Venezuela's power-stripped congress names new leader, vows to battle Maduro

Abstract: CARACAS - Venezuela’s opposition-controlled congress opened its first session of the year Saturday, installing a fresh-faced leader who struck a defiant tone and vowed to take up the battle against socialist President Nicolas Maduro. Juan Guaido, 35, assumes the presidency of a National Assembly stripped of power by Maduro, whose government is blamed for leading the once-wealthy oil nation into a historic political and humanitarian crisis. Speaking to legislators, Guaido named off several opposition politicians and opponents of Maduro’s government who have been jailed, driven into exile or killed. He said desperation has forced masses of citizens to flee abroad looking for work. “We are under an oppressive system,” he said. “It’s not just that — it is miserable.” Tall and youthful, Guaido represents the next generation of Venezuelan political opposition, taking up the assembly’s leadership following 74-year-old Omar Barboza. Guaido is an industrial engineer and former student leader from the same political party as Leopoldo Lopez, Venezuela’s most popular opposition leader under house arrest. Government opponents consider him a political prisoner. Guaido called Maduro a dictator whose legitimacy has run out. Venezuela is living a “dark but transitional” moment of its history, he said, adding that among its first acts congress will create a transitional body to restore constitutional order, but he offered no details. He addressed a hall filled only with opposition lawmakers as the government loyalists have long boycotted any sessions, saying the National Assembly has itself overstepped its authority. However, roughly 20 foreign diplomats from the United States, Canada, Japan, Italy and Germany attended the assembly’s inaugural session in a show of solidarity. “The National Assembly should inspire hope in the Venezuelan people for a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic future, even as the corrupt and authoritarian Maduro regime and its allies seek to deny Venezuelans that right,” the State Department said in a statement. It added: “Every nation must take strong action to help the Venezuelan people reclaim their democracy.” The assembly opened days before Maduro’s inauguration to a second, six-year term widely condemned as illegitimate after he declared victory in the May 20 election that many foreign powers considered a sham. Venezuela’s socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello said Saturday that Maduro will be sworn in on Jan. 10 before the Supreme Court, which is stacked with government loyalists. This defies the constitution that requires a president take the oath before the National Assembly. As international pressure mounts, a dozen Latin American countries and Canada on Friday urged Maduro to cede power and hand it over to congress until a valid president is elected. Venezuelan officials accuse the coalition of taking orders directly from U.S. President Donald Trump, who they frequently accuse of spearheading an economic war against Venezuela. “Those of us here are fighting every day to restore democracy,” Guaido said. “We want the protection of the rule of law. We want the Venezuelans to be protected, because we believe in life.”

u.s .
congress
venezuela
nicolas maduro
japan
juan guaido


Shocks to watch out for should a no-deal Brexit go down

Abstract: LONDON - Will Britons end up stranded at Heathrow? Will U.K. shops run out of Swiss cheese and French wine? The possibility of Britain breaking off from its main trading partner without any arrangements in place is growing as the March 29 exit date nears. MPs return from their winter breaks Monday with little having changed since Prime Minister Theresa May aborted a December vote on a draft agreement she reached with Brussels because its defeat was certain. The truth is no one really knows what would happen in case of a “no-deal Brexit” because Britain is the first to leave the bloc. But here are some things London is telling its citizens to brace for in the first days of a worst-case scenario. Rip-off roaming Phone addicts could be out of luck. Free roaming would no longer apply and U.K. mobile phone operators can start charging extra for subscribers who pop off to “the Continent.” London is also urging people in Northern Ireland to watch out for “inadvertent roaming” when straying too close to the EU border with Ireland. Grounded at Heathrow Heathrow and other big airports can be a nightmare at the best of times. But planes getting grounded when Brexit strikes at 23:00 GMT on March 29 because airlines have lost their licenses would create chaos that ripples across the world. London and Brussels are making contingency plans that will allow U.K. carriers to continue flying to EU countries even if the draft withdrawal agreement is never approved. But these are bare-bones arrangements that do not allow British airlines to conduct intra-EU flights. Forms, forms, forms Britons could need to start signing their name. A lot. Thousands of companies in Britain that do business with Europe would have to fill out reams of customs and duties declarations. British tourists to the EU who want to rent a car may need to get international driving permits because their U.K. licenses become invalid. And even pets might need to jump through new administrative hoops that require them to have new passports. People might want to check theirs as well. Those that expire within six months of travel might need to be renewed in advance. Drug dilemma Things turn more serious for those who rely on medication. Officials are talking to drug companies about creating a six-week “buffer stock” on top of the three months they already have in place. This should help cover any short-term disruptions at the border. Britain will also waive the need for EU firms to re-test their drugs under new rules. Shoppers beware That one-click purchase at an online store might start looking slightly less tempting post-Brexit. The British government says “increased costs and slower processing times” for payments made in euros are a possibility. Parcel deliveries could also get more expensive because waivers for certain import and sales taxes would expire. Flicks and tunes Catching up on the latest Netflix releases while coasting on a high-speed Eurostar train may become harder. Britons could theoretically lose access to streaming services while abroad — everything from Spotify to Amazon Prime — because the U.K. would no longer be in Europe’s “digital single market.” And the Eurostar service itself might be in trouble because old licenses of U.K. train operators in Europe will be invalid. Pork pies Britons are proud of their Stilton cheese and Scotch whisky. But the status of everything from Cornish pasties to Melton Mowbray pork pies will be up in the air because they will lose their “geographical indication” status in Europe. The nations 86 G.I.-protected products make up a quarter of all its food and drink exports. Surprises A host of other industries and products could also be affected. Britain will have to come up with its own warning stickers for packs of cigarettes because the current ones are protected by the EU image library. Imported sperm donations could face delays or stoppages. Caviar supplies might start running out because Britain will not be able to trade in goods covered by European endangered species rules. Also facing possible disruption: breeders of pedigree British horses and sheep.


WikiLeaks tells reporters 140 'false and defamatory' things not to say about Julian Assange

Abstract: LONDON - WikiLeaks on Sunday advised journalists not to report 140 different “false and defamatory” statements about its founder Julian Assange, who has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since June 2012. It was not immediately clear what prompted the advice to media organizations, but WikiLeaks singled out Britain’s Guardian newspaper for publishing what it said was a false report about Assange. The Guardian did not immediately respond late on Sunday to a Reuters request for comment. The Australian set up WikiLeaks as a channel for publishing confidential information from anonymous sources. He is a hero to some for exposing what supporters cast as government abuse of power and for championing free speech, but to others he is a rebel who has undermined the security of the United States. WikiLeaks angered Washington by publishing hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables that laid bare often highly critical U.S. appraisals of world leaders from Russian President Vladimir Putin to members of the Saudi royal family. “There is a pervasive climate of inaccurate claims about WikiLeaks and Julian Assange, including purposeful fabrications planted in large and otherwise ‘reputable’ media outlets,” Wikileaks said an email sent to media organizations and marked “Confidential legal communication. Not for publication. “Consequently journalists and publishers have a clear responsibility to carefully fact-check from primary sources and to consult the following list to ensure they are not spreading, and have not spread, defamatory falsehoods about WikiLeaks or Julian Assange.” WikiLeaks did not respond to repeated requests for comment. The 5,000-word email included 140 statements that WikiLeaks said were false and defamatory, such as the assertion that Assange had ever been an “agent or officer of any intelligence service. WikiLeaks also said it was false and defamatory to suggest that Assange, 47, had ever been employed by the Russian government or that he is, or has ever been, close to the Russian state, the Kremlin or Putin. Other items listed as false and defamatory included more personal claims, including that Assange bleaches his hair, that he is a hacker, that he has ever neglected an animal or that he has poor personal hygiene. Assange made international headlines in early 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters that killed a dozen people in Baghdad, including two Reuters news staff. Later that year, the group released over 90,000 secret documents detailing the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan, followed by almost 400,000 internal U.S. military reports detailing operations in Iraq. More than 250,000 classified cables from U.S. embassies followed, then almost 3 million dating back to 1973.

u.s .
vladimir putin
russia
wikileaks
the guardian
fake news
junial assange


Trump and Kim Jong Un likely to choose Hanoi for second summit, report says

Abstract: SEOUL - U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could meet in Vietnam’s capital for their second summit on Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions, the South Korean newspaper Munhwa Ilbo said. Denuclearization talks have sputtered since Trump and Kim held an unprecedented June meeting in Singapore, with Washington and Pyongyang each calling on the other to take action. A second summit could address concerns to global security after Kim piled pressure on Trump by threatening in his annual New Year’s address to take a “new path,” if the U.S. didn’t relax economic sanctions. U.S. officials have met their North Korean counterparts in Hanoi for discussions to adjust scheduling for the talks, the newspaper said, citing high-level diplomatic sources in Seoul and Washington it did not identify. Government officials haven’t commented on the report. Such a summit would be certain to grab global attention and help boost the profile of the host nation. But it also presents enormous security challenges for Trump, the leader of the world’s biggest economy, and Kim, head of arguably one of the world’s most paranoid states. Vietnam is a long-standing ally of Pyongyang that has good relations with Washington. Speculation about the country’s prospects as a summit site grew following North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho’s visit there from Nov. 29-Dec. 2. The South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo previously reported that Mark Lambert, a senior U.S. State Department official handling North Korea issues, visited Vietnam in December. It was unclear whether he was in Vietnam at the same time as North Korea’s foreign minister. Hanoi — about a four-hour direct flight from Pyongyang and in airspace over countries friendly to North Korea — boasts several top-class hotels. Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party also has the security apparatus to squelch protests and keep curious onlookers far away from Trump and Kim. Trump has previously said he plans to hold a second meeting with Kim as early as this month, although a date and location have not yet been announced. Other places floated as hosts include Singapore, Mongolia and Switzerland.

