No injuries or fire reported after Ground Self-Defense Force helicopter crashes at west Tokyo base

Abstract: Both crew members escaped unharmed from a multipurpose military helicopter that made a crash landing at its camp in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, on Friday, the Ground Self-Defense Force said. The UH-1J helicopter was being flown in an emergency landing training exercise when it came down at Camp Tachikawa at around 9:55 a.m. The chopper was split in half and its main rotor damaged. No fire was reported at the scene. A pilot and co-pilot were on board at the time of the accident, according to the GSDF. “We apologize for making residents in the neighborhood anxious,” Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said at a news conference. Multipurpose helicopters are used for transporting personnel and materials, and to carry out rescue missions during disasters.

tokyo
self defense forces
helicopters
tachikawa
air accidents
tachikawa air base


Besieged by electric scooter startups, Paris lays down the law

Abstract: PARIS - Paris is cracking down on electric scooters after an anarchic year in which startups flooded the city’s streets with their vehicles. The French capital has 12 free-floating scooter operators, more than the entire United States, according to a study released Thursday, and about 20,000 of the two-wheeled vehicles. Broken scooters end up in some of the city’s famed gardens or are even tossed over bridges into the Seine, and the city’s sidewalks have become something of a battleground between riders and pedestrians. Mayor Anne Hidalgo says electric scooters have fallen into a legal gray zone and after repeated complaints and a spate of injuries and near-misses, the mayor and police want to limit speeds to 20 kph (12 mph) in most areas, and 8 kph (5 mph) in areas with heavy foot traffic, and prohibit parking anywhere but designated spaces. Hidalgo also plans to limit the number of operators to three and cap the number of scooters. The city already imposes €135 ($150) fines for riding on the sidewalk and €35 fines for blocking the sidewalk while parked. Operators are charged by the city for any broken scooters that need to be picked up by municipal workers. “We need order and rules to assure road safety and to calm the streets, sidewalks and neighborhoods of our city,” Hidalgo said Thursday. For Isabelle Vanbrabant, any regulations are too late. The pianist at Paris’ famed Opera was coming home from work last month and walking across a square near Les Halles when a rider on an electric scooter came up from behind, knocking her over and continuing on his way. She fell on her right arm, suffering multiple fractures. She yelled for the rider to return, which he then did, and to call for help. Her prognosis is uncertain. “I need this hand, I need to have it back,” she said. About a third of electric scooter riders in France are foreign tourists, according to the study by 6t-bureau conducted for a French government agency specializing in transport.

paris
startups
anne hidalgo
ev
electric scooters


BMW sells cars globally despite tariffs so sees no reason to change Mexico plans, says board member

Abstract: SAN LUIS POTOSI, MEXICO - BMW sees no reason to change its plans for Mexico in the wake of U.S. threats to slap duties on Mexican imports, a board member of the German carmaker said on Thursday, adding the company sells cars globally despite tariffs placed by most countries on imported vehicles. The automaker also foresees no immediate change to its investment plans for the North American region, said Oliver Zipse, BMW board member in charge of production. Zipse was in the central Mexican city of San Luis Potosi for the inauguration of a $1 billion BMW plant. Still, other automakers have warned that the imposition of punitive duties on Mexican imports could be damaging to the industry, with Toyota Motor Corp. saying on Tuesday the proposal could cost its major suppliers $1 billion. Last week, Trump said Mexico must take a harder line on stopping the flow of migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border or face 5 percent tariffs on all its exports to the United States from June 10, rising to as much as 25 percent later this year. BMW is producing its 3 series at the San Luis plant, which started up in April and has a capacity of up to 175,000 vehicles per year. The company plans to ship 2,000 vehicles to the United States from the new Mexican plant in April to July. “It will increase our already strong footprint in North America and provide us with further model variety in addition to our big SAV (sports activity vehicle) production plant in Spartanburg,” said Zipse in prepared remarks. BMW’s SAV is a form of sport utility vehicle (SUV).

u.s .
mexico
toyota
carmakers
tariffs
bmw
donald trump


Japan's economy still 'worsening' despite improvement in key index, government says

Abstract: The key index reflecting the current state of the Japanese economy rose in April, but the improvement was not enough to change the government’s assessment that it is “worsening,” the Cabinet Office said Friday. The office said its coincident index of business conditions for April climbed 0.8 point from the previous month to 101.9 against the 2015 base of 100, amid a recovery in domestic demand and exports of automobiles and motorcycles. “The figures related to manufacturing components are rising but they were not enough for (the government) to upgrade the assessment,” a Cabinet Office official told reporters. The latest assessment comes at a sensitive time, with the government planning to raise the consumption tax rate in October to 10 percent from 8 percent, a move that could dampen consumer spending. The government has said it will go ahead with the tax increase unless the world’s third-largest economy faces a shock on the scale of the financial crisis triggered by the 2008 collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. Last month, the Cabinet Office downgraded its economic assessment to “worsening” for the first time in over six years, signaling that the economy is heading into recession. In January, the office lowered its evaluation from “weakening” to “signaling a possible turning point.” The move raised doubts among economists about the government’s assertion that the country’s growth from December 2012 had likely surpassed the Izanami Boom, a 73-month streak from 2002 to 2008. A government panel will formally decide the length of the economic cycle after analyzing more data, a process that could take over a year. The leading index of business conditions, which predicts the trend in the coming months, was down 0.2 point from the previous month at 95.5 in April.

economy
economic indicators
consumption tax


Japanese government adopts draft bill to create high-tech 'supercities'

Abstract: The government on Friday adopted a draft bill to realize its “supercity” initiative to create cities that make use of artificial intelligence, big data and other advanced technologies. In such cities, autonomous driving, cashless payments, goods delivery by drone and novel services using sophisticated technologies will be introduced in an integrated manner. Initially, the government planned to submit to the Diet a bill to revise the national strategic special zone law by the end of March. But it was unable to do that because of difficulty obtaining support from the Cabinet Legislation Bureau for related deregulation. The bill is unlikely to pass the Diet before the end of the ongoing ordinary session, set for June 26. The draft bill stipulates procedures to realize the initiative. According to the bill, municipalities hoping to join the initiative will launch forums with the central government and private companies, draw up plans including necessary deregulation measures and submit applications to the state after securing the understanding of local residents. The prime minister will instruct government agencies to examine whether the measures can be implemented as regulatory exceptions, so that the plans can be realized swiftly. The government previously considered creating a system to ease state regulations in some areas based on local government ordinances. But the idea was abandoned as the use of local ordinances for such purposes could have violated the Constitution.

drones diet self-driving cashless supercities


Japan and U.S. trade negotiators likely to hold talks Thursday

Abstract: Economic revitalization minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Friday that he is arranging to hold trade negotiations with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington next Thursday. They are expected to exchange views on tariff reductions and elimination for agricultural items including beef, as well as for automobiles and other industrial products. Before the ministerial meeting, the Japanese and U.S. governments are expected to hold a working-level meeting to exchange data on current export volumes and tax rates for agricultural and industrial products, as well as work on other issues. “We have agreed to make an effort to narrow gaps in the positions of Japan and the United States,” Motegi told a news conference. “We aim to reach an agreement that would be beneficial to both sides.” The United States is urging Japan to open its agricultural markets further at an early date, while Japan is calling for the U.S. to scrap or lower its auto tariffs. At their summit talks in Tokyo in late May, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to accelerate bilateral trade talks, following a meeting between Motegi and Lighthizer in the capital.

shinzo abe
u.s .
agriculture
trade
carmakers
tariffs
donald trump


FCC votes to curb 'scourge' of robocalls, giving carriers OK to take blocking tactics

