Secret 'Room of the Sphinx' discovered 2,000 years later in Nero's Golden Palace

Abstract: ROME - Archaeologists have discovered a secret chamber decorated with detailed frescoes during restoration work at Emperor Nero’s Domus Aurea (Golden Palace), constructed two millennia ago. The team came across an opening leading to a room covered with depictions of mythical creatures including centaurs and the god Pan, officials from the Colosseum archeological park said on Friday. The archaeologists have dubbed the chamber, which will require excavation because much of it is buried and only its vault is visible, the Room of the Sphinx. The find, considered significant, offers a tantalizing glimpse into “the atmosphere of the 60s of the first century A.D. in Rome,” the Colosseum officials said, adding that what could be seen of the vault is “fairly well preserved.” Set against a white background are “red-edged squares finessed with yellow-ocher lines and golden bands punctuated by a dense series of floral elements,” the officials said. Each of the tiles depicts a different type of animal form — from panthers to birds, centaurs and a sphinx — while others show musical instruments. The archaeologists were working on a nearby area of the complex set beneath a hill next to the Colosseum in Rome’s historic center when they happened upon the chamber. Architects and archaeologists secured the site, once home to a gigantic landscaped palace, with a view to embarking upon a further stage of excavation to reveal the room in its full splendor. Built between A.D. 64 and 68, the immense complex, which other Roman emperors later built on, comprises buildings, gardens and an artificial lake. After Nero, who legend has it was playing a fiddle during the 64 fire that laid waste to much of Rome, died in 68, his successors tried to destroy traces of his rule. Emperor Trajan had the Domus Aurea covered with soil and built baths over it; Vespasian started construction of the Colosseum where the ornamental lake had been. In the intervening centuries, much of the site was abandoned, and today only a few traces of what was a huge estate remain visible, with only a fraction excavated and the bulk of it lying under today’s modern bustling city. Part of the site was discovered by Renaissance artists, including Raphael, some of whom managed to slide down on ropes and squeeze themselves through a hole in the ceiling to gaze upon magnificent frescoes that would inspire their own works.

history
archaeology
rome
nero
room of the sphinx


France passes law on speedy Notre Dame restoration

Abstract: PARIS - French lawmakers on Friday approved a controversial law for restoring Notre Dame within five years, after the famous Paris cathedral sustained major fire damage last month. Renovating the 850-year-old Gothic cathedral, whose wooden roof was largely destroyed in the April 15 blaze, will be an unprecedented challenge for the government, which drafted a special bill for managing the huge project. Images of the ancient cathedral going up in flames sparked shock and dismay across the globe as well as in France, where it is considered one of the nation’s most beloved landmarks. Days after the fire, French President Emmanuel Macron set a target for the restoration to be finished within five years, meaning it should be ready by the time Paris hosts the Olympics in 2024. But the legislation, aimed at speeding up the construction process, sparked controversy because it would involve removing some of the red tape protecting the ancient structure. After thirteen hours of debate, the bill was adopted by 32 votes in favor, five against and 10 abstentions. It will now be forwarded to the Senate for further scrutiny scheduled for May 27. As the session opened, Culture Minister Franck Riester told MPs that although five years was “an ambitious time frame” for renovating Notre Dame, which took 200 years to build, the project would “not be done in haste.” “Yes, we want to move quickly. Some have accused us of wanting to move too quickly but the outpouring of generosity was very fast so we can and must respond, which is what we are doing,” he said. So far, nearly €1 billion ($1.1 billion) has been donated or pledged for Notre Dame, with Riester pledging that the funds will go “entirely and exclusively” to its restoration. Experts believe the total bill will come to between €600 million and €700 million, with some raising questions over what will be done with any leftover money, suggesting it could be channelled to other crumbling churches and cathedrals. France’s Observatory for Religious Heritage (OPR) says there are between 40,000 and 60,000 churches and chapels in France, 5,000 of which are in a state of dilapidation. The law also outlines the creation of a public body to oversee and carry out the work within a rapid time frame, but more controversially grants the government power to override regulations on planning, environmental and heritage protection and public tenders. But Riester said the provision would not be used to cut corners. “There are very precise rules which apply to the restoration of heritage buildings and property which are formalized in the code on cultural heritage and which correspond to France’s excellence in this field,” he said. “It goes without saying that these rules will be applied, I will guarantee it.” The law does not mention the architectural aspects of the project, with some MPs keen to push through legislation stating that the work will ensure the cathedral is rebuilt exactly as it was without any creative additions. Notre Dame has figured as a central character through the ups and downs of French history since construction began in the mid-12th century. It was vandalized and plundered during the French Revolution in the 18th century, but went on to feature as a central character in a Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” which is credited with helping save it. It survived the devastation of two global conflicts in the 20th century and famously rang its bells on Aug. 24, 1944, the day of the liberation of Paris from German occupation at the end of the World War II.

france
history
fires
paris
architecture
notre dame


Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn vows to double minimum wage for young workers

Abstract: LONDON - A future Labour government would more than double the minimum wage in Britain for workers under the age of 18 to £10 an hour, its leader said Saturday, stepping up his campaign over the cost of living. Jeremy Corbyn told a party gathering that employers should not be allowed to exploit younger workers and vowed to bring the salaries of those under 18 in line with the broader workforce. Former Labour leader Tony Blair introduced a minimum wage in Britain in 1999. Overseen by an independent body, it has steadily increased and now stands at £8.21 ($10.60) for workers over 25, while those under 18 are entitled to £4.35 ($5.60). Labour has vowed to increase the overall minimum wage to £10 an hour, and to include younger workers. “It’s time to end this discrimination. Young people’s work should be properly valued, not exploited by employers to cut their wage bill. If they’re doing the job, pay them the wage — the real living wage,” he said. With British politics in deadlock over Brexit, company bosses are increasingly examining the policies of Labour to see how they might be affected by a change of government. Labour, which under socialist leader Corbyn has shifted from a centrist pro-business platform to a more interventionist left-wing pitch, vowed last year that large companies would be forced to transfer as much as 10 percent of their shares to workers, to help more people share economic prosperity. It has also announced plans to nationalize key industries such as water, energy and rail, and to give workers seats on boards. Labour said Saturday it will give support to small and medium-size businesses to help them fund the wage increase, by making savings on the benefits paid to people already in work. Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said the proposals could deter companies from hiring younger workers.

u.k .
business
salary
labour party
jeremy corbyn


U.S. House panel subpoenas Trump's tax returns

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal on Friday subpoenaed President Donald Trump’s tax returns, giving the U.S. Treasury and Internal Revenue Service one week to turn over the tax records. In the latest salvo of a political battle widely expected to end in federal court, Neal issued separate subpoenas to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig that seek six years of Trump’s individual and business tax returns. The officials have until 5 p.m. on May 17 to produce the material. Trump is stonewalling oversight investigations by Neal and five other Democratic committee chairs in the House of Representatives, prompting Democrats to warn Trump officials that they could face contempt citations along with heavy fines and even impeachment by defying congressional subpoenas. The Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee voted to recommend a contempt of Congress citation against Attorney General William Barr earlier in the week after he defied a subpoena seeking the unredacted report on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. “While I do not take this step lightly, I believe this action gives us the best opportunity to succeed and obtain the requested material,” Neal said in a statement issued by his committee. “I sincerely hope that the Treasury Department will furnish the requested material in the next week so the committee can quickly begin its work,” he added. As House Ways and Means Committee chairman, Neal is the only House lawmaker authorized to seek Trump’s tax returns under a federal law that says the Treasury secretary “shall furnish” such documents upon request. Democrats want Trump’s returns as part of their inquiry into possible conflicts of interest posed by his continued ownership of extensive business interests, even as he serves as president. On Monday, Mnuchin denied Neal’s formal April 3 request for the returns, arguing that the committee request lacked “a legitimate legislative purpose.” Trump has broken with a decades-old precedent among recent U.S. presidents by refusing to release his tax returns while a presidential candidate in 2016 or since being elected, saying he could not do so while his taxes were being audited. His former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, told a House panel in February that he does not believe Trump’s taxes are under audit. Cohen said the president feared releasing his returns could lead to an audit and IRS tax penalties. Trump administration officials and Republicans in Congress have condemned Democratic efforts to obtain Trump’s tax returns, saying it could “weaponize” the IRS and confidential taxpayer information for political purposes. Rep. Kevin Brady, the top Ways and Means Republican, sent a letter to Neal earlier on Friday, urging the chairman not to proceed. “Such actions would be an abuse of the committee’s oversight powers and further examples of the Democrat majority’s coordinated attempt to weaponize the tax code and use Congress’s legitimate oversight authority for political gain,” Brady wrote.


