Thailand's king appoints consort as queen ahead of his official coronation

Abstract: BANGKOK - Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has appointed his consort as the country’s queen ahead of his official coronation on Saturday. An announcement Wednesday in the Royal Gazette said Suthida Vajiralongkorn Na Ayudhya is now legally married to the 66-year-old king and is now Queen Suthida. Although she has been in the public eye for about three years, there has been little official information released about her and the news was a surprise to many Thais. She is reported to be 40 years old and to have previously worked as a flight attendant for Thai Airways International. The two reportedly met on a flight. Suthida joined the palace guard in 2013 and became commander of the king’s security unit. She currently holds the rank of general. The new queen also has several top royal decorations. Some royal observers and foreign media had linked Suthida romantically with the king, but the palace had never previously acknowledged a relationship between them. Among the dignitaries at the marriage ceremony were Prayuth Chan-ocha, the leader of the military junta that has run Thailand since a 2014 army coup, as well as other members of the royal family and palace advisers, according to footage that has been released. Vajiralongkorn has had three previous marriages and divorced his previous wife, with whom he has a son, in 2014. He became king after the death in October 2016 of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thai television, which broadcast the royal order Wednesday evening, showed a video of Suthida prostrating herself before the king. According to the announcer, she presented the king with a tray of flowers and joss sticks, and in return was bestowed traditional gifts associated with royal power. TV reports also showed the king in a white uniform and his bride in a pink silk traditional dress formally registering their marriage on Wednesday at his palace residence in Bangkok. The couple was seen signing a marriage certificate book, which was also signed by the king’s sister, Princess Sirindhorn, and Privy Council head Prem Tinsulanonda as witnesses.

thailand
royalty
weddings
king maha vajiralongkorn
queen suthida


In coup for India, U.N. adds leader of Pakistan group Jaish-e-Mohammad to sanctions list

Abstract: ISLAMABAD - In a major diplomatic win for India, the United Nations added the leader of an outlawed Pakistani militant group to its sanctions blacklist Wednesday after the group claimed responsibility for a February suicide attack in disputed Kashmir that killed 40 Indian soldiers. Sanctions against Masood Azhar were confirmed by Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal at an urgently held news conference in Islamabad. Azhar’s addition to the Security Council’s Islamic State and al-Qaida blacklist includes a travel ban and freeze on his assets as well as an arms embargo. The development came less than three months after Azhar’s Jaish-e-Mohammad group claimed responsibility for the Feb. 14 attack in Kashmir, which is split between the two countries and is claimed by both in its entirety. The clashes brought the two nuclear rivals to the brink of war. India had intensified its lobbying to have Azhar blacklisted after the killing of its soldiers and New Delhi quickly welcomed the Security Council decision. Sanctions against Azhar had been delayed because Security Council member China had blocked them on three previous occasions. But the council went ahead after China no longer objected. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has since made national security the main plank in the country’s 39-day general election, which began on April 11. Results will be out on May 23, and political analysts said the news on Azhar will further energize the massive cadre of Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “The world can’t anymore ignore the voice of 1.3 billion Indians,” Modi said at an election rally, calling the U.N. decision a great diplomatic victory for the country. “This is only a beginning.” Azhar was blacklisted for his leadership of the al-Qaida-linked Jaish-e-Mohammad. The official listing by the U.N. sanctions committee said the 50-year-old Azhar was associated with al-Qaida by supporting its activities including by supplying arms and recruiting members, and for financially supporting Jaish-e-Mohammad after he was released from prison in India in 1999 in exchange for 155 passengers on an Indian Airlines flight hijacked to Kandahar, Afghanistan. As a group, Jaish-e-Mohammad had been put on the sanctions blacklist in 2001 for its ties to “al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden, and the Taliban.” The U.N. listing noted that 2008 recruitment posters for Jaish-e-Mohammad “contained a call from Azhar for volunteers to join the fight in Afghanistan against Western forces.” Modi said on Twitter that “today is a day that would make every Indian proud! I thank the global community and all those who believe in humanitarian values for their support.” Days after the Feb. 14 Kashmir attack, India responded by launching an airstrike in northwest Pakistan that caused no casualties. Pakistan then responded on Feb. 27 by shooting down two Indian warplanes and capturing a pilot, who was later returned. Intervention by the international community defused tensions between the two nuclear powers, which have fought three wars since gaining independence in 1947. Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, said the Trump administration commends the decision to sanction Azhar. Azhar’s sanctioning comes weeks after Washington said it was seeking to have him put on the U.N. blacklist. Pakistan is a key ally of the U.S. in its fight against extremism. A senior U.S. administration official told reporters that “after 10 years China has done the right thing by lifting its hold on this designation.” The official, who insisted on speaking anonymously, said the U.K. and France joined the U.S. in putting pressure on China after the Feb. 14 attack, and Beijing seems to have understood “that it is increasingly important that its actions on the international stage on terrorism matched its rhetoric.” The official said the Trump administration is watching to see if Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s commitment to crack down on militants in the country “will translate into irreversible steps to end terrorist and militant safe havens inside Pakistan.” Khan has ordered the takeover of assets and property of Jaish-e-Mohammad and dozens of banned militant organizations that operate in Pakistan. Pakistan has said authorities have detained dozens of people suspected of involvement in the Kashmir attack after receiving a file with intelligence on the attack from New Delhi. Pakistan said its probe did not establish any direct link between Azhar or his group and the attack that killed the Indian soldiers.

india
kashmir
pakistan
religion
terrorism
jaish-e-mohammad
masood azhar


Elderly Aussie couple mistakenly sign for delivery of millions of dollars' worth of meth

Abstract: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - An elderly couple in Australia signed for a parcel and found they were the surprise recipients of an illegal shipment containing millions of dollars’ worth of methamphetamine, police said Thursday. The Melbourne couple immediately called police when they discovered bags containing the white powder in the parcel on Wednesday, a police spokesman said. The package contained what police said were 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of 10 million Australian dollars ($7 million). Police subsequently searched a house in another part of Melbourne, where they found 20 more kilograms of the drug and arrested a 21-year-old man. He was charged Thursday with importing a marketable quantity of a controlled drug and was due to appear in court later in the day, police said. Police asked that the unwitting couple who helped catch the man not be identified by the media out of concern for their safety.


Nearly 80% in Japan support having women on throne and 82% feel affection for new emperor

Abstract: Over 82 percent of respondents feel affection for newly enthroned Emperor Naruhito, while nearly 80 percent said they would support allowing females to ascend to the imperial throne, a Kyodo News survey showed Thursday. In the two-day nationwide opinion poll conducted after Emperor Naruhito’s accession on Wednesday following the 30-year reign of his father, 82.5 percent said they feel affection for the 59-year-old emperor, while 11.3 percent did not. The support rate for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet remained nearly flat at 51.9 percent, compared with 52.8 percent in the previous survey in April. The disapproval rate stood at 31.3 percent, slightly down from 32.4 percent. The survey covered 743 randomly selected households with eligible voters as well as 1,238 mobile phone users, obtaining responses from 516 and 518 people, respectively. Amid lingering concern over the stability of Japan’s imperial succession that only allows male heirs on the father’s side to reign as emperors, 79.6 percent said they would support a woman ascending to the throne in the future, while 13.3 percent would not. The conservative governments led by Abe, including his first time in office between 2006 and 2007, have expressed caution about changing the male line of succession, while apparently recognizing the need to address the dwindling number of imperial family members. There are currently three heirs among the 18 members of the imperial family — the emperor’s younger brother Crown Prince Akishino, 53, his son Prince Hisahito, 12, and the emperor’s uncle Prince Hitachi, 83. The only child born to Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako is their daughter Aiko, 17. Emperor Naruhito ascended to the throne after his father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, 85, abdicated Tuesday due to concern over his advanced age, the first Japanese monarch to do so in 202 years. In his first speech after the enthronement on Wednesday, Emperor Naruhito pledged to stand with his people following the example set by his father and to fulfill his symbolic, nonpolitical role in accordance with the post-World War II Constitution. “In acceding to the throne, I swear that I will reflect deeply on the course followed by his majesty the emperor emeritus and bear in mind the path trodden by past emperors, and will devote myself to self-improvement,” he said.

women
royalty
imperial family
succession
surveys
polls
emperor naruhito


Two teens arrested in Osaka for allegedly stretching rope across a road, injuring a motorcyclist

Abstract: OSAKA - Two teenagers were arrested Thursday for allegedly stretching a rope across a road in Osaka Prefecture earlier in the week, leading a 77-year-old woman to fall off her moped. The 16-year-old high school students, who are living in Neyagawa, have denied intending to kill anyone, police said. One was quoted as saying, “I wanted to have fun watching a person fall.” According to the police, the two stretched a nylon rope between an iron pole in a supermarket parking lot and a barbershop pole across a 7 meter-wide road in Neyagawa at around 2:20 a.m. on Monday. Around 10 minutes later, the woman, who delivers newspapers, was knocked off her moped on her way to work, breaking her leg. The two students are believed to have been watching from a distance. The police said they suspected the involvement of the two teenagers after studying security camera footage and arrested them on suspicion of attempted murder and traffic obstruction.


