Answer to climate change will be found in labs, Exxon Mobil CEO says

Abstract: HOUSTON - For Darren Woods, Exxon Mobil Corp.’s chief executive officer, the answer to climate change won’t be found in solar panels or high-profile global accords, but rather in a U.S. government laboratory. At a time when environmentalists want Exxon to leave more oil and gas in the ground, Woods is pressing an alternative strategy. He wants to explore the “fundamental science” behind climate change for a way to cut carbon emissions without forcing consumers “to give up the use of energy, and give up their standards of living.” To that end, Exxon will unite with the Energy Department to study technologies including algae biofuels and carbon capture and storage, the company said in a statement. Exxon is contributing as much as $10 million a year to the effort, or the equivalent of about five hours of profit for the oil major. Exxon says the pact is one of the largest between the department’s laboratories and the private sector and will run for a decade. “We’re working on a solution that doesn’t exist but is needed,” Woods said in an interview. “Somebody needs to be doing that. There’s more value in that than investing in technologies that already exist but are not comprehensive enough.” The partnership will focus on innovations that work at the massive scale needed to make a meaningful effect on the climate. Exxon’s contributions can help federal scientists “fail fast” on unworkable concepts so they can advance to ideas that might, said Martin Keller, director at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Unsurprisingly for the leader of the West’s biggest oil and gas company, Woods prefers to focus on reducing emissions through technology that takes carbon out of the atmosphere, taxing carbon and reducing methane leaks, rather than limiting oil and gas production. “Frankly we haven’t seen a strong desire around the world for folks to do that,” Woods said. For many, it will be too little too late. The world is already warming at a rate that makes the Paris climate accord a serious challenge. And, like its Big Oil rivals, Exxon has become a lightning rod for climate activists an its annual meetings. This year will be no different. The New York State Common Retirement Fund and Church of England last week said they will vote against all Exxon directors and urged other shareholders to do the same. They say the super major has “failed to respond adequately” to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions since 2005 in contrast to peers such as BP PLC, Chevron Corp., Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Total SA. Exxon says it adequately considers climate risks in its business planning. Shell and other oil majors have won plaudits for expanding their ownership of wind and solar assets, and for expanding into power generation. For Exxon, though, that is the wrong approach, Woods said. “We don’t see us adding a lot of unique value in that space,” Woods said. “More fundamentally, if you look at what society is asking for, it’s not for companies like ourselves to go into those sectors. Instead what they’re looking for is solutions to the risk of climate change.”

energy
gas
oil
emissions
climate change
renewables
environment
exxon


Kenya to upgrade old rail line to deliver Uganda link, shunning China-funded project

Abstract: NAIROBI - Kenya plans to modernize an old railway track to link a newer line to neighboring Uganda at a cost of $210 million, with funding from an unidentified private backer rather than building another modern one with Chinese money. The development of Kenya’s railways has been part of China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative, a multibillion dollar series of infrastructure projects upgrading land and maritime trade routes between China and Europe, Asia and Africa. Kenya opened a modern railway linking the port of Mombasa with the capital Nairobi in 2017 at a cost of $3.2 billion. This was then linked with another new line, costing $1.5 billion and also funded by Chinese loans, to Naivasha in the Rift Valley. The Nairobi-Naivasha standard gauge rail (SGR) line, will be opened in August but does not yet extend to Uganda. “We need to make sure that when we commission the SGR in August, we have connectivity to Uganda from the SGR so we have to rehabilitate that line to make sure it is properly functional,” Kenyan transport minister James Macharia told Reuters, adding that the work will take a year to complete. Macharia said that spending $150 million to rehabilitate a decades-old line from Malaba on the border with Uganda and using the rest to build another short track connecting the SGR at Naivasha would be a quicker option than building another SGR. A Chinese loan worth $3.7 billion for the extension of the SGR from Naivasha to Malaba, which was last month reported by Kenyan media to be imminent, did not materialize, with neither government offering any explanation. “It is much faster to rehabilitate because the (Naivasha-Malaba) SGR would take three to four years,” Macharia said, without commenting on the potential loan that fell through. “Eventually we will do the SGR anyway but for the time being it is good to have something which is working,” the minister said, adding that the funding will come from a private firm which will recoup its investments by operating the line. “We have got a private sector partner who will do this work. And then for the recovery we have a PPP (Public Private Partnership) arrangement with them,” he said. Critics say Kenya is saddling future generations with debt from China, while the government says borrowing to build the infrastructure will spur economic development.

china
rail
kenya
uganda
infrastructure
belt and road


Dollar falls close to ¥109.60 in Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar weakened to levels near ¥109.60 in Tokyo trading Thursday, as a risk-averse mood grew ahead of the start of ministerial-level trade talks between the United States and China. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥109.62, down from ¥110.13 at the same time Wednesday. The euro was at $1.1187, down from $1.1205, and at ¥122.64, down from ¥123.40-41. The dollar slipped through ¥109.90 after U.S. President Donald Trump said Beijing “broke the deal” it had made in trade negotiations with Washington and the benchmark 225-issue Nikkei average made another dismal start. After buying by Japanese importers waned, the dollar came below the recent low of ¥109.71 as a sense of caution spread ahead of the ministerial trade negotiations starting in Washington on Thursday, according to an official at a foreign exchange margin trading service firm. The talks are scheduled to continue into Friday, the day the Trump administration plans to raise tariffs on Chinese products worth $200 billion. Speculative dollar-selling versus the yen by European players on the back of slumps in Asian stock markets was detected, a currency broker said. If the talks fail to produce a deal and the tariffs are raised, the greenback could sink below ¥109.60, a domestic bank official said.


Nikkei drops to 21,402 as trade war fears continue to grow

Abstract: Rising concerns about a possible escalation in the trade war between the United States and China led to another sell-off on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday. The 225-issue Nikkei average fell another 200.46 points, or 0.93 percent, to end at 21,402.13, after sliding 321.13 points on Wednesday. It was the key market yardstick’s first finish below 21,500 since March 29. The Topix index of all first-section issues closed down 21.62 points, or 1.38 percent, at 1,550.71. It plunged 27.51 points the previous day. The market took a dive right after the opening bell, as investors rushed to sell in the wake of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s posting of a notice to the Federal Register that the United States will raise tariffs on Chinese products worth $200 billion from 10 percent to 25 percent on Friday. In a quick response, Beijing said it was ready to retaliate. Stocks accelerated their downswings later in the morning, with investor sentiment further dampened by U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported comment that China “broke the deal.” In the afternoon, however, the market showed some resilience, aided by buybacks, brokers said. Investors refrained from buying because of the difficulty in predicting the outcome of the ministerial-level negotiations expected to start in Washington on Thursday, brokers said. “The Tokyo market may show wild swings on Friday too, depending on what will happen in the trade talks,” said Tomoaki Fujii, head of the investment research division at Akatsuki Securities Inc. If the talks break down and the tariffs are actually raised, the Nikkei could fall below 21,000, Fujii said. But he added the index might rebound sharply to 22,000 if some sort of agreement is struck. Falling issues trounced rising ones 1,819 to 282 in the TSE’s first section, while 39 issues were unchanged. Volume rose to 1.689 billion shares from Wednesday’s 1.496 billion shares. The broad-based market plunge was also traced to a stronger yen and share price drops stemming from poor earnings reports. Losing issues included Ono Pharmaceutical and automaker Honda. Among other noticeable losers were industrial robot producer Fanuc and drug maker Daiichi Sankyo. On the other hand, telecommunications carrier SoftBank attracted purchases on rosy earnings forecasts for the year through March and plans to boost dividend. Clothing store chain Fast Retailing and trader Mitsubishi enjoyed sound gains on selective buying while many other retailers and trading firms were downbeat. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key June contract on the Nikkei average lost 200 points to end at 21,380.

stocks
tse
nikkei 225
tokyo stock exchange


Takeda sells dry-eye drug to Novartis for deal valued at up to $5.3 billion

Abstract: TOKYO/HONG KONG/LONDON - Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd has agreed to sell its dry eye drug to Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG for $3.4 billion and potential milestone payments of up to $1.9 billion, in the first divestment since its takeover of the U.K.’s Shire. Japan’s biggest drugmaker aims to dispose of $10 billion worth of assets to cut debt taken on for the $62 billion Shire acquisition sealed in January, which catapulted it into the world’s top 10 drugmakers by sales but also made it one of the most indebted. The sale of Shire’s Xiidra dry eye treatment is likely to close in the second half of 2019, Takeda and Novartis said in a statement. Dry eye is a common condition that occurs when tears fail to provide adequate lubrication. If left untreated the condition can become extremely painful, leading to permanent damage to the cornea and vision. It affects an estimated 34 million people in the United States, Novartis’ statement showed, and can hinder daily activities ranging from reading to driving. Xiidra, approved to treat signs and symptoms of dry eye in the United States, Canada and Australia, would bolster Novartis’ front-of-the-eye portfolio, the Swiss drugmaker said. The drug had about $400 million in sales last year, according to Novartis. With its sale, the first and only prescription treatment for dry-eye disease approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, about 400 employees who are based primarily in the United States and Canada will be transferred to Novartis, Takeda said. Novartis has just spun off its Alcon contact-lens and surgical-products unit but previously transferred eye drugs from the unit to its main pharmaceutical business in 2016. Xiidra competes with Allergan Plc’s blockbuster Restasis. The drug could generate peak sales of as much as $1.4 billion, according to Elizabeth Krutoholow, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. The transaction is the first major deal for Takeda since it laid out a scenario of a potential $10 billion in divestments, in an effort to deleverage after net borrowings more than doubled with the takeover of Shire. The company is looking to divest overseas businesses where it isn’t an industry leader and doesn’t have critical mass. Takeda said it had also agreed to sell its business for sealant patch products, designed to help stop bleeding during surgery, to Ethicon Inc., a subsidiary of major U.S. drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, for about $400 million in cash. “These initial divestitures represent important steps in advancing the growth strategy Takeda outlined following our transformational acquisition of Shire earlier this year,” said Takeda President and CEO Christophe Weber in a statement. The Japanese firm said it will focus on treatments for diseases in key business areas including gastroenterology, oncology and neuroscience, “creating long-term value for Takeda shareholders.” The company’s completion of the purchase of Shire in January was the biggest-ever Japanese acquisition of a foreign firm. Its shares rose as much as 3.3 percent in early trading Thursday before ending up 0.2 percent, compared with a 0.9 percent loss in the 225-issue Nikkei average. Under CEO Vas Narasimhan, Novartis is narrowing its focus on cutting-edge drugs for cancer and rare diseases and betting on treatments such as gene therapies to potentially cure severe illnesses. In his first year at the helm, the new chief split with Alcon, ditched a stake in a consumer-health venture and carried out three crucial acquisitions to revamp the Basel, Switzerland-based company.