Putin scores at least eight goals in hockey game, then falls on his face

Abstract: SOCHI, RUSSIA - Russian President Vladimir Putin hit the ice on Friday in a hockey game in which he showed off his puck-handling skills and scored eight goals — a display that reinforced his image as a man of action — then took a face-first spill while waving to the crowd during a post-game victory lap. A judo blackbelt, Putin has long been keen to show off his athletic prowess, including by working out with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, hitting the ski slopes in Sochi or diving to the bottom of the Black Sea. Skating alongside Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian hockey greats such as Pavel Bure and Igor Larionov, Putin helped his side to an emphatic 14-7 win in the Night Hockey League. Playing center, Putin was provided with plenty of scoring opportunities by his linemates and was met with little resistance by the opposing team’s defense. Yet video footage captured the moment he stumbled and face-planted onto the ice while enjoying his victory lap. Two of his teammates rushed over to help Putin — who appeared to trip over a red carpet placed on the ice for post-match celebrations — but he got to his feet again without much assistance. Putin, whose approval ratings has slipped in recent years as Russia battles economic woes, periodically plays hockey with government officials, businessmen and former National Hockey League stars in matches that are broadcast with pomp on national television. After opening the scoring unassisted by beating the goaltender 2 minutes into the game, the 66-year-old added seven more goals, making him the top scorer.


WWII-era Navajo Code Talker Fleming Begaye dies at 97

Abstract: CHINLE, ARIZONA - The Navajo Nation has announced that World War II-era Navajo Code Talker Fleming Begaye Sr. has died. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez says Begaye died Friday in Chinle, Arizona. He was 97. Begaye was among hundreds of Navajos who served in the Marine Corps, using a code based on their native language to outsmart the Japanese. According to the Navajo Nation, Begaye served as a Code Talker from 1943 to 1945 and fought in the Battle of Tarawa and the Battle of Tinian. He spent a year in a naval hospital after being wounded. Begaye later ran a general store in Chinle. President Donald Trump honored Begaye and two other Navajo Code Talkers at the White House in November 2017.


French commandos die freeing French and unexpected U.S., Korean hostages in Burkina Faso

Abstract: PARIS - French commandos rescued four foreign hostages, including two French citizens, from a militant group in Burkina Faso, France’s military said Friday, adding that two of the elite soldiers were killed in the night-time operation. French special forces carried out the raid under cover of dark over the night of Thursday-Friday, supported by U.S. intelligence and troops from France’s Barkhane operation deployed in the Sahel region to counter Islamist militants. All four hostages were safe, President Emmanuel Macron’s office said, adding that a U.S. woman and a South Korean woman were also freed in the covert operation. “The precise and determined actions of French soldiers allowed us to take out the kidnappers while protecting the lives of the hostages,” France’s army chief Francois Lecointre told a news conference, describing the militant group as “terrorists.” Four kidnappers were killed and two escaped, he said. “Those who attack France and the French know that we will spare no effort to track them and take them out. We will never abandon our citizens,” Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told reporters. The French forces had not been aware of the presence of the U.S. and South Korean hostages ahead of the operation and they had been held for 28 days, Lecointre said. “We were not aware of their presence … the American will be repatriated separately,” Parly said. “The contacts (with those countries) show that these countries were not necessarily aware of their presence.” A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department said the United States was grateful for the successful recovery of the hostages, including a U.S. citizen, and offered condolences to the families of the two solders killed. “The successful operation demonstrates the importance of our historic alliance with France. We reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Burkina Faso and Benin in the face of these threats,” she said. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency quoted a South Korean Foreign Ministry official as saying the French government reported the hostage rescue and no missing person report had been filed to the South Korean ministry. The official added that the South Korean ministry is looking into how the person got kidnapped and rescued, according to Yonhap. France, the former colonial power in the region, intervened in Mali in 2013 against Islamist militants then occupying Mali’s north and has since kept about 4,500 troops in the Sahel. The region has seen a spike in violence by militants linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State in past years, highlighting the difficulty international partners face in restoring stability. France’s Defense Ministry identified the fallen soldiers as two elite naval commandos. Burkina Faso President Roch Kabore hailed the hostages’ release and offered condolences to the soldiers’ families. “The joint military intervention that allowed us to achieve these results shows our common engagement in fighting against the forces of evil,” Kabore said in a Facebook post. The two French tourists were kidnapped on May 1 in Benin’s Pendjari National Park, which lies on Benin’s northern frontier with Burkina Faso. Their safari guide was found dead, his body riddled with bullets, and their vehicle burned. The French government had warned its citizens against traveling to parts of Benin near the Burkina Faso border because of the risk of kidnapping. Swaths of northern and eastern Burkina Faso have been overrun by militants, leaving the government struggling to assert authority and forcing over 100,000 residents to flee. In February, Burkina Faso said militants were increasingly active in West Africa and instability in the Sahel was spreading to coastal countries such as Benin and Cote d’Ivoire. Led by France, Western powers have also provided funding and weapons to a regional force made up of soldiers from Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mauritania to combat jihadists. But the so-called G5 force has been hobbled by delays in disbursing the money and poor coordination between the five countries, while insecurity has escalated in the border region between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

france
u.s .
kidnapping
terrorism
military
south korea
burkina faso


Florida man tries to pawn baby, calls it a joke after shop owner calls police

Abstract: MIAMI - A man walked into a pawn shop in Florida, put his baby on the counter and, according to police, asked how much he could get for the kid. “This is what I got,” the father, Richard Slocum, said as he placed the infant before the owner of the store in Sarasota, on Florida’s Gulf coast. “He’s barely used, 7½ months old, what do you think he’s worth?” The father later told officers he had been joking, but the shop owner didn’t see the humor and called the police. “He was pretty serious about it,” Richard Jordan told a local television news channel. “He spun the baby around, and said, ‘Can I pawn this?'” Jordan called the police as soon as Slocum left, saying he was concerned for the child’s well-being. “Slocum claims that his encounter with the store clerk was a prank and that he wanted to place his own video on social media,” the police department said in a statement. Slocum contacted law enforcement himself after he heard on social media that they were trying to identify the person behind the stunt. Dozens of police and local officials then descended on his home, he said. “They didn’t find it funny or hilarious at all, and there was a lot of resources and time and money that went into it,” said Slocum, a single parent who makes video clips that he, at least, considers humorous and shares them on Snapchat. Jordan, the shopkeeper, was not laughing. “This is not funny, this is serious business,” he told the news channel. Police said detectives verified the child was safe and contacted social services. “At this time, there are no criminal charges for this investigation,” the police department said.

children
social media
florida
parenthood
snapchat


U.S. sends assault ship, missiles to Mideast amid Iran 'threat'

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The Pentagon announced Friday that it is deploying an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to bolster an aircraft carrier force sent to counter alleged threats from Iran. The USS Arlington, which transports marines, amphibious vehicles, conventional landing craft and rotary aircraft, and the Patriot air defense system will join the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a B-52 bomber task force headed toward the Gulf after intelligence reports suggested Iran was planning some sort of attack in the region. The deployment is “in response to indications of heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against U.S. forces and our interests,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “The Department of Defense continues to closely monitor the activities of the Iranian regime, their military and proxies,” it said. “The United States does not seek conflict with Iran, but we are postured and ready to defend U.S. forces and interests in the region.” On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton announced the deployment of the Lincoln group and bombers saying he wanted to send a “clear and unmistakable” message to Iran about any attack against the U.S. or its partners in the region. Washington though has not elaborated on the alleged threat, drawing criticism that it is overreacting and unnecessarily driving up tensions in the region. Iran dismissed the deployment of the Lincoln as old news, but followed it with an announcement that it would suspend some of its commitments under the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with major powers abandoned by Washington last year. Amid the rising tensions, Trump said Thursday he is open to talks with Tehran’s leadership. “What I would like to see with Iran, I would like to see them call me,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We don’t want them to have nuclear weapons — not much to ask,” he said.

conflict
u.s .
military
nuclear weapons
iran


Rare Asian black bear spotted in Korean DMZ

Abstract: SEOUL - A rare Asiatic black bear has been photographed in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, Seoul’s Environmental Ministry said. The area around the 4-km-wide (2.5-mile-wide) strip running across the peninsula bristles with mine fields and fortifications. But while it is the world’s last Cold War frontier, the zone itself is known as one of the few areas where nature is untouched by development, and a haven for wildlife. The bear was photographed by an unmanned research camera in October, the ministry said. Although there have been some testimonies by soldiers who said they saw Asian black bears inside DMZ, it is the first time that an image of the animal had been captured in the area, it added. It was a juvenile estimated to be eight or nine months old and weighing about 25-30 kilograms (55-66 pounds), the National Institute of Ecology said, and was presumed to be living in the DMZ with its parents. The species — Latin name Ursus thibetanus — is classed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of endangered species. More than 5,000 plant and animal species have been identified in the DMZ, including the long-tailed goral wild goat and northern fur seal, according to the South Korean government. “The latest discovery of the Asiatic black bear once again proves the exceptional ecological value of the DMZ,” ministry official Yoo Seung-gwang said.