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted to help shield you from those unwanted telemarketers and scammers who warn you about fake tax problems or offer too-good-to-be-true vacation packages. The agency, on a 5-0 bipartisan vote, authorized carriers to automatically identify and block unwanted robocalls by using analytics that home in on sources of large bursts of calls, or place calls of brief duration, or other means. The measure applies to both landline and wireless telephone systems. “If there is one thing in our country right now that unites Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, socialists and libertarians, vegetarians and carnivores, Ohio State and Michigan fans, it is that they are sick and tired of being bombarded by unwanted robocalls,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said as the FCC prepared to vote. “We hear you and we are on your side.” Yet experts warn that callers slinging bogus tax bills and insurance schemes might still find a way to get through. Calls originating from overseas could present a technical challenge. And the measures are voluntary: phone companies won’t be required to take advantage of the call-blocking systems that the FCC is encouraging, and could charge consumers fees for using them. The FCC’s two Democrats said the call-blocking services should be offered for free. “Robocall solutions should be free to consumers. Full stop,” said Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. “I do not think that this agency should pat itself on the back for its efforts to reduce robocalls and then tell consumers to pay up.” Commissioner Michael O’Rielly, a Republican, said he was concerned about “giving carriers such vast discretion to decide which calls are unwanted.” The power could “lead to wanted calls containing highly pertinent consumer information being blocked,” he said. The goal is to blunt the onrush of robocalls to home and mobile phones — 4.7 billion in May, out of roughly 25 billion in the U.S. so far this year, according to an estimate from YouMail, a closely held company that offers call-blocking. YouMail tallied 48 billion robocalls last year, up from 31 billion in 2017. Robocalls are a top source of consumer complaints at the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission, which manages the national Do Not Call registry that prohibits some sales calls. At the FTC, Do Not Call complaints increased from 3.6 million in 2015 to 7.2 million in 2017 before dropping to 5.8 million in 2018. Each year more than half the calls prompting complaints were classified as robocalls. Callers are supposed to get prior consent before telephoning landlines with a recorded or artificial voice, or before calling mobile phones with automatically dialed or artificial voice messages, according to the FCC. The do-not-call rules don’t apply to political organizations, pollsters and survey takers, according to the FCC. The FCC’s proposal would let phone companies conduct call-blocking without gaining permission from subscribers. The order doesn’t require companies to tell customers what numbers will be blocked. Companies would need to offer consumers enough information to decide whether to stay in, or opt out — for instance, disclosing what types of calls would be blocked. The agency said it wanted to dispel an impression that call blocking would be a violation of its rules, which generally ensure calls are completed. The FCC’s proposed changes “are not enough. They’re not a magic bullet,” said Margot Saunders, an attorney with the National Consumer Law Center. The FCC is “nibbling around the edges” of the problem, Saunders said. She added that the agency should ensure that call-placing equipment remains covered by the law that requires consent for calls, despite an appeals court ruling last year. Judges tossed out earlier FCC regulations, saying the FCC’s language was too broad and could be construed to prohibit calls from any smartphone. The agency is considering its reaction. Consumer Reports in an emailed statement said the FCC had taken “constructive steps.” “There is still much more work to be done — including getting phone companies to implement anti-robocall technology, and ensuring that this service is provided to consumers free of charge,” said Maureen Mahoney, policy analyst for Consumer Reports. “The FCC also needs to issue strong rules clarifying the Telephone Consumer Protection Act’s coverage, to stop robocallers from attempting to evade it.” International scam calls may present a challenge because foreign operators’ equipment won’t be as helpful in labeling calls as legitimate or not, said Alex Quilici, chief executive officer of YouMail. “A lot of international calls, it’s going to be difficult to tell — is this spam, or a scam, or is it real?” he said. Verizon Communications Inc. in a statement called the FCC vote “welcome news.” “We intend to take advantage of the new flexibility the FCC is giving us,” Verizon Executive Vice President Ronan Dunne said in the statement. Business groups cautioned that the call blocking may not distinguish illegal telemarketing and scams from legitimate calls placed once they have consent from a subscriber. The ruling could block legitimate businesses, including credit unions, from contacting their members, the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions said. “In the event of fraud or a data breach, consumers could be left in the dark for days,” Carrie Hunt, executive vice president with the credit union group, said in an emailed statement. Phone companies may be reluctant to put in place aggressive call-blocking for fear of interfering with needed or wanted calls, said YouMail’s Quilici. He raised the example of an improperly blocked call from a pharmacy. “Grandma doesn’t get her prescription and something bad happens to her — that’s catastrophic,” Quilici said.

u.s .
phones
ftc
verizon
telecoms
fcc
analytics
ajit pai
robocalls


Richard Branson plans to tie up with ANA for satellite launch business in Japan

Abstract: Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit said Thursday it plans to bring its satellite launch system to Japan in partnership with airline operator ANA Holdings Inc., which will provide maintenance and possibly aircraft. Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne system is undergoing testing with the aim of launching rockets bearing small satellites into space from a modified jumbo jet. The company said it will conduct its first orbital test flight later this year. Separately, Branson’s space tourism company, Virgin Galactic, overcame years of delays to launch rocket planes to the edge of space in test missions in December and February. The latter flight carried a test passenger — chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses — for the first time, nudging the company closer to its goal of suborbital flights for space tourists. Branson is racing against competitors such as Blue Origin, the space business of Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX to carry tourists into space. Branson has said he plans to be the first passenger on a commercial flight in mid-2019, though the timeline has seen some movement. Virgin Orbit, which aims to offer launch services for small satellites, and ANA Holdings, the parent of All Nippon Airways (ANA), said in a joint statement that they will identify a launch site together with Space Port Japan, an industry-backed body that aims to turn Japan into a space business hub. The space venture has already announced launch sites in the United States, Guam, the U.K. and Italy. Japan’s space industry extends from large scale government-backed rocket launches by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. — which launched the Michibiki satellite navigation system — to Interstellar Technologies, a startup backed by internet entrepreneur Takafumi Horie that last month launched its first rocket to reach space.

space
ana
richard branson
rockets
virgin orbit


Huawei warns U.S. would hurt itself by cutting off tech ties

Abstract: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - A senior executive for Chinese technology giant Huawei said Thursday that he hopes the company’s animosity with the United States will be resolved and warned that the U.S. would be shooting itself in the foot if it were to shun Chinese technology. Mika Lauhde, Huawei’s vice president for cybersecurity and privacy, told The Associated Press that he hopes for a “positive resolution” of the standoff with the U.S. government and added that his company is not the “nucleus of the issue,” pointing to the wider trade war between the U.S. and China. The U.S. has imposed sanctions against the world’s No. 1 network equipment provider and second-largest smartphone maker, arguing that it is legally beholden to the Chinese government, which could use the company’s products for cyberespionage. Huawei denies these accusations. Lauhde said he doesn’t think that the U.S. will be severing all ties with Huawei and other Chinese technology companies, as that would be “driving itself into a corner.” “If they are disconnecting themselves from everybody, that’s (going to) happen vice versa as well,” he said, alluding to possible Chinese reaction. Some cybersecurity experts say that Washington, by going as far as warning other countries against working with Huawei actions, will only further encourage China to become more technically self-reliant and will be dividing the world into two tech camps. Lauhde rejected suggestion of a full split in the tech industry. “I don’t believe that we would be establishing two different camps,” he told AP. “I still believe that we are working together.” Technical ties between China and Russia, for one, are expanding. Russia’s major mobile operator MTS and Huawei on Wednesday announced a deal to jointly develop 5G networks in Russia. Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the ceremony at the Kremlin.

china
u.s .
tech
espionage
sanctions
huawei
5g


Dollar firmer above ¥108.40 in late Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar was firmer around ¥108.40 in Tokyo trading late Friday, but its movements were limited. Market players retreated to the sidelines to see developments in U.S. tariff talks with Mexico as well as U.S. government jobs data for May, due later on Friday. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥108.46, up from ¥108.23 at the same time Thursday. The euro was at $1.1262, up from $1.1231, and at ¥122.15, up from ¥121.57. The dollar’s firmness was a result of a media report that the United States is considering postponing tariffs on imports from Mexico, traders said. A rise in Japan’s Nikkei stock average gave another lift to the dollar by driving up risk appetite, they said. “The dollar remains supported by higher stock prices stemming from expectations for an interest rate cut in the United States, but players find it difficult to move either way amid uncertainty about U.S. tariffs on Mexico,” an official at a major Japanese securities house said. “The dollar’s downside is solid, and it’d be no surprise to see it rise above ¥108.90 if positive news comes out,” an official of a major Japanese bank said.

exchange rates
foreign exchange
forex
currencies


Tokyo stocks rebound on Wall Street rally

Abstract: Stocks bounced back on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Friday, with investor sentiment lifted by U.S. equities’ continued advance overnight. The 225-issue Nikkei average added 110.67 points, or 0.53 percent, to end at 20,884.71. On Thursday, the key market gauge edged down 2.06 points. The Topix index of all first-section issues was up 7.48 points, or 0.49 percent, at 1,532.39, after losing 5.17 points the previous day. The gains came after the Dow Jones industrial average extended its rally to a fourth day Thursday on a media report that the United States is considering postponing tariffs on imports from Mexico, brokers said. But Japanese stocks’ topside was limited, as investors refrained from active trading to see developments in U.S. tariff talks with Mexico as well as U.S. government jobs data for May, due later on Friday, brokers said. A strong yen weighed on Japanese stocks, Yutaka Miura, senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities Co. said, referring to another factor behind investors’ unwillingness to step up buying. Market players are also concerned about the impacts on Japanese corporate earnings from trade tensions between Washington and Beijing as well as U.S. tariffs on Mexico. “Amid a lack of strong buying incentives on the domestic front, the market’s rise was limited by lingering concerns over the outlook for the global economy and corporate earnings,” a brokerage official said. Rising issues outnumbered falling ones 1,499 to 560 in the TSE’s first section, while 82 issues were unchanged. Volume fell to 1.01 billion shares from 1.07 billion shares on Thursday. Semiconductor-related issues attracted purchases after their U.S. peers fared well overnight, with Advantest up 5.08 percent, Disco up 3.18 percent and Tokyo Electron up 2.81 percent. Oil names including Idemitsu, JXTG and Cosmo Energy were higher thanks to a rise in crude oil prices. Leopalace21, a scandal-tainted rental apartment developer, shot up 16.49 percent on buybacks after its recent drop. Among other winners were industrial robot producer Fanuc and Sony. By contrast, pulp and paper producers met with selling, with Nippon Paper down 1.90 percent, Oji down 1.89 percent and Daio Paper down 0.56 percent. Also on the negative side were West Japan Railway, or JR West, and Chubu Electric Power. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key June contract on the Nikkei average gained 180 points to end at 20,920.