Abe administration in no rush to address the issue of Japan's shrinking imperial family

Abstract: Despite the urgent need to address the shrinking imperial family to maintain a stable line of succession, the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been slow to tackle the issue, wary of a resurgence of arguments in favor of allowing those in the maternal bloodline to ascend to the throne. The Imperial House Law stipulates that the throne be assumed only by male imperial family members in the paternal bloodline. After the ascension of Emperor Naruhito, 59, on Wednesday, there are only three heirs to the throne. Next in line is now Crown Prince Akishino, the emperor’s 53-year-old brother. He is followed by Prince Hisahito, the crown prince’s 12-year-old son. Prince Hitachi, Emperor Emeritus Akihito’s 83-year-old brother, is third in line. No female members of the family were present at Wednesday’s Kenji to Shokei no Gi ceremony, in which the new emperor assumed the imperial regalia and seals. This was partly because the Abe administration gave consideration to concerns among conservatives that allowing female members to attend the key ceremony might be taken as a sign of support for those in the maternal bloodline ascending to the throne, sources said. Measures aimed at securing stable imperial succession were hotly debated in the early 2000s, as no boys had been born into the imperial family since the birth of Crown Prince Akishino in 1965. In 2005, an advisory panel to the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called for allowing female imperial family members or those in the maternal bloodline to assume the throne. In its report, the panel warned that the number of male imperial family members in the paternal bloodline would continue to decline. Also considering women’s increasing participation in society, the panel concluded that it would be extremely difficult to maintain imperial succession under the current rules and that it was indispensable to pave a way for reigning empresses or emperors from the maternal bloodline. The panel’s recommendations, however, were met with objections from conservatives including Abe, who was then chief Cabinet secretary. Conservatives highly valued the fact that there had not been an emperor from the maternal bloodline in history, although there have been some women on the throne. Instead of adopting the panel’s recommendations, conservatives called for reinstating imperial family status to those who left the family in 1947 under the direction of the Allied Occupation. With discussions on ways to secure stable imperial succession at a stalemate, Prince Hisahito was born in 2006. The issue appeared to be temporarily forgotten during Abe’s first tenure as prime minister from September 2006 to September 2007. Under Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, between September 2011 and December 2012, however, the government moved to promote discussions on allowing female imperial family members to maintain their imperial status even after marrying commoners. But this initiative was also shelved after Abe returned to power in December 2012. In a supplementary resolution attached to the special law allowing for the abdication of Emperor Akihito, the Diet urged the government to promptly tackle the issue of securing stable succession, claiming that it must not waste any time in addressing the issue. Still, the Abe administration maintains the position that the issue must be considered carefully. At a news conference on Wednesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga suggested that the government is unlikely to begin to work on the issue before autumn, when many rituals related to the new emperor’s enthronement will take place. “If the administration begins to work on the issue, it will only pretend to do so,” a government source said. “It would take decades to reach any conclusion.”

shinzo abe
royalty
prince hisahito
imperial family
succession
imperial change
emperor naruhito
crown prince akishino
prince hitachi


Eating more rice could help fight obesity, study led by Japan researcher suggests

Abstract: Eating rice may help prevent obesity, research suggests. Experts found that people following a Japanese or Asian-style diet based on rice were less likely to be obese than those living in countries where rice consumption was low. Researchers said low-carbohydrate diets — which limit rice — are a popular weight-loss strategy in developed countries but the effect of rice on obesity has been unclear. They looked at rice consumption in terms of grams per day per person and calorie intake in 136 countries. They also looked at data on body mass index. In the U.K., people were found to consume just 19 grams of rice a day, below dozens of other countries including Canada, Spain and the U.S. The researchers calculated that even a modest increase in rice consumption of 50 grams per day per person could reduce the worldwide prevalence of obesity by 1 percent (from 650 million adults to 643.5 million). Professor Tomoko Imai of Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts in Kyoto, who led the research, said: “The observed associations suggest that the obesity rate is low in countries that eat rice as a staple food. Therefore, a Japanese food or an Asian-food-style diet based on rice may help prevent obesity. Given the rising levels of obesity worldwide, eating more rice should be recommended to protect against obesity even in Western countries.” Imai said rice was low fat, adding: “It’s possible that the fiber, nutrients and plant compounds found in whole grains may increase feelings of fullness and prevent overeating.” The authors concluded: “The prevalence of obesity was significantly lower in the countries with higher rice supply even after controlling for lifestyle and socioeconomic indicators.” Tam Fry, chairman of the U.K.’s National Obesity Forum, said: “We have known for centuries that Far Eastern populations tend to be slimmer than in the West because rice is a staple food, but few obesity specialists may have appreciated why. “This novel research is the first to hypothesize that we could nail obesity by eating a modest amount more.” The study was presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow.


Launch of private Momo-3 rocket delayed again, this time due to strong wind at Hokkaido site

Abstract: KUSHIRO, HOKKAIDO - Aerospace startup Interstellar Technology Inc. said it postponed the planned launch of a small rocket on Thursday due to strong wind. The unmanned Momo-3 was originally scheduled to blast off on Tuesday, but that was thwarted by a fuel-system glitch. Interstellar Technology said the launch from its test site in Hokkaido would be rescheduled for Friday or later. If successful, the Momo-3 would be Japan’s first privately developed rocket to reach outer space.

space
rockets
hokkaido
momo-3
interstellar technology


South Korea's Moon Jae-in says ties with Japan must be improved

Abstract: SEOUL - South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday said ties with Japan should be improved for national security as well as economic development for the future. “We do need to have a good relationship with Japan, but due to unfortunate history of the past, problems have constantly occurred, making the ties between the two countries uncomfortable,” said Moon at a luncheon with experts. Moon, however, added that he feels sorry at the same time to see Japan’s use of history in its politics, which he said seems to be “exacerbating” the ongoing controversies. Ties between Seoul and Tokyo have been bedeviled by issues arising from Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula between 1910 and 1945. The two countries reached an agreement in 2015 aimed at settling the issue of “comfort women.” The term is a euphemism used to refer to women who provided sex, including those who did so against their will, for Japanese troops before and during World War II. But a new government in Seoul has since revisited the deal, concluding it could not settle the long-standing issue as it failed to reflect the opinions of surviving victims. Bilateral ties have been under added pressure since a string of court rulings in South Korea in favor of wartime forced laborers seeking compensation. Japan claims that the compensation issue was completely settled by 1965 bilateral treaty signed by the two countries.


South Korean foreign minister says Seoul should not meddle in wartime labor cases

Abstract: SEOUL - South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Thursday she thinks Seoul should not meddle in wartime labor lawsuits in which South Korean plaintiffs have launched procedures to convert assets seized from Japanese companies into cash. Speaking to reporters, she explained that the perspective of allowing South Korean nationals to exercise their rights is behind the government’s inaction over the cases. Noting that it would be important to find solutions that can be accepted by the victims, Kang said the South Korean government is analyzing and examining the situation continuously. She also stressed that Japanese and South Korean diplomatic authorities are making efforts to manage the problem properly so as to prevent the situation from getting worse due to overreaction. With Japan, which entered a new era with the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito on Wednesday, South Korea will continue to promote the development of future-oriented relations while facing history squarely, the foreign minister added. On Wednesday, Japan protested that the South Korean government has yet to take any concrete steps to correct the state of violating the 1965 bilateral accord to settle wartime compensation issues.

courts
south korea
wartime labor
kang kyung-wha


ANA plane bound for Kumamoto from Tokyo lands at airport near Nagoya due to engine trouble

Abstract: An All Nippon Airways plane headed for Kumamoto landed at Chubu airport near Nagoya on Wednesday evening due to engine trouble, the carrier said. The plane carrying 252 passengers and eight crew members left Haneda airport in Tokyo and detected the trouble at around 7:50 p.m., landing at Chubu airport about 40 minutes later. The cause of the problem is being investigated. The plane sustained no damage and no one was hurt in the incident. Many of the passengers stayed the night inside Chubu airport before flying to Kumamoto on another aircraft on Thursday, ANA said.


Abe ready to meet North Korea's Kim Jong Un 'unconditionally' to 'break the shell of mutual distrust'

Abstract: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has offered to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “unconditionally” in a bid to restore diplomatic ties between the two foes, a daily newspaper reported Thursday. In an interview with the Sankei Shimbun on Wednesday, Abe said: “I want to meet Chairman Kim Jong Un unconditionally and talk with him frankly with an open mind.” Abe, seen as a foreign policy hawk, has recently softened his rhetoric toward Pyongyang, calling for a summit with Kim to resolve an emotional row over past kidnappings of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents. “It is more than important for our country to be proactive in tackling the issue,” Abe also said in the interview. “We can’t break the shell of mutual distrust between Japan and North Korea unless I directly face Mr. Kim,” he said. “I hope that he is a leader who can make a decision strategically and flexibly on what is best for his nation.” Tokyo has been one of the most hawkish of the major powers on reclusive North Korea, and has been on the receiving end of some of Pyongyang’s harshest rhetoric — as well as missiles launched over its territory. Until late 2017, North Korea repeatedly tested missiles that flew toward or over Japan, sparking warnings blared from loudspeakers and stoking calls for a tough stance against Pyongyang. However, Japan now finds itself battling to keep itself relevant on the fast-moving North Korea issue as Kim expands his diplomatic circle. Kim met Russian President Vladimir Putin last week after multiple meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Abe also told the Sankei that he had asked Trump to help resolve the abduction issue when they held talks at the White House on Friday. Trump will hold another meeting with Abe in late May when he visits Japan as the first foreign head of state to meet Emperor Naruhito, who acceded the throne Wednesday. Tokyo believes North Korean agents kidnapped Japanese nationals to train its spies in language and customs in the 1970s and 1980s. After years of denial, North Korea admitted in 2002 that it had taken 13 Japanese civilians and released what it said were the five survivors, saying eight others had died. Campaigners, however, believe the disappearance of up to 470 Japanese may be linked to North Korea. North Korean authorities have given no public indication of any willingness to meet Abe. The comments by Abe came after his government removed a reference to applying “maximum pressure” on North Korea in an annual foreign policy report released late last month. The report also stopped short of explicitly claiming ownership of the disputed Russian-held islands off Hokkaido. The concessions are apparently aimed at easing diplomatic tensions as Abe works to resolve long-standing issues with both countries while in office. In its Diplomatic Bluebook 2019, the Foreign Ministry said North Korea had not taken any substantive steps to give up its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles despite repeated calls to do so from the international community. But the ministry used less condemnatory language than it did in last year’s report, which had said Japan was working closely with countries including the United States to “maximize pressure on North Korea by all available means” as its growing arsenal posed an “unprecedented, grave and imminent threat.” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the language used in this year’s annual report was chosen after taking into consideration “significant developments” on North Korean nuclear issues, such as the two summits between Kim and Trump. Japan has maintained its sanctions against North Korea. But the Abe government has also been making conciliatory gestures, such as not sponsoring a resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights abuses at a U.N. panel, apparently in hopes of engaging with Pyongyang and resolving the abduction issue.

