. On Tuesday, the TMC welcomed the proposals but said they neglected some important issues, such as a reference to Islamic sharia, as a source for legislation. The protesters accused the TMC of dragging its feet, saying issues like sharia were not a matter for the interim constitution. “Issues like sharia and the language of the state, those are ideological weapons the former regime (kept) using to divide the people for the issue of mobilisation,” DFCF member Yousef said. “Muslims against non-Muslims, Arabs against non-Arabs. It’s a very dangerous thing and we are not willing to go for this game.” Sudan’s population of around 40 million is about 97 percent Muslim, with most of the rest Christians. The country is a mix of ethnic groups, including Arabs, Nubians and other African ethnic minorities. Opposition leaders said at the news conference on Wednesday that the TMC response would effectively give the military control of a proposed interim government. A TMC member, Lt. Gen. Yasser al-Atta, said the council was prepared to sit down with the protesters to discuss the differences. The TMC has said it is willing to agree to a government of technocrats, but that it wants to retain overall control pending elections to prevent Sudan sliding into chaos. Seeking to show it is heeding protesters’ demands, the council has fired senior Bashir aides, placed paramilitary security bodies under state control and ordered the dissolution of a security agency that was linked to the former president’s ruling Islamist party. Bashir, in power for 30 years, is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Sudan’s western Darfur region. He is in prison and under investigation for money laundering.
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sudan;sharia;omar bashir;tmc
|
jp0004569
|
[
"world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Biman Bangladesh plane skids off runway in Yangon, leaving 17 injured
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YANGON - A Biman Bangladesh Airlines plane skidded off the runway when it landed in bad weather at Yangon’s international airport on Wednesday evening, injuring at least 17 people, officials said. The Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft was carrying 29 passengers and four crew when it bounced while landing during heavy winds in Myanmar’s commercial capital, Bangladesh’s ambassador said. The plane was severely damaged. The 17 who sustained mostly minor injuries were admitted to a local hospital, Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, told Reuters. “The main reason, the pilot told me, was the weather — crosswinds,” he said, “When he was trying to land … suddenly the aircraft jumped, went up and went down heavily.” A photo published by the Myanmar Times showed the plane halfway off the runway with its fuselage apparently broken. Shakil Miraj, general manager for Biman Bangladesh, also blamed bad weather for the crash. The airline flies between Yangon and Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka four days a week. A spokesman for Myanmar’s Department of Civil Aviation declined comment, saying the department had not received a report of the incident from the ground.
|
airlines;aviation;yangon;bombardier;air accidents;biman bangladesh
|
jp0004570
|
[
"world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
France seeks Libya cease-fire after Tripoli migrant center is struck
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TRIPOLI/PARIS - France’s President Emmanuel Macron called on Wednesday for a cease-fire in the month-long battle for Libya’s capital Tripoli after fighting hit a migrant detention center overnight. With foreign powers aghast at the latest flare-up in a nation in chaos since the 2011 toppling of Moammar Gadhafi, Macron met the internationally recognized Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj in Paris. “Noting that there is no military solution to the Libyan conflict … the proposal was put forward to delimit a cease-fire line, under international supervision,” Macron’s office said in a statement afterward, backing a U.N. peace plan and elections. France has in the past been supportive of eastern Libyan forces commander Khalifa Hifter, who launched an assault on Serraj’s Tripoli base in early April under the banner of combating terrorism and restoring order. With Hifter’s troops bogged down in southern outskirts, fighting has been raging though the night but slowing in the day as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan began this week. Overnight, there was shelling on a camp of pro-Serraj fighters, witnesses said. Shrapnel struck the roof of a nearby migrants’ detention center in the eastern suburb of Tajoura. Though nobody was wounded at the center, frightened migrants, who had come mainly from sub-Saharan African nations hoping to reach Europe by sea, pleaded for rescue. “We have almost lost hope in our life,” one migrant at the center told Reuters, declining to give his name. “War here is too much. Please, we need help.” The Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) charity said a hole was blown open in a hangar housing women, nearly hitting one infant. “How many more lives must be threatened before these vulnerable people are evacuated?” The fighting has killed 443 people and injured another 2,110, with tens of thousands also forced out of their homes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Showing the challenge of finding a political solution even if a ceasefire can be reached, Serraj told TV channel France24 that Hifter was attempting a power grab. “Hifear and (his armed groups) only want to control power in Tripoli under the pretext of war on terrorism and militias,” he said, urging a “clearer stance” from Paris toward Hifter. The conflict has threatened to disrupt OPEC member Libya’s oil shipments, fuel migration to Europe, and encourage jihadis to exploit the power vacuum as the parallel administrations in east and west face off against each other. It has also frozen the U.N. peace plan and exposed divisions in Europe and the Gulf. Hifter, a former general in Gadhafi’s army who later turned against him, enjoys the backing of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. He also received military support from France which helped him take over the eastern city of Benghazi in 2017. Serraj, whose supporters say Hifter is a would-be dictator in the same mold as Gadhafi, met Macron after also visiting Germany and Italy. The U.N. mission in Libya said it was deeply concerned about a sharp increase in kidnappings and arbitrary arrests during the Tripoli conflict, including the abduction of two Libyan TV journalists on May 2 whose fate remained unknown.
|
france;u.n .;libya;refugees;tripoli;emmanuel macron;khalifa hifter;fayez al-serraj
|
jp0004571
|
[
"world"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Taliban attack on aid group in Kabul ends with four killed, dozens wounded
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KABUL - Afghan forces fought for hours against Taliban insurgents who killed at least four civilians and wounded dozens more when they stormed an aid organization in Kabul on Wednesday, security officials said. The assault began shortly before midday, when a car bomb exploded in the compound of the nonprofit Counterpart International, in the Shahr Naw area of Kabul, the latest assault by Taliban insurgents even as they hold peace talks. At least four civilians, including a woman and a policeman, were killed and 24 civilians and policemen were wounded, said Nasrat Rahimi, an interior ministry spokesman. One of the wounded was a foreign national, he said, but did not give his nationality. “The attack is over and security forces cleared the building and rescued hundreds of people, including group employees who were trapped inside,” Rahimi said. Five of the attackers were shot dead by security forces, he said. Explosions and bursts of gunfire rocked the area after it was surrounded by special forces, backed by advisers from foreign forces, trying to flush out the attackers. Authorities cordoned off the site, dispatching ambulances and police trucks. “My family is stuck in our house close to the site and they are terrified,” said a government employee, Naqibullah. Amanullah Rahim, an eyewitness, said, “I was in my shop when I heard a huge explosion that shattered all the windows and damaged everything. I ran away and thank God I am not hurt.” At least nine injured people were taken to a hospital, said Wahidullah Mayar, a health ministry spokesman. Officials at the city’s Emergency Hospital said they had received 17 wounded. “We are incredibly saddened by this attack and we are working as quickly as possible to account for our staff,” Counterpart, which has operated in Afghanistan since 2005, said in a Twitter post. Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attack, which came on the third day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid called the group a U.S. network involved in harmful Western activities in Afghanistan. The attack could undermine a sixth round of peace talks between U.S. and Taliban representatives in Qatar seeking negotiations to end the nearly 18-year-long conflict. It comes after the Taliban refused an offer by President Ashraf Ghani for a ceasefire from the first day of Ramadan. “The Taliban must respond positively to the peace demand of the Afghan people, otherwise, they will be suppressed by our heroic and brave security forces,” Ghani said in a statement condemning Wednesday’s attack as un-Islamic. The U.S. ambassador, John Bass, condemned the attack, saying the aid group helped local communities, trained journalists and supported the Afghan people. Taliban spokesman Mujahid said the aid group worked closely with government departments promoting women, an effort opposed by the hard-line Islamist group. Before being toppled by U.S. and Afghan forces in late 2001, Afghanistan’s harsh Taliban regime barred women from working outside their homes and required them to be accompanied by a male relative. Despite stepping up security around Kabul, Afghan authorities have failed to deter deadly attacks that have undermined confidence in the government. Just over two weeks ago, gunmen targeted the communications ministry in Kabul, killing at least seven people in an attack claimed by Islamic State.
