Trump seeks to move ahead with State of the Union speech despite Nancy Pelosi's shutdown misgivings

Abstract: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Tuesday attempted to move ahead with planning for a State of the Union speech to the U.S. Congress on Jan. 29 despite pressure from Democrats to delay it due to the government shutdown, as his immigration proposal suffered a blow from the U.S. Supreme Court. No clear way to end the shutdown, which began Dec. 22, was evident, increasing the anxiety level of 800,000 federal workers who are furloughed with some struggling to make ends meet. Trump’s proposal on Saturday to relax his immigration policies for young immigrants known as “Dreamers” in exchange for funding for a southern border wall did not appear to be making much headway among Democrats who control the House of Representatives. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate will vote on Trump’s plan this week but there were doubts it would pass there. Leaders of the House of Representatives have already rejected it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top U.S. Democrat, had recommended Trump delay his State of the Union speech, traditionally delivered in the House chamber. She had cited concerns about security for the event with some personnel furloughed during a monthlong shutdown. But, an administration official said the White House sent a request to move forward with speech planning and requested approval of the House sergeant-at-arms for security officials to do a walk-through of the venue. The request seemed likely to set up another clash between Trump and Pelosi, days after Trump abruptly refused to let her use a U.S. military plane to go on an overseas trip hours before she was to depart. A House Democratic aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House had not responded to Pelosi’s letter requesting a delay in the speech. On Saturday, Trump proposed ending the government shutdown by fully funding the one-quarter of U.S. agencies that are affected. In return, he would get $5.7 billion toward building a southwestern border wall that Democrats oppose. Trump also is offering to restore temporary protections for the “Dreamer” immigrants who were brought illegally into the United States as minors. In 2017, Trump moved to end the Dreamers’ protections, triggering a court battle. Democrats promptly rejected Trump’s plan as insufficient, saying they would not trade a temporary restoration of the immigrants’ protections in return for a permanent border wall that they view as ineffective. Trump may have lost the Dreamer issue as his main negotiating point on Tuesday when the Supreme Court refused, at least during this term, to consider an administration appeal of lower court rulings allowing continued temporary protections for the immigrant youths. Instead, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program established by then-President Barack Obama in 2012 lives on with or without approval by Congress. Before the Supreme Court’s announcement, U.S. lawmakers were poised this week to take up competing remedies for ending the partial government shutdown, which has interrupted scores of vital federal services. House Democrats also had legislation that would end the partial shutdown of agencies including the departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor and Interior. While their legislation would contain new border security money, there would be nothing for a wall. Once the government reopens, Democrats said, they would negotiate with Trump on further border security ideas. “We were optimistic that he might be open up government so we could have this discussion,” Pelosi told reporters in comments carried by CNN. “But then we heard what the particulars were in it and it was a non-starter, unfortunately.” Rep. Jim Clyburn, the No. 3 House Democrat, welcomed any effort by the Republican-led Senate to debate and vote on legislation to reopen the government following that chamber’s monthlong abstention. “This gets us started,” Clyburn told MSNBC in an interview. There were no guarantees that votes by Congress this week actually would break the impasse, as Trump held firm on his $5.7 billion demand and Democrats said they would not talk about that until the government reopens. Many federal employees and contractors were turning to unemployment assistance, food banks and other support as the shutdown entered its second month. Others began seeking new jobs. U.S. airport security officer absences rose to a record high over the weekend with some airports experiencing longer wait times and a least one major East Coast airport closing one security checkpoint.

congress
state of the union
democrats
u.s. house
nancy pelosi
donald trump
dreamers
u.s. government shutdown


To avoid feared no-deal Brexit, Parliament may force May to ask EU to delay departure date

Abstract: LONDON - The U.K. Parliament is moving closer to a plan to delay Brexit in order to stop the country dropping out of the European Union with no deal and avoid the risk of an economically damaging divorce. The main opposition Labour Party is now increasingly likely to support a proposal to extend the March 29 exit day deadline, if Prime Minister Theresa May fails to negotiate a divorce agreement, said John McDonnell, the party’s chief finance spokesman. McDonnell described the proposal as a “sensible” way to avoid the upheaval of a disastrous no-deal Brexit. “I actually do believe that we are facing, with a no-deal, potentially quite catastrophic consequences for people’s living standards — that’s why we have said we’ve got to avoid it,” McDonnell told the BBC’s “Newsnight” TV program. “I think there’s a majority in Parliament for avoiding no deal.” If Labour does support the proposal — put forward by lawmakers including Yvette Cooper, a former minister — it is far more likely to win enough backing to be passed. That would force May’s hand and ensure she cannot take Britain out of the EU without a deal in nine weeks’ time. Brexit is at an impasse, with members of Parliament overwhelmingly opposed to the divorce agreement May has negotiated with the EU, and time running short for delivering an orderly separation. If Parliament refuses to endorse the exit terms, the U.K. will be on course to fall out of the EU with no agreement on March 29 — an outcome British authorities say could deliver as much as a 25 percent hit to the pound and a 30 percent hit to house prices, risking a recession. Last week, May’s deal was rejected in the biggest defeat suffered by a British government in the House of Commons in recent history. In the week since she lost the vote, May has tried — and so far failed — to reach a cross-party consensus on the way forward. The prime minister is pinning her hopes on persuading the EU to back down and make changes to the terms of the U.K.’s departure. With the prospect of any significant alterations to the deal seeming unlikely, members of the British Parliament are taking matters into their own hands. Labour’s Cooper has joined forces with senior politicians in May’s Conservative Party to put forward a plan that would potentially force the premier to seek to delay Brexit by applying to extend the EU exit procedure. With Labour’s official support, such a plan will have a good chance of success when it’s debated and voted on next week. The advantage of the Cooper plan for business would be in taking a potentially chaotic no-deal split off the table. For pro-Brexit politicians, however, removing the threat of a disorderly break-up will weaken Britain’s negotiating position. Some euroskeptics say they would prefer to leave the bloc without a deal than to accept the terms May has secured.

eu
u.k .
u.k. parliament
brexit
theresa may


Mike Pence to Venezuelan opposition: 'We are with you'

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence issued a rallying cry Tuesday to opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on the eve of planned protest marches. “As the good people of Venezuela make your voices heard tomorrow, on behalf of the American people, we say: estamos con ustedes. We are with you,” Pence tweeted. “We stand with you, and we will stay with you until Democracy is restored and you reclaim your birthright of Libertad.” The vocal U.S. support is sure to anger Maduro, whose hard-left government frequently accuses Washington of meddling in the oil-rich but economically devastated country. The opposition-controlled National Assembly — declared invalid by the pro-Maduro Supreme Court — has called for a day of protests on Wednesday. Tension is already high following what the government said was a failed rebellion by 27 soldiers on Monday.


Kurd-led forces overrun last IS-held village in Syria: monitor

Abstract: BEIRUT - Kurdish-led fighters overran the last village held by the Islamic State group in Syria on Wednesday, confining its once vast cross-border “caliphate” to two small hamlets, a war monitor said. It is the culmination of a broad offensive launched by the Syrian Democratic Forces last September with U.S.-led coalition support in which they have reduced the jihadis’ last enclave on the north bank of the Euphrates valley near the Iraqi border to a tiny rump. The capture of the village of Baghouz leaves the few remaining diehard IS fighters holed up in scattered farmhouses among the irrigated fields and orchards on the north bank of the Euphrates River. “Search operations are continuing in Baghouz to find any IS fighters who are still hiding,” the head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, said. “The SDF will now have to push on into the farmland around Baghouz.” The Observatory said late on Tuesday that around 4,900 people, mostly women and children but including 470 IS fighters, had fled the jihadis’ fast dwindling enclave in two days. Of those 3,500 surrendered to the advancing SDF on Tuesday alone. They were evacuated on dozens of trucks chartered by the SDF. The fall of Baghouz follows the SDF’s capture of the enclave’s sole town of Hajin and the villages of Al-Shaafa and Sousa in recent weeks. The new wave of departures means that nearly 27,000 people have left former IS areas since early December, including almost 1,800 jihadis who have surrendered, the Observatory said. The whereabouts of the ultra-elusive IS supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who has made just one public appearance — in Iraq’s then IS-held second city Mosul in 2014 — are unknown. The U.S.-led coalition declined to be drawn on when it expected its SDF allies to overrun the final sliver of territory still under IS control. It stressed the operation’s bigger goal was to minimize the continuing threat the jihadis could pose from underground. “It is difficult to say how much longer, despite the progress,” coalition spokesman Colonel Sean Ryan said. “We try to stay away from timelines as it is more about degrading the enemy’s capabilities. “We are seeing a lot of enemy fighters fleeing. The Syrian forces are less than 10 kilometers (six miles) from the Iraqi border but still fighting against a resistance of diehard fighters.” The remaining jihadis are well within artillery range of Iraqi forces stationed along the border, who are determined to prevent fugitive IS fighters from slipping across. On Saturday, Iraqi shelling and airstrikes on IS positions in an around Baghouz killed at least 20 jihadis, according to the Observatory. The coalition has stepped up its own airstrikes against IS since the jihadis killed four Americans and 15 other people in a suicide bombing on a restaurant in the flash point northern town of Manbij on Jan. 16. The U.S. losses were the biggest since Washington deployed troops in Syria in 2014 in support of the SDF. Previously it had reported just two combat losses in separate incidents. The Manbij bombing rekindled controversy triggered by President Donald Trump last month with his surprise announcement of a full withdrawal from Syria. The U.S. president justified the order with the assertion that the jihadis had now been “largely defeated” in Syria, a claim that the attack threw into renewed question. It is a far cry from the jihadis’ peak in 2014, when they overran large parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq, and IS proclaimed a “caliphate” in areas under their control. The gains have come at the cost of heavy losses for the mainly Kurdish fighters of the SDF and despite their sense of betrayal by their U.S. ally after Trump’s withdrawal announcement. Neighboring Turkey has threatened repeatedly to launch a cross-border operation to crush the Kurdish fighters of the SDF and the autonomous region they have set up in areas of northern and northeastern Syria under their control. Turkish troops had been held at bay by the intervention of U.S. troops who set up observation posts along the border and mounted joint patrols with Kurdish fighters. But with those troops gone, the Kurds fear they will be exposed to the full might of the Turkish military.