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


Australian senator used taxpayer cash to attend far-right rally

Abstract: SYDNEY - An Australian senator faced criticism from across the political spectrum and possible censure Monday after it emerged that he used taxpayer cash to fly business class to a far-right rally. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and opposition leader Bill Shorten both condemned Sen. Fraser Anning’s participation in the rally in the southern city of Melbourne on Saturday, a rare show of political unity. Morrison accused the independent politician — who often votes with the prime minister’s Liberal coalition government — of “associating himself with extreme and offensive racist views.” “He is a repeat offender on these issues,” Morrison said. Anning once called for a “final solution” to Australian immigration. An anti-immigration rally at St. Kilda Beach in Melbourne drew hundreds of demonstrators — some of whom made Nazi salutes — and counter-demonstrators. Anning initially defended the rally as the “start of something bigger” but was forced to later defend his attendance. Claiming he was 100 meters away from the neo-Nazi elements, Anning said he attended the rally — on the other side of Australia — in the interests of his constituents. He denied the rally was racist, telling the Nine Network that: “There were decent Australian people who demonstrated their dislike for what the Australian government has done which has allowed these people to come into this country.” Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek called on Anning to pay back the cash. “I think the vast majority of Australians would be disgusted to think their taxes are paying for an Australian senator to attend an event which seeks to divide, not unite, our country,” Plibersek said. Immigration is a hot button issue in Australia. Nearly half of the country’s 25 million population was either born overseas or has at least one parent born abroad. Morrison’s government has taken a hard line on immigration policy, defending the use of controversial offshore detention centers. He has come under pressure for not immediately denouncing Anning’s attendance at the rally. “Genuine concerns held by fair-minded Australians about immigration levels, border protection or law and order should not be used as a cover or be hijacked to push hateful and ugly racist agendas,” Morrison said. “I’ll always be prepared to call out extremism in all its forms.”


Taiwan's China-skeptic ruling party opts for moderate new leader

Abstract: TAIPEI - Taiwan’s ruling party elected a new chairman on Sunday, choosing a moderate to replace the post vacated by President Tsai Ing-wen after a recent electoral mauling, in a vote closely watched by China and the United States. Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won a 2016 landslide poll, sweeping away a government that had built much closer ties to China over the previous decade. The result rattled Beijing because Tsai refuses to acknowledge that the self-ruled island is part of “one China. Beijing cut communication with her administration, stepped up military drills, poached several of Taiwan’s dwindling diplomatic allies and started economically pressuring the island. But in November, Tsai’s DPP suffered a string of defeats in local elections, fueled by a backlash over her domestic reforms and deteriorating economic ties with China, Taiwan’s largest market. Tsai resigned the party chairmanship but stayed on as president, staying above the fray in the vote to replace her. On Sunday evening the DPP announced it had chosen Cho Jung-tai, a moderate consensus candidate backed by major party figures. He comfortably defeated a bid from an openly pro-independence rival who had called for Tsai not to stand again in next year’s presidential election. J. Michael Cole, a Taipei-based expert with the University of Nottingham’s China Policy Institute, said the vote bolstered Tsai’s chances of standing for a second term. “Party members voted for continuity,” he told AFP, adding that other countries “will also be reassured.” “It certainly makes it much more likely that she will be on the ticket for re-election.” China still sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides being ruled separately since they split in 1949 after a civil war. While Beijing has reacted frostily to Tsai, she is from a much more moderate wing within her party that favors talks. Tsai is squeezed between China and more radical members of her own party who favor pushing for independence — something Taiwan has never formally declared. Cho’s victory saw off a challenge from You Ying-lung, a polling expert deeply critical of Tsai. He supported a recent call by four party heavyweights for Tsai not to seek re-election in 2020. The win means Tsai is less likely to clash with her party’s new leader. But the DPP remains divided and Tsai has yet to declare whether she will stand again. A party schism in the run-up to 2020 could favor the Kuomintang, the pro-Beijing party that was turfed out two years ago. It doubled its seats in November’s elections, even defeating the DPP in its traditional stronghold of Kaohsiung. A DPP swing towards its more radical wing might also worry Washington. The US remains Taiwan’s most powerful military ally but maintains that Taipei must not move closer to a formal declaration of independence for fear of stoking a Chinese invasion. On Wednesday, China’s increasingly assertive president Xi Jinping described Taiwan’s unification with the mainland as “inevitable,” adding that force could be an option if independence was declared.

china
u.s .
taiwan
tsai ing-wen
one china policy


Trump says North Korea sanctions to remain 'in full force and effect' until U.S. sees 'very positive' results

Abstract: In comments ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned second meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump said Sunday that crippling sanctions imposed on nuclear-armed North Korea will remain “in full force and effect” until the United States sees “very positive” results. Trump said that discussions on the location of the next summit are underway and that further details will be announced soon. “We are negotiating a location,” he said, according to the televised remarks. The White House has remained evasive on the exact timing of the summit, though officials have previously said they expect the meeting to happen sometime early this year. “It will be announced probably in the not too distant future. They do want to meet and we want to meet and we’ll see what happens,” he said. “With North Korea, we have a very good dialogue,” he added, saying he had “indirectly spoken” with Kim. Trump, who held a landmark summit with Kim in Singapore in June, said last week that he had received a “great letter” from the North Korean leader but declined to reveal its contents. The latest letter from Kim came after the North Korean leader warned in a New Year’s speech that Pyongyang may change its approach to nuclear talks if Washington persists with sanctions. In his address, Kim urged the United States to take reciprocal measures in exchange for denuclearization steps the North Korean dictator has claimed his country has taken since last year. Experts say the North likely expects these measures to include some form of eased sanctions. The North Korean leader also said he was willing to meet Trump again at any time to produce results “welcomed by the international community.” China and Russia have both pushed for an easing of the crushing sanctions on North Korea that Pyongyang says is halting its attempt at fixing its moribund economy. Kim devoted a large chunk of his New Year’s address to reiterating his shift in focus from nuclear weapons to rebuilding the North’s economy, calling for increasing electricity generation — including via the use of nuclear energy — and other development projects. In the 30-minute speech, Kim spent more than 20 minutes highlighting his campaign to create a “self-reliant” economy despite a “harsh economic blockade.” This year’s speech drew intense attention, coming as U.S.-North Korea denuclearization talks remain at an impasse months after the landmark summit. Their meeting resulted in a vaguely worded pledge “to work toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” Still, Trump has cast his first summit with Kim as a key foreign policy win, and Sunday reiterated his claim that there would have been war in Asia had the pair not met. “Anyone else but me, you would have been at war right now. … You right now would have been at a nice big fat war in Asia with North Korea if I hadn’t been elected president.”


Thailand halts plan to expel Saudi teen barricaded in her hotel room

Abstract: BANGKOK/DUBAI - Thailand halted plans Monday to expel an 18-year-old Saudi woman fleeing her family after she barricaded herself inside an airport hotel to prevent immigration officials putting her on a flight to Kuwait. Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun has been at Bangkok’s international airport since Saturday when she arrived on a flight from Kuwait. She has said she fears she will be killed if she is returned to her family, which could not be reached for comment on her accusations of abuse. Thai officials now plan to meet representatives of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to discuss the case, immigration chief Surachate Hakparn told reporters. He earlier denied allegations by Qunun that she was being detained at the request of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Foreign Ministry also denied her allegations that its embassy had confiscated her passport, saying in a tweet she was stopped at the airport for violating Thai immigration laws. Qunun posted a video on Twitter on Monday of her barricading her hotel door with a table and a mattress. She said she fled Kuwait while her family was visiting the Gulf country and had planned to travel from Thailand to Australia to seek asylum. She said she was detained after leaving her plane in Bangkok and told she would be sent back to Kuwait. “My brothers and family and the Saudi Embassy will be waiting for me in Kuwait,” Qunun said by text and voice message from the hotel Sunday. “They will kill me,” she said. “My life is in danger. My family threatens to kill me for the most trivial things.” Asked why she was seeking refuge in Australia, she said: “Physical, emotional and verbal abuse and being imprisoned inside the house for months. They threaten to kill me and prevent me from continuing my education. “They won’t let me drive or travel. I am oppressed. I love life and work and I am very ambitious, but my family is preventing me from living.” In her initial social media pleas, Qunun said her family was powerful in Saudi society, but she did not identify them. Saudi culture and guardianship policy requires women to have permission from a male relative to work, travel, marry and even get some medical treatment. The deeply conservative Muslim country lifted a ban on women drivers last year. Thai immigration authorities said Qunun was refused entry because she did not have the proper documents. The UNHCR in Bangkok said it was trying to meet Qunun. “UNHCR consistently advocates that refugees and asylum seekers … cannot be returned to their countries of origin according to the principle of non-refoulement, which prevents states from expelling or returning persons to a territory where their life or freedom would be threatened,” it said in a statement. New York-based Human Rights Watch said Thailand should not send Qunun back to her family because she says she faces danger. Qunun said she had obtained an Australian visa and booked a flight. She said she had planned to spend a few days in Thailand so she would not spark suspicion when she left Kuwait. “When I landed at the airport, someone came and said he would process the (Thai) visa but he took my passport. He came back with what seemed to be airport security and said that my parents objected and said I must return to Saudi Arabia via Kuwait Airways,” she said. She said she believed she was stopped after her family appealed to Kuwait Airways. A spokesman for Kuwait Airways said he had no information about the case. Thai immigration chief Surachate Hakparn said Qunun was denied entry because she did not have a paid return ticket or hotel reservation. “Thai immigration had to deny her entry,” he said, describing the action as standard procedure.

