U.S. weighs blacklisting five Chinese video surveillance firms over treatment of Uighurs

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The U.S. is considering cutting off the flow of vital American technology to five Chinese companies including Megvii, widening a dragnet beyond Huawei to include world leaders in video surveillance as it seeks to challenge China’s treatment of minority Uighurs in the country’s northwest. The U.S. is deliberating whether to add Megvii, Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co., Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. and two others to a blacklist that bars them from U.S. components or software, people familiar with the matter said. The two others under consideration are Meiya Pico and Iflytek Co. Ltd., according to one of the people. The Trump administration is concerned about their role in helping Beijing repress minority Uighurs, they said, asking not to be identified talking about private deliberations. There’s concern also that Hikvision or Dahua’s cameras, which come with facial-recognition capabilities, could be employed in espionage, the people said. Such a move would escalate tensions with China and raises questions about whether the U.S. is going after more of the country’s corporate champions. Trump’s administration last week barred Huawei Technologies Co. from American technology, a move that pummeled shares in U.S. chipmakers from Qualcomm Inc. to Intel Corp., and threatens to dampen global economic growth and disrupt the rollout of critical next-generation wireless networks. Both companies have been accused by human rights groups of facilitating Beijing’s persecution of the Uighurs, a Muslim ethnic group, in the northwestern region of Xinjiang. The Trump administration however has held off on taking action because of sensitive trade negotiations with China, the people said. Those talks have since stalled. The people said that other companies may join the five under consideration on the so-called Entities List, which prohibits the sale of American technology without a special license. Chinese firms such as Hikvision and Dahua are the world’s largest purveyors of surveillance hardware, along with smaller rival Yitu Technology. Others such as SenseTime Group Ltd. and Face++ parent Megvii specialize in image processing software and are less reliant on American components. “We hope the company receives a fair and just treatment,” Hikvision’s secretary of the board, Huang Fanghong, said in a statement. Dahua representatives had no immediate comment. SenseTime declined to comment, while Megvii and Yitu didn’t respond to requests for comment. The latest threat will elevate fears in Beijing that U.S. President Donald Trump’s ultimate goal is to contain China, triggering a cold war between the world’s biggest economies. In addition to a trade fight that’s rattled global markets, Washington has pressured allies and foes alike to avoid using Huawei for 5G networks, which will power everything from self-driving cars to robot surgery, forming the backbone of a modern economy. At the heart of Trump’s concerted campaign is the suspicion that Chinese firms aid Beijing in global espionage while spearheading its ambitions of becoming a technology superpower. The Justice Department also accuses Huawei of willfully violating sanctions on Iran, and last year it engineered the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the firm’s CFO and the eldest daughter of Huawei’s billionaire founder. Huawei has denied those allegations. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and other senators sent a letter in April to Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross urging them to impose sanctions against officials and companies “complicit in gross violations of human rights” in Xinjiang. A United Nations assessment said tens of thousands to “upwards of 1 million” Uighurs have been detained. In a draft letter to Trump dated May 22, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas argued that exporting technology to the Chinese companies not only runs “counter to the foreign policy of the United States, but the stated values of the American companies” involved in the deals. “I urge you to conduct a comprehensive review of how U.S. technology exports are being utilized by Chinese commercial companies to enable surveillance” in Xinjiang, Cruz wrote. Hikvision, Dahua and other companies have benefited handsomely from Chinese President Xi Jinping’s unprecedented push to keep tabs on the country’s 1.4 billion people. About 176 million video surveillance cameras monitored China’s streets, buildings and public spaces in 2016, versus 50 million in America, according to IHS Markit. Hikvision — the industry leader — now sells its cameras around the world. Its devices use artificial intelligence, enabling them to conduct facial recognition on a vast scale. That’s helped it build a dominant position in a market that BIS Research says was worth $32 billion in 2017 and will grow 16 percent a year through 2023. Along with Dahua, it’s a constituent of the MSCI Asia Pacific Index and is among Shenzhen stocks most owned by overseas investors.

china
human rights
united states
uighurs
surveillance
xinjiang


Japan on high alert for terrorism and drones ahead of Trump's four-day visit

Abstract: The government is making full-fledged preparations to receive U.S. President Donald Trump as a state guest from Saturday and security personnel in the Tokyo metropolitan area are on high alert for any possible terrorist attacks and other emergencies. A ban has been issued for drone flights over locations to be visited by Trump during his four-day stay in Japan and the number of police officers deployed at airports and on busy streets will be increased. Trump and his wife, Melania, are scheduled to arrive in Tokyo on Saturday afternoon as the first state guests since the Reiwa Era started May 1, when Emperor Naruhito ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne. The U.S. president and first lady will stay at Palace Hotel Tokyo, near the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda Ward. Trump will be the first U.S. president to visit Japan as a state guest since Barack Obama came to the country for a three-day stay in April 2014. “It’s important to thoroughly demonstrate Japan’s close ties with the United States, in light of relations with China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia,” a senior official of the Foreign Ministry said. On Sunday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to play golf with Trump for the fifth time, at Mobara Country Club in Mobara, Chiba Prefecture. Professional golfer Isao Aoki is expected to join them. Trump is set to watch final-day matches of the ongoing Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Tokyo on Sunday afternoon, before attending an informal dinner party with Abe and his wife, Akie, at a robatayaki (Japanese-style grill) restaurant in the Roppongi district of Tokyo later in the day. Small casual dinners have been a go-to formula for Japanese prime ministers when entertaining U.S. leaders in a bid to foster close relations. Abe took Trump to a teppanyaki steak dinner in 2017 and Obama was entertained at the renowned sushi restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro in 2014. In 2002, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi took visiting U.S. President George W. Bush to an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) during his visit. Abe and Trump will hold official summit talks at the State Guesthouse, Akasaka Palace in Tokyo from Monday morning. The two leaders are set to hold a joint news conference on Monday afternoon. Also on Monday, Trump will meet with Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace and attend an imperial banquet. On Tuesday, Abe and Trump will board and inspect the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Izumo-class helicopter carrier Kaga at the Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture. The two Izumo-class helicopter carriers are slated to be remodeled into de facto aircraft carriers to host U.S.-made F-35B stealth fighters. Through Trump’s visit to Japan, Abe wants to further deepen his relationship with the U.S. leader and show off the strong Japan-U.S. alliance to the world, informed sources said. Meanwhile, Abe and Trump are unlikely to issue a joint statement after the bilateral summit as the Japanese side apparently hopes to avoid detailed talks on trade, according to the sources.

shinzo abe
tokyo
terrorism
drones
u.s.-japan relations
donald trump


Stop it! Tokyo police anti-groper app becomes smash hit in Japan

Abstract: A Tokyo police smartphone app to scare off molesters has become a smash hit in Japan, where women have long run the gauntlet of groping on packed rush-hour trains. Victims of groping can activate the Digi Police app , which either blasts out a voice shouting “stop it” at top volume, or produces a full-screen SOS message — which victims can show other passengers — reading: “There is a molester. Please help.” The app has been downloaded more than 237,000 times, an “unusually high figure” for a public service app, said police official Keiko Toyamine. “Thanks to its popularity, the number is increasing by some 10,000 every month,” Toyamine said. Victims are often too scared to call out for help, she said. But by using the SOS message mode, “they can notify other passengers about groping while remaining silent.” There were nearly 900 groping and other harassment cases on Tokyo trains and subways reported in 2017, according to the latest available data from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. “But it’s the tip of the iceberg,” Toyamine said, with victims often hesitant to come forward. Offenders face up to six months in jail or fines of up to ¥500,000 ($5,500). The potential jail sentence is increased to 10 years if violence or threats are used. The Metropolitan Police Department quietly launched the free Digi Police app three years ago. It initially aimed to provide information for elderly people, as well as parents and their children about scams or prowlers. But the function to “repel molesters” was added a few months after the launch. And an online conversation about the app — caused by a female pop idol being assaulted late last year — resulted in its sudden popularity. Yui Kimura, a 27-year-old beer shop employee in Hokkaido, says she is always worried about groping whenever she visits the capital. “I tend to be vigilant on Tokyo trains as dodgy men can happen to be in front of me at any time,” Kimura said. Reina Oishi, a 21-year-old university student in Tokyo, also said: “I want to download the app as I have been groped so many times.” Experts agree that the app could be a boon for “silent” victims. “Molesters tend to target those who appear shy and reluctant to lodge a police complaint,” said Akiyoshi Saito, a certified social worker who supported some 800 former molesters during a rehabilitation program. Groping on trains can occur in any country where trains are frequently crowded, Saito said. “But the idea that men are superior to women, which is Japan’s traditional bias, may help sustain” sexual harassment on trains in the country, he added. Awareness of the issue has risen in Japan in recent years, with women exchanging tips on how to avoid the unwanted attention online. East Japan Railway runs women-only carriages during rush hours and has set up security cameras on some lines notorious for a high rate of groping.

smartphones
rail
phones
sex crimes
apps
groping
police


Japan to stop labeling people unmarried at 50 as 'lifelong singles'