shinzo abe
north korea
kim jong un
north korea nuclear crisis
sankei shimbun
abductions
north korea-japan relations


Friend of Japanese imperial family recalls hosting party in England for 'quite shy' new emperor in '80s

Abstract: LONDON - A British woman whose family has had close connections to the imperial family described her “great honor” recently at having hosted a party for Emperor Naruhito, then a prince, while he was studying at Oxford University in 1984. Lady Nadine Bonsor, 70, was asked by the Japanese Embassy to hold a traditional weekend house party for Prince Hiro — as the emperor was known at that time — at Liscombe House, the country estate of her husband’s family, in Bedfordshire, just north of London. Bonsor, whose husband Nicholas was a member of Parliament at the time, invited family and friends for the weekend at the Elizabethan manor house. The guests also paid a visit to nearby Althorp House to meet Lord Spencer, the father of Princess Diana, and his wife Raine. In an interview, Bonsor said, “I remember the prince being immensely courteous. He was quite shy and not very fluent in English at this stage.” Over the weekend the guests played tennis, took walks around the estate and also played traditional English games including billiard fives. “It’s a mad English game of elimination involving up to 20 people,” Bonsor said. “You hurl yourself at the table to get the ball. The prince thought it was very funny to see his rather stiff and formal entourage of Japanese officials running around the table hitting the ball. It broke the ice.” She recalled that the visit entailed additional security and preparation, including the installation of a monitor outside the prince’s bedroom and a security officer sitting in the hall through the night to keep watch. The family tried to keep things as normal as possible but Bonsor remembered her youngest daughters dressing up in kimono and being “terribly excited” at meeting a real prince for the first time. Bonsor, who was a close friend at Oxford of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, Emperor Emeritus Akihito’s cousin who died in 2012, also said she noted a close friendship between Prince Hiro and his police protection officer Roger Bacon, who was like a “father figure” to the 24-year-old. She believes she was chosen to host the party because of her family’s imperial connections and “maybe because we then had a cold, crumbling English house!” Asked to convey a message to the new emperor, Bonsor said, “We remember your visit with great pleasure and we wish you well. I’m sure you will be a wonderful emperor.” Bonsor’s grandfather, Miles Lampson, was a U.K. diplomat in Japan and assisted then-Crown Prince Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, during his trip to Britain in 1921. Miles and his son Graham, Bonsor’s father, were also friends with Princess Chichibu, Emperor Showa’s sister-in-law, who had a great love for Britain. This family link led to Bonsor becoming “buddies” with Princess Chichibu’s nephew, Prince Tomohito, at Oxford in the late 1960s. Bonsor’s mother, also named Nadine, was a friend of Kazuko Aso, a daughter of former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida, who served as the country’s ambassador to the U.K. in the late 1930s. Through her mother, Bonsor was also close to the family of Kazuko and her husband, the late Takakichi Aso, a business tycoon and politician. Their daughter Nobuko, 64, a sister of Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, 78, later went on to marry Prince Tomohito. Bonsor and her family maintain good relations with Princess Tomohito of Mikasa and her two daughters.

u.k .
royalty
imperial family
emperor naruhito
nadine bonsor


Japan's new emperor to make visits to Aichi, Akita, Niigata and Ibaraki from June

Abstract: Emperor Naruhito will start official visits across the country in June after acceding to the throne Wednesday and taking over duties from his father. Following the National Arbor Festival in Owariasahi, Aichi Prefecture, on June 2, the emperor will attend three other annual events — the Festival for the Cherished Sea on Sept. 7 and 8 in Akita Prefecture, the National Culture Festival that runs between Sept. 15 and Nov. 30 in Niigata Prefecture, and the National Sports Festival that runs from Sept. 28 to Oct. 8 in Ibaraki Prefecture. He has taken part in the culture festival since its inception in 1986, while attendance at the other events passed to him from Emperor Emeritus Akihito, who will no longer perform official duties following his abdication Tuesday. Empress Masako suffers from stress-induced adjustment disorder, and her health will determine whether she accompanies the new emperor, according to the Imperial Household Agency. “His Majesty cares very much about his duties in regional areas, and must be looking forward to meeting different people around the country,” said a senior agency official. It was customary for Emperor Emeritus Akihito to see local cultural, welfare and care facilities when traveling to the annual events. Together with Empress Emerita Michiko, he visited each of the 47 prefectures at least twice during his 30-year reign. Official duties for the 85-year-old had been slashed to help reduce the burden on him, but his succession by 59-year-old Emperor Naruhito is expected to see some of the scrapped duties return, including speeches. The emperor’s younger brother, Crown Prince Akishino, and his wife, Crown Princess Kiko, will attend four regional events that the new emperor visited when he was the crown prince. Official duties at a fifth event will be taken on by Princess Nobuko, widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa. The imperial family has been shrinking due to its female line losing their status by marrying commoners. This has led to much debate as to how official duties can be divided.

royalty
imperial family
emperor naruhito
empress masako


Taiwan seeks assistance from Japan and Interpol in locating double-murder suspect

Abstract: TAIPEI - Taiwanese authorities said Thursday they are seeking the assistance of Interpol in locating an Iraqi man who this week fled with his 1-year-old son to Japan, where he works, after allegedly killing his Taiwanese parents-in-law. Prosecutors issued a statement saying they sought an arrest warrant for Ali Hammad Jomaah and notified immigration authorities to arrest him should he re-enter Taiwan. The state’s Criminal Investigation Bureau earlier confirmed that it has requested the assistance of Interpol through their Japanese counterparts to locate Jomaah, who left Taiwan on Tuesday morning on a flight to Japan. Taiwan media reports said Jomaah, 31, initially flew to Taiwan on March 26 from Japan, where he works as an English teacher. The purpose of the trip was to meet with his Taiwanese wife, surnamed Hsiao, to discuss their pending divorce and custody problems. Hsiao and her son came to Taiwan earlier this year with her parents, who had traveled to Japan to bring them back after learning of allegations of domestic violence. Hsiao and her son had since then been staying with her parents, who were both in their 70s, in Taipei’s Shihlin District, the media reports said. On Monday night, after a quarrel with his parents-in-law at their apartment, Jomaah allegedly strangled them and then left, taking his infant son with him, according to the reports. The parents had reportedly asked their daughter not to be present for her own safety. Jomaah reportedly told his wife on Wednesday over social media that he had returned to the Iraqi capital Baghdad. However, police said they suspect Jomaah is still in Japan as he did not return to his residence in Ishikawa Prefecture, nor did the Japanese government have a record of his departure, the reports said. Jomaah and Hsiao met in the United States, where they were both studying. After Jomaah obtained his master’s degree in teaching English as a second language, Hsiao followed him to Japan, where they got married about two years ago. He found work as a teacher in Kanazawa. Taiwan is not a member of Interpol and has no official relations or extradition agreement with Japan.

violence
murder
taiwan
iraq
domestic violence
divorce
interpol


Japan's unexpected GDP growth in January-March leaves plenty of reasons for caution

Abstract: The economy unexpectedly grew at an annualized 2.1 percent in the January-March quarter, government data showed Monday, but it is likely to give little comfort to policymakers worried about economic momentum ahead of the looming consumption tax increase. The biggest driver of the expansion was imports falling even faster than exports, meaning that net exports technically drove growth in the economy. Yet falling imports is actually a sign of underlying weakness in demand, so the result is somewhat misleading. Another reason for caution is that the figures released Monday offer a preliminary reading of the economy and they are often significantly different when revised results are released weeks later. Gross domestic product expanded at an annualized 2.1 percent in the three months through March, according to the Cabinet Office. That compares with economists’ median estimate for a contraction of 0.2 percent. “All of the most important components of GDP are negative,” said Hiroaki Muto, chief economist at Tokai Tokyo Research Center. “The economy has already peaked out, so we are likely to have a mild recession. No one would object to delaying the consumption tax hike.” The headline GDP expansion was caused largely by a 4.6 percent slump in imports, the biggest drop in a decade and more than a 2.4 percent fall in exports. As imports fell more than exports, net exports — or shipments minus imports — added 0.4 percentage point to GDP growth, the data showed. Private consumption slid 0.1 percent and capital expenditure dropped 0.3 percent, casting doubt on policymakers’ view that solid domestic demand will offset the pain from slowing exports. There have been growing calls from some former policymakers to delay the consumption tax hike in the face of worsening domestic and external conditions. However, economy minister Toshimitsu Motegi put on a brave face Monday, saying there was no change to the government’s plan to raise the consumption tax to 10 percent from 8 percent in October. “There’s no change to our view that the fundamentals supporting domestic demand remain solid,” Motegi told reporters after the data were released. But some analysts warn the economy will continue to face headwinds that could dent growth in coming quarters. “Consumer spending is likely to remain weak, because wages are not rising that much,” said Kentaro Arita, senior economist at Mizuho Research Institute. “In the second quarter, GDP could be zero or slightly negative because exports will remain weak. This, combined with weakening capital expenditure, means there is a risk of a recession.” The GDP data comes as the government’s coincident economic indicator recently pointed to the possibility that Japan may be in a recession as exports and factory output were hit by China’s slowdown and the Sino-U.S. trade war. The latest data were being closely watched amid speculation that weak growth could prompt Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government to postpone the consumption tax hike for the third time. Speculation is also mounting that Abe could use this decision to call a snap election over the summer, combining it with Upper House elections. However, the strong headline GDP figure may dampen speculation for now. “For those who want to implement the tax hike as scheduled, today’s data is a tailwind,” said Yoshiki Shinke, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute. Major business organizations support going ahead with the tax hike, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga recently said the government will carry out the plan unless a crisis on the level of the 2008 financial meltdown happens. The previous consumption tax hike to 8 percent, from 5 percent, in 2014 was blamed for a slump in the economy.

