Notre Dame's age and design fueled blaze and foiled firefighters, experts say

Abstract: NEW YORK - Is there anything firefighters could have done to control the blaze that tore through Paris’ historic Notre Dame Cathedral sooner? Experts say the combination of a structure that’s more than 850 years old, built with heavy timber construction and soaring open spaces, and lacking sophisticated fire-protection systems led to the quick rise of flames Monday, which jeopardized the entire cathedral before firefighters brought the blaze under control. “Very often when you’re confronted with something like this, there’s not much you can do,” said Glenn Corbett, a professor of fire science at John Jay College. Fire hoses looked overmatched as flames raged across the cathedral’s wooden roof and burned bright orange for hours. The fire toppled a 300-foot (91-meter) spire and launched baseball-sized embers into the air. While the cause remains under investigation, authorities said that the cathedral’s structure — including its landmark rectangular towers — has been saved. Some of the factors that made Notre Dame a must-see for visitors to Paris — its age, sweeping size and French Gothic design featuring masonry walls and tree trunk-sized wooden beams — also made it a tinderbox and a difficult place to fight a fire, said U.S. Fire Administrator G. Keith Bryant. With a building like that, it’s nearly impossible for firefighters to attack a fire from within. Instead, they have to be more defensive “and try to control the fire from the exterior,” said Bryant, a former fire chief in Oklahoma and past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. “When a fire gets that well-involved it’s very difficult to put enough water on it to cool it to bring it under control,” Bryant said. And while there’s a lot of water right next door at the Seine River, getting it to the right place is the problem, he said: “There are just not enough resources in terms of fire apparatus, hoses to get that much water on a fire that’s that large.” Because of narrower streets, which make it difficult to maneuver large ladder fire trucks, European fire departments don’t tend to have as large of ladders as they do in the United States, Bryant said. And what about U.S. President Donald Trump’s armchair-firefighter suggestion that tanker jets be used to dump water from above on Notre Dame? French authorities tweeted that doing so would’ve done more harm than good. The crush of water on the fire-ravaged landmark could’ve caused the entire structure to collapse, according to the tweet. Other landmark houses of worship have taken steps in recent years to reduce the risk of a fire. St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, built in 1878, installed a sprinkler-like system during recent renovations and coated its wooden roof with fire retardant. The cathedral also goes through at least four fire inspections a year. Washington National Cathedral, built in 1912 with steel, brick and limestone construction that put it at less risk of a fast-moving fire, is installing sprinklers as part of a renovation spurred by damage from a 2011 earthquake. That cathedral faces fire inspections every two years, but D.C. firefighters stop by more often to learn about the church’s unique architecture and lingo — so they’ll know where to go if there’s a fire in the nave, or main area of the church — for instance. “It’s really important for us to make sure that those local firefighters are aware of our building and our kooky medieval names that we use for all the different spaces and that they know where to go,” said Jim Shepherd, the cathedral’s director of preservation and facilities. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the New York Archbishop who often visited the Notre Dame Cathedral while studying in Europe, saw significance in the fact that the fire broke out at the beginning of Holy Week, when Christians there and around the world prepare to celebrate Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. “Just as the cross didn’t have the last word, neither — for people of faith in France — will this fire have the last word,” Dolan said.

france
religion
history
fires
notre dame


As legal sources of cannabis fall short, Canada's black market remains strong six months after law change

Abstract: QUEBEC CITY - High prices, short supplies and lineups at stores: six months after Canada legalized recreational cannabis, consumers are still buying a lot of pot on the black market as legal sources fail to meet demand. But authorities say the legal market will eventually put street dealers and criminal gangs out of work, once the fledgling industry finds its footing. “There are clearly still issues in the supply chain,” said Minister Bill Blair, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s point man on cannabis legalization. In October, Canada became only the second country in the world to legalize recreational cannabis, five years after Uruguay. But six months on people queue in long lines outside outlets, and supplies of many popular strains have dried up. A patchwork of public and private online portals and bricks and mortar stores have popped up across the country, as each province rolled out their own marijuana retailing framework. Ontario — the nation’s biggest pot market — was late to the game, opening only 10 stores out of 25 licensed in the province on April 1, having relied until now on a government online portal. “They’re working through it and they’re making progress,” Blair said. “And what we see every month is continued progress in displacing the illicit market and creating a normalized supply chain.” Getting rid of the black market was a key objective in Trudeau’s legalization plan. Many feared a surge in drug-impaired driving and pot-related emergency room visits, but authorities said that has not materialized. In the last three months of 2018, the lion’s share of sales — 79 percent, valued at 1.2 billion Canadian dollars ($900 million) — were by illicit dealers. According to Statistics Canada, legal sales — including medical marijuana, which has been allowed in Canada since 2001 but accounts for only a fraction of total consumption — amounted to only CA$307 million. Canada has one of the world’s highest rates of cannabis use — with almost 15 percent of the population or more than 5 million people having consumed pot. Its supply shortage can be explained in part by the heavy licensing process imposed by the federal government. Another reason put forward is the relatively short amount of time growers have had to ramp up — about four months from the time the cannabis legalization law was passed by parliament to its entry into force. As a result, the average price of dried cannabis in Canada has increased by more than 17 percent since legalization, to CA$8.04 per gram, according to the government statistical agency. Buyers of legal pot are paying on average 57 percent more than for cannabis purchased on the black market, which actually saw prices fall. “I’ve continued buying from my (illicit) dealer because the price of legal cannabis is outrageous,” said John, who lives around the corner from downtown Ottawa’s first legal pot store. “I’ve been paying the same price for pot from this guy for the past 10 years so why would I go to a flashy new store and pay huge mark-ups,” he said. “It just wouldn’t make sense.” The store near him, Fire and Flower, raked in a whopping CA$50,000 in sales on its April 1 opening day. In Montreal, Anna Kagadaeva, in her 20s, is more sanguine about the legal market. “It took me a while before I came to the store because I was told there were lineups and there wasn’t much selection,” she said. But she now shops for weed regularly at Quebec’s government-run stores because she finds them convenient and it’s a safer, healthier and socially responsible choice. “The supply situation is improving week by week” and “it will pick up significantly towards the end of spring,” said Fabrice Giguere of the Quebec Cannabis Society (SQDC), after contracting six new suppliers. His outlook was echoed by several cannabis company executives, who also predicted a drop in prices as supplies rise. In Quebec, “our goal is to take 30 percent of the market by the end of October,” Giguere said, adding that the SQDC is betting it can grow that figure to 70 percent in five years, displacing the black market.


World stunned as massive fire rips through iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Abstract: PARIS - A massive fire engulfed the upper reaches of Paris’ soaring Notre Dame Cathedral as it was undergoing renovations Monday, threatening one of the greatest architectural treasures of the Western world as tourists and Parisians looked on aghast from the streets below. The blaze collapsed the cathedral’s spire and spread to one of its landmark rectangular towers, but Paris fire chief Jean-Claude Gallet said the church’s structure had been saved after firefighters managed to stop the fire spreading to the northern belfry. The 12th-century cathedral is home to incalculable works of art and is one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions, immortalized by Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” The exact cause of the blaze was not known, but French media quoted the Paris fire brigade as saying the fire is “potentially linked” to a €6 million ($6.8 million) renovation project on the church’s spire and its 250 tons of lead. The Paris prosecutors’ office ruled out arson and possible terror-related motives, and said it was treating it as an accident. A hole left by the fallen spire was still burning and sparks rained down from the cathedral’s vaulted ceilings more than five hours after the fire broke out. Gallet said fire crews would keep working overnight to cool down the structure. As the spire fell, the sky lit up orange and flames shot out of the roof behind the nave of the cathedral, among the most visited landmarks in the world. Hundreds of people lined up on bridges around the island that houses the church, watching in shock as acrid smoke rose in plumes. Speaking alongside junior Interior Minister Laurent Nunez late Monday, Gallet noted that “two thirds of the roofing has been ravaged.” He said firefighters would keep working overnight to cool down the building. Late Monday, signs pointed to the fire nearing an end as lights could be seen through the windows moving around the front of the cathedral, apparently investigators inspecting the scene. The city’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo, most of the significant collection of art work and holy objects inside the church had been recovered. Remarkably, only one of the about 400 firefighters who battled the blaze was injured, officials said. The fire came less than a week before Easter amid Holy Week commemorations. As the cathedral burned, Parisians gathered to pray and sing hymns outside the church of Saint Julien Les Pauvres across the river from Notre Dame while the flames lit the sky behind them. Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit invited priests across France to ring church bells in a call for prayers. French President Emmanuel Macron was treating the fire as a national emergency, rushing to the scene and straight into meetings at the Paris police headquarters nearby. He pledged to rebuild the church and said he would seek international help to do so. “The worst has been avoided although the battle is not yet totally won,” the president said, adding that he would launch a national funding campaign on Tuesday and call on the world’s “greatest talents” to help rebuild the monument. Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, Notre Dame is the most famous of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages as well as one of the most beloved structures in the world. Situated on the Ile de la Cite, an island in the Seine River, its architecture is famous for, among other things, its many gargoyles and its iconic flying buttresses. Among the most celebrated artworks inside are its three stained-glass rose windows, placed high up on the west, north and south faces of the cathedral. Its priceless treasures also include a Catholic relic, the crown of thorns, which is only occasionally displayed, including on Fridays during Lent. French historian Camille Pascal told BFM broadcast channel the blaze marked “the destruction of invaluable heritage.” “It’s been 800 years that the Cathedral watches over Paris,” Pascal said. “Happy and unfortunate events for centuries have been marked by the bells of Notre Dame.” He added: “We can be only horrified by what we see.” Reactions from around the world came swiftly including from the Vatican, which released a statement expressing shock and sadness for the “terrible fire that has devastated the Cathedral of Notre Dame, symbol of Christianity in France and in the world.” In Washington, Trump tweeted: “So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris” and suggested first responders use “flying water tankers” to put it out. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said he was praying “to ask the intercession of Notre Dame, our Lady, for the Cathedral at the heart of Paris, and of civilization, now in flames! God preserve this splendid house of prayer, and protect those battling the blaze.”