saudi arabia
thailand
asylum
rahaf mohammed al-qunun


China says it welcomes U.N. to visit Xinjiang via proper procedures

Abstract: BEIJING - China said on Monday it would welcome U.N. officials to its far western region of Xinjiang if they follow the proper procedures, amid global concern over Beijing’s de-radicalization program there. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang, asked at a regular briefing about reports that China had invited U.N. experts to Xinjiang, said that all parties, including the U.N., were welcome, as long as they respected appropriate travel procedures. U.N. officials should also “avoid interfering in domestic matters” and adopt an objective and neutral attitude, he added. The top U.N. human rights official, Michelle Bachelet, in December said her office was seeking access to Xinjiang to verify “worrying reports” of re-education camps holding Muslim minorities, including the Turkic-speaking Uighurs. In August, a U.N. human rights panel said it had received credible reports that a million or more Uighurs and other minorities in Xinjiang were being held in what resembled a “massive internment camp.” In a rare move, a group of 15 Western ambassadors in Beijing, spearheaded by Canada, have sought a meeting with the top official in the region, Communist Party boss Chen Quanguo, for an explanation of alleged rights abuses against Uighurs. Beijing has launched an increasingly active publicity campaign to defend its actions in Xinjiang in the face of an outcry from activists, scholars, foreign governments and U.N. rights experts. In the last two weeks, the Chinese government has arranged for diplomats from 12 non-Western countries to visit the region, as well as organizing a trip for a small group of reporters to three facilities, which it called vocational education training centres. At the centres, Uighur students learned in Mandarin about the dangers of extremist thought and sang and danced for reporters, including a rendition in English of “If You’re Happy and You Know it, Clap Your Hands.” Xinjiang officials told Reuters on the trip that the de-radicalization program had been highly successful but that fewer people would be sent through the system in future. Reuters last year reported on harsh extrajudicial detentions and interrogations at the camps, which are at odds with Beijing’s claims, and took pictures of guard towers and barbed wire surrounding some.

china
human rights
u.n .
uighurs
xinjiang


U.S. Navy ship sails in disputed South China Sea amid trade talks with Beijing

Abstract: BEIJING - A U.S. guided-missile destroyer sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea claimed by China as U.S. officials meet their counterparts in Beijing for talks during a truce in a bitter trade war. The USS McCampbell carried out a “freedom of navigation” operation, sailing within 12 nautical miles of the Paracel Island chain, “to challenge excessive maritime claims,” Pacific Fleet spokeswoman Rachel McMarr said in an emailed statement. The operation was not about any one country or to make a political statement, McMarr said. The statement comes as trade talks between China and the United States are under way in Beijing, the first round of face-to-face discussions since both sides agreed to a 90-day truce in a trade war that has roiled international markets. China claims almost all of the strategic waters and frequently lambastes the United States and its allies for freedom of navigation naval operations near Chinese-occupied islands. Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan have competing claims in the region.

china
u.s .
military
disputed islands
south china sea


Heavy snow strands 2,000 travelers at Hokkaido airport as New Year holidays wrap up

Abstract: SAPPORO - Travelers in Hokkaido remained stranded Monday after flight cancellations due to heavy snow from Saturday onwards delayed around 2,000, leaving many stranded overnight at a key airport just as the country’s New Year holidays wrapped up. On Monday, check-in counters at New Chitose Airport near Sapporo were still swamped with people looking to book alternative flights to take them home after 105 flights were canceled Saturday. On Sunday, 17 flights were canceled and 261 were delayed due to snow removal work, with a total of 45 people spending their second night stranded at the airport. Airline officials said extra flights had been added, and that most people whose flights were canceled would be able to book a replacement by Monday night. Sleeping bags and blankets that had been handed out by staff could be seen stacked near a security checkpoint. Michio Maeda, a 71-year-old working in the construction business, said he had been enjoying vacationing with his family until his return flight to Haneda airport in Tokyo was canceled. “I couldn’t get a good night’s sleep because the floor was so hard,” he said. “I haven’t showered and there’s no telling when we’ll be able to catch a flight back. This has ruined our vacation.” The flights Saturday were canceled after it suddenly began to snow heavily in the evening, prompting the airport’s operator to close each of the two runways in turn to clear them of snow. Japan’s New Year holidays are traditionally through Jan. 3, which fell on a Thursday this year. People who took Friday off were able to extend their break to the weekend.


Six months after heavy rains hit parts of western Japan, relatives and survivors mourn those who died in the disaster

Abstract: HIROSHIMA - Victims of last July’s torrential rain that hit parts of western Japan were remembered Sunday, six months after the first special heavy rain warning during the disaster was issued. Bereaved relatives and residents laid flowers on an altar set up within the premises of a residential complex in the Higashiyano district of Aki Ward in the city of Hiroshima, where a landslide occurred due to the rain. In the city, 23 people had been confirmed dead in the disaster as of the end of 2018. Two others remain missing. “We aim to make good progress in reconstruction work by this year’s rainy season so that many local residents will feel safe,” Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui told reporters after offering flowers to the victims. The mayor also vowed to provide “as much support as possible to evacuated residents to help them return to normal life.” “I feel the same as when the disaster occurred,” said Tsuneo Kanbara, 74, who lost his grandson, Shotaro Ueki, an 18-year-old high school third-grader, in the disaster. “I had no New Year’s events” at the beginning of 2019, he said. “All people in our communities must join forces to create a system” to reduce damage from disasters, Kanbara said. “Things might get broken, but nobody should die in disasters.”


Japan billionaire Yusaku Maezawa says 'free cash' tweet is the most shared Twitter post of all time

Abstract: Billionaire Japanese tycoon and future space tourist Yusaku Maezawa said Monday his tweet promising a cash giveaway of nearly $10,000 was the most retweeted ever. The 43-year-old Maezawa posted a tweet on Saturday promising ¥1 million ($9,250) in cash each to 100 randomly selected followers who had retweeted it by Monday. The tweet — now retweeted more than 4.3 million times — is the most shared in history, according to the entrepreneur. ZOZOTOWN新春セールが史上最速で取扱高100億円を先ほど突破！！日頃の感謝を込め、僕個人から100名様に100万円【総額1億円のお年玉】を現金でプレゼントします。応募方法は、僕をフォローいただいた上、このツイートをRTするだけ。受付は1/7まで。当選者には僕から直接DMします！ #月に行くならお年玉 pic.twitter.com/cKQfPPbOI3 — Yusaku Maezawa (MZ) 前澤友作 (@yousuck2020) January 5, 2019 “Hit the new world record. Surpassed Twitter’s world record number of retweets (it was 3.55 million RTs before) and more people are still retweeting,” wrote the high-profile Maezawa . The previous record-holder was an American teenager in 2017 trying to win a year’s supply of chicken nuggets from fast food chain Wendy’s, according to media. In October, Maezawa said he paid an undisclosed sum for a ticket on fellow tycoon Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket around the moon as early as 2023. Maezawa will hitch a ride aboard Musk’s Big Falcon Rocket, which SpaceX has acknowledged may not be ready for human flight for at least five years. Known as a passionate art collector , he also plans to take around half a dozen artists with him on the trip. Maezawa is chief executive of Japan’s largest online fashion store and is the 18th richest person in Japan, with an estimated fortune of $2 billion, according to business magazine Forbes.

social media
twitter
yusaku maezawa
zozo


Tabloid mag under fire for publishing list of Japanese colleges where girls are 'easily available' for sex at drinking parties

Abstract: A tabloid magazine has ignited intense backlash on social media after it published a list of colleges whose students are “easily available” for sex after drinking, underscoring what critics described as the country’s systematic objectification of women. In its Dec. 25 issue, the weekly magazine Spa! printed an interview with Keiji Isogimi, manager of the matching site Lion Project, who ranked five colleges whose students he said were “sexually easy” at drinking parties. He further described how to “coax” women and judge whether a woman is sexually available based on her clothing and appearance. In response, a female university student started an online petition Friday on the website Change.org demanding that the magazine publicly apologize, take down the article and promise not to use terms that objectify women. The petition gained further visibility on Sunday when Sputniko!, a renowned Japanese-British artist, urged her followers on Twitter to sign it. More than 25,600 people had signed it as of Monday evening. “I am really happy (about the number of the signatories) because I thought Japanese people didn’t care,” said Kazuna Yamamoto, the senior at the International Christian University who started the petition. “I want people to understand that sexualization and objectification is not a joke and not funny.” Takashi Inukai, a representative from Spa! magazine’s editorial department, said in a statement that the magazine was writing specifically about drinking parties where male participants pay fees to women. Such parties, he said, are popular among female college students these days. “We would like to apologize for using sensational language to appeal to readers about how they can become more familiar with women, and for making a ranking based on (Isogimi’s) experience that mentioned real university names — which came out in a way that may have offended readers,” Inukai said. Along with the online petition, Yamamoto posted videos on social media in Japanese and English lambasting the magazine over its portrayal of women. In the videos, she also rebuked Japanese society at large for condoning the objectification of women and for its victim-blaming of sexual assault survivors. Her friends in Japan and Asia, Europe and the United States also shared their outrage in one video using the hashtag #StandUpJapan . Yamamoto said this was not the first time the weekly tabloid had published such content. It has also published stories on subjects such as “the characteristics of a woman who gets into bed easily” and “the types of alcohol to use to have sex with a woman.” Responding to criticism that it is merely a tabloid magazine for men, Yamamoto questioned the relevance of disseminating information that could lead to a sexual assault case. “Getting a girl unconscious or incapable of making decisions so that you can have sex with her is called rape,” Yamamoto said during the video. “What if your daughter went to one of the schools (mentioned in the story)? What if your daughter’s classmate is reading the article about alcohol to get a girl drunk and unconscious?” Japan has recently been on the spotlight for lagging behind on gender equality amid the worldwide #MeToo movement. The country placed 110th out of 149 in the World Economic Forum’s global gender equality rankings for 2018. Additionally, multiple medical universities in the nation have admitted tampering with entrance exam scores to deliberately put female applicants at a disadvantage. Yamamoto said she is frustrated by the country’s hypersexualization of young women, and said she hopes to initiate a movement pushing for gender equality and women’s rights. “The fact that objectifying women and sexualizing women is a good cover story is just sick and disturbing,” she said in the video. “Stand up, Japan, because it’s 2019.”

sex
women
universities
petitions
magazines
weeklies
sexual crimes
spa !