war
terrorism
syria
kurds
isis
islamic state group


In Davos address, Mike Pompeo hails 'disruption' in global politics as evidenced by Trump and Brexit

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday praised a wave of “disruption” in world politics, citing Donald Trump and Brexit but also pointing to elections in France and Malaysia. Addressing the world’s business elite in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, Pompeo renewed Trump’s criticism of international institutions and the U.S. president’s calls for “strong borders” to protect national sovereignty. “New winds are blowing across the world,” Pompeo told the World Economic Forum, speaking by video after the his trip was scuttled by the ongoing U.S. government shutdown. “I’d argue that this disruption is a positive development,” he said. Pompeo said that in recent years, “voters have tuned out politicians and political alliances that they thought were not representing their interests.” He cited Trump’s 2016 election and Britain’s referendum four months to leave the European Union — both of which stunned elites — as well as more recent election triumphs by Italy’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement and Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, who addressed Davos earlier on Tuesday. More surprisingly, Pompeo pointed to the 2017 election in France of President Emmanuel Macron — a political centrist who broke out of the party system but who recently has been beleaguered by protests from the Yellow Vest movement, which says he is out of touch with ordinary people’s economic anxieties. Pompeo also listed as an example of the world’s new directions last year’s electoral comeback of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad after corruption allegations against his predecessor. The 93-year-old Mahathir is known for his firebrand remarks on the West and recently cited Trump’s proposals to build a wall on the Mexican border in defending a ban on athletes from Israel. Pompeo, responding to a question in Davos, acknowledged that Trump’s criticism of international institutions has ruffled feathers, although he denied that the United States has become more isolated. “It is the case that sometimes leadership and asking hard questions drives others to be a little concerned. Perhaps they’re not quite ready to stare these problems in the face,” Pompeo said. “But we are — President Trump is. We know that these challenges must be confronted,” he said.

malaysia
davos
donald trump
brexit
mike pompeo
emmanuel macron


Divisive and vocal Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukrainian politics' longtime leading lady, is back

Abstract: KIEV - Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Ukrainian prime minister who Tuesday announced she would run for president, came to international prominence during the Orange Revolution popular protests of 2004. With her hair braided and wrapped over her head in a traditional peasant style, she became a recognizable face in the fight against voter fraud, corruption and a Kremlin-linked political elite. But after 15 years — three of which were spent as head of government and another three in jail — the current poll favorite remains a highly divisive figure. Since finishing as runner-up in the 2014 presidential race, the 58-year-old has largely spent her time criticizing leader Petro Poroshenko from the sidelines. Some fear she may have undisclosed ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who once called her the only person in Kiev he could work with. But Tymoshenko says she wants to force Russia to compensate Ukraine for the annexation of Crimea and the Kremlin-backed separatist uprising in the country’s east that has claimed more than 10,000 lives since 2014. ‘Gas queen’ Tymoshenko’s resolve and gift for oratory has won comparisons with the late British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. The leader of the nationalist Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party was raised by a single mother in the mostly-Russian speaking industrial city of Dnepropetrovsk, now Dnipro. She arrived on the national stage in the 1990s as head of a gas utility and became a deputy prime minister during the presidency of Leonid Kuchma at the turn of the millennium. She was fired from the post after the two had a public falling out — a theme that has repeated itself on several occasions during her political career. Tymoshenko was then also briefly imprisoned on gas smuggling charges that were later quashed. But the incident gained her the nickname of “gas queen.” She made her comeback during the Orange Revolution protests which led to the annulment of elections initially awarded to pro-Moscow Viktor Yanukovych. Revolution co-leader Viktor Yushchenko, whose face was disfigured by a poisoning while he was running against Yanukovych, won the election rerun and chose Tymoshenko as his prime minister. But both she and current leader Poroshenko lost their positions in the government within a year following rifts in the Cabinet. She was re-appointed as head of government at the end of 2007 and served until 2010. After suffering a narrow defeat in that year’s presidential election to Yanukovych — who by that time had himself made an unlikely comeback — she faced a string of criminal investigations. In 2011 she was handed a seven-year jail term for abuse of power that she and Western countries denounced as a case of selective justice. She was released on Feb. 22, 2014 — the very day a fresh wave of pro-Europe uprisings finally led to Yanukovych’s removal from power. Confined at the time to a wheelchair with chronic back pain she allegedly developed in prison but which some diplomats privately acknowledged may have been faked, she was whisked to the center of the Kiev protests. But the reaction on the main stage was much cooler than a decade earlier. The crowd of more than 50,000 — still shaken from the recent shooting of dozens of pro-Western unarmed teenagers by police snipers in Ukraine’s worst bloodbath since World War II — responded with jeers. Later in 2014, a high-profile attempt to act as a peacemaker in Kiev’s deadly confrontation with eastern Ukraine separatists backfired when rebels refused to receive her for talks. Shifting alliances Tymoshenko’s detractors see the woman who made a fortune in murky post-Soviet state privatizations as an unscrupulous opportunist who lacks any ideals and shifts alliances to suit the latest political winds. In 2016, Tymoshenko invited Nadiya Savchenko, a former combat pilot who spent around two years in a Russian prison and was then seen as a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, to join her political party. But Savchenko’s fortunes went into dramatic reverse and she was jailed for allegedly plotting a terrorist attack. Analysts accused Tymoshenko of using the pilot to further her own interests. As a fixture of the political scene for two decades, Tymoshenko might enjoy rare international recognition but enjoys no novelty value among Ukrainian voters. “Her best political product is criticism of the current government,” political analyst Mykola Davydyuk said. “Whether it’s meaningful or not, that’s what brings in the largest influx of electoral support.”

vladimir putin
russia
protests
elections
ukraine
yulia tymoshenko
petro poroshenko


Ship in deadly Black Sea blaze was turned away from Russia port over U.S. sanctions

Abstract: MOSCOW - Two ships ablaze in the Black Sea region, leaving at least 10 crew dead, caught fire while transferring fuel midsea after one vessel was barred from using its usual port in southern Russia due to U.S. sanctions risk, two sources told Reuters. The vessels, which caught fire on Monday, have the same names as two gas-transporting tankers, the Maestro and Venice, which were included on a U.S. sanctions advisory note last year for delivering fuel to Syria. The U.S. Treasury note, published in November, advised that any dealings with these or other vessels involved in transporting fuel to Syria could result in sanctions. The Maestro was subsequently barred from using Temryuk port in southern Russia by the owners of its only gas terminal, Maktren-Nafta, two industry sources said, where it had previously loaded liquefied petroleum gas of Russian and Kazakh origin for export to the Middle East. The Russian company Maktren-Nafta could not be reached for comment. Vessels can resort to ship-to-ship transfers of fuel — a risky maneuver especially if they are transferring flammable fuel — if they do not have access to a port for loading. Temryuk port did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters was unable to reach the owners of the vessels. Russia’s Transport Ministry said the two ships caught fire on Monday while loading gas ship-to-ship mid-sea, during stormy conditions. Russia permits loading of gas at just three locations in the region — all on-land ports — a source in the ministry said. “All ship-to-ship transfers, especially of such dangerous cargo, moreover during stormy weather and in the winter, raises big questions,” the source said. The ministry source said they did not know whether the tanker had been barred from the port, but added that doing so was within the rights of the owners of the gas loading terminal. Ten sailors out of a combined crew of 32 were confirmed dead by the ministry’s maritime unit on Tuesday. A further 10 remain missing, presumed dead, while 12 were rescued, it added. The crew was made up of 16 Turkish citizens and 15 from India, the ministry said. The ships are still on fire and no attempts are being made to put out the blaze due to rough sea conditions, a ministry spokesman said. Refinitiv data showed Milano Shipping as the owner of the Venice, and Maestro Shipping of the Maestro. The Venice was recently renamed as the Candy, one industry source said. But two traders, separate to the industry sources, told Reuters that both vessels were ultimately owned by one Turkish company, Milenyum Denizcilik Gemi. Milenyum was placed on the U.S. sanctions list in 2015 for arranging the shipment of liquefied petroleum gas and gasoil to Syrian government controlled areas. Phone numbers for Milenyum and Milano Shipping, listed online, were not answered. On Nov. 20, the U.S. Treasury Department added nine Russian and Iranian individuals and companies on its sanctions list for participating in the shipment of petroleum to Syria. It also issued an advisory note warning of the potential sanctions risk for any entities involved in such shipments which listed 35 ships, including the Maestro and Venice, as having delivered oil to Syria between 2016 and 2018. Reuters reported in December that both the Maestro and Venice continued operations after the U.S. announcement, and regularly entered Temryuk port, according to Refinitiv data. After the Reuters report, the Maestro was barred from using the port’s gas terminal by its owners, and thereby denied access to the port, the two industry sources said. But the Venice — now known as the Candy — continued to dock at Temryuk, Refinitiv data showed. “There’s every indication that some black scheme was going on,” one of the industry sources said. “Why else would (the Venice) load up with gas and then immediately transfer it onto another tanker?” the source said, adding that the Venice was likely to have been permitted access to the port as it had changed its name to the Candy since the U.S. sanctions note. Since the U.S. announcement, the Venice/Candy has traveled to near the Lebanese and Syrian coastline on three occasions, Refinitiv data showed on Tuesday, while the Maestro has made the same journey once. The data do not show at which port the vessels finally docked. They appear to turn around before reaching the coast. Vessels wishing to conceal their location have been known to switch off their transponders and “go dark. Though ships are allowed to switch off their signaling systems in certain circumstances, for example for reasons of security, such instances are relatively limited and rare, Richard Meade, managing editor of Lloyd’s List Intelligence in London said. “Both vessels weren’t showing up as live … despite being fairly close to land-based receivers,” Meade said. “This certainly would raise red flags in terms of anybody looking at the accident or criminal investigation.” The Maestro’s signaling system last reported its location on Saturday, when it was located off the coast of Turkey in the Black Sea, according to Refinitiv data. But on Monday, it was near the Kerch Strait, a body of water between Russian-annexed Crimea and southern Russia, which connects the Azov Sea to the Black Sea. There, it met the Venice, which had left Temryuk port on Sunday morning with a fresh cargo of liquefied petroleum gas, an industry source said. After attempting to transfer the highly flammable fuel, both ships were on fire.

