At age 30, World Wide Web has deviated from original vision

Abstract: Geneva - At the ripe old age of 30 and with half the globe using it, the World Wide Web is facing growing pains with issues like hate speech, privacy concerns and state-sponsored hacking, its creator says, calling to make it better for humanity. Tim Berners-Lee on Tuesday joined a celebration of the web and reminisced about his invention at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, starting with a proposal published on March 12, 1989. It opened the way to a technological revolution that has transformed the way people buy goods, share ideas, get information and much more. It has also become a place where tech titans scoop up personal data, rival governments spy and seek to scuttle elections, and hate speech and vitriol have thrived — taking the web far from its roots as a space for progress-oriented minds to collaborate. As of late 2018, half of the world was online, with the other half often struggling to secure access. Speaking at the Web@30 conference at CERN, Berners-Lee acknowledged that a sense among many who are already on the web has become: “Whoops! The web is not the web we wanted in every respect.” His World Wide Web Foundation wants to enlist governments, companies and citizens to take a greater role in shaping the web for good under principles laid out in its “Contract for the Web.” Under the contract, governments are called upon to make sure everyone can connect to the internet, to keep it available and to respect privacy. Companies should make the internet affordable, respect privacy and develop technology that will put people — and the “public good” — first. Citizens should create and to cooperate and respect “civil discourse,” among other things. “The Contract for the Web is about sitting down in working groups with other people who signed up, and to say, ‘OK, let’s work out what this really means,'” Berners-Lee said. It was unclear how such rules would be enforced. Berners-Lee cautioned it was important to strike a balance between oversight and freedom but difficult to agree what it should be. “Where is the balance between leaving the tech companies to do the right thing and regulating them? Where is the balance between freedom of speech and hate speech?” he said. The conference, which brought together internet and tech experts, also gave CERN the chance to showcase its reputation as an open-source incubator of ideas. Berners-Lee worked there in the late 1980s, and had been determined to help bridge a communications and documentation gap among different computer platforms. As a young English software engineer at CERN, Berners-Lee, who is now 63, came up with the idea for hypertext transfer protocol — the “http” in web addresses — and other building blocks for the web. The HTTP system allowed text and small images to be retrieved through a piece of software — the first browser — that Berners-Lee released in 1990 and is considered the start of the web. Browsers on home computers made the internet easily accessible to consumers for the first time. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Berners-Lee recalled how his research was helped by his former boss at CERN, Mike Sendall, who wanted a pretext to buy a then-new NeXT computer, made by a company created by Steve Jobs after Apple fired him. Berners-Lee said Sendall told him to “‘pick a random program to develop on it. … Why don’t you do that hypertext thing?'” Berners-Lee has since become a sort of father figure for the internet community, been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and named as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century by Time magazine. While he now wants to get the debate going, other panelists expressed concerns like the increasing concentration of control of the internet by big corporate players, and fretted about a possible splintering of cyberspace among rival countries. “The challenges come from the same things that make it (the web) wonderful, and that’s the difficulty,” said conference panelist Zeynep Tufekci, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina’s School of Information and Library Science. “The openness is wonderful, the connectivity is wonderful, the fact that it was created as a network for academics who are kind of into trusting each other,” she said. Now with the web, “there’s an enormous amount of centralization going on, with a few big players becoming gatekeepers. Those few big players have built, basically, surveillance machines,” she said. “It’s based on surveillance profiling us and then targeting us for ads — which wasn’t the original idea at all.”

internet
privacy
computers
tim berners-lee


U.S. aviation regulator says review shows 'no systemic performance issues' with Boeing 737 Max 8