economy
consumption
capital spending
gross domestic product


Soldiers oversee fuel rationing in Venezuelan towns amid shortages as economy implodes

Abstract: MARACAIBO/PUNTO FIJO, VENEZUELA - Soldiers oversaw rationing of gasoline at service stations in several parts of Venezuela on Sunday as worsening fuel shortages forced angry drivers to wait for hours to fill their tanks, prompting protests in some areas. Venezuela, whose economy is reeling from a painful five-year recession amid a prolonged political crisis, saw long lines of vehicles appear at services stations in several regions this week after a shutdown at the OPEC nation’s second-largest refinery. Shortages have been exacerbated by tough U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan state oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) in January, which have slashed crude oil exports and imports of refined fuels. Washington recognized opposition head Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s rightful leader after he invoked the constitution in January to declare an interim presidency, saying President Nicolas Maduro rigged last year’s election. Maduro calls Guaido a U.S. puppet and says Washington wants to control Venezuela’s oil reserves, the largest in the world. Dozens of people have been killed in political protests this year. In the western city of San Cristobal, close to the Colombian border, National Guard soldiers in anti-riot gear limited gasoline sales to 40 liters (10.6 gallons) per vehicle, witnesses said — roughly equivalent to a full tank on a compact vehicle. Angry residents blocked streets with metal barriers, rubbish and branches in some parts of the city. At some gasoline stations, people said they had been waiting days for fuel. “How can a country function like this?” asked Antonio Tamariz, 58, who said he had waited for days for fuel to drive his truck back to his farm. “No one has explained why there are so many lines for gasoline. I think the government is losing control of this.” Venezuela’s Information Ministry — which handles media inquiries for the government — did not respond to requests for comment. Oil Minister Manuel Quevedo said on Sunday his country’s oil industry was under siege from the U.S. government, causing supply problems. In the southeastern industrial hub of Puerto Ordaz and the northwestern city of Punto Fijo, close to Venezuela’s largest refining complex, soldiers were ordered to deliver 40 and 30 liters respectively, according to a dozen witnesses. In the western oil hub of Maracaibo, where power cuts and fuel shortages have been severe in recent months, National Guard soldiers allowed drivers only 20 liters (5.3 gallons) of fuel, witnesses said. “They have taken control of the pumps,” said Rocio Huerta, a manager of a service station in Maracaibo. “Every five hours there are inspections by the Military Intelligence Division to measure how much gasoline is left.” Victor Chourio, a 58-year-old taxi driver, said he had arrived at the gasoline station early on Saturday and waited for 12 hours without getting fuel. “At two o’clock in the afternoon a soldier guard said that only 20 liters per vehicle … but at seven o’clock the gasoline ran out,” Chourio told Reuters. Venezuela’s 310,000 bpd Cardon oil refinery — which had been operating well below capacity — halted operations on Wednesday because of damage at some of its units, two workers at the PDVSA-operated complex said. That left only two refineries in operation in Venezuela. Internal PDVSA documents and Refinitiv Eikon data indicate that Venezuela had not imported a gasoline cargo since March 31. The fuel shortages come on top of rolling power cuts in many parts of Venezuela as the government attempts to rotate electricity supplies to avoid a repeat of March’s week-long national blackout. In Caracas, home to roughly a fifth of Venezuela’s more than 30 million people, there were few signs of widespread gasoline shortages as Maduro has prioritized services to the capital. PDVSA said on its Twitter account on Friday that the government and the company would “ensure the supply and distribution of fuel throughout the national territory.” PDVSA did not respond to a request for more information. In some cities, security forces set up special gasoline pumps to deliver fuel for ambulances, medical personnel and official vehicles, a measure that aroused criticism among people who remained in rows often stretching for several kilometers. Some drivers complained that rationing of fuel meant they would be forced to wait in line for hours once again within just a few days. “This is not enough at all, between going to work and taking my children to school. It will run out in two days,” said Eduardo Pereira, a 47-year-old teacher in Puerto Ordaz, who was only allowed to buy 40 liters of fuel.

u.s .
venezuela
economy
oil
sanctions
nicolas maduro
juan guaido
pdvsa


In Iran, a plunging economy trumps fears of U.S. confrontation

Abstract: TEHRAN - Across Iran’s capital, the talk always seems to come back to how things may get worse. Battered by U.S. sanctions and its depreciating rial currency, Iran’s 80 million people struggle to buy meat, medicine and other staples of daily life. Now they wonder aloud about America’s intentions as it rushes an aircraft carrier and other forces to the region over a still-unexplained threat it perceives from Iran. The Associated Press spoke to a variety of people on Tehran’s streets recently, ranging from young and old, women wearing the all-encompassing black chador to those loosely covering their hair. Most say they believe a war will not come to the region, though they remain willing to defend their country. They think Iran should try to talk to the U.S. to help its anemic economy, even as they see President Donald Trump as an erratic and untrustworthy adversary. “Trump is not predictable at all and one doesn’t know how to react to him and what is the right thing to do against him,” said Afra Hamedzadeh, a 20-year-old civil servant and university student. “Since he controls the global economy we are somehow left with few options.” But opinions vary across Iran’s capital, Tehran, depending on whether you speak to someone coming out of Friday prayers, in the back of a shared taxi cab, or exiting the coffee shops popular with young people. “If America could do anything, it would have done many things by now,” said the chador-wearing Zoherh Sadeghi, a 51-year-old housewife coming out of prayers. “It can’t do anything. It can’t do a damn thing.” That’s an opinion shared by 35-year-old office worker Massumeh Izadpanah. “When someone keeps trying to scare you it means that they think they are not yet ready for war. When someone really wants war it starts the war right away. Like when Iraq attacked us, all of a sudden bombs were dropped,” she said. “But right now America just says, ‘I’m coming,’ to scare Iran.” A young nation, many across Iran were alive for its bloody 1980s war with Iraq, a conflict that began when dictator Saddam Hussein invaded and dragged on for eight years. That war, in which Saddam used chemical weapons and Iran launched human wave attacks, killed 1 million people. Since Trump withdrew the U.S. from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers last year, state television increasingly has focused attention on that war’s wounded. In Tehran’s southern Javadieh neighborhood, veteran Mohammad Ali Moghaddam said he was ready to fight again. “I would encourage my three sons and grandsons to go to defend Iran too,” said Moghaddam, a 58-year-old welder. Arezou Mirzaei, a 37-year-old mother of two in central Tehran, is more worried. “I think the government should do something to avoid war,” Mirzaei said. “If war was good, then Afghanistan and Iraq would not be the mess that we see on TV.” Taxi driver Jafar Hadavand, 34, agrees. “I think both sides will be losers if they fight each other,” Hadavand said. “I think there are wise people on both sides to advocate peace, not war.” Still, many pointed to the economy, not the possible outbreak of war, as Iran’s major concern. Iran’s rial currency traded at 32,000 to $1 at the time of the 2015 nuclear deal. Now it is at 148,000, and many have seen their life’s savings wiped out. Nationwide, the unemployment rate is 12 percent. For youth it’s even worse, with a quarter of all young people unemployed, according to Iran’s statistic center. “The economic situation is very bad, very bad. Unemployment is very high, and those who had jobs have lost theirs,” said Sadeghi, the housewife. “Young people can’t find good jobs, or get married, or become independent.” Sores Maleki, a 62-year-old retired accountant, said talks with the U.S. to loosen sanctions would help jumpstart Iran’s economy. “We should go and talk to America with courage and strength. We are able to do that, others have done it,” Maleki said. “We can make concessions and win concessions. We have no other choice.” But such negotiations will be difficult, said Reza Forghani, a 51-year-old civil servant. He said Iran needed to get the U.S. to “sign a very firm contract that they can’t escape and have to honor.” Otherwise, Iran should drop out of the nuclear deal. “When someone refuses to keep promises and commitments, you can tolerate it a couple of times, but then certainly you can’t remain committed forever. You will react,” Forghani said. “So I don’t think we should remain committed to the deal until the end.” Yet for Iran’s youth, many of whom celebrated the signing of the 2015 nuclear deal in the streets, the situation now feels more akin to a funeral. Many openly discuss their options to obtain a visa — any visa — to get abroad. “Young people have a lot of stress and the future is unknown,” said Hamedzadeh, the 20-year-old civil servant. “The future is so unknown that you can’t plan. The only thing they can do is to somehow leave Iran and build a life abroad.”

conflict
u.s .
economy
iran
sanctions
donald trump


Iraq slams Exxon 'political' decision to evacuate staff amid Persian Gulf tensions

Abstract: BAGHDAD - Iraq on Sunday slammed as “political” a decision by U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil to evacuate staff from a southern oil field after Washington ordered personnel to quit its Baghdad embassy. “The temporary withdrawal of employees has nothing to do with security in southern Iraqi oil fields or any threats,” Oil Minister Thamer al-Ghadban said. “The reasons are political and probably linked to tensions in the region,” he added in a statement released by the oil ministry. Ghadban called the move to pull out staff from the West Qorna oil field west of the southern port city of Basra “unacceptable and unjustified. Exxon did not confirm the withdrawal. “We are closely monitoring. As a matter of practice, we don’t share specifics related to operational staffing at our facilities,” a spokeswoman said. “ExxonMobil has programs and measures in place to provide security to protect its people, operations and facilities. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our employees and contractors at all of our facilities around the world,” she added. On Wednesday the United States ordered the evacuation of non-emergency staff from its Baghdad embassy and Arbil consulate, citing an “imminent” threat from Iranian-linked armed groups in Iraq. It came 10 days after the Pentagon deployed an aircraft carrier task force and B-52 bombers to the Gulf to fend off an unspecified alleged plot by Tehran to attack U.S. forces or allies. Both the US and Iran are key allies of Shiite-majority Iraq, and Baghdad has been under pressure from Washington to limit ties with its Shiite-ruled neighbor.