|
u.s .;terrorism;afghanistan;taliban;kabul;counterpart international
|
jp0004573
|
[
"asia-pacific"
] |
2019/05/09
|
North Korea fires two apparent short-range missiles, Seoul says, days after similar launch
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North Korea fired two projectiles Thursday that appeared to be short-range missiles, the South’s military said, just days after it launched a presumed ballistic missile amid stalled denuclearization talks with the United States. The projectiles were fired from the northwestern area of Kusong in an easterly direction, one of them at 4:29 p.m. and the other at 4:39 p.m., flying about 420 km and 270 km, respectively, before landing in the Sea of Japan, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. “Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in case of a further launch from North Korea, and has maintained a full-fledged posture in close coordination with the United States,” the JCS said. The JCS had earlier said the missiles were fired from the Sino-ri area, where the North has a base holding medium-range Nodong missiles. Kusong is about 40 km north of Sino-ri. Any launch of a ballistic missile would violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, and South Korea’s presidential Blue House called the launches “very worrisome” and unhelpful for efforts to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The Japanese Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said that neither of the apparent missiles had fallen within the waters of the country’s exclusive economic zone and that there had been no effect on Japan’s security. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Saturday, the North fired several rounds of unidentified short-range “projectiles” into the Sea of Japan. Those flew for a range of about 70 km to 200 km, the JCS said. Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said during a congressional hearing Wednesday that Pyongyang had launched “rockets and missiles” — the first time the Pentagon has detailed what it believes was fired. The North’s Foreign Ministry called those launches “regular and self-defensive,” state-run media reported Wednesday. “The recent drill conducted by our army is nothing more than part of the regular military training, and it has neither targeted anyone nor led to an aggravation of the situation in the region,” an unidentified ministry spokesperson said in a statement to the official Korean Central News Agency. But the spate of launches could undercut what U.S. President Donald Trump’s has repeatedly touted as his greatest accomplishment so far in the two countries’ nuclear talks: halting missile and nuclear tests. Prior to the two recent launches, the North’s last known missile test came in November 2017, when it test-fired the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, which experts believe is capable of striking much, if not all, of the continental United States. Pyongyang informally adopted a freeze on missile flight tests from then on, and in April last year declared a “suspension” of nuclear and long-range missile tests, but a short-range test would not violate that unilateral suspension. The latest firing also came as officials from the United States and Japan were visiting South Korea, including U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun, to explore ways to resume the deadlocked nuclear talks. It is Biegun’s first visit to Seoul since Trump’s February summit with Kim in Hanoi collapsed without a deal on rolling back Pyongyang’s nuclear program. North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, a key figure in the nuclear negotiations with the United States, warned late last month of an “undesired consequence” for the U.S. if Washington does not adjust its policy on North Korea’s denuclearization by an end-of-the-year deadline Kim has set. While Choe did not elaborate as to what that consequence might mean, it could suggest a resumption of nuclear or missile tests by the North.Thursday and Saturday’s launches appeared to signal that Kim was working to escalate tensions in an attempt to gain leverage with Washington.
|
u.s .;north korea;military;nuclear weapons;south korea
|
jp0004574
|
[
"asia-pacific"
] |
2019/05/09
|
North Korean ministry says recent rocket and missile drill was 'regular and self-defensive'
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SEOUL - North Korea’s “strike drill” last week at which leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of rockets and at least one short-range ballistic missile was “regular and self-defensive,” the North’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, according to state media. “The recent drill conducted by our army is nothing more than part of the regular military training, and it has neither targeted anyone nor led to an aggravation of the situation in the region,” an unidentified ministry spokesperson said in a statement to the state-run KCNA news agency. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told a congressional hearing Wednesday that North Korea launched “rockets and missiles,” the first time the Pentagon has detailed what it believes Pyongyang fired. Saturday’s drill was the first test of a ballistic missile by North Korea since it launched a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017. It came in the wake of talks with the United States and South Korea stalling in February, and raised alarms in both countries, which have been seeking to entice the North into abandoning its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Seoul responded Saturday by calling on its northern neighbor to “stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean Peninsula.” In a second statement carried by KCNA on Wednesday, a spokesman for the North Korean office in charge of military engagement with South Korea lashed out at Seoul over any suggestion that the rocket drills had violated an inter-Korean agreement aimed at reducing military tension. “The South Korean military should take a close look at the inter-Korean military agreement and recall what it has done itself before talking nonsense that it was against the spirit of the agreement,” the spokesperson said, according to KCNA. The second statement also criticized last week’s test of a U.S. Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the U.S. Air Force out of California over the Pacific, saying South Korea was in no position to criticize North Korea. “The South Korean military has no right to say a word to its fellow countrymen when it acted like a mute who ate honey when the United States fired a Minuteman ICBM which threatens us,” the military spokesman said. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has met with Kim twice, said he is still confident he can make a deal with Kim, and U.S. and South Korean officials have subsequently played down the test. North Korea’s Foreign Ministry statement hit back at “spiteful remarks” about the tests from unnamed critics, warning that “baseless allegations” might “produce a result of driving us to the direction which neither we nor they want to see at all.” The ministry spokesperson said there was a double standard, with South Korea and the United States carrying out military drills with little criticism. “Only our regular and self-defensive military drill is branded as provocative, and this is an undisguised manifestation of the attempt to press the gradual disarmament of our state and finally invade us,” the spokesperson said. “We think this is very much unpleasant and regrettable, and we sound a note of warning.” After meeting with Kim for the first time in June last year in Singapore, Trump abruptly announced he was canceling all large-scale military exercises with South Korea. Smaller exercises have continued, however, drawing regular criticism from Pyongyang. North Korea has maintained a freeze in nuclear and ballistic missiles testing in place since 2017, a fact Trump has repeatedly pointed out as an important achievement from his engagement with Pyongyang. Denuclearization talks with North Korea have stalled, however, after Trump and Kim met in February for a second summit in Vietnam but failed to reach an agreement. North Korea balked at the extent of the demands made by American negotiators, and Trump said he ended the summit early because Kim was asking for nearly all major sanctions to be lifted while offering little in return. Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for talks with South Korean officials. He did not respond to questions from journalists, but his agenda is expected to include the missile test, as well as other aspects of talks with North Korea, including plans for possible humanitarian aid.
|
north korea;military;kim jong un;weapons;nuclear weapons;missiles;south korea;north korea nuclear crisis
|
jp0004575
|
[
"asia-pacific"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Singapore approves 'fake news' laws despite fierce criticism from tech giants and rights groups
|
SINGAPORE - Singapore’s Parliament on Wednesday passed laws to combat “fake news” that will allow authorities to order the removal of online content, despite fierce criticism from tech giants and rights groups. They give government ministers powers to order social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to put warnings next to posts authorities deem to be false, and in extreme cases get them taken down. If an action is judged to be malicious and damaging to Singapore’s interests, companies could be hit with fines of up to $1 million Singapore dollars ($735,000). Individuals could face jail terms of up to 10 years. Authorities in the tightly-controlled country — long criticized for restricting civil liberties — insist the measures are necessary to stop the circulation of falsehoods that could sow divisions in society and erode trust in institutions. But the laws have sparked outrage from rights groups, which fear they could stifle online discussion, tech companies with major bases in the financial hub and journalists’ organizations. The legislation “gives the Singapore authorities unchecked powers to clamp down on online views of which it disapproves,” said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International’s regional director for East and Southeast Asia. “It criminalizes free speech and allows the government almost unfettered power to censor dissent. It doesn’t even provide any real definition of what is true or false or, even more worrying, ‘misleading.'” The measures were debated for two days in Parliament, which is dominated by the ruling People’s Action Party, before being passed late Wednesday. The city-state’s small opposition Workers’ Party — with only six elected members in the 89-seat chamber — opposed the measures. “To introduce such a bill is not what the government, which claims to defend democracy and public interest, should do,” said one of the party’s MPs, Low Thia Khiang. “It is more like the actions of a dictatorial government that will resort to any means to hold on to absolute power.” The Asia Internet Coalition, an industry association whose members include Facebook, Google and Twitter, has described it as the “most far-reaching legislation of its kind to date.” But addressing Parliament on Tuesday, the law and home affairs minister, K. Shanmugam, said that tech companies could not be relied upon to regulate themselves. “This is serious business. Tech companies will say many things to try and advocate their position,” he said. “We have to show them we are fair, but also firm.” The government stresses the laws target false statements, not opinions, and that ordering “corrections” to be placed alongside falsehoods will be the primary response rather than fines or jail terms. Any government decision can be appealed through the courts — although critics say there are few people who would have the resources or will to take on the authorities. Critics also note that Singapore already has tough legislation against sedition, defamation and disturbing racial harmony that can be used to police the web. The internet has up until now been a relatively free space in Singapore and there are some local alternative news sites, which are typically more critical of the authorities than the traditional, pro-government newspapers and TV. The financial hub of 5.6 million people is among several countries that have passed laws against fake news.
|
media;censorship;singapore;rights;social media
|
jp0004576
|
[
"national"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Kyoto firms target rich foreign travelers with exclusive accommodations and services
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KYOTO - Expensive guided tours and accommodations that give wealthy visitors to Japan rare opportunities to experience traditional culture in the historical city of Kyoto are picking up steam. Services include the company of traditional female entertainers, known as maiko and geiko , a rare experience for non-Japanese in particular, as well as temple lodgings that cost a whopping ¥1 million a night. They are intended to meet growing demand among foreign tourists to have a traditional experience in Kyoto, as visitors’ priorities are shifting from buying goods to experiencing unique events. Exclusive Kyoto Inc. started an ozashiki experience service in 2016 in entertainment districts such as Gion, where it is still tradition to refuse first-time customers, enabling non-Japanese the chance to enjoy conversations, facilitated by an interpreter, with maiko and geiko in a tatami room and be entertained by their traditional dances. The service is more expensive than the price charged to regular customers, mainly due to guide fees. Around 80 groups have used the service so far. “We want to offer foreigners a real experience of Kyoto entertainment, while paying maximum respect to local traditions,” said Kenji Sawada, chief executive officer of Exclusive Kyoto. Ninnaji, a Buddhist temple and UNESCO World Heritage site, began offering stays in a renovated wooden residence called Shorinan in spring 2018. The residence can accommodate only one group at a time at ¥1 million per night, excluding tax. During their stay, lodgers are allowed to use the Goten complex usually used as the chief priest’s office. They can also enjoy, for an extra charge, various Japanese cultural experiences such as gagaku (ancient court music) and ikebana flower arrangements. “We accept the ¥1 million fee in part as a donation to the temple,” said Chiho Kamoi, a priest in charge of the temple’s clerical work. The number of visitors to Ninnaji dropped some 10 percent last year from 2012, causing a decline in the temple’s revenues. It aims to use part of the income from accommodation fees for repair and maintenance work. The Thousand Kyoto, a new hotel that opened in January this year, offers paid services according to customers’ wishes, such as visiting temples that are not normally open to the public. The hotel charges around ¥60,000 to ¥220,000 per night. “Amid growing demand for experience-based consumption, we want to raise customer satisfaction by offering high-quality services,” a hotel employee said.