Toyota to tie up with China's CATL on electric vehicles, with goal of EVs making up half of sales by 2030

Abstract: Toyota Motor Corp. aims to have half of its global sales come from electrified vehicles by 2025, five years ahead of schedule, and has said it will tie up with Chinese battery-makers to accommodate an accelerated shift to electric power. The change illustrates both the breakneck growth in the electric vehicle (EV) market — which is transforming the global auto industry — and an acknowledgment by Japan’s top automaker that it may not be able to meet demand for batteries on its own. There “may be a gap” between Toyota’s battery needs and what it can produce, as stringent emissions regulations expected in Europe, Japan and China fuel demand, Executive Vice President Shigeki Terashi told a briefing. Toyota said Friday that it would partner with leading Chinese battery-maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL), as well as Chinese EV-maker BYD Co., for supplies. The major automaker is expected to achieve its goal of selling over 5.5 million electrified vehicles a year including hybrid models by 2025, five years earlier than the initial target, of which more than 1 million will be EVs or fuel cell vehicles, company officials said. The firm also announced an ultra-compact two-seater designed for daily errands and short-distance business trips, with a maximum speed of 60 km (37 miles) per hour and a range of 100 kilometers on a single charge. The automaker will start selling two-seater EVs and other types of micro EVs in its home market next year. However, Terashi noted that while demand for EVs accelerates, profitability will be slower to arrive. EV technology has come a long way since 2010, but it is still a challenge to create a profitable business for them, he added. Hybrid vehicle sales volumes are projected to be less than battery EV volumes by 2025, with the latter expected to still be fewer than 1 million vehicles, he said. Toyota has led in technologies for hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, but it has trailed rivals such as Nissan Motor Co., Volkswagen AG and Tesla Inc. in bringing fully electric vehicles to showrooms. It has been developing its own lithium-ion EV battery technology for decades, and has teamed up with Panasonic Corp. to pool together resources to develop and manufacture rectangular-shaped prismatic batteries in the coming years. On Thursday, it announced it was teaming up with Subaru Corp. to jointly develop a battery-electric SUV on a platform produced together as they seek to split development costs. CATL has built relationships with other Japanese automakers, including Honda Motor Co. and Nissan. It also signed a multibillion dollar battery supply deal with Volvo Car Group in May.

china toyota batteries carmakers ev catl


Japan's financial watchdog orders Citigroup unit to enhance surveillance after manipulation by trader

Abstract: The Financial Services Agency on Friday ordered Citigroup Inc.’s securities unit in the country to improve its supervision of operations after failing to detect a manipulative trading practice by a bond trader. The agency said Citigroup Global Markets Japan Inc. overlooked and executed fake trading orders, known as spoofing, for Japanese government bond futures on the Osaka exchange in late October last year, placed by a trader at Citigroup Global Markets Ltd., the British securities subsidiary of Citigroup. Spoofing is a practice in which traders attempt to manipulate the prices of publicly traded financial assets by placing large buy or sell orders with no intention of executing them. The agency urged the Japanese unit to compile a plan to improve management and internal control, and also present preventive measures by July 5. It imposed a fine of ¥130 million ($1.1 million) on Citigroup Global Markets. “Citi will continue to enhance governance and internal controls and to develop and implement preventive measures to ensure that the issues identified by the regulators will not occur again,” Citigroup Global Markets Japan said in a statement.

scandals
financial services agency
stock trading
citigroup inc .


Japan startup believes its cheap, light 'touchable' 3D tech could transform everything from VR to shopping

Abstract: TSUKUBA, IBARAKI PREF. - A Japanese startup is betting that its “touchable” 3D technology will have a vast array of applications, potentially allowing smartphone shoppers to evaluate the fabric of clothes they want to buy online and gamers to feel virtual objects. Founded in 2014 as a technology transfer venture company for the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, the Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture-based Miraisens Inc. says its haptic technology would make it possible to get a realistic sensation of touch through subtle changes of vibration patterns traveling through the fingertips. Miraisens founder and Chief Technology Officer Norio Nakamura, the developer of the technology, says the important thing is “how we trick our brain, which means what stimulus patterns should be given.” Similar devices using haptic technology, which creates the sense of touch through force, vibrations or motion, have been developed by other companies to achieve just that, but they are generally expensive and inconvenient. Miraisens says its technology, dubbed 3D Haptics, can eliminate these worries as it is lightweight and small enough to be embedded in a game controller or TV remote at an affordable price. Miraisens Chief Executive Officer Natsuo Koda notes that haptics itself is not a novel technology; it has already been used in the flat and stationary home button on some iPhone models, Koda explains, which provides the clicking sensation when we press the button. But the firm’s own technology can re-create a variety of sensations of touch in a 3D world, rather than on a surface — a technology Koda says is “the world’s first.” Business vision The envisioned applications of 3D Haptics are vast, ranging from virtual reality, augmented reality and video games; smartphones that allow users to feel the fabric of clothes sold on e-commerce platforms; robotics, such as remote control of unmanned construction machinery with realistic sensations; and medical usage, allowing a surgeon to feel a scalpel cutting through an organ in a 3D simulator. The company’s technology could also significantly enhance safety training in the construction sector, Koda says. “We want to use our technology in training where the touch sensation makes it more effective,” he contends. In the VR environment, factory workers may be able to feel parts click into place during their assembly training. Nakamura believes that his invention could change the way we communicate with others — or even change society — by being able to deliver virtual handshakes with feeling, or facilitate the broader transfer of skills, for example. Koda estimates that the company’s sales will hit several billion yen in three to four years’ time and eventually top more than ¥10 billion due to its possible applications in various industries. In the near term, Koda says the company plans to release its original game controller equipped with 3D Haptics between this winter and next year. It could cost less than ¥20,000, he says. Asked what game genre Koda has in mind, he described motor racing as one example — allowing players to feel a sense of losing control of the steering wheel. In five to 10 years, the company wants to replace vibrations with electric stimulus. This technology, which is smaller than the 3D Haptics system, could be added to a wristwatch, Koda says, so “people would be able to virtually feel different touch sensations without vibrations just by wearing the watch in the future.” A step forward Conventional haptic devices used in VR include robotic arms, ultrasound wave emitters and body suits, which Koda says are expensive, heavy or not portable. If his company’s 3D Haptics system, which is roughly 20 millimeters by 20 millimeters by 15 millimeters and weighs just 14 grams, were fitted in a PlayStation game controller as a part, the part on its own would cost less than ¥1,000. The system does has some caveats. Koda says that it is possible to produce sensations like “warm” and “cool” but not “hot,” “very cold” or “a prick of pain.” How it works The technology applies certain stimulus patterns to our fingers, which are delivered to the brain to create the sensory illusions. With the vibrations, 3D Haptics can express three elements that make up our tactile sensations: the feelings of force, pressure and surface texture. In a demonstration for force, Koda instructed reporters to move a dot in a circle on a computer screen using a palm-sized device held in the air. As they did, they experienced fine vibrations surging from the device through the tip of the thumb that gave the sensation of being tugged toward the dot. The force felt almost too strong to resist. The vibrations can also conjure different textures such as bumpy and coarse, and a feeling that an object has fallen into a groove. Paradigm shift In his two decades of research and development, Nakamura had put much of his thought into how to make the technology “smaller” so that it could be incorporated into smartphones and wearables. It was the engineer’s other specialty — brain science — that lit a spark. The key “does not lie in the strength of the force, but in tricking our brain,” he concluded. That new approach has allowed for the technology’s downsizing. Regarding the relatively slow pace of development, Nakamura, who holds the basic patent for 3D Haptics, said that previously the market was not ready to embrace the idea. But now VR is becoming widespread and the advanced image quality of VR headsets is fueling people’s desire to feel the things they see, he added. Japan’s spending on VR and AR products and services is expected to reach $1.76 billion in 2019 and $3.37 billion in 2022, according to a report published in December by IDC Japan, a research company specializing in information technology. Contents viewing and VR games would lead the consumer market, while training and video production may shape the commercial market, it says. “People have come to realize that haptics are an indispensable part of VR experiences,” Nakamura says. The city of Tsukuba, where Miraisens is based, is home to 29 research and educational institutions, including the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and is hosting the Group of 20 ministerial meeting on trade and digital economy this weekend.

games
tech
3d
virtual reality
construction
tsukuba
miraisens


Ford to shut Welsh engine plant with loss of 1,700 jobs

Abstract: LONDON - Ford will shut its engine plant in Wales next year, costing about 1,700 jobs, the U.S. auto giant announced Thursday in a further blow to Britain’s embattled car sector struggling with Brexit uncertainty and a global race to meet rising demand for electric vehicles. The head of Ford’s Europe division, Stuart Rowley, said in a company statement that “changing customer demand and cost disadvantages” had contributed to making the Bridgend facility in south Wales “economically unsustainable in the years ahead” and that it would shut in late 2020. Ford insisted that the U.S. group remained “committed to the U.K., where it continues to be the passenger and commercial vehicle sales leader. Len McCluskey, general secretary of Britain’s biggest union, Unite, called the announcement “a grotesque act of economic betrayal. He called upon the British government and devolved Welsh assembly to help fight the closure and “prevent yet another grave injury to U.K. manufacturing. The news is a further blow to the British car sector amid heightened uncertainty over the U.K.’s departure from the European Union. It comes also as sales of diesel cars plummet with consumers increasingly switching to greener electric vehicles. In recent months, Honda announced plans to shut its plant in central England in 2021, while fellow Japanese carmaker Nissan reversed a decision to build its new X-Trail vehicle at its facility in the northeast. Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India’s Tata Motors, is also shedding jobs in Britain. The job cuts announced Thursday come on top of Ford’s announcement last month to ax 7,000 jobs worldwide — 10 percent of its global salaried workforce — as part of a reorganization plan. Ford said it would take a hit of about $650 million (€577 million) from the Welsh shutdown. The U.S. auto giant has operated the plant in Bridgend, west of Cardiff, for decades and is one of the region’s major employers. The closure is also set to impact many companies that supply goods and services to the facility. “We’re hugely shocked by today’s announcement, it’s a real hammer blow for the Welsh economy and the community,” said Jeff Beck, regional organizer for the GMB union. “Regardless of today’s announcement, GMB will continue to work with Ford, our sister unions and the Welsh government to find a solution to the issue and mitigate the effects of this devastating news.” Beck said the news was made worse coming in the same week that U.S. President Donald Trump was in Britain talking up a future post-Brexit trade deal between the two countries. “When the plant closes, the new line is likely to be produced in Mexico by an American company,” the union leader added. “So much for the special relationship, Mr. Trump.” Ford has another engine plant in Dagenham, southeast England, and a site that makes transmissions in Liverpool in the northwest. Meanwhile Unite leader McCluskey, a key ally of leftist Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, blamed both the company and the British government for treating its workers “abysmally. “They could do so because the fact remains that it is cheaper, easier and quicker to sack our workers than those in our competitor countries,” he said. Carwyn Jones, Welsh assembly member for Bridgend and a former leader of the devolved Welsh government, told Britain’s Press Association the layoff plan was “very sudden. “There was no warning about this at all,” he said. “I want to know what’s going on … and want to know a reason for the decision.”