First nursing care trainees from Myanmar arrive to begin work in Hokkaido

Abstract: SAPPORO - The first nursing care workers from Myanmar to participate in Japan’s foreign trainee program arrived at New Chitose Airport near Sapporo on Monday, amid expectations that the Southeast Asian country will provide much-needed workers. The training program for foreign nationals began in 1993 with the stated aim of transferring various skills to developing countries. But it has also helped create a supply of cheap labor to Japan as the country struggles with worker shortages due to its graying population and plummeting birth rate. The three workers, all women in their 20s, will spend three years gaining experience at Sapporo-based Sakura Community Service Co., according to an official at the firm’s affiliate in Yangon. They flew from Yangon with a layover in Thailand to arrive at the airport, where heavy snow over the weekend had left roughly 2,000 people stranded. “I chose Japan because I like Japanese culture. But I’m worried about the cold weather,” Wut Yee Phyo told reporters Sunday before boarding a plane in Yangon. The 23-year-old, making her first trip abroad, also said she will try “not to make mistakes resulting from cultural differences between Myanmar and Japan.” Another, 28-year-old Zin Zin Moe, said she was not concerned as she believes she was trained thoroughly. “I wanted to be a caregiver and help the elderly because I didn’t get the chance to look after my father (who died),” she said. Japan opened up its nursing care sector to foreign trainees in November 2017. Besides the trainee program, Japan has accepted people from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam to work in nursing facilities under bilateral free trade agreements. They can continue to work in Japan if they pass a national exam for certified caregivers. Under the bilateral programs, the first of which began with Indonesia in fiscal 2008, around 4,300 people have come to Japan. But only 719 individuals had passed the exam by fiscal 2017 as it requires a high level of Japanese language proficiency. Some skeptics say workers coming to Japan may have a difficult time adjusting; Myanmar has a life expectancy of 67 years compared to Japan’s 84 years, and many have never cared for a person who cannot use the toilet by themselves, for example. The first foreign trainees in the nursing care field were two Chinese women, who arrived in Japan last July. The two, both with caregiving experience in the city of Dalian, were accepted at welfare facilities in Miyazaki Prefecture. Amid Japan’s severe labor shortage, the government has decided to introduce new visa classifications from April that are expected to broaden the admission of foreign labor, including blue-collar workers. Until recently Japan has maintained a basic policy of granting working visas only to people with professional knowledge and high levels of skill, such as doctors, lawyers and teachers. But many foreign nationals work under technical intern status, while foreign students are also allowed to work part-time.

myanmar
aging
hokkaido
foreign trainees
nursing care


Japan's government plans to test systems that detect dangerous objects on train passengers

Abstract: Looking to improve security on public transportation, the government plans to conduct tests at a rail station by the end of March on an electronic system designed to detect dangerous objects on train passengers, a transport ministry official said Monday. The details have not yet been disclosed, but the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has asked equipment makers to propose devices that can detect hazardous objects, such as knives and explosives, in passengers’ belongings. The official said the government wants to test whether such a security measure will inconvenience train riders, while seeing whether it is feasible to deploy on a regular basis or during prominent international events. The government is reportedly considering using Kasumigaseki subway station as the venue for the experiment in February, but the official said nothing had been decided as it has only just finished accepting proposals from device makers and train operators on Monday. Part of the reason for the test is the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games next year, but “we are also aware of calls for improved security on trains,” the official said. In June, one passenger was killed and two injured when a man in his 20s with a knife went on a rampage near Yokohama during a shinkansen ride from Tokyo to Osaka. After the incident, the transport ministry immediately considered introducing luggage inspections. But faced with opposition from railway companies, it has decided to only prohibit the carrying of unwrapped knives on trains starting from April. Railway operators argue that inspections are inconvenient because they increase transit time for commuters. They also say it is difficult to find space at stations to dedicate for the purpose of inspections.

transportation
terrorism
security
trains
2020 tokyo olympics


Traffic safety-conscious group of bald men in Mie Prefecture breaks up due to aging

Abstract: In 1985, about 30 bald men in their 30s who were running businesses in Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture, created a group called Hagetemo Katsura wo Kaburan Kai, which roughly translates to a group of men who won’t wear wigs even if they go bald. The men, then-members of Junior Chamber International Matsusaka, launched the group to work together to “reduce members’ anxieties and improve the status of bald people.” Anyone who “can call himself bald with confidence or is expected to become bald in the near future” had been allowed to join the group. There was a rule stating that any member who bought a wig would be expelled, but no member ever broke that rule, according to the group. The group had been actively involved in traffic safety campaigns for the sake of keganashi — a phrase that can mean having no injuries or having no hair. During the nationwide traffic safety campaigning period each spring and autumn, the members went out Saturday and Sunday morning carrying stepladders in their minitrucks to polish traffic mirrors installed at road curves in Matsusaka and neighboring areas. They cleaned the mirrors under the slogan “Be Yourself,” looking at the reflection of their bald heads while carrying out the polishing work. They also organized charity bazaars and donated the proceeds to road safety activities. Membership topped 200 at one time, but gradually declined due to the aging of its members. Recently only 30 to 40 people out of 160 members were actually involved in mirror-cleaning activities, as many became concerned about the dangers of working from high places, such as possibly falling off a stepladder, as they aged. The group dissolved at its general meeting held on Nov. 14 and donated its remaining funds of some ¥180,000 to the city in December. “The group dissolved, but I hope someone will launch a new group bearing the same name,” said Takao Uno, 71, president of construction firm Uno Heavy Industry Co. who had served as the group’s head since its inception. “I hope (young business leaders) will be engaged in some kind of social contribution activities and will enjoy them,” said Toru Kadoya, 70, president of electric equipment company Sankyou Denko Co. who had served as the group’s vice head. They said even if the group has dissolved, its former members would abide by the rule of never wearing a wig and live their lives without resorting to buying a hairpiece.

accidents
aging
mie
traffic safety
matsusaka


Brazil's Sao Paulo Shimbun, largest overseas Japanese-language newspaper, closes after 72 years

Abstract: SAO PAULO - The Sao Paulo Shimbun newspaper has printed its final edition, ending a 72-year run as a vital reference point and voice for Brazil’s Japanese community — the largest in the world outside of Japan. The Japanese-language newspaper, the final edition of which rolled off the presses Jan. 1, was a victim of declining sales, an aging readership and the internet. Its owner, Helena Mizumoto, said an online version may be launched in the future. The Sao Paulo Shimbun was founded in 1946, shortly after the end of World War II. Mizumoto said that before the internet and cable television, immigrants would call the newspaper to find out where they could find Japanese-owned businesses. “The Google of the community was here,” Mizumoto said, adding that the newspaper was instrumental in relaying to expats that Japan had lost the war. From its offices in Sao Paulo’s Asian neighborhood of Liberdade, the Sao Paulo Shimbun served for decades as the main reference point for Japanese living in the South American country. While mainly in Japanese, it printed a few pages in Portuguese as well. Japanese expats got most of their national and international information from the Sao Paulo Shimbun up until the 1990s, but that “ended with internet and the NHK Japanese news channel,” said Eduardo Nakashima, secretary general of the Brazil-Japan Cultural Alliance. In Liberdade, Nobukazu Kanomata, an 83-year-old massage therapist who was born in Japan and came to Brazil after the war, said the newspaper closed “because there are fewer people in the community able to read Japanese and the quality of its articles deteriorated.” Kanomata spoke in the main square of Liberdade where he goes every morning at 6 a.m. to practice radio taiso (exercises) with other elderly Japanese immigrants. Businessman Yoshikatsu Yamashita said he only read the part of the newspaper printed in Portuguese “because the part in Japanese was a bit difficult.” Brazil’s first Japanese migrants arrived in the port of Santos aboard the steamship Kasato Maru on June 18, 1908, spurring a wave of immigration that grew to about 2 million people. They introduced foods that changed Brazilian cuisine and farming techniques that helped turn Latin America’s largest country into an agricultural superpower. The arrival of the first immigrants was the result of negotiations between Japan and Sao Paulo state, where most Japanese-Brazilians still live. Japan needed an escape valve for poor farmers left out of the country’s rapid modernization that began in the late 1800s. Meanwhile, Sao Paulo coffee growers needed more workers to tend to their coffee plantations. Like many immigrant groups, the early settlers planned to return home in two to five years and start new lives with their earnings. But they quickly realized they would never save enough for a return ticket. Many eventually migrated to urban centers or to other rural areas. While slicing fish at a restaurant, sushi chef Hiro Konno said: “I don’t think we should disconnect so much (from Japanese culture). Those of us who have Japanese roots should do more to preserve them. For me, the closing of the newspaper is very sad.”

brazil
sao paulo shimbun
helen mizumoto
japan world war ii


Tokyo to host two-day esports event in fiscal 2019, Gov. Yuriko Koike says

Abstract: Tokyo will host an esports event during fiscal 2019 to promote the capital’s video game and anime industries, Gov. Yuriko Koike said Sunday. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to set aside ¥50 million in the budget for the fiscal year, which starts in April, to hold the two-day event. The date and venue have yet to be decided. “Esports involves many different industries, and the event will be an opportunity (for companies) to get some publicity,” Koike told reporters. Already popular in many parts of the world including North America, Europe and China, esports has a global market worth an estimated $906 million, according to research firm Newzoo. The activity, which is often held in large arenas in front of thousands of spectators, was included as a demonstration sport at last year’s Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang. It has also been gaining traction in Japan, where the Japan Esports Union, an industry body that sanctions official matches and helps develop talented gamers, was launched last year. The organization is planning a tournament featuring the video game “Pro Evolution Soccer 2019” to coincide with the national sports festival to be held in Ibaraki Prefecture in October.