|
kyoto;tourism;geisha;foreign tourists;wealth;maiko;geiko
|
jp0004577
|
[
"national",
"politics-diplomacy"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Amid chilly ties, Japan and South Korea defense chiefs may hold meeting at Singapore summit
|
Japan has begun making arrangements to hold a meeting with South Korea’s defense minister on the sidelines of an annual security forum that is slated to begin in Singapore later this month, a senior Japanese official said Thursday. If realized, it will be Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya’s first meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Jeong Kyeong-doo, this year. Bilateral tensions have been running high since a South Korean destroyer allegedly locked its fire-control radar on a Japanese patrol plane last December, in addition to friction over long-standing wartime issues. During the envisaged meeting with Jeong, Iwaya hopes to mainly discuss North Korea and has no plans to focus on the radar incident, according to the Defense Ministry official. “The meeting will be meaningless unless it is a positive and constructive one,” a Japanese government source said. In January, Japan concluded that South Korea’s denial of the alleged radar lock-on is “baseless” and has not held further talks about the incident since then. During the three-day Asia Security Summit starting May 31, Japan is also considering holding a trilateral meeting that would also include acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, the official said. Also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, the forum has taken place every year in Singapore since 2002, where ministers of Asia-Pacific countries and other major nations such as the U.K., France and Germany debate security challenges in the region and their defense cooperation.
|
south korea;south korea-japan relations;takeshi iwaya;jeong kyeong-doo
|
jp0004578
|
[
"national",
"politics-diplomacy"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Japan hopes to mediate between U.S. and Iran to rescue 2015 nuclear deal
|
The Japanese government hopes to mediate between the United States and Iran in an effort to rescue a landmark 2015 international nuclear deal, officials have said. “We note that Iran denies it is withdrawing from the nuclear deal,” Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura told a news conference Thursday after Tehran announced the suspension of some of its commitments under the 2015 agreement. “We intend to contribute to regional peace and stability, utilizing our traditional friendly relations with Iran,” Nishimura added. Tokyo has consistently supported the deal that terminated sanctions by the United States and Europe against Iran in exchange for restrictions on the Middle Eastern country’s nuclear development activities. When the U.S. government decided in May last year to withdraw from the accord, Japan acted in concert with European countries and said that it would be extremely regrettable if the decision had a significant impact on the maintenance of the deal. On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order imposing fresh sanctions to prohibit trade in metals, mainly steel, with Iran. Some Japanese officials say Tokyo should urge Washington to exercise restraint. Amid heightened military tensions marked by the dispatch of a U.S. carrier strike group to the Middle East, Tokyo is seeking ways to facilitate talks between Iran and the United States. “Both sides are seeking dialogue,” a Foreign Ministry source said. “There’s a limit, but there’s also a role Japan can play.”
|
u.s .;u.n .;nuclear weapons;iran;nuclear energy;iran nuclear deal;yasutoshi nishimura;donald trump
|
jp0004579
|
[
"national",
"politics-diplomacy"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Japan supports Taiwan's bid to attend World Health Assembly in move that could anger China
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TAIPEI - Foreign Minister Taro Kono expressed support on Wednesday for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly in a move that could anger China. It marks the first time Japan has publicly supported Taiwan’s bid to attend the annual meeting of the WHA, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization, which this year is scheduled to take place in Geneva from May 20 to 28. Kono wrote on his Japanese-language Twitter account that it is essential to strengthen the ability to respond to global public health crises and to prevent the occurrence of geographical gaps in infectious disease control. With those factors in mind, he tweeted, “Japan supports Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly as an observer.” 国際化の進展に伴い、世界的な公衆衛生危機対応の強化は不可欠であり、感染症対策等に地理的空白を生じさせないためにも、台湾がオブザーバーとしてＷＨＯ総会に参加することを、日本として支持します。 — 河野太郎 (@konotarogomame) May 8, 2019 This is the third straight year the self-ruled island hasn’t received an invitation to attend the assembly due to strained ties with mainland China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province awaiting unification, by force if necessary. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement Wednesday thanking Kono for his support and expressing Taiwan’s willingness to cooperate more with Japan and the international community to tackle global health issues, including disease prevention. The ministry asked that Japan and like-minded countries continue to back Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and activities. Thank you @konotarogomame for urging #Taiwan ’s @WHO participation. Such support from #Japan shows how #TaiwanCanHelp boost global health security. It also spotlights the unfairness of denying the country’s 23 million people the basic right to #Health . https://t.co/4bFQ5c5hiY — 外交部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MOFA_Taiwan) May 8, 2019 Kono’s message came a day after the U.S. representative office in Taiwan reiterated Washington’s backing for Taiwan’s membership in international organizations that do not require statehood, such as the WHO. Other countries, including the U.K., have also indicated their support for Taiwan’s WHA participation. On Tuesday, China blamed Taiwan’s independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party government for the exclusion. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Taiwan was able to attend the WHA in the past as the result of negotiations based on the political foundation of the “one-China principle.” “However, since the DPP came to power, the political foundation no longer exists,” Geng said. To protect the integrity of related resolutions of the United Nations and the WHA concerning Taiwan’s participation, “the Chinese side decided not to let Taiwan participate in this year’s WHA,” he said. He was referring to U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758, passed in 1971, under which Taiwan was removed from the United Nations and the Communist Party-led government in Beijing became the sole representative of China in the world body, and WHA Resolution 25.1, under which Taiwan was expelled from the WHO in 1972. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry, as well as the Mainland Affairs Council, slammed Beijing for “erroneously” using the U.N. and WHA resolutions to exclude Taiwan from the WHA.
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china;u.s .;taiwan;who;foreign ministry;taiwan-japan relations;taro kono;world health assembly
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jp0004580
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[
"national"
] |
2019/05/09
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Japan's Izumo helicopter carrier drills with U.S., India and Philippine militaries in disputed South China Sea
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Naval vessels from Japan, the U.S., India and the Philippines have sailed together through the disputed South China Sea in a nearly weeklong multilateral drill amid tensions with China over the strategic waterway. The Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Izumo — Japan’s largest flat-topped helicopter carrier — and the destroyer Murasame joined warships from the other three nations, performing formation exercises, communication drills and passenger transfers from May 2 through Wednesday. The four navies also conducted a leadership exchange aboard the Izumo, the MSDF and U.S. Navy said in separate statements. The joint military drills come days after the U.S. Navy sent two warships near two Chinese-held man-made islands in the South China Sea’s Spratly island chain, prompting an angry reaction from China. Beijing has constructed a series of military outposts throughout the waterway, which includes vital sea lanes through which about $3 trillion in global trade passes each year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims in the waters, where the U.S., Chinese, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies also routinely operate. China says the facilities it constructed, which includes military-grade airfields and advanced weaponry, are for defensive purposes, but some experts say this is part of a concerted bid to cement de facto control of the waters. In an editorial this week, China’ state-run Global Times newspaper, a tabloid known for its strident nationalist viewpoint, blasted so-called freedom of navigation operations by U.S. warships near its man-made outposts. It said that the operations reminded the country of the urgent need to strengthen China’s navy. “Only if the Chinese navy is sufficiently strong will US warships dare not willfully enter China’s offshore waters to flex their muscles,” it said. “A strong Chinese navy is the guarantee for peace and stability of the South China Sea and even the whole world.” The multilateral exercises were likely to be interpreted in Beijing as pushback over its moves in the waterway. Japan has worked to bolster its presence in the South China Sea, deploying the Izumo and Murasame as part of the MSDF’s Indo-Pacific deployment this year, which began April 30 and runs through July 10. “The opportunity of a multi-sail with U.S. Navy and regional partners was a great experience,” MSDF Rear Adm. Hiroshi Egawa said in a statement released by the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet. “In addition to building mutual understanding and trust, it also served as a way to enhance peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The ability to do various exercises among four different navies smoothly demonstrated professionalism and high operational skills.”