Abstract: WASHINGTON/ADDIS ABABA - The U.S. aviation regulator said on Tuesday it would not ground Boeing 737 Max 8 planes after a crash in Ethiopia killed 157 people, bucking a trend of countries around the world that have suspended the aircraft’s operations. The Federal Aviation Administration’s acting administrator, Dan Elwell, said a review by the body “shows no systemic performance issues and provides no basis to order grounding the aircraft.” The European Union’s aviation safety regulator on Tuesday suspended all flights in the bloc by the Max 8, and a U.S. senator who chairs a panel overseeing aviation suggested the United States take similar action following Sunday’s fatal crash, the second since October involving that type of plane. But Elwell said no foreign civil aviation authorities had provided data that would warrant action. If any safety issues are identified during an ongoing urgent review of the Ethiopian Airlines crash, the FAA will “take immediate and appropriate action,” he said. Britain, Germany and France joined a wave of suspensions of the aircraft following the crash, followed by a similar decision by India, piling pressure on the United States to follow suit. Boeing, the world’s biggest plane-maker, whose market value has lost billions of dollars since the crash, said it understood the countries’ actions but retained “full confidence” in the 737 Max 8 and had safety as its priority. The three U.S. airlines using the Max 8 — Southwest Airlines, American Airlines Group and United Airlines — stood by the aircraft, although many potential passengers took to social media to express concerns, asking if they could change flights or cancel. United Airlines’ union pilots said they had found no mechanical deficiencies in the plane in more than 23,000 flying hours. The cause of Sunday’s crash, which followed a disaster with a Max 8 that killed 189 people five months ago in Indonesia, remains unknown. On Monday, the FAA released details of a series of design changes and training requirements mandated from Boeing on the Max 8 fleet after the Indonesia crash. There is no evidence yet whether the two crashes are linked. Plane experts say it is too early to speculate on the reason for the latest crash. Most crashes are caused by a unique chain of human and technical factors. European suspension In an unusual move, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it was suspending all flights in the bloc of Boeing’s 737 Max 8 and 9 jets. “Based on all available information, EASA considers that further actions may be necessary to ensure the continued airworthiness of the two affected models,” it said in a statement. It shied away, however, from the even rarer step of pulling the safety certification for the plane itself, focusing instead on the softer process of restricting its use by airlines. The move leaves some leeway for the U.S. FAA to decide its own approach. Flight ET 302 came down in a field soon after takeoff from Addis Ababa, creating a fireball in a crater. It may take weeks or months to identify all the victims, who include a prize-winning author, a soccer official and a team of humanitarian workers. Of the top 10 countries by air passenger travel, all but the United States and Japan have halted flights of the Max 8. China, Indonesia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Fiji and others have temporarily suspended the plane. Canada has no plans to ground Max 8 aircraft but is ready to act immediately to suspend flights if new information emerges indicating there is a problem, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said. Argentina and other South American nations are evaluating closing their airspace to Max 8 airplanes, Argentina’s state-run news agency, Telam, reported on Tuesday. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican who chairs the Senate subcommittee on aviation and space, said on Tuesday it would be “prudent” for the United States “to temporarily ground 737 Max aircraft until the FAA confirms the safety of these aircraft and their passengers.” Cruz said he intended to convene a hearing to investigate the crashes. U.S. President Donald Trump also fretted over modern airplane design. “Pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT,” Trump tweeted, lamenting that product developers always sought to go an unnecessary step further when “old and simpler” was superior. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want Albert Einstein to be my pilot. I want great flying professionals that are allowed to easily and quickly take control of a plane!” he added. He did not refer to Boeing or recent accidents, but his comments echoed an automation debate that partially lies at the center of a probe into October’s Lion Air crash in Indonesia. Investigators are examining the role of a software system designed to push the plane down, as well as airline training and repair standards. Boeing says it plans to update the software in the coming weeks. Trump spoke to Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg on Tuesday and received assurances that the aircraft was safe, two people briefed on the call said. Victims from 30 nations Given problems of identification at the charred disaster site, Ethiopian Airlines said it would take at least five days to start handing remains to families. The victims came from more than 30 nations, and included nearly two dozen U.N. staffers. “We are Muslim and have to bury our deceased immediately,” said Noordin Mohamed, a 27-year-old Kenyan businessman whose brother and mother died. “Losing a brother and mother in the same day and not having their bodies to bury is very painful,” he said in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, where the plane had been due. If the black box recordings found at the Ethiopian crash site are undamaged, the cause of the crash could be identified quickly, although it typically takes a year for a full probe. The new variant of the 737, the world’s most-sold modern passenger aircraft, is viewed as the likely workhorse for global airlines for decades, and 4,661 more are on order. Over 40 percent of the Max 8 fleet has been grounded, Flightglobal said, although many airlines still use older jets.