Abstract: The government will no longer use the term “lifelong singles” as a label for people who have not married by age 50, deeming the term inaccurate as people are increasingly tying the knot later in life, officials said Thursday. The label has been used in annual white papers and statistics on the grounds that the fertility rate for women falls significantly when they enter their 50s. But its use, which is believed to have begun some 30 years ago, has been criticized due to it implying that marriage and parenthood are inextricably linked and because it suggests people do not marry after 50. The government has already removed the descriptor from some white papers in response to an evolving understanding of what constitutes a family. However, the percentage of “lifelong singles” will continue to be included in demographic forecasts and other statistics as it serves as a key indicator, with the data simply referred to as “people unmarried by 50,” the officials said. The data on the percentage of singles at age 50 is released by a health ministry research institute in conjunction with the national population census conducted every five years. The data does not include those who are divorced or widowed. In 1985, under 5 percent of people were classified as unmarried before 50, but the figure topped 10 percent for men in 2000 and rose above 20 percent for men and 10 percent for women in 2010. In 2015, the proportion of people who had not married by age 50 hit a record 23.37 percent for men, or around 1 in 4, and a record 14.06 percent for women, or 1 in 7, according to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research. Meanwhile, the country’s average marriage age has continued to rise, standing at 31.1 for men and 29.4 for women in 2015. An employee at major matchmaking agency Zwei Co. believes the idea that marriage is something for young people is becoming outdated, adding that the agency sees more than 300 registered members marry at 50 or older every year. Among Zwei’s membership as of February, 24.5 percent are men in their 50s and 11.2 percent are women in the same age group, and nearly 80 percent have never married, according to the company. Experts have attributed the rising trend in the rate of unmarried people at 50 to the lack of social pressure to wed and the increasing prevalence of people employed on a temporary basis, leaving them concerned that they are unable to support a family. The institute estimates the number of people unmarried at 50 will continue to trend upward, reaching about 29 percent for men and 19 percent for women in 2035. Against the backdrop of more couples choosing to forgo having children and people forming nontraditional families, the government has been gradually phasing out the use of the term “ratio of lifelong singles” in recent years. Since its 2017 edition, the white paper on labor and welfare has started instead using the category “the proportion of people who are unmarried by age 50,” while the Cabinet Office’s 2018 white paper on low birthrate countermeasures inserted a footnote saying it is “sometimes referred to as ratio of lifelong singles.” To avoid confusion, officials said the government may use both “lifelong singles” and “people unmarried by 50” in the meantime.


Job seekers in their 70s could become Japan's new normal

Abstract: At the age of 75, Mikiko Kuzuno found herself recently laid off and applying for a job at a factory near Tokyo. She insisted on making the application in person. “I asked them to please take a look at me,” she said. “I wanted to show them how healthy I am. Some people are very frail.” Kuzuno, 78, is now three years into work at the small plant in Warabi, Saitama Prefecture, where she helps launder and package steamed hand-towels given to customers at restaurants. It’s demanding work where she stands throughout her three-hour shift, but she doesn’t think of retiring — partly for financial reasons and partly because she hates hanging around at home. This could be Japan’s new normal, with people working into their 70s and beyond, adding a new facet to its reputation as a nation of workaholics. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is seeking to keep people like Kuzuno employed longer so they can pitch into the tax base and ease the burden on government spending, as the country copes with having the world’s fastest aging population. Japan’s graying population has propelled a surge in social security spending, accounting for about one-third of government outlays in the fiscal year that ended in March, much of which was funded by debt. Thus, Abe is advancing legislation to encourage companies to abolish retirement ages and take other measures to keep people on the job past age 70. A second bill would make such policies mandatory. The government’s also mulling a new option of allowing workers to delay receiving their pension payouts to age 75. A higher proportion of Japan’s population compared to the rest of the world is aged 65 or older. And its life expectancy at birth of 84 is tied with Switzerland for first place, according to World Bank data. With a declining birthrate, Japan’s population is set to slump by almost a third by 2060, by which time about 40 percent will be 65 or over, according to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research. “We need to change the structure of economic society to fit the model of a 100-year life,” said Shinjiro Koizumi, 38, a lawmaker who heads a ruling Liberal Democratic Party panel on aging. “That has to be our top priority, or we won’t be able to reform social security to give hope to the next generation.” Convincing people to put in a few more years on the job may prove difficult. A poll published by the Cabinet Office in January showed about 38 percent of Japanese wanted to work beyond the age of 65, while more than 50 percent would prefer to leave the workforce before that age. The jobs Japan needs filled the most in labor-intensive fields like construction, nursing care and delivery services aren’t the jobs typically associated with older workers. Rural areas with the highest percentage of residents 65 and above also have few jobs suitable for the graying workforce. One person opening the door to older workers is Atsushi Morishita, 72, founder and president of Tempos Holdings, which runs a chain of 58 commercial kitchen equipment outlets. He was inspired to do so by his father, who worked on a farm into his 90s. “In Tokyo, as soon as people turn 65 they are wasting their time playing croquet or something. So I thought I would provide a place for them to work,” Morishita said. About a quarter of his workforce is 60 or older. Business owners must understand that older workers typically mean lower productivity, so wages and output levels need to be managed accordingly, he said. “Somewhere like Toyota requires high productivity, so I don’t think they could do it,” he said. “But in a lax company like ours, it’s fine. We’re not making a loss.” One employee is Takayoshi Kimura, 73, who was hired when he was 58 and eventually became one of the top sales staffers at a busy Tokyo store. He had closed his struggling business in a rural prefecture and came to the capital in search of a job, leaving his wife, an elderly-care worker, behind. Kimura loves the excitement of meeting young entrepreneurs in his job, while his friends in rural Japan are lucky to be hired as security guards. “There are no jobs in the countryside,” Kimura said. While his wife urges him to return, he wants to stay until he’s 75. Morishita told him he’ll be fine for another 20 years, he said. It’s unclear whether enticing more retirement-age people to stay in the labor force will make a significant dent in the nation’s pension bills, given that many opt to receive pension payments while continuing to work. While the government wants to let workers delay their pensions, only about 1 percent of the eligible population is even taking advantage of the existing option, under which they can delay up to age 70 in return for a more than 40 percent increase in payments. Koizumi, the lawmaker, blamed it on poor public relations. “Private-sector companies think hard about how to get their message across, but the national bureaucracy doesn’t do that,” he said. Older employees say good health and enjoyable conditions help them put off retirement. Factory worker Kuzuno has another motivation — she is single and determined not to become reliant on her two daughters. While she’s been working since she was a teenager, most of the jobs she had didn’t come with corporate pension benefits. She lives on a meager state pension, supplemented by her pay from the towel plant. “I want to work as long as I can. My daughters have their own problems,” she said. “I can barely make ends meet, so I really need to do my best.”

population retirement jobs aging elderly saitama


Trump won't focus heavily on trade during Japan trip, U.S. official says

Abstract: U.S. President Donald Trump will not focus heavily on trade during his four-day state visit to Japan beginning Saturday, a senior administration official said Wednesday, suggesting the two governments are unlikely to reach an agreement during the trip. In a meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last month in Washington, Trump said the two sides may strike a trade deal by the time of his visit to Japan in May for a meeting with Emperor Naruhito. “I don’t think that the purpose of this trip is to focus on trade. It’s really to be state guests of their majesties,” the administration official told reporters, in reference to the emperor and Empress Masako. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remarks a day after Japanese and U.S. trade officials were at odds over tariff cuts on industrial goods, including automobiles and agricultural products, during working-level talks in Washington. While maintaining hefty levies on steel and aluminum imports from Japan, the Trump administration has also threatened Tokyo with a potential 25 percent automobile tariff in an apparent bid to pressure them into making concessions. “The president intends to promote bilateral, free and fair trade. It’s something he’s been doing consistently in his meetings with the Japanese,” the official said. While Trump regards a bilateral trade deal as a means for reducing the U.S. trade deficit with Japan, Abe has called for ensuring any pact would be a win-win that advances the interests of both countries. Citing the emperor’s ascension on May 1, the official said the state visit “comes at a historic moment in Japan” and “demonstrates that the alliance between the United States and Japan has never been stronger.” In a planned address to troops during a visit to the Yokosuka naval base on Tuesday, Trump will underscore the strength of the bilateral alliance, the significance of the alliance for deterring aggression in the Indo-Pacific region and highlight the regional and global nature of the Japan-U.S. partnership, the official said. Trump and first lady Melania Trump will have an audience Monday with the emperor and empress, making Trump the first foreign leader to meet with the couple since Emperor Naruhito’s ascension. Later Monday, Abe and Trump will hold a meeting at which bilateral trade and policy toward North Korea are expected to top the agenda. The two leaders will watch the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament together on Sunday.

shinzo abe
u.s .
trade
donald trump
emperor naruhito


Minutes found for 1980s meetings about Japan ministers' contentious visits to Yasukuni Shrine

Abstract: Minutes of 1980s panel meetings on visits to war-related Yasukuni Shrine by ministers have been found at the Cabinet Secretariat, a government official said Thursday. The private advisory body for the chief Cabinet secretary, created under the administration of then-Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, held a total of 21 meetings between August 1984 and August 1985. In a report in August 1985, the panel said there could be a path for realizing official visits by Cabinet ministers to Yasukuni Shrine without breaching the principle of the separation of politics and religion. Just after that, Nakasone made an official visit to the shrine on the Aug. 15 anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, provoking controversy. The panel had 15 experts, including former Supreme Court Justice Taizo Yokoi, philosopher Takeshi Umehara and author Ayako Sono. Its meetings were held behind closed doors. Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Class A World War II criminals among the war dead, is regarded by China and South Korea as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism. The Cabinet Secretariat found the minutes of the second to 12th meetings in its book storeroom during its investigation launched in response to a freedom-of-information disclosure request, Noriaki Sugiyama, counsellor at the secretariat, told the House of Councilors General Affairs Committee. He announced the discovery following a question on the matter by committee member Hideya Sugio of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Sugiyama said minutes of the remaining meetings are believed to have been created although he has no further information, including whether they have been disposed of. Sugio criticized the secretariat, seeing a “serious flaw” in government record management. The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun, a regional newspaper in central Japan, reported about the existence of minutes of some meetings of the panel in its morning edition on May 3 this year.