france
religion
history
fires
paris
notre dame
emmanuel macron


U.S. commitment to Taiwan security 'rock-solid,' says ex-Speaker Paul Ryan

Abstract: TAIPEI - The United States commitment to Taiwan’s security remains “rock-solid,” a former top-ranking U.S. official said Monday, as the two sides commemorated the 40th anniversary of legislation guaranteeing U.S. support for the island. The laws passed by the U.S. Congress in 1979 required Washington to provide Taiwan with means of self-defence even as the United States switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing. Former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan led the delegation to the island this week, which included congressmen and senior officials, to mark the anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act alongside Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Since the legislation was passed, Washington has remained Taipei’s most powerful unofficial ally and its leading arms supplier. It manages its relations through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). “Ours is a friendship grounded in history, shared values, and our common embrace of democracy, free markets, the rule of law, religious freedom and human rights,” Ryan said at a ceremony at AIT’s new office complex in Taipei. “And our commitment to Taiwan’s security remains rock solid.” He hailed the 40th anniversary of the legislation as a “tremendous milestone” in U.S.-Taiwan relations. Ryan, 49, was the most powerful Republican in Congress when he served as speaker from October 2015 to January 2019. He currently holds no government position. “Our security cooperation contributes to regional peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific region,” added U.S. de facto ambassador to Taiwan Brent Christensen. Chinese military aircraft, including Su-30 and J-11 fighter jets, flew over the waters off southern Taiwan earlier Monday in the latest of a recent string of military drills around the island. In response, President Tsai accused China of “challenging stability in the Taiwan Strait. Donald Trump’s administration has sought to strengthen ties with Taiwan. It announced plans last year to sell it $330 million spare parts for several aircraft, including the F-16 fighter and the C-130 cargo plane. Trump also signed legislation paving the way for mutual visits by top officials and the U.S. government approved a license required to sell submarine technology to Taiwan. U.S. warships periodically conduct “freedom of navigation” exercises in the Taiwan Strait, the narrow waterway separating the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, which prompt anger in Beijing. China has stepped up military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan amid worsening ties since Tsai came to power in May 2016, as she has refused to acknowledge Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is part of “one China.”

china
u.s .
taiwan
donald trump
tsai ing-wen
paul ryan
ait


Foxconn's Terry Gou eyes run for Taiwan presidency after stepping back from daily business

Abstract: TAIPEI - Foxconn’s Chairman Terry Gou said Tuesday he is considering whether to run for Taiwan’s 2020 presidential election, a day after Reuters reported the tycoon planned to step down from the world’s largest contract manufacturer. Speaking on the sidelines of an event to mark the 40th anniversary of Taiwan-U.S. ties, Gou declined to say which party he could represent, at a time of heightened tensions between the self-ruled island and Beijing. If it was the opposition, China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT), he would “go” with the standard procedures of the party, Gou said, adding he would make that decision “as soon as possible.” “I didn’t sleep last night … 2020 is key for Taiwan. The reason for the tense situation (with China) is because it’s a turning point for Taiwan’s direction for politics, economy, defense for the next 20 years,” Gou said. “So I asked myself the whole night … I need to ask myself what I can do. What I can do for the youth? … The next 20 years will decide their fate,” he said, his eyes welling up with tears at times. The KMT said in a statement Gou had been a party member for more than 50 years and had given it an interest-free loan of 45 million New Taiwan dollars ($1.5 million) in 2016 under the name of his mother, a move that signaled his “loyalty” to the party. The KMT did not immediately respond to a media inquiry on whether Gou was eligible to participate in the party’s already highly competitive primary election. Gou, Taiwan’s richest person with a net worth of $7.6 billion according to Forbes, told Reuters on Monday he planned to step down in the coming months to pave the way for younger talent to move up the company’s ranks. The company later said Gou will remain chairman of Foxconn, though he plans to withdraw from daily operations. Taiwan is gearing up for presidential elections in January at a time of heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait, with Chinese bombers and warships conducting drills around the self-ruled island on Monday. A senior U.S. official denounced the military maneuvers as “coercion” and a threat to stability in the region. China claims Taiwan as its own and has vowed to bring the island, which it regards as a sacred territory, under Chinese control, by force if necessary. The United States has no formal ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to help provide the island with the means to defend itself and is its main source of arms. “We need peace. We don’t need to buy too many weapons. Peace is the biggest weapon,” Gou said, adding that Taiwan only needs adequate self-defense. “If we spend the money for weapons on economic development, on artificial intelligence, on investment in the United States, this would be the biggest assurance on peace.” “Whose children are willing to sit in those fighter jets?” A source with direct knowledge of the situation said Gou was likely to announce his decision on the presidential bid later on Tuesday at the earliest and was due to travel to Foxconn’s factory in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Wednesday. Shares of Foxconn, which is formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. and has a market value of around $40 billion, closed 0.7 percent higher on Tuesday. An official at Taiwan’s stock exchange told Reuters there were no regulations related to a company executive running for the island’s presidency. Taiwan’s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party is expected to announce a presidential candidate in May, with contenders including President Tsai Ing-wen and her former premier, William Lai. Asked by Reuters on Monday if he would quit as chairman, Gou said, at 69 years old, he was moving in that direction, though any decision needed to be discussed with Foxconn’s board. “I don’t know where you got the information from. But I have to say, basically, I’m working towards that direction — to walk back to the second line, or retire,” Gou said. He also signaled a major management reshuffle. “In the board meeting in April-May we will give the new list of board members to the board,” Gou said without elaborating. Founded in 1974, the Foxconn group is the world’s biggest contract manufacturer with NT$5.2 trillion ($168.52 billion) in annual revenue. It assembles goods for a miscellany of global tech firms but relies on Apple Inc for over half of annual revenue, analysts said.

china
taiwan
elections
foxconn
terry gou


Australian grandmother has emotional reunion with orphans of notorious Islamic State fighter

Abstract: SYDNEY - An Australian grandmother to children of a notorious Islamic State group fighter has tracked down the orphans in a Syrian refugee camp, in an emotional reunion she hopes will lead to their return home. The three surviving children of jihadi Khaled Sharrouf and his wife Tara Nettleton are in the Al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria and wish to return to Australia after being taken to the Middle East by their parents in 2013. After two failed attempts to find the children over five years, Karen Nettleton was finally able to locate them following a phone call in March from 16-year-old granddaughter Hoda Sharrouf, national broadcaster ABC reported. Nettleton then searched for the orphans in the muddy alleyways of the camp, which is home to up to 100,000 people displaced in the fight against IS, before finding them in a reunion broadcast late Monday. “I’ve missed you. I’ve missed you,” Hoda Sharrouf told Nettleton as she emerged from a tent, her hands trembling. “Please don’t leave.” The pair embraced, and Nettleton told her granddaughter, “Hoda I’m here … I missed you so much too.” Nettleton has long fought for the children to be brought home but had previously been rebuffed by authorities, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying he did not want to put Australian lives at risk. She is still uncertain about how she will get the children — heavily pregnant 17-year-old Zaynab, Hoda, their 8-year-old brother Hamzeh, and Zaynab’s two young children Ayesha, 3, and Fatima, 2 — out of the camp, saying she was frustrated by negotiations with Canberra. “We don’t get a yes or no answer … all they’ve said is that once we get to Turkey, they’ll give us all the help that they can,” Nettleton told the ABC. Zaynab Sharrouf said they had wanted to return home “for a very long time” but had been fearful of rumors in the camp of those attempting to leave being caught, raped and tortured. “We weren’t the ones that chose to come here in the first place… And now that our parents are gone, we want to… live a normal life,” she said. Khaled Sharrouf — the first Australian to have his citizenship stripped under anti-terrorism laws — made international headlines in 2014 when he posted an image on Twitter of one of his sons holding a severed head. He is believed to have died in a 2017 American airstrike alongside two sons, while Tara Nettleton reportedly died in 2015. Morrison said Tuesday his government was “working quietly behind the scenes with the International Red Cross” over the fate of the children. A foreign affairs department spokeswoman said it was in “close contact” with Karen Nettleton but would not comment further due to the “complex and fluid situation,” and for security reasons. The fate of foreign fighters and their families has become a significant problem for governments as the conflict against IS draws to a close.

children
australia
terrorism
syria
conflcit
islamic state


One lucky dog: Pooch rescued while swimming 220 kilometers off Thailand

Abstract: BANGKOK - A dog found swimming more than 220 kilometers (135 miles) from shore by workers on an oil rig crew in the Gulf of Thailand has been returned safely to land. A worker on the rig belonging to Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production, Vitisak Payalaw, said on his Facebook page that they saw the dog last Friday swimming toward the platform. He said they were lucky to spot it because if there had been waves it probably would not have been visible. The dog made it to the platform, clinging to the support structure below deck without barking or whimpering, Vitisak wrote. The crew managed to lower a rope and secure it around the dog’s neck and haul it up. Vitisak said they speculated the dog might have fallen off a fishing trawler, and dubbed it “Boon Rod,” or “Survivor.” The dog landed Monday at the southern port of Songkhla and was declared in good shape after being delivered to the animal protection group Watchdog Thailand. Vitisak said if the dog was unclaimed, he would like to take it to his home in northeast Thailand.