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china;india;u.s .;vietnam;philippines;military;disputed islands;south china sea;self defense forces;izumo
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jp0004581
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[
"national"
] |
2019/05/09
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Driver of car in Shiga crash that left two toddlers dead says she wasn't paying enough attention
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OTSU, SHIGA PREF. - The driver of a car involved in a crash in Otsu that left two pedestrians dead, a boy and girl, both 2, has told investigators she was not paying enough attention when she made a right turn and hit a minivehicle that was traveling in the opposite lane at an intersection, police sources said on Thursday. The driver of the car, Fumiko Shintate, 52, was arrested at the scene of Wednesday’s accident and police are investigating her on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death and injury. The driver of the minivehicle, Michiko Shimoyama, 62, was also arrested at the scene but released later Wednesday after the police apparently deemed she did not have a high degree of responsibility for the accident. Shimoyama’s minivehicle was the only one equipped with a dashcam, according to the police, who are now analyzing images captured from the camera. Of the 13 children hit, two toddlers — Gaku Ito and Yui Harada — were killed and a third was left in critical condition. The other children and three nursery teachers were injured. Both drivers were uninjured in the crash, which happened at around 10:15 a.m. as the children and teachers from Leimond-Oumi Nursery School were taking a walk near the school. The drivers were on their way home from shopping and insisted the traffic light was green, according to the police. Police believe both women were driving within the speed limit, judging from the damage to their cars. National Police Agency Commissioner General Shunichi Kuryu told a news conference Thursday that the police intend to beef up safety measures, as there were no guardrails or curbs at the intersection, including by setting up more guardrails along routes to and from schools nationwide. Neighbors and others on Thursday left flowers, snacks and beverages at the crash site as an offering to the young victims. “It is unbearable to think that children who had only lived two years of their lives died,” said Yoshitaro Fujinaga, 81. “I don’t want people who get behind the wheel to think lightly of driving.” “I see many children in this area. It pains me to think that the deceased children may have been among them,” said a 76-year-old woman. The nursery school was closed for the day on Thursday. At a news conference held Wednesday evening, Hiromi Wakamatsu, the head of the nursery school, said the two children who died were sweet and always smiling. She then burst into tears while trying to answer reporters’ questions. Another official, Kazunaga Aoki, said the school will refrain from taking the children on walks for the time being. “We will reaffirm the safety of our walking course,” he said. According to local residents, the nursery schoolchildren and their teachers are frequently seen taking walks in the area, which is near Lake Biwa. Traffic is often heavy on the road there, they said. A 49-year-old woman who came to pick up her 3-year-old grandchild at the school on Wednesday said she was worried when she heard about the accident. “The school has been careful about safety during outings,” she noted. The families of the two toddlers who died didn’t speak to the media Thursday. At Ito’s house, the curtains were closed and no voices were heard. At the Harada residence, a hand-written sign was posted: “Please refrain from talking to us or photographing.”
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children;shiga;otsu;traffic accidents
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jp0004582
|
[
"national"
] |
2019/05/09
|
Exhibit celebrating Akita dogs opens in breed's hometown of Odate in northern Japan
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AKITA - A permanent exhibit showcasing the Akita dog breed opened Wednesday in Odate, Akita Prefecture, the city that is regarded as the home of the internationally popular breed. “I hope a big circle of people who like and keep Akita dogs will spread around the world,” Odate Mayor Junji Fukuhara said during the opening ceremony. To mark the opening, visitors can meet the “real Hachiko,” a dog famed for loyally waiting for his deceased master for years near Shibuya Station in Tokyo. The stuffed body of Hachiko, which is usually displayed at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, will be exhibited through Sunday at the facility, the design of which is based on the exterior of Shibuya Station during the Taisho Era (1912-26). Akita dogs, known for their loyalty to their owners, were popularized outside Japan through the 2009 film “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” starring Richard Gere and have been adored by celebrities, including Russian figure skating star Alina Zagitova.
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animals;tourism;museums;akita;hachiko;odate;akita dogs
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jp0004585
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[
"national",
"crime-legal"
] |
2019/05/09
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Credit card data of up to 15,000 shoppers may have been stolen from Japan-based online stores
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At least seven online retailers have been hit by a scam resulting in the possible breach of some 15,000 customers’ credit card data between October last year and April, according to companies operating the websites. In the scam, personal information was stolen after customers typed in data necessary to make payments on fake settlement screens that they believed were genuine. Among the sellers compromised was an e-book site operated by Tokyo-based DLmarket Inc., which said in December the credit card information of up to 7,741 customers had been leaked. It later stopped selling items, and in June the entire site will be temporarily closed. “The system needs to be rebuilt thoroughly,” the company said. Iori Co., a towel store in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, reported in October a data breach that affected up to 2,145 customers. Some of the stolen details, including credit card numbers, names of card holders, expiration dates and security codes, were confirmed to have been used for illegal purchases, the companies said. Most of the compromised shopping sites were created using open-source software called EC-Cube. An official of the software developer said hackers who attacked the websites’ servers targeted weaknesses caused by improper settings on the websites, not the software itself. In the scam, a fake screen appears when a customer finishes choosing goods, and displays an error message after credit card information is entered. If the customer returns to the previous screen, the legitimate transaction site completes the order, and goods are delivered to the customer. Even if customers notice something wrong at this stage, credit card information has already been sent to hackers, information technology security experts said. “There seems to be a computer program which automatically finds defective websites. Online shopping operators need to strictly check whether there are any problems in their sites,” said Tsuyoshi Tsurushima, an IT consultant well-versed in online shopping security. Credit card information is prone to cyberattacks, with data obtained from one card available at several thousand yen on the anonymous darknet, which facilitates untraceable online activities. According to the Japan Consumer Credit Association, losses from stolen credit card numbers in the country totaled ¥18.7 billion ($170 million) in 2018, the highest since the industry group started compiling data in 2014.
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hacking;data leaks;online shopping;credit cards
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jp0004586
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[
"national",
"crime-legal"
] |
2019/05/09
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Syringes found in desk of METI official in smuggling case suggest drug use at work, source says
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A trade ministry official who was arrested last month on suspicion of attempting to smuggle a stimulant from the United States may have used drugs at his workplace, an investigative source said Thursday. Several syringes were seized during a recent search of the desk used by Tetsuya Nishida, 28, deputy director of the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry’s automobile division, and police are now investigating whether he used stimulants at the office, the source said. Police arrested the career-track bureaucrat on April 27 at his Tokyo home while he received a dummy package. The original parcel contained the illegal substance but it was intercepted and the contents replaced by investigators. Nishida initially denied the allegation, saying he was not aware of the contents of the parcel, but later admitted that he had tried to obtain the stimulant for personal use, the source said. The bureaucrat was quoted as saying that he had taken psychoactive drugs to deal with work-related stress, but began using stimulants “in search of more powerful effects,” according to the source. The suspect also said he smuggled stimulants purchased on websites based overseas for personal use and payments were made using bitcoin, the source said. Police said the original package arrived in Japan on April 15. In it, they found 22 grams of a stimulant with a street value of about ¥1.3 million in a plastic bag that had been inserted inside a fashion magazine. The package was addressed to another location but Nishida, who began working at the ministry in 2013, instructed the postal service to deliver it to his home instead, according to police.
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drugs;smuggling;meti;stimulants;police;tetsuya nishida
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jp0004587
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[
"business"
] |
2019/05/31
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Calbee to extend 'best before' dates for potato chip products by two months
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Major Japanese snack-maker Calbee Inc. said Thursday that it will extend the “best before” date for its potato chip products by two months. The company also said it will change the best-before labels for such products to display the year and month, instead of the current labeling that shows the year, month and date. The changes were made possible because Calbee has improved the quality of the products by reviewing its manufacturing processes, ingredients and packaging materials, the firm said. The company hopes that the changes will help address food loss, or food that can be eaten but is thrown away, which is becoming a social issue. Calbee will extend the “best before” date for some 100 types of bagged potato chip products from the current four months to six months, starting with those manufactured Oct. 1. For potato chips in tubes, the company will prolong the “best before” date from the current 12 months to 13 months, starting with those made Saturday. Moves to reduce food waste and streamline inventory control are spreading in the nation’s food industry. Ajinomoto Co. has introduced “best before” date labels that display only the year and month for its seasonings and powdered soups. Calbee plans to extend “best before” dates and introduce labels that display the year and month for its other products in the future.
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food loss;calbee;potato chips
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jp0004588
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[
"business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
NBCUniversal latest U.S. media firm reconsidering Georgia business over abortion law
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NEW YORK - NBCUniversal and WarnerMedia on Thursday joined a wave of U.S. media companies, including Walt Disney Co., saying they will reconsider working in Georgia if a new law banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected takes effect. Georgia is 1 of 9 U.S. states that have passed strict new limits on abortion this year, moves activists on both sides of the abortion debate have said were aimed at prompting the U.S. Supreme Court to review and strike down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy. Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal unit said that it expects that many of the laws will face court challenges, but added, “If any of these laws are upheld, it would strongly impact our decision making on where we produce our content in the future.” AT&T Inc.’s WarnerMedia cited similar concerns. “If the new law holds we will reconsider Georgia as the home to any new productions,” WarnerMedia said. “As is always the case, we will work closely with our production partners and talent to determine how and where to shoot any given project.” On Wednesday, Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger told Reuters it would be “very difficult” to keep filming in Georgia if the new law went into effect. Netflix Inc. on Tuesday said it would “rethink” its investment in Georgia if the law goes into effect. The Georgia law, which Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed on May 7, is due to take effect on Jan. 1 if it survives court challenges. It would ban abortions at about six weeks into a pregnancy — before many women know they are pregnant. Abortion is one of the most socially divisive issues in U.S. politics, with opponents often citing religious beliefs to call it immoral, while abortion-rights advocates say the bans amount to state control of women’s bodies. Georgia has attracted film and TV productions with tax credits and currently employs over 92,000 people in the entertainment business, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. The media companies’ words echoed a parallel case in North Carolina, which in 2016 repealed a law restricting bathroom use by transgender people after a boycott that cost its economy hundreds of millions of dollars and saw the National Collegiate Athletic Association pull championship games and the National Basketball Association its All-Star Game from the state. While most of the abortion restrictions passed this year have been signed by Republican governors, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, on Thursday was preparing to sign a six-week abortion ban authored by a fellow Democrat and passed by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature, making it the ninth state to pass such a law this year. Women’s health services provider Planned Parenthood on Thursday was warning that Missouri’s sole abortion clinic could be forced to stop providing them as the result of a license dispute that could make Missouri the sole U.S. state without a legal abortion provider. Attorneys for the group were due in a St. Louis courtroom to ask a judge to block the state health department from not renewing the clinic’s license on Friday. Hundreds of abortion rights protesters, including singer Amanda Palmer, some carrying “I Stand with Planned Parenthood” or “Stop the Ban” signs, gathered near the courthouse on Thursday during the hearing, according to videos of the scene posted online by Missouri media.