u.k .
jobs
wales
carmakers
ford
brexit
evs
bridgend
unite


Transport ministry seeks fine for Suzuki Motor over inspection scandal

Abstract: The transport ministry on Friday asked a district court to impose fines on Suzuki Motor Corp. based on the Road Transport Vehicle Act over inspection scandal at the carmaker. Shizuoka District Court was asked to fine the firm in relation to 655 vehicles. With the maximum fine under the law set at ¥300,000 per vehicle, the penalty on Suzuki could total up to ¥196.5 million — the largest on record under the law. In other vehicle inspection scandals, the ministry asked district courts last December to fine Nissan Motor Co. and Subaru Corp. The ministry decided to place Suzuki under strict monitoring for an interim period and has instructed the company to report progress in its implementation of preventive measures on a quarterly basis. Transport minister Keiichi Ishii summoned Suzuki President Toshihiro Suzuki and presented documents detailing the ministry’s measures against the firm. In the documents, the ministry criticized the company, calling the long-running inspection irregularities a deep-rooted problem resulting from its lack of ability to correct improper practices and its unhealthy organizational climate. The documents also said inspection workers at the company were not aware that they were doing inappropriate things. The inspection irregularities took place at three plants in Shizuoka Prefecture, the home of the company. Suzuki’s headquarters and its auditing division failed to discover the wrongdoing at an early date and therefore bear a heavy responsibility for the scandal, the ministry said. In some cases, Suzuki workers used parking brakes to clear brake tests. Even after the wrongdoing came to light, senior workers gave instructions for vehicles to be passed despite failing to meet inspection standards. Some inspection check sheets were falsified. Some unqualified workers conducted inspections, and attempts were made to cover up the wrongdoing. When the company reported vehicle recalls related to the inspection scandal to the ministry in April, it said that the wrongdoing may have started around June 1981 and continued until around January this year.

nissan carmakers suzuki subaru government recalls fines


Google's video game streaming service Stadia to debut in 14 countries in November, but not Japan

Abstract: NEW YORK - Google on Thursday released new details about its cloud streaming video game service Stadia, which will be available in 14 countries starting in November. For the launch, Google will sell its “founders edition bundle” hardware pack for $129, with a monthly subscription price of $9.99. In Europe, the price will be €129 and €9.99 per month. The new gaming platform aims for a Netflix-style subscription that enables players to access games on any device, powered by the cloud. That could disrupt the huge gaming industry by allowing users to avoid consoles and game software on disc or download. Subscribers will have access to free games and will be able to purchase some blockbuster titles as well. The first free title will be the shooter game Destiny 2 from developer Bungie. Users will also be able to purchase hit titles such as Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Ghost Recon Breakpoint from game giant Ubisoft. “Ubisoft is bringing several fantastic gaming worlds to Stadia at launch and we cannot wait to see players experience them on this game-changing cloud technology,” said Yves Guillemot, co-founder and chief executive of Ubisoft. Stadia will launch in the United States, Britain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden. Google did not give the schedule for Japan, but added that the services will be offered in more countries and regions from next year. Announcing the game platform earlier this year, Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said the initiative is “to build a game platform for everyone.” Google’s hope is that Stadia could become for games what Netflix or Spotify are to television or music, by making console-quality play widely available. Yet it remains unclear how much Google can grab of the nascent, but potentially massive, industry. As it produces its own games, Google will also be courting other studios to move to its cloud-based model. Last month, longtime video game console rivals Microsoft and Sony announced an alliance to improve their platforms for streaming entertainment from the internet cloud, but stopped short of revealing details on a service to challenge Stadia.

europe
u.s .
google
video games
cloud
stadia


Rotting food and nooses in cells: U.S. agency watchdog slams conditions at ICE detention facilities

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The Homeland Security Department’s internal watchdog says rotting food, moldy and dilapidated bathrooms and agency practices at immigration detention facilities may violate detainees’ rights. The Office of Inspector General made unannounced visits to four facilities, in California and New Jersey, between May and November of last year, according to a report published Thursday. The facilities together house about 5,000 detainees. In an Adelanto, California, detention facility, inspectors found nooses in detainee cells, the segregation of certain detainees in an overly restrictive way and inadequate medical care, the report said. It comes as the Trump administration is managing a worsening problem at the U.S.-Mexico border, with a dramatic increase in the number of Central American migrants. While most are families who cannot be easily returned to their home countries, the number of single adults is also on the rise. Immigration officials are detaining an increasing number of single adults — about 52,000 now — but are funded for only 45,000. The administration has asked for $4.5 billion more for additional bed space. Last month, Border Patrol agents made 132,887 apprehensions, topping 100,000 for the first time since April 2007 and setting a record with 84,542 adults and children apprehended. An additional 11,507 were children traveling alone, and 36,838 were single adults. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said they are working to ensure all facilities comply with standards. They say they have already trained food service staff on food safety and they extensively cleaned and renovated housing units. They included photos of cleaned showers and bathrooms in their response. “The safety, rights and health of detainees in ICE’s care are paramount,” the agency’s chief financial officer, Stephen Roncone, wrote to the inspector general’s office. “ICE has made substantial progress to address the findings and recommendation in the OIG’s draft report.” Holding single adults is an administration priority; officials say detention is one of the only consequences that can be applied to those crossing illegally. But two facilities took detainees out of the general population to special units as punishment before they should have, three wrongly put detainees in restraints and one facility strip-searched detainees who were to be segregated, the watchdog found. In a facility in Essex, New Jersey, inspectors found detainees lacked toiletries and were given uniforms that didn’t fit. At a facility in Aurora, California, detainees were not allowed visits from friends or families, even though there was room for them to do so. Managers said they were concerned about drugs or weapons being smuggled, but acknowledged that visits should be considered. There have been reports of poor medical care and dangerous conditions at ICE facilities for years.

u.s .
immigration
mexico
refugees
u.s.-mexico border


Syria regime pummels jihadi-run Idlib, as world watches with 'feeling of helplessness'

Abstract: PARIS - Bombs rain on children, hospitals are blown to pieces and the stream of those fleeing the bloodshed rises unabated — after Aleppo and Ghouta, Idlib has become the latest deadly stage in Syria’s theater of war, watched by a largely silent international community. Rights groups decry that the civil conflict, which erupted in 2011, stopped making frontpage news after the territorial defeat of the Islamic State (IS) group in March. “The entire world is watching the massacre unfold and stays silent. The United Nations hasn’t raised a finger,” Mohammad Zahed Al-Masri of the Alliance of Syrian NGOs said at a recent press conference. Since the end of April, the Moscow-backed regime of President Bashar Assad says it has been bombarding jihadi strongholds in and around Idlib — the last region outside state control apart from Syria’s Kurdish-dominated north-east. The latest violence comes despite a deal brokered by Russia and Turkey in September to create a buffer zone between rebel and regime fighters. With roughly 3 million people living in the region — including tens of thousands of fighters and civilians forced out of territories the government has recaptured from rebels — there are fears that a push to capture the area risks a humanitarian catastrophe. More than 300 civilians have been killed in Idlib so far, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, while the U.N. puts the number of displaced at over 270,000. At least 23 hospitals have been damaged in bombardments, along with several schools. Every now and then, a world leader will take to social media to react to the bloodshed with indignation. “The World is watching this butchery. What is the purpose, what will it get you? STOP!” U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on June 1. Similarly, his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, took to Twitter in early May to warn that the humanitarian situation in Idlib was turning “critical” and that military options were unacceptable. “But what’s the point of a presidential tweet?” a diplomat who asked not to be named told AFP, deploring that this type of “minimum service” provided by Western powers had no impact on events on the ground. In July 2018, after government forces had retaken the other final rebel-held pockets in the country, Assad said: “Now Idlib is our goal.” While the army has kept up its bombing raids, September’s deal has so far held off any major regime assault on the strategic province, which is held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group made up of former members of al-Qaida’s Syria affiliate. Russia has insisted its army is targeting “terrorists” in the area and in early May, Moscow blocked a U.N. Security Council statement criticizing Syria’s military campaign, accusing it of being “unbalanced. “The Americans are stuck, they are unable to enter into dialogue with Russia because the Russians keep the door closed,” a French diplomatic source told AFP. Macron, meanwhile, has tried to negotiate with Moscow via representatives from six countries — without much success. “We all know that the Russians and Assad have decided that it is necessary (to act),” the French diplomatic source said. Michel Duclos, the former French ambassador to Syria and a special adviser to the think tank Montaigne Institute, said the international community has been consumed by a “feeling of helplessness.” And “in this case you prefer to avert your eyes,” he said. But Duclos added that there had been a gradual waning of indignation over the conflict, which has claimed more than 370,000 lives. Both France and the U.S. have said they believe Assad’s government may have carried out a chemical attack in Idlib in May — if confirmed this could trigger military reprisals. A sarin gas attack in April 2017 in the town of Khan Sheikhun killed 83 people, according to the United Nations, leading U.S. President Trump to order a strike by 59 cruise missiles on a Syrian airbase. And France joined Britain and the U.S. in launching missile strikes on three suspected chemical weapons sites in Syria in April 2018 after a suspected chemical attack in Douma. European nations, still grappling with the migration crisis, also fear that an assault on Idlib could trigger a surge of refugees from the region. “This is an unacceptable threat for the stability of the region and indirectly for our security,” French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told parliament in May.