russia
crimea
u.s. sanctions
marine accidents
ship fire
temryuk


Huge Afghanistan attack with massive death toll shows Taliban strength at outset of talks

Abstract: KABUL - The Taliban, carrying out one of the deadliest attacks of Afghanistan’s 17-year insurgency just hours before new peace talks began, has rammed home its message that it intends to reach any settlement from a position of strength on the battlefield. The attack, carried out with a captured military Humvee packed with explosives, killed several dozen soldiers, police and pro-government militiamen at a base in Maidan Wardak province, west of Kabul. The base had been run by the National Directorate for Security, the country’s main spy agency. “The Taliban are doing exactly what they want to do, and if it goes on like this then one day we will have Maidan Wardak province fall into the hands of Taliban,” said Mohammad Akbar Bakhtyari, the deputy chief of the provincial council. Just hours later, the Taliban confirmed that talks aimed at finding a peace deal had resumed with U.S. officials in Qatar, underlining the strategy adopted by the increasingly invigorated insurgents — an approach their American foes should understand. “The U.S. administration’s stated policy is to ‘fight and talk,’ so we shouldn’t be surprised that the Taliban are following the same strategy and conducting high-profile attacks to strengthen their position at the negotiating table,” said Andrew Wilder, vice president of the Asia program at the United States Institute of Peace. Afghan forces backed by U.S. airstrikes have been targeting Taliban commanders, but questions have been raised over the future of U.S. involvement after President Donald Trump was reported to want to bring home almost half of the 14,000 U.S. troops. Attacks like those on Monday make it harder for Afghanistan’s government to show that it can defend itself if the Americans pull out. The training provided to Afghan forces, the government’s intelligence-gathering and their assessment of the ground reality all need an overhaul, said a Western diplomat in Kabul. “The foreign forces provide the training, but it all comes down to coordination and effective leadership. That is clearly missing,” the diplomat said. It is a message being carried into the provinces with the bodies of the dead. Thirteen victims of Monday’s attack were sent to Laghman province in the east for burial on Tuesday. “If one of our sons is martyred, we send two more to serve the government, but unfortunately the government cannot defend its soldiers,” said Shah Wali, a relative of one of them, preparing for the final rites. After remaining tight-lipped over the casualty toll throughout Monday, the NDS on Tuesday said 36 people were killed and 58 injured in the attack. The figures were below those reported by other government and security sources. A senior defense source on Monday said 126 Afghan security force members were killed. Two senior security officials in Kabul on Tuesday morning said at least 72 men who were being trained by the intelligence agency were killed at the base and 38 were critically injured. And one local official said the death toll was at least 65. Video footage showed the collapsed base, which was used by the NDS to train local pro-government military members, nestled among snow-capped mountains, with its roof partially caved in. The government has stopped publishing casualty figures to prevent morale from being undermined among security forces suffering what U.S. commanders say are “unsustainable” casualties. Critics say the move is aimed at hiding reality. “When a soldier sees his comrades die in an incident and knows about the whole reality, but the government or his superior lie about it, that soldier loses the trust,” said Atiqullah Amarkhel, a former general who served in the Afghan Army between 1960 and 2009. The increasingly confident Taliban now control broad swaths of the countryside outside the main cities, asserting their authority by collecting taxes and running administrative services as government forces struggle to push them back. Last week, the insurgents claimed responsibility for a deadly car-bomb attack on a heavily fortified compound in Kabul housing staffers working for international organizations. Five people were killed, including an Indian national. “The government doesn’t have a precise security plan,” said Hassan Reza Yusofi, a provincial councilor in Ghazni province, next door to Maidan Wardak. The Taliban overran Ghazni’s regional capital for several days in August and still hold some districts. “We have said this many times: that if the situation goes on like this, then we are only going to lose more and more soldiers, and at this rate we will witness the fall of provinces faster than ever before.”

conflict
u.s .
terrorism
military
afghanistan
taliban


New U.S. intelligence strategy warns that Russia and China are seizing on global turmoil

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Russia and China are taking advantage of changes in the “strategic environment” that has prevailed for almost a century to gain influence and undermine American objectives, according to a new strategy document issued by U.S. intelligence agencies. The document, released Tuesday, says global trends such as the weakening of international institutions, attacks on Western democracy and isolationist tendencies within governments have emerged as major challenges. “Russian efforts to increase its influence and authority are likely to continue and may conflict with U.S. goals and priorities in multiple regions,” according to the strategy paper released by Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats. “Chinese military modernization and continued pursuit of economic and territorial predominance in the Pacific region and beyond remain a concern, though opportunities exist to work with Beijing on issues of mutual concern” including North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. While the concerns about Russia are at odds with President Donald Trump’s efforts to forge better relations with President Vladimir Putin, the worries about China are in sync with the president’s confrontation with President Xi Jinping over trade and intellectual property. An international race to dominate space and rapid advances in technology, including cyber weapons, also pose new challenges for the U.S., according to the 36-page document, which is issued every four years to drive U.S. intelligence collection and analysis. “The strategic environment is changing rapidly, and the United States faces an increasingly complex and uncertain world in which threats are becoming ever more diverse and interconnected,” the strategy states. The paper also recognizes challenges associated with climate change and resource scarcity, but does not elaborate on them. The reference to a weakened international order is a new element compared with the strategy issued in 2014. It comes amid political turmoil within the U.S. and allies, including moves by Trump to pull back from international obligations. “Traditional adversaries will continue attempts to gain and assert influence, taking advantage of changing conditions in the international environment — including the weakening of the post-WWII international order and dominance of Western democratic ideals, increasingly isolationist tendencies in the West, and shifts in the global economy,” according to the new document. Space, which wasn’t mentioned in the 2014 report, is recognized as a new frontier in the new paper. Trump has ordered creation of a space force and has called for additional funding to expand U.S. missile defense systems, including the possible use of space-based sensors and directed-energy weapons. “No longer a solely U.S. domain, the democratization of space poses significant challenges for the United States,” the new strategy states. “Russia and China will continue to pursue a full range of anti-satellite weapons as a means to reduce U.S. military effectiveness and overall security.”

china
u.s .
vladimir putin
russia
xi jinping
donald trump


Germany's Merkel and France's Macron seek to unite European defense industry as U.S. support wanes

Abstract: BERLIN/PARIS - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron are pushing for a more united defense industry, citing renewed ties between the two nations as a way to bolster the safety of the European Union in the face of flagging American support. At a signing of a Franco-German treaty in the western German city of Aachen, an extension of the landmark 56-year-old Elysee Treaty at the heart of bilateral relations, Merkel lauded closer ties between the two nations on defense and foreign policy. “We’re committing ourselves to a common military culture, a common defense industry, a common line on weapons exports,” Merkel said at the signing ceremony Tuesday. “With this, we both want to do our part to contribute toward a European army.” European leaders have sought to bolster their joint defense as U.S. President Donald Trump has taken an antagonistic stance toward the trans-Atlantic relationship and questioned the importance of multilateral organizations, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The formation of an EU army became a point of trans-Atlantic tension last year, when Trump attacked Macron for raising the issue. “The U.S. are our friends but we can’t always depend on them,” Macron said, adding that it wasn’t his intention to have one army replace two, but to tighten cooperation. “Strategic autonomy is about having enough soldiers and the right equipment and to make sure we aren’t dependent on others for this equipment.” In Aachen, both leaders celebrated the treaty, signed at the ancient seat of the Emperor Charlemagne, as a signal of European unity that defies a wave of populism and nationalism that has taken hold in the 28-member bloc. “Our common ambition must be that Europe shields our people from the tumults of the world,” Macron said. “Because we love Europe, we have decided to continue to build it with force and determination.” Merkel bemoaned an attack on multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, setbacks in the global fight against climate change and the U.K.’s exit from the EU. “We’re doing this because we’re living in special times, because in these times we need more decisive, unambiguous, clearer and future-oriented answers,” Merkel said.