wwii
yasukuni shrine
history
china-japan relations
takeshi umehara
south korea-japan relations
yasuhiro nakasone
ayako sono
taizo yokoi


Police recorded 88% of interrogations in lay judge cases across Japan in fiscal 2018

Abstract: Police took complete video recordings during 87.6 percent of fiscal 2018 interrogations in criminal cases bound for lay judge trials, National Police Agency data showed Thursday. As the recording of interrogation video and audio will become mandatory in June based on the revised criminal procedure code, police have ratcheted up transparency efforts on a trial basis. The making of full recordings is up from 81.9 percent of interrogations in fiscal 2017. Lay judge trials, which involve regular citizens making judgments on serious criminal cases, represent some 3 percent of all trials in Japan. Critics point to a lack of transparency in interrogations conducted by police, as lawyers are not allowed to be present during questioning. Among the 3,266 criminal cases in fiscal 2018 subject to lay judge trials, no recordings were made in 136 cases. A total of 131 of them were crime syndicate cases, which are exempted in order to protect witnesses and associates of the accused. Interrogations were partially recorded in 270 cases, of which 75 resulted from investigator error, such as forgetting to start the recording of an interview. In many other cases suspects refused to be recorded. The average total length of video recordings per case was 25 hours and 42 minutes, up 61 minutes from the previous year, according to the agency. As for interrogations of suspects with intellectual disabilities in both lay judge and professional judge cases, complete recordings were made in 99.9 percent of instances, according to the agency.


Desperate families of Japanese abducted by North Korea pin hopes on help from Trump

Abstract: Takuya Yokota chokes up as he talks about a photograph of his older sister, Megumi, whom he has not seen since she was abducted from a beach by North Korean agents one winter evening 41 years ago. Megumi, 13 at the time, is one of scores Japan believes were snatched in the 1970s and 1980s to train spies. Pyongyang has admitted to abducting 13 but says eight of them, including Megumi, taken as she walked home from school, are dead, although it gave Japan photographs from North Korea of her. “She was shut in the hold of a ship, it took hours to get to North Korea. A former spy has said she was screaming ‘Help me, Mama, help me, I can’t get out,’ and when she got off, her fingertips were shredded and bloody,” said Yokota, who remembers his big sister as being chatty and cheerful. “We never, ever saw such sad eyes in her face. It’s tough to look at,” he added, displaying a picture of a pale, red-eyed Megumi taken in North Korea shortly after her abduction. With progress on the issue largely stalled since 2002, hopes are pinned on U.S. President Donald Trump, who has twice held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, most recently in February, and is set to meet Yokota and other families whose loved ones were abducted, during a visit to Japan from Saturday. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has made resolving the abduction issue a keystone of his political career, has yet to set up talks with Kim despite recently saying he is ready to meet without conditions, a shift from his long-held position that a summit depends on progress regarding the abductions. But Yokota is not worried about Abe softening on the issue and thinks that, with Trump in office, bringing his sister and the others home may be closer than ever, as the meeting set with Trump could help them further press their case. “North Korea’s economy is pretty much on the brink, and Trump has told Kim that without solving the human rights issue Japan will do nothing (to help),” he said, referring to economic sanctions and Pyongyang’s warning of a looming food crisis. Even the collapse of Trump and Kim’s second summit in Hanoi in February could be taken positively as a show of U.S. strength that may bring faster results, he added. “If there’d been some strange moderate agreement that both sides could take as success, I think that would’ve increased the nuclear threat in Asia and left the whole human rights issue behind,” he said. “Instead, North Korea has now been pushed into a corner from which it cannot escape.” Speed becomes essential as the families of the abductees age. Yokota’s father, 86, has been hospitalized for a year. “He’s waited 41 years, he’s fought (for her) for 41 years,” Yokota said. “If my parents can’t meet Megumi again, if we can’t all be together and embracing in Japan, for our family this issue won’t truly be resolved.”

shinzo abe
north korea
abductions
megumi yokota
north korea-japan relations
donald trump
takuya yokota


Newly released photos shed light on Emperor Naruhito's life in Britain

Abstract: LONDON - A set of photos has been uncovered offering a fresh look into the life of Emperor Naruhito during his time studying in Britain in the 1980s. Taken in 1985, the photos show the then-prince visiting a summer festival for Japan-U.K. friendship in London and smiling while taking part in a traditional Bon festival dance. The 59-year-old, who became emperor on May 1, studied at the University of Oxford from 1983 to 1985. The photographs were developed from negatives kept by London-based journalist Setsuo Kato, 78, who was among the summer festival organizers. The images appear to capture the then-prince’s enjoyment of his various encounters. One photograph from the fair shows the prince, who is wearing a tie, chatting with people next to a food stall, while in another he can be seen performing a Bon dance alongside fellow Japanese residents. Another shows him lifting a handheld firework while surrounded by festival attendees from Shizuoka Prefecture. In his memoir, first released in Japanese in 1993, the emperor described this period as an “unforgettable experience.” An English translation of the book — “The Thames and I: A Memoir of Two Years at Oxford” — was released in 2006 and reissued by a British publisher in March this year. Kato, who staged the friendship event alongside a group of former English teachers who had worked in Japan, remembered the prince’s visit to the festival in London’s Battersea Park on the south bank of the River Thames. He was accompanied only by a few bodyguards. “He didn’t stop smiling during the visit and seemed to enjoy mixing with the local people,” the journalist recalled. “I bet he remembers his encounters at that time.” Kato said he received the negatives from a British photographer whose services had been secured by the festival’s organizers. The emperor came to Britain in June 1983 to undertake his studies and chose to live in an ordinary student dorm. He carried out research on the history of the River Thames as a transport system before returning to Japan in October 1985.

u.k .
royalty
photography
imperial family
oxford university
oxford
london
emperor naruhito


Tepco won't hire foreign nationals with new visas for Fukushima nuclear work until safety guaranteed

Abstract: The operator of the disaster-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant will not hire foreign nationals who enter Japan under a new visa program for decommissioning work at the complex until it can confirm that their safety will be ensured. The decision, made Wednesday, comes after the labor ministry told Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. that the company needs to be careful about sending foreign workers to the plant, where workers are required to precisely follow safety instructions. Japan introduced the new visa status on April 1 to cope with a chronic labor shortage due to the country’s rapidly graying population and low birthrate. The major policy shift from the country’s traditionally strict immigration rules will bring in mainly blue-collar foreign workers to 14 sectors. Tepco has told subcontractors not to dispatch foreign workers they hire under the new visa program to the plant until the utility finalizes its foreign labor policy for decommissioning work. The company had said it planned to accept foreign workers at the plant after confirming with the Justice Ministry that holders of the new visas are eligible to work at the Fukushima complex, which was crippled by the massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. An average of around 4,000 people engage in decommissioning work at the site each day. The government expects to bring in thousands of foreign blue-collar workers over the next five years under two types of visas. Under the first status, foreign nationals are eligible to work in 14 sectors, including nursing care, construction and farming. Workers with higher levels of skills in the construction and shipbuilding fields will be eligible for a second visa status, which allows holders to bring in family members and does not limit the number of times visas can be renewed.

fukushima
fukushima no . 1
radiation
tepco
nuclear energy
foreign workers
3.11


Former worker at Tokyo nursing home arrested for allegedly beating resident to death

Abstract: A former employee at a nursing home in Tokyo was arrested Wednesday for allegedly beating an 82-year-old resident to death at the facility last month, police said. Tomoki Nemoto, 28, denied the allegation, saying he had “never used violence,” police said. Nemoto allegedly fatally assaulted Kihachiro Kurosawa on April 3 and 4 while on night duty at the facility in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward. Nemoto made an emergency call at around 1:45 a.m. on April 4 and Kurosawa was taken to a hospital but died the following day. An autopsy found that the cause of death was bleeding resulting from damage to internal organs. His rib on the right side was also broken, police said. After being taken to hospital, Kurosawa told relatives that he had been “kicked by a man.” “It was good that the man was arrested but my father will not return,” said Kurosawa’s 52-year-old daughter. “I will never forgive the suspect.”

tokyo
elderly
nursing care
shinagawa ward
tomoki nemoto


Under Japan's revised anti-gangster law, yakuza boss told to pay damages for money transfer scam

Abstract: MITO, IBARAKI PREF. - A court on Thursday ordered the head of the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate to pay damages over money transfer scams committed by a fraud group formed by an affiliated gang member. The Mito District Court ordered Isao Seki, head of Japan’s second largest crime syndicate, and Hareaki Fukuda, former head of the gang, to pay ¥6.05 million ($55,000) to two out of three women in Ibaraki Prefecture who sought ¥7 million in damages in the lawsuit. According to the complaint, the three received calls at their homes in 2016 from people pretending to be their relatives in need of money. Two of the women paid ¥5 million in total. The court rejected the complaint of the third as she soon realized the call was a scam and did not transfer any money. Presiding Judge Eiko Maeda said Seki and Fukuda were responsible for paying the damages because, while the two were not directly involved in the scams, the “power” of the Sumiyoshi-kai was used in the process of carrying out the crime, such as in recruiting accomplices. The fraud group was created by the member of the Sumiyoshi-kai affiliated organization, a male acquaintance of the member and a university student. The plaintiffs’ lawyer said it is the first time that a yakuza boss has been held liable, in light of a revised anti-gangster law, for a so-called special fraud case that targets people randomly and gets them to pay money through telephone calls and other means of communication. Elderly people have often fallen prey to those cases, with experts in the field pointing to the involvement of crime syndicates.