Ahead of abdication, Emperor Akihito commemorates 30th anniversary of his father's death

Abstract: Emperor Akihito, who is set to abdicate on April 30, commemorated on Monday the 30th anniversary of the death of his father, Emperor Showa, at his tomb in Tokyo. Emperor Akihito had expressed his desire to host the ceremony at the Musashino Mausoleum in Hachioji before relinquishing the throne, according to a senior Imperial Household Agency official. His wish is believed to have been a factor when the government decided the date for his abdication. About 80 people including Empress Michiko, Prince Akishino, the younger son of the Emperor, and his wife Princess Kiko, as well as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the ceremony. The Emperor bowed before the mausoleum and read aloud a passage to mourn his father. Wearing traditional attire, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako took part in another ceremony at the Imperial Palace on behalf of the Emperor and Empress. Prince Akishino’s daughters — Princess Mako and Princess Kako — joined them. Emperor Akihito, 85, ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne at the age of 55 upon the 1989 death of his 87-year-old father, Emperor Hirohito, who became known posthumously as Emperor Showa. On April 30, Emperor Akihito will be the first living Japanese monarch in more than two centuries to step down. “The Emperor, who will retire after a more than 30-year reign, apparently empathized fully with the hardship his father went through, including the period of war during his more than 60 years on the throne,” the agency official said. “We assume his desire (to host the 30-year anniversary ceremony) came from the responsibility of being the successor to the throne.” Such ceremonies to mark Emperor Showa’s death were held three years, five years, 10 years and 20 years after his passing. The government is planning to hold a ceremony to celebrate Emperor Akihito’s 30-year reign on Feb. 24. In June 2017 the Diet enacted a one-off law to allow the Emperor to step down, after he signaled his wish to retire in a rare video message in August 2016. In the video, he cited concern that his advanced age and weakening health could prevent him from fulfilling his duties. The government considered setting the abdication date in late 2018 or late March 2019, but both candidate schedules coincided with events such as ceremonies for the New Year, budget deliberations and nationwide local government elections. The government decided in December 2017 on the abdication date of April 30, 2019, in order to secure a “quiet” environment.

emperor akihito
emperor hirohito
abdication


Ministry earmarks subsidies totaling ¥20 million to set up translation systems for foreign students at schools

Abstract: The education ministry plans to set up a new subsidy system for prefectures and large cities that offer detailed support to foreign students attending public elementary and junior high schools and their parents through the use of multilingual translation systems. The subsidies will be offered to prefectural governments, ordinance-designated major cities and other core cities that use tablet computers with multilingual speech translation functions when teaching Japanese to students from abroad at school and providing school guidance to their parents. The ministry has set aside ¥20 million for the subsidy system, which is designed to cover one-third of related costs, under the government’s fiscal 2019 budget. According to sources, 100 language support programs are likely to become eligible for the financial aid. The launch of the new subsidy system comes in line with the government’s policy of allowing more foreign workers to enter the country. The number of foreign students in Japan needing Japanese language education totaled 43,947 in fiscal 2016, up 70 percent from the 26,281 seen in fiscal 2006. Languages spoken by these students range from English to Chinese and Portuguese. With the number of students from abroad expected to continue increasing, the ministry has found it necessary to accelerate efforts to help teachers and foreign students communicate smoothly, the sources said.

education
foreign students
translation
foreign workers
subsidies


Japan begins collecting ¥1,000 departure tax to fund inbound tourism promotion plan

Abstract: Japan started collecting a ¥1,000 departure tax Monday from each traveler leaving the country in an effort to fund measures to attract more foreign visitors in the run-up to and beyond the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. The new tax, which applies to both air and sea travel, will be tacked onto transportation fares of passengers who bought tickets from Monday onwards irrespective of their nationality. Children under the age of 2 and transit passengers leaving Japan within 24 hours of arrival will be exempted. The levy will also not be imposed on those who depart after entering the country due to bad weather or other unavoidable circumstances. The tax income will be allocated mainly for three purposes, according to the government’s policy. Those are said to be providing smoother travel services, facilitating access to information about the country’s tourist attractions, and improving visitor satisfaction levels by promoting tourism resources in regional areas on topics such as unique local culture and natural features. The levy is the first new permanent tax to be introduced since the land value tax came into force in 1992. In fiscal 2019 the government estimates revenue generated by the departure tax will reach ¥50 billion. It plans to use the money mostly for introducing more facial recognition gates at air and seaports for speedier immigration procedures and making more information available in multiple languages at cultural properties and national parks. Japan has enjoyed a surge in the annual number of inbound tourists in recent years, topping the 30 million mark for the first time in 2018 according to the Japan Tourism Agency. That growth was helped by a steady increase in Asian tourists, particularly from China, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, government data shows. Aiming to welcome 40 million foreign visitors by 2020, the government plans to use the tax revenue to attract more visitors from Europe, too. Some Japanese taxpayers have expressed skepticism, however, saying it is not clear how they will benefit from a tax that is primarily designed to offer better services for foreign tourists. Takuma Asai, 33, who was about to leave Kansai International Airport on a business trip to China, said Monday he was not aware of the start of the departure tax collection and said it felt like another financial burden on top of the planned consumption tax hike in October. “(The new tax) is unavoidable, but I hope the revenue will be used to benefit Japanese citizens and foreign travelers in visible ways,” he said. Maite Berst, a 21-year-old college student from Germany, also said at Tokyo’s Haneda airport that she was unaware of the new tax, but that it will not be a bad thing if the revenue is used for foreign visitors. But concerns are growing in the tourism sector. “Holidaymakers always go for cheaper packages, so even if it’s only ¥1,000 the rise in (tour) prices will be a huge burden for us,” said a 47-year-old tour conductor in Osaka. “It will be necessary to check that the funds are not being used on less productive measures, but in ways that taxpayers find convincing,” said Hideaki Tanaka, a finance professor at Meiji University’s Graduate School of Governance Studies.

tourism
airports
travelers
departure tax


Carlos Ghosn set to appear in court — but what happens next?

Abstract: The case of ousted Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has gripped Japan and the business world since his stunning arrest in November, and now he is finally getting his day in court. Ghosn will be able to make his first public statement at a brief hearing Tuesday, after his lawyers used an obscure article of Japan’s Constitution to demand an explanation for his detention. What will happen in court? The hearing is “a dialogue between the lawyer and the judge, and the prosecutor is not required to be present,” said Yasuyuki Takai, a former investigator at the unit that arrested Ghosn. The judge is likely to give a brief explanation for Ghosn’s detention, and the Constitution mandates that the accused be permitted to speak as well. However there is no allotted time for his comments, and the judge could require Ghosn to read a prepared statement rather than give off-the-cuff remarks. In theory he is free to say what he wants until the judge tells him to stop, said Takai. “He can wear what he wants, but he’ll be handcuffed until the entrance of the courtroom,” he added. He will not, however, be permitted to speak to reporters, the general public or family members in court. “This hearing will have no bearing on the rest of the case,” Takai said. “There’s no chance that Ghosn’s release will be ordered tomorrow.” What is Ghosn accused of? Prosecutors are investigating three separate lines of enquiry: He is accused of underreporting his salary by around ¥5 billion ($44 million) between 2010 and 2015 in official documents sent to shareholders. He is accused also of underreporting his salary by a further ¥4 billion between 2015 and 2018. He is further accused of trying to transfer ¥1.85 billion in personal investment losses during the financial crisis to Nissan. He is also accused of wiring company funds to a Saudi associate who put up collateral for him in the investment scheme. Authorities have so far only pressed formal charges over the first accusation. Ghosn reportedly denies all the allegations. Why is he still in prison? Under Japanese law, a suspect can be held for weeks, or even months, as prosecutors probe different allegations. After the initial arrest they have 48 hours to question the suspect. They can then apply for two consecutive 10-day extensions. After a maximum of 22 days they must either press formal charges, release the suspect on bail or come up with new allegations. Ghosn was initially held until December 10 as prosecutors investigated the first allegation against him. They then formally charged him, kicking off a two-month period of pre-trial detention that is renewable. But prosecutors also simultaneously re-arrested him on the second set of allegations, restarting the 22-day clock. A court rejected a further extension of that set — raising the possibility of Ghosn’s release on bail — but in another twist, prosecutors slapped the tycoon with a third set of allegations, restarting the whole process. The case has sparked criticism of the Japanese legal system, especially from overseas. What happens next? The detention period for the third allegation against Ghosn expires this coming Friday, by which time prosecutors must decide whether to charge him, re-arrest him on new allegations or allow him to apply for bail. Even if prosecutors do not level new allegations, the former Nissan chief could remain in jail in pre-trial detention. If prosecutors charge him with either of the outstanding allegations that would also restart the pre-trial detention clock. If no new allegations are levelled against Ghosn he could apply for bail. His alleged accomplice and former right-hand man at Nissan, Greg Kelly, successfully won bail on Dec. 25 on the condition he stays in Japan.