europe
defense
nato
angela merkel
donald trump
emmanuel macron


Thailand will go to the polls on March 24 in first election since 2014 coup

Abstract: BANGKOK - Thailand’s king on Wednesday issued a royal decree endorsing the first general election since a 2014 coup, and officials said the long-delayed poll would take place on March 24. The election will be the first in the kingdom since the military toppled the administration of Yingluck Shinawatra, rewriting the constitution, muzzling all dissent and appointing key junta allies across the bureaucracy. “It’s a suitable time to hold an election of members of Parliament,” said the decree by 66-year-old King Maha Vajiralongkorn, published in the Royal Gazette on Wednesday and countersigned by junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha. Thailand’s history is pockmarked by coups, short-lived civilian governments and political crises. The decree is set to ignite campaign season in a country where colorful and boisterous political rallies have often tipped into deadly violence. The office of Prayuth, who is also prime minister, called for an “environment of orderliness, civility and unity” — although violence is unlikely among a public tired of political conflict. An array of new parties — including some aligned to the military, others to the still powerful Shinawatra clan — have already begun meetings and recruitment as a blizzard of names are tossed up as likely future prime ministers. Those include Prayuth, who has spent months touring the country as he rebrands himself from a gruff man-in-khaki to an civilian leader with a common touch. Yet he is deeply unpopular among many Thais, who have wearied of his hectoring style as well as a junta accused of running down the economy and doing little to address graft, poor education standards and the kingdom’s chasmic social inequality. Even if the junta’s rivals do well in elections, any new civilian government is expected to be hamstrung by the military-scripted constitution. It allows for a fully appointed upper house and embeds 20-year strategies governing everything from the economy to education. “You can call it hybrid democracy,” said Somjai Phagaphasvivat, a political analyst at Thammasat University. Thailand last held a successful election in 2011. That catapulted the then-political neophyte Yingluck, the younger sister of billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, into office as head of the Pheu Thai party. Questions remain over Pheu Thai’s enduring electoral pull among its vote banks in the poor, rural north and northeast without the star power of the brother-sister duo, both of whom are in self-exile. Long years of junta rule have decimated the networks of the Thaksin-affiliated Red Shirts, while scores of key Pheu Thai politicos have been co-opted into the army-linked Phalang Pracharat party. The Shinawatra clan sits at the core of Thailand’s political rupture. Their supporters say they are the first political dynasty to address the aspirations of Thailand’s poor in a sharply hierarchical kingdom where wealth is hoarded by the Bangkok business elite. To their enemies among the ultraroyalist, conservative elite, they toxified Thai politics and society with graft, nepotism and populist handouts. Thaksin, a policeman-turned-telecom billionaire, was toppled by a coup in 2006 and went into self-exile in 2008 over a graft conviction. Yingluck fled Thailand in August 2017 before she could be sentenced for criminal negligence linked to a rice subsidy scheme. The siblings have crept back to prominence in step with the approach of elections. Thaksin has launched a weekly podcast, sharing his views on everything from Bangkok’s pollution crisis to the global economy. “He still figures in Thailand as a popular hope,” Chris Baker, a Thai history expert said, despite the “extraordinary myth” of the billionaire businessman as a kindred spirit of the common man.

rights
thailand
elections
coups
prayuth chan-ocha


U.S. top envoy Pompeo expects 'good marker' with North Korea before next Trump-Kim summit

Abstract: DAVOS, SWITZERLAND - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday there remains “an awful lot of work to do” to achieve the denuclearization of North Korea but he anticipates further progress by the end of next month, when the U.S. and North Korean leaders are expected to meet for a second summit. Pompeo, addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos via satellite link, said he believed that by the end of February, “We’ll have another good marker along the way” with North Korea. “There remains an awful lot of work to do, but good things have happened already,” Pompeo said, referring to a freeze in North Korean nuclear and missile testing since 2017. The White House said last week President Donald Trump would hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in late February but the United States would also maintain economic sanctions on Pyongyang. The announcement came during a visit to Washington by Kim’s chief nuclear envoy, Kim Yong Chol. Despite upbeat U.S. comments, there has been no indication of any narrowing of differences over U.S. demands that North Korea abandon a nuclear weapons program that threatens the United States and over Pyongyang’s demands for the lifting of the punishing sanctions. Pompeo said last week’s talks brought “further progress” and was an opportunity for the U.S. special representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, to meet his “newly designated counterpart.” “They were able to discuss some of the complicated issues towards achieving what the two leaders laid out back last June in Singapore,” he said. Pompeo said there had been “a little bit more progress” in discussions last weekend in Stockholm, where Biegun met North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui. Washington has been keen to set up talks between Biegun and Choe but North Korea has resisted, apparently wanting to keep exchanges with the United States at high level. Pompeo said he saw an important role for the private sector in helping to develop North Korea “if we can make a substantial step towards achieving denuclearization and create the right conditions.” “We did have a good conversation about that,” Pompeo said. “There’s not much role for the private sector today, but if we’re successful … it’ll be the private sector that sits there, looming in the background.” Pompeo said he knew the North Koreans understand the need for a private sector, “whether that’s power for the people of the country, whether it’s to install the infrastructure that is so desperately needed.” “If we’re able to achieve that full denuclearization that I know the entire world wants, the private sector will be an important player in achieving the final elements of the agreement as well,” he said.

u.s .
north korea
diplomacy
north korea nuclear crisis
mike pompeo
kim-trump summit


Unable to rely on their children, China's aging elite live in community luxury

Abstract: BEIJING - At a gated community for senior citizens on the outskirts of Beijing, retired military personnel, film-makers and top university professors settle into a new routine: ballet lessons, weightlifting and catered dining. As China’s population ages rapidly, and with parents having only a single child to help them in their old age, the upper crust are spending their last years in community luxury. A grand piano backlit by floor-to-ceiling windows stands in the Yanyuan community’s clubhouse living room. Brightly colored artworks commissioned from Israeli artist David Gerstein adorn public spaces. “This is our home now,” said Li Ying, a 71-year-old resident who spent more than 30 years in the military. “Special circumstances notwithstanding, we are prepared to live here until the end.” Though high-end institutions like Yanyuan, which boasts an on-site hospital and on-call staff, are still few, they are part of a growing industry as the country races to develop enough elderly care support for its exploding population of senior citizens. By 2050, 1 in 3 people in China — 487 million people — will be over the age of 60, according to the official Xinhua news agency, more than the entire population of the United States. In the past, parents could count on their children for care in their twilight years under traditions of filial piety. But as China reckons with its one-child policy, which was aimed at curbing population growth, couples are now burdened with raising their own children while supporting both sets of parents — without the help of siblings. “The idea that children should take care of their aging parents is an old logic spanning thousands of years,” explained Li. “As society develops, this is changing.” To tackle the country’s looming aging crisis, the Chinese government is trialing a number of policies, including preferential tax policies for providers of elderly care services. The push to grow China’s elderly care capacity has encouraged more private companies, from real estate developers to insurance firms, to seize on business opportunities in the industry, such as nursing homes where residents enjoy five-star accommodations and professional medical support. At Yanyuan, which is run by the insurance giant Taikang, residents can either buy into the company’s 2 million yuan ($290,000) pension plan or make a down-payment of 1 million to 2 million yuan ($145,000 to $290,000) on top of monthly living expenses of at least 6,000 yuan ($870), not including the food budget. Publicly run nursing homes, on the other hand, can cost less than $1,000 a month or offer subsidies to residents but are often viewed as a last resort for China’s more destitute senior citizens. “Whether or not China’s elderly care industry can satisfy the needs of (China’s) rapidly aging populace depends on who is paying for it,” says Chen Youhua, a professor at Nanjing University who has studied China’s elderly care industry. If it is paid for privately, there could be an overabundance of facilities and beds, but “if it’s the government or society who pays … then the current elderly care services industry cannot satisfy such needs.” Some industry experts are wary that private firms will focus on providing lavish retirement villages for long-term residency rather than creating nursing homes for those who cannot take care of themselves. Vivian Lou, an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong who studies long-term care, suggested healthy 60-year-olds could enter such villages for seniors and remain there for 20 years, during which time no one else could take their spot. “This then becomes a housing solution,” she explained. Still, for residents at Yanyuan, socializing with peers — and simply not being alone — is one of the greatest benefits of staying in the retirement community. In the past, the entire family lived together, “joyous and harmonious,” said Ge Ming, who heads operations at Yanyuan. “But over the course of urbanization, the (family) structure has changed.” Young workers from all over China migrate from rural areas in search of higher wages and work opportunities — they are no longer home to care for their parents or grandparents. For China’s aging elite, many of whom already live in the major cities, their children may be living overseas or simply too busy building their own high-powered careers to look after relatives. “I can’t rely on them,” said Zhu Mingyi, an 82-year-old retired professor, who used to teach languages. His daughter lives in Beijing working for an international broadcaster, while his son is in Japan. He added: “They have their own careers and family. They don’t have the time, money, or energy to take care of you.”


Spa! magazine publishes apology for ranking colleges based on sexual availability of female students

Abstract: Weekly tabloid magazine Spa! issued an apology in its latest edition after a list it published in December — which ranked colleges based on the perceived sexual availability of their female students — received heavy criticism and led the publication to re-evaluate its editorial process. In its Dec. 25 edition, Spa! published a list of colleges with female students considered “sexually easy” according to Keiji Isogimi, the manager of matching site Lion Project. In an interview with Spa!, Isogimi went as far as to describe how to “coax” women and gauge their interest in sex based on their clothing and appearance. Criticism quickly erupted, with many calling the article sexist and disrespectful to women. An online petition demanding an apology gained more than 50,000 signatures. In its Jan. 29 edition, which went on sale Tuesday, the tabloid’s editorial department published a formal apology to the universities named in the list and the students attending them. It also apologized to women and readers who “were offended by the article, which lacked consideration for the dignity of women.” It ran an article saying that Kazuna Yamamoto, the organizer of the petition and a fourth-year student at International Christian University in Tokyo, had reached out to the tabloid and met with its editor, Takashi Inukai, and other members of the editorial department. The article said that in the meeting, Yamamoto expressed concern over the tabloid’s objectification of women and emphasized the importance of activities that advocate the significance of sexual consent. The editorial department will share the content of those discussions with the rest of its staff, the article said, adding that it will constantly check future articles on sexual issues from the perspective of sexual consent.

sex
women
universities
magazines
weeklies
spa !