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u.s .;abortion;disney;netflix;georgia;warnermedia;nbcuniversal
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jp0004589
|
[
"business"
] |
2019/05/31
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Yusen Logistics starts liquor export agency service as world gets a taste for sake
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Japanese transportation and warehouse operator Yusen Logistics Co., a unit of Nippon Yusen K.K., said Thursday that it has started a liquor export agency service. The company aims to meet growing demand for sake and other Japanese alcoholic beverages in Asia, including China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore, as well as the United States. Yusen Loginet Co., a Yusen Logistics unit, will collect products directly from breweries and others for export to overseas customers. It will shoulder the costs of the products temporarily on behalf of customers. Japan’s sake exports totaled some ¥22.2 billion in 2018, rising for the ninth consecutive year on the back of the popularity of washoku (Japanese cuisine), according to the agriculture ministry.
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hong kong;singapore;sake;south korea;drinking;nippon yusen;yusen logistics
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jp0004590
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[
"business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
T-Mobile and Sprint offer to shed airwaves, enticing cable giants Comcast and Charter
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NEW YORK - T-Mobile US Inc. and Sprint Corp. are considering the divestiture of some airwaves to win Justice Department approval of their $26.5 billion merger, a proposal that’s already attracted interest from Comcast Corp. and Charter Communications Inc., people with knowledge of the matter said. Justice officials met Wednesday with Comcast and Charter over their possible interest in the airwaves and a potential role as a fourth wireless competitor, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. Both cable operators already offer wireless service. T-Mobile and Sprint are scrambling to meet conditions sought by top Justice officials weighing whether to approve their merger, which would reduce the number of major wireless carriers to three from four. The two wireless companies are considering divesting the airwaves to the government, which would sell them to help establish a fourth carrier, according to the people. Representatives from Comcast and Charter declined comment. There was no immediate response from Sprint, T-Mobile or the Justice Department. Comcast and Charter, the two largest U.S. cable operators, told Justice officials they would bid on certain parts of the wireless business that might be divested as a condition of the deal, the people said. Both cable companies use Verizon Communications Inc.’s network to offer mobile phone service to their subscribers. The cable companies are interested primarily in spectrum, as well as favorable wholesale agreements, network equipment and customers that might be part of the divestiture, according to the people.
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u.s .;sprint;comcast;telecoms;t-mobile;justice department;charter
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jp0004591
|
[
"business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
Japanese carmakers could take hit as Trump vows tariffs on Mexico over illegal immigration
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TOKYO/WASHINGTON - Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Friday that an escalation of U.S. tariffs on Mexico and China is an undesirable development for the global economy, in response to questions about U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to rapidly increase tariffs on Mexican imports unless illegal immigration ends. Motegi, speaking at a seminar in Tokyo, said it would be beneficial for all parties to reach a rules-based resolution through negotiations. Incensed by a surge of migrants across the country’s southern border, U.S. President Donald Trump — in a move that could affect Japanese companies operating in Mexico — vowed Thursday to impose a tariff on all goods coming from Mexico starting at 5 percent and ratcheting it up higher if the influx of people entering illegally does not cease. The U.S. president’s decision, abruptly announced in a tweet and subsequent statement, was a direct challenge to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and appeared to take the Mexican government by surprise. It raised the risk of deteriorating economic relations between the two neighbors heavily dependent on the cross-border flow of goods. It also opened up a new front on trade as the Trump administration struggles to conclude a trade deal with China. A number of Japanese firms have their production bases in Mexico. Honda Motor Co., for instance, exported around 120,000 vehicles made in Mexico to the United States in 2018, accounting for around 80 percent of the cars it produces in Mexico, which is also home to large assembly plants owned by Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Mazda Motor Corp. Shares in Toyota Motor, Nissan Motor and Honda Motor all closed down on the Tokyo Stock Exchange more than 2.8 percent, while Mazda Motor tumbled 7.1 percent. According to credit research firm Teikoku Databank, there were over 700 Japanese companies operating in Mexico as of June 2018. Mitsui Chemicals Inc. President and CEO Tsutomu Tannowa said his company will consider moving its North American production base for vehicle resin parts in Mexico depending on how the situation develops. “If the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico, to be determined in our sole discretion and judgment, the Tariffs will be removed,” Trump promised in the statement. “We therefore look forward to, and appreciate, the swift and effective actions that we hope Mexico will immediately install,” he said. Higher tariffs will start at 5 percent on June 10 and increase monthly until reaching 25 percent on Oct. 1, unless Mexico takes immediate action, Trump said. The tariffs potentially complicate efforts to pass a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement, even as the Trump administration on Thursday triggered the process for submitting a bill to Congress that would implement the president’s new trade deal with Canada and Mexico. The notification sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders riled Democrats, who have been talking with U.S. trade officials to address various concerns, including how to enforce labor reforms that Mexico is enacting to strengthen unions. The procedural step includes submission of a draft statement of administrative action and final legal text of the agreement as it now stands. That formality must be undertaken at least 30 days before the administration can submit its legislation to implement the proposed United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Republicans and business groups are trying to generate momentum for the trade deal at a time when strong tensions between the president and Democrats are threatening prospects for getting much of anything done before next year’s presidential election. “In my view, the president is really creating a mess for Republicans who want to support both USMCA and border security,” said Daniel Ujczo, an international trade lawyer based in Ohio. He said many of those lawmakers spent the past year fighting the tariffs that Trump placed on imported steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico because those tariffs and the retaliatory tariffs they provoked on products such as soybeans and pork hurt many of their constituents. He said the same concerns would apply to the president’s proposed tariff on all goods from Mexico. United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said the procedural step toward implementing the president’s new trade deal does not begin a countdown for a vote, but it would ensure Congress had sufficient time to consider approving USMCA before the August recess, “if leadership deems that appropriate.” The tariff announcement also rattled investors, who feared that worsening trade frictions could hurt the global economy. The Mexican peso, U.S. stock index futures and Asian stock markets tumbled on the news, including the shares of Japanese automakers. “We’re in a good moment building a good relationship (with the United States) and this comes like a cold shower,” said Mexico’s deputy foreign minister for North America, Jesus Seade. U.S. officials said 80,000 people are being held in custody with an average of 4,500 arriving daily, overwhelming the ability of border patrol officials to handle them. A source close to Trump said there had been an internal debate inside the White House over whether to go forward with the new policy, with immigration hawks fighting for it and others urging a more diplomatic approach. Trump sided with the hawks. “The last thing he wants is to look weak,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Mexico’s Seade said it would be disastrous if Trump goes through with his threat to impose the tariffs. Calling Trump’s move “extreme,” Seade said a normal response would be for Mexico to “mirror” the U.S. tariffs but that would lead to a trade war. Trump said he was acting under the powers granted to him by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. He campaigned for election in 2016 on a vow to crack down on illegal immigration. “Mexico’s passive cooperation in allowing this mass incursion constitutes an emergency and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States,” Trump said in the statement. “Mexico has very strong immigration laws and could easily halt the illegal flow of migrants, including by returning them to their home countries,” he said. White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, asked in a conference call with reporters which products from Mexico could be affected by the tariffs, said: “All of them.” “This is an urgent problem,” Mulvaney said. “We are interested in seeing the Mexican government act tonight, tomorrow.”
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u.s .;congress;immigration;trade;mexico;carmakers;tariffs;nafta;donald trump
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jp0004592
|
[
"business",
"economy-business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
India's economic growth dropped to 5.8% in January-March period, lowest in 17 quarters
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NEW DELHI - India’s economy grew at a much lower than expected 5.8 percent in the January-March period, its slowest pace in 17 quarters, and falling behind China’s pace for the first time in nearly two years, government data showed Friday. The slowdown will put pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and the nation’s central bank to provide stimulus for the economy through fiscal measures and interest rate cuts. Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party have only just been re-elected to a second term with an increased majority. A Reuters poll of economists had forecast a growth of 6.3 percent for the January-March quarter, compared with a 6.6 percent rise in the October-December period of last year. The Statistics Ministry revised economic growth for the fiscal year to March 31 downward to 6.8 percent from the 7.0 percent estimated earlier.
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india;economy;narendra modi
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jp0004593
|
[
"business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
G20 to seek agreement on international tax rules for IT giants by 2020
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Finance chiefs from the Group of 20 major economies will approve in early June a plan to create global tax rules covering digital giants, including Google LLC and Facebook Inc., based more on where they make their sales rather than where their permanent offices are located, Japanese officials said Friday. The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors will endorse a plan to be submitted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which seeks an agreement by the end of 2020 on the new tax scheme, when they meet in the city of Fukuoka for a two-day meeting from June 8. But it remains to be seen whether the Paris-based organization can find common ground by the target time due to conflicting opinions over how to collect taxes from global companies and distribute them in the digital era. The issue has drawn attention amid claims multinational companies are not paying their fair share of tax. Currently, taxation of a foreign company in principle depends on whether it has permanent facilities, including branches and factories. At the request of the G20, the OECD has studied ways to impose more levies on multinational firms, in particular U.S. IT giants Google, Apple Inc., Facebook and Amazon.com Inc., collectively known as GAFA. The OECD will submit to the G20 finance meeting a set of proposals to review international tax rules. The finance chiefs will also look at the key issue of how to prevent multinational companies from massively shifting their profits to entities subject to no or very low taxation.