u.s .
boeing
u.k .
germany
ethiopian airlines
donald trump
aircraft accidents
737 max 8


Ties between Boeing and Trump run deep

Abstract: WASHINGTON - When U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg on Tuesday to get assurances about the safety of the 737 Max 8 plane that crashed in Ethiopia, he wasn’t talking to a stranger. Trump, who owned his own airline, Trump Shuttle, from 1989 to 1992, is an aviation enthusiast. Before becoming president he had his own private jet, and since his inauguration he has taken visible delight in the presidential aircraft, Air Force One. His aviation connections have expanded during his presidency to include relationships with powerful executives in the defense industry, including Muilenburg, with whom he has talked several times. Muilenburg told Trump in Tuesday’s morning call that the aircraft was safe and did not need to be grounded, two people briefed on the conversation said. Later in the day, aviation officials repeated that U.S. flights of the plane would continue. That leaves the United States as an outlier in its response to Sunday’s Max 8 crash that killed 157 people. The European Union’s aviation safety regulator on Tuesday suspended all flights by the plane in the bloc; of the top 10 countries by air passenger travel, all but the United States and Japan have halted flights. U.S. officials, including a bipartisan group of five senators, are asking why the FAA is not doing the same. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican who chairs the Senate subcommittee on aviation and space, said he intends to convene a hearing to investigate. The Ethiopian crash follows one of a Max 8 five months ago in Indonesia that killed 189 people. There is no evidence yet that the two disasters are linked. Plane experts say it is too early to speculate on the cause of the crash. Trump personally negotiated with Muilenburg to try to lower the cost of a future version of Air Force One after complaining the price tag was too high. “He cares about business and he creates open communication lines, and we will have differences from time to time; we may not agree on every topic,” Muilenburg said in a radio interview last month. But while the relationship hasn’t all been cozy, ties between Boeing and the Trump administration run deep. Trump has used Boeing products and sites as a backdrop for major announcements over the course of his presidency. In March 2018 he touted the impact of his tax overhaul bill as he visited a plant in St. Louis. Before joining the Pentagon, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, who is expected to be named to the post, worked for 31 years at Boeing, where he was general manager for the 787 Dreamliner passenger jet. Boeing has nominated Nikki Haley, Trump’s former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who continues to be a close ally, to join its board of directors at the company’s annual shareholders meeting on April 29. Trump has also put pressure on U.S. allies to buy products from Boeing, the country’s second-largest defense contractor; it received $104 billion in unclassified defense contracts between 2014 and 2018. U.S. officials and defense industry sources said that weeks after Trump pressed the Emir of Kuwait in 2018 over a long-delayed deal for Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets, Kuwait said it would proceed with the order. Boeing is also one of the largest U.S. exporters to China, and Muilenburg told an aviation summit in Washington that purchases of its U.S.-made aircraft by China could be part of a sweeping trade deal currently being negotiated. Aircraft exports have thus far been spared from retaliatory Chinese tariffs.


South Korea labels air pollution a 'social disaster' in move that could unlock emergency funds