Court OKs change of residence in Tokyo for bailed former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn

Abstract: Former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn has been permitted by a court to change his residence to a house in Tokyo from a condominium while he is on bail, investigative sources said Thursday. The 65-year-old ousted chairman, who has denied all charges of financial misconduct, made the request to move into a house in Minato Ward after he was released on bail set at ¥500 million ($4.5 million) on April 26. Under the bail conditions Ghosn’s residence was restricted to a condominium in Shibuya Ward in the capital, and he was prohibited from making contact with his wife without approval from the Tokyo District Court. The condominium was designated as his residence following his first release on ¥1 billion bail on March 5, after his initial arrest in mid-November over allegations of underreporting his remuneration for years. Ghosn was then rearrested on April 4. In his fourth indictment, Ghosn was accused of having a Nissan subsidiary in the United Arab Emirates pay a total of $10 million to a distributor in Oman between July 2017 and last July, and having $5 million of that transferred to a savings account at a Lebanese investment firm that he effectively owns. He has also been charged with aggravated breach of trust over a separate case involving the alleged transfer of private investment losses to Nissan’s books in 2008 and paying $14.7 million in company funds later to a Saudi businessman who extended him credit.

tokyo
courts
corruption
scandals
nissan
carmakers
carlos ghosn


Lixil Chairman Ushioda's vision 'harmful to employees and shareholders,' band of executives allege

Abstract: Ten executives of housing equipment maker Lixil Group Corp. have joined forces to rebel against Chairman Yoichiro Ushioda, sources with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday. The 10 executives sent a letter critical of founding family member Ushioda, also chief executive officer, to a member of Lixil Group’s nomination committee, according to the sources. Also criticizing President and Chief Operating Officer Hirokazu Yamanashi as being unqualified for his corporate leadership role, the letter called for the return of former President and CEO Kinya Seto who was effectively dismissed by Ushioda. The nomination committee is currently holding final discussions to set the list of director nominees that will be proposed at a general meeting of shareholders in June, the sources said. The list will be made public as soon as it is decided. “Ushioda’s vision is harmful to Lixil Group’s employees and shareholders,” the 10 executives said in the letter, asking the committee to choose the nominees without being influenced by the current top leadership. At a news conference last month Ushioda announced his intention to take responsibility for the ousting of Seto, which triggered an internal feud. Ushioda promised to step down as board member on May 20 and as chairman and CEO after the shareholder meeting. Yamanashi, whom Ushioda had proposed as Seto’s successor, also agreed to quit the board. But he said he would leave the nomination committee to decide whether he should stay as COO or in any other post. Ushioda also told a meeting with analysts just after the news conference that he wants to give the post of CEO to Yamanashi. That has raised concerns among those opposed to Ushioda, including Seto and some foreign institutional investors, that the chairman is trying to maintain his influence through Yamanashi. At the shareholder meeting, Seto, who still sits on Lixil Group’s board, plans to propose a list of director nominees who support him. The origins of Lixil Group go back to the 2001 business integration of aluminum sash maker Tostem Corp. and tile and toilet maker Inax Corp. Ushioda is from Tostem’s founding family. Those opposed to Ushioda include board member Keiichiro Ina, from the Inax founding family. The group has welcomed the 10 new rebels. “Leaders in the field have risked their jobs and raised their voices,” a source said. “The impact should be huge.” The team hopes to win support from the nomination committee and a wide range of shareholders, sources said.


SoftBank Group net profit grew by third to ¥1.41 trillion in fiscal 2018 as Vision Fund bets paid off

Abstract: SoftBank Group Corp. said Thursday its net profit in fiscal 2018 rose 35.8 percent to ¥1.41 trillion, supported by gains from investments in technology startups through its nearly $100 billion Vision Fund. The investment and telecommunications group posted a record operating profit of ¥2.35 trillion in the same year, up 80.5 percent from a year earlier, on sales of ¥9.60 trillion, up 4.8 percent. SoftBank Group did not release an earnings forecast for the current fiscal year through March 2020. Of the ¥2.35 trillion in operating profit, the group earned ¥1.26 trillion from its fund management operations including the Vision Fund, which was founded in 2017 with partners including Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. The fund has invested in 69 companies, including U.S. ride-hailing giant Uber Technologies Inc. and Indian hotel operator Oyo Hotels & Homes. The group has shifted focus, to investments in global technology startups from telecommunication services, since listing its mobile phone carrier SoftBank Corp. on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December.

saudi arabia
tech
softbank
startups
financial results
vision fund
softbank group


Toyota to boost eco-friendly car and engine output in China with investment topping $2.2 billion

Abstract: Toyota Motor Corp. will invest over $2.2 billion (¥242 billion) in China to boost eco-friendly vehicle and engine production with a local partner to meet growing demand. Toyota plans to add 400,000 units to its annual production capacity for eco-friendly cars at GAC Toyota Motor Co. in Guangzhou, southern China, its Chinese partner Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. said. The target for additional units is equivalent to two-thirds of last year’s output. GAC Toyota Motor, owned equally by Toyota and the Chinese partner, will invest $1.6 billion to expand production capacity in two phases scheduled to complete in 2022, Guangzhou Automobile said in a statement. Toyota says the output of Toyota brand cars, including hybrid Camry sedans, at the Guangzhou manufacturing unit totaled 599,000 units last year. Toyota and its Chinese partner will also step up engine production at GAC Toyota Engine Co. in the capital of Guangdong province. They are earmarking $605 million to add 432,000 engines to annual output capacity by 2021 as part of efforts under Toyota New Global Architecture, a program to enhance production quality and reduce costs with the introduction of a new vehicle platform, the statement said. Toyota has not made public the engine production capacity of GAC Toyota Engine, which is 70 percent owned by Toyota and the remainder by the Chinese automaker. “We will implement various measures to accelerate business in China,” said a spokesman for Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co., a local unit in charge of public relations and other activities. In China, 2018 sales of new-energy vehicles, like electric vehicles and hybrid cars, surged 61.7 percent to 1,256,000 units, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Those sales are expected to grow further this year, increasing at least 400,000 units to 1.6 million, the industry group predicts.

china
toyota
carmakers
emissions
guangzhou automobile group


Toyota and Panasonic to merge housing units and team up on 'smart town' business

Abstract: Toyota Motor Corp. and Panasonic Corp. said Thursday they will integrate their housing businesses in an expansion of an existing tie-up, as they seek to collaborate on “town development” for next-generation lifestyles where homes and vehicles are connected to the internet. The companies plan to set up a joint venture on Jan. 7, 2020. Toyota will focus on new mobility services using self-driving technology, while Panasonic brings strengths in developing smart homes equipped with appliances supported by internet and other digital technologies. The venture, Prime Life Technologies Corp., will bring housing units of both companies under its wing, including Toyota Housing Corp., Misawa Homes Co. and Panasonic Homes Co. The move by the leading carmaker and electronics manufacturer comes amid shrinking demand in the domestic housing market due to Japan’s declining population. The tie-up also deepens the partnership between the companies. In January they announced a joint venture to build electric vehicle (EV) batteries that would pool the R&D and manufacturing strengths of one of the world’s largest automakers and battery makers, to compete in the fast-growing EV market. They also announced they would expand their existing tie-up on developing and manufacturing batteries for EVs. Prime Life Technologies will be equally owned by Toyota and Panasonic and headed by Makoto Kitano, senior managing executive officer of Panasonic. Trading house Mitsui & Co. is also considering investing in the company, Toyota and Panasonic said. “From here on out, information will link all items and services that support people’s daily lives,” Toyota President Akio Toyoda said in a statement. “I want to take on the challenge of providing a new kind of lifestyle.” Panasonic President Kazuhiro Tsuga said in the same statement, “Through this collaboration, Panasonic will further challenge itself to continue advancement in the town development business, aiming to deliver the ‘ideal lifestyle’ for each customer.” Toyota has been stepping up efforts to develop autonomous cars and offer various services, especially for elderly people living in rural areas, including transportation, food and package delivery and ride-hailing. It is planning to conduct testing for potential market feasibility in various regions in the early 2020s using the e-Palette concept vehicle — a box-shaped, battery-powered vehicle with no driver’s seat that was unveiled by Toyota last year. Panasonic has been developing homes equipped with appliances that can be remotely controlled through the internet, including air conditioners, lighting and refrigerators. Toyota has been proceeding with connected cars that can share information on usage — data that could be leveraged for on-demand ride-sharing, insurance and maintenance. The automaker has said it will tap into its partner’s network and operations, which range from building and selling cars to homes and companion robots, to expand into new transportation and home energy services. “If we are able to use this network going forward not only to manufacture and sell vehicles but to also provide new services, our future possibilities will greatly expand,” President Akio Toyota told reporters on Wednesday. “In addition to cars, I think that having our own housing business and connected business will be a big advantage for us.”