conflict
u.s .
russia
syria
u.n .
bashar assad
donald trump
idlib
emmanuel macron
hts


Pioneering U.N. study counts 115 million 'child grooms' worldwide

Abstract: LONDON - About 115 million boys were married off as children, with 1 in 5 wed before they turned 15, according to the first United Nations study to track the prevalence of child grooms. The U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF, analyzed marriage and population data across 82 countries and found the Central African Republic had the highest prevalence of child grooms at 28 percent, followed by Nicaragua at 19 percent and Madagascar with 13 percent. UNICEF said children married young tend to leave school, have limited economic opportunities and are more vulnerable to abuse and mental health problems than those who marry later. “Marriage steals childhood,” the charity’s Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a statement as the report was released on Friday. “Child grooms are forced to take on adult responsibilities for which they may not be ready. Early marriage brings early fatherhood, and with it added pressure to provide for a family, cutting short education and job opportunities.” UNICEF said these figures mean that there are now 765 million married boys and girls among the 2.2 billion children globally. Girls are still more likely to wed young, which puts them at risk of health issues related to teen pregnancies. Globally about 1 in every 5 women age 20 to 24 were married before their 18th birthday, compared to 1 in 30 men, UNICEF said. If all girls finished secondary school, more than 50 million child marriages could be prevented by 2030, children’s charity Save the Children said in an October report. The United Nations has said all countries should end child marriage by 2030, as agreed in the global development goals in 2015. Almost all countries have a minimum marriage age of 18, but children can still legally wed in places like the United States if they have parental consent or through religious ceremonies, according to data research group World Policy Analysis Center.


NYPD apologizes for 1969 raid at Stonewall Inn gay bar, cradle of U.S. LGBT rights movement

Abstract: NEW YORK - Nearly 50 years after a police raid at the Stonewall Inn catalyzed the modern LGBT rights movement, New York’s police commissioner apologized Tuesday for what his department did. “The actions taken by the NYPD were wrong, plain and simple,” Commissioner James O’Neill said during a briefing at police headquarters. “The actions and the laws were discriminatory and oppressive,” he added. “And for that, I apologize.” The apology comes weeks ahead of the milestone anniversary of the raid and the rebellion it sparked on June 28, 1969, as patrons and others fought back against officers and a social order that kept gay life in the shadows. Organizers of what is expected to be a massive LGBT Pride celebration in the city this year had called this week for police to apologize. So had City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who is openly gay. The Pride organizers cheered O’Neill’s remarks. “The NYPD, as an institution, needed to take responsibility for what happened at Stonewall. This isn’t going to undo the decades of violence and discrimination that our community has experienced at the hands of the police, but it’s a good first start,” said James Fallarino, a spokesman for NYC Pride. The confrontation at the Stonewall wasn’t the first time gay people had protested or spontaneously clashed with police. But it proved to be a turning point, unleashing a wave of organizing and activism. At the time, many LGBT people lived in fear of arrest, harassment, professional ruin and family ostracism. The psychiatric establishment saw homosexuality as a mental disorder, and law enforcement often viewed it as a crime. LGBT people could be subject to arrest for showing affection, dancing together, even for not wearing a certain number of items deemed gender-appropriate. Bars that served gay people had at times lost their liquor licenses, and others — like the Stonewall — were simply unlicensed. Raids were common. “What happened should not have happened,” O’Neill said, adding: “This would never happen in NYPD in 2019.”

u.s .
new york
rights
lgbt
discrimination
nypd
stonewall inn


U.S. and Russia trade blame for near collision of warships in East China Sea

Abstract: MOSCOW/TOKYO - Russia and the United States blamed each other for a near collision between their warships in the East China Sea on Friday with both countries accusing one another of dangerous and unprofessional behavior. Russia’s Pacific Fleet said that the USS Chancellorsville, a guided-missile cruiser, had come within just 50 meters (165 feet) of the Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov which had been forced to take emergency action to avoid a collision, Russian news agencies reported. They cited a Russian Pacific Fleet statement as saying the incident took place in the early hours of Friday morning in the eastern part of the East China Sea at a time when a group of Russian warships was on a parallel course with a U.S. naval strike group. “The U.S guided-missile cruiser Chancellorsville suddenly changed course and cut across the path of the destroyer Admiral Vinogradov coming within 50 meters of the ship,” the statement said. “A protest over the international radio frequency was made to the commanders of the American ship who were warned about the unacceptable nature of such actions,” it said. That version of events was rejected by the U.S. Navy, which said the behavior of the Russian ship had been “unsafe and unprofessional.” “While operating in the Philippine Sea, a Russian Destroyer … made an unsafe maneuver against USS Chancellorsville,” U.S. Seventh Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Clayton Doss said. “This unsafe action forced Chancellorsville to execute all engines back full and to maneuver to avoid collision.” He described a Russian assertion that the U.S. ship had acted dangerously as “propaganda.” The Russian destroyer came within 50 to 100 feet of the Chancellorsville, he said, putting the safety of her crew and the ship at risk. The incident comes days after Washington and Moscow sparred over an allegedly unsafe spy plane intercept by a Russian fighter jet near Syria.


U.S. commander says Mideast buildup prompted Iran to 'step back'

Abstract: BAGHDAD - Iran has chosen to “step back and recalculate” after making preparations for an apparent attack against U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf region, but it is too early to conclude the threat is gone, the top commander of American forces in the Mideast said Thursday. In an interview with three reporters accompanying him to the Gulf, Gen. Frank McKenzie said he remains concerned by Iran’s potential for aggression, and he would not rule out requesting additional U.S. forces to bolster defenses against Iranian missiles or other weapons. “I don’t actually believe the threat has diminished,” McKenzie said. “I believe the threat is very real.” McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command, and other military officials are trying to strike a balance between persuading Iran that the U.S. is prepared to retaliate for an Iranian attack on Americans, thus deterring conflict, and pushing so much military muscle into the Gulf that Iran thinks the U.S. plans an attack, in which case it might feel compelled to strike preemptively and thus spark war. Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have worsened since President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and several world powers, and reinstated sanctions on Tehran. Last month, in response to what American officials characterized as an imminent threat, the U.S. announced it would rush an aircraft carrier and other assets to the region. “It is my assessment that this has caused the Iranians to back up a little bit, but I’m not sure they are strategically backing down,” McKenzie told reporters from The Associated Press and two other media organizations. The general said the U.S. is showing enough force to “establish deterrence” without “needlessly” provoking its longtime adversary. “We’re working very hard to walk that line.” He said he is confident in the moves he has made thus far. “We’ve taken steps to show the Iranians that we mean business in our ability to defend ourselves,” he said, referring to the accelerated deployment to the Gulf area of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, four Air Force B-52 bombers and additional batteries of Army Patriot air-defense systems. Trump, speaking beside French President Emmanuel Macron in Caen, France, said U.S. sanctions are crippling Iran’s economy, possibly yielding a diplomatic opening. “And if they want to talk, that’s fine,” the U.S. president said. “We’ll talk. But the one thing that they can’t have is they can’t have nuclear weapons.” Speaking at the Baghdad headquarters of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, McKenzie said he also has repositioned surveillance aircraft to more closely monitor the situation in the Gulf and in Iraq, where the U.S. has 5,200 troops on the ground, and has given Iran a “new look” by introducing more aerial patrols by land- and carrier-based fighters. “Cumulatively, all of these have caused them to sort of step back and recalculate the course that they apparently were on,” he said. McKenzie did not mention it, but other officials have said that in early May Iran had cruise and perhaps short-range ballistic missiles configured for potential use aboard a small number of dhows sailing off its coast. More recently, those missiles, which were deemed a potential threat, were offloaded, officials have said. McKenzie stressed that the danger of conflict with a decades-old American adversary has not passed. “I hesitate to say that deterrence has been established,” he said. “We continue to see possible imminent threats” of a potential Iranian attack. He said he could not be more specific due to the classification of the intelligence, which he said is as clear and compelling as any he has seen in years. McKenzie, a veteran of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, took command of Central Command in late March, shortly before the onset of the latest surge in tensions with Iran. He previously directed the staff that supports the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The general said he — not the White House — initiated the May 5 moves to accelerate the deployment of the Abraham Lincoln carrier group and to dispatch B-52 bombers. He said the intelligence on Iranian threats in the first days of May was “compelling” and that the threats were “advanced, imminent and very specific.” The pattern of intelligence on Iranian preparations for potential attacks emerged as the Trump administration took a pair of highly public actions meant to penalize Iran. The first was the State Department’s designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. The second, perhaps more consequential, move was a April 22 announcement that waivers for American sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil would not be renewed when they expired May 2, meaning Iran lost vital oil export revenues. U.S. intelligence was then picking up what Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week looked like a pattern of Iranian plotting against U.S. and other targets in the region. Dunford said that on May 3, the U.S. sent a message to Iranian officials “just to make it clear they understood that we would hold them accountable should something take place in the region.” Two days later, Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, announced the movement of the carrier, prompting an explosion of questions about what new threats Iran had posed to prompt such a highly unusual White House declaration. McKenzie said the carrier request was his, in consultation with Dunford, and that he faced no political pressure to make the request.