Following Moon's first interview with domestic media, South Korean journalist targeted online for 'rude attitude'

Abstract: SEOUL - Two years after taking office South Korean President Moon Jae-in finally gave his first interview to domestic media this week, only for his questioner to face allegations she insulted him with “rude” facial expressions. In a hierarchical society with a history of dictatorship and strong traditional values, South Korean presidents are largely regarded as deserving utmost respect — even though all four of the country’s living former heads of state are either in prison or have previously been jailed. Since coming to office Moon has shied away from public questioning, holding only a handful of news conferences and granting interviews only to a few foreign outlets. That changed Thursday with a live television discussion with national broadcaster KBS to mark the second anniversary of his inauguration. In it, Moon defended his handling of the South’s flagging economy and criticized North Korea’s latest missile launch. By Western standards, the questioning by correspondent Song Hyun-jung was mild and deferential. But within minutes of the broadcast ending, Song — one of the channel’s senior political reporters — was being condemned online by some of Moon’s most devoted supporters for “being too aggressive” and what they called her “rude attitude” and facial expressions. She had “interrupted the president,” they said, adding that frowning in front of the head of state was “ill-mannered” and “unpleasant.” Top news in South Korea is not North Korea’s missile launches but the @KBSnews reporter who interviewed Moon last night. Supporters are petitioning to punish, condemn her. The reason? Her questions snd attitude were “rude” and she “squinted” throughout the interview. pic.twitter.com/HCZFCUJRhW — Youkyung Lee (李柳暻) (@YKreports) May 10, 2019 An online petition asking Moon’s office to “choose a better interviewer” for future TV appearances had garnered around 20,000 signatures as of Friday afternoon. Several commentators focussed on a question where Song asked Moon how he felt about being branded a “dictator” by the main opposition party. “This just shows that our democracy is not healthy,” political commentator Park Sang-byung said. “If the main opposition party has called the president a dictator, then any reporter has every right to ask him about it. It’s always healthier to talk about difficult issues and words, rather than avoiding them altogether.” Song’s defenders said she was targeted partly because she was a woman and was seen as going against the gender norm expected when dealing with an older, powerful man. “The fact that she is being criticized for her attitude — and her facial expression — shows how unfamiliar the South Korean public is when it comes to seeing women who challenge men in power,” said Bae Bok-ju, a women’s rights activist. But Chae Jin-won, a professor at Humanitas College of Kyung Hee University, said Song had acted like a “prosecutor investigating a suspect.” “It was his first TV interview since Moon took office. Most Koreans wanted to watch a conversation, I think, rather than what almost looks like a trial,” he said. The presidential Blue House said it was “inappropriate” for it to comment on the public criticism against the reporter, but added that Moon was not “displeased” after the interview — and that he would not have minded a “more aggressive battle.”

media
rights
women
south korea
moon jae-in


Trump-China trade fight unfolds as deeper conflict takes shape

Abstract: BEIJING - As the U.S.-China trade fight deepens, the two superpowers — one incumbent and one rising — are sizing each other up and deciding whether they can coexist. China and the U.S. ended talks in Washington on Friday with no deal after President Donald Trump raised tariffs on more than $200 billion in goods from the country and China vowed to retaliate. The moves create new barriers between the world’s largest economies and further complicates a relationship which is increasingly strained over flash points that include trade, technology, Taiwan and the South China Sea. Provocations have mounted in recent weeks. On Monday, two U.S. warships sailed near disputed islands in the South China Sea, challenging Beijing’s claims for the third time this year while the U.S. on Thursday barred China Mobile Ltd. from the U.S. market citing espionage concerns. Behind each incremental move, Beijing sees a conspiracy to hold back China’s development and block its rise. In Washington, many fear a powerful rival whose ascent could unleash risks that can’t be contained. In both countries, some are asking whether the mistrust has escalated beyond the point of no return and could last well beyond Trump’s time in office. Bonnie Glaser, a China specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington, said the competitive dynamic is here to stay so long as Beijing’s international influence continues to grow. “The narrowing of the power gap between the U.S. and China will embolden Beijing to be more assertive in defending and advancing its interests. The U.S. will be compelled to respond,” Glaser said. Outside of trade, the most visible catalyst for growing tensions is the Trump administration’s increasing willingness to push China on sensitive areas, including offers of greater military support to Taiwan and harsh rebukes of China’s policies in Xinjiang and Tibet. It has lobbied allies to keep Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co. out of future 5G telecommunications networks while a U.S. State Department official said recently that China represents “a long-term threat” and a “great power competitor.” Analysts see a broad clash taking shape. “The ultraconservatives and hawks in the United States really want to push the United States and China towards a new Cold War,” said Wang Dong, secretary-general of the Pangoal Institution, a Beijing-based research group. He called it “a disturbing and perhaps dangerous development.” Benn Steil, director of the international economics program at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that new rivalry between the U.S. and China for control of everything from global trade routes to cyberspace will drive the relationship in the years to come. “The heady era of global economic integration is gone,” Steil said. “It’s over.” Indeed, Trump aides have said trade tariffs are aimed at forcing change in China as well as encouraging a shift in supply chains away from a strategic rival that has take a growing share of global manufacturing over the past three decades. The two countries held high-level discussions in Washington on Thursday and Friday over trade that ended without a deal but avoided a breakdown. The U.S. gave its bottom line, saying Beijing had three to four weeks more to reach an agreement before the Trump administration enacts additional tariffs on $325 billion of Chinese imports not currently covered by punitive duties, according to two people familiar with the talks. Support in the U.S. for a more hard-line approach toward China often splits lawmakers along regional lines instead of political lines. While Republicans from farm states are warning about the impact of tariffs on agriculture, some Democrats, such as the party’s Senate leader, Chuck Schumer, are urging Trump to “hang tough” in negotiations with China. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, a Vermont senator, has highlighted his vote against giving China favored nation status on trade. Burgeoning tensions are also a result of Beijing’s increasingly boisterous foreign policy. Since coming to office in 2012, President Xi Jinping has asserted China’s territorial claims in the South and East China seas more vigorously than his predecessors, launched a multibillion dollar infrastructure spending project and said he’ll make China a “world-class” military power by 2050. He’s also been willing to punish countries — most recently Canada — which publicly side with Washington. Xi’s policies have put existing competitive dynamics between the countries “on steroids,” according to Dennis Wilder, a professor at Georgetown University and former senior director for Asia on the National Security Council. The result is that Xi has “galvanized U.S. and Western political elites to respond to this challenge to the existing international world order.” Like Trump, China’s leaders also need to play to domestic audiences and backing down in the face of a rival superpower is not a good look at home. Commentators earlier in the week likened Vice Premier Liu He, who has been negotiating over trade with Washington, to a colonial era official who signed a much maligned treaty with Japan more than a century ago. Of course there’s a lot still holding the two sides together — especially economic interdependence. The list of items hit by the higher tariffs included everyday consumer items from baby furniture to refrigerators. For some of these, over 9 out of every 10 purchased by American shoppers are Chinese-made. As the tariffs impact U.S. consumers, Trump might be tempted to de-escalate the trade conflict. If U.S. voters elect a new president in 2020, relations might become less combustible. Still, the underlying drivers of strategic competition would likely remain, said CSIS’s Glaser. “These include the battle over technology and China’s resolve to control the maritime areas in the first and second island chains and ultimately become the pre-eminent power in Asia,” Glaser said.

china
u.s .
taiwan
military
trade
south china sea
xi jinping
donald trump


Trump plays down North Korean missile tests, says launches were not breach of trust

Abstract: U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly touted the halt of North Korean missile tests as one of his top foreign policy achievements, has played down the significance of leader Kim Jong Un’s recent decision to test short-range missiles. The North’s second missile launch in five days on Thursday — part of what it said were military drills designed to bolster the nuclear-armed country’s “various long-range strike means” — was widely seen as a move to heap more pressure on Trump amid stalled nuclear talks with the U.S. “They’re short-range and I don’t consider that a breach of trust at all. And, you know, at some point I may. But at this point no,” Trump said in an interview with the Politico website. “These were short-range missiles and very standard stuff. Very standard.” Trump added that he might eventually lose faith in his friendly relationship with Kim. “I mean it’s possible that at some point I will, but right now not at all,” he said. The launches Thursday, which the U.S. and South Korean militaries acknowledged were short-range missiles that flew 420 and 270 km (260 and 167 miles), would violate United Nations sanctions resolutions banning the use of ballistic missile technology by the North. Those weapons were believed to be versions of Russia’s Iskander ballistic missile. The Iskander has several variations, and details of Pyongyang’s version were not known. But the solid-fuel missiles can fly as far as 500 km, putting the entire Korean Peninsula within range. Experts say that due to its relatively low peak altitude, an Iskander-type model could also effectively neutralize the advanced U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile defense system, and its launches are nearly impossible to prevent because of their mobility. Thursday’s launches followed a similar drill led by Kim on May 4, when the North fired several rounds of unidentified short-range “projectiles” into the Sea of Japan that the U.S. later referred to as “rockets and missiles.” Those launches were the country’s first since November 2017. Prior to the two recent launches, the North’s last known missile test came more than 500 days ago, when it test-fired a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which experts believe is capable of striking much, if not all, of the continental United States. Pyongyang informally adopted a freeze on missile tests from then on, and in April last year declared a “suspension” of nuclear and long-range missile launches. A short-range test would not violate its unilateral suspension. The second summit between Trump and Kim, held in Vietnam in February, collapsed without a deal due to large differences over the scope of North Korea’s denuclearization and potential sanctions relief by the U.S. Nuclear talks between the two countries have languished in the months since, with North Korea delivering criticism of Washington’s position in the negotiations and Kim setting an end-of-the-year deadline for progress. A senior North Korean official warned late last month of an “undesired consequence” if Washington does not adjust its policy by the deadline. “Our determination for denuclearization remains unchanged, and when the time comes, we will put it into practice. But, this is possible only under the condition that the U.S. changes their current method of calculation and formulates a new stand,” North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, a key figure in negotiations with the United States, was quoted by the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency as saying. At a meeting of the North’s rubber-stamp parliament in April, Kim said he is willing to meet with Trump for a third time if Washington comes to the table with the “correct posture” — but laid down his deadline “for a bold decision from the U.S.” Andrew O’Neil, an expert on North Korea and a professor at Griffith University in Australia, said he believes that Trump is hoping to avoid any confrontation that might upset the fragile lull in tensions he claims to have brokered. “My strong sense is that Trump realizes that Pyongyang has sought to play him, and despite having John Bolton urging a tougher posture, the president is content to continue denying North Korea is doing anything destabilizing until he actually is forced to confront the issue in the event of a nuclear or ICBM test,” O’Neil said. This stance has more or less been confirmed by past remarks that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has made in which he framed threats from North Korea as threats to the U.S., seemingly ignoring allies Japan and South Korea, he added. “Tokyo and Seoul should be very concerned about Trump and Pompeo’s discounting of North Korean short-range testing because it simply reinforces the point that unless the continental U.S. is threatened, Washington is unlikely to act decisively in confronting North Korea,” O’Neill said. “This, combined with Trump’s fixation on ‘making allies pay’ for the privilege of U.S. extended deterrence, means that policymakers in Tokyo and Seoul have every reason to be anxious about North Korean escalation that stops short of a threat” to the United States. Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. policy of providing for the security of its allies by threatening a nuclear response in the event of an enemy attack. As for what to expect from the North, Malcolm Davis, a senior defense analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute think tank in Canberra, said that Pompeo’s remarks had shifted the red line to enable it to test longer-range missile systems in the coming weeks and months. “The message is that so long as they don’t test an ICBM, or potentially an IRBM (intermediate range ballistic missile) that could reach Guam, then the U.S. won’t respond,” Davis said. “So, expect the North Koreans to test more short and medium-range missile capabilities, such as the Rodong, which has a range of 1,250 km — that’s certainly enough to reach all of Japan.”