housing
toyota
panasonic
carmakers
self-driving
ev
toyota housing
misawa homes
panasonic homes


Troubled engineering firm Chiyoda to get Mitsubishi adviser as chairman and CEO

Abstract: Troubled plant engineering firm Chiyoda Corp. formally announced Wednesday the appointment of a corporate adviser from general trader Mitsubishi Corp., Chiyoda’s top shareholder, as its chairman and chief executive officer. Chiyoda expects the Mitsubishi adviser, Kazushi Okawa, 62, to lead the company’s turnaround efforts after it suffered a large loss over a liquefied natural gas plant project in the U.S., according to sources with knowledge of the matter. Before taking on the advisory post in April, Okawa headed Mitsubishi’s infrastructure project and plant engineering departments. Current Chiyoda President and CEO Masaji Santo is expected to become president and chief operating officer. Due partly to the loss from the U.S. plant project, Chiyoda has reported a group net loss of ¥215 billion for the year that ended in March. The company is currently in talks to get financial assistance, including from Mitsubishi.


Sharp to re-enter U.S. TV market after reaching agreement with Hisense on brand rights

Abstract: OSAKA - Sharp Corp. said Wednesday it will re-enter the U.S. TV market for the first time since 2015 after reaching a deal with Chinese electronics maker Hisense Group on rights to sell its brand in the world’s largest economy. Sharp sold its rights to use the Aquos brand and its production facilities to Hisense in 2016 as part of restructuring efforts. The Japanese display maker decided to buy back its brand from the Chinese group after being acquired by Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. in 2016, but negotiations between them had stalled. Sharp is expected to put its high-end 8K ultra-high-definition TVs on sale in the United States as early as this fall ahead of the Christmas holiday season, with plans to eventually expand to Canada and Mexico, company sources said.

electronics
hon hai
sharp corp .
hisense group


SoftBank to make Yahoo Japan a subsidiary, lifting expected sales and profits

Abstract: Telecommunications carrier SoftBank Corp. said Wednesday it will make Yahoo Japan Corp. a consolidated subsidiary. The share acquisition will help SoftBank log record consolidated sales and operating profit in the year ending in March 2020. At present, Yahoo Japan is under the wing of SoftBank Group Corp., the carrier’s parent. Next month, the telecommunications arm will raise its equity stake in Yahoo Japan to 45 percent from 12 percent in terms of voting rights, by acquiring ¥456.5 billion in new shares that will be issued by Yahoo Japan. The acquisition is aimed at maximizing the competitive edge of SoftBank through enhanced collaboration with Yahoo Japan’s operations beyond telecommunications, SoftBank President Ken Miyauchi said. SoftBank expects sluggish growth in its mainline communications services for the current year due to planned cuts in mobile phone rates. But with Yahoo Japan set to become a subsidiary, SoftBank’s consolidated sales are projected to expand 2.1 percent from the previous year to ¥4.8 trillion. Operating profit is forecast at ¥890 billion, up 3.5 percent. For the year that ended in March, SoftBank earned an operating profit of ¥719.46 billion, up 12.8 percent, on sales of ¥3.75 trillion, up 4.6 percent. The growth reflected an increase in smartphone subscribers.

internet
softbank
yahoo japan
acquisitions
telecoms


Japanese fast-food chain Yoshinoya ditches rice for veg with new take on gyūdon beef bowl

Abstract: Fast-food restaurant operator Yoshinoya Holdings Co. started selling on Thursday a bowl of beef on vegetables, instead of the usual steamed rice, responding to requests from health-conscious people. The restaurant chain said Wednesday its first-ever beef bowl without rice had been made in collaboration with fitness club chain Rizap Group Inc. Yoshinoya operates in the United States, China and other countries, but the new product is expected to only be sold in Japan, according to an employee. Yoshinoya’s typical beef bowl dish, known as gyūdon , consists of a bowl of steamed rice served with cooked beef and sweet onion. Its new dish will use the same beef and onion, but will also be prepared with chicken, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and beans and a soft-boiled egg. It will cost ¥540 (about $4.90) per bowl. Although the product weighs more than 300 grams, the new bowl has 30 percent fewer calories and 80 percent less carbohydrate compared with a medium-size serving of gyūdon, the company said. A single bowl can offer one-third of the recommended vegetable intake per day, it also said. “We tried to respond to requests from customers who want to eat gyūdon but are worried” about staying in shape, Rizap said in a news release.

food
restaurants
fast food
meat
gyudon
yoshinoya
diets
rizap


'Off the charts': Number of migrants nabbed at U.S. southern border tops 100,000 again

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The number of migrants apprehended at the southern border topped 100,000 for the second month in a row, as the Trump administration manages an ever increasing number of Central American families streaming to the U.S. According to Homeland Security figures, there were 109,144 migrants encountered in April, including more than 58,000 families and 8,800 unaccompanied children taken into custody. Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost told senators on Wednesday that apprehension numbers were “off the charts,” and she’s had to divert agents to care for children. As she spoke, images of Border Patrol agents holding small children flashed behind her. She said shifting resources will not address the crisis. She said she is worried about drugs and other contraband that is getting through as resources are shifted to caring for children.

u.s .
immigration
mexico
refugees
u.s.-mexico border
donald trump
carla provost


After ballot, Denver set to become first U.S. city to decriminalize magic mushrooms

Abstract: NEW MEXICO - Based on final unofficial results Wednesday of a ballot initiative about the hallucinogenic drug, Denver will become the first city in the United States to decriminalize magic mushrooms. The initiative called for the Colorado state capital to end the imposition of criminal penalties for individuals at least 21 years of age for using or possessing psilocybin, widely known as magic mushrooms. The Denver Elections Divisions will certify results on May 16, but the final count on its website Wednesday was 50.56 percent of voters in favor and 49.44 percent against. If the initiative is approved, psilocybin will still remain illegal under both Colorado and federal law. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration classifies the drug as a Schedule 1 substance, meaning the agency has deemed that it has a high potential for abuse with no accepted medical application. Decriminalize Denver, the group behind Tuesday’s ballot question, said psilocybin has a wide range of medical benefits. It has been shown to reduce depression and anxiety and to help in treating tobacco, alcohol and opioid addictions, and with alleviating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the organization. Some opponents worry that if passed, the initiative will increase the city’s image as a haven for drugs, given that Colorado was one of the first states to legalize possession and sale of marijuana for adult recreational use. Denver District Attorney Beth McCann opposed the initiative. But if the measure were approved, she supported formation of a review panel under the initiative to study the effects of the drug and the impact the ordinance will have on Denver, spokeswoman Carolyn Tyler said. Denver residents first voted to decriminalize marijuana possession in 2004, years before Colorado voters ultimately approved its legalization statewide for recreational purposes, establishing a full regulatory framework to license retail outlets and collect sales taxes on cannabis products.


Superjet flights scrubbed following Russian plane disaster

Abstract: MOSCOW - Russian national carrier Aeroflot canceled four flights that normally use the Sukhoi Superjet aircraft Wednesday, days after a deadly crash during an emergency landing in Moscow where 41 people died in a fire. A total of five Aeroflot flights were canceled by early evening, according to the Sheremetyevo airport online schedule, four of which usually use the Sukhoi Superjet. These included flights to domestic destinations and the Swedish city of Gothenburg, AFP saw. An Aeroflot spokeswoman had no immediate comment. The Baltic news agency BNS reported a Tuesday Superjet flight from Moscow to Riga being delayed by three hours because passengers demanded a different plane after complaints of a burning smell, causing panic. It departed after a safety check and arrived at its destination, reports said. An investigation is ongoing following the accident on Sunday, in which a Superjet-100 bound for the Russian arctic city of Murmansk turned around after being struck by lightning. It bounced on the runway and caught fire, with thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the air. Aeroflot was once notorious for its poor safety record but in recent years its image has improved and it has not had a fatal accident in more than a decade. The Russian Sukhoi Superjet-100, however, has been dogged with problems since its launch in 2011 and Russia has struggled to convince foreign carriers to purchase it. A petition to “completely stop flights on Sukhoi Superjet during ongoing investigation” has gathered over 170 thousand signatures in two days. While there is no concrete evidence that the tragedy was a result of a technical problem, many Russian outlets published criticism of the Russian-assembled plane. The plane required colossal government investment to be developed and has been promoted at the highest level. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked to comment on the petition, said that “only competent aviation authorities” would be able to make a decision to ground the plane. The jet is widely used by flagship airline Aeroflot on short-haul flights.