Abstract: SEOUL - South Korea on Wednesday ramped up its firepower as it battles pollution, passing a set of bills that designate the problem a ‘social disaster’ and which could unlock emergency funds to tackle the issue. Pollution in Asia’s fourth-largest economy has been driven up by factors including coal-fired power generation and high vehicle emissions, sparking widespread concern among the public and weighing on President Moon Jae-in’s approval ratings. Designating the issue a ‘disaster’ allows the government to use parts of its reserve funds to help respond to any damage or emergency caused by polluted air. The country’s reserve funds stand at up to 3 trillion won ($2.65 billion) this year. Other bills that were passed included mandating that every school classroom should have an air purifier and removing a limit on sales of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vehicles, which typically produce less emissions than gasoline and diesel. The latest bills follow previous steps to battle pollution such as capping operations at coal-fired power plants. South Korea’s air quality was the worst among its peers in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development as of 2017, according to data from the group. Its average annual exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) of less than 2.5 micrometers was 25.1 micrograms per cubic meter, slightly more than double the OECD average of 12.5. The World Health Organization recommends that air quality standard should be no more than 10 micrograms in terms of PM 2.5 levels. For six consecutive days in early March, high levels of concentrated pollutants enveloped most parts of South Korea. According to a weekly poll by Gallup Korea released on March 8, Moon’s approval rating was down by 3 percentage points from a week earlier at 46 percent. Unless any objections are raised, it should take around 15 days for the bills to become law. The nation’s regional neighbor China has also been fighting pollution as it tries to reverse damage from over three decades of untrammeled economic growth.


Kim Jong Un might not want the risks that come with the riches Trump is promising North Korea

Abstract: U.S. President Donald Trump has spent a lot of time trying to convince Kim Jong Un that great wealth awaits if he gives up his nuclear weapons and opens North Korea’s economy. Yet that carries big risks for the young leader. While Kim’s calls for relaxing the sanctions cutting off North Korea from the global economy helped sink talks with Trump last month, it remains unclear whether he wants to follow other “Asian tigers” like Singapore and Vietnam and welcome a rush of foreign investment. That’s especially true if that means giving up his nuclear weapons — the regime’s so-called treasured sword. “North Korea sees foreign businesses as the carrier of a highly contagious germ that could infect workers,” said Andrei Lankov, a director at the Korea Risk Group consulting firm who has studied in North Korea and written extensively about the country. Openness could bring in a flood of outside information that finally loosens Kim’s grip, Lankov added. The failure of Trump’s second summit with Kim shows the limits of the United States’ economic appeal in nuclear talks. Test-launching a rocket or missile — something satellite imagery suggests Kim may be planning — would only drive home the point that he still sees his nuclear deterrent as more valuable than the investment opportunities on offer. North Korea became one of the world’s poorest countries after decades of economic mismanagement, an island of futility in a region comprised of powerhouses China, Japan and South Korea. The country’s annual car production equals the amount that South Korea churns out in about 7.5 hours. In Hanoi, Trump touted Vietnam as an economic example of what North Korea could become. Both a communist nation and a former U.S. adversary, Vietnam now boasts one of Asia’s fastest growth rates. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said last week that North Korea had a choice between a “bright economic future” if it disarmed or tighter sanctions if it didn’t. But Kim wants to develop North Korea’s economy on his own terms, without giving up a nuclear deterrent that took generations to build or loosening his grip over one of the most repressive regimes on Earth. Even foreign investment on a level tolerated by North Korea’s socialist peers could prove too destabilizing for Kim. “It’s about control,” said Mike Green, a former Asia director at National Security Council under President George W. Bush who’s now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “There’s no evidence to support the assertion that Kim Jong Un wants to become the next Vietnam or China any more than his father or grandfather.” Kim has promised to eliminate his nuclear weapons program on at least six occasions, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, telling Houston broadcaster KRIV in an interview Tuesday the North Korean leader has repeatedly made the pledge directly to him. Pompeo added that “talk is cheap” and “what we’ll need to see is action, and that’s what we’re counting on.” North Korea has long enticed investors with its cheap workforce, vast untapped mineral resources and a strategic location near rich neighbors. The challenge of rebuilding North Korea’s aging infrastructure would be huge: Its rail lines are in disrepair, its highways are scant and it can’t produce enough electricity to light the country at night. Still, North Korea’s business landscape is littered with foreign ventures gone bad. An Egyptian telecommunications giant doing business there can’t repatriate its profits. Even companies from the country’s economic patron, China, have been burned. Whether U.S. businesses could eventually profit, as Trump has speculated, is another matter. More likely, firms from adjacent countries South Korea and China would be the first on the ground. China was the only country South Korean President Moon Jae-in mentioned when cautioning about the need to get in fast if North Korean sanctions are relaxed. “It’s extremely important for South Korea to not miss its timing,” Moon told a news conference in January. Moon had been hoping the Hanoi talks would achieve progress on two frozen inter-Korean projects: a mountain resort and a factory park in the North Korean border city of Kaeseong operated by South Korean firms. The complex, which was supposed to be a model of economic cooperation for a unified Korea, was shut down due to political acrimony about three years ago. Kim wants it open again, providing his government with hard currency. The sanctions imposed to punish Pyongyang for its pursuit of nuclear weapons and missiles severely restrict commerce with North Korea, the import of technology and oil as well as access to global capital. One model that might be more attractive to Kim is the Middle East, where families enrich themselves while still opening up to international investment, according to Richard Fenning, chief executive officer of Control Risks Group. “What the North Koreans understand above all else is that countries are at their most vulnerable when they start the process of reforming,” Fenning said. “He knows that what he wants to achieve economically is a baby step compared with what President Trump is trying to demonstrate to him is on offer.”