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taxes;apple;g20;facebook;amazon.com
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jp0004594
|
[
"business",
"tech"
] |
2019/05/31
|
Rise of the machines: AI beats humans in multiplayer shooter Quake III Arena
|
WASHINGTON - It’s official: The machines are going to destroy you (if you are a professional gamer). A team of programmers at a British artificial intelligence company has designed automated “agents” that taught themselves how to play the seminal first-person shooter Quake III Arena, and became so good they consistently beat human opponents. The work of the researchers from DeepMind, which is owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., was described in a paper published in Science on Thursday and marks the first time the feat has ever been accomplished. To be sure, computers have been proving their dominance over humans in one-on-one turn-based games such as chess ever since IBM’s Deep Blue beat Garry Kasparov in 1997. More recently, a Google AI agent beat the world’s No. 1 go player in 2017. But the ability to play multiplayer games involving teamwork and interaction in complex environments had remained an insurmountable task. For the study, the team, led by Max Jaderberg, worked on a modified version of Quake III Arena, a game that first appeared in 1999 but continues to thrive in competitive gaming tournaments. The game mode they chose was Capture the Flag, which involves working with teammates to grab the opponent team’s flag while safeguarding your own, forcing players to devise complex strategies mixing aggression and defense. After the agents had been given time to train themselves up, they matched their prowess against professional game testers. “Even after 12 hours of practice, the human game testers were only able to win 25 percent of games against the agent team,” the team wrote. The agents’ win-loss ratio remained superior even when their reaction times were artificially slowed down to human levels and when their aiming ability was similarly reduced. The programmers relied on so-called reinforcement learning to imbue the agents with their smarts. “Initially, they knew nothing about the world and instead were doing completely random stuff and bouncing about the place,” Jaderberg said. The agents were taught to reward themselves for capturing the flag, but the team also devised a series of new and innovative methods to push the boundaries of what is possible with reinforcement learning. “One of the contributions of the paper is each agent learns its own internal reward signal,” said Jaderbeg, meaning that the AI players decided for themselves how much weight to assign the successful completion of tasks like capturing the flag or hitting an opponent. Next, they found that training a population of agents together, rather than one at a time, made the population as a whole learn much faster. They also devised a new architecture of “two time scale” learning, which Jaderberg likened to the thesis of the book “Thinking Fast and Slow,” but for AI. “You have one part of the agent which kicks very quickly, it updates its own beliefs very quickly, and you have another part of the agent, which updated belief at a slower rate, and these two beliefs influence each other and help shape the way the agent learns about the world,” he said. Finally, randomizing the map for each new match was key. “That meant the solutions that the agents find have to be general — they cannot just memorize a sequence of actions,” said co-author Wojciech Czarnecki. The team did not comment on the AI’s potential for future use in military settings. DeepMind has publicly stated in the past that it is committed to never working on any military or surveillance projects, and the word “shoot” does not appear even once in the paper (shooting is instead described as tagging opponents by pointing a laser gadget at them). Moving forward, Jaderberg said his team would like to explore having the agents play in the full version of Quake III Arena and find ways his AI could work on problems outside of computer games. “We use games, like Capture the Flag, as challenging environments to explore general concepts such as planning, strategy and memory, which we believe are essential to the development of algorithms that can be used to help solve real-world problems,” he said.
|
computers;robotics;video games;automation;ai;deepmind
|
jp0004595
|
[
"business",
"tech"
] |
2019/05/31
|
Britain may not have made final decision on Huawei and 5G, says John Bolton
|
LONDON - Britain may not have made a final decision on allowing China’s Huawei a restricted role in building parts of its 5G network, U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton said on Thursday. The Trump administration, which has sanctioned Huawei and tried to block it buying U.S. goods, has told allies not to use its 5G technology and equipment because of fears it would allow China to spy on sensitive communications and data. Britain’s National Security Council, chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May, met to discuss Huawei last month and a decision was made to block Huawei from all core parts of the 5G network but to give it restricted access to noncore parts. A final decision by the British Cabinet of senior ministers was due to have happened in recent weeks but May’s pledge to step down as prime minister has stalled the process, sources said. She is expected to be out of office by the end of July. When asked if the United States would like the next British leader to take a tougher stance on Huawei, Bolton said discussions with London were continuing but that Trump would probably raise it when he visits next week. “I’m not sure that this decision has reached the prime ministerial level in final form. I mean we are still talking,” Bolton told reporters in London. “People are talking back and forth.” “Everybody is catching up to the dangers posed, especially in 5th-generation telecommunications systems, by equipment from Huawei and potentially others that can allow foreign governments a back door into telecommunications systems,” he said. The 5G system, which will offer much faster data speeds and become the foundation stone of many industries and networks, is seen as one of the biggest innovations since the birth of the internet itself a generation ago. In what some have compared to the Cold War arms race, the United States is worried 5G dominance would give a competitor such as China an advantage Washington is not ready to accept. Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former engineer in China’s People’s Liberation Army, denies it spies for Beijing, says it complies with the law and that the United States is trying to smear it because Western companies are falling behind. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Britain on a visit in May that it needed to change its attitude toward China and Huawei, casting the world’s second-largest economy as a threat to the West similar to that once posed by the Soviet Union. “Now is not the time for either of us to go wobbly,” Pompeo said in a speech on the so-called special relationship, paraphrasing what former prime minister Margaret Thatcher once famously told late U.S. President George H.W. Bush. Britain has said it will announce the findings of a review into 5G suppliers to parliament once the work has been completed, though May’s imminent departure from office has slowed the process. Bolton said the issue of Huawei and 5G came down to a risk assessment but he repeated the fundamental view of the United States that the division between core and non core is less clear when it comes to 5G networks. “5G really is not so easily divisible into core elements and peripheral elements,” Bolton said. “How much risk are you prepared to accept that a foreign power is reading your mail all the time at their will?” Bolton asked. “When it comes to our government systems, the United States has said zero is the level of risk we will accept.” The world’s leading intelligence-sharing network — the anglophone Five Eyes alliance of the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand — will not use technology from Huawei in its most sensitive networks. For Britain’s spy masters, the riddle of Huawei is only a part of the wider challenge of securing 5G networks and what they see as the much more fundamental threat from China’s dominance in certain globalised technologies of the future.
|
china;u.s .;u.k .;huawei;donald trump;5g;theresa may;john bolton
|
jp0004596
|
[
"business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
Freighter arrives in Philippine port to return Canadian trash
|
SUBIC, PHILIPPINES - A cargo ship arrived in a northern Philippine port on Thursday to transport 69 containers of garbage back to Canada that officials say were shipped illegally to the Philippines, one of two Southeast Asia countries that have protested being treated like dump sites by wealthier nations. Administrator Wilma Eisma of Subic Bay freeport said the garbage will be loaded on the M/V Bavaria starting Thursday night and then be taken to Vancouver. Environmental activists welcomed the development and sailed in Subic Bay on a small outrigger with a streamer reading, “Philippines: not a garbage dumping ground!” President Rodrigo Duterte had threatened to forcibly ship back the trash, which officials said was shipped to the Philippines in 2013 to 2014 and falsely declared as recyclable plastic scraps. The Philippine government recalled its ambassador and consuls in Canada earlier this month over Ottawa’s failure to comply with a May 15 deadline to take back the waste. “I think the message that we’re sending to the world is that we will not be a pushover and, moreover, that the president is really somebody to reckon with,” said Eisma, who was appointed by Duterte in 2016 to head the freeport northwest of Manila that used to be one of the largest American military bases outside of the U.S. mainland. The return of the garbage will remove a six-year thorn from relations between the two countries, especially under volatile President Duterte, who took office in mid-2016. The countries had sought to resolve the problem for years, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying in 2017 that legal issues preventing the return of the garbage had been resolved. The return of the garbage, however, has been delayed by other issues despite Canadian government assurances of its willingness to take back the garbage that was shipped to Manila in a private commercial transaction. Last week, Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said the government had awarded a contract to French shipping giant Bollore Logistics Canada calling for the return of the containers of household waste and electronic garbage by the end of June. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo rejected the plan, saying the Duterte administration would look for a private shipping company to transport the garbage to Canadian territory sooner. “If Canada will not accept their trash, we will leave the same within its territorial waters,” Panelo said. “The president’s stance is as principled as it is uncompromising: The Philippines as an independent sovereign nation must not be treated as trash by other foreign nations.” Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has also criticized the practice of wealthier countries such as the United States, Canada and Japan sending their nonrecyclable waste to poorer countries. Speaking in Tokyo on Thursday, Mahathir said it was “grossly unfair” and should stop. His comments came a few days after his government announced plans to return thousands of tons of plastic waste to mostly Western countries. China banned the import of plastic waste last year, causing other Southeast Asian nations to become new destinations. Philippine environmental groups urged the Duterte administration on Thursday to ban all imports of waste and ratify the Basel Ban Amendment, which prohibits the import of waste for any reason, including recycling. They cited the discovery of other waste shipments to the Philippines from South Korea in 2018 and more recently from Australia and Hong Kong. The garbage issue has been the latest strain in Philippine relations with Canada under Duterte. Last year, he ordered the cancellation of a multimillion-dollar agreement to buy 16 helicopters from Canada after Trudeau’s government decided to review the deal due to concerns that the Philippine military might use the aircraft in counterinsurgency assaults.