airlines
moscow
russia
aviation
aeroflot
air accidents
sukhoi superjet


The only way is down: subterranean survival warning

Abstract: NAPLES, ITALY - Solutions to the biggest threats facing our planet lie underground, according to experts who insist climate change, overpopulation and food shortages can all be tackled by going subterranean. “We are coming to a point in our history in which we need to start looking for more space,” Han Admiraal, a civil engineer with over two decades of experience in underground space, said on the sidelines of this year’s World Tunnel Congress. Efforts to meet seven of the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals — from cleaning up pollution-clogged metropolises to ending world hunger — could be given a big boost by repurposing spaces below street level, he said. “We don’t seem to realize that we’re losing a lot of arable land at an alarming rate each year (to soil degradation, urbanization and intensive farming), where we should be increasing it to feed the growing world population. “Underground spaces could easily be used for growing crops,” he said, as he toured the cavernous Bourbon Tunnel, dug deep under the Italian city of Naples as a potential escape route for King Ferdinand II of Bourbon after the 1848 riots. Scientific developments in areas like aquaponics — where vegetables and fish are farmed together — could help relieve the pressure on the food supply chain, and dramatically cut transport costs if such new farms were situated under cities. Micro greens — tiny seedlings of plants such as fennel, radish or coriander usually harvested when they are full size — are already being grown underground, as is lettuce, Admiraal said. “We could look at adding products like soy or lupin, which can be used as the basis for creating more protein-rich products that can be used as a substitute for meat,” reducing our reliance on one of the biggest climate destroyers: the meat industry. “You can also think about underground car parks: we know that cars are killing cities. We’re moving towards electrical vehicles, autonomous vehicles. So the question is, will those spaces still be needed in the future in the way they are now? “You could give them a new lease of life that actually supports the livability of the city,” he said. From Boston to Oslo, Rio de Janeiro, Seattle and Sydney, structures such as multilane highways are being moved underground, with the disused spaces converted into parks, according to urban planner Antonia Conaro. “Cities where the population growth is very strong, and which are struggling with resources, with the impact on their natural habitat … are looking at innovative ways to expand,” she said. “They’re looking at floating cities but are realizing that’s not the solution, because it affects marine life and is difficult to build, so why not go downwards?” added Cornaro, who is on the ITACUS international underground space committee with Admiraal. Metropolises like Singapore and Hong Kong have already begun changing legislation to allow for everything from universities to libraries, shopping centers, cinemas and sports facilities to move underground. Trees planted in new green areas will do their bit to help rein in climate change, as well as help prevent soil degradation. Going underground can also help protect populations from the severe weather events climate change is expected to spark. “For flooding, and also for other natural disasters, it can really help make the city more resilient to exploit the underground for shelter,” Cornaro said. “Fiber optics can bring sunlight below the surface, and also you can simulate daylight nowadays,” she adds. A lack of sunlight has certainly not stopped ferns from growing among the dust-covered wrecks of cars abandoned in the Bourbon Tunnel decades ago, when it was used as a police pound. How well plants can grow without the sun’s rays is the focus of current studies looking into the optimal frequency of artificial light for photosynthesis, Admiraal said.

emissions
climate change
renewables
environment


Global obesity rising faster in rural areas than in cities, study finds

Abstract: PARIS - Obesity worldwide is increasing more quickly in rural areas than in cities, a study reported Wednesday, challenging a long-held assumption that the global epidemic of excess weight is mainly an urban problem. Data covering 200 countries and territories compiled by more than 1,000 researchers showed an average gain of roughly 5 to 6 kilograms (11 to 13 pounds) for each adult living in the countryside from 1985 to 2017. City-dwelling women and men put on 38 and 24 percent less than their rural counterparts over the same period, according to the findings, published in Nature. “The results of this massive global study overturn commonly held perceptions that more people living in cities is the main cause of the global rise in obesity,” said senior author Majid Ezzati, a professor at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health. “This means that we need to rethink how we tackle this global health problem.” The main exception to the trend was sub-Saharan Africa, where women gained weight more rapidly in cities. Obesity has emerged as a global health epidemic, driving rising rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and a host of cancers. The annual cost of treating related health impacts could top a trillion dollars by 2025, the World Obesity Federation estimated in 2017. To date, most national and international policies to curb excess body weight have focused on cities, including public messaging, the redesign of urban spaces to encourage walking, and subsidized sports facilities. To factor health status into the comparison across nations, the researchers used a standard measure known as the “body-mass index” (BMI) based on height and weight. A person with a BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight, while 30 or higher is obese. A healthy BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9. Approximately 2 billion adults in the world are overweight — and nearly a third of those obese. The number of obese people has tripled since 1975. The study revealed important differences between countries depending on income level. In high-income nations, for example, the study found that rural BMI were generally already higher in 1985, especially for women. Lower income and education levels, the high cost and limited availability of healthy foods, dependence on vehicles, the phasing out of manual labor — all of these factors likely contributed to progressive weight gain. Conversely, urban areas “provide a wealth of opportunities for better nutrition, more physical exercise and recreation, and overall improved health,” Ezzati said. Around 55 percent of the world’s population live in cities or satellite communities, with that figure set to rise to 68 percent by mid-century, according to the United Nations. The most urbanized regions in the world are North America (82 percent), Latin America and the Caribbean (81 percent) and Europe (74 percent). More recently, the proportion of overweight and obese adults in the rural parts of many low- and middle-income countries is also rising more quickly than in cites. “Rural areas in these countries have begun to resemble urban areas,” Barry Popkin, an expert on global public health at the University of North Carolina, said in a comment, also in Nature. “Modern food supply is now available in combination with cheap mechanized devices for farming and transport,” he added. “Ultraprocessed foods are also becoming part of the diets of poor people.” At a country level, several findings stand out. Some of the largest BMI increases from 1985 to 2017 among men were in China, the United States, Bahrain, Peru and the Dominican Republic, adding an average of 8 to 9 kilograms per adult. Women in Egypt and Honduras added — on average, across urban and rural areas — even more. Rural women in Bangladesh, and men living in rural Ethiopia, had the lowest average BMI in 1985, at 17.7 and 18.4 respectively, just under the threshold of healthy weight. Both cohorts were well above that threshold by 2017. The populations — both men and women — in small South Pacific island nations have among the highest BMI levels in the world, often well above 30. “The NDC Risk Factor Collaboration challenges us to create programs and policies that are rurally focused to prevent weight gain,” Popkin said.

health obesity exercise rural urban studies


Bat-winged dinosaur was intriguing, brief detour in evolution of flight

Abstract: WASHINGTON - A fossil unearthed in northeastern China of a feathered dinosaur a bit bigger than a blue jay that possessed bat-like wings represents a remarkable but short-lived detour in the evolution of flight and the advent of birds, scientists said on Wednesday. The dinosaur, named Ambopteryx longibrachium, lived 163 million years ago during the Jurassic Period and took flight with membranous wings made of skin supported by a long, pointed wrist bone, dramatically different from the distinctive feathered wings of birds. Before aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright flew the first successful airplane, others dabbled with various experimental flying machines. There was an analogous period of flight experimentation among dinosaurs before small feathered ones evolved into the first birds about 150 million years ago. Unlike birds, Ambopteryx had membranous wings resembling pterosaurs, flying reptiles that appeared roughly 230 million years ago, and bats, flying mammals that appeared roughly 50 million years ago. Its fossil, found in 2017 by a local farmer in Liaoning Province, was well preserved, boasting details of soft tissue like the wing membranes, bristly body feathers, stomach contents of its last meal and gizzard stones. It lacked the long, strong flight feathers characteristic of birds. Ambopteryx is the second-known dinosaur with membranous wings, joining Yi qi, which lived 2-3 million years later. Yi’s fossil, published in 2015, was found 50 miles (80 km) away. “The discoveries of Ambopteryx and Yi completely change our view about the origin of avian flight,” said paleontologist Min Wang of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. “For a long time, we thought feathered wings were the only flight apparatus” in the evolution of birds, Wang added. “However, these new discoveries clearly exhibit that membranous wings also evolved in some dinosaurs closely related to birds. Put together, the breadth and richness of the experimentation pertaining to flight is greater than was previously thought during the dinosaur-bird transition. And we may be seeing just the tip of the iceberg.” Membranous wings in dinosaurs appear to have been short-lived experimentation, added Wang who led the research was published in the journal Nature. Wang said Ambopteryx, about 13 inches (32 cm) long and about 11 ounces (306 grams) in weight, was certainly capable of gliding but it is difficult to know whether it could achieve powered flight. Likely omnivorous, Ambopteryx lived an arboreal lifestyle in a forested environment.