Top U.S. tech companies begin to cut off vital Huawei supplies

Abstract: SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON - The impact of the Trump administration’s threats to choke Huawei Technologies Co. reverberated across the global supply chain on Monday, hitting some of the biggest component-makers. Germany’s Infineon Technologies AG fell in early trading Monday after the Nikkei daily reported it halted shipments to the Chinese company in the wake of the U.S. ban. Shares of STMicroelectronics NV were also hit. The share-price falls follow U.S. corporations freezing the supply of critical software and components to China’s largest technology company, in order to comply with White House orders. Chipmakers including Intel Corp., Qualcomm Inc., Xilinx Inc. and Broadcom Inc. have told their employees they will not supply Huawei till further notice, according to people familiar with their actions. Alphabet Inc.’s Google cut off the supply of hardware and some software services to the Chinese giant, another person familiar said, asking not to be identified discussing private matters. The moves, which had been anticipated, hamstring the world’s largest provider of networking gear and No. 2 smartphone vendor. The Trump administration on Friday blacklisted Huawei — which it accuses of aiding Beijing in espionage — and threatened to cut it off from the U.S. software and semiconductors it needs to make its products. Blocking the sale to Huawei of critical components could also disrupt the businesses of American chip giants like Micron Technology Inc. and retard the rollout of critical 5G wireless networks worldwide — including in China. That in turn could hurt U.S. companies that are increasingly reliant on the world’s second largest economy for growth. If fully implemented, the Trump administration action could have ripple effects across the global semiconductor industry. Intel is the main supplier of server chips to the Chinese company, Qualcomm provides it with processors and modems for many of its smartphones, Xilinx sells programmable chips used in networking and Broadcom is a supplier of switching chips, another key component in some types of networking machinery. Representatives for the chipmakers declined to comment. Huawei “is heavily dependent on U.S. semiconductor products and would be seriously crippled without supply of key U.S. components,” said Ryan Koontz, an analyst with Rosenblatt Securities Inc. The U.S. ban “may cause China to delay its 5G network build until the ban is lifted, having an impact on many global component suppliers.” To be sure, Huawei is said to have stockpiled enough chips and other vital components to keep its business running for at least three months. It’s been preparing for such an eventuality since at least the middle of 2018, hoarding components while designing its own chips, people familiar with the matter said. But its executives believe their company has become a bargaining chip in ongoing U.S.-Chinese trade negotiations, and that they will be able to resume buying from American suppliers if a trade deal is reached, they said. The American companies’ moves are likely to escalate tensions between Washington and Beijing, elevating fears that U.S. President Donald Trump’s goal is to contain China, triggering a protracted cold war between the world’s biggest economies. In addition to a trade fight that has rattled global markets for months, the U.S. has pressured both allies and foes to avoid using Huawei for 5G networks that will form the backbone of the modern economy. “The extreme scenario of Huawei’s telecom network unit failing would set China back many years and might even be viewed as an act of war by China,” Koontz wrote. “Such a failure would have massive global telecom market implications.” U.S. spy chiefs have in past days briefed American companies, investors and other important groups on the dangers of doing business with China, the Financial Times reported Monday. The American clampdown also deals a direct blow to Huawei’s fast-growing mobile devices division. Huawei will only be able to access the public version of Google’s Android mobile operating system, the world’s most popular smartphone software. It won’t be able to offer proprietary apps and services from Maps and search to Gmail, said the person, who requested anonymity speaking about a private matter. That will severely curtail the sale of Huawei smartphones abroad, though it’s unclear when those apps — which are popular mainly outside of China — will become unavailable. Huawei, the world’s largest smartphone brand after Samsung Electronics Co., was one of a select few global hardware partners to receive early access to the latest Android software and features from Google. Outside of China, those ties are critical for the search giant to spread its consumer apps and bolster its mobile ads business. The Chinese company will still have access to app and security updates that come with the open-source version of Android. Reuters reported the move earlier. “We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications,” a Google representative said, without elaborating.

china
smartphones
google
espionage
telecoms
huawei
donald trump
trade war


Google suspends some business with Huawei after Trump's blacklisting, source says

Abstract: SAN, FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON - In a blow to the Chinese technology company that the U.S. government has sought to blacklist around the world, Alphabet Inc.’s Google has suspended business with Huawei that requires the transfer of hardware, software and technical services except those publicly available via open source licensing, a source familiar with the matter said Sunday. Holders of current Huawei smartphones with Google apps, however, will continue to be able to use and download app updates provided by Google, a Google spokesperson said, confirming earlier reports. “We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications,” the Google spokesperson said. “For users of our services, Google Play and the security protections from Google Play Protect will continue to function on existing Huawei devices,” the spokesperson said, without giving further details. The suspension could hobble Huawei’s smartphone business outside China as the tech giant will immediately lose access to updates to Google’s Android operating system. Future versions of Huawei smartphones that run on Android will also lose access to popular services including the Google Play Store and Gmail and YouTube apps. “Huawei will only be able to use the public version of Android and will not be able to get access to proprietary apps and services from Google,” the source said. The Trump administration Thursday added Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd to a trade blacklist, immediately enacting restrictions that will make it extremely difficult for the company to do business with U.S. counterparts. On Friday the Commerce Department said it was considering scaling back restrictions on Huawei to “prevent the interruption of existing network operations and equipment.” It was not immediately clear Sunday whether Huawei’s access to mobile software will be affected. The extent to which Huawei will be hurt by the U.S. government’s blacklisting is not yet known as its global supply chain assesses the impact. Chip experts have questioned Huawei’s ability to continue to operate without U.S. help. Details of the specific services affected by the suspension were still being discussed internally at Google, according to the source. Huawei attorneys are also studying the impact of the blacklist, a Huawei spokesman said Friday. Huawei was not immediately reachable for further comment. Representatives of the U.S. Commerce Department did not immediately comment. Huawei will continue to have access to the version of the Android operating system available through the open source license, known as Android Open Source Project, that is available for free to anyone who wishes to use it. There are about 2.5 billion active Android devices worldwide, according to Google. But Google will stop providing Huawei with access, technical support and collaboration involving its proprietary apps and services going forward, the source said. Huawei has said it has spent the last few years preparing a contingency plan by developing its own technology in case it is blocked from using Android. Some of this technology is already being used in products sold in China, the company has said. In an interview in March, Eric Xu, rotating chairman of Huawei, struck a defiant note in anticipation of retaliatory actions by U.S. companies. “No matter what happens, the Android community does not have any legal right to block any company from accessing its open-source license,” he said. Popular Google apps such as Gmail, YouTube and the Chrome browser that are available through Google’s Play Store will disappear from future Huawei handsets as those services are not covered by the open source license and require a commercial agreement with Google. But users of existing Huawei devices who have access to the Google Play Store will still be able to download app updates provided by Google. Apps such as Gmail are updated through the store, unlike operating system updates which are typically handled by phone manufacturers and telecoms carriers, which the blacklist could affect, the source said. The impact is expected to be minimal in the Chinese market. Most Google mobile apps are banned in China, where alternatives are offered by domestic competitors such as Tencent and Baidu. Huawei’s European business, its second-biggest market, could be hit as Huawei licenses these services from Google in Europe. “Having those apps is critical for smartphone makers to stay competitive in regions like Europe,” said Geoff Blaber, vice president of research at CCS Insight.

china
smartphones
google
tech
huawei
donald trump


Sen. Chuck Schumer calls for probe of Chinese rail tech, sees national security threat