|
malaysia;u.s .;philippines;canada;waste;environment;rodrigo duterte
|
jp0004597
|
[
"business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
NASA's major projects busting budgets and schedules, says report
|
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - NASA’s major projects are busting budgets and schedules like never before, according to a congressional watchdog agency. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported Thursday that NASA’s major projects are more than 27 percent over baseline costs and the average launch delay is 13 months. That’s the largest schedule delay since the GAO began assessing NASA’s major projects 10 years ago. The still-in-development James Webb Space Telescope is the major offender. The projected launch date for this advanced successor to the Hubble Space Telescope is now 2021, with an estimated $9.6 billion price tag, the GAO noted. Its original target launch date was 2007, with initial cost estimates as low as $1 billion. NASA’s yet-to-fly mega rocket, the Space Launch System, also faces big cost overruns because of production challenges and, likely, even more launch delays. On the bright side, the Parker Solar Probe launched last summer and looping ever closer around the sun came in millions under budget and was also on time. The GAO defines a major project as having at least $250 million in lifetime costs. Altogether, NASA plans to invest $63 billion on the 24 major projects listed in the GAO’s latest report. The partial government shutdown, which stretched from December to January, was not factored into the report.
|
u.s .;nasa;space;james webb telescope
|
jp0004598
|
[
"business",
"financial-markets"
] |
2019/05/31
|
Tokyo stocks tumble on Trump's Mexico tariff threat
|
Stocks took a plunge on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Friday, battered by the yen’s sharp rise against the dollar after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose punitive tariffs on all imports from Mexico. The 225-issue Nikkei average dived 341.34 points, or 1.63 percent, to end at 20,601.19, a closing level unseen since Feb. 8. On Thursday, the key market gauge sagged 60.84 points. The Topix index of all first-section issues finished down 19.70 points, or 1.29 percent, at 1,512.28, after losing 4.43 points the previous day. The Tokyo market opened lower, soon after Trump announced on Twitter that the United States will impose tariffs of up to 25 percent on all imports from Mexico unless illegal inflows of immigrants from Mexico stop. The Twitter post left investors increasingly risk-averse and sent the yen higher, brokers said. A weaker-than-expected Chinese manufacturing purchasing managers’ index for May, released on Friday morning, also weighed on the Tokyo market, brokers said. Both the Nikkei and Topix indexes accelerated their downswing in the afternoon, as the dollar weakened further and fell below ¥109 for the first time in about four months, brokers said. “Trump’s tweet spurred selling in companies that operate in Mexico, such as automakers,” said Ryuta Otsuka, strategist at the investment information department of Toyo Securities Co. Investors retreated to the sidelines “to see Wall Street’s reaction later on Friday to the Trump tweet,” said Masayuki Otani, chief market analyst at Securities Japan Inc., pointing to a sharp drop in U.S. index futures in off-hours trading. Falling issues far outnumbered rising ones 1,688 to 374 in the TSE’s first section, while 78 issues were unchanged. Volume increased to 1.438 billion shares from 1.113 billion shares on Thursday. Automakers fell across the board, with Mazda tumbling 7.13 percent, Nissan 5.38 percent and Isuzu 4.91 percent. Oil names met with selling due to a decline in crude oil prices. They included Idemitsu, JXTG and Cosmo Energy. Among other major losers were clothing store chain Fast Retailing and air conditioner-maker Daikin. On the other hand, Japan Display skyrocketed 20.75 percent following the announcement of additional financial support from government-affiliated investment fund INCJ. Ono Pharmaceutical surged due to an own share buyback plan. Also on the positive side were cybermall operator Rakuten and game-maker Nintendo. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key June contract on the Nikkei average slumped 390 points to end at 20,540.
|
stocks;tse;nikkei 225
|
jp0004599
|
[
"business",
"financial-markets"
] |
2019/05/31
|
Dollar hits four-month lows below ¥109 in Tokyo after Trump threatens tariffs on Mexico
|
The dollar hit four-month lows of around ¥108.80 in Tokyo trading late Friday, with risk aversion growing after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose punitive tariffs on all imports from Mexico. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥108.78-78, down from ¥109.74-74 at the same time on Thursday. The euro was at $1.1142-1143, up from $1.1132-1132, and at ¥121.21-21, down from ¥122.17-17. Trump announced on Twitter on Thursday that the United States will impose tariffs of up to 25 percent on all imports from Mexico unless illegal inflows of immigrants from Mexico stop. The dollar fell from above ¥109.50 to below ¥109.30 after the Trump tweet in the morning. In the afternoon, the greenback dropped below ¥109 for the first time in about four months, following a decline in U.S. long-term interest rates in off-hours trading, traders said. “Risk aversion strengthened after the United States put itself into a deeper conflict not just with China but Mexico” on the trade front, an official of a foreign exchange margin trading service firm said. The Trump tweet weighed on the dollar-yen rate, as “the higher tariffs would directly hit the earnings of Japanese automakers shipping vehicles from plants in Mexico to the United States,” a think tank official said.
|
currency;forex
|
jp0004600
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
Japan cosmetics firm Shiseido ties up with Hong Kong drug store chain A.S. Watson Group
|
Cosmetics giant Shiseido Co. said Thursday that it has concluded a business tie-up agreement with A.S. Watson Group, the Hong Kong-based operator of a major drug store chain. Shiseido aims to strengthen sales of its products in the middle price range through A.S. Watson’s extensive network of some 15,000 stores, mainly in China and other parts of Asia. Shiseido specifically hopes to increase sales in markets such as Indonesia and the Philippines, whose economies are booming. The two companies will also jointly develop products from Shiseido’s Za and Senka mid-price cosmetics brands. They have already been working to co-develop sensitive skin care items under the d program brand. In April, Shiseido announced a business tie-up with Chinese e-commerce behemoth Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. as part of its moves to expand its marketing network in Asia.
|
china;hong kong;cosmetics;shiseido;retailers;alibaba;a.s. watson group
|
jp0004601
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
Angry emoji inflatable looms over Facebook annual meeting as users vent frustrations
|
MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA/BOSTON - Protesters carrying an inflatable angry emoji greeted Facebook Inc. shareholders as they gathered for the company’s annual meeting on Thursday, the latest sign of its struggle to shake off privacy scandals and rein in fake news and hate speech. The social media giant again faced demands for reform at Thursday’s meeting, including shareholder proposals that called for revamping the company’s voting structure and ousting Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg as chairman. The measures had little chance of succeeding, as a dual class share structure gives Zuckerberg and other insiders control of about 58 percent of the votes. Many investors have shrugged off the scandals swirling around the company, as it has beaten Wall Street’s estimates for revenue growth and continues to add users globally. Zuckerberg declined to answer a shareholder question on why he would not agree to create an independent board chair, instead restating his view that regulators should set the rules for companies around privacy and content. But even though the votes are largely symbolic, they are still seen as a useful barometer of investor sentiment about how well the social media icon is coping with unprecedented challenges to its hands-off approach to content. Last year, about 83 percent of shares held by outside investors voted for a proposal that would have the company move to a structure of one vote per share and do away with the supermajority shares. A coalition of activist groups have urged big investors to reject Zuckerberg’s nomination to the board this year, saying Facebook has failed to protect users, especially racial and religious minorities. Outside the hotel, a small group of protesters filmed themselves hoisting the 8-foot (2.5-meter) red emoji balloon, saying the company failed to protect its users, particularly minorities, from hate speech and other abuses. “Zuckerberg has said that he wants to protect people from white supremacy but there’s still a ton of white supremacists organizing on Facebook,” said Leila Deen, program director for SumOfUs, the group in the coalition responsible for the balloon. Nearby, an opposing protester in a red hat stamped with “Make America Great Again,” a slogan of U.S. President Donald Trump, used a loudspeaker to accuse Facebook of censoring conservatives. The coalition, led by consumer group Majority Action and civil rights advocate Color of Change, said they had gathered 125,000 signatures on a petition targeting BlackRock Inc., one of Facebook’s biggest outside investors. BlackRock’s funds backed all of Facebook’s director nominees last year, but also voted for two shareholder proposals that would have reorganized Facebook’s governance structure. It declined to comment on the petition, with a spokesman saying it did not preview votes or comment on specific companies. Other shareholders in the meeting said the company created a “hostile work environment” for people with conservative views and pressed for a diversity report reflecting its public policy positions. Facebook has been under scrutiny from regulators and shareholders since last year, when reporting revealed that the data of some 87 million users had been shared with now-defunct political data firm Cambridge Analytica. The company has also come under fire over Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, which used social media to spread disinformation, and its frequently shifting policies around which content is permitted on its platform. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the company on Wednesday, saying she was no longer willing to give Facebook the benefit of the doubt on Russia after it refused to remove a heavily edited video that attempted to make her look incoherent. “I thought it was unwittingly, but clearly they wittingly were accomplices and enablers of false information to go across Facebook,” she said. The comments raise the specter of harsher action in Congress against Facebook. Pelosi has previously warned that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields tech companies from legal liability for content created by their users, was a “gift” that had been abused and could be reconsidered. Investors do not seem worried. The company’s stock jumped 10 percent after its last earnings report, even as it announced it was setting aside up to $5 billion for what could be the largest civil penalty ever paid to the Federal Trade Commission, which has been investigating Facebook over alleged privacy violations. One of Facebook’s largest fund investors, William Danoff of the $123 billion Fidelity Contrafund, did not mention any of Facebook’s privacy issues in his most in his most recent quarterly commentary to investors. He wrote only that, as his portfolio’s second-largest holding, Facebook “appeals to us based on growth in its various apps and revenue from advertisers that want to reach the firm’s enormous base of daily active users.” Danoff has been a long-time backer of Facebook and previously indicated he was satisfied with the company’s reform efforts to date. Among other top Facebook investors, last year Vanguard Group Inc withheld support from Zuckerberg and Sandberg, and backed a measure to reform Facebook’s voting structure.