china
evolution
dinosaurs
birds
ambopteryx longibrachium


Figures show most EU nations cut output of CO2 last year

Abstract: BRUSSELS - Most European Union countries reduced carbon dioxide emissions last year, estimates showed Wednesday, marking a turnaround in the battle against greenhouse gases as campaigners urged faster action to avoid the most damaging effects of climate change. Overall EU emissions from burning oil, coal and gas were 2.5 percent lower in 2018 than the previous year, Eurostat figures showed, with 20 of the bloc’s 28 countries reporting reductions. That was better than 2017, which saw combined emissions 1.8 percent higher than 2016 and only seven countries recording decreases, according to the EU’s statistics office. The EU has pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. “After four years without substantial emission reductions, the EU has finally started to walk the road to the zero-carbon economy,” said Wendel Trio, who heads the activist group Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe. “To be able to avoid ever wilder extreme weather events, greater drought, food shortages and economic devastation, we need sharp falls in emissions every single year,” Trio added. Portugal took the lead with the sharpest decrease, Eurostat figures showed, recording a 9 percent drop in emissions from 2017. It was followed by Bulgaria, with an 8.1 percent reduction. Ireland’s was 6.8 percent lower and Germany’s fell 5.4 percent. Britain was last in line, with a slim 0.3 percent decrease compared to 2017. On the other hand, Latvia recorded the poorest result, with emissions up 8.5 percent from the year before. Other countries in the bloc whose emissions rose include Poland, which recorded an increase of 3.5 percent. The EU has vowed to lead the way in saving the Paris climate agreement since the United States, the world’s second-biggest polluter, after China, withdrew in 2017. The pact aims to keep the worldwide rise in temperatures “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial times. Germany, the bloc’s most populous country and its most powerful economy, accounted for the largest share of the union’s emissions last year, at 22 percent. It was followed by Britain at 11.4 percent, Poland at 10.3 percent as well as by France and Italy, at 10 percent each. Germany, Britain, France and Italy are among the bloc’s leading economies and have the largest populations. Poland, whose population is significantly lower than the other top polluters, relies on antiquated coal-fired power plants to generate nearly all of its electricity, giving it some of the highest carbon emissions in the EU. In other developments, Britain’s National Grid Electricity System Operator revealed it has managed a week of powering electricity without using coal for the first time since 1882, as the country targets zero carbon emissions. And German insurer Allianz announced it aims to make the massive investments that back its business “climate-neutral” by 2050. It means Allianz will no longer invest money in shares or bonds issued by companies whose activity is harmful to the climate.

europe
energy
eu
emissions
climate change
environment


Ex-ministers blast Jair Bolsonaro for dismantling Brazil's environmental protections

Abstract: BRASILIA - Eight former Brazilian environment ministers blasted new right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro and his administration in a letter on Wednesday, saying it is dismantling the country’s environmental protections. The former officials criticized the government’s decision to strip the environment ministry’s authority over forestry and water agency services, while also saying a lack of clear directives to combat climate change is threatening Brazil’s ability to meet its commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions. “All this reinforces in the end a sense of impunity, which is the byword for more deforestation and more violence,” they wrote, arguing that this perceived dismantling was unconstitutional. Brazil’s current Environment Minister Ricardo Salles responded point by point to the letter in a statement and blamed external forces for what he saw as a campaign against the country. “What is damaging Brazil’s image is the permanent and well-orchestrated defamation campaign by NGOs and supposed experts, within and outside of Brazil,” Salles’ letter said. Bolsonaro on the campaign trail railed against what he has called “an industry” of environmental fines targeting farmers and at one point considered pulling out of the Paris Agreement on climate change. He still maintains climate change may not be man-made, although Brazil remains a party to the agreement. His remarks have spurred fears among environmentalists that deforestation will spike in Brazil’s portion of the Amazon rain forest, which absorbs vast amounts of greenhouse gases. Brazil’s Amazon deforestation, however, has fallen 34 percent year-on-year in the first four months of the year, according to data from the country’s space agency, INPE. The former environment ministers who drafted the letter include Rubens Ricupero, who served in the early 1990s, and Edson Duarte, who stepped down at the end of the previous government. In his response, which is longer than the original letter, Salles said he agreed with the former ministers’ call for robust and efficient environmental regulations. “The current government did not reject, nor deconstruct, any previously assumed commitment that is tangible, advantageous and concrete for Brazilian society,” he wrote. Salles criticized a lack of action in a variety of areas by previous governments. He defended moving the authority over forest services and the water agency ANA to other ministries. saying it would help kickstart action in those areas. “We reaffirm our commitment to combat illegal deforestation, with effective actions and not merely rhetoric,” he wrote.

pollution
nature
brazil
forests
amazon
development
environment
jair bolsonaro


FBI has 850 open cases on domestic terrorism, officials say

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The Federal Bureau of Investigation has around 850 open investigations into domestic terrorism, most of them involving anti-government and white nationalist extremists, a senior FBI official said Wednesday. About half of the 850 involved anti-government, anti-authority actors, Michael McGarrity, the FBI assistant director for counterterrorism, told the House Homeland Security Committee. Another 40 percent are racially driven extremists, he said. “Within that a significant majority are racially motivated extremists who support the superiority of the white race.” McGarrity said the internet and social media have driven the recent rise in domestic extremist threats, which he said develop similarly to threats from domestic Islamic extremists, which the FBI labels homegrown violent extremists. “What we’re seeing is the velocity in which our subjects and the velocity in which we are working our cases … is much quicker than it has ever been before,” he said. Individuals can go on the internet and easily find content matching their specific ideology, without having to travel or meet others in person, he said. That allows them “to be able to radicalize fairly quickly and then mobilize to that violence quickly,” McGarrity said. The hearing came as deaths from domestic extremist attacks have risen in recent years to surpass those from Islamic-inspired attacks. Attention has recently focused especially on white nationalists who meld together anti-immigrant, and-Black and anti-Semitic sentiments. Last month a teenage gunman who wrote a hate-filled manifesto online opened fire at a synagogue in Poway, California, leaving one woman dead and three others injured, including a rabbi. That came exactly six months after another man spouting anti-Semitic and white nationalist vitriol shot dead 11 and wounded six others at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.

u.s .
terrorism
ethnicity
racism
fbi
white supremacists
michael mcgarrity


U.S. Senate panel subpoenas Trump's son over Russia contacts

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The Russia probe plunged Washington into turmoil Wednesday as Donald Trump’s son reportedly was ordered to testify before a Senate panel and the White House refused to release material on investigations into the president. A day after the top Republican in Congress called the Russia probe “case closed,” Trump’s conflict with his Democratic opponents escalated to new heights as a House panel voted to hold the nation’s Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt for refusing to turn over key documents. Following a day of drama that included Trump asserting executive privilege for the first time in his presidency, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee took the surprise step of issuing a subpoena to Donald Trump Jr. to testify as part of its investigation into Russian election interference, U.S. media reported. It was the first known legal summons issued to a member of the president’s family to force testimony in the ongoing investigation, and comes after special counsel Robert Mueller declined to accuse Trump’s 2016 campaign of criminal conspiracy to collude with the Russians. Trump Jr., 41, has testified voluntarily in private once to the committee, and was peppered with questions about a June 9, 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York that he and other campaign officials had with a Russian lawyer who had offered them dirt on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Committee aides would not confirm the subpoena or what they want to discuss with the president’s eldest son, who currently helps run the Trump Organization. Citing a person close to Trump Jr., The Wall Street Journal reported he had offered to answer questions in writing from the committee, and planned to fight the subpoena, which demands he testify in person. The White House has been seeking to shield a large swathe of material — including redacted portions of Mueller’s report — subpoenaed by lawmakers seeking to exert their oversight responsibility. The rare move to invoke executive privilege came as the House Judiciary Committee took its most substantive step yet against a member of the Trump administration by approving a contempt motion against Barr. “This was a very grave and momentous step we were forced to take today,” committee chairman Jerry Nadler said after the party-line vote. Nadler said the contempt citation will proceed “rapidly” for a full House vote but did not offer a timeline. He accused Trump and the White House of stonewalling by preventing America’s congressional representatives from conducting oversight of the executive branch. “It’s an attack on the essence of our democracy,” Nadler said. “We are now in a constitutional crisis.” The Department of Justice swiftly shot back, branding the contempt vote “inappropriate political theatrics.” Hours earlier, Trump made clear he would assert his executive privilege to keep Mueller’s full report under wraps. “Neither the White House nor Attorney General Barr will comply with Chairman Nadler’s unlawful and reckless demands,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd stressed that Trump had moved to keep “the entirety of the subpoenaed materials” from the eyes of Congress. Nadler warned that such action “represents a clear escalation in the Trump administration’s blanket defiance of Congress’s constitutionally mandated duties.” Democrats have struggled with their battle plan in the wake of the Mueller report. Some have called for impeachment proceedings against Trump, while others stress the need to refocus on issues affecting everyday Americans ahead of the 2020 election. Trump claimed the document exonerated him of wrongdoing. On the question of obstruction of justice, the report did not conclude Trump committed a crime, but Mueller wrote that “it also does not exonerate him.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Trump’s nemesis in Congress, has refrained from calling for his impeachment. But on Wednesday she voiced support for the contempt move, and delivered a stinging message about the White House refusal to release the unredacted report. “Is this what it looks like when you have nothing to hide?” Pelosi tweeted. For several hours in the tense judiciary hearing, lawmakers traded barbs about Barr’s brazen protection of the president and the calculated effort by Democrats to punish him and gain access to key material. Addressing a rally of supporters in Florida on Wednesday night, Trump defended his attorney general as “great” and said that after Mueller’s two-year probe found “nothing,” the Democrats were not finished. “You know it was going to be, like, ‘we want the Mueller report.’ Now they say, ‘Mueller report, no, we want to start all over again.’ It is a disgrace.” Barr defied a subpoena to turn over a complete copy of Mueller’s report and the underlying evidence, and last week refused to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. The panel approved the 27-page contempt citation in which Nadler wrote that even the redacted report “offers disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels.”

u.s .
congress
robert mueller
donald trump
donald trump jr .
russia probe


Ex-member of alleged New York sex cult tells jury of forced encounter and 'shame'