Philippine court orders arrest of Japanese casino mogul Kazuo Okada on fraud charges

Abstract: MANILA - A Philippine court has ordered the arrest of Japanese casino mogul Kazuo Okada, about a month after the country’s Department of Justice (DOJ) recommended filing charges against him on three counts of fraud. The DOJ has found cause to indict Okada on three counts of swindling after he acquired “through mistake or fraud” $3.15 million in salary and consultancy fees during his tenure as chief executive of Manila casino operator Tiger Resort. Okada had filed a motion for reconsideration at the DOJ, dismissing the accusations against him as baseless. Judge Rolando How of the Paranaque City Regional Trial Court Branch 257 ordered the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police to present Okada to court. The warrant of arrest was issued on Friday and made public Sunday. Bail was fixed at 348,000 Philippine pesos ($6,627) for all three charges. Tiger Resort previously said the payments were facilitated by its former president, and were not authorized by its board. Reody Anthony Balisi, Okada’s legal counsel in the Philippines, did not reply to requests for comment on the arrest warrant. Last year Okada was ousted as chairman of Tiger Resort’s parent, the Japanese gaming group Universal Entertainment Corp., after Universal’s board accused him of misappropriating $20 million. He denied wrongdoing. It was unclear if Okada was in the Philippines when the court issued the arrest warrant. He was arrested in Hong Kong in August in relation to multiple corruption-related charges and is currently on bail.

arrest
casino
philippine
kazuo okata
tiger resort


New JR East train does Tokyo's Yamanote Line loop twice on auto with just one touch of a button

Abstract: East Japan Railway Co. took media representatives on a test run early Monday of a Yamanote Line train equipped with an automatic control system. During the two hours it took to travel twice around the 34.5-km-long line encircling central Tokyo, all the motorman did was push the starting button for departure. The system was developed to cope with the labor shortage stemming from Japan’s aging population and low birthrate. The test run was organized to allow staff members to check the acceleration and deceleration as well as the ride comfort of the 11-car, E235 series train. It was the third such test conducted on the Yamanote Line, according to JR East. At around 1:50 a.m., after the last regular train had ended its service for the day, the test train using the Automatic Train Operation system left Osaki Station in Shinagawa Ward. After running the first lap on time, the train made the second lap on the assumption that it was facing a delay and had to make up for lost time by increasing its speed. The train automatically accelerated, slowed down and stopped at the stations. It reached a top speed of about 80 kph. JR East staff members rode in the lead car to monitor the train’s driving situation. The time required to reach each station was announced inside the train. “We could complete the test just about smoothly,” said Yuichiro Tokunaga, a senior official in JR East’s train car division. Tokunaga said the railway is hoping to put the autonomous train into practical use soon, as it is expected to lead to more effective use of human resources and enhanced safety of train services.

transportation
rail
jr east
yamanote line
self-driving


Queen guitarist Brian May latest to sign anti-Henoko base petition as organizer readies for White House rally

Abstract: Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May became the latest celebrity to weigh in Sunday on controversial construction work associated with the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa Prefecture, a project that opponents say will endanger rare coral species. May took to social media to urge more people to sign a petition calling on U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to intervene in the controversial relocation of the U.S. military base. “URGENT !!! URGENT !!! PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION to save a beautiful coral reef and irreplaceable eco-system, threatened by USA extending an airbase,” May wrote on Twitter to his nearly 840,000 followers. URGENT !!! URGENT !!! PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION to save a beautiful coral reef and irreplaceable eco-system, threatened by USA extending an airbase. Bri https://t.co/CyXjTbObeu — Dr. Brian May (@DrBrianMay) January 6, 2019 The brainchild of Okinawan-Hawaiian activist Robert Kajiwara, 32, the petition, titled “Stop the landfill of Henoko/Oura Bay until a referendum can be held in Okinawa,” was created using the White House’s “We the People” petition website. Japan and the United States have been seeking to relocate the Futenma base from a crowded residential area of Ginowan to the less populated coastal district of Henoko in Nago. The Japanese government recently began full-fledged landfill work as part of the relocation plan despite persistent local opposition. An Okinawa prefectural referendum on the base transfer plan will be held Feb. 24, with Gov. Denny Tamaki hoping it will be a chance to further demonstrate Okinawa’s opposition. The petition was due to close Monday, but Kajiwara said in a tweet Sunday that it will remain open until the Trump administration responds. “Everyone, I have received notification that the petition will remain OPEN until the White House provides a response! Let’s get as many signatures as possible in order to protect Henoko!” he wrote. Kajiwara also wrote that he had arrived in Washington for a planned news conference and rally in front of the White House scheduled for Monday. Announcing the rally late last month, Kajiwara said he hoped it would “send a message to Washington, D.C.” “We are hoping President Trump will take the issue at Henoko seriously and hope he will order at least a temporary halt on the landfill until the referendum,” he said. Kajiwara was also quoted as saying that he had “received confirmation” that a letter he had written to Trump had arrived at the White House, and that similar letters had been sent to more than 100 top U.S. officials and lawmakers including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The letter to President Trump informing him about our petition has arrived at the White House. Similar letters/emails to other U.S. government officials have also arrived at their destinations. We are waiting for their reply! https://t.co/x4B8Jt7Tpz pic.twitter.com/JzWSOtsWmu — Rob Kajiwara ❄🌨☃🎄🎅🏽 (@robkajiwara) January 7, 2019 The petition, which garnered the support of Tamaki and various Japanese celebrities, reached 100,000 signatures within 10 days of its creation on Dec. 8, surpassing the requirement for a response by the White House. Japan-based celebrities such as model and actress Rola and pop star Ryuchell, who hails from Okinawa, have raised awareness about the petition via their social media accounts. On her Instagram account, which has some 5.2 million followers, Rola said that the reclamation of Okinawa’s beautiful sea could be stopped if people came together, and called for their messages to be delivered to the White House.

celebrities
okinawa
music
u.s. bases
nago
henoko
robert kajiwara


For Japan, the fear is real that May's Brexit deal will get shot down

Abstract: Japan has a lot riding on Brexit. That’s something Shinzo Abe is sure to drill home to Theresa May when he flies over to see her in person mere days before Parliament is poised to vote on her divorce plan. Few countries are as worried about the prospect of a disorderly exit, given the degree of foreign investment in the U.K., from carmakers Nissan Motor Co. to tech conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp. and fashion brand Uniqlo. For them, the U.K. is their foothold in Europe and her deal may be the only thing guarding them from the chaos of a no-deal outcome. That is why Abe will probably speak out in favor of May’s proposal, according to a Foreign Ministry official. A public show of support from Abe would show just how concerned Japan is that the U.K. is flirting with disaster and that its top companies could get caught in the crossfire. According to the official, who asked not to be identified, Abe will focus on the negative effects of Brexit and remind her that disruption to Japanese businesses must be kept to a minimum. “World attention is focused on the U.K.’s exit from the EU,” Abe told reporters before leaving Tokyo for a visit to the U.K. and the Netherlands, in comments broadcast by television network TBS. “Precisely because of this problem, it is very meaningful for me to visit the U.K. and exchange opinions. I want to properly convey Japan’s thinking.” Abe and May will have lunch together after he arrives on Thursday, followed by a news conference and a business reception. This will be his second visit to the U.K. since May took office and his seventh meeting with the prime minister. On a visit to London weeks ahead of the 2016 referendum, Abe offered vocal support for then-Prime Minister David Cameron’s campaign to remain in the EU. Months later, Japan issued an open letter to the U.K. urging predictability in the process of Brexit negotiations on behalf of the roughly 1,000 Japanese companies operating there, including car manufacturers that account for half of the U.K.’s production. Less than three months before the U.K. leaves the European Union on March 31, May’s deal appears to have little chance of passing given the tough parliamentary arithmetic. For many companies, January was the cut-off after which contingency plans went into effect. Instead the U.K. is talking up no-deal preparations and even those are not going as planned. For example, a practice run for a potential traffic jam caused by delays at the port of Dover turned into a farcical flop when not enough trucks showed to complete the drill. None of this will be reassuring to investors, especially Japanese ones who are among the most exposed. When Boris Johnson visited Japan as foreign secretary in 2017, he shook hands with a robot and promised a “fantastic, all-singing and all-dancing, U.K.-Japan free trade agreement.” Last year he resigned and is now one of the fiercest critics of her plan, calling it a “suicide vest” and even embracing “no deal” as something voters want. This turn of events will have done little to put Japanese executives at ease.

shinzo abe
trade
eu
u.k .
u.k.-japan relations
brexit
theresa may


Business confidence among Japanese hits six-year low: BOJ survey

Abstract: An index gauging business confidence among people in Japan has fallen to a six-year low, a Bank of Japan quarterly survey for December showed Wednesday. The diffusion index for business confidence deteriorated to minus 32.0, hitting the lowest level since minus 33.1 logged in the December 2012 survey, the BOJ said. The index represents the percentage of people who see business conditions improving a year later minus those feeling the opposite. The index fell by 14.9 points from the previous September survey, marking the steepest drop since the 17.1-point decline in the September 2013 survey. The deterioration may have been affected by worsening prospects for incomes and the growth potential of the Japanese economy as well as stock price falls in October last year, a BOJ official said. The December survey also showed that the index for current business confidence compared with the level a year before stood at minus 14.3, against minus 13.3 in the previous survey. The latest survey was conducted between Nov. 9 and Dec. 5 last year, with 2,113 people giving valid responses.