Japanese researchers push to commercialize 'happiness hormone' nasal spray drug for autism

Abstract: HAMAMATSU, SHIZUOKA PREF. - A group of researchers in Japan is hoping to make available for use as a nasal spray a drug to improve symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. The group, led by Professor Hidenori Yamasue of Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, is conducting a clinical trial of the treatment that includes oxytocin, also known as the “happiness hormone.” The oxytocin spray is drawing attention from ASD patients and their families throughout Japan because an effective treatment has yet to be established for ASD, which is marked by issues relating to interpersonal communication, empathy and cooperation with others. ASD, which includes autism and Asperger’s syndrome, affects one in every 100 people, according to Yamasue. Symptoms generally appear between the ages of 2 and 3, but many people are not diagnosed until they reach adulthood. ASD affects more men than women. Based on this, Yamasue came up with a theory that oxytocin — a hormone that plays a role in womb contractions and the release of breast milk — may be linked to patients’ readiness to cooperate. During the trial, adult male subjects showed an improvement in their communicative ability after inhaling oxytocin through the nose. Part of the brain that controls emotional understanding grew more active after the inhalation. The number of people diagnosed with ASD is on the rise in Japan as public awareness of the disorder has increased. While the disorder has drawn wider public attention, an effective treatment remains elusive. “ASD patients, their families and all of society suffer heavy burdens,” Yamasue said, stressing his wish to develop a remedy as soon as possible. Last month, Yamasue won an award from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, or AMED, for young researchers who have made contributions to the medical field. The oxytocin spray, which is in a Phase 2 trial, is being tested at seven universities across the country. Yamasue said the group aims to put the treatment into practical use by 2023 after confirming its safety and effects.

medicine
autism
oxytocin
asperger 's
asd


Japan to consider sending GSDF officers to non-U.N. peacekeeping force on Egypt-Israel border

Abstract: The government said Tuesday it will consider sending Ground Self-Defense Force officers to the command of the Multinational Force and Observers, which operates in areas around the border between Egypt and Israel. If realized, this would mark the first dispatch of Japanese personnel for an international cooperation mission for peace and security abroad under the country’s national security legislation that entered into force in 2016. The MFO, a multinational force not under U.N. command, oversees the terms of the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. The government will make a final decision after conducting an on-site survey and examining whether the safety of personnel can be secured. According to the International Peace Cooperation Headquarters at the Cabinet Office, the MFO asked Japan to send personnel to its command. The government will study the possibility of dispatching a few GSDF officers, who would work to liaise for the MFO with Egypt and Israel.

israel
egypt
self defense forces
security laws
multinational force and observers


Abe makes no progress with Putin in talks on Russia-held islands and postwar peace treaty

Abstract: MOSCOW - The leaders of Russia and Japan acknowledged Tuesday that settling a decades-long dispute over four island disputes poses a daunting challenge, but vowed to continue negotiations. The Soviet Union seized Shikotan, Kunashiri and Etorofu and the Habomai islets, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, during the final days of World War II. Japan asserts territorial rights to the islands, and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty. After hosting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for several hours of talks in the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that they need to negotiate a solution to the dispute that would enjoy public support. “Delicate work is needed to create conditions for reaching a mutually acceptable solution,” Putin said. “A settlement that negotiators would propose must be acceptable to the people of Russia and Japan and supported by the public.” Abe said they instructed their foreign ministers to meet again on the sidelines of a security conference in Germany next month to continue negotiations on a possible deal. “It’s not easy to solve a problem left unsolved for more than 70 years after the war ended, but we must do that,” Japan’s prime minister said. Abe has held dozens of meetings with Putin in recent years in a bid to solve the dispute, and they agreed in November to accelerate negotiations based on a 1956 Soviet proposal to return two of the islands to Japan. Earlier this month, the Japanese leader voiced hope that this year would mark a breakthrough in talks and spoke about an imminent change of the islands’ status — remarks later reported to have irked the Kremlin. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned Japan last week that it must recognize all four islands as part of Russia as a starting point for talks — a demand that didn’t bode well for Abe’s hopes for a quick deal. On Sunday, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov noted that recent statements from Tokyo made the talks between the two presidents even more difficult. Speaking to the Interfax news agency before the talks, Abe emphasized that the signing of a peace treaty is needed to pave the way for closer cooperation between the two nations. He added that he intends to maintain intensive talks with Putin in order to reach a “mutually acceptable solution.” Japanese media reports have indicated that Tokyo is open to a deal for the transfer of two smaller islands to Japan. That would mark a radical departure from the Japanese demand for the return of all four islands, but the prospect still angered Russian nationalist circles. Several dozen demonstrators gathered outside the Japanese Embassy in Moscow to protest against the islands’ return. One of the protesters held a placard reading: “We didn’t vote for the sale of the islands.” Left-wing activist Sergei Udaltsov said Tuesday that 11 protesters were detained by police.

shinzo abe
vladimir putin
diplomacy
nothern territories


South Korea threatens 'strong action' in response to alleged buzzing of its naval vessels by Japan SDF planes

Abstract: SEOUL/TOKYO - The South Korean military on Wednesday accused Japan of clear provocations, alleging Japanese patrol planes deliberately flew at low altitudes recently near South Korean naval vessels, a claim immediately denied by Tokyo. Suh Wook, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s operational headquarters, said the South Korean military was forced to respond after a Japanese patrol plane flew around 60 to 70 meters above a naval vessel in the East China Sea at around 2 p.m. Wednesday, after similar low-altitude flights by Japanese aircraft on Friday and Tuesday. “We have clearly requested the Japanese government to stop this from happening again, but seeing the plane fly low again today, we cannot but take this as a clear provocation against a vessel of a friendly country,” the official said at a briefing. South Korea, therefore, “strongly condemns” such moves, Suh added. “If this is repeated, we will definitely take a strong action in line with our military’s code of conduct.” The South Korean Defense Ministry later summoned a Japanese defense attache in Seoul to lodge a protest. In Tokyo, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya dismissed South Korea’s claim as “inaccurate.” “We did not carry out a flight that could be taken as a threat and this has been conveyed to the South Korean side,” he told reporters. On the alleged flight Wednesday, Iwaya explained that the Self-Defense Forces plane maintained an altitude of at least 150 meters, countering South Korea’s claim that it flew much lower. Flying above 150 meters is in line with relevant domestic and international laws. A South Korean Defense Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said that when the aircraft approached the naval vessel on Wednesday, the plane was alerted several times and asked to change course. The alleged flight in the vicinity of Socotra Rock, a submerged reef claimed by South Korea, comes amid a dispute between the two countries over whether a South Korean Navy destroyer locked fire-control radar on a Japanese patrol aircraft in the Sea of Japan last month. South Korea has disputed Japan’s claim that it did, instead calling for an apology from Tokyo on the grounds that the plane flew menacingly close to the naval vessel in the Dec. 20 incident.

south korea
self defense forces
defense ministry
south korea-japan relations
takeshi iwaya


Historic deal on Russian-held islands looks no nearer after Abe and Putin's fruitless 25th meeting

Abstract: MOSCOW - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s attempt to quickly settle a decadeslong territorial dispute with Russia, and thus boost his political legacy, appears unlikely to bear fruit, with no substantive progress announced after his talks Tuesday in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders, who have now met 25 times, reaffirmed their determination to conclude a postwar peace treaty by settling the row over a group of Russian-held islands off Hokkaido, but they also admitted they have a tough road ahead. Itsuro Nakamura, a professor of Russian politics at the University of Tsukuba, said Putin has no intention of handing over any of the contested territory. “I believe Mr. Putin is merely dangling the territorial issue as an enticing carrot in front of Mr. Abe” to drive a wedge in the Japan-U.S. security alliance. Nakamura said Abe’s rush to achieve results by the end of his term of office in 2021 has put him in a disadvantageous position. Putin has no reason to move quickly to settle a dispute, which has been left unresolved so far for more than 70 years. At the Moscow summit, Abe and Putin confirmed their earlier agreement to speed up peace treaty talks based on a 1956 joint declaration that calls for the handover of two of the four disputed isles. The four islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, were seized by the Soviet Union following Japan’s surrender in World War II in 1945. Tokyo maintains that the islands were illegally occupied by Moscow, and seeks the eventual return of all four, but Russia has urged Japan to recognize that it gained sovereignty over them as a result of the war. Abe is pursuing a broad agreement with Putin in June, when the Russian president is expected to visit Japan for the Group of 20 summit in Osaka. Japan’s 64-year-old leader is desperate to leave a legacy beyond becoming in November Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, political pundits say. Moreover, a breakthrough in the peace treaty negotiations, along with a successful hosting of the upcoming G20 summit in late June, are seen as important for his Liberal Democratic Party to clinch victory in a House of Councillors election likely to be held later in the summer, observers say. Taking into consideration Russia’s hard-line stance, Abe is leaning toward accepting a peace treaty if the smaller two of the contested islands — Shikotan and the Habomai islet group — are handed over, sources in the Japanese government have said. The 1956 declaration states that Shikotan and Habomai would be transferred to Japan following the conclusion of a postwar peace treaty. But it does not mention the islands of Kunashiri and Etorofu, which together account for 93 percent of the total area of the disputed territory. As the Japanese government has not officially admitted to a shift in its strategy on the territorial row, Abe will need to explain the new policy to the public, since it would lead to giving up Tokyo’s sovereignty claims to the two larger islands. “There is zero chance for Mr. Putin to accept the return of Kunashiri and Etorofu,” a senior Japanese government official said, citing their strategic importance. Russian experts in Japan also raised doubts over Putin’s seriousness about transferring even a tiny part of the country.”I don’t understand why Mr. Abe believes Japan could get Habomai and Shikotan in exchange for abandoning claims to Etorofu and Kunashiri,” said Akihiro Iwashita, a professor of Russian foreign policy at Kyushu University. Iwashita said that as Shikotan is home to 3,000 Russian residents, it is unimaginable for Moscow to hand it over to Japan. In contrast, only border guard members are stationed on the Habomai islet group. Ahead of Tuesday’s summit, rallies were held against the return of the islands in Moscow and elsewhere, with one in the capital Sunday drawing hundreds of protesters. It is necessary for Putin to assess public opinion and deal with growing opposition to any handover of the islands. Nakamura at the University of Tsukuba also suggested that Putin is seeking to lure Abe to the negotiating table because he wants to undermine the Japan-U.S. security alliance, and scale back the U.S. military presence in Japan to reduce its threat to Russia. Putin has expressed concerns about possible deployment of American troops on the contested islands if they are transferred to Japan. Abe may be compelled to perform a delicate balancing act between Washington and Moscow if Putin asks him to do more to ease Russia’s concerns over the U.S. military presence, Nakamura added. How Japan will proceed in the negotiations with Russia has become a matter of concern beyond bilateral relations. Ryo Sahashi, a professor of international politics at Kanagawa University, said that the United States and European countries, which have imposed economic sanctions on Russia in the wake of its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region in 2014, are monitoring how close Japan becomes to Russia. If Tokyo is seen as drawing too near, Abe’s attempt to quickly settle the isle row could have a negative impact on the “united front against Russia,” as those countries believe Moscow has rattled the international order through the annexation of Crimea and other incidents, Sahashi said. “The international community expects Japan to be a champion of the international order. What runs counter to such an expectation could tarnish Japan’s public image,” he said.