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The Senate’s top Democrat is calling on the federal government to step in and investigate whether a plan for new subway cars in New York City designed by a Chinese state-owned company could pose a threat to national security. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York said in a statement to The Associated Press on Sunday that he’s asked the Commerce Department to conduct a “top-to-bottom review” after CRRC, one of the world’s largest train makers, won a design contest for new subway cars that would include “modern train control technology.” The company hasn’t won a contract in New York City, which has America’s biggest transit system, but it has been awarded contracts in recent years for new subway cars in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia. In announcing the contest winners last year, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the subway system, said CRRC had proposed investing $50 million of its own money to develop the new subway cars. The contest was designed to bring out new ideas for future projects but did not lead to any contracts for new subway cars and the MTA is not currently purchasing any new cars. But in the last few years, China has pushed to dominate the U.S. rail car market, a multibillion-dollar industry. CRRC is also believed to be pursuing a $500 million contract with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in Washington, D.C. Security experts and members of Congress have raised the alarm about CRRC because it is owned by the Chinese government, warning of prior cyberthreats and hacking attacks linked to Chinese intelligence officials. They fear allowing the company to install technology in America’s rail system could potentially expose it to cyberespionage and sabotage. Schumer’s call for an investigation comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. and China after trade talks between the two nations broke up earlier this month without an agreement. Days ago, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to declare a national economic emergency that empowered the government to ban American telecommunication companies from installing foreign-made equipment and technology that could pose a threat to national security. “The MTA has robust, multilayered and vigorously enforced safety and security standards, but we support efforts of government agencies to bolster that work,” spokesman Max Young said. A spokesman for CRRC Sifang America — the company’s arm in Chicago — said a majority of the components used in its new rail cars come from U.S. companies and said concerns about spying or malware are misplaced. The rail cars meet specific requirements set by the transit agencies, the manufacturer doesn’t control the cyber components it installs and it is “not possible” for the company to implant malware in the system, he said. “There is no evidence of a passenger railcar manufacturer, including CRRC, installing any type of new technology that could intentionally open passenger railcars to cyberthreats or pose a threat to commuters and national security,” spokesman Dave Smolensky said. “CRRC is eager to address any concerns Senator Schumer has and we welcome an inquiry regarding our U.S. operations.” Legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate that, if passed, would prevent federal funds from being used for rail projects involving Chinese companies. “Given what we know about how cyberwarfare works, and recent attacks that have hit transportation and infrastructure hubs across the country, the Department of Commerce must give the green light and thoroughly check any proposals or work China’s CRRC does on behalf of the New York subway system, including our signals, Wi-Fi and more,” Schumer said in the statement to AP. In 2017, hackers attacked the Sacramento transit system and demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency. The transit agency said at the time that the hackers erased parts of programs on its servers that affect operations like the ability to use computers to dispatch employees and assign buses. In 2016, a ransomware attack on San Francisco’s transit system resulted in officials shutting down ticketing machines, allowing free rides for much of a weekend. And last year, the Colorado Department of Transportation fell victim to a similar attack that essentially froze hundreds of computers. In the last few years, the U.S. Justice Department has brought several cases alleging hacking by Chinese intelligence officials and targeting Chinese cyberespionage. “This kind of national security responsibility is just so big, and so complex, that the MTA and other big-city transit systems should not have to foot the burden of going it alone to assess whether or not CRRC’s low bids for work, and current contracts across the country, are part of some larger strategy. We just cannot be too careful here, especially now, amidst these tensions and general cyber threats,” Schumer said. The Commerce Department did not immediately comment on Sunday.

china
u.s .
congress
new york
espionage
cyberattacks
mta
chuck schumer
crrc sifang america


Dollar rises above ¥110 in Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar rose above ¥110 in Tokyo on Monday, backed by better than expected Japanese economic growth data, but its upward momentum lacked vigor. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥110.10-11, up from ¥109.72-72 at the same time Friday. The euro was at $1.1163-1163, down from $1.1177-1177, and at ¥122.91-91, up from ¥122.64-64. In morning trading, the dollar climbed above ¥110.30 thanks to a Japanese government report that the gross domestic product for January-March posted growth in contrast to market expectations for a negative reading. But the greenback lost steam later and traded around ¥110.10 in late trading. A think tank official pointed out that the market saw a “crosscurrent of buying and selling to adjust positions after overseas players started the day’s trading.” Currency market players were waiting for U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s lecture in Florida on Monday, traders said. “It would not be surprising if hawkish remarks come from Powell as stock prices are moving on a firm note,” an official of a Japanese bank said. Players are waiting for news related to trade friction between the United States and China, the think tank official said.


Japan stocks rise moderately, but topside capped

Abstract: Stocks rose moderately Monday on the back of unexpectedly robust economic growth data. But the market’s topside was capped partly because players became increasingly doubtful about the strength of the economy. The Nikkei 225 average rose 51.64 points, or 0.24 percent, to end at 21,301.73. It gained 187.11 points Friday. The Topix, which covers all first-section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, closed 0.67 point, or 0.04 percent, higher at 1,554.92 after gaining 16.70 points Friday. The Nikkei got off to a strong start and soon gained nearly 180 points, aided by a weak yen and better than expected preliminary gross domestic product data for January-March, brokers said. Just before the opening bell, the Cabinet Office said Japan’s seasonally adjusted GDP grew a real 2.1 percent from the previous quarter at an annual rate, against the consensus estimate among market players of a 0.2 percent fall. The Nikkei failed to expand its gains, due partly to a drop in Shanghai equities, though it remained in positive territory throughout the day. Masahiro Ichikawa, senior strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Co., noted that the market’s rise was limited as weak private consumption in the GDP data triggered a bout of selling. According to the data, private consumption declined a real 0.1 percent quarter on quarter, while the GDP growth was backed mainly by a positive contribution from net exports reflecting a 4.6 percent fall in imports that was bigger than a drop of 2.4 percent in exports. In the afternoon, the market saw mixed trading amid a lack of fresh incentives, brokers said. “Investors are waiting for fresh news, especially on developments in U.S.-China trade talks,” Ichikawa said. Falling issues outnumbered rising ones 1,203 to 855 on the first section, while 82 issues were unchanged. Volumes fell to 1.178 billion shares from 1.349 billion Friday. Hokuetsu rocketed 9.03 percent after the paper manufacturer said Friday it expects to enjoy a 62.9 percent rise in group operating profit in the business year to next March. The news came as a positive surprise to investors, brokers said. Maruha Nichiro was up 3.57 percent thanks to a media report that the seafood producer will start full-scale exports of fully farmed tuna to Europe thanks to the Japan-European Union economic partnership agreement taking effect this year. Other winners included drugmaker Takeda and mobile game app developer DeNA. Meanwhile, Japan Display tumbled 8.77 percent on a media report that a China-Taiwan consortium is demanding a review in conditions for its envisaged investment in the struggling liquid crystal display panel maker. Among other losers were Mizuho Financial and technology giant Sony.


Japan startup making paper from stone seeks more pre-IPO funding

Abstract: Making paper out of rock isn’t just a novel idea — it saves water, is both recyclable and biodegradable and uses a mineral resource available anywhere on Earth. TBM Co., a startup known for its technology that turns limestone into business cards, plastic folders and food containers, is seeking to raise another round of funding to expand overseas before it prepares for an initial public offering in a couple years. Goldman Sachs Group Inc., trading house Itochu Corp. and Toppan Printing Co., Japan’s largest printer by sales, have already invested in the manufacturer. TBM, which raised ¥1.6 billion and ¥3.1 billion in its latest two rounds, is looking to secure several billion yen, according to Chief Executive Officer Nobuyoshi Yamasaki. The goal is to establish overseas partnerships before seeking an initial public offering, he added. “Our next round is for overseas expansion, both for production and sales,” the CEO said at the company’s Tokyo headquarters. “We want to expand aggressively overseas, and to do that we need the funding to hire more people.” As result, TBM is pushing back its planned timing for an IPO by about a year, to 2021, according to Yamasaki. The company was valued at ¥56.3 billion in its latest financing, he said. Although TBM hasn’t disclosed its latest annual sales, Yamasaki says revenue will grow at least fivefold in the coming year. The company recently won a contract to supply beef-bowl restaurant chain Yoshinoya Co. with menus made with Limex, its limestone-based paper product. A new mass-production factory near Sendai will come online in 2020 to produce 30,000 tons of Limex products per year. TBM started by selling material for business cards. The material is smooth, like laminated paper, and is much harder to tear or bend. That makes it ideal for restaurants: More than 400 sushi restaurants run by Sushiro Global Holdings Ltd. across Japan also use Limex paper for their menus. The material can be recycled and turned into paper products or more durable items such as folders, bowls and plates. One key feature of Limex material is that it can be made without using water. By comparison, it takes 100 tons of water to make a ton of regular paper. That also requires 20 trees, while TBM’s process uses less than a ton of limestone, in addition to 200 kilograms of polyolefin. The company also says greenhouse gas emissions are about 20 percent less than traditional paper printing. Yamasaki, a former used car salesman who left school at 15 and began his career as a carpenter, established TBM in 2011. The process of turning stone into paper originated in Taiwan, according to the company’s website. The CEO began importing the material to Japan and later developed the Limex technology. Yamasaki’s goal is to generate ¥1 trillion in revenue, cumulatively, through the mid-2030s. He plans to license Limex to manufacturers outside Japan, especially in limestone-rich, water-poor areas such as Saudi Arabia and California.

startups
entrepreneurs
paper
nobuyoshi yamasaki
tbm
limex
limestone


Japanese manufacturers brace for fallout — and losses — from U.S.-China trade war

Abstract: Japanese manufacturers are watching developments closely in the U.S.-China trade war, with the looming possibility of additional mutual import tariffs expected to further dampen their businesses. The U.S. government has announced a list of some 3,800 items of Chinese products that would be slapped with a tariff increase, including products assembled in China with parts exported from Japan, such as smartphones. At a news conference last Wednesday, Japan Display Inc. President Yoshiyuki Tsukizaki apologized for the company’s consolidated net loss of ¥109.4 billion for the business year to March of this year. The sea of red ink reflected sluggish sales of iPhones of Apple Inc., a major customer of the small and midsize liquid crystal display panel maker under business rehabilitation, due to a slowdown in the Chinese economy. The company saw changes in the market that “exceeded” its expectations, Tsukizaki said. In the event of fresh U.S. punitive tariffs on imports from China, which include iPhones, JDI will likely suffer a major blow. A China-Taiwan consortium has postponed its decision to invest up to ¥80 billion in JDI in order to re-examine the prospects for JDI’s business performance. “There were no concerns over asset assessments so far, but changes occurred over our future operations,” JDI Chief Strategy Officer Takanobu Oshima said, admitting that the possible U.S. tariffs are having an impact on the negotiations for the capital injection. Sharp Corp., which also supplies smartphone panels to Chinese companies, saw a downswing especially in its original design manufacturer, or ODM, operations, Sharp Executive Vice President Katsuaki Nomura said. Sharp is also likely to take a big hit if the new punitive tariffs are implemented, analysts said. “The tariffs could push down net profits at Japanese listed companies by a total of 2.3 percent in fiscal 2019 and 2020,” said Junichi Makino, chief economist at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. Another source of concern is a U.S. order that basically prohibits U.S. companies from trading with major Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co. “There are Japanese companies supplying parts to Huawei,” Finance Minister Taro Aso said, expressing concerns over a possible setback at Japanese manufacturers.

china
u.s .
trade
tariffs
japan display inc .
trade war
sharp corp .