u.s .
middle east
iran
missiles
donald trump
persian gulf
uss abraham lincoln
frank mckenzie


Over million new cases daily: WHO alarmed at STD spread in era of dating apps

Abstract: GENEVA - The World Health Organization expressed alarm Thursday at the lack of progress on curbing sexually transmitted diseases, while one of its experts warned of complacency as dating apps are spurring sexual activity. The U.N. health agency said in a fresh report that every day globally there were more than 1 million new cases of treatable sexually transmitted diseases (STD) or infections (STI). WHO found that there were more than 376 million new cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis and syphilis registered around the world in 2016 — the latest year for which data is available. That is basically the same number as WHO reported in its previous study, based on data from 2012. A WHO expert on sexually transmitted infections, Teodora Wi, separately told journalists there were concerns that condom use may be declining as people have lost their fear of contracting HIV in step with the emergence of available and effective antiviral treatments. People are “more complacent about protection,” she said, adding that this was dangerous at a time when “sex is becoming more accessible (through things like) dating apps. Peter Salama, WHO’s executive director of Universal Health Coverage, said in a statement that “we’re seeing a concerning lack of progress in stopping the spread of sexually transmitted infections worldwide. He called it “a wake-up call” for authorities to ensure that everybody had access to services to prevent and treat STIs. WHO’s new report shows that in 2016, some 127 million people between the ages of 15 and 49 were infected with chlamydia globally, while 87 million contracted gonorrhea, and 6.3 million contracted syphilis. In addition, some 156 million were infected with trichomoniasis — a parasital disease commonly known as “trich.” “On average, approximately 1 in 25 people globally have at least one of these STIs,” the U.N. health agency said. But since they seldom display symptoms early on, people often do not know they have been infected and need treatment, allowing the diseases to continue to spread. “We consider this a hidden epidemic, a silent epidemic, a dangerous epidemic,” Melanie Taylor, another WHO expert on sexually transmitted infections and author of the report, told a journalists in a conference call. If left untreated, STIs can lead to serious and chronic conditions, including neurological and cardiovascular disease, infertility, stillbirths and increased risk of contracting HIV. Syphilis alone caused some 200,000 stillbirths and newborn deaths in 2016, making one of the leading cause of baby loss globally, second only to malaria, Taylor said. STIs spread mainly through unprotected sexual contact, but some like chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis can also be transmitted during pregnancy and childbirth. Given the hidden nature of the epidemic, WHO said it was important for people who are sexually active to get screened for STIs, and especially recommended that pregnant women be systematically screened for syphilis, as well as HIV. Correct condom use was one of the most effective methods for protecting against STI transmission. WHO also stressed the importance of comprehensive sexual education and easy access to STI screening as well as treatment. The UN health agency meanwhile warned that, while all bacterial STIs have until now be easy to treat using antibiotics, drug shortages and growing antimicrobial resistance were threatening those treatments. Shortages in the global supply of benzathine penicillin has recently made it more complicated to treat syphilis, while increasing resistance to the antibiotics used to treat gonorrhea “may lead eventually to the disease being impossible to treat,”WHO warned.

family planning
u.n .
apps
who
dating
stds
stis


Doctors alarmed that flu killed migrant teen in U.S. Border Patrol custody

Abstract: HOUSTON - A 16-year-old from Guatemala died of complications of the flu while in U.S. Border Patrol custody, according to preliminary autopsy findings, alarming doctors who questioned whether immigration authorities missed warning signs or chances to save his life. Carlos Hernandez Vasquez contracted bacterial infections in addition to the flu, as well as sepsis, which can lead to tissue damage and organ failure, according to a report released by Hidalgo County authorities this week. He died May 20. A full autopsy is pending. Carlos is the sixth child in the last year to die after U.S. border agents detained him, and the second known to have died of the flu, after 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo died on Christmas Eve. As border apprehensions of migrant families surge to historic highs, the Trump administration’s treatment of migrant children and the detention of families in overcrowded facilities has come under harsh criticism. The administration is asking Congress for $4.5 billion to respond to the surge of families, but Congress has yet to act. Flu deaths among children are rare in the U.S. The number of annual flu-related deaths in kids has bounced from 37 to 186 since the 2004-2005 flu season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors usually expect the youngest children, not teenagers, to be more at risk of severe complications and death from flu. “Flu is uncommon at this time of the year,” said Dr. Dawn Nolt, an infectious diseases expert at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon. “That someone died of flu is certainly something to be very worried about.” Two doctors said they were alarmed by what’s known about the Border Patrol’s response to Carlos’ illness. Carlos was detained for six days at the Border Patrol’s South Texas processing center, a converted warehouse where 1,500 or more migrants are often kept in large cages formed by chain-link fencing. The Border Patrol says Carlos reported on May 19 that he was not feeling well and was diagnosed with the flu by a nurse practitioner. He was prescribed the medicine Tamiflu, then transferred to the Border Patrol station at Weslaco, Texas, to prevent his flu from spreading to other detainees. He was not hospitalized. The next day, he was found unresponsive in his cell. “By the time you’re 16 years old, you have great immunity, and you shouldn’t be dying so quickly,” said Dr. Nizam Peerwani, the Tarrant County medical examiner in Fort Worth, Texas, and an adviser for the advocacy group Physicians for Human Rights. Peerwani said Carlos’ rapid deterioration raised questions about whether he may have had potential symptoms including a fever, body aches, or breathing trouble before the Border Patrol says he reported being sick. He should have been taken to a medical facility or clinic instead of remaining in detention, Peerwani said. Dr. Julie Linton, co-chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ immigrant health special interest group, also said the prescription of Tamiflu may not have been enough treatment, especially since the medicine works best in the first two to three days of illness. While Carlos’ illness was discovered the day before his death, he may have been sick well before then, she said. “We cannot treat Tamiflu as a substitute for the other care that is required,” Linton said. Doctors who treat the flu rely on a patient telling them how long they’ve had symptoms. Linton pointed out that the processing center where Carlos was detained has the lights on 24 hours a day, which may have made it difficult for him to know how long he had been sick. After Carlos’ death, the Border Patrol found that 32 migrants tested positive for the flu at the same processing center. The agency said it quarantined the sick people and briefly stopped intake at the processing center so cleaning crews could sanitize it. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrol’s parent agency, declined to respond to questions about what measures it was taking to protect detained migrants from the flu. Both Carlos and Felipe, the 8-year-old who died on Christmas Eve, were detained by the Border Patrol longer than the three days normally allowed by U.S. law and CBP guidelines. Felipe was initially hospitalized but released and returned to a Border Patrol highway checkpoint with his father until he fell sick again. After the December deaths of Felipe and 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin, CBP ordered medical assessments of all minors in Border Patrol custody, as part of a directive to “enhance the protection of individuals in its custody.” In Carlos’ case, the Border Patrol has said it had requested he be placed in a long-term detention facility for children. But children are routinely held by Border Patrol for longer than three days because the long-term facilities for children are themselves at or above capacity.

u.s .
flu
immigration
refugees
tamiflu
carlos hernandez vasquez


1 in 4 Ebola cases go undetected or are caught too late in Congo: WHO

Abstract: GENEVA - Roughly a quarter of Ebola infections in eastern Congo are estimated to be going undetected or found too late, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Thursday. Some 2,025 cases and 1,357 deaths have been recorded since the epidemic began in August in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu and Ituri provinces, said Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Program. It is the second-worst outbreak of the virus on record. Some 88 infections have been detected each of the last two weeks, down from a peak of 126 weekly in April, and WHO teams are following up on 15,000 suspected contacts each day, a “huge number” who require checking for symptoms, he added. “We believe, let me be very cautious here, we believe we are probably detecting in excess of 75 percent of cases — we may be missing up to a quarter of cases,” Ryan told a news briefing in Geneva. Late detection of cases was still a problem, he added. “We must get earlier detection of cases, have more exhaustive identification of contacts.” About 90 percent of people potentially exposed to the virus have agreed to be vaccinated, which has proved efficient, he said. “It’s not them that matter now, it’s the 10 percent that don’t, because all of our cases are coming from that group.” The epidemic was not under control, he said, and was spreading fast in the rural area of Mabalako and at a lesser rate in the city of Butembo. Ryan said risks to aid workers had decreased of late but noted a deadly attack on civilians earlier this week. A local official said 13 civilians were killed late on Monday in an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) — a group thought to be linked to Islamic State. Greater political engagement is needed to combat the Ebola outbreak, Ryan said. “We need the government to reach out to the opposition, we need an ‘all party’ approach … we need a single voice of leaders in Congo about this outbreak.”