shinzo abe
vladimir putin
russia
disputed islands
northern territories
hokkaido
russia-japan relations


Nursing skill tests for new visa expected to start in Vietnam and Philippines

Abstract: The government is considering holding the first skills tests for foreign nationals hoping to work in the Japan’s nursing sector under new visa categories in Vietnam and the Philippines, sources with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday. The sector is expected to attract the greatest number of workers from abroad under the so-called type one visa category, which will be granted to those with certain professional skills. The new visa category, slated to become available from April and covering 14 industries, is aimed at accepting more foreign workers in Japan amid serious labor shortages. Skills tests for three of the 14 sectors — the nursing, restaurant and hotel industries — are set to begin in April. Tests for the restaurant industry will be held in Japan and in Vietnam on a trial basis, the sources said. Tests for the hotel industry will take place in Japan. The government also hopes to launch tests for the sector abroad as soon as possible, the sources said. The government picked the countries as the test venues based on the nationalities of those who are working or have worked in Japan under the country’s existing technical trainee program, as well as requests from industry groups, according to the sources. Skills tests for the other 11 industries, including construction, will start in May or later. To obtain the type one visa, applicants are required to pass technical tests and have a certain level of Japanese language skills. Language proficiency tests newly created by the government will be conducted in a total of nine countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia. Ahead of the launch of the language tests, Japan will exchange documents with the governments of these countries stipulating measures to shut out rogue labor brokers. The nursing sector, which is expected to accept up to 60,000 workers over five years under the type one visa category, will conduct an independent language test to assess applicants’ understanding of technical and other specific language required for the profession. Some nursing personnel from Vietnam and the Philippines are already working here based on bilateral economic partnership agreements between Japan and the Southeast Asian countries.

vietnam
visas
foreign workers
the philippines
nursing


First-time, short-term visitors to Japan hit record 27 million in 2018, making up 98% of arrivals

Abstract: The number of new, short-term visitors to Japan hit a record high of 27.05 million last year, according to data showing arrivals from overseas by their visa status released by the Justice Ministry for the first time. New visitors staying for 90 days or less were the largest group of all arrivals and accounted for 98.1 percent of the total number, officials with the ministry’s Immigration Bureau Intelligence Center said, citing the report on migration trends released Wednesday. “We believe this (growing) trend will continue,” an intelligence center official said, pointing to a near 10 percent rise from the previous year in the number of first-time visitors. The officials said the trend has contributed to the increase in the total number of visitors, including repeat visitors, which numbered 30.1 million in 2018 — the highest figure since the ministry introduced its record system in 1989. The ministry’s figures differ from the Japan Tourism Agency figures on foreign visitors released earlier this month, as the ministry includes the number of foreign people with a permanent or longtime residency status returning to Japan, as well as spouses of Japanese nationals. A record 18.95 million Japanese nationals departed from Japan in 2018, up 6 percent from a year before, the ministry said. From April the nation expects to see an influx of foreign laborers since it enacted a law in December to let in foreign nationals with certain job skills, including blue-collar workers, under two new visa categories. Japan is expecting to accept up to 345,000 in the first five years. The ministry revealed that Japan accepted some 140,000 foreigners coming to the country for the first time under its technical trainee program in 2018, up 14.8 percent from a year before, while some 120,000 people came to study, up 0.8 percent. After the technical trainee system was revised in November 2017 to enable some organizations to let interns who completed the three-year program return for another one or two years, 5,712 people re-entered as technical trainees in 2018, the ministry said. In terms of the countries from which visitors originated, the largest number came from South Korea, followed by China and Taiwan. The number of Chinese visitors showed the largest year-on-year increase, of 23 percent, the report said. Visitors from Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore were among the top 10 nationalities among last year’s visitors. The officials said, however, that last year’s brutal summer — with earthquakes, torrential rains, heat waves and a typhoon — temporarily impacted travels to Japan between July and December. The ministry’s data showed that the number of visitors from South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan dropped during the period compared with the previous year. But tourism rebounded by the end of the year, officials said.

tourism
justice ministry
foreign trainees
foreign workers


Ministry corrects stats but admits many records lost in data scandal that left 20 million underpaid

Abstract: The labor ministry released on Wednesday corrected personal income statistics going back to 2012, after the discovery of sampling irregularities stretching back nearly 15 years that had resulted in benefits and compensation to some 20 million people going underpaid. After correcting the labor survey data for the years still held by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, monthly average cash earnings per person were raised by up to 1.2 percentage points. The ministry said records from 2004 to 2011 had been discarded because it was not required to keep them, but its own committee charged with probing the issue said that these should have been retained under laws relating to statistics and public record management. The unprecedentedly extensive data correction comes after the committee concluded Tuesday that a statistics section at the ministry had approved a manual allowing the use of irregular sampling methods for the monthly labor survey. The survey is a key indicator of the country’s employment and wage conditions. Dozens of officials, including some who had already retired, have been reprimanded. The ministry is required to survey all businesses in Japan with at least 500 employees but collected data from only a third of some 1,400 such companies in Tokyo since 2004, breaching the Statistics Act. All monthly earnings since 2012 were corrected upward by at least 0.2 percentage point. The largest correction was for June 2016, with average income amended to ¥436,518 ($3,980) from ¥431,262. The misconduct resulted in the underpayment of more than ¥50 billion in benefits to around 20.15 million people who were entitled to payments from unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation and sailors’ insurance. The government was forced to rework the state budget for fiscal 2019 from April to address the problem. The manual that documented the survey methods was updated every few years, and included phrases such as “accuracy (of data) can be ensured without surveying all businesses,” the ministry has said. Labor minister Takumi Nemoto has said that the phrases were removed in 2015. Nemoto and his two deputies will return pay dating back to their appointment in October, while the ministry’s top bureaucrat, Toshihiko Suzuki, has been given a formal reprimand for failing to prevent the scandal. The investigative committee found no definitive proof of a ministry-wide cover-up.


Two Israeli Tokyo residents arrested over bid to smuggle 220 kg of gold bars into Japan by airmail

Abstract: CHIBA - Police arrested Wednesday two Israeli men living in Tokyo for attempting to smuggle by airmail 220 kilograms of gold bars in 2017 — the largest haul ever seized in the country. They were also held for alleged violation of Japan’s Customs Act, for successfully smuggling by airmail an additional amount of about 200 kg of gold — worth some ¥924 million ($8.42 million) — hidden within auto parts from Hong Kong, on Nov. 3, 2017, and evading some ¥70 million in consumption tax. The police believe the men — Reuben Rosen, 58, an executive at a precious metals importer, and David Cohen, 55 — belong to a group suspected of similarly smuggling a total of some 4 tons of gold in 50 batches since March 2017, and selling it in Japan. Investigators believe the gold bars were bought by a third party in Hong Kong and that the two Tokyo residents received them. The 220 kilograms of bars, worth ¥1.02 billion, were found by customs officials at Narita airport, near Tokyo, on Nov. 6, 2017. Rosen has admitted to the allegations while Cohen has denied some of them, according to police. Following Japan’s consumption tax hike to 8 percent from 5 percent in 2014, the country has seen a rise in the number of gold smuggling cases aimed at evading the tax, which is applied to imports of the precious metal, according to the Finance Ministry.