Already downgraded, Nissan's credit rating takes another hit

Abstract: Nissan Motor Co.’s credit standing took another hit Monday as S&P Global Ratings placed the automaker’s rating on negative watch after it issued a weaker profit outlook last week. There is a more than 1-in-3 chance of a further delay in Nissan’s profit recovery, according to the rating agency, which in February lowered the carmaker’s long-term issuer credit rating for the first time in a decade to A- from A. Nissan reduced its full-year earnings forecast after third-quarter profit missed analysts’ estimates, adding to the headwinds for a carmaker struggling with the fallout from the arrest of former boss Carlos Ghosn. Sales in the U.S. plunged 19 percent in January amid an industrywide slump, intensifying the pressure on Chief Executive Officer Hiroto Saikawa as he tries to ease tensions with partner and shareholder Renault SA. “The outlook revision is based on our view that the company’s profitability is likely to decline over the next two years to a greater degree than we previously assumed,” S&P said in its statement Monday. “Amid a difficult business environment, the company’s weak product competitiveness is likely to lead to stronger earnings pressure in North America and Europe than those of its peers.” Hurt by slumping U.S. sales, aging vehicle models and an out-of-sync product cycle, Nissan issued an outlook for profit of ¥230 billion for the fiscal year ending March 2020, roughly half of the average projection for ¥453 billion. Nissan also reported its lowest annual profit in a decade at ¥318 billion. S&P, which cited weaker profits as the reason for its negative outlook, affirmed Nissan’s long-term A- and short-term A-2 ratings based on the view “that the company’s solid global business franchise and sound financial position with sizable net cash will likely continue.”

toyota
earnings
carmakers
carlos ghosn
s & p


U.S.-China trade spat will affect Marubeni, new boss says

Abstract: Higher U.S. tariffs on Chinese products are expected to affect Marubeni Corp., Masumi Kakinoki, president and chief executive officer of the major trading house, said in a recent interview. “Japan will be affected for sure and so will Marubeni to some extent,” said Kakinoki, who took the helm April 1. The tariffs are expected to drive down the company’s consolidated profits by ¥1 billion to ¥2 billion for the year ending in March 2020, he said. The U.S. actions are likely to prompt manufacturers to process Chinese-made parts in Southeast Asia for export to the United States, Kakinoki said. But he said such a shift will take time and that there will be “disturbance for a certain period of time.” Referring to Marubeni’s plans, unveiled earlier this month, to invest ¥200 billion in new business fields over three years through March 2022, he said a task force newly established with a staff of about 100 has already been discussing some concrete plans. The Marubeni CEO pinned high hopes on the growth of Interstellar Technologies Inc., a Japanese aerospace startup financially supported by the company. Interstellar Technologies this month became the first private sector company in Japan to successfully launch a rocket without government involvement.


New Mitsubishi Motors CEO vows to achieve growth through alliance with Nissan and Renault

Abstract: The newly named CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has vowed to achieve growth by strengthening the company’s competitiveness through its alliance with Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA in the fast-evolving auto industry. “I hope to brush up our competitiveness through the use of the alliance and a focused strategy. I will step up efforts to achieve stable growth,” the 57-year-old Takao Kato, president of Mitsubishi Motors’ operations in Indonesia, said at a news conference Monday after being chosen last week to replace Osamu Masuko as CEO next month. The 70-year-old Masuko will remain chairman with representative rights and continue to handle negotiations with Nissan and Renault over management of the three-way alliance, recently rocked by the arrest of its leader, Carlos Ghosn, for alleged financial misconduct. “As the alliance wields great influence on Mitsubishi Motors, I will remain in charge,” Masuko, who has been CEO since 2014, said at the same news conference. Masuko will represent Mitsubishi Motors on the alliance board comprised of Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa, Renault CEO Thierry Bollore and Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard to steer one of the world’s biggest auto groups. The management change at Japan’s sixth-largest automaker by sales will be finalized pending shareholder approval at their annual meeting June 21. The event is also set to approve the dismissal of Ghosn as director. Ghosn was removed as chairman of Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors shortly after his arrest last November. He has also resigned as chairman and CEO of Renault. Kato, president of PT Mitsubishi Motors Krama Yudha Indonesia since April 2015, joined Mitsubishi Motors in 1984 and was instrumental in setting up a joint venture in Russia with France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen in 2010. Kato said a major challenge facing Mitsubishi Motors is how to cope with the auto industry’s transition to developing vehicles with technologies of connectivity, autonomous driving, sharing and electrified powertrains. Mitsubishi Motors said this month it expects its net profit to fall 51.1 percent to ¥65 billion in the business year through next March partly due to the yen’s strength, after posting ¥132.87 billion last year, helped by robust sales in Southeast Asia. In the three-way alliance, Nissan holds a controlling stake of 34 percent in Mitsubishi Motors and a 15 percent stake in Renault without voting rights. The French automaker, meanwhile, has a stake of 43.4 percent with voting rights in Nissan.

nissan
carmakers
mitsubishi motors
renault
carlos ghosn
takao kato


Sudanese military and protesters resume talks after street violence

Abstract: KHARTOUM - Sudan’s ruling military council said it had restarted talks late on Sunday with an alliance of protest and opposition groups that is pushing for a civilian-led transition to democracy. The Transitional Military Council (TMC) had suspended the talks late on Wednesday after two outbreaks of violence around protest sites in the capital Khartoum. Street protests and a sit-in outside the Defense Ministry have continued since the army ousted and arrested former President Omar al-Bashir on April 11. Demonstrators are calling for a rapid transition to civilian rule, and demanding justice over the deaths of dozens of people killed since protests triggered by an economic crisis and decades of repressive rule spread across Sudan from Dec. 19. The TMC and the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) have agreed on a three-year transition before elections, but have been deadlocked over whether civilians or the military would control a sovereign council that would hold ultimate power. The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), which spearheaded protests against al-Bashir and heads the DFCF, has accused the TMC of dragging its feet in the talks and has sought to increase pressure on the council by expanding protests. It also held the TMC responsible for street violence over the past week in which several protesters were killed and dozens wounded. The council accused protesters of not respecting an understanding on de-escalation while talks were under way.

protests
sudan
omar al-bashir
khartoum
tmx


Trump denies plans to fly thousands of migrants from Mexico border to Florida

Abstract: MIAMI - President Donald Trump on Sunday denied reports that hundreds of migrants would be flown from the Mexican border to Florida and other areas in the U.S. interior to lessen the workload at crowded Border Patrol facilities. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, also on Sunday, acknowledged that federal officials did initially alert local leaders of the possibility that migrants would be flown to two South Florida counties. But Trump appeared to blame the media for “false reporting.” “There are no plans to send migrants to northern or Coastal Border facilities, including Florida,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “…Our country is FULL, will not, and cannot, take you in!” The office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also said Sunday that Trump told him he didn’t approve and wouldn’t authorize to fly the immigrants. The governor’s spokeswoman, Helen Ferre, said DeSantis spoke with Trump on Saturday, two days after local officials reacted with alarm to a U.S. Border Patrol notification that 1,000 migrants could be sent on a weekly basis to Palm Beach and Broward counties, starting in about two weeks. After the plan was attacked by local leaders last week, federal officials initially said the flights were only being considered and nothing was happening immediately. On Sunday, McAleenan said that Florida and other cities in the interior were no longer in consideration. He appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” and said the plan “wasn’t going to be an effective use of government resources.” “We looked at it from a planning perspective. We do have stations in Florida … they are very small stations, they have a few agents that are busy patrolling their areas,” he said. He added that the decision to take the sectors of Miami, Detroit and Buffalo off the table was made Saturday by John Sanders, acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The agency’s Miami sector includes all South Florida. “We had to look at all options,” he said. The government has run out of space to process migrants who have been arriving at the Texas border. McAleenan said there are currently 16,000 people in custody at Border Patrol stations and ports of entry. The government began flying hundreds of migrants from Texas to San Diego, to distribute the workload at Border Patrol facilities more evenly. Once migrants are processed, they are released and given a court date in a city where they plan to reside, often with family members, which could be anywhere in the U.S. DeSantis apparently had been caught off guard and said such flights would amount to “dumping” migrants on Florida. He appeared upset that Florida was even a consideration, especially after he recently signed a bill banning sanctuary cities and pledging to help federal immigration authorities. Trump and DeSantis are close. The president endorsed DeSantis, which propelled him from underdog to winner in last year’s governor’s race. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, one of the first officials to publicly denounce the plan, suggested in an audio message shared via Twitter on Saturday that that the quick reactions with alarm from local officials and federal lawmakers who represent Florida made federal officials change their mind. “Because of everybody’s efforts, we were able to stop what it appeared to be a crisis for our communities.”