courts
yakuza
fraud
ibaraki
it 's me scam
sumiyoshi-kai
mito
hareaki fukuda
isao seki


Junnosuke Taguchi, ex-member of Japanese boy band Kat-tun, arrested over marijuana possession

Abstract: Junnosuke Taguchi, a former member of Japanese all-male idol group Kat-tun, has admitted to possessing a small amount of marijuana, investigative sources said Thursday. Taguchi, 33, was taken into custody Wednesday with his partner, Rena Komine, 38, a former actress, for allegedly possessing a few grams of marijuana at the Tokyo apartment they share. Taguchi told investigators the marijuana belongs to both of them while Komine said it was hers alone. The two are expected to be sent to prosecutors on Friday, according to the sources. The Narcotics Control Department of a health ministry regional bureau on Wednesday confiscated some smoking paraphernalia — believed to be rolling papers and a grinder — from the apartment. Investigators suspect the two have been frequent users of the drug and will look into how they purchased it. The former singer in Kat-tun, which was created by major entertainment agency Johnny & Associates Inc. in 2001 and released its debut album in 2006, left the group in March 2016 to launch a solo career. According to his official website, Taguchi is planning to kick off a nationwide concert tour beginning in July. Komine, who has appeared in numerous movies and television dramas, told investigators she is currently employed by Taguchi’s office. She was once featured in a public service commercial campaign warning of the dangers of stimulant drugs.

drugs
marijuana
johnny & associates
j-pop
kat-tun
junnosuke taguchi
police


FAA deferred to Boeing on key 737 Max system assessments: source

Abstract: NEW YORK - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration did not independently evaluate the safety of a Boeing 737 Max system implicated in two deadly crashes, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday. The U.S. regulator, as part of an internal review, has preliminarily concluded that FAA officials largely deferred to Boeing’s assessments of the accident-ridden 737 Max during the certification process, the person said. Boeing’s top-selling 737 Max narrow-body planes have been grounded globally since mid-March following two plane crashes that killed 346 people. A common link in both crashes was the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System. During the FAA certification, Boeing did not flag to regulators that a failure of the MCAS could lead to a catastrophic event, a classification that would have triggered more regulatory scrutiny, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The FAA approved the 737 Max in early 2017 and the plane entered into service in May of that year. In both the Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October and the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March, the MCAS pointed the plane sharply downward based on a faulty sensor reading, hindering pilot control after takeoff, according to preliminary crash investigations. The FAA’s internal review did not conclude that Boeing intentionally misled the agency, the source told AFP. Rather, the agency concluded that further review was not needed of the MCAS because the FAA itself concluded the system did not affect the trajectory of the plane. “The change to MCAS didn’t trigger an additional safety assessment because it did not affect the most critical phase of flight, considered to be higher cruise speeds. At lower speeds, greater control movements are often necessary,” an FAA spokesman said. Boeing did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comments. Acting FAA head Daniel Elwell is expected to face tough questioning on Boeing at a congressional hearing on Wednesday. At a prior hearing, lawmakers criticized the agency for being too cozy with Boeing and questioned why the agency was the last major regulator to ground the 737 Max after other bodies took action. Besides the FAA’s internal review, the Boeing 737 Max is the subject of numerous probes, including a criminal investigation by the Department of Justice. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, two U.S. carriers that fly the 737 Max, were subpoenaed by the U.S. DOJ in November, said two people familiar with the matter.

u.s .
boeing
faa
ethiopian airlines
737 max
lion air
air accidents
mcas


Japanese rocket pioneer Takafumi Horie says his firm Interstellar Technologies could soon take on SpaceX

Abstract: Days after the first successful launch of his privately built rocket, entrepreneur Takafumi Horie said Wednesday his aerospace startup Interstellar Technologies Inc. may soon catch up with industry leaders such as SpaceX in the commercial space rocket-launching business. Horie also said the company will be ready to launch another rocket, Zero, which is capable of placing satellites into orbit, “in two to three years.” He noted the company already possesses the prerequisite control system and other technological capabilities essential to rocket development. “I assume that if we achieve the launch, we could stand on the same starting line as them from a technological perspective,” said Horie, a company founder, during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo. On May 4, Interstellar Technologies sent the country’s first privately developed rocket, named Momo-3, into space after two failed attempts. Horie said the successful launch has broken down the “cost barrier” to domestic space development. That could provide added impetus for private companies in the space sector, a field dominated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, a government organization. He said that government-led development has channeled funds into projects involving the newest and top-of-the-line technologies. This tendency has resulted in the creation of expensive rockets, which he called “unnecessary” for the missions they are being tasked to perform. “The benefit of private rockets is they are cheap and feature minimum performance (capabilities),” he said. The global competition to develop small rockets is heating up as demand for microsatellite launches grows. Interstellar Technologies wants to break into that market, where U.S. firms are leading the race. U.S. startup Rocket Lab completed a commercial launch in 2018, for instance. The first Zero launch is scheduled between the end of 2022 and 2023. Interstellar Technologies pursues low-cost launches. Currently, the minimum cost of launching satellites is several billion yen. The company plans to limit the Zero launch cost to around ¥500 million, according to CEO Takahiro Inagawa. As for plans beyond Zero, Inagawa said the company will develop a larger launch vehicle for deeper space exploration, including trips to the moon and Mars — to be followed by interstellar exploration. Hokkaido-based Interstellar Technologies was founded by Horie, the former Livedoor Co. president, and other investors in 2013. In the May 4 liftoff, the unmanned Momo-3, which measured roughly 10 meters in length, 50 centimeters in diameter and weighed 1 ton, reached an altitude of 113.4 kilometers from a launch site in the town of Taiki in Hokkaido, before dropping into the Pacific Ocean. Its original launch date had been April 30 but it was postponed due to a problem with the fuel system. The first two launches of the Momo series models in 2017 and 2018 ended in failure. Inagawa expressed hope that by improving the infrastructure for rockets, more domestic players would enter the space industry and help nurture its growth.

space
jaxa
rockets
takafumi horie
satellites
spacex
interstellar technologies


Japan IR Expo opens in Osaka as candidates step up efforts to win integrated casino resort licenses

Abstract: OSAKA - With the cities of Osaka and Wakayama stepping up their efforts to win a legalized integrated casino resort, the Japan IR Expo opened Wednesday in Osaka. The two-day event was attended by six international casino operators, including MGM Resorts Japan LLC, Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd., Caesars Entertainment Japan LLC, Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd. Entertainment and construction companies, banks and dozens of firms from Japan and abroad hoping to become involved with an integrated casino resort were also present. A number of municipalities have expressed interest in hosting an integrated resort — a term for facilities that combine casinos with shopping malls, convention centers and hotels — and four cities have announced specific plans. Tomakomai in Hokkaido, not far from New Chitose Airport, predicts over 8 million visitors a year would come to an IR facility. In Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, plans have been drawn up for a casino resort at the Dutch-style theme park Huis Ten Bosch. Nagasaki officials predict 7.4 million visitors a year. In the Kansai region, both Osaka and Wakayama are aggressively lobbying for a casino. Osaka, widely considered the favorite location for Japan’s first large-scale casino resort, has plans for an IR complex it predicts will draw over 24 million people a year. Wakayama’s IR plan predicts 4 million visitors per year. The central government will award a maximum of three casino licenses initially. But with public wariness over problem gamblers and other casino-related social ills still strong, when the first licenses will be issued remains unclear. Osaka wants to have a casino resort up and running by the 2025 World Expo. That will be a tight schedule if the central government doesn’t issue a license within the next couple of years. MGM Resorts Japan, widely considered to be one of the favored candidates for winning the rights to an Osaka IR, says that opening before 2025 was not out of the question. “We would like to meet (Osaka’s) expectations. We’ll certainly do everything we can do to be as responsive as possible,” said Jason Hyland, representative officer and president of MGM Resorts Japan. By law, an integrated casino resort must include facilities for international conferences as well as hotel and lodging facilities. A shortage of modern meeting and convention facilities in Osaka means a new integrated resort area will help the Kansai region compete against Tokyo for the lucrative international conference and event business. “The coming of the 2025 World Expo to Osaka, and a casino resort, if it opens up in 2024, offer Osaka great opportunities to attract more conventions and exhibitions,” said Kaneyuki Myohdai, president of event organizer Sakura International Inc., which hopes to be involved with an Osaka integrated casino resort.