north korea
kim jong un
nuclear weapons
sanctions
north korea nuclear crisis
donald trump
_asia


Landmark court ruling could spark land compensation claims for indigenous Australians

Abstract: DARWIN, AUSTRALIA - Australia’s High Court on Wednesday ruled that Aboriginal owners stripped of land rights should be compensated for “spiritual harm,” in a landmark ruling that could spark a slew of cases countrywide. The court ruled that the Ngaliwurru and Nungali peoples in the Northern Territory were entitled to compensation for being disconnected from their lands by the government. Portions of the land in the isolated northern town of Timber Creek were used by the state government to build infrastructure, impinging, the court said, on “native title” rights and interests. The court upheld a ruling that the group was entitled to compensation not only for the value of the land and lost interest, but “compensation for cultural loss.” The government had claimed the award for cultural loss was “manifestly excessive.” Awarding 1.3 million Australian dollars ($920,000) for “cultural loss” the court said it assessed the groups’ “spiritual relationship” with the land and “spiritual hurt” by the disconnection. The court indicated that the assessment of compensation could vary according to the identity of the native title holders and their connection with the land or waters. In advance of the ruling, legal experts at the University of Queensland said it would have “huge implications” for indigenous peoples. “For Queensland and Western Australia in particular, the outcome will likely provide clarity on the significant amounts of compensation they may be liable for in the future,” they wrote. Both states are rich in resources and a vast amount of land could be affected. Government officials have reportedly put the cost of potential compensation claims at more than A$1 billion. The case “will have strong implications for the more than 2.8 million square kilometers of native title land holdings across the rest of Australia,” said Tony Denholder, a partner at law firm Ashurst. It “will likely trigger compensation applications from many of the hundreds of native title holder groups around Australia, who finally have clarity — albeit limited — on how they might quantify the compensation owed to them.” “It is likely that nationally, the liability for native title compensation will run into the billions of dollars.” But according to Denholder there would be more legal complexities ahead and more case law would be needed to give a clear picture of how compensation will be assessed for mining projects, pastoral leases and agricultural development.

australia
northern territory
high court ruling
aboriginal land
spiritual harm


Japan to opt out of U.N. motion condemning North Korea's rights abuses in apparent bid for talks on abductions