Japan's Lower House OKs ban on flying drones over military sites and Olympic venues

Abstract: A bill to prohibit the flying of drones over Self-Defence Forces and U.S. military facilities in Japan, as well as venues for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, cleared the Lower House on Tuesday. The bill, aimed at guarding against terrorism, has sparked protests from the media over its potential disruption of newsgathering activities. Taking these into account, a House of Representatives panel added a supplementary provision to the legislation, requesting the government ensure press freedom and people’s right to know. The ruling parties aim to enact the bill, an amendment to the existing law on drones, during the current Diet session through June. The legislation also bans drones from flying over venues for this year’s Rugby World Cup. Only drones providing coverage for, and controlled by, media organizations would be allowed to fly over venues during sports events.

military
drones
diet
u.s. bases
2020 tokyo olympics


Japan Atomic Power considers launching unit that specializes in scrapping nuclear plants

Abstract: Japan Atomic Power Co. is considering setting up a subsidiary specializing in the scrapping of retired nuclear reactors at domestic power plants, sources close to the matter said Tuesday. Japan Atomic Power, a wholesaler of electricity generated at its nuclear plants, is planning to have U.S. nuclear waste firm EnergySolutions Inc. invest in the reactor decommissioning service unit, which would be the first of its kind in Japan, the sources said. The Tokyo-based electricity wholesaler, whose shareholders are major domestic power companies, will make a final decision by the end of this year, they said. The plan is to support power companies’ scrapping of retired reactors using Japan Atomic Power’s expertise in decontaminating and dismantling work, in which it has been engaged in since before the 2011 nuclear disaster at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 complex, according to the sources. The plan comes as a series of nuclear reactor decommissioning is expected at power companies in the country. Since stringent safety rules were introduced after the Fukushima disaster, 11 reactors, excluding those at the two Fukushima plants of Tepco, are slated to be scrapped. Nuclear reactors are allowed to run for 40 years in Japan. Their operation can be extended for 20 years, but operators will need costly safety enhancement measures to clear the Nuclear Regulation Authority’s screening. Decommissioning a reactor with an output capacity of 1 million kilowatts is said to take about 30 years and cost around ¥50 billion. Typically, some 500,000 tons of waste result from scrapping such a reactor, and 2 percent of the waste is radioactive. Japan Atomic Power first engaged in decommissioning a commercial reactor in 2001 at its Tokai plant in eastern Japan. It has been conducting decommissioning work at its Tsuruga nuclear power plant in western Japan since 2017. It is also providing support to Tepco for the decommissioning of reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 plant. EnergySolutions, founded in 2006, has engaged in scrapping five reactors in the United States. Japan Atomic Energy and EnergySolutions have had previous business ties, and the Japanese company has sent some employees to the Zion nuclear station in Illinois, where the U.S. partner has been conducting decommissioning work since 2010.

nuclear energy
japan atomic power
energysolutions


Abe eyes diplomatic win with Xi Jinping visit but faces balancing act between China and U.S.

Abstract: BEIJING - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will likely be eager to take advantage of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s upcoming visit to Japan to flaunt his diplomatic clout, especially in an election year. But Abe will need to play a careful balancing act between cozying up to China and maintaining the relationship with Japan’s closest ally, the United States. On his three-day visit to Beijing from Saturday, Foreign Minister Taro Kono was on a mission to further a recent improvement in Sino-Japanese ties following years of animosity over a territorial dispute and differing views on wartime history. “Japan-China relations have normalized,” Kono told Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in a meeting Monday. “There are many difficult issues that we have yet to resolve, but we should stand shoulder to shoulder to work on issues on a global scale.” Kono appears to have been successful: He wrapped up the trip by telling reporters that Xi, who has not come to Japan since coming to power in 2013, will be among the leaders from the Group of 20 major economies gathering in Osaka in late June. That will give Abe, who is seeking to solidify his power heading into his last years in office, the opportunity to play the magnanimous host to Xi. Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University Japan, said he expects Abe and Xi to set aside their differences and make nice for the cameras. “Summits are all about the optics so both leaders will try to project positive interactions,” he said. “It took a long time for these two leaders to meet, and when they did so the takeaway image was Xi’s sour face as he leaned away from a handshake with Abe. But now is a time for resurrecting smile diplomacy and avoiding the contentious issues.” With U.S. President Donald Trump also scheduled to make a visit in May, an Abe aide said it was a “chance to score” for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party ahead of an election in the summer for half the seats in the House of Councilors. Abe could use the boost, given he has made little progress in efforts to recover Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, or to negotiate the return of Russian-held islands off Hokkaido that were seized by the Soviet Union after the end of World War II. He has also been left out of the loop in talks between the United States and North Korea on a denuclearization deal. “Japan has little leverage and has been marginalized in (Korean) Peninsula diplomacy,” Kingston said. “Abe has been a spectator.” But a shift toward China carries its own problems. Many in the international community criticize the Chinese government for failing to enforce rules protecting intellectual property rights or crack down on the forced transfer of technology from foreign firms. Kono said he raised the issue in a high-level economic dialogue with Chinese officials during his stay in Beijing, though he declined to say what response he got. The U.S., which Japan heavily relies on for national defense, is increasingly focused on countering Chinese efforts to assert its military presence, including in the realms of space and cybersecurity. The subject will be the main focus of ministerial-level security talks between Japan and the U.S. later this week in Washington, according to an official at the Japanese Defense Ministry. “The Abe administration sees diplomacy as a tool to boost its popularity. It appears there is little consideration for security or what the rest of the world is thinking,” said Kazuo Yukawa, a China expert at Asia University in Tokyo. “Of course, improving the relationship with China is important, but I have doubts about how well thought out a strategy this is,” he added.

china
shinzo abe
u.s .
china-japan relations
xi jinping
u.s.-japan relations
taro kono


Japan and U.S. struggling to find wreckage of crashed F-35A despite around-the-clock search

Abstract: One week after an F-35A stealth fighter jet crashed off the northeastern coast of Japan, U.S. and Japanese military vessels are struggling to find the wreckage and protect its valuable secrets. The Japanese jet vanished from radar on April 9 over the Pacific as it was conducting a training mission with three other aircraft some 135 kilometers (85 miles) east of Misawa, Aomori Prefecture. A Defense Ministry spokesman said that the remains of the jet’s tail had been found but they were still hunting in vain for the rest of the fuselage, as well as the pilot. “On average two aircraft, including a helicopter, and two patrol vessels are constantly deployed in the around-the-clock search operations,” said the official, who asked to remain anonymous. The Maritime Self-Defense Force has also dispatched an unmanned submersible vessel. Separately, the U.S. military has dispatched one military aircraft and one vessel to join the mission, said the official, adding that the search has not yet been scaled back. Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said the crash would be discussed at a meeting with his U.S. counterpart in Washington on Friday, which will also involve the two allies’ foreign ministers. “The F-35A is an airplane that contains a significant amount of secrets that need to be protected,” Iwaya told reporters. “With the help of the United States, we will continue to take the leading role in investigating the cause of the accident,” he said. Akira Kato, a professor of international politics and regional security at Tokyo’s J.F. Oberlin University, said rivals China and Russia would have “a strong interest in collecting even a single screw of the state-of-the-art plane.” And Hideshi Takesada, a defense expert and professor at Takushoku University in Tokyo, said it would not be a surprise if Moscow and Beijing were engaged in undercover activities to find some of the debris. “Even if Japan and the U.S. find it, they may not disclose details, including its exact location, due to concerns that China and Russia might try to collect it,” Takesada said. Japan’s Defense Ministry confirmed it had not spotted any suspicious vessels or aircraft from a third country near the site. The air force announced a commission last week to study the cause of the accident but it remains unclear exactly what happened to the plane. U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin touts the high-tech fighter as “virtually undetectable” and says it allows the U.S. and its allies to dominate the skies with its “unmatched capability and unprecedented situational awareness.” Japan is deploying F-35As, each of which costs more than ¥10 billion ($90 million), to replace its aging F-4 fighters. The jet was one of 13 F-35As deployed at Misawa Air Base, according to the defense ministry. The remaining 12 fighters have been grounded for the time being, the ministry said. The F-35A jets are a key part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s efforts to upgrade the nation’s military capability to meet changing power dynamics in East Asia, with China rapidly modernizing its armed forces. Over the next decade, Japan plans to purchase as many as 105 F-35As and 42 units of other high-capacity jets, most likely the F-35B variant. The upcoming “two-plus-two” meeting in Washington will be attended by Iwaya and Foreign Minister Taro Kono, as well as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan. They plan to release a joint document that will likely highlight the countries’ defense cooperation in areas including space and cyberspace, according to Japanese officials. The previous two-plus-two talks were held in August 2017.

china
russia
military
weapons
self defense forces
f-35
two plus two
takeshi iwaya


Japan's greenhouse gas emissions fell 1.2% in fiscal 2017 as use of renewables increased

Abstract: Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions fell 1.2 percent in fiscal 2017 — a fourth straight year of decline — as the use of renewable energy increased, the Environment Ministry said Tuesday. Emissions totaled the equivalent of 1.292 billion tons of carbon dioxide in the fiscal year ended March 2018, it said. However, the country urgently needs to tackle hydrofluorocarbons — a substitute for ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons but with a strong greenhouse gas effect — as usage continues to increase, the ministry said. Under the 2015 Paris climate accord, Japan is targeting a 26 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions from fiscal 2013 levels by fiscal 2030. The reduction stood at 8.4 percent at the end of fiscal 2017. Emissions from hydrofluorocarbons — commonly used in air conditioners as a coolant — increased 5.4 percent from a year ago as manufacturers’ process for the collection and environmentally responsible disposal of old units has not gone smoothly, according to the ministry. The amount of renewable energy grew by about 10 percent from the previous year, while the resumption of nuclear reactors also helped reduce emissions associated with power generators, it said. Japan’s emissions rose after a massive earthquake and tsunami in the northeast of the country in 2011 triggered the Fukushima nuclear crisis and subsequently forced the country to resort to thermal power generation. It turned to a decline in fiscal 2014 with the help of renewable energy production and the introduction of energy-efficient devices.