Abstract: NEW YORK - A former member of an alleged New York sex cult testified on Wednesday that the secretive group’s leader forced her into an unwanted sexual encounter and took nude photos of her after he announced that he was her “grand master.” The leader of the Nxivm group, Keith Raniere, 58, is charged with ordering numerous women to have sex with him, branding them with his initials and forcing them to adhere to a near-starvation diet. Sylvie, a 32-year-old British woman who testified under her given name only, is the first alleged victim to appear as a witness at Raniere’s trial in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. “I felt shame,” a tearful Sylvie said, telling jurors she did not want to engage in sexual acts with him but felt she had no choice. “Now you’re part of the inner circle,” she recounted Raniere telling her after the encounter. Raniere has pleaded not guilty to charges including sex trafficking and child pornography, and his lawyer has argued that he never forced any women to act against their will. He faces life in prison if convicted. Sylvie told jurors how her involvement in Nxivm eventually led her to become a “slave” in a secret sorority within the group called DOS, which required her to recruit other women. She now lives in England with her husband, also a former Nxivm member, and testified under an immunity agreement with prosecutors. She painted a picture of an organization awash in misogyny. Nxivm’s co-founder, Nancy Salzman, who has pleaded guilty, once instructed a women’s class that “abuse” is a variable concept and that the age of consent is as young as 12 in some places, Sylvie testified. “We were taught that women were self-absorbed, narcissistic,” she said. “I feel like in some ways that was the worst part of it for me.” During cross-examination, defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo, showed Sylvie text messages she sent to Raniere that were full of affection, even after their sexual encounter. He also pressed her on whether she could have left Nxivm during her decade-plus as a member. “Yeah, no one held me there,” she conceded, though she also said it did not feel like staying was entirely her decision, either. Nxivm, which started under another name in 1998 and is pronounced “Nexium,” was based in Albany, New York, and operated numerous self-improvement centers across North and Central America. Prosecutors say Raniere established DOS in 2015, setting up a pyramid-like structure of female slaves and masters with himself alone at the top. Participants were forced to provide potential blackmail material, or “collateral,” such as explicit videos or damaging information. Raniere is standing trial alone after five co-defendants, including Seagram heiress Clare Bronfman and former “Smallville” star Allison Mack, pleaded guilty to related crimes.

u.s .
new york
sex crimes
cults
nxivm
keith raniere


N.Y. Senate votes to grant U.S. Congress access to Trump's state tax returns

Abstract: NEW YORK - The New York Senate adopted a bill Wednesday to grant the U.S. Congress access to Donald Trump’s state tax returns, after the U.S. president blocked attempts by congressional committees to review his past filings. The bill still has to be approved by the New York State Assembly, but that body is dominated by Democrats, making its passage all but certain. The bill — the latest round in a battle between the Republican president and the Democrat-led House of Representatives — will then have to be signed by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has already signaled his support for the plan. Introduced by Democratic Sen. Brad Hoylman, the bill authorizes the state’s fiscal authorities to share tax declarations with three congressional committees in Washington. In most U.S. states, taxpayers have to submit three separate tax returns — one to the federal government, one to the state and one to the city or municipality they live in. On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury refused a demand by Congress to hand over Trump’s federal tax returns, which it was demanding as part of the wide-ranging investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US elections. The submission of the former real-estate mogul’s New York state tax returns could offer a first, if partial, insight into the current financial situation of the president, who has declared himself to be a multi-billionaire. Trump is the first president since the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s not to make his tax returns public. Two years ago, the MSNBC journalist Rachel Maddow uncovered Trump’s tax filings from 2005, but nothing more recent has so far been unearthed and the president has refused to any effort to release them. On Tuesday, the New York Times published a report that Trump declared business losses of $1.17 billion between 1985 and 1994.

u.s .
congress
new york
taxes
andrew cuomo
donald trump


House panel to hold William Barr in contempt of Congress over refusal to turn over Russia report

Abstract: WASHINGTON - A Democratic-led House panel on Wednesday approved a measure to hold U.S. Attorney General William Barr in contempt for refusing to hand over an unredacted copy of the Mueller report on Russian election interference even as President Donald Trump invoked the legal principle of executive privilege to block its disclosure. Throwing down another challenge to Trump, the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted to recommend that the full House cite Barr, the top U.S. law enforcement official and a Trump appointee, for contempt of Congress after he defied its subpoena for the complete report and underlying evidence. The confrontation escalated a constitutional clash between the Democratic-controlled House and Republican president over congressional powers to investigate him, his administration, his family and his business interests. In a step likely to trigger a high-stakes court battle, with fines and possible imprisonment at stake for Barr, the committee approved the recommendation on a party-line 24-16 vote, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed. The vote came hours after the White House took its own provocative step, asserting executive privilege to block the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s full report on Russian actions to boost Trump’s candidacy in the 2016 U.S. election and related evidence such as investigative interviews. Executive privilege is only rarely invoked by U.S. presidents to keep other branches of government from getting access to certain internal executive branch information. Trump had not previously taken such a step in his showdown with Congress. House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler said the White House was misapplying executive privilege in “a clear escalation in the Trump administration’s blanket defiance of Congress’s constitutionally mandated duties,” adding that neither Barr nor Trump should be permitted to be “above the law.” The White House said Democrats forced the move. “Faced with Chairman Nadler’s blatant abuse of power, and at the attorney general’s request, the president has no other option than to make a protective assertion of executive privilege,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. In a letter to Nadler, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd said Barr could not comply with the subpoena “without violating the law, court rules, and court orders, and without threatening the independence of the Department of Justice’s prosecutorial functions.” Trump, seeking re-election in 2020, is stonewalling numerous probes by House Democrats, ranging from Mueller’s inquiry to matters such as Trump’s tax returns and past financial records. Contempt of Congress is an offense that can be enforced several ways, most likely by a civil lawsuit, which could lead to a judge ordering imposing daily fines on the defendant or even arrest and imprisonment, according to legal experts. The next step will be a floor vote by the full House. No action in the Republican-led Senate is needed. Barr, who released a 448-page redacted version of the report on April 18, missed two deadlines to turn over the requested material after Nadler last month subpoenaed it. Nadler said lawmakers need the material to determine whether Trump obstructed justice by trying to impede Mueller’s inquiry. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, said Trump’s moves to thwart House subpoenas were obstructing oversight by lawmakers and inquiries into Russian election interference. “Every single day the president is making the case. He’s becoming self-impeachable,” Pelosi told the Washington Post, referring to the impeachment process in Congress to remove a president from office. Pelosi added that Barr, who last week also refused to testify before the House panel, should be held in contempt of Congress. She last week accused Barr of committing a crime by lying to lawmakers. Trump has filed lawsuits meant to block House subpoenas seeking some of his financial and business records, and his administration refused to disclose his subpoenaed tax returns. In a letter obtained by Reuters last week, White House legal counsel Emmet Flood asserted that Trump has the right to instruct his advisers not to testify before congressional oversight probes related to the Mueller investigation. The clash between Trump and House Democrats presents political risks for both going into the 2020 election, with neither side backing down. In a lengthy Judiciary Committee meeting, Republicans condemned the move to hold Barr in contempt. “What a cynical, mean-spirited, counterproductive and irresponsible step,” said Doug Collins, the panel’s top Republican. Other Republicans accused Democrats of paving the way for impeachment. Democrats said the Trump administration waived executive privilege when it allowed some senior Trump advisers, including former White House Counsel Don McGahn, to talk to Mueller’s team during the investigation. The Justice Department said allowing such cooperation did not mean Trump relinquished the right to assert executive privilege now. “I can only conclude that the president now seeks to take a wrecking ball to the Constitution of the United States of America,” Democratic Representative Sheila Jackson Lee said. When the House was controlled by Republicans, it voted in 2012 to hold Eric Holder, attorney general under Democratic President Barack Obama, in contempt for failing to turn over subpoenaed Justice Department documents about a gun-running investigation. It was the first time Congress had held any Cabinet member in contempt. A 1974 Supreme Court ruling made clear the contours of the doctrine of executive privilege. In the case U.S. v. Nixon, President Richard Nixon was ordered to deliver tapes and other subpoenaed materials to a federal judge for review. The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that a president’s right to privacy in his communications must be balanced against the power of Congress to investigate and oversee the executive branch. Mueller’s report detailed extensive contacts between Trump’s campaign and Moscow, as well as the campaign’s expectation of benefiting from Russia’s efforts to tilt the election in Trump’s favor. But Mueller concluded there was insufficient evidence to show a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the campaign. The report also described numerous actions by Trump to try to impede Mueller’s investigation, but Mueller offered no conclusion on whether Trump committed criminal obstruction.

u.s .
congress
robert mueller
donald trump
russia probe
jerrold nadler
william barr


Trump moves to strangle Iran's economy with more sanctions as nuclear deal withers