u.s .
north korea
kim jong un
nuclear weapons
north korea nuclear crisis
donald trump
kim-trump summit


West Bengal ruling party activist arrested for posting see-through dress meme on social media

Abstract: KOLKATA - Indian police have detained a ruling party activist after she posted a meme superimposing the head of a state chief minister on a photograph of a Bollywood star in a see-through dress, an officer said Saturday. The announcement injected controversy into campaigning ahead of polls opening in West Bengal state Sunday, where the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress are locked in a tense battle for votes in the country’s general election. Priyanka Sharma, a local BJP youth activist, was arrested for sharing a viral meme on Facebook that superimposed the head of Trinamool leader and state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on a picture of actress Priyanka Chopra at the Met Gala in New York last week. Sharma faces charges under India’s Information Technology Act which punishes the transmission of “obscene” or “lascivious” material in electronic form, police said in the city of Howrah. “We arrested a BJP leader Priyanka Sharma Thursday after a complaint was lodged against her saying that she had posted a morphed photograph mocking the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on a social networking site,” Anant Nag, Howrah’s deputy commissioner of police, said. He said the complaint had been made by a local leader from Banerjee’s party. The Information Technology Act and other laws have frequently been deployed by politicians from all parties seeking to stifle social media criticism. Another political worker was arrested in West Bengal last year for posting allegedly obscene pictures and comments about the chief minister, while two people were jailed in the state in 2017 after they criticized local police over traffic restrictions. In northern Uttar Pradesh state, a man was arrested last year for a post targeting BJP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. A journalist in northeastern Manipur state was also jailed last year for allegedly criticizing the state’s BJP chief minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.


Following clash in Kashmir region, Islamic State claims it has created a 'province' in India

Abstract: NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR, INDIA - The Islamic State (IS) on Friday claimed for the first time that it has established a “province” in India, after a clash between militants and security forces in the contested Kashmir region killed a militant with alleged ties to the group. IS’s Amaq News Agency late Friday announced the new province, called “Wilayah of Hind,” in a statement that also claimed IS inflicted casualties on Indian Army soldiers in the town of Amshipora in the Shopian district of Kashmir. The IS statement corresponds with an Indian police statement earlier Friday that a militant called Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi was killed during an encounter in Shopian. The IS statement establishing the new province appears to be designed to bolster its standing after the group was driven from its self-styled “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in April, where at one point it controlled thousands of miles of territory. IS has stepped up hit-and-run raids and suicide attacks, including taking responsibility for the Easter Sunday bombing in Sri Lanka that killed over 250 people. “The establishment of a ‘province’ in a region where it has nothing resembling actual governance is absurd, but it should not be written off,” said Rita Katz, director of the SITE Intel Group that tracks Islamic extremists. “The world may roll its eyes at these developments, but to jihadis in these vulnerable regions, these are significant gestures to help lay the groundwork in rebuilding the map of the IS ‘caliphate.’ “ Sofi had been involved in several militant groups in Kashmir for more than a decade before pledging allegiance to the Islamic State, according to a military official Saturday and an interview given by Sofi to a Srinagar-based magazine sympathetic to IS. He was suspected of several grenade attacks on security forces in the region, police and military sources said. “It was a clean operation and no collateral damage took place during the exchange of fire,” a police spokesman said in the statement about Friday’s encounter. The military official said it was possible that Sofi had been the only militant left in Kashmir associated with IS. Separatists have for decades fought an armed conflict against Indian rule in Muslim-majority Kashmir. The majority of these groups want independence for Kashmir or to join India’s arch-rival, Pakistan. They have not, like the Islamic State, sought to establish an empire across the Muslim world. Nuclear powers India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir, and came to the brink of a third earlier this year after a suicide attack by a Pakistan-based militant group killed at least 40 paramilitary police in the Indian-controlled portion of the region. A spokesman for India’s Home Ministry, which is responsible for security in Kashmir, did not respond to a request for comment.


'Missiles like these will start the war': North Korean tests showcase growing capability

Abstract: SEOUL - North Korea’s second missile test on Thursday signals it is serious about developing new, short-range weapons that could be used early and effectively in any war with South Korea and the United States, analysts studying images of the latest launches say. Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the first flight of a previously untested weapon — a relatively small, fast missile experts believe will be easier to hide, launch, and maneuver in flight. Photos released by state media Friday showed Thursday’s test involved the same weapon. The tests have increased tensions after the last U.S.-North Korea summit collapsed in February in Hanoi with no agreement over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said late Thursday the launches seemed like a protest over the failed summit, while North Korea has defended the tests as routine and self defensive. Some analysts say the multiple tests show the missiles aren’t only for political show. “This second test solidifies that these launches are not just to stir the pot and elicit a U.S. response to resume negotiations,” said Grace Liu, one of a team of missile experts at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) in California. “They are developing a reliable, operable missile that can defeat missile defenses and conduct a precision strike in South Korea.” The U.S. and South Korean responses to the launches have been muted, with U.S. President Donald Trump and other officials emphasizing the missiles are not the large, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the United States. But analysts said the military applications of the new missiles should not be underestimated. “The Trump administration keeps downplaying these missiles because they are not ICBMs, but even though they can’t reach the U.S. mainland, it’s missiles like these that will start the war,” said Melissa Hanham, a weapons expert at Datayo, which tracks international security threats. “They are small, easy to hide, easy to maneuver and you can’t tell what kind of warhead they are carrying. They could carry a nuclear weapon.” In a preliminary report on Wednesday, the North Korea tracking website 38 North said the new missile looks similar to Russia’s SS-26 Iskander missile, and could exploit gaps in South Korean and American missile defense coverage. The United States and South Korea field Patriot and THAAD missile batteries designed to shoot down various ballistic and cruise missiles, but their capabilities have been disputed. While the origin of the North Korean missile remains unclear, a team of analysts at CNS said that Thursday’s test confirmed the missile is capable of maneuvering to elude defenses and protect its launch crew from detection. “You can tell from the low apogee that this missile maneuvers a bit in boost to defeat missile defences and aircraft hunting the launcher,” said Jeffrey Lewis of CNS. Michael Duitsman, a rocket propulsion expert with the team, said North Korean state media photos of the launch show likely thrust vanes and steerable fins that guide the missile with precision and allow it to maneuver through much of its flight. While Saturday’s missile was fired from a transporter erector launcher (TEL) vehicle with wheels, Thursday’s test featured a tracked vehicle. Use of a tracked vehicle, which North Korea has more experience building, suggests it may plan to deploy a large number of the missiles and launchers, said Joshua Pollack, editor of The Nonproliferation Review. “This seems to be their only mass-production option for highly capable TELs at the moment,” he said. The missile uses solid fuel, which allows the weapon to be easily moved and fired more quickly than those using liquid fuel, analysts said. In the end, the new missiles add a new level of unpredictability to an already tense situation, Hanham said. “If North Korea pulls out (an ICBM) everyone knows it’ll be launched with a nuke,” she said. “These little missiles you don’t know, so it’s hard to be prepared.” The new weapon’s maneuverability and low flying has led some South Korean officials to hesitate to label the weapon a “ballistic missile,” a weapon that would likely violate United Nations Security Council resolutions. “Given its low altitude, more careful analysis is required,” said ruling party lawmaker Ahn Gyu-baek, citing military officials. “One should also be careful to not aggravate the situation with hasty actions.” Ahn said South Korean military officials had assessed a number of potential political motives behind the missile launches. Those included increasing pressure for sanctions relief, and protesting Seoul’s military buildup including the purchase of new F-35 fighter aircraft as well as joint military drills by the United States and South Korea, which North Korea complained about in statements defending the tests. The tests also likely held a message for domestic audiences designed to boost support for Kim’s government, he said. “The Kim regime is determined to fight pressure with pressure,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “It is threatening to raise regional tensions and create political problems for Moon and Trump if not offered economic concessions it failed to win in Hanoi.” While Kim may not return to launching ICBMs or testing nuclear weapons immediately, he may seek other provocative ways to break the stalemate, Pollack said. “Kim Jong Un has given the United States until the end of the year to rethink its approach,” he said. “But if they don’t get a meaningful response to these tests, maybe they’ll try to push the envelope further.”