emissions
climate change
renewables
environment
co2
hfcs


English level at Japan's secondary schools falls short of government target

Abstract: The English-language ability of students at public secondary schools fell short of the government’s target in the 2018 academic year through March, despite a slight improvement from a year earlier, a government survey showed Tuesday. The percentage of third-year students at junior high schools whose English skills were equivalent to Grade 3 of the widely-used Eiken proficiency test rose 1.9 points from a year ago to 42.6 percent. For third-year senior high school students with skills matching Grade Pre-2, the increase was 0.9 point to 40.2 percent. Conducted by the education ministry in December, the survey showed that final-year students of both junior and senior high schools did not reach the 50 percent goal set for them by the government. Holders of Eiken Grade 3, aimed at junior high school graduates, are expected to be able to understand and use English concerning everyday topics. Those with Grade Pre-2, aimed at second-year senior high school students, are supposed to be at a level sufficient to allow them to participate in general aspects of daily life. The Education, Culture, Science, Sports and Technology Ministry, which has been conducting the annual survey since the academic year beginning April 2013, recognized a wide regional gap in the students’ English proficiency. “We want to raise the overall level by analyzing excellent efforts and common challenges and widely sharing that information,” an official said. Among the country’s 47 prefectures and 20 major cities, the city of Saitama posted the highest percentage of final-year junior high school students with skills equivalent to Grade 3, at 75.5 percent, followed by Fukui Prefecture at 61.2 percent and Yokohama at 55.9 percent. As for third-year senior high school students by prefecture, Fukui topped the list for students with skills matching Grade Pre-2 at 56.0 percent, followed by Toyama at 54.8 percent and Akita at 53.3 percent. Meanwhile, many regions failed to reach 50 percent at both junior and senior high school levels. With the government aspiring to foster individuals who can excel on the international stage, it originally aimed to meet the 50 percent target by the 2017 academic year but has postponed the goal until the year through March 2023. As English will become a mandatory subject for fifth and sixth graders at public elementary schools from next spring, the ministry also looked into the English-language proficiency of elementary school teachers. The ministry survey found only 5.9 percent, or 20,182, of 343,295 full-time elementary school teachers nationwide were licensed to teach English at a secondary-school level — the lowest level for which there is certification. While many elementary schools made their own efforts to secure proficient personnel, such as hiring those with a license to teach English or coordinating with junior high schools, many teachers were worried about leading English classes as they had not been trained to do so. The ministry has been trying to address the situation by improving training programs for elementary school teachers and increasing the number of licensed teachers with a certain level of English proficiency. The number of native English-speaking assistant language teachers at elementary schools rose to 13,044, up 132 from the previous school year, while 80.6 percent of junior high schools said they have been cooperating with elementary schools on English education.

education
survey
english
junior high school
eiken
high school


South Korean man in Mie Prefecture arrested for illegally uploading sci-fi anime

Abstract: OSAKA - A man was arrested Monday on suspicion of illegally making popular anime available online for free, police said. Lee Jun-hyung, a 29-year-old South Korean in Mie Prefecture, allegedly violated the copyright law by offering the sci-fi anime series “World Trigger” on the internet on Sept. 5 using file-sharing software. Police have also found some other videos of anime and TV drama series that Lee illicitly posted online, estimating a total damage of around ¥1.8 billion based on the number of downloads and other factors. “I wanted people to watch the videos I edited,” Lee said while admitting to the allegation, according to the police.


Fukuoka High Court overturns ruling and denies damages in hepatitis B relapse cases

Abstract: FUKUOKA - A high court on Monday overturned a lower-court ruling and denied damages to chronic hepatitis B sufferers who contracted the illness in a state-run vaccination program and had relapses. The focus of the trial at the Fukuoka High Court had been on when the 20-year countdown for claims under the Civil Code begins, as the two male plaintiffs sued the state more than 20 years after they first developed symptoms. The Fukuoka District Court in 2017 ordered the state to pay ¥12.5 million in damages to each of the men, deeming their relapses in 2004 and 2008 “new damage” the plaintiffs suffered and that they should, therefore, receive compensation. But the high court ruled in favor of the state, which claimed the count should start from the time when they first had symptoms. Presiding Judge Noriyuki Yamanouchi said the two men’s relapses could not be regarded as causing damage different from earlier symptoms because the root cause was the same illness that they had initially contracted. “It’s quite a ruthless judgement and regrettable, but we won’t give up and will continue to fight,” one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs said at a news conference, adding that they will appeal to the Supreme Court. Like the two men, about 90 plaintiffs have filed suits against the state in 13 district courts across Japan over 20 years after their first symptoms appeared, the lawyers said. Under a special law that took effect in 2012, people suffering from chronic hepatitis receive a one-off benefit of between ¥500,000 and ¥36 million depending on their symptoms — with the latter figure available in the most serious cases — if they file a lawsuit against the state and a recognized link between the vaccination and the illness can be established. Some of those suffering from chronic hepatitis are eligible to receive ¥12.5 million, but the payments are reduced to ¥3 million or ¥1.5 million if they do not take legal action within 20 years of developing symptoms. Hepatitis B, which is caused by a virus transmitted through contact with blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer, according to the World Health Organization. At least 400,000 people in Japan are believed to have been infected with the hepatitis B virus due to lax needle-use practices during the country’s group vaccination program between 1948 and 1988. However, as of the end of February, only about 46,000 people had been recognized as eligible to receive a payment based on the special law.

courts disease fukuoka vaccinations hepatitis


French team in Chile to question suspect over missing Japanese student believed slain

Abstract: BESANCON, FRANCE - French investigators were to arrive in Chile on Monday to question a man suspected of killing his former Japanese girlfriend, who was last seen at her university residence in France in 2016, a source close to the inquiry told AFP. Nicolas Zepeda is the sole suspect in the disappearance of Narumi Kurosaki, 21, who went missing in the eastern French city of Besancon on the night of Dec. 4, 2016, after having dinner with her ex-boyfriend. Her body has not been found despite extensive searches of a nearby forested area. Authorities in France believe she was suffocated by Zepeda in a jealous rage. He has denied any role in her disappearance. Zepeda returned to Chile before French police issued an arrest warrant but a Chilean judge rejected France’s request to have him arrested and extradited, citing insufficient evidence. French authorities later asked if they could visit the country to interview Zepeda, a request that was granted last month. The Besancon prosecutor, Etienne Manteaux, along with a judge overseeing the case and two police investigators are expected to participate in the questioning of Zepeda this week, the source said. But the questions themselves will be posed by a Chilean prosecutor who will then decide whether to charge Zepeda and arrest him, in which case France would again request his extradition. Zepeda, a teaching assistant in his mid-20s, was seen at a restaurant outside Besancon with Kurosaki on the night she disappeared. He has admitted going to her room afterward, where he claims they had consensual sex. Fellow students at her dormitory said they heard terrified cries and banging noises in the residence on that night but no traces of blood were found in her room. Manteaux, the prosecutor, said last November that Zepeda had bought five litres of flammable liquid and matches at a supermarket days before Kurosaki disappeared, and that his hire car was returned covered in mud. Zepeda had also posted videos online threatening his ex-girlfriend after she began a relationship with another man. In their search for her body, police have focused their efforts on the vast Chaux forest area on the outskirts of Besancon, but have been unable to find any trace of the student.

france
murder
chile
narumi kurosaki
nicolas zepeda


Japanese police arrive in Thailand to investigate phone scam

Abstract: BANGKOK - Japanese police investigators arrived in Thailand on Tuesday to probe a phone scam in which more than 200 people in Japan are believed to have been swindled out of some ¥220 million. Fifteen Japanese men, arrested by Thai police on allegations they worked in the country without permission, are suspected of targeting people in Japan, particularly those who are retired and living alone, from a rented luxury house in the beach resort of Pattaya. Thai police have learned that nine of them spent up to a year in the Philippines, on the island of Cebu, shortly before moving to Thailand, suggesting they might have engaged in scamming activities from that country, too. They all left the Philippines around the same time late last year, returned to Japan temporarily and then entered Thailand. One of them had been arrested in Japan in the past for alleged involvement in fraud. Japanese investigators said they will gather information on what the men have told Thai police, and from the contents of documents confiscated in a raid on March 29, which included what is believed to be a manual for how to carry out the scam. Thai police also confiscated some 50 IP phones in the house search. The suspects are believed to have called people all over Japan, saying they had failed to pay subscription fees for a website, and made them purchase electronic money to swindle them out of the cash. Japanese police plan to arrest the 15 suspects after they are expelled from Thailand, the investigators said.