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday tightened the screws further on Iran with sanctions on its mining industry after a frustrated Tehran said it would suspend some promises it made under a nuclear deal rejected by Washington. On the anniversary of Trump’s withdrawal from the accord he denounced as “horrible,” tensions were soaring after the United States deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and nuclear-capable bombers to the region and accused Iran of “imminent” attacks. In an announcement previewed for days, Iran said it would immediately stop implementing some restrictions under the 2015 deal — a move aimed largely at pressing Washington’s European allies to step up to preserve the agreement. Tehran said it would abandon even more if the remaining parties to the agreement — Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia — failed to start delivering on their commitments to sanctions relief within 60 days. President Hassan Rouhani said the ultimatum was intended to rescue the nuclear deal from Trump, whose sanctions have caused severe pain in Iran — which had anticipated an economic boon from the agreement negotiated under then-President Barack Obama. “We felt the (deal) needed surgery and that the year-long sedatives have not delivered any result. This surgery is meant to save the (deal), not destroy it,” Rouhani said at a cabinet meeting broadcast live on state television. Rouhani denounced European countries for seeing the U.S. as the world’s “sheriff” and said their view kept them from making “firm decisions for their own national interests.” Trump quickly fired back as he moved to inflict greater economic pain on Iran, imposing sanctions that would punish anyone who buys or trades the country’s iron, steel, aluminum and copper. The White House had already acted forcefully to prevent all countries from buying Iran’s oil — its crucial money-maker — and said that the steel and mining sector was the country’s second largest source of foreign revenue, accounting for 10 percent of exports. “Tehran can expect further actions unless it fundamentally alters its conduct,” Trump said in a statement. But in a shift in tone, Trump — who talked tough on North Korea before two landmark summits with leader Kim Jong Un — said he was willing to negotiate face-to-face. “I look forward to someday meeting with the leaders of Iran in order to work out an agreement and, very importantly, taking steps to give Iran the future it deserves,” he said. Observers believe it is highly unlikely that Iran’s leaders — who have made hostility to the United States a bedrock principle since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled the pro-Western shah — would want to meet Trump, who has repeatedly threatened the country. But Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif regularly saw his counterpart in the Obama administration, then Secretary of State John Kerry, and recently dangled the prospect of a prisoner swap with the United States. Zarif, who was visiting Moscow, accused European governments of not fulfilling their obligations under the nuclear deal. “Our friends in Russia and China maintained very good relations with us in this year but the rest of the … participants did not meet any of their obligations,” Zarif said. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it no longer considered itself bound by the agreed restrictions on stocks of enriched uranium and heavy water. It said that after 60 days, it would also stop abiding by limits on the level to which Iran can enrich uranium and modifications to its Arak heavy water reactor that were designed to prevent the production of plutonium. Uranium enriched to much higher levels than Iran’s current stocks can be used as the fissile core of a nuclear weapon, while heavy water is a source of plutonium, which can be used as an alternative way to produce a warhead. But on a practical level, Robert Kelley, a former U.N. nuclear inspector now with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, said the commitments Iran was dropping had no bearing on its ability to develop an atomic bomb. He said that Iran was simply seeking to “save face” after “striking a deal which was not respected by the other side.” The three European parties to the deal tried to save the accord with a trade mechanism meant to bypass reimposed U.S. sanctions, but their attempt was dismissed by Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “bitter joke.” The European powers voiced alarm at Iran’s statement and expressed hope that the nuclear deal could be preserved. “It is important to avoid any action that would prevent the enactment of the obligations by parties currently upholding the agreement or that might fuel an escalation,” a French foreign ministry spokesperson said. Germany urged Iran to uphold the nuclear deal. “We as Europeans, as Germans, will play our part and we expect full implementation from Iran as well,” Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the nuclear accord was “a major achievement” in boosting international security and said he “strongly hopes” that it can be preserved, according to U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq.

china
u.s .
russia
nuclear weapons
iran
nuclear energy
sanctions
hassan rouhani
iran nuclear deal
donald trump


Sudan protest coalition calls for civil disobedience campaign and hits military for dragging its feet

Abstract: KHARTOUM - Sudanese protest and opposition leaders on Wednesday called for a campaign of civil disobedience in response to what one of them described as the military’s “disappointing” answer to their proposals for an interim government. This could put the protesters and the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) on a collision course following weeks of wrangling over how to manage an interim period after the ousting of long-ruling President Omar al-Bashir from office. “We call for and prepare for civil disobedience,” Madani Abbas Madani, a leader of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF), told a news conference in Khartoum. The DFCF, the opposition groups’ umbrella body, did not give details of what it planned. But the DFCF has led work strikes, marches, protest sit-ins and other acts of civil disobedience for weeks. Protesters have also blocked bridges, roads and rail tracks, disrupting Sudan’s transport infrastructure. Khalid Omar Yousef, another protest leader, said the aim was not to start a confrontation with the military but to speed up efforts to resolve the impasse. Thousands of protesters have camped for weeks outside the Defense Ministry in central Khartoum and, having secured a military overthrow of Bashir, are now demanding that the TMC hand over power to civilians. The constitutional draft prepared by the DFCF describes the duties of a sovereign transitional council that would replace the TMC, but does not specify who would sit on it. The plan, seen by Reuters, also outlines the responsibilities of the Cabinet and a 120-member legislature. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan spoke with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the chairman of the TMC, on Wednesday and urged it to reach agreement with the DFCF that reflects the will of the Sudanese people and to move “expeditiously” toward a civilian-led interim government. In a statement, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Sullivan also “encouraged the TMC to allow peaceful protest and the freedom of expression consistent with Sudan’s human rights obligations.” A senior Kenyan diplomat praised the “responsible” and “patient” behavior of the opposition protesters. “Us as a neighbor … send our solidarity message into Sudan to express our support for the people and to urge an inclusive process,” Monica Juma, Kenya’s chief Cabinet secretary for foreign affairs, told reporters in Washington after launching a strategic dialogue with the United States. “We called on all parties to act with restraint … because it is important that this process evolves in a peaceful manner,” she said. On Tuesday, the TMC welcomed the proposals but said they neglected some important issues, such as a reference to Islamic sharia, as a source for legislation. The protesters accused the TMC of dragging its feet, saying issues like sharia were not a matter for the interim constitution. “Issues like sharia and the language of the state, those are ideological weapons the former regime (kept) using to divide the people for the issue of mobilisation,” DFCF member Yousef said. “Muslims against non-Muslims, Arabs against non-Arabs. It’s a very dangerous thing and we are not willing to go for this game.” Sudan’s population of around 40 million is about 97 percent Muslim, with most of the rest Christians. The country is a mix of ethnic groups, including Arabs, Nubians and other African ethnic minorities. Opposition leaders said at the news conference on Wednesday that the TMC response would effectively give the military control of a proposed interim government. A TMC member, Lt. Gen. Yasser al-Atta, said the council was prepared to sit down with the protesters to discuss the differences. The TMC has said it is willing to agree to a government of technocrats, but that it wants to retain overall control pending elections to prevent Sudan sliding into chaos. Seeking to show it is heeding protesters’ demands, the council has fired senior Bashir aides, placed paramilitary security bodies under state control and ordered the dissolution of a security agency that was linked to the former president’s ruling Islamist party. Bashir, in power for 30 years, is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Sudan’s western Darfur region. He is in prison and under investigation for money laundering.


Biman Bangladesh plane skids off runway in Yangon, leaving 17 injured

Abstract: YANGON - A Biman Bangladesh Airlines plane skidded off the runway when it landed in bad weather at Yangon’s international airport on Wednesday evening, injuring at least 17 people, officials said. The Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft was carrying 29 passengers and four crew when it bounced while landing during heavy winds in Myanmar’s commercial capital, Bangladesh’s ambassador said. The plane was severely damaged. The 17 who sustained mostly minor injuries were admitted to a local hospital, Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, told Reuters. “The main reason, the pilot told me, was the weather — crosswinds,” he said, “When he was trying to land … suddenly the aircraft jumped, went up and went down heavily.” A photo published by the Myanmar Times showed the plane halfway off the runway with its fuselage apparently broken. Shakil Miraj, general manager for Biman Bangladesh, also blamed bad weather for the crash. The airline flies between Yangon and Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka four days a week. A spokesman for Myanmar’s Department of Civil Aviation declined comment, saying the department had not received a report of the incident from the ground.

airlines
aviation
yangon
bombardier
air accidents
biman bangladesh


France seeks Libya cease-fire after Tripoli migrant center is struck

Abstract: TRIPOLI/PARIS - France’s President Emmanuel Macron called on Wednesday for a cease-fire in the month-long battle for Libya’s capital Tripoli after fighting hit a migrant detention center overnight. With foreign powers aghast at the latest flare-up in a nation in chaos since the 2011 toppling of Moammar Gadhafi, Macron met the internationally recognized Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj in Paris. “Noting that there is no military solution to the Libyan conflict … the proposal was put forward to delimit a cease-fire line, under international supervision,” Macron’s office said in a statement afterward, backing a U.N. peace plan and elections. France has in the past been supportive of eastern Libyan forces commander Khalifa Hifter, who launched an assault on Serraj’s Tripoli base in early April under the banner of combating terrorism and restoring order. With Hifter’s troops bogged down in southern outskirts, fighting has been raging though the night but slowing in the day as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan began this week. Overnight, there was shelling on a camp of pro-Serraj fighters, witnesses said. Shrapnel struck the roof of a nearby migrants’ detention center in the eastern suburb of Tajoura. Though nobody was wounded at the center, frightened migrants, who had come mainly from sub-Saharan African nations hoping to reach Europe by sea, pleaded for rescue. “We have almost lost hope in our life,” one migrant at the center told Reuters, declining to give his name. “War here is too much. Please, we need help.” The Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) charity said a hole was blown open in a hangar housing women, nearly hitting one infant. “How many more lives must be threatened before these vulnerable people are evacuated?” The fighting has killed 443 people and injured another 2,110, with tens of thousands also forced out of their homes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Showing the challenge of finding a political solution even if a ceasefire can be reached, Serraj told TV channel France24 that Hifter was attempting a power grab. “Hifear and (his armed groups) only want to control power in Tripoli under the pretext of war on terrorism and militias,” he said, urging a “clearer stance” from Paris toward Hifter. The conflict has threatened to disrupt OPEC member Libya’s oil shipments, fuel migration to Europe, and encourage jihadis to exploit the power vacuum as the parallel administrations in east and west face off against each other. It has also frozen the U.N. peace plan and exposed divisions in Europe and the Gulf. Hifter, a former general in Gadhafi’s army who later turned against him, enjoys the backing of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. He also received military support from France which helped him take over the eastern city of Benghazi in 2017. Serraj, whose supporters say Hifter is a would-be dictator in the same mold as Gadhafi, met Macron after also visiting Germany and Italy. The U.N. mission in Libya said it was deeply concerned about a sharp increase in kidnappings and arbitrary arrests during the Tripoli conflict, including the abduction of two Libyan TV journalists on May 2 whose fate remained unknown.