osaka
nagasaki
gambling
hokkaido
casino
wakayama
mgm resorts
integrated casino


China vows 'people's war' as trade fight with U.S. takes nationalist turn

Abstract: BEIJING - Among China’s most surprising responses to the trade war has been its reluctance to use its vast state media empire to rally the home front. That’s changed since U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff barrage. In recent days, the once-banned phrase “trade war” has roared back into widespread use in Chinese media. Meanwhile, official news outlets gave high-profile play to commentaries urging unified resistance to foreign pressure, including an editorial from the nationalist Global Times calling the trade dispute a “people’s war” and threat to all of China. Such sentiments have found an eager audience, with a state television video vowing a “fight to the end” attracting more than 3 billion views since Monday. The clip was the most-read piece on China’s Twitter-like social media platform Weibo earlier Tuesday. The rhetorical shift underscores the risks that China’s Communist Party veers toward a more nationalistic position as the trade war drags on and weighs on economic growth. Chinese President Xi Jinping, like Trump, has promised to rejuvenate his country and can’t afford to look weak in the face of foreign power. So far, China’s state media have sought to tamp down the kind of patriotic passions that fueled a backlash against Japanese interests when a territorial dispute flared in 2012. Even now, state media commentaries focused the blame on the U.S. government, rather than the country as a whole. For instance, a commentary published in the Communist Party’s flagship People’s Daily newspaper, avoids any mention of Trump’s name and refers only to “certain people in America who brood over the so-called massive trade deficit,” said David Bandurski of the China Media Project, an independent research program affiliated with the University of Hong Kong. The article “tries to avoid any sense of general animosity toward the U.S., and stresses that the American people and businesses are losing out as a result of tariffs,” Bandurski said. “Right now the messaging from the leadership through the state media is all about treading the line.” Although increased use of the term “trade war” in official media suggest a hardening of rhetoric, some media outlets are still prohibited from using the term, according to a person familiar with the matter. The suggested alternative is “an unclear external environment,” the person said, adding that authorities have directed outlets to stress the stability and resilience of Chinese economy. Maintaining that balance is difficult in a country where all school children are taught about the country’s “century of humiliation” at the hands of colonial powers. China’s top trade negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, has already found himself targeted by unflattering comparisons to the Qing dynasty official who signed an 1895 treaty with Japan that surrendered the island of Taiwan. That’s why Liu stressed in remarks to state media after failed trade talks Friday in Washington that any deal should be “balanced” to ensure the “dignity” of both nations. Trump’s tweets announcing the tariffs landed at a particularly awkward time — the day after China marked the 100th anniversary of a popular revolt against the country’s leaders. The May Fourth Movement, which led to the Communist Party’s founding, stands as a reminder of the risks of failing to stand up to foreign powers. Last Tuesday was also the 20th anniversary of the U.S.’s bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. While the American side called the incident an error, Chinese protested and relations plunged to a modern low. The “people’s war” mentioned in the Global Times editorial was introduced by party patriarch Mao Zedong in an oft-cited 1938 speech in which he argued that China would eventually repel the Japanese invaders. Mao argued that while conflict was affected by political, economic military and geographic elements, the people are the decisive factor. Earlier on Tuesday, the People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party, posted an image on its WeChat account of the Chinese flag with the words “Talk — fine! Fight — we’ll be there! Bully us — delusion!” superimposed over it.

china
media
u.s .
trade
xi jinping
tariffs
donald trump


Huawei chairman says tech giant is ready to sign 'no-spy' deal with U.K.

Abstract: LONDON - Chinese telecom giant Huawei is willing to sign a “no-spy” agreement with countries including Britain, the firm’s chairman said on Tuesday, as the head of NATO said Britain must preserve secure mobile networks. Liang Hua visited Britain as the government weighs the risks of allowing the Chinese company to help develop its 5G infrastructure. “We are willing to sign ‘no-spy’ agreements with governments, including the U.K. government, to commit ourselves, to commit our equipment to meeting the no-spy, no back-door standards,” Liang told reporters. The British government is in the middle of a furious debate over whether to let Huawei roll out its next-generation mobile service. The private Chinese firm currently has the most advanced and cheapest 5G capacities in the world. But the United States has warned its close ally that it might have to limit security and intelligence sharing with Britain if it allowed China to play a significant role. Washington’s broader geopolitical concerns have been heightened by a law enacted by Beijing in 2017 obliging Chinese companies to aid the government on national security issues. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who was also visiting Britain, said network security remained of utmost importance to the Western military alliance. “Huawei and 5G network is extremely important,” Stoltenberg told a London business conference. He conceded that Britain and all other NATO members had the right to make their own decisions about China and 5G. “Having said that, of course, what matters for NATO is that these decisions are made in a way that makes sure that they have secure networks,” Stoltenberg said. “There is no way we can escape addressing those issues,” he added. “We are going to make sure our networks are safe.” The Huawei debate has pushed Britain into the heart of China’s heated battle for global dominance with the United States. It has also splintered May’s cabinet between those who view China as a vital trade partner in Britain’s post-Brexit future and ministers who side with Washington’s view of Beijing as a threat. May fired defense minister Gavin Williamson — one of the Cabinet’s big critics of China — earlier this month over a leak alleging that her government will allow Huawei to play a limited 5G role.

china
u.s .
nato
u.k .
espionage
huawei
theresa may


Tokyo stocks mark first rise in Reiwa Era trading

Abstract: The key Nikkei average snapped its seven-session losing streak on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Wednesday thanks chiefly to a rebound in Shanghai stocks, showing its first buoyancy since trading in the Reiwa Era started on May 7. The 225-issue stock average finished up 121.33 points, or 0.58 percent, at 21,188.56. On Tuesday, it dropped 124.05 points. The Topix index of all first-section issues rose 9.17 points, or 0.60 percent, to end at 1,544.15, after a 6.16-point slump the previous day. The Tokyo market got off to a strong start in the wake of a Wall Street upturn brought about by U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks that eased worries about the U.S.-China trade dispute. In a Twitter post Tuesday, Trump said that the United States will strike a deal with China when the time is right. Trump also told reporters at the White House that the trade dispute was a “little squabble.” Stocks sank into negative territory and remained under selling pressure almost throughout the morning session. But both the Nikkei and Topix indexes rebounded in the afternoon on buybacks and purchases induced by Shanghai equities’ brisk performance, brokers said. China’s retail sales and industrial output in April and fixed-asset investment in January-April, all reported on Wednesday, were weaker than expected. But Shanghai shares fared well because the dismal numbers let investors expect the Chinese government to implement stimulus measures, brokers said. Although Tokyo stocks rebounded in tandem with Shanghai equities, players had difficulty buying actively amid a lack of powerful incentives after the end of ministerial-level U.S.-China trade talks in Washington, Tomoaki Fujii, head of the investment research division at Akatsuki Securities Inc., pointed out. “Investors are now waiting for comments by U.S. and Chinese government officials about the envisaged next round of ministerial talks,” said Akira Tanoue, senior investment strategist at Nomura Securities Co. Rising issues outnumbered falling ones 1,359 to 716 in the TSE’s first section, while 65 issues were unchanged. Volumes fell to 1.52 billion shares from Tuesday’s 1.73 billion shares. Kureha enjoyed a 13.23 percent rise, thanks to the chemical maker’s rosy operating profit projection for the current business year through next March and its plan to buy back own shares. Realtor Mitsubishi Estate and chipmaker Kureha enjoyed a 13.23 percent rise, thanks to the chemical maker’s rosy operating profit projection for the current business year through next March and its plan to buy back own shares. On the other hand, pharmaceutical leader Takeda tumbled 7.82 percent on its loss forecasts for the year through March 2020. Chemical firm Kuraray lost 7.42 percent as its group operating profit estimate for the year ending in December failed to beat a market consensus. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key June contract on the Nikkei average rose 130 points to end at 21,160.


Dollar falls below ¥109.60 in Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar softened below ¥109.60 in Tokyo trading Wednesday amid a dearth of strong incentives. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥109.51, down from ¥109.67 at the same time on Tuesday. The euro was at $1.1213, down from $1.1238, and at ¥122.78, down from ¥123.25. The dollar fell below ¥109.60 following a weak start of the benchmark Nikkei stock average. But the greenback rose close to ¥109.70 in midmorning trading, supported by buying by Japanese importers, traders said. After moving around ¥109.60 until late afternoon, the dollar met with enhanced selling vis-a-vis the yen while the Japanese currency was appreciating against the euro following a plunge in German long-term interest rates, an official at a foreign exchange margin trading service firm said.. Although the Nikkei average took an upturn and extended gains in the afternoon, the dollar-yen pair reacted little. “Investors were sitting on the fences due to a lack of incentives provided by U.S.-China and Japan-U.S. trade relations,” a currency broker said. Market attention is focused on the announcement of U.S. retail sales in April later on Wednesday, traders said.


Upbeat comments from Trump, China halt global stock skid

Abstract: LONDON - World stocks held near two-month lows on Tuesday as slightly more optimistic comments from U.S. and Chinese officials on trade brought some comfort, a day after equities suffered their worst selloff so far this year. Fear the United States and China are spiraling into a fiercer, more protracted trade dispute that could derail the global economy has rattled investors in recent weeks. The sell-off accelerated on Monday after China announced plans for retaliatory tariffs. But the Chinese government’s top diplomat said China and the United States have the “ability and wisdom” to reach a trade deal that is good for both. U.S. President Donald Trump said he was optimistic about resolving the trade dispute. Those signals were enough for now to provide respite to battered markets. European shares rebounded from two-month lows with London , Frankfurt and Paris 0.5 percent to 1 percent higher. And having tumbled more than 2 percent on Monday, U.S. stock futures suggested Wall Street shares were headed for a stronger open . “The trade war is driving markets at the moment,” said Rory McPherson, head of investment strategy at Psigma Investment Management in London. “Markets were prone to a selloff after a good start to the year on expectations of policy easing from central banks and no escalation of trade tensions, and it’s this latter pillar that has come away.” Asian shares opened weaker but closed off the lows, thanks to the more upbeat official tone. Japan’s Nikkei stock index fell to its lowest since mid-February. MSCI’s index of Asian shares, excluding Japan, lost 1 percent, dragged to three-month lows by a selloff in China . MSCI’s world index was stuck near its lowest levels in around two months. Markus Huber, a trader at City of London Markets, said he expected a deal that would allow both sides to save face. “However, I think traders might underestimate the consequences if there is no deal and furthermore, tough trade negotiations between the U.S. and the EU are still to follow later this year, which could spell new turmoil for stocks.” Trump has said he would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a G20 meeting at the end of June. Investors’ trade war fears have clearly intensified — Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s monthly survey showed equity allocations falling sharply in May and a record number of funds saying they were hedged against a sharp stock market fall. The number of participants who identified trade war as the main risk for markets rose as well. In another sign trade tensions are hurting the economic outlook, Germany’s ZEW institute said investors’ mood had deteriorated unexpectedly in May. Yields on 10-year German government bonds headed back towards Monday’s six-week lows after the ZEW data. U.S. 10-year Treasury yields, however, edged away from Monday’s six-week lows, thanks to the slightly brighter tone. They rose back above shorter-dated three-month bill yields after the yield curve inverted on Monday for the second time in less than a week. That move underscored worries about the economic impact of a trade war — a sustained inversion of that part of the yield curve has preceded every U.S. recession in the past 50 years. The safe-haven yen lost ground as the mood improved, with the dollar strengthening 0.4 percent against the Japanese currency to 109.67. China’s yuan and the Australian dollar also regained some poise, with the former breaking a six-day losing streak. Elsewhere, oil prices rose with Brent crude up around 1 percent at $71 per barrel. Gold prices slipped 0.25 percent to $1.296,44 per ounce.