Japan ready to support France in rebuilding Notre Dame Cathedral

Abstract: The government expressed willingness to support France in restoring the Notre Dame Cathedral, while officials and notable Japanese figures expressed sadness after Paris’ iconic Catholic church was badly damaged by fire. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a message to French President Emmanuel Macron, saying that he was “greatly shocked” to see the famous cathedral engulfed in flames. “Our hearts are with France at this time of huge loss,” Abe was quoted by the Foreign Ministry as telling Macron. “The Japanese government will consider providing support if requested by the French government,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference. “It was a loss for the world and we feel deeply sad,” Suga said, referring to the fire at the World Heritage site on Monday, which burned through its roof and caused the toppling of the building’s 90-meter spire. Japanese celebrities conveyed their sadness and grief about the tragedy. Award-winning actress Keiko Kishi, a Paris resident noted for her starring role in the 1983 film “The Makioka Sisters” (“Sasameyuki”), said, “Notre Dame is a symbol of Paris. I often took walks along the banks of the River Seine and passed by the cathedral.” “It’s regrettable that something like this happened to a structure that even survived World War II,” she said. Actor Kanji Ishimaru, the Japanese voice of protagonist Quasimodo in Disney’s animation “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” said, “The cathedral has been an important presence in my life as an actor and I’ve visited the church a number of times.” “Watching clips of the blaze saddened me deeply. I hope the reconstruction begins as quickly as possible,” he added. It was not only celebrities who expressed their sympathy for the people of Paris. Kyoto Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa sent his best wishes to Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, saying he hopes the cathedral can be rebuilt to its former glory. Kyoto and Paris have been sister cities since 1958. Yuta Naiki, who regularly hosts French language and cultural exchange events at a Tokyo cafe he manages, said, “Notre Dame is a symbolic presence, even among the many churches in the city.” Miki Kato, a daughter of renowned shogi player Hifumi Kato and the head of the Catholic research center at Sendai Shirayuri Women’s College, also conveyed her sadness about the fire as she reminisced about her visit to Notre Dame just last month. “(The church’s) magnificence was unlike any other church, and the many visitors and locals praying there left an impression,” she said. Noting that Notre Dame held a service for victims of the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit Sendai and other areas of northeastern Japan, Kato said, “It is now our turn to support France. I pray for (the cathedral’s) recovery.” The church is among the most famous landmarks in Paris. Located on a small island in the River Seine, the church was completed in 1345 and was the site of numerous historical moments, including the vandalism it suffered during the 18th-century French Revolution and the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804.

france
yoshihide suga
fires
paris
notre dame


Japanese luxury vehicles being smuggled into sanctions-hit North Korea, source says

Abstract: Japanese-made luxury vehicles that were used by Chinese military forces are being smuggled into North Korea through the Chinese border city of Dandong, Liaoning province, an informed source said. While such vehicles are among luxury goods whose export to North Korea is banned under U.N. sanctions, it is believed that many banned items are secretly being brought into the reclusive country through informal channels at the China-North Korea border. According to the source in Dandong, who is familiar with the Chinese and North Korean situations, photographs were taken of two Toyota Land Cruisers in the city last month. The vehicles were to be brought into North Korea, the source said. They were originally used by the People’s Liberation Army but were not disposed of through official channels, the source said. It is not clear which organization or organizations in North Korea bought the vehicles. The vehicles cost about $13,000 each, the source said. It appears that the vehicles were in use for more than 10 years. Ahead of delivery to North Korea, they were repainted and had other exterior maintenance work. “It is unlikely that the Chinese military is involved (in the smuggling) systematically. Some people related to the military appear to have sold the used vehicles through informal channels to make extra money,” the source said. Used vehicles are being delivered illegally to North Korea by boat and other means, skipping formal procedures at Chinese customs and avoiding detection. The source said that used heavy construction machinery is also being smuggled into North Korea. “There are dealers specializing in smuggling. There must be collaborators among border control officials,” the source said. Meanwhile, another source familiar with the situation in North Korea said that Chinese authorities have intensified crackdowns on smuggling since the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which took place late February in Vietnam, ended without a deal. Chinese authorities may be taking action at the wish of the United States and others at a time when strengthened border controls by China have made transactions through official channels difficult, leading to more widespread smuggling.

north korea
smuggling
sanctions
people 's liberation army
toyota land cruiser


Ecuador to appeal Amazon oil exploration ruling won by tribe

Abstract: QUITO - The Ecuadorian government announced Saturday it will appeal a ruling won by the country’s Waorani indigenous tribe that blocks oil companies’ entry onto ancestral Amazonian lands for exploration activities. The Ministry of Energy and Non-renewable Natural Resources said in a statement it “will appeal the decision, given that although documents and videos were presented and compliance with all standards was demonstrated, these were not taken into account.” After two weeks of deliberations, a criminal court in Puyo, central Ecuador, on Friday accepted a Waorani bid for court protection in Pastaza province to stop an oil bidding process after the government moved to open up around 180,000 hectares for exploration. The lands are protected under Ecuador’s constitution that establishes the “inalienable, unseizable and indivisible” rights of indigenous people “to maintain possession of their ancestral lands and obtain their free adjudication.” Crucially, however, the wealth in the subsoil is owned by the state. The constitution also enshrines the need for prior consultation on any plans to exploit the underground resources, given the probable environmental and cultural impacts on tribal communities. The state reached an agreement with the Waorani over oil exploration in 2012, but the tribe’s leaders said they were duped. The judges ordered the government to conduct a new consultation, applying standards set by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, based in San Jose.

courts rights oil ecuador amazon ethnicity


Xi Jinping's wins and losses at second Belt and Road Forum

Abstract: BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted some 5,000 delegates from across the globe at a Belt and Road Forum in Beijing last week to discuss his signature infrastructure project, which began in 2013 to rebuild ancient trading routes across Eurasia. This year’s gathering eschewed the pageantry of the inaugural summit in 2017, as Beijing tried to address international criticism by toning down its rhetoric and tightening oversight. Here are three takeaways from the summit, and how Xi fared in the international spotlight. A chastened Xi Compared with his keynote speech two years ago, Xi was more muted on the “Belt and Road” initiative’s growing presence in other countries. The president stuck to discussing steps China is taking to clean up the project, and vowed “zero tolerance” on corruption. People’s Bank of China Gov. Yi Gang said the central bank would “build an open, market-oriented financing and investment system,” and the government released its analysis framework for debt sustainability. Xi didn’t announce new numbers on upcoming investment into the program, though he said $64 billion worth of deals were signed at last week’s forum. In 2017, he said China would add 100 billion yuan ($14.8 billion) to the Silk Road Fund and two state-owned banks would provide special loans for BRI projects worth 380 billion yuan in total. This year’s joint statement — released after Xi chaired a round table with participating leaders — repeatedly called for “high-quality” projects and standards. The 2017 communique didn’t use the phrase. The document also encouraged developed nations to invest in “connectivity projects” in developing countries, and said cooperation “will be open, green and clean.” “International lenders will not invest in a project that has not been de-risked or is not financially viable,” said Daniel Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “China’s challenge now is to demonstrate that the forum’s lofty rhetoric about ‘Green BRI’ and ‘Clean BRI’ has been translated into action throughout the Belt and Road.” Rehabilitation signals China’s efforts to rehabilitate the image of the initiative did have some success, drawing eight more heads of state to this year’s conference. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, previously one of the biggest critics of the initiative in Southeast Asia, said his country is fully supportive and stands to benefit from its BRI project. Earlier this month, Malaysia struck a deal with China to resume the East Coast Rail Link project for 44 billion ringgit ($10.7 billion) — down from 65.5 billion ringgit — after deciding to terminate it in January. In March, Italy became the first Group of Seven country to sign up for the BRI, a big win for Beijing that also raised alarm bells in the region. At last week’s forum, developed countries including Austria, Switzerland and Singapore signed up for so-called third-party market cooperation. Japan, France, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Australia have already signed the document, agreeing to help build infrastructure in developing countries. “The attendance of some EU countries leaders show the projects are attractive to some developed countries which also have their own domestic economic issues,” said Suisheng Zhao, executive director of the Center for China-U.S. Cooperation at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies. “Since the trade war with the U.S. broke out, China has re-examined its leverage in its relations with major countries and readjusted some accordingly.” Trade message While Xi made no mention of the ongoing trade war with the U.S. in his speech on Friday, a large part of it alluded to the major issues in the negotiations — such as cleaning up state subsidies, reducing nontariff barriers, boosting imports and protecting intellectual property. China won’t engage in currency devaluation that “harms others,” Xi said in the speech. The phrase mirrors language he’s used to describe China’s diplomatic policies. Bloomberg News reported earlier that the U.S. was asking China to keep the value of the yuan stable to neutralize any effort to soften the blow of U.S. tariffs. While he reiterated Chinese talking points about opening up, Xi specifically highlighted the significance of implementation, another sticking point in the China-U.S. trade talks. “We will establish a binding enforcement system for international agreements,” Xi told the forum. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said the two sides have “pretty much agreed on” a mechanism for sticking to the trade deal. “It’s clear that Xi sought to use this year’s Belt and Road Forum as a platform to pursue multiple objectives: to re-brand the Belt and Road and also to telegraph to the United States that he is prepared — rhetorically, at least — to address American concerns that have led to the current trade confrontation,” said Daniel Kliman, senior fellow in the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security.

china
aid
xi jinping
development
belt and road


Major Japanese firms project 1.1% profit drop, survey finds

Abstract: Major Japanese nonfinancial companies project a 1.1 percent drop in their group net profit for the year ending in March 2020, a Jiji Press survey has found. The survey covered 243 companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s first section that have released earnings results for the fiscal year which ended last month. Their combined market value represents 36 percent of the total in the section. Industrial robot maker Fanuc Corp. estimates a 60 percent net profit fall, anticipating continued weakness in capital investment in China. Advantest Corp. forecasts a drop of 50 percent or more in its net profit amid expectations that sluggish memory-chip demand will weigh on sales of its semiconductor testing devices. “Many companies, mainly those related to capital investment, are cautious about their outlooks,” said Kazuhiro Takahashi, an equity strategist at Daiwa Securities Co. Nidec Corp. expects a 21 percent net profit increase, believing that motor demand in China will recover in the second half. Hitachi Ltd. expects its net profit to nearly double from the previous year, when it booked losses related to the suspension of its nuclear plant construction project in Britain. The 243 firms reported a 1.2 percent net profit increase for the year which ended last March. The number of firms that reported higher profits nearly matched that of firms with lower profits. A final tally may show a net profit decline for the year as many companies that have yet to report results plan to book massive charges.