boj
bank of japan
japanese economy
business confidence
surveys


Boeing edges Airbus to retain crown as world's largest plane-maker

Abstract: CHICAGO - Boeing Co. delivered a record 806 commercial aircraft in 2018, edging out Airbus SE to retain the crown as world’s largest plane-maker as both manufacturers kept factories churning late into December to overcome earlier supplier shortfalls. The U.S. industrial titan also revealed a last-minute flurry of aircraft orders, enabling it to sell more jets than it built in 2018. Boeing netted orders for 893 jetliners last year with a list value of $143.7 billion, padding its backlog and easing investor concerns that U.S.-China trade tensions and whipsawing oil prices could soften demand for new planes. For Boeing and Airbus, aerospace’s dueling duopolists, year-end order and delivery totals provide bragging rights — and a first hint of the company earnings reports to be announced over the next month. Airbus met its twice-lowered delivery goal of 800 jets in 2018, according to preliminary results released Tuesday. The tallies face special scrutiny this year since both manufacturers worked through the year-end holidays to overcome shortages of engines and other parts that have slowed shipments of their highly profitable single-aisle jets. Boeing advanced 3.2 percent to $338.48 at 12:04 p.m. in New York, the biggest gain on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Airbus climbed 3.7 percent to 86.65 euros at the close in Paris as the delivery total gave a boost to incoming Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury, who pushed to improve production. Airbus’s final results will be published after the market close Wednesday. Boeing delivered 69 of its 737 airplanes in December to bring total shipments of the narrow-body family, its largest source of profit, to 580. That was less than the 593 deliveries predicted by George Ferguson, an aerospace analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. Boeing missed a goal of delivering a total of 810 to 815 jets for the year. The Chicago-based manufacturer landed 218 aircraft orders in December, underscoring the continued strength of the company’s wide-body line-up and robust demand for its 737 Max. Despite the negative publicity from a deadly Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October, Boeing sold 194 of the narrow-body aircraft in December. All but 11 of the jets are bound to undisclosed customers, which are often Chinese carriers. The plane-maker also recorded 24 wide-body aircraft orders for the month, including four new sales for its jumbo 747-8 freighter. The orders will help extend the life of the hump-backed model nicknamed the “Queen of the Skies,” which pioneered a new era of long-range travel when it began flying in 1970.


U.S. sanctions Venezuelans, including TV owner, over currency scheme

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The United States imposed sanctions Tuesday on seven Venezuelans including the owner of news network Globovision for allegedly plundering billions of dollars from the crisis-hit country through black-market currency exchanges. Days before President Nicolas Maduro is to be sworn in for a new term after a controversial re-election, the United States vowed to go after the cash that has benefited his inner circle. “Today’s U.S. Treasury action is another strong step to expose and cut off all who profit from and support this illegitimate regime,” national security adviser John Bolton tweeted. According to the Treasury Department, the sanctioned Venezuelans — faced with a shortfall in their bolivar currency needed to fund government projects — went to black-market exchange houses to sell dollars at a higher than official rate. The scheme generated more than $2.4 billion in proceeds, which went to government-approved exchange houses and ultimately to the officials themselves, who stashed the money in U.S. and European bank accounts and investments, the Treasury Department said. “Our actions against this corrupt currency exchange network expose yet another deplorable practice that Venezuela regime insiders have used to benefit themselves at the expense of the Venezuelan people,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. “The United States remains committed to holding accountable those responsible for Venezuela’s tragic decline, and will continue to use diplomatic and economic tools to support the Venezuelan people’s efforts to restore their democracy.” The Treasury Department froze all property and assets of the sanctioned Venezuelans inside the United States, with penalties for financial transactions involving them. The Treasury Department, while sanctioning Globovision’s owner, granted an exemption for the network to keep operating in the United States for at least one year. Globovision was the last Venezuelan network aligned with the opposition until its 2013 buyout by investors sympathetic to Maduro and his late predecessor, Hugo Chavez. Network owner Raul Gorrin Belisario has already been charged in a U.S. court for allegedly bribing Venezuelan officials and embezzling funds totaling more than $1 billion. Also sanctioned was Claudia Patricia Diaz Guillen, who served as Venezuela’s national treasurer from 2011 to 2013. Venezuela has faced a mounting economic crisis as prices sag for its oil exports and Maduro’s socialist government struggles to ensure supply of medicine and basic foods. Inflation is expected to soar to 10 million percent in 2019, according to the International Monetary Fund. More than 2.3 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015, with the United Nations expecting the number to surpass 5.3 million this year. Maduro won a new six-year term in a May election marred by irregularities. President Donald Trump has mused about military intervention in Venezuela, leading Maduro to allege there is a U.S.-backed plot against him. The Lima Group bloc of Latin American powers and Canada — with the exception of Mexico — has said it will not recognize the new Maduro-led administration set to begin on Thursday.

u.s .
venezuela
sanctions
nicolas maduro
steve mnuchin
currency exchanges


U.S. and China wrap up talks on tariff battle

Abstract: BEIJING - U.S. and Chinese negotiators wrapped up three days of talks aimed at ending a costly tariff battle in an optimistic atmosphere Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said they were “going very well!” No details were immediately announced, but Asian stock markets rose on news the talks originally planned for two days were extended to three. Hong Kong’s main market index closed up 2.1 percent and Tokyo rose 1.1 percent. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, announced the talks had ended. Lu said he had no details and an official statement would be issued later. The talks were the first face-to-face meeting since Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Dec. 1 to suspend further punitive action against each other’s imports for 90 days while they negotiate over the fight sparked by American complaints that Beijing steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. “Talks with China are going very well!” Trump said late Tuesday on Twitter. Washington is pressing Beijing for changes including rolling back plans for government-led creation of Chinese global champions in robotics and other fields. Europe, Japan and other trading partners echo U.S. complaints that those violate Beijing’s market-opening obligations. Chinese officials have suggested Beijing might alter its industrial plans but reject pressure to abandon what they consider a path to prosperity and global influence. They have tried to defuse pressure for more sweeping change by offering concessions including purchasing more American soybeans, natural gas and other exports. Neither side has given any indication its basic position has changed. Economists say the 90-day window is too short to resolve all the conflicts in trade relations between the biggest and second-biggest global economies. Trump’s “cheerleading tweet” feeds hopes for a settlement, Mizuho Bank’s Vishnu Varathan said in a report. However, he cautioned, “Even if a deal is cobbled together, the more strident trade hawks in the White House and Trump may not sign off.” The talks went ahead despite tension over the arrest of a Chinese tech executive in Canada on U.S. charges. The American delegation is led by a deputy U.S. trade representative, Jeffrey D. Gerrish, and includes agriculture, energy, commerce, treasury and State Department officials. Trump imposed tariff increases of up to 25 percent on $250 billion of Chinese imports. China responded by imposing penalties on $110 billion of American goods, slowing customs clearance for U.S. companies and suspending issuing licenses in finance and other businesses. Cooling economic growth in both countries is increasing pressure to reach a settlement. Car and property sales have slumped as Chinese growth fell to a post-global crisis low of 6.5 percent in the quarter ending in September. The American economy grew at an annual rate of 3.4 percent in the third quarter but surveys show consumer confidence weakening. For its part, Beijing is unhappy with U.S. export and investment curbs, suggesting it might demand concessions. Chinese officials complain about controls on “dual use” technology with possible military applications. They say China’s companies are treated unfairly in national security reviews of proposed corporate acquisitions, though almost all deals are approved unchanged.

china
u.s .
tariffs
donald trump
trade war


Samsung smartphone users get a shock: They can't delete Facebook

Abstract: SAN FRANCISCO - Nick Winke, a photographer in the Pacific Northwest, was perusing internet forums when he came across a complaint that alarmed him: On certain Samsung Electronics Co. smartphones, users aren’t allowed to delete the Facebook app. Winke bought his Samsung Galaxy S8, an Android-based device that comes with Facebook’s social network already installed, when it was introduced in 2017. He has used the Facebook app to connect with old friends and to share pictures of natural landscapes and his Siamese cat — but he didn’t want to be stuck with it. He tried to remove the program from his phone, but the chatter proved true — it was undeletable. He found only an option to “disable,” and he wasn’t sure what that meant. “It just absolutely baffles me that if I wanted to completely get rid of Facebook that it essentially would still be on my phone, which brings up more questions,” Winke said in an interview. “Can they still track your information, your location, or whatever else they do? We the consumer should have say in what we want and don’t want on our products.” Consumers have become more alert about their digital rights and more vigilant about privacy in the past year, following revelations about Facebook’s information-sharing practices and regulators’ heightened scrutiny of online data collection. Some people have deleted their Facebook accounts in protest of the company’s lapses, while others simply want to make sure they have the option to do so. Many Android phone users have begun to question Samsung’s deal to sell phones with a permanent version of Facebook — and some of them are complaining on social media. A Facebook spokesperson said the disabled version of the app acts like it’s been deleted, so it doesn’t continue collecting data or sending information back to Facebook. But there’s rarely communication with the consumer about the process. The Menlo Park, California-based company said whether the app is deletable or not depends on various pre-install deals Facebook has made with phone manufacturers, operating systems and mobile operators around the world over the years, including Samsung. Facebook, the world’s largest social network, wouldn’t disclose the financial nature of the agreements, but said they’re meant to give the consumer ‘the best’ phone experience right after opening the box. Balwinder Singh’s experience wasn’t what he would consider the best. Singh, who lives in the Susquehanna Valley of the Eastern U.S. and works in transportation, bought his Samsung phone seven months ago. He first tried to delete the Facebook app when he was setting up the device. “My news feed was full of negative stuff, people going crazy on social media,” he said. “It was affecting me emotionally and mentally.” Even after disabling the app, he was bothered to still have it on his phone. Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone maker, said it provides a pre-installed Facebook app on selected models with options to disable it, and once it’s disabled, the app is no longer running. Facebook declined to provide a list of the partners with which it has deals for permanent apps, saying that those agreements vary by region and type. There is no complete list available online, and consumers may not know if Facebook is pre-loaded unless they specifically ask a customer service representative when they purchase a phone. Consumer-advocacy groups have been skeptical of such arrangements for years, according to Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. “It’s only recently that people have become to understand that these apps really power the spy in your pocket,” he said. “Companies should be filing public documents on these deals, and Facebook should turn over public documents that show there is no data collection when the app is disabled.” Facebook isn’t the only company whose apps show up on smartphones by default. A T-Mobile US Inc. list of apps built into its version of the Samsung Galaxy S9, for example, includes the social network as well as Amazon.com Inc. The phone also comes loaded with many Google apps such as YouTube, Google Play Music and Gmail; Google is the creator of the Android software that powers the phone. Other phone makers and service providers, including LG Electronics Inc., Sony Corp., Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc., have made similar deals with app makers. When Twitter’s app is loaded on a new phone by default, it wouldn’t collect any data unless a user had an account or created a new one, and opened the app and logged in, the company said. But Facebook, which has spent the past year apologizing for security breaches and data privacy scandals, is the one drawing ire about its irrevocable presence on Samsung’s phones. “Very slimy,” Twitter user Gopinath Pandalai in Bangalore, who goes by @gopibella, wrote on the site in October. “Been a Samsung customer for 10 years. Time to move on.” In December, Justin McMurry, whose Twitter handle is @BoutSebm, wrote that he considered Facebook a privacy threat. “If I can’t delete it, this will be the last Samsung product I ever own.’ Apple Inc., whose iPhone is the top-selling smartphone in the U.S., doesn’t pre-install Facebook or any other third-party apps on its new phones. Jose Cortes, a Spaniard living in Sweden, has started using Facebook on his phone more infrequently, sharing less because he doesn’t like the way it broadcasts his activity to his friends. If there’s an event coming up on Facebook, he never marks that he’s going or interested, even if he is, because he dislikes that his attendance will advertise the event to his other friends. “I understand Samsung is trying to make it easy for the user, but I don’t like that it does not allow me to uninstall,” he said. For his next phone, he said he’ll consider buying something else.