africa
disease
who
congo
vaccinations
ebola
islamic state
kivu


What is the absolute limit to human endurance? 2.5 BMR, say U.S. scientists

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. scientists who studied the performance of myriad athletes — including adventurous souls who spent five long months running across the United States — have come up with an estimate of the absolute physiological boundary of human endurance. The conclusions are pretty technical but the study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, highlights one feature in particular that makes people unique among primates: Our physical endurance is indeed extraordinary. It is probably something we inherited from hunter-gatherers over the course of 2 million years, the researchers say. In a nutshell, when it comes to pushing one’s body to the limit, humans run circles around monkeys. The limit to human endurance is measured in multiples of something called basal metabolism, which is the minimum energy, counted in calories, that is expended by the body to keep itself going for one minute. And the limit to human endurance is about 2.5 times this basal metabolism, says the team, led by Herman Pontzer, a professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke University. In athletic events defined as short — races that last anywhere from hours to weeks, such as a triathlon, a marathon or the Tour de France — people can crank their metabolism up to five or even 10 times their resting metabolic rate. But there comes a point in which performance will fall back down to about three times that rate, these scientists say. It is simply impossible for humans to stay above that level for more than a few weeks. To arrive at this figure, the team followed five men and one woman who are considered extreme runners. From January to June 2015, they took part in the Race Across the USA — 4,957 km (3,080 miles) from Los Angeles to Washington. That is the equivalent of doing a marathon a day, six days a week, for 20 weeks. “All of those people are losing weight. They’re burning away their fuel faster than they can put it back in,” Pontzer said. “What point do I hit where I can finally put as many calories back in as I burn each day?” The answer, Pontzer said, is 2.5 BMR (basal total metabolic rate). “That’s about 4,000 calories a day,” he said. Die-hards who ran across America drank 8 liters of water a day in the first week and burned up 6,000 calories per day. But they kept losing weight all the way through to the end of the race and never reached a state of equilibrium. “You cannot really take in more than 4,000 calories a day,” said Pontzer. “You can burn more than that, but you’re losing weight every day. So that’s not really sustainable forever. You can do it for a couple of days, a couple of weeks, but you can’t do it forever.” His team says the limit to human endurance is probably linked to people’s digestive activity rather than their muscles or heart, because this was the least common denominator in all of the sports that were studied. To wit: cycling, running and triathlons cause people to use different muscles. But they all have the same stomach. While humans stand out among primates in their ability to perform physically, other animals are also good at extreme endurance, such as migratory birds. But this part of the picture has not been studied as thoroughly. Pontzer notes an important difference between people and animals. “The other animals are too smart to do all these crazy things that people do,” he said.


Hair of the dog: Study suggests stressed-out owners transfer angst to their pooches

Abstract: NEW YORK - When dog owners go through a stressful period, they’re not alone in feeling the pressure — their dogs feel it too, a new study suggests. Dog owners experiencing long bouts of stress can transfer it to their dogs, scientists report in a study published Thursday in Scientific Reports. The Swedish researchers focused on 58 people who own border collies or Shetland sheepdogs. They examined hair from the dog owners and their dogs, looking at the concentrations of a hormone called cortisol, a chemical released into the bloodstream and absorbed by hair follicles in response to stress. Depression, excessive physical exercise and unemployment are just a few examples of stress that can influence the amount of cortisol found in your hair, said Lina Roth of Linkoping University in Sweden. Roth and her team found that the patterns of cortisol levels in the hair of dog owners closely matched that found in their dogs in both winter and summer months, indicating their stress levels were in sync. She thinks the owners are influencing the dogs rather than the other way around because several human personality traits appear to affect canine cortisol levels. The researchers don’t know what causes the synchronization in cortisol levels between humans and their pups. But a hint might lie in the fact that the link is stronger with competitive dogs than in pet pooches. The bond formed between owner and competitive dogs during training may increase the canines’ emotional reliance on their owners, she said. That in turn could increase the degree of synchronization. But why do people influence their dogs rather than vice versa? Perhaps people are “a more central part of the dog’s life, whereas we humans also have other social networks,” Roth said in an email. The study results are no surprise, said Alicia Buttner, director of animal behavior with the Nebraska Humane Society in Omaha. “New evidence is continually emerging, showing that people and their dogs have incredibly close bonds that resemble the ones that parents share with their children,” she said in an email. But she said there isn’t enough evidence to assume that the influence goes only one way; it may go both ways. “It’s not just as simple as owner gets stressed, dog gets stressed,” she said. Many other factors could affect a person or dog’s stress levels and possibly even dampen them, she said. Buttner said cortisol levels don’t necessarily indicate “bad” stress. They instead can indicate a good experience like getting ready to go for a walk, she said. Roth and her team plan to investigate whether other dog breeds will react to their owners the same way. In the meantime, she offered advice to minimize how much stress dog owners may be causing their pets. Dogs that play more show fewer signs of being stressed, she said. So “just be with your dog and have fun,” Roth said.


Court airs Trump lawyer's voicemail to Michael Flynn's camp before guilty plea

Abstract: NEW YORK/WASHINGTON - A federal court in Washington released audio of a voicemail that one of President Donald Trump’s lawyers left for a potential cooperator with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. The audio clip, less than two minutes in length, is of a November 2017 phone call from the Trump attorney, John Dowd, to a lawyer for former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who was poised to cooperate with Mueller in the days before his guilty plea. It is a rare primary document underpinning one of the 10 possible instances of obstruction of justice by Trump and his associates that Mueller laid out in his report on Russian election interference. Excerpts of the voicemail appear in Mueller’s 448-page report. The transcript was released in full last week by request of U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington. Dowd, in the voicemail, asked Flynn’s lawyer for a “heads up” about whether Flynn intended to enter a cooperation deal with Mueller’s’ team. A warning would be necessary for the sake of “protecting all our interests,” Dowd said, adding that any information implicating the president could lead to “national security issues.” He also reminded the general’s lawyer of the president’s “feelings” toward Flynn and said “that still remains.” Flynn pleading guilty to lying to investigators about his contacts with the former Russian ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, and awaits sentencing in Sullivan’s court.

u.s .
robert mueller
donald trump
john dowd
michael flynn
russia probe


Pelosi told Democrats she'd like Trump 'in prison,' report says

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Donald Trump should be sent to “prison,” U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told fellow Democrats in a closed-door meeting about whether to launch impeachment proceedings against the president, Politico reported Thursday. Pelosi, Trump’s political nemesis in Congress, has long stated she is not ready to proceed with what would be a deeply divisive impeachment action, and that she would prefer to see the president defeated at the ballot box next year. But in a meeting late Tuesday with House committee chairmen, she clashed with Judiciary chairman Jerry Nadler over whether to begin an impeachment inquiry, using language that ramped up the rhetoric surrounding top Democrats and Trump. “I don’t want to see him impeached, I want to see him in prison,” Pelosi said, according to Politico, which cited multiple Democratic sources familiar with the meeting. Pelosi prefers to see Trump lose the 2020 election and then face prosecution for his alleged crimes, the sources told the U.S. media outlet. Many Democrats say they believe Trump broke the law by allegedly seeking to obstruct investigations into Russia’s interference in the 2016 US election. He is also accused of paying pre-election hush money to two women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump, and of violating constitutional prohibitions on presidents receiving financial benefits from foreign governments. But Pelosi has argued that launching an impeachment inquiry should only be done if there is sufficient public support and significant bipartisan backing. Polls show a majority of Americans currently oppose impeachment, and to date only one House Republican has expressed support for removing the president. Asked about Pelosi’s “prison” comment, White House director of strategic communications Mercedes Schlapp offered an acerbic response. “How shocking. The Democrats are radical and out of touch,” and refusing to work with the president on issues like the current crisis along the U.S. border with Mexico, Schlapp told Fox News. “They’re more focused on attacking this president, undermining this president, than they are to solving the (country’s) major problems.” Trump also had fresh criticism of the first and only female speaker of the House. “I call her nervous Nancy,” Trump told Fox. “Nancy Pelosi is a disaster. … And let her do what she wants. You know what, I think they’re in big trouble.” Pelosi has toughened her language about the president in recent weeks. She has said Trump “is engaged in a cover-up” and that his staff and family should stage an “intervention” with the president. She has also sought to project unity within her Democratic Party on the path forward regarding impeachment. “Make no mistake, we know exactly what path we’re on,” she told reporters Wednesday. “We know exactly what actions we need to take.” With Trump’s administration stonewalling various Democratic-led investigations, several of the party’s lawmakers have publicly called for impeachment. Many of them point to the report by special counsel Robert Mueller as confirmation of Trump’s wrongdoing. The report did not find any clear evidence to charge members of Trump’s campaign with conspiring with Russia, but neither did it exonerate the president on obstruction of justice. Rather, Mueller outlined 10 instances of potential obstruction that he uncovered during the probe. A Pelosi spokeswoman, Ashley Etienne, said Pelosi and the chairmen had a “productive meeting” about the state of play with Mueller’s report. “They agreed to keep all options on the table,” Etienne said.