Story of Iwao Hakamada, boxer who spent 48 years on death row, to become manga series

Abstract: The story of Iwao Hakamada, a former professional boxer and death-row inmate, 82, who continues to battle to clear his name over a 1966 quadruple murder, will be adapted into a manga series, supporters of the convict announced Wednesday. Hakamada was sentenced to hang in 1968 by the Shizuoka District Court, but was freed in March 2014 after nearly 48 years in prison on death row. Much of that time was spent awaiting his retrial, which has yet to be held. But a group of Hakamada’s supporters who believe the former boxer is innocent want to retell the events in his case in the form of a manga, to convey his side of the story to younger generations. To better portray the atmosphere and circumstances surrounding Hakamada’s arrest and his trial, the supporters are working with a manga artist from Shizuoka Prefecture. Shigemi Mori, 30, who shares Hakamada’s experience as a professional boxer, will create the series. In his younger years Mori lived in Shimizu, an area that is now part of the city of Shizuoka and is also where the 1966 murder occurred. “I want to tell people how sloppily the investigation was conducted and what Hakamada’s life has been like, in as understandable a way as possible,” Mori said Wednesday at a news conference in Tokyo. He said he learned about Hakamada’s case as a junior high school student and then-aspiring boxing apprentice, and started questioning the trial that put Hakamada behind bars. Mori said he believes Hakamada is innocent. Nonetheless, he also said that he is keen to not “coerce readers to accept the supporters’ opinions, and to convey what really happened around Hakamada.” The manga will be released in six episodes under the title “Split Decision,” with the first episode scheduled for publication on Feb. 15. Eight-page episodes will be published at jpbox.jp/hakamada2.html on the same day of every month. Those behind the project also plan to translate the series into English and make it available via YouTube to reach a global audience. “I like the title,” Hakamada’s elder sister Hideko said at the news conference. Conceived by Mori, the title is a winning criterion used in boxing matches in which two of three judges pick a different winner than the third judge. The title also reflects supporters’ criticism of the “unfair” decision in which Hakamada was sentenced to death by a 2:1 majority. The courts’ decisions were split over DNA tests on bloodstained clothing found near the murder victims. “I promised to do everything I can (to prove Iwao’s innocence) and I did,” Hideko said. She lamented, however, that her efforts to convey her plea have gone unheard. “It won’t help anything if I tell his story, so I want to convey it through manga,” Hideko said. Hakamada was a live-in employee at a soybean processing firm in Shizuoka when he was arrested in August 1966 for robbery and the murder of the firm’s senior managing director, his wife and two children. The police found their bodies with fatal stab wounds at their fire-damaged home. Hakamada initially confessed to the charges, but changed his plea at trial. The Shizuoka District Court found Hakamada guilty and sentenced him to death in 1968. The sentence was finalized by the Supreme Court in 1980. Hakamada and his family have long sought retrials, to no avail. But a new development came in 2014 when the district court accepted DNA test results undermining the prosecution’s claim that Hakamada’s blood had been detected on clothing found at the crime scene. The court noted that the evidence could have been fabricated by police. Then, last June, the Tokyo High Court overturned the lower court’s ruling granting the retrial, questioning the credibility of the DNA analysis method. Hakamada’s lawyers are planning to appeal that decision to the Supreme Court. Hakamada’s case has gained international attention as the former boxer remains the world’s longest-serving death row inmate. Japan’s capital punishment system has also been criticized internationally as inhumane. Hideaki Nakagawa, director of human rights advocacy group Amnesty International Japan, who was present at the news conference, believes the manga will and should spark debate regarding capital punishment among the public. As of January, 110 inmates were awaiting execution and 86 of them are seeking retrials, according to the Justice Ministry. “The Justice Ministry says the death penalty system reflects public opinion and enjoys support from the public, but it’s misleading,” he said. “Some people already protest against it … and (the manga) could be thought-provoking for others, too, and could impact public perception.”

courts
death penalty
boxing
iwao hakamada
false convictions


U.S. House Democrats announce sweeping investigation of drug pricing

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. House Democrats announced a sweeping investigation Monday of the pharmaceutical industry’s pricing practices, jockeying for the upper hand with the Trump administration on an issue that concerns Americans across the political spectrum. Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings said he’s sent letters to 12 major drugmakers seeking detailed information and documents about pricing practices for brand-name drugs to treat diseases including cancer, diabetes, kidney failure and nerve pain. Cummings, a Maryland Democrat, said he wants to find out why prices have increased so dramatically for some existing medications, as well as how drug companies determine the prices of newly introduced medicines. The committee is also seeking information on what the manufacturers do with revenue and what steps can be taken to reduce prescription drug costs. “Research and development efforts on groundbreaking medications have made immeasurable contributions to the health of Americans,” Cummings said. “But the ongoing escalation of prices by drug companies is unsustainable.” The committee, which has broad jurisdiction and subpoena power, is planning to hold hearings. The Trump administration has been pursuing its own plan to lower drug prices by approving more generic medications and trying to do away with industry practices that allow manufacturers, insurers and pharmacy benefit managers to profit at the consumer’s expense. But independent analysts have said the administration’s approach does not stop companies from charging high prices to begin with, particularly for brand-name medications with no generic competitors. Polls regularly show that high drug prices are a major concern for consumers, and that majorities favor government action regardless of political party identification. Last week, Cummings and other prominent liberals introduced legislation that would tie U.S. prices to what consumers pay in other economically advanced countries, where governments regulate prices. The Trump administration has been moving in the same general direction, with an experiment that would involve a limited set of medications: those administered in a doctor’s office. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America had no immediate response to Cummings’ announcement, but the trade group has previously said that price regulation would “wreak havoc” on the U.S. health care system by undermining the financial incentives for companies to undertake costly research in pursuit of breakthrough medications. The list of companies on the receiving end of Cummings’ demand reads like an industry who’s who. Included are Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Eli Lilly, the former employer of current U.S. health secretary Alex Azar. Among the drugs Cummings wants to find out about are Gleevec, a widely used cancer treatment from Novartis; Nexium, Pfizer’s gastric reflux medication; Humalog, a type of insulin from Eli Lilly; and Crestor, AstraZenaca’s cholesterol-lowering medication. A majority of U.S. adults take prescription medication, which in most cases are affordable generics. But the high cost of some brand-name drugs has alarmed consumers. A few years ago, the hepatitis C cure Sovaldi made headlines when it was selling for $1,000 a pill. Cancer treatments can cost tens of thousands of dollars a year. Patients are not covered by insurance for all costs, and sometimes doctors and insurers disagree about the best approach for treatment, adding to stress for families. The House Oversight committee has a track record of investigating issues of national significance under leadership from both parties. But it can also devolve into a forum of pursuing partisan agendas.


Nissan CEO calls for Renault board to review findings on Carlos Ghosn

Abstract: PARIS - Nissan expects alliance partner Renault’s board to back its ousting of Carlos Ghosn once it sees evidence from the Japanese carmaker’s investigation, Chief Executive Officer Hiroto Saikawa said in a newspaper interview published Monday. Nissan understands that findings it provided to Renault lawyers more than a month ago have still not been shared in full with the Renault board, Saikawa told France’s Les Echos. “All that I ask is that the directors of Renault should have access to the full dossier,” Saikawa said. “I think that once that’s the case, they will draw the same conclusions as we did.” Ghosn’s November arrest in Japan and dismissal by Nissan have deepened tensions with its French parent Renault, which has so far maintained Ghosn in office as chairman and CEO, citing the presumption of innocence. A spokesman for Renault, which has said judicial confidentiality requires tight restrictions on access to Nissan’s findings even by its own board members, did not return calls and messages seeking comment. Ghosn has been charged over allegations that he failed to disclose close to $80 million in additional compensation for 2010 to 2018 that he had arranged to be paid later. Nissan director Greg Kelly and the company itself have also been indicted. Both men deny that the deferred pay agreements were illegal or required disclosure, while former alliance boss Ghosn has denied a separate breach of trust charge over personal investment losses he temporarily transferred to Nissan in 2008. The French government, Renault’s biggest shareholder, will support the decision to keep Ghosn at its helm unless it becomes clear he will be “chronically incapacitated” by the Japanese investigation, officials said Monday. Saikawa extended an olive branch to Renault and its state shareholder, while also dismissing French speculation that the scandal had been engineered by Nissan to oust Ghosn and end Renault’s control. “It’s absurd and I don’t understand how anyone can believe such a scenario for a second,” he said. “Look at the evidence; it’s serious.” While the presumption of innocence must be observed in criminal matters, Saikawa added, the Nissan board’s unanimous decision to dismiss Ghosn was grounded in ethical considerations and “the facts brought to light. Renault owns 43.4 percent of Nissan, whose reciprocal 15 percent holding in the French carmaker carries no voting rights. Saikawa also appeared to soften his own earlier calls for changes to guarantee Nissan more autonomy and potentially restore its voting rights — which had rung alarm bells in Paris. While investors do want to see the alliance structure evolve, Saikawa said, “that is really not the current priority.” “The important thing today is to stabilize things and work together trustingly — not to know whether Nissan should have voting rights in Renault,” he added in the interview.

nissan
renault
carlos ghosn
hiroto saikawa


Ford and Volkswagen call off joint Detroit appearance, delaying expected EV and self-driving alliance