u.s .
north korea
russia
military
kim jong un
weapons
nuclear weapons
south korea


Russia-Japan talks on disputed isles go nowhere, 'significant differences' remain

Abstract: MOSCOW - The top diplomats of Japan and Russia said Friday there was a ways to go before their countries can resolve a long-standing dispute over the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido. In Moscow, Russia’s Sergei Lavrov said “significant differences” remained between the two nations’ positions, despite several previous rounds of negotiations. “The task is not easy, it’s clear it will only be solved by long, painstaking and creative work,” Lavrov told journalists following his meeting with Foreign Minister Taro Kono. The territorial dispute centers on four islands between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean that were seized by the Soviet army in the last days of World War II. “Solving a problem that remains unresolved more than 70 years on from the end of the war is not easy,” Kono said at the joint news conference. “It cannot be said that as a result of today’s talks we were able to overcome these differences.” Tokyo has refused to recognize Moscow’s sovereignty over the isles, preventing the two countries from signing a peace treaty to formally end wartime hostilities. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Vladimir Putin have made resolving the dispute a priority — meeting 25 times since 2013 in an effort to build cooperation. But both face domestic opposition to any compromise and a meeting in Moscow in January fell short of an agreement. A meeting between their foreign and defense ministers will take place in Tokyo at the end of the month, Lavrov said Friday. Moscow has said negotiations should be based on a 1956 Soviet-Japanese declaration that calls for the signing of a peace accord before any move to hand over the two smaller territories, Shikotan and the Habomai islet group, to Japan. The two larger isles are Etorofu and Kunashiri. The Russian names are different. But giving away even uninhabited islands would be poorly received in Russia, where World War II is hugely symbolic and postwar gains in territory are seen as nonnegotiable. Moscow in recent months has taken further steps to consolidate its hold on the isles, which are home to some 20,000 people. In December, for example, Russia said it built four new military barracks there, prompting an angry response from Tokyo. In February, it said it had laid fiber-optic cables to provide homes and businesses there with high-speed internet access.

territorial row
russia-japan relations
sergei lavrov
taro kono


At Niigata meet, U.S. agriculture secretary urges Japan to cut tariffs on farm goods

Abstract: NIIGATA - In the latest push to seek the removal of tariffs on American farm products, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said Saturday after meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Takamori Yoshikawa, that he is eager to reduce his country’s large trade deficit with Japan. The two met on the sidelines of a Group of 20 gathering of farm ministers in the city of Niigata. The event was chaired by Japan. Japan and the United States began bilateral trade negotiations in mid-April, with Washington seeking to improve the competitiveness of U.S. produce at a time when Pacific free trade pact members are exporting to Japan at lower tariff rates. “We have and had a long and sustained trade deficit with Japan to the tune of $70 billion, which indicates to me we’ve been very good, good customers for Japan for many years,” Perdue told reporters, adding that the United States simply wants “to be treated as a good customer with a reciprocal type of treatment regarding the things that we export.” Yoshikawa emphasized at the outset of the meeting held in Niigata that Japan is an important export destination to the United States and that it views the country as a stable supplier of farm products. Perdue earlier expressed his desire for a quick agreement with Japan, the fourth largest U.S. trading partner, on tariff cuts for farm goods as part of efforts to reach a bilateral trade deal. Tokyo, however, has shown little enthusiasm for the proposal. The trade negotiations, held Thursday and Friday in Washington, took place between Economic Revitalization Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Perdue told reporters the prospects of the talks are “hopeful” and that the two countries “should be able to come together and conclude these negotiations in a very mutually beneficial way.” U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which went into force in December with the remaining 11 members that include Japan and major agricultural producers such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

u.s.-japan relations
sonny perdue
takamori yoshikawa
agricluture


In U.N. speech, Japan's spokesman Yoshihide Suga reframes abduction issue as 'global challenge'

Abstract: NEW YORK - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga called Friday for an early resolution to the decades-old issue of North Korea’s abduction of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, saying it is a “global challenge.” Speaking at an event at U.N. headquarters in New York, he said the government has been injecting “maximum effort” to realize the return of all abductees “at the earliest possible timing.” “We are at a crucial moment as family members age. We will not miss any opportunity to take bold action to achieve the earliest possible resolution,” Suga said. Japan officially lists 17 citizens as abduction victims and suspects North Korea’s involvement in many more disappearances. While five of the 17 were repatriated in 2002, Pyongyang maintains that eight — including Megumi Yokota who was taken from Niigata Prefecture in 1977 at the age of 13 — died and the other four never entered the country. “Can you imagine the agony of the victims who have been waiting for over 40 years, far away from home, to be rescued, and the long suffering of families desperately waiting for their return?” Suga asked. Friday’s event also brought together Megumi Yokota’s younger brother Takuya, Koichiro Iizuka, a son of Yaeko Taguchi, who was kidnapped from an unknown location in 1978 at the age of 22, and Fred Warmbier, father of Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student who died in 2017 following more than a year in detention in North Korea. “We use this term ‘Chairman Kim’ and I swear it makes me sick, he is a criminal. We give him this status on the world stage and we call him a chairman, he should be called Criminal Kim,” Warmbier said, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Suga is on a three-day visit to Washington and New York through Saturday. In Washington, he met separately with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Vice President Mike Pence to reaffirm cooperation on North Korea and the abduction issue. He briefed Pompeo about Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s intention to hold talks with Kim — without preconditions — to resolve the abduction issue. During Friday’s event, Suga explained Tokyo’s position of pursuing a new relationship with Pyongyang once the abduction issue is resolved. “If North Korea chooses the right path, the country can draw a bright future for itself. … Japan is prepared to break the shell of mutual distrust with North Korea and get off to a new start,” he said.

shinzo abe
north korea
yoshihide suga
kim jong un
u.n .
abduction
cabinet
donald trump


Osaka's mayor intends to call referendum on metropolis plan in fall of 2020

Abstract: OSAKA - Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui said Saturday he wants to hold a referendum around the fall of 2020 on whether to restructure the city into a metropolis like Tokyo in a bid to cut governance costs. The “Osaka metropolis” plan was rejected in a referendum in 2015. But Matsui and his political group have been gaining momentum to revive the plan since they scored victories in key local elections held in April and some opponents showed signs of an about-face. “I want to have (a referendum) in around a year and a half,” Matsui told reporters. Matsui, a former governor of Osaka Prefecture who heads Osaka Ishin no Kai, was elected as the city’s new mayor in April with the group’s policy chief and former mayor, Hirofumi Yoshimura, who was elected as the new prefectural governor. They beat candidates including those backed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito. On Saturday, the local chapters of the LDP and Komeito said they will cooperate with Osaka Ishin in seeking to hold a referendum. A referendum will be called after both the prefectural and municipal assemblies have approved a restructuring plan. In 2017, the assemblies jointly set up a legal council to draw the plan. Osaka Ishin, which has a majority only in the prefectural assembly, asked for cooperation from Komeito. The metropolis plan was originally drafted by former Osaka Gov. and Mayor Toru Hashimoto, who sought to reorganize the administration of the city into a government similar to Tokyo’s in a bid to save hundreds of billions of yen in taxpayers’ money by reducing functional overlaps between the prefectural and city governments. But in the May 2015 referendum, voters dismissed the argument, with both ruling and opposition parties insisting that many costs could be cut without the need for reforms.


Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan's favorite candidate for next leader, says country needs big changes, and fast

Abstract: The public’s top pick to become the next prime minister says the country is not ready for the scale of change he thinks it needs. Shinjiro Koizumi, the 38-year-old son of popular former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, consistently leads polls asking who should succeed long-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. As the most prominent member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s new guard, he wants quick reforms to manage the country’s rapidly aging population. “If you look at Japan now, people don’t want to change much,” Koizumi said in an interview at his office in Tokyo on Wednesday. “They don’t have big dreams, but they don’t have a sense of crisis either,” he added. “But it’s no good for this country to stay as it is. What this country needs more than anything is change. Not just change, but rapid change.” Even though the younger Koizumi has never held a Cabinet post and limits his media exposure, he is seen by many as the future of the ruling party due to his charisma, clean image and a resemblance to his father, who enjoyed immense popularity during most of his five-year run in office and was known for his willingness to shake up the stodgy LDP. But that doesn’t mean the public is completely on board with his agenda yet, Koizumi said. Koizumi heads an LDP panel on social security, which last month published a “vision” for reforms to tackle what Abe has called the national crisis of Japan’s demographics. The population is set to slump by almost a third by 2060, by which time about 40 percent of Japanese will be 65 or over, according to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research. In a bid to rein in the ballooning debt fueled by the developed world’s fastest aging population, Abe’s government is set to raise the sales tax to 10 percent in October from the current 8 percent. Koizumi declined to comment on whether he agreed with the plan, saying only: “It has been decided.” Rather than calling for higher taxes or lower payouts in its report, Koizumi’s panel urged a re-evaluation of the concept of the working-age population. Older people should be encouraged to stay in the labor force beyond the traditional retirement ages of 60 to 65, becoming contributors to the social security system, rather than burdens on it, the report says. “We have to correct that huge imbalance between those who are supporting social security and those who are being supported by it,” Koizumi said. Specific measures should include changing a tax system that gives precedence to housewives over working women, and offering health-maintenance incentives. Koizumi speaks English fluently, which is rare in Japan’s political world. He earned a master’s degree in political science at Columbia University, and served as a secretary to his father before taking over his Diet seat in 2009 in the port city of Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. A poll by Jiji Press in March found Koizumi was the most popular choice to succeed Abe, with 24.4 percent of respondents opting for him. In second place was former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba at 18.9 percent. “My field of vision has always been international, rather than domestic,” he said. “With the falling population, the domestic market is shrinking. When I was head of the party’s agriculture panel, I said Japan’s farmers shouldn’t look at the 100 million-strong internal market, but must sell to the 10 billion-strong global market.” The need to expand export markets was why he supported Japan joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal at a time when it was anathema to many lawmakers in the LDP, which has strong ties to farming groups opposed to opening the nation’s agricultural markets to imports. “We were a tiny minority in the party. Can you imagine how much we were criticized?” he said. “But we can’t make do just with our own shrinking market, we need to face up to the world.” After President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the TPP talks soon after his inauguration, the 11 other members including Japan went ahead without the U.S. to forge a successor deal. Despite that strong public support and four consecutive election victories, Koizumi is seen as too young for the top job by Japanese standards. Abe was queried about his youth when he embarked on his first stint as prime minister at age 52. Koizumi’s rivals to succeed Abe are now mostly in their sixties. And it may not yet be over for Abe, whose current term ends in September 2021. Some in his party have called for a change in the rules to allow him to run for a fourth consecutive term, though polls show voters oppose the idea.

ldp
elections
shinjiro koizumi
shinzo abe . aging


Hello Work offices to facilitate online job hunting from home with IT upgrades

Abstract: The Hello Work chain of public job-placement offices will facilitate job searches from home and improve its usability by employers by adopting more information technology. The changes are aimed at promoting smoother matches between job seekers and companies, said an official of the labor ministry, which runs the chain. Job seekers can currently only browse a limited amount of the network’s job information on the internet and must visit a Hello Work office to get the full details. Starting in January, however, they will be able to access all of the information via personal computers and smartphones, after registering at one of the offices. By setting up personal pages on Hello Work’s computer system, they will also be able to save their data on their search conditions and job offers. In the future, Hello Work offices plan to let people apply for jobs online and receive offers directly from companies if they make their registered information public. The offices also will provide more detailed information on working conditions, such as systems to let employees work from home or return to their jobs after breaks, measures to fight passive smoking and rules on overtime pay. Such information is expected to narrow the gap between job seekers’ impressions and reality, a shift that could help prevent new hires from quitting quickly. Companies will not have to make subsequent visits to Hello Work offices to offer jobs once they set up their own information management pages on its system. Employers will also be able to revise information on available jobs online, as well as run more active recruitment campaigns by posting pictures and information. In fiscal 2017, the number of new job seekers registered with Hello Work offices totaled 4.95 million and new job offers came to 10.24 million, with 1.55 million people getting jobs. The labor ministry is disbursing ¥21 billion over a three-year period from fiscal 2017 to upgrade the system for Hello Work offices.


Japan takes steps to prevent another water shortage during Olympics

Abstract: Plans are in place to increase water levels in reservoirs serving Tokyo and surrounding areas in a bid to meet demand during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. With more than 10 million people expected to arrive for the games, the central government and seven prefectures including Tokyo will this summer check if increasing water reserves at seven reservoirs in eastern Japan will be enough to avoid water shortages at hotels, restaurants and sports venues without cutting supplies to industries and residents. Operators of the seven dams on the Tone, Sagami and Arakawa rivers will examine how far they can increase water levels without posing a risk of flooding, officials said. Tokyo and surrounding areas suffered an “Olympic drought” prior to the 1964 Games as low rainfall led to prolonged water supply restrictions. The Self-Defense Forces and U.S. troops based in the country provided emergency water supplies ahead of the games to help stem the crisis. The restrictions were eventually lifted just before the games began in October that year. Although the amount of reservoir water has grown nearly sixfold since then, the country wants to prepare for a worst-case scenario. According to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry, the amount of usable water in Tokyo can be increased by 20 percent if all measures are taken. If a water shortage develops regardless of the measures taken, the prefectures may request water stored in reservoirs behind hydroelectric dams operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., the officials said. “We will take all possible measures to ensure a successful Olympics without affecting the everyday lives of residents,” an official at the infrastructure ministry said.

tokyo
water
2020 tokyo olympics
2020 tokyo paralympics


JR Hokkaido confronts the harsh realities of financing rail lines in depopulated areas

Abstract: Privatization of public enterprises is a core tenet of neoliberalism, and probably the most representative domestic development in this regard was the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR) in 1987. The resulting rail companies, distinguished primarily by region, have demonstrated differing degrees of success. In some cases, especially for new shinkansen lines, they rely on input from the government, which assumed the JNR debt, but the inevitable rationalization that accompanies privatization has affected the domestic rail industry in startling ways, given how central rail culture is to Japanese life. JR Hokkaido has become the most embattled of the former JNR entities, and one can sense in media coverage of its existential problems a conflict over whether privatization is still a good thing for a service that was once taken for granted despite its chronic tendency to lose money. As discussed in an April 28 article in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun , something like one half of all lines belonging to JR Hokkaido are unprofitable, and the railway is trying to work with local governments situated along these lines, comprising approximately 1,200 kilometers of track, to come up with solutions. About two-thirds of lines operated by JR Hokkaido have considered seeking financial assistance in order to keep their respective routes open, while the remaining third are leaning toward shutting their lines down due to a dearth of passengers. On April 9, JR Hokkaido announced it would work with local governments that want to increase patronage and replace the other lines with alternative transportation services, such as buses. Residents of regions in the latter category have already protested, saying they will be isolated without train services. Professor Naohiro Taniguchi of the Hokkaido University of Science told the newspaper there was no other option but to halt operation, since there are no industries or employment opportunities along these lines, adding that residents have been conditioned to think that the central government will always step in to save them. The model in this case is the city of Yubari, which decided to shut down the Yubari branch of JR Hokkaido’s Sekisho Line several years ago at the suggestion of its mayor, Naomichi Suzuki, who was elected governor of Hokkaido in April. The Yubari branch of the Sekisho Line, which was built in 1892 to transport coal from the area’s mines, closed down officially on April 1. In league with JR Hokkaido, the city has replaced the train with a bus line, which provides twice as many round-trips, and is developing a “complex facility” centered on a bus terminal that is slated to open this December. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun’s tone in discussing the matter is common sense: There is no economic justification for train lines that continually run in the red and, as the Yubari example shows, local governments that despair of losing transportation links to other areas need to reconsider their priorities, which in Yubari’s case is urban redevelopment that can attract new business (tourist-oriented, in this case). Other Hokkaido towns in similar situations are now contemplating doing the same thing. The Asahi Shimbun’s more comprehensive coverage of JR Hokkaido’s troubles takes a different tone. The newspaper contextualizes the railway’s failures within the overarching narrative of what happened to all the former JNR lines, which, as one transport ministry official said in an article published last July , are still in a state of “renovation.” JR Hokkaido just happens to be the most “incomplete” in terms of evolving into a successful private company. The rail company could be effectively bankrupt in 2020, and last year it asked the central government for “several hundred billion yen” in loans until 2030. The transport ministry had already pledged more than ¥40 billion for 2019 and 2020, and said it will see if JR Hokkaido makes an appropriate effort before deciding on further funds. The upshot of this position is that the government wants to see if JR Hokkaido halts operations on nonperforming lines. If it does, then it will be more inclined to help. The implication, according to the Asahi Shimbun, is that taxpayers who don’t live in Hokkaido will be subsidizing its train lines. In an April 10 article , the Asahi Shimbun revised the amount of public money requested by JR Hokkaido to ¥280 billion from both central and local governments. In line with that request, the rail company will increase fares in October and streamline work efficiency. The company will also fortify its real estate business as the new Hokkaido Shinkansen Line is extended to Sapporo Station in 2030. What’s clear from the Asahi reports is that whatever solutions come about, they will likely be determined by government authorities and JR Hokkaido, and not necessarily with input from affected residents. It’s worth noting that the Yubari solution was initiated and engineered by Suzuki, an erstwhile Tokyo bureaucrat who is credited with pulling the bankrupt city back from the brink. When he was first elected in 2011, he was only 30 years old, and his political success has been credited to the boldness of youth and solidly neoliberal policies. His victory last month in the Hokkaido gubernatorial race came with the support of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, meaning he will likely follow the central government’s line to the letter. The residents who will inevitably lose access to rail service are caught in the middle. The Asahi Shimbun’s coverage, like the Nihon Keizai Shimbun’s, focuses on dwindling passenger numbers and financial solutions to financial issues — taking advantage of inbound tourism, bus replacements and so on — but it also gives voice to people who wonder what happened to the public sector. The mayor of Urakawa, which may lose its local train line, complained that the provision of public transportation nowadays depends solely on “ cost effectiveness .” Nothing else seems to matter.