Abstract: For the first time since 2007, Japan will not take part in the submission of a draft joint resolution condemning North Korea’s human rights abuses to a U.N. panel, the government said Wednesday, in a conciliatory gesture apparently aimed at convincing Pyongyang to hold talks with Tokyo. The turnaround reflects Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s desire to settle the issue of Pyongyang’s past abductions of Japanese nationals — a top priority of his administration, according to government sources. Tokyo has jointly presented such a motion with the European Union to the 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council for the last 11 years. “We have reached this decision based on a comprehensive examination of the outcome of the second U.S.-North Korean summit and the situations surrounding the abduction and other issues” related to the North, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference. “There is no change in (Japan’s) stance to closely work together with the international community, including the United States, and fully implement U.N. Security Council resolutions” imposed over the North’s nuclear and missile programs, the top government spokesman said. The decision “would not hamper Japan’s effort to keep in step with the international society” and Tokyo will continue to urge Pyongyang to improve its human rights situation, Suga added. Abe has led the campaign with U.S. President Donald Trump to put “maximum pressure” on Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons program and other issues. But after the Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi ended without any agreement, the prime minister began to stress the need to seize every opportunity to sit down with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to break the impasse over the abductions by the North in the 1970s and 1980s. Trump has said he raised the abduction issue in the meeting with Kim, but the official newspaper of North Korea’s Workers’ Party slammed Abe for asking the U.S. president to take up the issue. The Foreign Ministry has told senior lawmakers of the ruling bloc comprising Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its partner, Komeito, that Tokyo’s softer position on Pyongyang at the U.N. committee would signal its intention to resume bilateral talks, especially when the North has shown signs of being nervous over international criticism of its human rights record, the sources said. Abe’s government hopes to alleviate concerns among ruling bloc members and conservative supporters over the softening of its policy by stressing its resolve to make progress on the long-standing issue, they said. The European Union is highly likely to unilaterally submit a resolution during the ongoing ordinary session of the panel, which opened Feb. 25 and is expected to continue for about a month. Atsuhito Isozaki, an associate professor and a North Korea expert at Keio University, agreed that the latest move by Tokyo is a thinly veiled overture for dialogue with North Korea, reflecting Abe’s desperation as he sees Washington drift further away from the hard-line policy of heaping pressure on the regime. Japan could confidently claim it was “100 percent” in lockstep with Washington, its biggest ally, when Trump was unerringly committed to piling pressure on the regime. But “now that Trump is unmistakably moving away from pressure toward solving problems through dialogue, Japan is left no option but to head in this direction, too,” according to Isozaki. Whether this strategy will work as Tokyo wishes, he said, remains to be seen. In a meeting with Abe on Tuesday, Yasushi Chimura, 63, who was repatriated in 2002 along with his wife after both were abducted in 1978, urged the prime minister to settle the issue through direct talks with Kim. Tokyo officially recognizes 17 citizens as having been kidnapped by North Korea and suspects the country’s involvement in many more disappearances. Among them, five, including the Chimuras, returned to Japan in 2002 after Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi held talks with Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang earlier that year. Abe accompanied Koizumi as deputy chief Cabinet secretary. Japan’s latest decision “is a tactical shift to recalibrate and possibly gain some needed momentum on the issue of kidnapped Japanese in North Korea,” said Stephen Nagy, a senior associate professor at Tokyo’s International Christian University. “The Abe administration may be taking a page out of former Prime Minister Koizumi and President Donald Trump’s diplomatic playbook by forgoing international criticism and move to a tête-a-tête with top leaders to make some needed progress,” he said. “Koizumi’s approach yielded the release of several hostages and while no progress has been made on denuclearization, President Trump’s meetings with Kim garnered the remains of U.S. soldiers,” Nagy said. “While this approach does not ally Japan’s security concerns with the (North), it does open up a window of opportunity to (possibly) repatriate or at least learn of the fate of those kidnapped Japanese,” he added.

shinzo abe
north korea
rights
kim jong un
u.n .
abductions
north korea-japan relations


Nearly half of LGBT graduates in Japan report having uncomfortable experiences in job interviews