Abstract: DETROIT - The Detroit auto show was abuzz over what Ford and Volkswagen would announce Tuesday, after the car giants called off a joint appearance during which they were widely expected to announce an alliance. The two car giants have been in discussions for more than six months over a partnership to develop self-driving and electric technologies. But a source close to the talks said that they had so far only produced a deal over commercial vehicles. A highly anticipated announcement at America’s premiere auto show in the Motor City was called off late Monday, and the two sides planned a conference call with reporters instead for the following morning. “We don’t have enough details yet to go out in front of more than 500 journalists, so we decided to call it off,” Ford spokesman Mark Truby said. Earlier in the day, Ford Chairman Bill Ford had told reporters that discussions were going well but that they would have “more to say later this week.” Both Ford and Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess appeared optimistic about a potential partnership. “Volkswagen is a really big car company worldwide … but we are not as big in small commercial vehicles,” Diess told the Detroit Free Press newspaper. “So we decided to join forces there. And we will become very, very competitive together in this segment — which consists of small commercial vans and small and midsize pickup trucks.” Aside from the abrupt cancellation by Ford and VW, the show began as scripted, with SUVs, trucks and sports cars center stage, with extra showmanship to pump up the excitement despite fewer carmakers and more uncertainty this year. Automakers have all but abandoned compact cars and sedans, an ever-shrinking portion of the North American market, as evidenced by what models were on display. Trucks, SUVs and high-performance vehicles dominated the new debuts. Volkswagen was among the few exceptions with a new Passat sedan. For the first time, Ford publicly displayed a redesigned Explorer SUV, including a hybrid version, which first debuted in Detroit on Friday. Fiat Chrysler unveiled redesigns of larger models of its popular Ram truck. For those looking for an alternative, carmakers were emphasizing sporty cars and nostalgic pasts — largely eschewing the traditional sedan in favor of flashier options. With a flair of showmanship that included virtual-reality goggles and a sports car levitating down from the ceiling, Ford revealed a high-powered version of the Mustang called the Shelby GT500, which boasts more than 700 horsepower. A practically jubilant Akio Toyoda introduced a refresh of his beloved sports car Supra, which Toyota stopped producing 17 years ago. Toyoda trotted out Spanish race car driver Fernando Alonso to attest to the car’s racing authenticity with an everyman appeal. “It’s like a race car you can drive quite comfortably every day,” Alonso said during a scripted presentation. Aside from VW, German carmakers abandoned the Detroit show this year, amid competition from events in New York Miami and Las Vegas where increasingly tech-centered car announcements were presented. Hoping to revitalize the show, organizers were holding the event for the last time in January and will move to June next year to allow for outdoor activities such as test drives. For the industry at large, the hope was that bigger and more profitable SUVs and trucks would help weather economic storms — whether from tariffs or fewer consumers buying cars due to rising prices, higher interest rates or a lagging world economy. Analysts predicted slowing sales in 2019, following a decade of growth. The Detroit show was also clouded by uncertainty in U.S. trade policy. Beijing and Washington remained locked in a trade war that could escalate as soon as next month, when the Commerce Department is expected to deliver a report on possible new auto tariffs. Analysts predict rapid contraction in the auto industry should more tariffs take effect. “Tariffs would be devastating to the entire industry,” said Robert Carter, chief of Toyota’s North American sales, adding that vehicle prices would increase and suppress sales. “Not only would it affect the Toyota brand, it’s going to affect every brand in the industry, every car in the industry.” The president of Chinese automaker GAC, Yu Jun, said the ongoing trade war had delayed the company’s entry into the U.S. market from 2019 to the first half of 2020. “We have postponed our plans due to the recent development on trade. We’re making steady progress towards it,” Yu said, according to a company interpreter.

carmakers
detroit
ford
volkswagen
detroit auto show


Maduro offers few fresh ideas as Venezuela's economy circles the drain amid seven-digit inflation

Abstract: CARACAS - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro kicked off his new term with a state-of-the-nation speech on Monday but offered little in the way of fresh proposals to help the increasingly isolated country escape hyperinflationary collapse or a further downward spiral in 2019. The former bus driver began a second term last week under an avalanche of criticism that his leadership is illegitimate following a disputed 2018 election, with countries around the world disavowing his government. After promising ambitious economic measures ahead of Monday’s speech, Maduro’s proposals included a 300 percent minimum wage hike, dialogue with business leaders, and increased use of an nonexistent state-backed cryptocurrency. That would make little difference to Venezuela’s dire situation, economists and analysts said. “It’s a sort of deja vu. There is nothing there that allows one to think that Venezuela will exit the deep crisis it’s experiencing,” said Asdrubal Oliveros, director of Caracas-based consultancy Ecoanalitica, on Twitter. Economists had had low expectations for the speech, given Maduro has repeatedly balked at making significant changes. The socialist government, they say, funds wage hikes by increasing the country’s monetary supply, causing inflation to accelerate and negating any benefit an increase in the minimum wage could bring for Venezuelans. The new minimum wage of 18,000 bolivars per month — around $6.70 — is enough to buy a few basic products, such as a carton of eggs and a kilo of beef. But annual inflation of almost 2 million percent strips away purchasing power within days. On Monday, Maduro told the all-powerful pro-government Constituent Assembly legislature that his second term would herald a new boom in Venezuela. He said it was a lie that he was the enemy of private enterprise and invited businesses to “accompany me” for the next six years. “Let no one doubt it, we are triumphing, we will go on, in a Venezuela that is great, prosperous, and socialist,” Maduro said as assembly members chanted, “That’s how one governs.” Maduro, who first took power in 2013, has faced growing international sanctions since winning re-election last May in a vote widely considered fraudulent. This has cut Venezuela off from foreign financing and left his government with few friends abroad. Critics in the United States and Latin America, as well as political opponents at home, have called Maduro a dictator whose failed state-led policies have caused Venezuela’s worst ever economic crisis. Maduro counters that he is a victim of a U.S.-led “economic war” aimed at ousting him from power. The size of the economy has halved during five years of recession and widespread shortages of food and medicine have spurred an estimated 3 million Venezuelans to emigrate since 2015. In August, Maduro’s government introduced several economic measures to try to tackle the crisis, devaluing the bolivar currency and lifting the minimum wage and taxes. But economists said the measures were too limited to have a significant impact. Last week, the leader of the country’s opposition-led Congress, Juan Guaido, said he was willing to replace Maduro with the support of the military. Several government officials have said Guaido should be arrested for treason and on Sunday he was briefly detained by intelligence agents. During his speech on Monday, Maduro also railed against Brazil’s new right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, calling him a “Hitler of the modern era.”

inflation
venezuela
economy
nicolas maduro
wages


Japanese workforce projected to be 20% smaller by 2040

Abstract: The workforce in 2040 is projected to be 20 percent smaller than in 2017 due to overall population decline if the economy sees no growth and women and the elderly continue to have difficulty landing jobs, according to government study released Tuesday. A study group of the labor ministry, releasing the first official projection for the size of Japan’s workforce in 2040, called for additional policies to boost employment and promotion of artificial intelligence as measures to sustain productivity. The study did not take into consideration the expansion of the foreign workforce in 14 fields, including construction and nursing care, from April this year. The panel on employment policies set up by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry estimated that the number of workers in Japan will stand at 60.82 million in 2025 and 52.45 million in 2040, down from 65.3 million in 2017. The number of male workers in 2040 will fall by 7.11 million from 2017, while that of females will decrease by 5.75 million. By industry, the wholesale and retail sector will be hit the hardest, with the workforce expected to drop by 2.87 million between 2017 and 2040, followed by mining and construction with a 2.21 million fall, and manufacturing, down by 2.06 million. The group said an increase is foreseen only in the medical and welfare sector, where the workforce in 2040 is estimated to rise by 1.03 million, reflecting the country’s aging society. However, if policies to promote the employment of women and the elderly bear fruit to some extent, the total number of workers in 2025 will be 63.43 million, down 1.87 million from 2017, and 56.44 million in 2040, down 8.86 million. Recent data released by the ministry shows that Japan saw a natural population decline of 448,000 in 2018, the largest ever, due to the falling birthrate. As for the entry of additional foreign workers under a new initiative to help tackle serious labor shortages, the group called for support measures such as more Japanese-language programs. The government has said it expects to accept up to 345,150 foreign workers over a five-year period starting this April, including 60,000 in nursing care.


Tokyo stocks rise on futures-led buying, closing above 20,500

Abstract: Stocks continued to rise Tuesday, buoyed by futures-led buying. The Nikkei 225 rose 195.59 points, or 0.96 percent, to end at 20,555.29, the first finish above 20,500 since Dec. 19. On Friday, the key market gauge gained 195.90 points. The market was closed Monday for a national holiday. The Topix, which covers all first-section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, closed 12.99 points, or 0.85 percent, higher at 1,542.72. It climbed 7.72 points Friday. After a sluggish opening traced to Wall Street’s slump Monday, the Tokyo market quickly wiped out the losses and returned to the sunny side thanks to buying on dips, market sources said. The market accelerated its upswing later, helped by futures-led purchases, according to the sources. Masahiro Ichikawa, senior strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management Co., expressed his belief that export-oriented issues attracted buying owing to the yen’s weakening against the dollar. Ryuta Otsuka, strategist at the investment information department of Toyo Securities Co., attributed Tuesday’s strength to buybacks prompted by solid performances of Chinese equities. The market’s topside was limited, however, ahead of the release later this month of earnings reports by major Japanese companies, Otsuka noted. “Basically, a wait-and-see mood prevailed (in the market)” before a vote to be held later on Tuesday by Britain’s parliament on the agreement the country has negotiated with the European Union on its exit from the EU, or Brexit, said Chihiro Ota, general manager for investment research and investor services at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. Rising issues outnumbered falling ones 1,479 to 577 in the first section, while 72 issues were unchanged. Volume edged up to 1.345 billion shares from 1.295 billion Friday. Online brokerage house Monex Group ended 3.38 percent higher after the Financial Services Agency officially registered Coincheck, a subsidiary, as a cryptocurrency exchange operator under the payment services law Friday. Drugstore chain operator Cosmos Pharmaceutical was also buoyant after announcing Friday that its operating profit for the six months through November grew 19.8 percent from a year before to ¥12.327 billion. Other major winners included semiconductor-related Tokyo Electron and industrial robot producer Fanuc. By contrast, clothing store chain Fast Retailing, beer brewer Asahi Group and daily goods manufacturer Kao met with selling.

stocks
nikkei
tokyo stock exchange
topix