smartphones samsung privacy apple iphone facebook galaxy


Tokyo stocks rise further on hopes for U.S.-China trade deal

Abstract: Stocks rose for the third straight session on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Wednesday, as investors stayed hopeful for a U.S.-China deal to ease trade tensions between the world’s two economic superpowers. The 225-issue Nikkei average went up 223.02 points, or 1.10 percent, to end at 20,427.06. On Tuesday, the key market gauge climbed 165.07 points. The Topix index of all first-section issues was up 16.68 points, or 1.10 percent, at 1,535.11, after adding 5.90 points the previous day. Stocks spurted at the outset following a powerful Wall Street rally prompted by the news that high-level U.S.-China trade talks in Beijing, initially scheduled to end on Tuesday, would continue for a third day, brokers said. Market sentiment was also brightened by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tweet saying, “Talks with China are going well,” they noted. The Nikkei average briefly gained 290 points in the afternoon, helped by strong performances of Shanghai and other Asian stocks. But the key yardstick lost steam toward the day’s closing, as investors retreated to the sidelines to see the outcome of the trade negotiations. Masayuki Otani, chief market analyst at Securities Japan Inc., pointed out that the recent market rebound has been led by repurchases rather than fresh buying. Noting that the Nikkei has gained nearly 900 points only for three sessions, a brokerage firm official said stocks are now prone to profit-taking at high levels. Rising issues outnumbered falling ones 1,202 to 861 in the TSE’s first section, while 65 issues were unchanged. Volume fell to 1.307 billion shares, from 1.552 billion shares on Tuesday. China-related issues attracted purchases, with construction machinery-maker Komatsu jumping 3.17 percent and industrial robot producer Fanuc gaining 1.89 percent. Automakers and pharmaceuticals, such as Toyota and Takeda, rose across the board. Meanwhile, Taiyo Yuden lost 4.46 percent after Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co. revised down its investment rating for the electronic parts maker. Clothing retailer Fast Retailing and mobile phone carrier KDDI sank on selective selling. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key March contract on the Nikkei average gained 200 points to end at 20,420.


Takeda's CEO says it needs to sell assets quickly to cut debt

Abstract: SAN FRANCISCO - The sooner, the better. That’s Christophe Weber’s time frame for shedding assets as Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. tries to reduce a heavy debt load after completing its $62 billion takeover of Shire PLC. The company has laid out a scenario of a potential $10 billion in divestments in an effort to deleverage. “It will come as it goes, but we want to move with speed,” said the drugmaker’s chief executive officer in an interview Tuesday during the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. Weber needs to move fast. For one, debt is a huge issue, with net borrowings more than doubling as Takeda takes on about $30 billion in debt to acquire Shire. S&P Global Ratings downgraded Takeda on Tuesday, questioning how quickly it will be able to repair worsening financial ratios. In addition, Weber needs to whip the new Takeda into shape as competition heats up in the pharmaceutical industry. This year has already seen an explosion of deals, highlighted by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.’s $74 billion agreement to buy Celgene Corp. Takeda said it’s looking to divest overseas businesses where the company isn’t an industry leader and doesn’t have critical mass in the market. “Some of these products are noncore for us, but might be core for others,” Weber said.


Carlos Ghosn's bid for release rejected by Tokyo court, as accusations emerge over Saudi loan

Abstract: Carlos Ghosn’s appeal against his ongoing detention was rejected by the Tokyo District Court, according to a statement released by the court Wednesday. The ousted Nissan chairman’s lawyers will now appeal the decision at a higher court, NHK reported. Wednesday’s decision by the judge means the auto industry icon, who is fighting charges of financial misconduct related to his time while heading Nissan Motor Co., could remain behind bars until a possible trial, which his main lawyer, Motonari Otsuru, has said may not be for another six months. Ghosn’s current period of custody ends Friday, but prosecutors are likely to hand him fresh charges or request another extension as they build their case against him. Separately, sources said Wednesday that Ghosn had planned to extend a loan of ¥3 billion ($27 million) to a Saudi businessman through the carmaker, possibly to use as collateral for his private investment contract. The plan did not materialize as Nissan felt there would be legal problems, the sources said. Prosecutors have arrested Ghosn for allegedly transferring personal investment losses to Nissan during the 2008 global financial crisis and causing damage to the automaker by making it pay $14.7 million to Khaled Al-Juffali, the businessman who guaranteed credit for Ghosn, between 2009 and 2012. According to the sources, Ghosn compiled a document to extend a loan of ¥3 billion to Al-Juffali’s company in January 2009 after being asked for additional collateral by Tokyo-based Shinsei Bank, with which he had a currency swap contract that incurred an appraisal loss of ¥1.85 billion due to the financial crisis. The contract was shifted to Nissan in October 2008 from Ghosn’s private asset management company and was transferred back to the management firm in February 2009 after Al-Juffali guaranteed credit. Separately, other sources said Nissan has also disbursed some ¥3.5 billion to a company operated by another acquaintance of Ghosn in Oman that acted as a dealer for Nissan. Prosecutors are investigating whether the ousted chairman instructed the payment as it came from the “CEO reserve” fund, which then CEO Ghosn had control of. In a Tokyo court hearing Tuesday where he made his first public appearance since his arrest in November, Ghosn denied that the $14.7 million payment in question was in exchange for guaranteeing credit. Ghosn claimed it was proper compensation for business activities in the Middle East, including resolving a dispute with a local dealer. The former Nissan chairman has also told prosecutors that he transferred the private investment contract to the company only temporarily to earn the automaker’s creditworthiness, but intended to return it to his asset management firm from the beginning, the sources said. At the hearing, Ghosn asserted his innocence and said the carmaker incurred no losses from his private investment contract. Ghosn has been detained since Nov. 19, when he and his close aide, Greg Kelly, were initially arrested on suspicion of understating the former chairman’s ¥10 billion remuneration by roughly ¥5 billion in Nissan’s securities reports during the five years through March 2015. The two were charged on Dec. 10 and served with fresh arrest warrants for similar misconduct during the three years through March 2018. Ghosn’s detention was further extended after he was served with a third arrest warrant on Dec. 21 for alleged aggravated breach of trust involving the transfer of personal investment losses to Nissan in 2008.


WeWork's backers and staff can cash out in $2 billion SoftBank deal

Abstract: SAN FRANCISCO - WeWork Cos. will let investors and employees sell shares to SoftBank Group Corp. as part of the conglomerate’s $2 billion investment in the real estate and coworking startup, the companies said Tuesday. WeWork also announced that it would be rebranding itself as The We Company, though it hasn’t legally changed its name. Over the next 15 months, SoftBank plans to invest $1 billion in primary capital and another $1 billion toward buying shares from investors and employees, the startup said. The $2 billion investment was a serious step back from the plan SoftBank floated late last year to potentially spend $16 billion on a controlling stake. The Financial Times earlier reported the news that SoftBank would downsize its WeWork investment. The funding values WeWork at $42 billion, not including the money it has raised, according to a person familiar with the deal who asked not to be identified because the details are private. SoftBank has invested or committed to invest more than $10 billion into WeWork since 2017, using a variety of financial structures and deals including convertible debt and warrants. The telecommunications giant once considered using money from its $93 billion Vision Fund, which is in part backed by the Saudi Arabia government, to buy a majority stake in the startup. But Tuesday’s investment comes from SoftBank Group Corp. directly. WeWork also said Tuesday it is rebranding as The We Company, with three distinct business lines: WeWork, its main office space-rental arm; WeLive, which currently operates two apartment buildings with communal design; and WeGrow, which runs an elementary school in New York City. The switch is not a legal name change, the company said, nor will executive roles move around as a result. But the change aims to lay groundwork for making those three parts of the business more distinct in the future, potentially allowing for investors to focus on one instead of all three. WeWork’s 7.875 percent bonds, which were issued in April, dropped to their lowest price ever — 86 cents — on Monday afternoon in New York, according to Trace, the bond-price reporting system of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The bonds are due in 2025.