Abstract: Over 40 percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual students and over 80 percent of transgender students in Japan had uncomfortable experiences during job interviews, a survey by a nonprofit organization showed Wednesday. “Company officials in charge of personnel affairs should be aware that job-hunting students include a certain percentage of sexual minorities,” said Tokyo-based ReBit. “Assuming that job-seeking students are not LGBT could lead to harassment,” said Mika Yakushi, head of ReBit, which supports job hunting by sexual minorities. ReBit conducted the online survey in July-September, targeting people who see themselves as LGBT and hunted for jobs as new graduates in a 10-year period through 2018. It analyzed answers from 241 respondents. The result showed 42.5 percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual people and 87.4 percent of transgender people answered that they had uncomfortable experiences during job interviews. Some of them said interviewers’ questions were based on assumptions that applicants are heterosexual, and others said interviewers were negative toward LGBT people. Many applicants were required to state their gender. According to the survey, 78.0 percent of respondents did not come out as LGBT to companies, with 70.8 percent saying they were afraid of possible discrimination and harassment and 68.9 percent saying they were concerned about a possible negative impact on employers’ decisions. The survey also showed that 95.9 percent did not consult job assistance service providers about gender issues. Some of them said they had no idea where to receive consultations, while others said they thought such organizations would not provide solutions. “Universities need to support LGBT students’ job hunting,” Yakushi said. Major domestic firms started explanatory sessions on March 1 for job-seeking college students expected to graduate in spring 2020.


Ibaraki principal's plan to launch school esports club ahead of Japan Games tourney stokes controversy

Abstract: The principal of a school in Ibaraki Prefecture who proposed establishing an extracurricular esports club has faced criticism from his teachers. In January, Takahiro Inose, principal of Oarai High School, proposed setting up a competitive gaming club. “After-school club activities are one of the catalysts for students to come to school. It’s good to see students enjoy themselves,” Inose said. His proposal came ahead of an interprefectural esports competition, as part of the Japan Games national sports event, which Ibaraki is due to host later this year. Inose held an esports trial session for students and teachers last month in an effort to rally support for his proposal. But the idea is facing strong opposition from the school’s educators. “I feel uncomfortable with doing gaming as part of school education. I’m strongly opposed,” one teacher said of the principal’s proposal. Several teachers are strongly against using public money to purchase game titles. Satoru Kaneko, principal of Johoku Tsubasa High School in Aichi Prefecture, which launched an esports club last year, gave a positive assessment of its effects. Esports activities “led to increased communication among students, especially during competitions,” Kaneko said. There are roughly 100 million esports players worldwide, according to the Japan Esports Union. Esports will be an official medal event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Esports is being touted as a new growth industry in Japan.

teens
schools
high schools
video games
esports


Reinforcing soft seabed at Henoko in Okinawa could delay U.S. Futenma base move by years

Abstract: NAHA, OKINAWA PREF. - Construction of a facility to replace the controversial Futenma air base in Okinawa Prefecture may be delayed further due to seabed reinforcement work at the Henoko site after engineers discovered areas of the surrounding ocean floor were softer than originally determined, a source said Wednesday. Completion of the base in the Henoko coastal area of Nago, where reclamation work is underway, could be pushed beyond the fiscal 2022 target due to the additional work needed. The Defense Ministry now estimates it could take three years and eight months to improve the seabed at the planned landfill site for the construction of the facility that would replace U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan, according to the source. The new findings make the chance of achieving the targeted timeline even more difficult and the return of the current Futenma site to Japanese control could be pushed back to the mid-2020s or later. Tokyo and Washington agreed in April 2013 that the land used for the Futenma base would be returned to Japan in “fiscal 2022 or later,” but the Defense Ministry has said it will be difficult to keep to the schedule due to the wrangling between the central and local governments over the issue. Many residents have long been frustrated with noise and crime linked to the heavy U.S. military presence in the prefecture and want the Futenma base moved outside of Okinawa. In the reinforcement work, the Defense Ministry is planning to drive piles of sand into the sea bottom up to a depth of 70 meters below the sea surface. The ministry, which plans to reclaim some 160 hectares of land in waters off the Henoko area and construct two 1,800-meter runways in a V-shape, has said the total base relocation costs would amount to at least ¥350 billion ($3.14 billion). But the Okinawa Prefectural Government led by Gov. Denny Tamaki, an opponent of the base transfer plan, has unveiled its own estimate that they could reach ¥2.65 trillion, including ¥150 billion for the seabed reinforcement alone. The local government has also insisted that it will take 13 years for the new base to start operation, saying it will take five years each for the completion of the seabed improvement and reclamation work before new base facilities can be built. The central government has been pushing ahead with the base relocation plan as “the only solution” for eliminating the dangers posed by the Futenma base without undermining the deterrence provided under the Japan-U.S. security alliance. In a nonbinding prefectural referendum in February, more than 70 percent of Okinawa voters rejected the relocation plan.