u.s .
immigration
mexico
refugees
florida
donald trump
ron desantis


Boko Haram gunmen kill two in Nigerian refugee camp attack, then flee

Abstract: KANO, NIGERIA - Boko Haram jihadis on Saturday killed two people and injured a dozen others in an predawn attack on a refugee camp in northeastern Borno State, aid agency and militia sources told AFP Sunday. The militants sneaked into Madu Musaha camp, in Dikwa Town at around 3:30 a.m. (0230GMT) and opened fire on residents who were eating before sunrise ahead of their Muslim Ramadan fast. Dikwa, which lies 90 km (56 miles) from the state capital Maiduguri, is home to more than 70,000 displaced people who live in several camps where they rely on food and humanitarian assistance from aid agencies. An aid agency member of staff in the town, who spoke on condition of annonimity, said militants “burst into the camp from the rear and opened fire on the IDPs (internally displaced persons). “The gunmen escaped before troops responded,” they added, with the swift attack sending refugees and aid staff scurrying away. Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), an anti-Boko Haram militia group in the town, said the attack was “brief and unexpected,” ending before they or the military arrived at the scene. It was not clear whether the militants stole any food or supplies from the camp during the attack. In August 2014 Boko Haram seized Dikwa but it was retaken seven months later with the help of Chadian forces, allowing residents to return. Yet attacks persist from jihadis hiding in remote areas, targeting civilians, displacement camps and troops protecting the town and nearby villages. Later on Saturday, Boko Haram fighters in three trucks and several motorcycles stormed into Lassa village in Askira Town, Borno State, stealing food and burning shops, local residents said. “Boko Haram attacked around 8:00 p.m. (1900GMT) and headed to the market,” Lassa resident Musa Yohanna said. “They broke into shops and carted away food supplies before setting fire to the shops,” he added. Residents fled the scene with the jihadis making no attempt to pursue them, another resident, Barnabas Adams said, adding there were no known casualties. The militants had left to their Sambisa Forest hideouts before troops arrived in the village, he said. Lassa lies near Boko Haram’s Sambisa forest enclave and has been repeatedly attacked. Boko Haram’s 10-year insurgency has killed over 27,000 people, fuelling a humanitarian crisis where 1.8 million people remain displaced.

conflict
terrorism
refugees
boko haram
nigeria
madu musaha
dikwa


After the moon, people on Mars by 2033 … or maybe not even until the 2060s?

Abstract: WASHINGTON - On Dec. 11, 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a directive ordering NASA to prepare to return astronauts to the moon “followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations.” The dates fixed by the space agency are 2024 for the moon and Mars in 2033, but according to experts and industry insiders, reaching the red planet by then is highly improbable barring a Herculean effort on the scale of the Apollo program in the 1960s. “The moon is the proving ground for our eventual mission to Mars,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said at a conference last week. “The moon is our path to get to Mars in the fastest, safest way possible. That’s why we go to the moon.” According to Robert Howard, who heads up the lab developing future space habitats at the legendary Johnson Space Center in Houston, the hurdles aren’t so much technical or scientific as much as a question of budget and political will. “A lot of people want us to have an Apollo moment, and have a president stand up like Kennedy and say, ‘We’ve got to do it,’ and the entire country comes together,” he said. “If that happened, I would actually say 2027. But I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think in our current approach, we are going to be lucky to do it by the 2037 date.” But Howard said if he were to be pessimistic, and assume political dithering lies ahead, “it could be the 2060s.” From the design, manufacture and testing of the rockets and spaceships required to learning the best way to grow lettuce: All the groundwork remains to be done. Just getting there will take six months at least, as opposed to three days to the Moon. The whole mission could take two years, since Mars and the Earth are closet to each other every 26 months, a window that must be taken. Key tasks include finding a way to shield astronauts from prolonged exposure to solar and cosmic radiation, said Julie Robinson, NASA’s chief scientist for the International Space Station. “A second is our food system,” she added. The current plant system ideas “are not packageable, portable or small enough to take to Mars.” And then there is the question of dealing with medical emergencies: Astronauts will need to be able to treat themselves in case of any accidents. “I actually think a big deal is the suits,” added Jennifer Heldman, a NASA planetary scientist. One of the major gripes of the Apollo astronauts was their gloves, which were too inflated and prevented them from doing dexterous work. NASA is developing a new suit, the first in 40 years, called xEMU, but it won’t be ready for its first outing in the International Space Station for a few more years. On Mars, dust will be even more of a problem than on the moon. The Apollo astronauts returned with huge amounts of lunar dust in their modules. Keeping it out of habitats will be critical for a mission that involves spending months on the planet. Techniques to exploit Martian resources to extract water, oxygen and fuel necessary for humans to live there don’t yet exist — and must be tested on the moon by the end of this decade. Finally, there is the most fundamental question: How will a group of people cope with the psychological stress of being totally isolated for two years? It won’t be possible to communicate in real time with mission control in Houston: radio communications will take between four and 24 minutes between the planets, one-way. NASA plans to test out delayed-communication exercises on board the ISS in the coming years. Artificial intelligence must also be developed to assist and guide the astronauts. A researcher commissioned by NASA to study the likelihood of getting to Mars by 2033 concluded the objective was “infeasible.” “It isn’t just budget,” said Bhavya Lal of the Science and Technology Policy Institute. “It’s also organization bandwidth, how many things can NASA do at the same time?” For Lal, the more realistic time frame was 2039.


Trump calls pro-impeachment Republican 'total lightweight'

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Donald Trump on Sunday dismissed as “a total lightweight” the Republican lawmaker who a day earlier became the first member of the party to call publicly for the U.S. president’s impeachment. Michigan Rep. Justin Amash — a staunch libertarian on the right of the party — declared that any other person would have been prosecuted over Trump’s multiple attempts to thwart special counsel Robert Mueller’s report into Russian election interference. “Never a fan of @justinamash, a total lightweight who opposes me and some of our great Republican ideas and policies just for the sake of getting his name out there,” Trump tweeted. He said that if the Michigan lawmaker had “actually read the biased Mueller Report… he would see that it was nevertheless strong on NO COLLUSION and, ultimately, NO OBSTRUCTION…” Trump called Amash “a loser who sadly plays right into our opponents hands!” Amash, who has broken with his party before, had laid out his case in a series of tweets. He said Mueller had identified “multiple examples of conduct satisfying all the elements of obstruction of justice.” “Undoubtedly,” Amash added, “any person who is not the president of the United States would be indicted based on such evidence.” Since Mueller issued his voluminous report, Trump has repeatedly attacked its authors as partisans even while insisting it exonerates him of allegations of collusion with Russia or obstruction of justice. But Democrats note that the report lists around 140 contacts between Trump’s inner circle and various Russians and that it exhaustively details evidence of at least 10 cases where Trump appeared to be interfering with the probe. Amash has often been a lone voice in his party, and so his stance carried less impact than if it had come from a party mainstay. A much higher-profile Republican, Sen. Mitt Romney, spoke out on Sunday against impeachment even while praising Amash. “I respect him,” the Republicans’ 2012 presidential nominee and occasional fierce Trump critic, told “Fox News Sunday” of Amash. “I think it’s a courageous statement. But I believe to make a case for obstruction of justice, you just don’t have the elements.” Democrats have been divided on impeachment but support appears to be growing with the Trump administration resisting numerous congressional requests for witnesses or information. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has cautioned against moving too quickly, noting that the Republican-controlled Senate would likely acquit the president should the House of Representatives impeach him.

u.s .
republicans
mitt romney
robert mueller
impeachment
donald trump
russia probe
justin amash


Trump says he's 'Pro-Life' but favors abortion exceptions for rape and incest

Abstract: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has declared himself “strongly Pro-Life,” days after two U.S. states passed tough new restrictions on abortions, but said exceptions should be made for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. The U.S. president spelled out his position on abortion — set to feature prominently at next year’s election — in his first comments on the hot-button issue since Alabama’s governor signed a near-total ban on the termination of pregnancy. “As most people know, and for those who would like to know, I am strongly Pro-Life, with the three exceptions — Rape, Incest and protecting the Life of the mother — the same position taken by Ronald Reagan,” Trump tweeted late Saturday. Trump, who is seeking to expand on his conservative support ahead of his re-election bid, added: “The Radical Left, with late term abortion (and worse), is imploding on this issue. “We must stick together and Win for Life in 2020.” Alabama’s governor on Wednesday signed a near-total prohibition on abortions widely seen as the country’s most restrictive ban, and the Missouri legislature on Friday made the procedure illegal from eight weeks of pregnancy. Neither make exceptions for rape or incest — only for cases where the mother’s life is in danger. Republican-led legislatures in Georgia, Ohio, Mississippi, Kentucky, Iowa and North Dakota have also enacted laws banning abortion from the moment a fetal heartbeat is detected. Supporters hope that legal battles over the laws will reach the Supreme Court, as they pursue the long-sought conservative goal of overturning its landmark 1973 abortion ruling, known as Roe v Wade. Roe v Wade guarantees women’s rights to abortion as long as the fetus is not viable — around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Trump, a bombastic, twice-divorced billionaire, won over the evangelical vote during his 2016 campaign by promising to appoint anti-abortion justices at the Supreme Court. He has since brought two conservative appointees to the highest court in the land — Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh — shifting the balance of the nine-person bench. In a series of tweets on the deeply polarizing issue, Trump said the U.S. had “come very far in the last two years” on abortion, and praised “two great new Supreme Court Justices. On Sunday, defenders of women’s reproductive rights are set to march in protest against Alabama’s new abortion law in four of the Southern state’s cities, including the capital Montgomery. “People should have the right to make the decisions that are best for their bodies without state interference,” organizers said on Facebook.

u.s .
abortion
supreme court
alabama
donald trump
2020 u.s. presidential election