|
u.s .;privacy;social media;facebook;mark zuckerberg;nancy pelosi;donald trump;cambridge analytica
|
jp0004602
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
Nissan CEO willing to meet Fiat Chrysler chairman to discuss Renault merger
|
Nissan Motor Co. CEO Hiroto Saikawa said Friday he is willing to meet Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. Chairman John Elkann to be briefed directly on the Italian-American company’s plan to merge with Renault SA, the Yokohama-based carmaker’s alliance partner for 20 years. Saikawa has not clarified whether he agrees with the merger plan between Renault and FCA, saying he wants to examine the potential impact on Nissan’s business operations. The deal would create the world’s third-largest automaker group by volume. “I would like to meet” Elkann, Saikawa told reporters, adding that the location and date of the envisioned meeting has not been decided. The Nissan CEO said he has already been exchanging emails with the FCA chairman. At a meeting of Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi Motors Corp., the third partner in the alliance, on Wednesday in Yokohama, the French carmaker’s CEO, Thierry Bollore, and chairman, Jean-Dominique Senard, revealed the planned merger with FCA to the Japanese firms and sought their support, according to a source close to the matter. With combined sales totaling 8.7 million vehicles last year, a merged Renault and FCA group would be behind only Volkswagen AG group and Toyota Motor Corp. in terms of size. If Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors are included in any FCA-Renault merger plan, the prospective group’s global sales would reach 15.6 million vehicles — far exceeding the 10.83 million units the Volkswagen group sold last year. FCA said Monday it has proposed a plan to Renault in which shareholders on each side would take 50 percent in a merged entity. The Italian-American carmaker said the combination would improve capital efficiency and the speed of product development.
|
toyota;nissan;carmakers;mitsubishi motors;renault;volkswagen;fiat chrysler
|
jp0004603
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
Toyota to begin pickup truck production in Myanmar from 2021
|
Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it will build its first assembly plant in Myanmar to produce Hilux pickup trucks from February 2021. The auto giant plans to establish its Myanmar unit, Toyota Myanmar Co., in June and construct a new plant in the Thilawa Special Economic Zone in the southern suburbs of Yangon at a cost of $52.6 million (¥5.7 billion). Toyota will hire about 130 employees to build some 2,500 units of Hilux pickup trucks annually amid strong demand for new vehicles on the back of the country’s rapid economic growth. “Toyota will strive to provide products and services that continue to meet the needs of customers in Myanmar,” the automaker said in a statement. In Myanmar, an emerging Southeast Asian economy with a population of around 50 million, new vehicle sales more than doubled to 17,500 units in 2018 from the previous year, according to the Automotive Association of Myanmar. Toyota, which has been exporting finished cars to Myanmar, said it decided to launch local production amid expectations for further expansion in the country’s auto market. Tighter import restrictions on used cars have also led to increased demand for new vehicles in the nation. Duties and caps on imported cars in Myanmar also prompted Toyota to locally make its vehicles, according to sources familiar with the matter.
|
myanmar;toyota;carmakers
|
jp0004604
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
MUFG, Japan's biggest bank, offers redundancy to hundreds of managers in London
|
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. is preparing major job cuts in London, another sign of the deepening troubles Japanese banks face at their overseas operations. MUFG, Japan’s largest lender, is offering voluntary redundancy packages to about 500 directors and managing directors in London, according to an emailed statement. That’s roughly a quarter of its workforce in the city. Financial firms in Japan have been expanding abroad to make up for a squeeze on profits stemming from rock-bottom interest rates and slow economic growth at home. Now they’re in cost-cutting mode, with Nomura Holdings Inc. eliminating dozens of jobs in London this year as the nation’s largest investment bank tries to return its overseas operations to profit. “We have implemented this voluntary retirement program to enhance our competitiveness given the severe business environment, such as persistently low interest rates,” Tokyo-based MUFG wrote in the statement. “We remain committed to London and the European region, and wish to make further contributions to this important market.” MUFG will accept applications until the end of July and the number of retirees will be decided on that basis, a person with knowledge of the matter said. Financial News reported the plans earlier, saying that Brexit wasn’t a factor in the decision. Still, it’s another blow for London’s financial industry as banks prepare to move hundreds of employees from the city to elsewhere in Europe in preparation for the U.K.’s exit from the bloc. MUFG has set up commercial banking and securities businesses in Amsterdam. MUFG has about 2,000 employees in London, its base for operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It offers services ranging from corporate finance to structured finance and capital markets. The region accounted for almost 6 percent of group revenue in the year ended March 2018, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
|
u.k .;jobs;banks;mufg;london;brexit
|
jp0004605
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
NEC shows how facial recognition could speed up boarding at Japan's Narita airport hub
|
NEC Corp. gave a demonstration of its facial recognition system at its headquarters in Tokyo on Friday that it says will help passengers board planes faster without having to present passports or boarding passes. Narita will be the first airport in the country to deploy the system, called OneID, ahead of an expected spike in foreign arrivals for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. In the media presentation, NEC showed how the system streamlined the boarding procedure. First, at the self check-in machine, passenger consent was obtained, then their passport was scanned and a barcode on their smartphone screen provided the flight details. A camera was used to capture their facial image during the process. The data was then linked together and stored in an authentication system. Those who wish to use the conventional procedure will still be able to choose to do so, according to NEC. The system also allows passengers to drop off their baggage at an automated check-in terminal equipped with a facial recognition camera, by comparing their face with the data held on record. Passengers can enter the area for safety inspections and walk through the boarding gates without needing to stop for a passport or boarding pass to be checked. Narita’s immigration control, however, will maintain its existing procedures. The airport’s operator, Narita International Airport Corp., views enhancing operational efficiency as one of its primary challenges, said Senior Vice President Tatsuya Hamada. A surge in the number of foreign visitors to Japan is exacerbating congestion at Narita terminals, contributing to lower customer satisfaction levels and flight delays. Higher efficiency is also crucial to meeting the tight flight schedules of low-cost carriers. NEC’s OneID can, Hamada said, boost the on-time performance of flights, reduce passenger stress and save on labor “while retaining or even raising the level of security at the airport” due to the system’s sophisticated identity verification technology. The speed of the entire process could be 50 percent to 100 percent faster, according to the company. The biometric screening system, which will cover Japanese and non-Japanese passengers, will be introduced in spring 2020 for flights operated by All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines. The government is aiming to increase the number of foreign visitors per year to 40 million by 2020 and 60 million by 2030, from a record-high of 31.19 million in 2018. Yutaka Ukegawa, senior vice president at NEC, said the company intends to expand the use of its facial recognition technology to operations such as commuter pass purchases, and shopping at duty-free shops with the aim of eliminating the onerous tax exemption procedures
|
immigration;tech;tourism;foreign tourists;airports;shopping;narita airport;facial recognition
|
jp0004606
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
New accounts at MUFG to go digital by default as bank seeks to wean customers off passbooks
|
Major lender MUFG Bank will no longer issue paper passbooks from June to most customers who open new deposit accounts over the counter, sources said Thursday. The move is aimed at promoting the use of online banking services. MUFG Bank also aims to reduce costs, as banks need to shoulder an annual stamp duty of ¥200 per account for paper books. Currently, when customers apply for a new account at MUFG Bank, they can choose either a paper passbook or a digital version that can be checked online. Starting on June 10, customers will be signed up for digital passbooks in principle, unless they specifically ask for the paper version. Customers holding paper passbooks can shift to the digital version if they wish. In February the bank bolstered its online services, including by enabling its users to see records of deposits and withdrawals over the past 10 years for free, in a bid to urge its customers to go online. In a similar move, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. has since 2016 asked customers to use digital passbooks in principle, even if they open bank accounts over the counter. Mizuho Bank gives customers digital passbooks when they open new accounts online, but issues paper passbooks in principle if accounts were opened over the counter. “Demand for the paper version is strong,” a Mizuho official said.
|
internet;banks;smbc;mufg;mizuho
|
jp0004607
|
[
"business",
"corporate-business"
] |
2019/05/31
|
Japan Display hopes to secure financial aid from China-Taiwan group in June
|
Japan Display Inc. said Thursday it will secure a capital injection from a Chinese-Taiwanese consortium next month. The struggling display-maker, which is a supplier to Apple Inc., has been told by the consortium that a formal decision on the financial aid will be reached by June 14. The consortium, which includes China’s Harvest Tech Investment Management Co. and Taiwanese panel-maker TPK Holding Co., had delayed an investment of up to ¥80 billion ($730 million) agreed under a bailout plan, in order to reassess the business prospects of Japan Display. The Japanese firm also said it would receive additional financial assistance from state-backed fund INCJ Ltd. It will sell all of its 27.2 percent stake in JOLED Inc., an affiliate that makes advanced displays, to INCJ. In exchange, the fund will cancel a debt of around ¥45 billion. Japan Display will also convert an additional ¥27 billion in long-term loans from INCJ to preferred shares as part of the assistance. Japan Display said it has also asked Apple for concessions on repayment of part of its debt from the U.S. firm. Japan Display was established in 2012 following the merger of the display operations of Sony Corp., Hitachi Ltd. and Toshiba Corp. with support from INCJ. However, the display-maker logged a group net loss for the fifth straight year in fiscal 2018 through March amid intensified competition from Chinese and South Korean rivals. It announced earlier this month it will cut about 1,000 jobs, or about 10 percent of its global and group workforce.
|
japan display;incj
|
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