transportation
privatization
hokkaido
jr hokkaido
japan national railways


Tabloids press pause as nation celebrates dawn of the Reiwa Era

Abstract: Welcome one and all to Big in Japan, the Reiwa version. During the just-ended 10-day Golden Week holiday, only one general weekly magazine — Aera (May 13) — went to press, giving it the distinction of being the first publication out of the starting gates in the new era. Aera’s coverage of imperial events was fairly low key. A two-page article introduced newly enthroned Emperor Naruhito as a “scholar of history” who, unlike his other antecedents and younger brother, emphasized the study of the humanities as opposed to the natural sciences. The emperor has authored at least five scholarly papers on the subject of water as a means of transport, and expounded publicly on global water resources at several international forums. Appealing to its mostly female readership, Aera also devoted two two-page articles to Empress Masako and her formative years as an “ordinary” citizen before marriage. A fourth article of three pages introduced the deluxe “Omeshi” train operated by JR East Japan for domestic travel by the imperial family. The first of such special trains date back to one imported from Britain, for use by Emperor Meiji, who rode it on the newly completed line from Shimbashi to Yokohama in 1872. By the mid-1870s the train had developed into a five-car configuration, with the emperor carried in his exclusive “Goryosha” festooned with ornate silk paneling. The present configuration was built in 2007. On rare occasions the passenger cars are made available to the general public via a JR group travel service, which offers a one-day tour from Tokyo’s Ueno Station to Fukushima Prefecture to view cherry blossoms that costs ¥34,000. In three more years, Japan’s two oldest weeklies will be observing their centennials. Shukan Asahi (May 17) and Sunday Mainichi (May 19), both produced special commemorative issues with cover photos of the new emperor and empress. The former also ran seven pages of glossy color photos of female members of the various branches of the imperial family. The latter publication ran color photos of rare bonbonnier (a small ornamental box or lidded jar containing confections), some bearing the imperial chrysanthemum seal, which have been distributed since the 19th century as special commemorative gifts. Sunday Mainichi also reviewed the plethora of commemorative “Reiwa goods” put on sale, which included an updated Reiwa version of The Game of Life from toymaker Takaratomy Co. Visit www.taikonet.co.jp and you can shop online for everything from coffee mugs and cigarette lighters to towels and confections. The sale continues until June 28 or until stocks run out. Shukan Post (May 17-24) polled 30 political commentators and other opinion leaders to name the possible “candidates for prime minister in the Reiwa Era who will wreck Japan.” In the lead with 14 votes is former Defense Minister Tomomi Inada. Critic Tsunehira Furuya argued that Inada’s reputation had been seriously tarnished by serving as one of the attorneys for plaintifs in a libel case that had been initiated by the families of two long-deceased Japanese officers, who, during the Nanking Massacre of 1937-38, had allegedly engaged in a “decapitation contest” of Chinese prisoners of war. Inada was followed, in descending order with number of votes in parentheses, by Yukio Edano and Toshimitsu Mogi (in second place, both with seven); Nobuteru Ishihara, Fumio Kishida and Yoshihide Suga (in fourth place, with six votes); Shigeru Ishiba, Goshi Hosono and Yuriko Koike (in seventh place with five votes); and Yuko Obuchi, Shinjiro Koizumi and Toru Hashimoto (in 10th place with four votes). Taking a completely different tack, while keeping with its rapt interest in yakuza watching, Asahi Geino (May 16) offered a prediction of which rivals are likely to emerge as the most “trying enemy” of the nation’s largest underground syndicate, the Yamaguchi-gumi, in the Reiwa Era. Former gang attorney Yukio Yamanouchi, crime writer Atsushi Mizoguchi and author Manabu Miyazaki present their respective views on whether the schism between gang factions will drag on, or if a reconciliation will occur, possibly under the control of Yoshinori Oda, the 53-year-old boss of the Ninkyo splinter group. In seeming defiance of current events, Shukan Taishu (May 20) chose to jump back two eras to Showa, with a three-page spread introducing places that inspired the most popular manga and anime of the Showa Era (1926-89). These included Kyojin no Hoshi (the Tamagawa baseball ground in Tokyo’s Ota Ward); Tonari no Totoro (in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture); Hikawa Shrine in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, inspiration of Sailor Moon; the spooky Kitaro no Mori (in the city of Chofu, Tokyo); and the Omiya Park Soccer Pitch in the city of Saitama, where Captain Tsubasa appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump. Manga fans were also directed to the Machiko Hasegawa Art Museum in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward, the Fujio Akatsuka museum in the city of Ome and a monument in Tokyo’s Toshima Ward that commemorates the site of the Tokiwa-so — the grungy apartment where Osamu Tezuka, Fujio Fujiko and several other famous cartoonists resided during the formative stages of their careers — and which is scheduled to be rebuilt by next spring. Spa (May 14-21) must be considered remarkable for having completely disregarded the new era in feature articles and columns, although two comics managed to slip in references. The illustrated “declaration of arrogance” column from right-leaning cartoonist Yoshinori Kobayashi contains an impassioned plea for a revision to the Imperial Succession Law, which presently restricts the Chrysanthemum Throne to males — who are in dangerously short supply at the moment. Finally, Shukan Gendai (May 25) offered a potpourri of “predictions from the pros” about changes that are expected to take place in Japan’s economy over the next three years. These include increasing medical costs; a continuing rise in elderly persons living alone; and more households with zero savings. Foreign workers will begin to contend with older Japanese for jobs and, in a double whammy, while it will eventually become impossible for people to survive solely on social pensions, the government will be forced to drastically cut back welfare payments. What’s more, through expansion of the internet and dissemination of artificial intelligence, numerous occupations will decline or become defunct. These could include bank tellers, pharmacists, veterinarians, accountants, salesmen at insurance and securities firms, long-distance drivers, sales staff at department and appliance stores, watch and camera repairmen, and operators of construction equipment.


Attempting to switch off from social media during Golden Week

Abstract: As the relaxed vibe of the recent 10-day Golden Week holiday slowly fades, many commuters in Tokyo appeared to struggle last week to return to the rat race. The longer than usual holiday offered people an opportunity to travel abroad or chill out at home. It also gave people a chance to switch off from social media, a place that can sometimes feel almost as stressful as working in an office. The internet never stops, though. Fortunately, or unfortunately as the case may be, no one issue dominated the online discussion in Japan over this period. Instead, a number of localized conversations popped up all over the place. To help catch you up, this week’s Japan Pulse offers a roundup of some of the more notable Twitter feuds and viral videos that unfolded over the break. Not surprisingly, the imperial succession that took place in the middle of the renkyū (consecutive holidays) dominated much of the conversation. The change of era inspired netizens to turn even mundane acts into something worthy of a time capsule, with a popular hashtag devoted to “ last meal of Heisei ” performing well on Twitter. The same principle was behind another popular trend showcasing users’ “final masterpiece” of the Heisei Era (1989-2019), and the first half of Golden Week saw massive interest in nostalgia, producing some charming fan art in the process . Then the Reiwa Era began, and all smartphones turned to what this new age would bring online. A flurry of cute drawings welcoming Reiwa emerged, while bands such as Golden Bomber uploaded celebration videos . Even astronauts joined the conversation . This proved to be a goldmine for online publications, which, like their TV counterparts, didn’t hesitate to jump on the bandwagon. Online articles summed up how the internet reacted (which sounds suspiciously familiar), while Buzzfeed Japan got slightly clever in making a post showcasing all the images that international media published to mark Reiwa’s dawn. Buzzfeed also documented the April 30 revelry in the final moments of Heisei. It might eventually become one of the biggest memories of the changeover: The countdown felt like a genuine moment of everyone coming together for a shared experience — both in real life and online. Plus, it all resulted in either the last viral tweet of Heisei or the first of Reiwa, when a Twitter user uploaded a video of a man wearing a “Minions” shirt in Osaka attempting to jump into the city’s river — but who only succeeded at landing on the bow of a boat passing underneath . He was mostly OK . However, not everyone enjoyed Golden Week. According to reports online, a lot of people were actually using the 10 days off as a way to re-evaluate their life. An online report on MBS News said that a company helping people quit their jobs was reporting huge business over the break because people had more time to think about their careers. One such Japanese writer may be thinking of a career change after posting a commentary about something they dubbed “Culture Face” on a blog titled Don’Cry . The writer argued that a lot of young models, musicians and actors in Japan had faces that were at odds with traditional beauty standards (although the writer frames it in terms of a “They look weird, right?” kind of way). Artist Nariaki Obukuro , who was included as an example in the entry, hit back on Twitter . Obukuro said it was outrageous to categorize people based on appearances alone, responding directly to the writer. It spread from there , resulting in in-depth essays on the subject and an apology from the blog that started the entire thing. While this worked as a nice reminder to always check your content before going on the offense, “Culture Face” also spread at least partially because of how little was happening during the holidays. While a lot happened online, there was little outside of the imperial succession worth talking about. Maybe people really were taking it easy over Golden Week, which allowed for some more offbeat content to have time in the sun — like photos of a train line employee removing a giant bamboo shoot from the tracks. Now that kind of content’s the perfect fodder for an extended staycation.