u.s .
democrats
impeachment
nancy pelosi
donald trump
jerrold nadler


Utah man accused of threatening to kill members of Congress

Abstract: SALT LAKE CITY - A Utah man has been arrested on accusations he threatened to kill members of Congress during a three-year stretch with more than 2,000 phone calls to the U.S. Capitol and profanity-laden tirades about Democrats threatening the presidency of Donald Trump. In one call last month, Scott Brian Haven dialed the office of an unnamed U.S. representative and purported to be standing right behind him and ready to “shoot him in the head” because “the Russians want him taken out because he is trying to remove a duly elected President,” according to charging documents unsealed Wednesday. Haven, 54, said, “I’m going to do it now, are you ready?” before hanging up, prosecutors allege. He was arrested Tuesday in his hometown of Kaysville, Utah, about 20 miles (32 km) north of Salt Lake City. He is charged with interstate transmission of threats to injure. State online records indicate he has no criminal history in Utah. Haven’s court-appointed attorney, Robert Steele, did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment. At his initial hearing Wednesday, a magistrate judge ordered Haven to remain jailed pending the outcome of the case, calling him a danger to the community. Haven commonly alluded to him and other gun owners taking matters into their own hands, charging documents show. He told a staffer for an unnamed senator in September 2018 that there were “far more Second Amendment people than whiny, crying liberals,” the documents said. He called back the next month to the same office and said, “We will exercise our Second Amendment rights to address Democrat mobs that threaten conservatives,” according to the documents. Haven threatened to cut off the heads of two senators in another call and in yet another one identified himself as Hitler and yelled repeatedly he would “put a bullet” in the head of the senator, the documents said. The names and political affiliations of the members of Congress who were threatened are not included in the charging documents. Melodie Rydalch, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah, said Thursday she could not provide details beyond what were in the legal documents. When a federal law enforcement agent confronted Haven last summer about his calls, Haven threatened to beat up the agent. Haven also denied making some of the calls and told the agent that he should be investigating groups like Black Lives Matter.

u.s .
congress
utah
democrats
donald trump
black lives matter
scott brian haven


U.S. House Democrats move toward court action against William Barr and Don McGahn

Abstract: WASHINGTON - A U.S. House of Representatives committee, seeking to advance probes of President Donald Trump, unveiled a measure on Thursday that would authorize court action to enforce congressional subpoenas of Attorney General William Barr and former White House Counsel Don McGahn over the Mueller report. The Rules Committee resolution was expected to go to a vote on the House floor on Tuesday, according to Democratic aides. If approved, the measure would put another aspect of the growing confrontation between Trump and House Democrats before the courts. The resolution also sets the terms for possible court action by other House committees investigating the president. The measure follows through on House Democrats’ plans to go to court in their quest for an unredacted copy of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on his investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, possible obstruction of that probe by Trump and top officials’ testimony. Barr released a redacted version of the 448-page report on April 18. He later disregarded a House Judiciary Committee subpoena demanding release of the full report, along with the underlying evidence that Mueller relied on. House Judiciary voted on May 8 to recommend that the full House cite Barr for contempt of Congress. The White House had asserted the seldom-used principle of executive privilege to try to keep the full Mueller report under wraps, even though Trump earlier allowed aides to speak with Mueller during his investigation. House Judiciary also subpoenaed McGahn, seeking his testimony, which he refused to provide in line with a pattern of stonewalling by Trump of Democrats’ inquiries. “We will not allow this president and his administration to turn a blind eye to the rule of law,” said Rules Committee Chairman James McGovern in a statement. “The Trump administration is waging an unprecedented campaign of stonewalling and obstruction. … This resolution will allow Congress to hold the president accountable.”

u.s. congress
robert mueller
democrats
donald trump
don mcgahn
russia probe
william barr


Ex-Trump adviser Michael Flynn shakes up legal team

Abstract: NEW YORK - Former U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn has dismissed the lawyers who represented him in his guilty plea and cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller and retained new counsel, according to a court filing on Thursday. While no reason was given for the termination of Robert Kelner and Stephen Anthony of the Covington & Burling law firm, the move comes after a contentious hearing in December when a judge excoriated Flynn for lying to the FBI and other actions leading to his guilty plea. The judge’s comments were prompted by a sentencing memo in which Kelner and Anthony noted that Flynn was not explicitly warned by FBI agents that lying to them was a crime, appearing to suggest that he was entrapped. In Thursday’s filing, Kelner and Anthony said Flynn had fired them and they asked to withdraw as his lawyers, a move that must be approved by the court. “As only sentencing remains in this case … and General Flynn has already retained new counsel, withdrawal at this time would not be prejudicial to any of the parties or otherwise inconsistent with the interests of justice,” they wrote. Flynn’s new lawyer has not yet been disclosed. Kelner declined comment further. Changing lawyers has been on Flynn’s mind for some time as he and Kelner often have not agreed and do not have a good rapport, according to a person familiar with the matter. Flynn, who was ousted as national security adviser in 2017 in the first month of Donald Trump’s presidency, pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about his December 2016 conversations with Sergei Kislyak, then Russia’s ambassador in Washington, about U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow by the administration of Trump’s Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama. The conversations took place between Trump’s November 2016 election victory and his inauguration in January 2017. Flynn cooperated extensively with Mueller’s investigation, which did not find sufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign but documented multiple instances of attempts by Trump to impede the probe while stopping short of saying whether he committed a crime. Flynn had been scheduled to be sentenced at a Dec. 13 hearing but U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan delivered a blistering critique and recommended sentencing be put off until after he has finished helping prosecutors with other investigations and could get full credit for it. Bradley Moss, a Washington lawyer who specializes in national security issues, said it was unlikely Flynn would look to make a dramatic turn in his legal strategy, such as withdrawing his guilty plea. “There could be something more to this but given how late in the game this is, I can’t imagine this is about anything more than money,” Moss said, noting that Covington was an expensive, top-tier law firm. Flynn still is cooperating with prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia against his former business partner, Bijan Rafiekian, who was indicted on allegations of unregistered lobbying on behalf of Turkey. Rafiekian has pleaded not guilty and his trial is scheduled to begin in July.

u.s .
fbi
robert mueller
donald trump
michael flynn
russia probe


Niceties aside, much to disagree on as Trump and Macron meet on D-Day commemoration

Abstract: CAEN, FRANCE - The D-Day commemoration was an occasion for France to showcase its long friendship with the United States, but U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron nevertheless acknowledged their differences on key world issues when they met Thursday. The two leaders showed camaraderie as they marked D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery near Omaha Beach, where the Americans landed on June 6, 1944, marking the beginning of the end of Europe’s Nazi occupation. Trump praised Macron’s poignant speech of gratitude — and they even briefly hugged. They seemed more tense, however, as they started their one-on-one meeting later. “We’re doing a lot together and the relationship between you and I and also the United States and France has been outstanding,” Trump said ahead of the meeting in the city of Caen. “I’m very happy that President Trump came to France and that we are able to work together,” Macron answered. The bilateral talks lasted for about two hours, including lunch. Trump and Macron discussed all major issues they disagree on, including Iran, world trade and climate change. The meeting was “positive,” a top official at Macron’s office said after Trump left, speaking on customary condition of anonymity. He noted that being able to have long talks on dividing issues shows that “there’s mutual trust.” There was no immediate readout on the meeting from the U.S. delegation. Amid rising tensions between Iran and the U.S., Macron delivered a message of appeasement and dialogue, the French official said. Trump played down differences with France over Iran, telling Macron that they both agree Tehran should not have nuclear weapons. He reiterated his offer to reopen negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. After the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal meant to keep Tehran from building atomic weapons, France is pushing to keep Iran in the deal and find ways to counter Washington’s increased economic sanctions. On world trade, Macron reiterated that he wants the “rules of the game” to be respected and France’s interests — and companies — to be preserved, the French official said, stressing the issue could not be solved in only one meeting. France hopes to be able to discuss trade and climate with the U.S. again at the upcoming summit of the Group of Seven most advanced economies, which is scheduled to take place in August in southwestern France. Trump has not yet officially confirmed he will attend the summit. Security, the fight against terrorism, the situation in the Middle East, Libya and Ukraine were also on the agenda. The French president advocates for a stronger Europe in a globalized world. He positions himself as a bulwark against rising populism on the continent, warning against the dangers of nationalism and isolationism — a position that is the opposite of Trump’s. The two leaders’ ideological differences have gotten in the way in the past. The last time that Trump came to France, for World War I commemorations in November, things went wrong. Tweeting as he landed in Paris, Trump blasted Macron for making an “insulting” proposal to build up Europe’s military to counter the U.S., China and Russia. The French presidency argued that it was a misunderstanding. Macron still defends the idea of a European military force that would be a way “to say that Europe knows how to protect itself.” That force “would be part of NATO and it would strengthen Europe within NATO,” Macron said last month. Trump also tweeted last November against French tariffs on U.S. wine and pointed to Macron’s “very low approval rate.” Since then, he has mocked Macron on Twitter about the yellow vest anti-government protests that have wracked France for more than six months, suggesting his climate policy was to blame. Despite diverging policies, France and the U.S. have a close military cooperation. They are deeply involved in the fight against the Islamic State group, and Washington also supports France’s military operations to maintain security in Africa’s Sahel region. “Every time democracy and freedom are threatened, we take action together. And we will continue,” Macron said in Caen. “I very much value the historic relation and the friendship between the United States and France, President Trump and myself.”

france
wwii
u.s .
iran nuclear deal
d-day
donald trump
emmanuel macron