The mystery of the 'Salvator Mundi,' the world's most costly painting

Abstract: PARIS - Later this year, the Louvre in Paris will host an exhibition of masterpieces by the Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci to mark his death 500 years ago in France. But the work that in recent months has been the intense focus of scrutiny by the media and Leonardo specialists may not be on show. In 2017, Leonardo’s “Salvator Mundi” was sold at auction by Christie’s for a record $450 million. But it has not been displayed in public since, triggering doubts about its ownership, its whereabouts and its authenticity. The painting, a portrait of Jesus, was to go on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi last September. But its unveiling was postponed by the museum without any explanation. The Louvre Abu Dhabi has kept tight-lipped about the identity of the buyer, saying only that the emirate’s Department of Culture and Tourism had “acquired” it. And the mystery has further deepened ahead of a visit by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who will join French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday on a trip to the Loire Valley to mark the anniversary of Leonardo’s death there in 1519 at the age of 67. “The Louvre has asked the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi for the painting to be given on loan,” a Louvre spokesperson said. “But we have not yet had any reply.” According to the Wall Street Journal, the buyer of the picture was Saudi Prince Badr ben Abdallah, acting in the name of powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He has never confirmed or denied the report. Badr was appointed to head the kingdom’s Culture Ministry in a government shake-up in June. Saudi Arabia and the neighboring United Arab Emirates are very close allies that are both engaged militarily in the war against rebels in Yemen. Mohammed bin Salman, known more commonly as MBS, is also a close confidant of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed, who along with Macron opened the Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2017, the first foreign institution to carry the name of the great Paris museum. The painting’s disappearance comes as MBS’s international reputation has taken a battering over the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, in which he has denied any involvement. Artprice, the leading art market information service, said clerics from Sunni Islam’s leading authority, the Al Azhar university in Cairo, told MBS the painting could not be displayed on religious grounds.Jesus is seen as a prophet within Islam, which prohibits any physical depiction of God. But the picture portrays him as a savior and thus a deity. Many art experts remain unconvinced of the painting’s authenticity. “Certain details are very telling,” said Jacques Franck, a specialist in Leonardo’s technique, pointing to the poor depiction of a finger and other elements that are “anatomically impossible.” He said that at the time the canvas was painted, Leonardo had his workshop complete certain paintings because he himself had very little time. Daniel Salvatore Schiffer, another Leonardo expert, also believes the painting was not done by the Italian master. “When you analyze the details, nothing is by Leonardo — it doesn’t have his spirit.” Ben Lewis, an art historian who wrote “The Last Leonardo,” said London’s National Gallery, which exhibited the painting in 2011, had not taken on board the advice of five experts who were sent to authenticate the painting. Although two of them believed it was authentic, another didn’t, and the others were unsure. But the painting was presented at the exhibition as a genuine work by Leonardo. But Diane Modestini, who worked on the restoration of the painting from 2005, said she did not understand the controversy, insisting that “Leonardo da Vinci painted it.” A Christie’s spokesman said: “We stand by the thorough research and scholarship that led to the attribution of this painting in 2010. No new discussion or speculation since the 2017 sale at Christie’s has caused us to revisit its position.” The Louvre says its exhibition, due to open in Paris in the autumn, will bring together “a unique group of artworks that only the Louvre could bring together” in addition to its own outstanding Leonardo collection. But whether people will be able to draw their own conclusions by actually seeing the “Salvator Mundi” remains to be seen. “If the Louvre has still not received a response (from Abu Dhabi) months before the exhibition, it is because the work will not be exhibited there,” said Franck. Schiffer said it could end up being a positive thing for the Paris gallery, which could see its “reputation and credibility tarnished” if the work was exhibited.

saudi arabia
art
auctions
leonardo da vinci
mohammed bin salman


Elite U.S. Navy SEAL facing war crimes charges for killings in Iraq

Abstract: LOS ANGELES - Stabbing a teenage prisoner to death, picking off a young girl and an old man with a sniper rifle and firing a heavy machine gun into a residential area: these are some of the charges facing an elite U.S. Navy SEAL on trial for war crimes while deployed in Iraq. Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, a decorated 39-year-old veteran of combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, is still a hero in the eyes of many Americans and the right-wing Fox News channel — and his case may even become a factor in next year’s presidential elections. Around 40 Republican members of Congress have written an open letter demanding Gallagher — who denies the charges against him — be set free until he stands trial. One has even called on President Donald Trump to step in and have the case dismissed. Trump has weighed in on the case on Twitter, saying that he had intervened to ensure that Gallagher — who was nominated for the Silver Star for his service — “will soon be moved to less restrictive confinement while he awaits his day in court.” Trump wrote that the move was made “in honor of his past service to our Country.” Gallagher, a platoon commander of SEAL Team 7, will face a military tribunal at a Navy base in San Diego on May 28. He was arrested last September and has been held at the base ever since. He was arrested after men under his command in the elite navy unit were so horrified by his actions that they complained to their superiors, but were warned that their accusations could damage their careers, according to reports in The Navy Times and The New York Times last week. Gallagher now faces charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder and obstruction of justice. He could be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty. The crimes he stands accused of were committed in 2017 during a deployment in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. U.S. special forces were fighting alongside Iraqi troops to take back parts of the town from Islamic State group fighters. His lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. According to testimony at a preliminary hearing last November, members of Gallagher’s Alpha platoon were so disturbed by his behavior that they tampered with his sniper rifle to make it less accurate, and would fire warning shots to make civilians flee before he could open fire on them. “They said they spent more time protecting civilians than they did fighting ISIS,” Special Agent Joe Warpinski of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service told the military court. Their chief allegedly boasted about the number of people he had killed, including women, according to The New York Times. In May 2017, Iraqi troops captured a wounded teenage Islamic State fighter who appeared to be around 15 years old. Two members of the SEAL team said that as a medic was treating the fighter’s wounds, Gallagher stepped up without a word and stabbed the prisoner in the neck and side several times. He then posed for a photo holding up the teenager’s head in one hand and the knife in the other, the two SEALs said. He went on to stand over the youth’s body and perform a re-enlistment ceremony while another member of the team held up a U.S. flag, they said. According to the charge sheet, soldiers from his unit tried on several occasions to alert their superiors about the alleged war crimes, but without success. Seven of them said they were told they could face retaliation if they went public with the case, but finally managed to bring their concerns to a higher-ranking officer. Gallagher’s commanding officer, Lt. Jacob Portier, reportedly posed in the photo with the dead teenager and is himself facing charges for failing to report the crimes and for destroying evidence. Navy prosecutor Chris Czaplak said Gallagher had “handed ISIS propaganda manna from heaven” by deciding to “act like the monster the terrorists accuse us of being.”