social media
golden week
imperial succession
japan pulse


Suga meets with Mike Pence in Washington; pair vow cooperation over North Korea missiles

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Friday agreed that the two countries will cooperate at every level in responding to North Korea’s firing of short-range ballistic missiles. During their meeting in Washington, Suga asked for U.S. cooperation for an early resolution of the issue of North Korea’s abductions of Japanese citizens. Suga and Pence agreed on the importance of fully implementing U.N. Security Council sanctions resolutions on North Korea. Suga conveyed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s determination to hold a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un without preconditions., Regarding U.S.-China trade negotiations, Suga called for efforts to seek a constructive solution through dialogue. As for trade talks between Japan and the United States, Suga and Pence agreed that their countries will speed up discussions based on their relationship of trust. Their meeting preceded U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Japan as a state guest set for May 25-28. Suga and Pence concurred that the two countries will make the visit an opportunity to demonstrate the unprecedented strength of their alliance throughout the world. The two officials confirmed their countries’ commitment to steadily implementing the U.S. military realignment in Japan to ease Okinawa Prefecture’s burden of hosting U.S. bases while maintaining deterrence. They exchanged views on the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from Ginowan to the Henoko district of Nago. Also agreed on was bilateral cooperation in implementing the free and open Indo-Pacific vision originally proposed by Abe.


Kitakyushu's 100-seat swing set is recognized as world's longest

Abstract: KITAKYUSHU - A circular swing in Kitakyushu, measuring 163 meters in circumference, was recognized Saturday as the longest in the world. The structure erected in Hibikinada Green Park — which has 100 swings attached — was awarded Guinness World Record status after a commemorative event in which children were invited to give it a test workout. “It’s like a dream, having this many swings to play on,” said 12-year-old Keisuke Hara. The city government spent roughly ¥120 million to build the giant structure at a time when older swing sets throughout the country that no longer meet safety standards are being dismantled. “There was a big demand for new swings from parents of small children,” said an official. The previous record-holder was a 133-meter-long swing set in the Netherlands that was recognized in 1998. Hibikinada Green Park, which has an admission fee of between ¥70 and ¥150, also features a pony corral, kangaroo petting zoo, botanical gardens, cycling course and a barbecue space.

guinness world record
swings
hibikinada green park


Trade war threatens U.S. access to rare earths, says China state media

Abstract: BEIJING - Washington’s trade war with Beijing puts it at risk of losing access to China-produced rare earths, which are critical to manufacturing, a commentary in state media said on Wednesday. The commentary follows President Xi Jinping’s visit last week to a Chinese rare earths company — a move widely read as a threat, after President Donald Trump banned U.S. companies from providing technology to China’s Huawei over concerns the telecom giant’s equipment could be used by Beijing for espionage. Trump’s move against Huawei, a rapidly expanding leader in super-fast 5G wireless technology, came as part of a trade war that he began last year over what the U.S. president calls China’s unfair trade policies. Since then, the two sides have exchanged tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of two-way trade. After the Huawei ban, Xi called on cadres to brace for a “new Long March,” and editorial commentaries have lambasted Washington. “While meeting domestic demands is a priority, China is willing to try its best to satisfy global demand for rare earths as long as they are used for legitimate purposes,” Wednesday’s commentary on state-run Xinhua news agency said. “However, if anyone wants to use imported rare earths against China, the Chinese people will not agree.” During his visit to the rare earths company, Xi said that they are “not only an important strategic resource, but also a non-renewable resource,” Xinhua reported earlier. However, analysts have said China appears apprehensive of targeting the minerals just yet, possibly fearful of hastening a global search for alternative supplies of the commodities. China produces more than 95 percent of the world’s rare earths, and the United States relies on China for upwards of 80 percent of its imports. Rare earths are 17 elements critical to manufacturing everything from smartphones and televisions to cameras and light bulbs. That gives Beijing tremendous leverage in what is shaping up largely as a battle between the U.S. and China over who will own the future of high-tech.

china
trade
xi jinping
xinhua
huawei
rare earths
donald trump
trade war


Rights group tries to block new Saudi ship from leaving France with arms

Abstract: MARSEILLE, FRANCE/PARIS - A French rights group sought on Tuesday to block the loading of what it said were munitions onto a Saudi Arabian ship docked in southern France, as pressure mounts on Paris to stop military sales to the kingdom. ACAT said in a statement it had filed a legal challenge to prevent the vessel from taking delivery of its cargo. “The Bahri Tabuk is due to load French weapons for Saudi Arabia, one of the main belligerents in the Yemeni conflict. ACAT is …. mobilizing and calling on civil society and local networks to prevent these munitions from going to Saudi Arabia,” it said. Another Saudi ship left France’s northern coast two weeks ago without a cargo of weapons after dockers threatened to block its arrival in the port of Le Havre. ACAT had also filed a legal challenge to stop that consignment being loaded, arguing that it contravened a U.N. treaty because the arms might be used against civilians in the Yemeni conflict. The Bahri Tabuk, which is owned by the same company as the previous Saudi vessel, docked on Tuesday afternoon and was due to load its cargo on Wednesday, dock workers union official Laurent Pastor told Reuters. Citing sources, online investigative site Disclose said on Tuesday the cargo to be loaded at the port of Marseille-Fos included munitions for Caesar howitzers. “It is out of the question that we load weapons or munitions for any war,” Pastor said. He said the cargo had initially been due to include electrical transformers and that the union would check again on Wednesday. Defense Minister Florence Parly told lawmakers she had no information on the shipment and that in any case France had a partnership with Saudi Arabia. Eurenco, an affiliate of Nexter, which produces munitions for the Caesar, did not immediately respond for comment. Earlier on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian repeated calls for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to end the “dirty war” in Yemen but defended French arms sales. “We have to be extremely vigilant on arms sales for these countries. That’s what we are doing and we are completely respecting the treaty that concerns weapons trade,” he said. Disclose in April published classified French military intelligence that showed weapons sold to Saudi Arabia, including tanks and laser-guided missile systems, were being used against civilians in Yemen’s war. Four of its reporters have been questioned by France’s internal DGSI intelligence agency over the leak, which the government has said is unacceptable. Rights groups have accused the French government of trying to intimidate the press and curb its freedoms. The saga is an embarrassment for President Emmanuel Macron, who has defended arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE arguing the two countries are crucial allies in the fight against Islamist militants. He has rejected allegations that French-made weapons are used offensively in Yemen. Riyadh leads the pro-government military coalition in the four-year civil war that has devastated Yemen. U.N. experts have said all sides in the conflict may have committed war crimes.

conflict
france
yemen
saudi arabia
emmanuel macron
acat
bahri tabuk


France pledges to fight for plant where GE plans 1,044 job cuts

Abstract: STRASBOURG, FRANCE/NEW YORK - French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday he would fight to save jobs at a General Electric Co. (GE) factory in eastern France where more than 1,000 posts are threatened. GE earlier on Tuesday said it was considering ways to cut costs and make its operations more efficient in France in response to a shrinking market for power plants. While details have not been finalized, GE’s plan calls for cutting up to 1,044 positions, mainly at its Belfort site, which employs 4,300 people. GE said the plan would potentially cut 792 out of 1,900 jobs at the gas power unit, and possibly 252 other support positions. The remaining reductions also would occur mainly at Belfort, which handles gas, steam, nuclear and hydro technology, GE said. The proposed reductions are separate from 1,000 jobs GE said it cut from its power unit in the first quarter. GE presented its plans to French union officials on Tuesday, kicking off negotiations. The proposals “are in line with the company’s intention to improve operational and financial performance of its gas activities,” GE said. But job reductions face a tough climate in France. Le Maire said on Tuesday France would seek four guarantees in exchange for supporting a proposed merger between Renault and Fiat Chrysler, including preserving industrial jobs and factories. It could not be learned whether GE plans other reductions in power operations in Europe. French industrial group Alstom was Belfort’s biggest employer until 2014, when it sold its gas turbine manufacturing business to GE, which pledged to create 1,000 jobs to win backing for the deal from the French government. However, the company had to break that commitment as the gas turbine power plant market collapsed. In the end, GE created just 25 jobs, and in February agreed to pay €50 million ($56 million) into a reindustrialization fund for falling short of the target. Speaking in the lower house of parliament, Le Maire said he wanted the money to be used in Belfort to support projects in aeronautics, dismantling nuclear plants and the hydrogen industry. “We are ready to fight alongside you … and local politicians and obviously alongside GE workers to ensure the industrial future of the GE site,” Le Maire told lawmakers during a weekly questions to government session. A Finance Ministry official said the site would not be shut down outright. GE tamped down enthusiasm earlier this month about a quick recovery in its power-plant unit, which lost a staggering $22.8 billion last year, mainly due to a large goodwill writedown. GE said it has about 16,000 employees at 20 industrial locations in France, and the country houses GE’s headquarters for five divisions: renewable, hydro and offshore wind power generation, plus grid and power conversion units.

france
ge
jobs
carmakers
renault
fiat chrysler
bruno le maire
belfort