france
u.n .
libya
refugees
tripoli
emmanuel macron
khalifa hifter
fayez al-serraj


Taliban attack on aid group in Kabul ends with four killed, dozens wounded

Abstract: KABUL - Afghan forces fought for hours against Taliban insurgents who killed at least four civilians and wounded dozens more when they stormed an aid organization in Kabul on Wednesday, security officials said. The assault began shortly before midday, when a car bomb exploded in the compound of the nonprofit Counterpart International, in the Shahr Naw area of Kabul, the latest assault by Taliban insurgents even as they hold peace talks. At least four civilians, including a woman and a policeman, were killed and 24 civilians and policemen were wounded, said Nasrat Rahimi, an interior ministry spokesman. One of the wounded was a foreign national, he said, but did not give his nationality. “The attack is over and security forces cleared the building and rescued hundreds of people, including group employees who were trapped inside,” Rahimi said. Five of the attackers were shot dead by security forces, he said. Explosions and bursts of gunfire rocked the area after it was surrounded by special forces, backed by advisers from foreign forces, trying to flush out the attackers. Authorities cordoned off the site, dispatching ambulances and police trucks. “My family is stuck in our house close to the site and they are terrified,” said a government employee, Naqibullah. Amanullah Rahim, an eyewitness, said, “I was in my shop when I heard a huge explosion that shattered all the windows and damaged everything. I ran away and thank God I am not hurt.” At least nine injured people were taken to a hospital, said Wahidullah Mayar, a health ministry spokesman. Officials at the city’s Emergency Hospital said they had received 17 wounded. “We are incredibly saddened by this attack and we are working as quickly as possible to account for our staff,” Counterpart, which has operated in Afghanistan since 2005, said in a Twitter post. Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attack, which came on the third day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid called the group a U.S. network involved in harmful Western activities in Afghanistan. The attack could undermine a sixth round of peace talks between U.S. and Taliban representatives in Qatar seeking negotiations to end the nearly 18-year-long conflict. It comes after the Taliban refused an offer by President Ashraf Ghani for a ceasefire from the first day of Ramadan. “The Taliban must respond positively to the peace demand of the Afghan people, otherwise, they will be suppressed by our heroic and brave security forces,” Ghani said in a statement condemning Wednesday’s attack as un-Islamic. The U.S. ambassador, John Bass, condemned the attack, saying the aid group helped local communities, trained journalists and supported the Afghan people. Taliban spokesman Mujahid said the aid group worked closely with government departments promoting women, an effort opposed by the hard-line Islamist group. Before being toppled by U.S. and Afghan forces in late 2001, Afghanistan’s harsh Taliban regime barred women from working outside their homes and required them to be accompanied by a male relative. Despite stepping up security around Kabul, Afghan authorities have failed to deter deadly attacks that have undermined confidence in the government. Just over two weeks ago, gunmen targeted the communications ministry in Kabul, killing at least seven people in an attack claimed by Islamic State.

u.s .
terrorism
afghanistan
taliban
kabul
counterpart international


North Korea fires two apparent short-range missiles, Seoul says, days after similar launch

Abstract: North Korea fired two projectiles Thursday that appeared to be short-range missiles, the South’s military said, just days after it launched a presumed ballistic missile amid stalled denuclearization talks with the United States. The projectiles were fired from the northwestern area of Kusong in an easterly direction, one of them at 4:29 p.m. and the other at 4:39 p.m., flying about 420 km and 270 km, respectively, before landing in the Sea of Japan, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. “Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in case of a further launch from North Korea, and has maintained a full-fledged posture in close coordination with the United States,” the JCS said. The JCS had earlier said the missiles were fired from the Sino-ri area, where the North has a base holding medium-range Nodong missiles. Kusong is about 40 km north of Sino-ri. Any launch of a ballistic missile would violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, and South Korea’s presidential Blue House called the launches “very worrisome” and unhelpful for efforts to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The Japanese Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said that neither of the apparent missiles had fallen within the waters of the country’s exclusive economic zone and that there had been no effect on Japan’s security. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Saturday, the North fired several rounds of unidentified short-range “projectiles” into the Sea of Japan. Those flew for a range of about 70 km to 200 km, the JCS said. Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said during a congressional hearing Wednesday that Pyongyang had launched “rockets and missiles” — the first time the Pentagon has detailed what it believes was fired. The North’s Foreign Ministry called those launches “regular and self-defensive,” state-run media reported Wednesday. “The recent drill conducted by our army is nothing more than part of the regular military training, and it has neither targeted anyone nor led to an aggravation of the situation in the region,” an unidentified ministry spokesperson said in a statement to the official Korean Central News Agency. But the spate of launches could undercut what U.S. President Donald Trump’s has repeatedly touted as his greatest accomplishment so far in the two countries’ nuclear talks: halting missile and nuclear tests. Prior to the two recent launches, the North’s last known missile test came in November 2017, when it test-fired the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, which experts believe is capable of striking much, if not all, of the continental United States. Pyongyang informally adopted a freeze on missile flight tests from then on, and in April last year declared a “suspension” of nuclear and long-range missile tests, but a short-range test would not violate that unilateral suspension. The latest firing also came as officials from the United States and Japan were visiting South Korea, including U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun, to explore ways to resume the deadlocked nuclear talks. It is Biegun’s first visit to Seoul since Trump’s February summit with Kim in Hanoi collapsed without a deal on rolling back Pyongyang’s nuclear program. North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, a key figure in the nuclear negotiations with the United States, warned late last month of an “undesired consequence” for the U.S. if Washington does not adjust its policy on North Korea’s denuclearization by an end-of-the-year deadline Kim has set. While Choe did not elaborate as to what that consequence might mean, it could suggest a resumption of nuclear or missile tests by the North.Thursday and Saturday’s launches appeared to signal that Kim was working to escalate tensions in an attempt to gain leverage with Washington.

u.s .
north korea
military
nuclear weapons
south korea


North Korean ministry says recent rocket and missile drill was 'regular and self-defensive'

Abstract: SEOUL - North Korea’s “strike drill” last week at which leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of rockets and at least one short-range ballistic missile was “regular and self-defensive,” the North’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, according to state media. “The recent drill conducted by our army is nothing more than part of the regular military training, and it has neither targeted anyone nor led to an aggravation of the situation in the region,” an unidentified ministry spokesperson said in a statement to the state-run KCNA news agency. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told a congressional hearing Wednesday that North Korea launched “rockets and missiles,” the first time the Pentagon has detailed what it believes Pyongyang fired. Saturday’s drill was the first test of a ballistic missile by North Korea since it launched a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017. It came in the wake of talks with the United States and South Korea stalling in February, and raised alarms in both countries, which have been seeking to entice the North into abandoning its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Seoul responded Saturday by calling on its northern neighbor to “stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean Peninsula.” In a second statement carried by KCNA on Wednesday, a spokesman for the North Korean office in charge of military engagement with South Korea lashed out at Seoul over any suggestion that the rocket drills had violated an inter-Korean agreement aimed at reducing military tension. “The South Korean military should take a close look at the inter-Korean military agreement and recall what it has done itself before talking nonsense that it was against the spirit of the agreement,” the spokesperson said, according to KCNA. The second statement also criticized last week’s test of a U.S. Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the U.S. Air Force out of California over the Pacific, saying South Korea was in no position to criticize North Korea. “The South Korean military has no right to say a word to its fellow countrymen when it acted like a mute who ate honey when the United States fired a Minuteman ICBM which threatens us,” the military spokesman said. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has met with Kim twice, said he is still confident he can make a deal with Kim, and U.S. and South Korean officials have subsequently played down the test. North Korea’s Foreign Ministry statement hit back at “spiteful remarks” about the tests from unnamed critics, warning that “baseless allegations” might “produce a result of driving us to the direction which neither we nor they want to see at all.” The ministry spokesperson said there was a double standard, with South Korea and the United States carrying out military drills with little criticism. “Only our regular and self-defensive military drill is branded as provocative, and this is an undisguised manifestation of the attempt to press the gradual disarmament of our state and finally invade us,” the spokesperson said. “We think this is very much unpleasant and regrettable, and we sound a note of warning.” After meeting with Kim for the first time in June last year in Singapore, Trump abruptly announced he was canceling all large-scale military exercises with South Korea. Smaller exercises have continued, however, drawing regular criticism from Pyongyang. North Korea has maintained a freeze in nuclear and ballistic missiles testing in place since 2017, a fact Trump has repeatedly pointed out as an important achievement from his engagement with Pyongyang. Denuclearization talks with North Korea have stalled, however, after Trump and Kim met in February for a second summit in Vietnam but failed to reach an agreement. North Korea balked at the extent of the demands made by American negotiators, and Trump said he ended the summit early because Kim was asking for nearly all major sanctions to be lifted while offering little in return. Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for talks with South Korean officials. He did not respond to questions from journalists, but his agenda is expected to include the missile test, as well as other aspects of talks with North Korea, including plans for possible humanitarian aid.

north korea
military
kim jong un
weapons
nuclear weapons
missiles
south korea
north korea nuclear crisis