u.s .
terrorism
military
rights
afghanistan
iraq
war crimes
islamic state


San Diego-area synagogue shooting leaves one worshipper dead, three wounded

Abstract: POWAY, CALIFORNIA - A gunman walked into a San Diego-area synagogue crowded with Sabbath worshippers on Saturday and opened fire with an assault-style rifle, killing one woman inside and wounding three others in a hate crime carried out on the last day of Passover, authorities said. The suspect, who fled the scene by car but surrendered to police a short time later, was identified by authorities as John Earnest, 19, of San Diego, the apparent author of a “manifesto” who claimed to have set a nearby mosque on fire last month and professed drawing inspiration from the gunman who killed nearly 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand. San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said police and FBI were investigating Earnest’s “possible involvement” in an unsolved predawn arson on March 24 at the Islamic Center of Escondido, a town about 15 miles (24 km) north of the synagogue attacked on Saturday. No one was hurt at the mosque fire. Gore said Earnest had “no prior criminal record.” The gun violence at the Congregation Chabad synagogue in the town of Poway, California, about 23 miles (37 km) north of downtown San Diego, unfolded six months to the day after 11 worshippers were killed and six others were wounded by a gunman who stormed the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh yelling, “All Jews must die.” The assailant in that massacre, said to be the deadliest attack ever against Jews on U.S. soil, was arrested. Saturday’s Passover violence followed a recent spate of deadly attacks on houses of worship around the world. Suicide bombings during Easter Sunday services at several churches in Sri Lanka killed more than 250 people. A gunman who opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15 left 49 people dead and more than 40 wounded, some as they knelt in prayer. Poway Mayor Steve Vaus characterized Saturday’s shooting as a “hate crime,” saying his assessment was based on statements uttered by the gunman when he entered the synagogue. At a news conference later, Gore told reporters: “Clearly it’s being investigated as a homicide, but we’re also looking at the hate crime possible violation as well as federal civil rights violations.” A rambling, violently anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim screed written by an individual calling himself John Earnest was found posted to the online text-storage site Pastebin.com and the file-storage site Mediafire.com . Links to the content on both sources were posted on the Internet message board 8chan. In that letter, the author also claimed credit for the Escondido mosque arson, which was put out by congregates inside who were alerted by the smell of smoke. Local media at the time reported that a message scrawled on the driveway of the mosque mentioned the New Zealand massacre. Speaking with reporters at the White House about Saturday’s attack, U.S. President Donald Trump said, “My deepest sympathies go to the people that were affected.” He added that “it looks like a hate crime” and that authorities will “get to the bottom of it.” Gore told reporters that four people were struck by gunfire and taken to Palomar Medical Center, where one of the victims, an “older woman,” died. The three other patients — “two adult males” and a “female juvenile” — were listed in stable condition, Gore said. Authorities later identified one of the victims as the rabbi, who underwent surgery for treatment of “defensive wounds to his index fingers.” The sheriff’s office said the two other patients, a 34-year-old man and the girl, were each struck by shrapnel but were “doing well.” The attack occurred shortly before 11:30 a.m. in Poway, a suburb of about 50,000 residents, when the suspect walked into the synagogue and started shooting, Gore said. As he was making his getaway, an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent opened fire on the suspect, striking the vehicle but apparently missing the suspect, according to Gore. The gunman was arrested a short time later when he gave himself up to police. A San Diego officer was en route to the shooting scene when he overheard a California Highway Patrol (CHP) radio dispatch “of a suspect who had called into CHP to report that he was just involved in this shooting and his location,” San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit recounted. “The officer was actually on the freeway and he clearly saw the suspect in his vehicle. The suspect pulled over and jumped out of his car with his hands up and was immediately taken into custody,” Nisleit said. He said the assault-style rifle believed to be the murder weapon was found on the front passenger seat of the car. Local television channel KGTV 10News said the synagogue was hosting a holiday celebration beginning at 11 a.m. and due to culminate in a final Passover meal at 7 p.m. Authorities said about 100 people were inside the temple, where Saturday services marking the Jewish Sabbath would have been under way or have just concluded. A man who lives nearby, Christopher Folts, said on CNN he heard six to seven gunshots, then a man yelling, followed by six to seven more shots. Cantor Caitlin Bromberg of Ner Tamid Synagogue, down the street from the shooting scene, said her congregation learned of the shooting at the end of their Passover services and that they were heading to Chabad of Poway to show support and help. “We are horrified and upset, and we want them to know we are thinking of them,” Bromberg told The Los Angeles Times, adding that she has not heard from Chabad of Poway leadership because they would not normally use the phone during the Sabbath. “They would only do that on emergency basis, if they do it at all,” Bromberg told the newspaper.

religion
guns
u.s .
mass shootings
donald trump


Questions swirl around Saudi royal officials in Khashoggi trial

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Two top Saudi royal advisers have been linked to journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. One has been labeled the “ringleader,” but questions are swirling over the absence of the other in the closed-door trial of 11 suspects, multiple sources have said. Saudi prosecutors have said deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri oversaw The Washington Post columnist’s killing in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate last October and that he was advised by the royal court’s media czar, Saud al-Qahtani. Both aides were part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s tight-knit inner circle and have formally been sacked over the killing, but only al-Assiri has appeared in the five court hearings since January, according to four Western officials privy to the information. “Qahtani is not among the 11 facing trial,” one of the officials said. “What does his absence mean? Are the Saudis keen to protect him, or discipline him separately? No one knows.” Last November, the kingdom’s public prosecutor indicted 11 unnamed suspects, including five who could face the death penalty over the murder. Diplomats from the United Nations Security Council’s permanent members — the U.S., Britain, France, China, Russia — as well as Turkey are allowed to attend as observers of the legal proceedings, which are held entirely in Arabic. They are not allowed to bring interpreters and are usually summoned at short notice, the sources said. A representative of the Khashoggi family — which this month rejected reports of a settlement with the Saudi government — has attended at least one court session, they said. Maher Mutreb, an intelligence operative who frequently traveled with the crown prince on foreign tours, forensic expert Salah al-Tubaigy and Fahad al-Balawi, a member of the Saudi royal guard, are among the 11 on trial who could face the death penalty, the officials said. The defendants are allowed legal counsel. Many of them have defended themselves in court by saying they were carrying out orders by al-Assiri, describing him as the “ringleader” of the operation, according to the officials. Al-Assiri, lionized in Saudi military ranks as a war hero, does not face the death penalty, the Western officials added. Believed to have previously worked closely with U.S. intelligence, he is also not named in two American sanctions lists of Saudis implicated in the murder. Al-Qahtani, who led fiery social media campaigns against critics of the kingdom and was seen as a conduit to the crown prince, is on both lists. He met the Saudi hit squad team before they left for Turkey to share “useful information related to the mission based on his specialization in media,” according to the Saudi prosecutor’s office. But he has not appeared publicly since the murder, and his current whereabouts are a subject of fevered speculation. Some Saudis claim he continues to peddle influence behind the scenes, but others say he is lying low, waiting for the international outrage over the murder to subside. Washington Post columnist David Ignatius reported earlier this year that the crown prince continues to seek his counsel, citing U.S. and Saudi sources. “Qahtani holds a lot of files and dossiers,” Ignatius quoted one American who met the crown prince as saying. “The idea that you can have a radical rupture with him is unrealistic.” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who faces intense scrutiny in Congress over Washington’s close relations with Riyadh, has urged the crown prince to sever his ties with al-Qahtani, two Western officials said. The CIA has reportedly said the murder was likely ordered by the crown prince, the de facto ruler and heir to the throne. Saudi authorities strongly deny the allegation, and in private conversations with Western officials they have instead criticized Turkish authorities for failing to stop the murder. “Their intelligence knew that a (Saudi) hit squad was coming. They could have stopped them!” one of them quoted a Saudi official as saying. Turkish officials were the first to report Khashoggi’s murder and have continued to press Saudi Arabia for information on the whereabouts of his dismembered body, which has yet to be found. Agnes Callamard, the United Nations special rapporteur conducting an independent inquiry into the killing, last month condemned what she called a lack of transparency in the legal proceedings and demanded an open trial. The kingdom “is grievously mistaken if it believes that these proceedings, as currently constituted, will satisfy the international community,” she said. It was unclear when the Saudi trial will conclude. This month, a coalition of seven international human rights and press freedom groups called on Britain, France, and the U.S. to issue public reports on the trial. Secret trial proceedings “run the risk of enabling the authorities in Riyadh to find a set of individuals guilty, without due process, while whitewashing the possible involvement of the highest levels of the Saudi government,” the coalition said in an open letter.

murder
saudi arabia
mohammed bin salman
jamal khashoggi
saud al-qahtani
ahmed al-assiri


Julian Assange alleges extortion and espionage while he was in Ecuador Embassy

Abstract: MADRID - Julian Assange’s lawyers have filed a court complaint in Spain against a group of Spaniards they allege extorted the WikiLeaks founder, whom they say may have been the victim of “espionage,” a source in his defence team said Saturday. Assange, who for seven years lived holed up in London’s Ecuadorian embassy, where he had taken refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden on rape accusations, was arrested on April 11 after Quito terminated his asylum. The 47-year-old founder of WikiLeaks, which exposed everything from U.S. military secrets to the wealthy’s tax evasion, is now awaiting sentencing for breaching his British bail conditions in 2012. The source, who wished to remain anonymous, said the complaint was against “a group of Spaniards who allegedly engaged in extortion.” The source told AFP the complaint was also against various employees of the embassy and Ecuador’s foreign ministry “who could be responsible,” without detailing how. The source added a probe was ongoing into the alleged extortion, as well as “espionage” that could have taken place against Assange, without giving further details. According to online daily eldiario.es , four Spaniards have videos and personal documents of Assange that they somehow obtained via an alleged spying system that included security cameras set up in the embassy in London. The Spaniards allegedly tried to extort €3 million ($3.3 million) out of WikiLeaks not to publish any of it, the report says. If confirmed, it is unclear how the Spaniards got access to the alleged spying system and were able to get the information about Assange. It is also unclear whether his lawyers accuse the embassy and ministry employees targeted in the complaint, reportedly made to Spain’s top-level National Court, of being behind the alleged espionage. The National Court could not comment when contacted by AFP. The accusations of espionage contrast with Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno’s version of events. In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, he alleged Assange had himself tried to set up a “centre for spying” in Ecuador’s embassy. Now in prison in Britain, Assange is also fighting a U.S. extradition warrant relating to the release by WikiLeaks of a huge cache of official documents.