china
u.s .
yen
stocks
tariffs
donald trump
trade war


Nissan faces mounting problems on its turnaround path, analysts say

Abstract: The shocking arrest of its former Chairman Carlos Ghosn last November has brought a series of headaches to Nissan Motor Co., such as conducting an internal investigation into that matter and reforming its weak corporate governance. But the earnings report and forecast disclosed Tuesday by the Yokohama-based automaker underscored a bigger problem — stabilizing its auto business. Nissan’s operating profit for the fiscal year ended in March plunged by 44.6 percent to ¥318 billion ($2.9 billion) from the previous year. The figure is projected to decrease further to ¥230 billion for the current year, which will be the lowest in 11 years. For the company to maintain its business, Nissan needs to tackle mounting challenges. Major issues include improving its performance in the U.S. market and streamlining its excessive production capability and operating costs through its alliance with Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp., analysts interviewed by The Japan Times said. Due to the Ghosn scandal, Nissan’s sluggish earnings may have caught more attention, but analysts said this was well-expected. “This is basically a backlash” to a growth plan from the past that was difficult to achieve, said Takaki Nakanishi, analyst and CEO of Nakanishi Research Institute. Ghosn wanted to retain his post as Renault CEO in 2018, so he outlined an aggressive strategy and pushed Nissan to show that the alliance could achieve steady growth, said Nakanishi. “I think the result would have been the same even if Mr. Ghosn was still in charge,” he said. The Tuesday earnings report highlighted Nissan’s poor bottom line. Its operating profit margin was 2.7 percent for the 2018 business year, compared with 8.2 percent for its major rival Toyota Motor Corp. in the same period. Nissan’s figure will be even lower this year at an estimated 2 percent. A primary factor damaging the profit margin is its performance in the U.S. market. Under Ghosn’s leadership, Nissan aimed to boost market share in the U.S. market but spent too much on financial incentives aimed at bolstering consumer and fleet sales. Nissan has acknowledged that this has hurt its brand image and profitability. “I think Nissan has pushed itself too much to market in the U.S.” amid fierce competition, said Katsuya Takeuchi, senior analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. “If you see many Nissan vehicles lining up as rental cars at places such as an airport, people would think that they are cheap cars,” he said. On Tuesday, Nissan set a plan to shift its U.S. strategy from pursuing volume to improving its brand image to increase profitability. But retooling the U.S. business is likely to take time, as brand image cannot be improved within a short period of time, analysts said. Nissan also said it will improve production efficiency by 10 percent and cut its excessive production capability by 10 percent. “I think this is the minimum” that Nissan has to do, said Nakanishi. The automaker said it has been working on production adjustments for factories in the U.S., Mexico and Europe. Nissan also plans to slash 4,800 jobs. “The break-even point needs to be pushed down, otherwise, Nissan won’t be able to produce necessary cash” to realize a healthy investment-and-return cycle, Nakanishi said. When it comes to the issue of the alliance, Takeuchi said it is critical that Nissan makes the best use of it to maximize cost-cutting efforts. However, the power game between Nissan and Renault is unlikely to be settled soon. “It seems Renault wants an integration as soon as possible, but Nissan’s priority is its turnaround, so I think this issue will continue for a while,” said Keisuke Konishi, senior analyst at Quick Corp. In March, Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi announced a new management system for the alliance that appears to value more equality between the three partners. But the French automaker reportedly proposed an integration of the two firms to Nissan in mid-April, which the latter firm rejected. Takeuchi said it is understandable that Nissan would be reluctant to accept the integration, as it may have to give up its independence over pressure to cut costs. “The motivation for engineers would be totally different if they can freely create vehicles that they want rather than being under heavy cost-cutting pressure,” which will affect product competitiveness, said Takeuchi. In addition, analysts said Nissan has a lot of homework to do on other markets as well. In Europe, it posted a loss for the 2018 business year and its recovery strategy for the European market is “not clear,” said Masayuki Kubota, chief strategist at Rakuten Securities. That market is a difficult one, as German automakers are popular and the potential for growth is low, he said. Kubota said since Renault has a higher share than Nissan in the European market, even withdrawal could be a possible option for Nissan to streamline operation costs. Konishi of Quick said Nissan may be doing fairly well in the Chinese market but it needs to get its hands on other emerging markets, such as Southeast Asia and India, since its presence there is still weak.

nissan
carmakers
renault
integration
financial results
mergers


Hitachi high-speed train unveiled in Britain before launch of London to Leeds service

Abstract: LONDON - Hitachi Ltd.’s new high-speed train called Azuma was unveiled in London on Tuesday, a day prior to beginning intercity passenger services. London North Eastern Railway was set to launch the diesel-electric hybrid train service on Wednesday on an electrified section of track covering about 300 kilometers between London and Leeds in northern England — with plans to extend the service to Edinburgh in Scotland. The British railway operator also plans to eventually introduce it on nonelectrified sections from Edinburgh to Inverness and Aberdeen in Scotland. The train was named Azuma, which means “East” in Japanese, as it will run on LNER’s East Coast Main Line. The locomotives use Japanese bullet train technology and are being built at Hitachi’s British factory in Newton Aycliffe, in northeastern England. LNER Chairman Robin Gisby told reporters that the new high-speed passenger service will be able to compete with equivalent plane routes. The Azuma train will run at a maximum speed of around 200 km per hour. LNER will deploy 65 such trains, compared with its current fleet of 45 trains. “I hope Azuma will become a bridge between Japan and Britain,” said Junichi Kawahata, chief of Hitachi’s Kasado Works in Yamaguchi Prefecture, where the company manufactures train parts. Hitachi has produced high-speed trains including Japan’s shinkansen bullet trains since their launch in 1964.

britain
bullet train
hitachi
london
london north eastern railway


Alipay operator looks to promote partner apps in Japan

Abstract: Ant Financial Services Group, the operator of Chinese mobile payment service Alipay, hopes to make it possible for users of its partner apps in Asia to make cashless payments in Japan, the company’s top executive has said. The fintech company, an affiliate of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd., offers its payment platform for cashless purchases to 1 billion users across Asia through tie-ups with local partners. Ant Financial has investments in these partners, which operate in nine Asian markets including Thailand, South Korea, India and Indonesia. Alipay is one of the most popular payment apps in China and can be used at 300,000 shops in Japan — a five-fold increase from August last year. But none of the apps provided by its partners can be used in Japan despite sharing the same platform, it said. “We want to make it happen as soon as possible. There are no technological problem, but we must consult with antitrust regulators in the relevant countries and the app operators,” said Eric Jing, chairman and chief executive officer of Ant Financial, in a recent interview in Tokyo. Jing was in Tokyo to attend a mobile payment forum. Using smartphones to pay by scanning QR codes is not a commonly adopted practice yet among Japanese consumers. But the government is promoting the use of cashless payments to attract more foreign tourists as Tokyo gears up to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year. In Japan, non-cash transactions, including payments by credit cards and smartphones, account for just under 20 percent of personal spending, compared to about 90 percent in South Korea, 60 percent in China and 45 percent in the United States, according to data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. But an increasing number of telecom and online service companies are entering the digital payment market. PayPay, a joint venture between internet company Yahoo Japan Corp. and cellphone carrier SoftBank Corp., and services from online retailer Rakuten Inc. and mobile carrier NTT Docomo Inc. have joined the market recently. Jing said his company could work with more Japanese retailers but is not considering a capital tie-up with any company in Japan at present.

china
india
smartphones
indonesia
south korea
e-commerce
alibaba group holdings
alipay


LNG production begins in U.S. project financed by Mitsui, Mitsubishi and others

Abstract: NEW YORK - Production of liquefied natural gas began Tuesday at U.S. facilities under a project financed by investment from major Japanese trading houses Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corp. Visiting the facilities in the southern state of Louisiana the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump stressed his administration’s plan to expand energy exports. For its part, Japan is increasing imports of U.S.-made LNG as part of its policy of diversifying resource suppliers. Production started at some facilities for the Cameron LNG project, which will have a total liquefaction capacity of 12 million tons a year. Mitsui and Mitsubishi will each receive one-third of the LNG produced there for sale mainly in Japan. In the United States, production of natural gas and crude oil has been surging in recent years in line with the so-called shale revolution. Underscoring the accomplishments of his administration, Trump said the expansion of energy exports has helped create jobs and reduce U.S. trade deficits.

u.s .
lng
mitsubishi corp .
shale gas
mitsui & co
donald trump


Japan Display to cut 1,000 workers in further restructuring

Abstract: Japan Display Inc. is considering reducing its workforce by around 1,000, mainly in Japan, as the Apple Inc. supplier accelerates restructuring to cut costs, sources close to the matter said Wednesday. The display-maker has agreed to a bailout by Chinese and Taiwanese firms. Japan Display is likely to have booked a group net loss for the fifth straight year in fiscal 2018 on slower demand for display panels for smartphones. It will release the results later in the day. Japan Display was created in 2012 through the government-sponsored merger of the display operations of Sony Corp., Hitachi Ltd. and Toshiba Corp. with support from state-backed fund INCJ Ltd. But facing fierce competition from its Asian rivals, Japan Display has cut around 3,500 employees abroad and 300 in Japan to improve its finances. It said last month it will receive an ¥80 billion ($729 million) capital injection from a consortium including China’s Harvest Tech Investment Management Co. and major Taiwanese panel maker TPK Holding Co. Under the deal, the Chinese-Taiwanese group will together own 49.8 percent of Japan Display while INCJ’s shareholdings in the company will fall to 12.7 percent from the current 25.3 percent. Japan Display Chairman Nobuhiro Higashiiriki is expected to quit the post he assumed in 2017, the sources said. President Yoshiyuki Tsukizaki has served as acting chairman since the end of March after Higashiiriki took leave to recuperate from illness.

apple inc .
financial results
japan display inc .


Washington warns of possible Iran-linked 'imminent threats' to U.S. forces in Iraq

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The U.S. military on Tuesday reaffirmed its concerns about possible imminent threats from Iranian-backed forces to its troops in Iraq, who were now at a high level of alert. Earlier in the day, a senior British commander in the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State remnants in Iraq and Syria said there had been no increase in the threat from Iran-backed militia. British Maj. Gen. Chris Ghika appeared to contradict increasingly heated warnings from Washington, where officials say they see a growing threat from Iran. Iran says the U.S. is waging “psychological warfare” and a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander has said Iran would retaliate against any aggressive U.S. moves. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday Tehran does not seek war with the United States despite mounting tensions over U.S. sanctions, Iranian nuclear capabilities and its missile program. The U.S. military’s Central Command offered a clarifying statement after the remarks by Ghika, the coalition’s deputy commander for strategy and information. “Recent comments from (the coalition’s) Deputy Commander run counter to the identified credible threats available to intelligence from U.S. and allies regarding Iranian backed forces in the region,” said Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman at the U.S. military’s Central Command. Urban said the coalition, which also operates in Syria, had increased its “force posture level” — terminology that can often refer to the alert levels meant to safeguard troops. “(Operation Inherent Resolve) is now at a high level of alert as we continue to closely monitor credible and possibly imminent threats to U.S. forces in Iraq,” Urban said, referring to the coalition’s mission against Islamic State fighters. Ghika was initially unequivocal when he asserted that there was no new threat from Iran. “No, there has been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria. We are aware of their presence clearly and we monitor them along with a whole range of others because that is the environment we are in,” Ghika said initially. He later declined to reaffirm that statement, when pressed by reporters. The United States has sent an aircraft carrier battle group, B-52 bombers and Patriot missiles to the Middle East in a show of force against what U.S. officials have said is a threat to U.S. troops and interests in the region.


Five U.S. abuse victims sue Vatican to release thousands of names of predator priests

Abstract: MILWAUKEE - Five U.S. men who say they were sexually abused as minors by Roman Catholic priests filed a federal lawsuit in Minnesota on Tuesday against the Vatican, accusing the church of concealing the identities of thousands of predator clergy members. Three brothers and two other men claimed in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota, that the Church has kept secret the identities and records of more than 3,400 clergy accused of sexual abuse, including some top church officials. The men are asking the court to require the Vatican to make the information public and report all alleged crimes to law enforcement worldwide. Allegations of rampant sexual abuse of minors by priests and subsequent cover-ups by bishops exploded onto the world stage in 2002. The scandals have cost the church billions of dollars and undercut its moral authority. The three brothers in the lawsuit say they were molested by former Minnesota priest Curtis Wehmeyer between 2006 and 2012. The lawsuit says another plaintiff was sexually abused by former Minnesota priest Thomas Adamson in the early 1980s, and that the fifth man was molested by former priest Fidencio Silva-Flores in California sometime between 1978 to 1984. Wehmeyer pleaded guilty in 2012 to 20 criminal counts against him stemming from the sexual abuse and possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Adamson, who faced accusations of years of abuse and was removed from the priesthood, died recently. Silva-Flores was charged with 25 counts of child molestation in 2003 but never tried. As of 2002, Silva-Flores was working in a church in Mexico, according to the lawsuit. In 2014, the Vatican reported that since 2004, more than 3,400 cases of abuse worldwide had been referred directly to Rome. According to the Vatican, 3,420 clergy involved in those cases were removed from ministry, but their names and cases have never been made public, the lawsuit said. The Vatican figures may not capture the full picture. The U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops has indicated that more than 6,000 clerics in the United States alone have been accused of sexual abuse of minors between 1950 and 2016. Not all the names have been released. But several U.S. dioceses in recent months have identified former bishops, priests and deacons who were accused of sexually abusing children. A week ago, Pope Francis issued a landmark decree making bishops directly accountable for sexual abuse or covering it up and requiring clerics to report any cases to Church superiors. In the United States, state and federal authorities have been investigating how the church handled decades of allegations of sexual misconduct by priests, and at least nine sexual abuse lawsuits have named the Vatican as a defendant in recent years. Two other cases filed this year in Guam and Washington are in early stages. Many other cases were dismissed due to a lack of jurisdiction as it is difficult in U.S. courts to sue a foreign state like the Vatican.

religion
courts
catholic church
sex crimes
child abuse


Child victims of ex-East German regime to get compensation

Abstract: BERLIN - People who as children were forced into state care by the former communist East German regime will more easily be able to obtain compensation, Berlin said Wednesday, as it sought to lift barriers to claims for payment. The German government’s proposed legal change, which will give the benefit of the doubt to those unable to prove why they were in state institutions, comes in the year that marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. “This is an important signal, particularly coming in this year which is the 30th anniversary of the peaceful revolution” that brought the end of the communist regime, said a government statement. Between 1949 and 1990, close to half a million children and youths were taken away from their relatives and brought up in homes in the former East Germany. Some 135,000 of them were sent to special institutions commonly dubbed “kid’s prisons” that carried out “re-education” to force them to fall in line with the socialist ideology. Following the Soviet disciplinarian education axiom, children in these so-called Jugendwerkhoefe were subject to physical abuse including beatings, isolation cells and food deprivation. Germany first offered former victims compensation in 2012, granting them a “victim-pension” of around €300 ($340) a month. But many people failed to qualify, sometimes because they had lost, or never received, essential documents. Under the new rules those who have been unable to find paperwork or proof explaining why they were taken into state care will be given the benefit of the doubt and treated as victims of the communist dictatorship. A deadline for applications to seek compensation will also be scrapped. Even though three decades have passed, Justice Minister Katarina Barley said, the work to help rehabilitate former victims is not over. “It is our common responsibility to stand on the side of the victims,” she said. “Even if financial support will not make up for the suffering of these victims, it is an important sign of recognition and justice.”

europe
berlin
rights
germany
communism
east germany


Scientists unearth 'most birdlike' dinosaur ever found

Abstract: PARIS - Researchers in Germany have unearthed a new species of flying dinosaur that flapped its wings like a raven and could hold vital clues as to how modern-day birds evolved from their reptilian ancestors. For more than a century and a half since its discovery in 1861, Archaeopteryx — a small feathered dinosaur around the size of a crow that lived in marshland around 150 million years ago — was widely considered to be the oldest flying bird. Palaeontologists from Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU) in Munich and the University of Fribourg examined rock formations in the German region of Bavaria, home to nearly all known Archaeopteryx specimens. They came across a petrified wing, which the team initially assumed to be the same species. They soon found several differences, however. “There are similarities, but after detailed comparisons with Archaeopteryx and other, geologically younger birds, its fossil remains suggested that we were dealing with a somewhat more derived bird,” said lead study author Oliver Rauhut from LMU’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. They called the new birdlike dinosaur Alcmonavis poeschli — from the old Celtic word for a nearby river and the scientist who discovered the fossil, excavation leader Roland Poeschl. The study, published in the journal eLife Sciences, said Alcmonavis poeschli was “the most birdlike bird discovered from the Jurassic.” As well as being significantly larger than Archaeopteryx, the new specimen had more notches in its wing bones that pointed to muscles which would have allowed it to actively flap its wings. Significantly, this “flapping” trait found in Alcmonavis poeschli is present in more recent birds, but not in Archaeopteryx. “This suggests that the diversity of birds in the late Jurassic era was greater than previously thought,” Rauhut said. The discovery is likely to fuel debate among dinosaur experts over whether birds and dinosaurs developed the ability to flap their wings from earlier gliding species. “Its adaptation shows that the evolution of flight must have progressed relatively quickly,” said Christian Foth, from the University of Fribourg, and a co-author of the research. pg/mh/nla

europe evolution germany paleontology dinosaurs archaeopteryx


Amnesty urges ICC to probe Venezuela's alleged crimes against humanity under Maduro