ecuador
espionage
julian assange
wikileaks


Oliver North out as NRA president after leadership dispute with CEO

Abstract: INDIANAPOLIS - Oliver North announced Saturday that he would not serve a second term as National Rifle Association president, making it clear he had been forced out by the gun lobby’s leadership after his own failed attempt to remove the NRA’s longtime CEO in a burgeoning divide over the group’s finances and media operations. “Please know I hoped to be with you today as NRA president endorsed for re-election. I’m now informed that will not happen,” North said in a statement that was read by Richard Childress, the NRA’s first vice president, to members at the group’s annual convention. North, whose one-year term ends Monday, did not show up for the meeting, and his spot on the stage was left empty, his nameplate still in its place. His statement was largely met with silence. Wayne LaPierre, whom North had tried to push out, later received two standing ovations. It was a stunning conclusion to a battle between two conservative and Second Amendment titans — North, the retired U.S. Marine lieutenant colonel with a ramrod demeanor who was at the center of the Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980s, and LaPierre, who has been battle-tested in the decades since he took up the mantle of gun rights. He has fought back challenges that have arisen over the decades, seemingly emerging unscathed each time. In this latest effort, he pushed back against North, telling members of the NRA’s board of directors that North had threatened to release “damaging” information about him to them and saying it amounted to an “extortion” attempt. Hundreds of the NRA’s estimated 5 million members packed the convention center in Indianapolis where the group’s annual meetings were being held. Near the end of the two-hour meeting, some members challenged efforts to adjourn and pushed to question the board about controversies involving its financial management, the relationship with its longtime public relations firm and details of what North sought to raise about alleged misspending, sexual harassment and other mismanagement. But those cries were drowned out as some board members urged such conversations not to be held at such a large public forum, even if the media were eventually discharged from the room. “We don’t want to give the other side any more information than they already have,” said Tom King, a board member from New York for more than a decade. Offered Marion Hammer, a former NRA president and longtime lobbyist from Florida: “The life’s blood of this organization is on the line. We are under fire from without. We do not need to be under attack from within.” The internal dispute first spilled out in public after the NRA in recent weeks filed a lawsuit against Ackerman McQueen, the Oklahoma-based public relations firm that has earned tens of millions of dollars in the decades since it began shaping the gun lobby’s fierce talking points. The NRA’s lawsuit accuses Ackerman McQueen of refusing to hand over financial records to account for its billings. North has a $1 million contract with Ackerman McQueen, raising alarm bells among some in the NRA about conflicts of interest. He has a show called “American Heroes” on NRATV, the online TV station created and operated by Ackerman McQueen. NRATV and Ackerman McQueen’s billings are at the center of the turmoil, with some members and board members questioning whether they were getting any value for the money devoted to that part of the operation. In 2017 alone, the NRA paid the firm $40 million. NRATV’s programming is provocative, often taking on topics far afield from gun rights, leading some members to wonder if it was damaging its efforts to further gun rights and bring in new members. The NRA also has faced financial and regulatory struggles in recent years, and there remain concerns that New York authorities in particular — the state where the NRA created its charter — are looking to strip it of its nonprofit status. An outside lawyer for the NRA, William A. Brewer, said Saturday that New York’s attorney general has opened an investigation into the organization. In his statement, North said a committee should be set up to review the NRA’s finances and operations. “There is a clear crisis and it needs to be dealt with” if the NRA is to survive, he said. Childress, who read North’s statement, said he only found out the night before that he would be asked to read it. A message left with the Freedom Alliance, a nonprofit group founded by North in the 1990s, seeking to contact North, was not immediately returned. In his speech later Saturday, LaPierre stuck to standard NRA talking points, going after the mainstream media and lawmakers who seek to restrict gun rights. He told the crowd that efforts to strip away gun rights will fail. “We won’t accept it. We will resist it. We won’t give an inch,” he said. North, 75, was a military aide to the National Security Council during the Reagan administration in the 1980s when he entered the spotlight for his role in arranging the secret sale of weapons to Iran and the diversion of the proceeds to the anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua. He was convicted in 1989 of obstructing Congress during its investigation, destroying government documents and accepting an illegal gratuity. Those convictions were overturned in 1991. Embraced by many on the right, he went on to run for office, write several books and serve as a commentator on Fox News.

guns
nra
u.s .
scandals
wayne lapierre
oliver north


Despite record diversity, 70-something white men rule 2020 race

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Democrats seeking to reclaim the White House are calling for generational change. It may be time for a woman, they say, or a minority figure. But for all the talk of breaking new presidential ground, the opposition party’s top candidates to become the new boss look about the same as the current boss: white, male and pretty old. President Donald Trump is a 72-year-old billionaire, and for many he epitomizes the white male privilege that Democrats often decry. But the top two candidates leading the race to replace him are pale, male and stale, too. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who jumped into the race Thursday, is 76 and has spent the bulk of his life in national politics, while Sen. Bernie Sanders, 77, has been in Congress since 1991. The two men’s dominance in the 2020 Democratic field is at odds with last year’s midterms, when record numbers of women and minorities were elected to the most diverse U.S. Congress ever. The presidential race itself is historically diverse: six women, three blacks, a Hispanic former Cabinet member, an Asian—American, a Hindu congresswoman and a gay military-veteran mayor. Nine are under 50. The 2020 campaign “calls for a new generation of leadership,” candidate Pete Buttigieg, the Indiana mayor, who at 37 is less than half Biden’s age, said recently. And yet it is the two septuagenarians who currently dominate the nominations landscape, with Biden at 29 percent and Sanders at 23 percent in the latest RealClearPolitics polling average. No one else is in double digits. The Democratic candidates with the more traditional profiles, Biden and Sanders — each of whom has run for president before — have the strongest name recognition. That has “significant influence on polling at this point,” said Kelly Dittmar, an expert at the Center for American Women and Politics. Unlike recent congressional elections, “presidential politics has been the most dominated by men, and masculinity, for all of our history.” Dittmar said that is true not just in who inhabits the office, but in the norms of behavior and expectations voters place in presidential leaders. A woman, of course, has made the case that it is possible to shatter that presidential shield of masculinity, as Hillary Clinton did when she won more popular votes than Trump in 2016. There are signs that a post-Clinton mindset has yet to evolve. The hype that accompanied the entry into the race by Texan Beto O’Rourke (6.3 percent in polling), a white 40-something ex-congressman with a thin resume, contrasted sharply with the muted coverage of the rollout by progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren (6.5 percent). She was the first heavyweight to enter the race and is the candidate with the most concrete policy platform, but she has been spinning her wheels in the polls. O’Rourke, who literally wandered in the wilderness before launching his campaign, appeared to acknowledge the hand he has been dealt. “As a white man who has had privileges that others could not depend on, or take for granted, I’ve clearly had advantages over the course of my life,” he told NBC News in Iowa. Dittmar said she is not confident that Sanders and Biden, unlike O’Rourke, “have gotten to that point in which they realize … the limitations they have as older white men in being able to understand the challenges of women and communities of color.” Those limits came into sharp relief this past week. Biden faced awkward questions about refusing to directly apologize to women who said they were made uncomfortable by his touching and the affectionate gestures he lavished on them. Sanders was booed by black women at a conference when he conveyed a 56-year-old anecdote about marching with civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. when asked how he would combat racism and advocate for people of color. Such gestures by the front-runners are “not enough,” Dittmar said. Both Sanders and Biden have built campaign teams that reflect America’s diversity. But they will need to speak “in a more detailed way about how you’re going to best empathize with the experiences of women and communities of color in a way that goes beyond a tag line, or one thing you did” in the past, Dittmar added.

aging
joe biden
bernie sanders
donald trump
2020 u.s. presidential election


Trump, U.S. media in open war on annual dinner date

Abstract: WASHINGTON - It’s meant to be the annual Washington love-in, a dinner where White House journalists and the president yuck it up in a hotel ballroom. But this Saturday, President Donald Trump stood up his dates. Members of the White House Correspondents’ Association, or WHCA, were decked out in bow ties and gowns at the downtown Washington Hilton. Trump, however, was 685 miles (1100 kilometers) away in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for a rally with his baseball cap-wearing supporters. As usual, he devoted portions of his speech — like most of his speeches — to haranguing the “fake news media” or “enemy of the people.” “They are fakers,” he said of the media to a typically boisterous crowd. “I’ll tell you, you know what sucks? Their ratings suck because people don’t believe them.” Back in Washington, the WHCA’s president Olivier Knox told attendees he did not want to dwell on Trump — but called for a rejection of the president’s rhetoric. “Fake news and enemies of the people are not punchlines, pet names or presidential. And we should reject politically expedient assaults on the men and women whose hard work makes it possible to hold the powerful to account,” he said. Although there’s nothing obligatory about attending WHCA dinners, presidents have usually done so at some point during their time in office every year since the inaugural version in 1921. Ronald Reagan was the last absentee in 1981 and he had a decent excuse: being recently shot in an assassination attempt. Trump, however, has boycotted what he calls the “boring” and “negative” party for three years in a row — his entire presidency so far. The gala used to be a glamorous affair where hundreds of journalists, Hollywood celebrities and the president were entertained by a top-drawer comedian or other talent. Now the celebs have drained away and this year even the comedian was missing. A presidential historian, Ron Chernow, was set to deliver the main speech instead. Underlining the snub, Trump ordered staff, including chief press secretary Sarah Sanders — who appeared onstage in Wisconsin — to also refuse invitations. It’s the latest shot in what the president sees as his war against a media machine refusing to give him fair coverage. Trump’s main weapon is Twitter, which he uses daily to reach some 60 million followers. Millions more follow him on other platforms. The other main way of bypassing potentially critical outlets is his extraordinary relationship with Fox News, the Rupert Murdoch-owned network which has been criticized for coming to resemble state television. Even if many of the news journalists maintain their independence, some of the most prominent anchors and hosts show nothing but loyalty to Trump. They’re rewarded with exclusive access to administration officials and to the president himself. Meanwhile, other outlets are mostly kept at arm’s length. The news briefing room in the White House, which used to see nearly daily Q&A sessions under previous presidents, has been all but abandoned. Trump is unusually accessible, but mostly through often chaotic, informal gatherings, while Saturday marks the 48th day since Sanders held a full briefing. When they’re not being ignored, White House journalists can expect to hear abuse. Trump’s rallies invariably include segments where he encourages the crowd to boo the reporters covering the event. For years, WHCA dinners were a chance to let the hair down in a notoriously serious town. Past performers include Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand. Since the 1980s, comedians have provided entertainment, making gentle and not-so-gentle fun, or “roasting,” the centerpiece of the dinner. Presidents were expected to give back as good as they got. A standout moment was Obama’s riff in 2011, when one of his comic targets in the VIP-packed audience was none other than Donald Trump. Last year, though, the jokes fell flat with organizers. Featured comedian Michelle Wolf tore into Sanders and caused as much offense as laughter. Even the WHCA thought it had gone too far, calling her routine “not in the spirit” of the occasion. Wolf called the WHCA “cowards.”