Abstract: MEXICO CITY - Amnesty International said Tuesday it believes the Venezuelan authorities have committed crimes against humanity in their crackdown on anti-government protests, and urged the International Criminal Court to investigate. The rights group said President Nicolas Maduro’s government responded with “a systematic and widespread policy of repression” in late January, when anti-government protests swept the country after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself acting president. Maduro opponents were tortured and killed during the protests, it said. “The nature of the attacks … the level of coordination by the security forces, as well as the signs of similar patterns in 2014 and 2017, leads Amnesty International to believe that the Venezuelan authorities committed crimes against humanity,” Amnesty said in a statement. Guaido is locked in a bitter power struggle with Maduro, who has presided over a spiraling political and economic crisis in Venezuela since taking over from late leftist leader Hugo Chavez in 2013. Maduro was re-elected to a second term in May 2018, in a vote boycotted by the opposition and rejected by much of the international community. Guaido, the leader of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled legislature, declared himself acting president on Jan. 23, calling Maduro’s re-election illegitimate. The opposition leader has since been recognized by more than 50 countries, led by the United States. Amnesty sent a fact-finding mission to the country in February to research the crackdown on the anti-government protests that preceded and followed Guaido’s swearing-in. The London-based rights group said at least 47 people were killed during the protests from Jan. 21 to 25. At least 33 were shot dead by the security forces, and six by government supporters. “Eleven of these deaths were extrajudicial executions,” said Erika Guevara, Americas director for Amnesty International, who presented the report in Mexico City. “State forces identified people who had been prominent in the protests in their communities, located them and shortly afterwards killed them. … Some of them were tortured before they were killed,” the report said. More than 900 people, including children, were arbitrarily detained over the same period, it said. It called on the U.N. Human Rights Council and International Criminal Court to investigate. Amnesty’s team found that crimes and human rights violations were committed in “an attack planned and led by the security forces against individuals identified as or perceived to be opponents, particularly in impoverished areas.” Maduro himself “knew about these public and appalling acts and took no measures to either prevent or investigate them,” it said. Despite economic collapse and international isolation, Maduro has so far retained the support of Venezuela’s powerful military. Guaido has meanwhile been fighting to keep up the pressure on the embattled socialist leader since the opposition’s bid to spark a military uprising fizzled on April 30.

murder
rights
venezuela
torture
nicolas maduro
icc
juan guaido


As risks rise, too little is spent to avert disasters, say U.N. and Red Cross

Abstract: GENEVA - Governments and businesses are still investing far too little to protect poor communities at rising risk from wild weather and other threats, the heads of the U.N. disaster prevention agency and the Red Cross said Tuesday. Countries are having to dig deep to bail out crisis-hit communities — as happened after Cyclone Idai killed hundreds and razed central areas of Mozambique’s coast in mid-March, leaving large swaths of land flooded and property destroyed. But lives could be saved and aid bills slashed by spending more upfront to avert the worst damage, as happened when India faced Cyclone Fani this month, the senior officials said ahead of an international conference on tackling disasters in Geneva this week. “Cyclone Idai was a reminder that the way we respond to disasters is out of balance,” said Elhadj As Sy, secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. “Lack of investment to reduce and prevent disaster impacts results in more and more money needed to save lives and repair damages after the fact,” Sy added in a statement. Ahead of the Mozambique disaster, which left an estimated 1.85 million people in need of aid, the Red Cross released 340,000 Swiss francs ($337,000) in international funding to help evacuate and prepare communities in harm’s way. But the cost of Red Cross and U.N. relief operations after the disaster added up to nearly 1,000 times more, or about 315 million Swiss francs, the humanitarian network said. “Such a model doesn’t work for people who are at risk of storms and flooding. It’s also a model that doesn’t make financial sense, especially as we anticipate increased weather-related disasters as a result of climate change,” said Sy. Measures aid agencies use to safeguard people include putting in place systems to warn them of danger — whether via mobile phone messages or megaphones — as well as designating robust public buildings as shelters and positioning key supplies beforehand. Mami Mizutori, special representative of the U.N. secretary-general for disaster risk reduction, said that despite a target in the Sendai Framework, a 2015 global pact, to “substantially enhance” international aid to prevent disasters, “this is not happening.” Unlike climate change funding for developing nations, there is no numerical target or agreed percentage of aid for governments to spend on reducing disaster risk, she said. Setting such a target could prove “tricky,” she noted, as it could spark contention in a policy area around which governments are currently “very united.” In the past, a few countries said they would earmark a share of their humanitarian aid for disaster prevention — about 10 percent in the case of the U.K. and the Netherlands — but it has not become a formal global goal. “There is a lack of money in every aspect of dealing with disaster,” said Mizutori in an interview ahead of Wednesday’s opening of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, due to attract more than 4,000 participants. Not enough money is being invested to help hospitals, homes and telecommunications systems withstand growing risks linked to climate change and other threats, Mizutori said. Small island states, meanwhile, have been saddled with crippling levels of debt as they build back after powerful hurricanes because their higher income levels exclude them from accessing cheap loans, she added. The former Japanese diplomat said setting an “unrealistic” international target for DRR spending would not help but said calls for more funding needed to continue. Both officials cited the success of India’s authorities in moving more than 1 million people to safety earlier this month when the coastal state of Odisha was hit by Cyclone Fani. But the IFRC’s Sy said this was “still the exception to the rule.” The Red Cross said there had been a shift in recent years toward investment focused more on addressing risk. But not enough of the money was reaching vulnerable communities in places most threatened by storms, floods and other weather-related disasters, it said. It called for more funding to protect those people from natural hazards, and help them adjust to shifts in the climate. “This means investing more in early warning systems that reach the last mile,” said Sy. “It also means investing more in local aid groups that are best placed to help people prepare.”

india
weather
u.n .
disasters
red cross
cyclones


Putin and top U.S. diplomat emphasize better ties despite lingering disputes

Abstract: SOCHI, RUSSIA - Russian leader Vladimir Putin said he’s committed to improving ties with the U.S. now that special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe showed a “demonstrated absence of any kind of traces, of any kind of collusion” between Moscow and President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. “My impression is that the president is set to restore Russian-American relations, contacts, to jointly resolve issues that are of mutual interest to us,” Putin told Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in front of reporters before a private meeting Tuesday. “For our part, we have repeatedly said that we would also like to restore full-format relations.” Meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier pledged to seek better relations and ease tensions, even as they diverged sharply on issues from Iran and Venezuela to U.S. findings of Kremlin meddling in U.S. elections. After meeting with Lavrov, Pompeo said the U.S. “fundamentally doesn’t want war with Iran,” as Lavrov warned of the risk of being pulled into a spiral of crisis over the Islamic Republic. Pompeo said he warned Russia against meddling in the 2020 U.S. presidential elections, while Lavrov rejected accusations of interference as “complete fiction.” “We agreed on the importance of restoring channels of communications that had recently been frozen,” Lavrov said at their joint news conference. “I hope that after the publication of the report of special counsel Robert Mueller, passions on the other side of the ocean will subside and it will be possible finally to move forward toward more constructive interaction.” In fact, Mueller reported that his investigation didn’t establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government “despite multiple efforts by Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.” Pompeo and Lavrov discussed a possible meeting between Trump and Putin at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka next month, after the U.S. president said Monday that he would see the Kremlin leader. Putin is willing to meet Trump, but there’s been no official invitation so far, Lavrov said. The two sides described the talks as “frank,” saying that they wanted to improve relations strained for years over the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine and more recently over strategic arms control and U.S. efforts to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Pompeo, on his first visit to Russia as the top U.S. diplomat, said the Trump administration is committed to improving ties and wants to work together where the two countries have what he called “overlapping interests.” “I’m here today because President Trump is committed to improving this relationship,” he told Lavrov at the start of their meeting. “It’s not destined that we’re adversaries on every issue.” Pompeo said he and Lavrov discussed North Korea’s nuclear program. Lavrov said they agreed to engage on other arms-control issues, including on a possible extension of the U.S.-Russia New Start nuclear treaty that’s due to expire in 2021. Lavrov also said there may be hope for some agreement on Iran that would win backing by both Russia and the U.S., after Trump pulled out of the international accord on Tehran’s nuclear program. They offered few details, however, about the areas where they could improve relations, in contrast to the variety of differences they outlined. There’s “no pivot in sight, no breakthrough in the offing,” Dmitri Trenin, Moscow Carnegie Center director, wrote on Twitter before the news conference. “Contacts will continue, but normalization will be long in coming.” Before meeting Pompeo, Putin flew to a flight-test airbase in the southern Astrakhan region escorted by six of Russia’s latest Su-57 stealth fighter jets to inspect new hypersonic weapons he’s touted as invulnerable to U.S. defenses. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was a scheduled inspection visit and dismissed as “conspiracy theories” suggestions that it was a signal to Washington, the state-run Tass news service reported. Trump stunned Russian officials in November by scrapping a meeting with Putin at last year’s G20 summit in Argentina with a Twitter announcement the day before the talks, blaming tensions over Russia’s capture of Ukrainian sailors. That followed the cancellation of talks planned for Paris during Nov. 11 commemorations for the centenary of the end of World War I. It’s not clear what’s changed since then. At the time, Trump cited Russia’s failure to release Ukrainian ships and sailors seized during clashes in the Kerch Strait near Crimea as the reason for his refusal to meet Putin. The sailors remain in detention as Russia continues plans to prosecute them, said Nikolai Polozov, who’s leading their defense team. Putin, however, cited special counsel Mueller’s “objective” investigation as finally being behind both the U.S. and Russia. And he reiterated past rejections of any Russian involvement in the 2016 election, in the face of the conclusion to the contrary reached by Mueller, the U.S. intelligence community and congressional probes. “From the beginning we characterized this as complete nonsense,” Putin said. “There was no state meddling on our part in the U.S. election.”

vladimir putin
russia
venezuela
iran
u.s. elections
sochi
sergey lavrov
donald trump
mike pompeo