okinawa
u.s. bases
futenma
environment
henoko
u.s.-japan relations


Journalists get tour of Japan's Izumo amid debate over equipping ship with aircraft carrier capabilities

Abstract: YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA PREF. - Journalists on Wednesday were given a guided tour of the Izumo — Japan’s largest flat-topped helicopter carrier — for the first time since the Defense Ministry revealed a controversial plan late last year to convert it so that it could handle fixed-wing aircraft — which critics and some opposition lawmakers say could make it capable of offensive operations. The pacifist postwar Constitution bans the possession of “attack aircraft carriers,” and calls for an exclusively defense-oriented posture. However, under a five-year defense build-up plan adopted in December, the 248-meter, 19,500-ton vessel will be undergoing a major remodeling to accommodate jet fighters, likely U.S.-developed F-35B stealth planes, which are capable of short take-offs and vertical landings. The Defense Ministry has refused to call a remodeled Izumo “an aircraft carrier,” saying it would not regularly carry jet fighters and would also be used for missions including anti-submarine missions and rescue operations. “My understanding is that aircraft carriers are designed specifically for the operation of aircraft only, like U.S. aircraft carriers,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in mid-February at a Lower House budget committee meeting. “The Izumo is not designed for this purpose, and therefore is not an aircraft carrier.” According to the ministry’s definition, “attack aircraft carriers” are those “to be used only for the carrying out of missions of mass destruction in other countries.” A remodeled Izumo would not fall within this category and thus would not be unconstitutional, according to the ministry. Following the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, the Izumo was used to transport over 300 ground self-defense force troops to central Kyushu for disaster relief. In the press tour on Wednesday, MSDF officers guided reporters around the Izumo, docked at the Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture, including a 170-meter-long cavernous hangar that experts say can accommodate about 10 F-35B fighters and two anti-submarine patrol helicopters. The reporters were also allowed access to the ship’s deck, complete with its two gigantic elevators designed to carry aircraft that can weigh up to 30 tons from the hangar below. Designed for a crew of up to 470, the Izumo can travel up to a speed of 30 knots. The ship also accommodates a medical room with 34 makeshift beds and an ICU. When asked, MSDF officials declined to comment on the details of the planned remodeling, saying officers operating the ship are not in a position to do so. Still, at a Lower House meeting on defense issues held Friday, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya didn’t deny the possibility that U.S. fighter jets may be allowed to land on the Izumo for refueling before launching attacks. “Legally speaking, that sort of scenario is possible, so I’m not going to outright deny that it’s a possibility,” he said in response to a question from Toru Miyamoto, a lawmaker with the Japanese Communist Party. “So you’re saying it’s legally possible for a F-35B from the U.S. military to take off for an attack from Izumo — doesn’t this mean that the remodeled Izumo will be an ‘attack’ aircraft carrier, something banned under the Constitution?” Miyamoto asked Iwaya during the session. The defense minister denied Miyamoto’s suggestion, saying that providing fuel to U.S. planes would not be considered a “use of force” situation with offensive intentions by Japan, thus would not violate the Constitution. Some experts also say carrying out viable offensive attack operations would be difficult from the Izumo as it can only support about 10 F-35B fighters. According to the five-year defense plan, the changes to the Izumo’s capabilities will raise the “overall improvement of anti-air defenses” in the airspaces over the Pacific Ocean and elsewhere in the waters around Japan.

self defense forces
msdf
defense ministry
izumo
aircraft carriers


Is flashing the peace sign in front of the Hiroshima A-bomb memorial appropriate?

Abstract: The newsroom of the Chugoku Shimbun recently received a letter of complaint from a 76-year-old whose daily ritual is to take a stroll around the Hiroshima Peace Memorial every morning. His complaint: tourists flashing the peace sign in front of the memorial. “Tourists are posing with the peace sign when they’re taking pictures. Aren’t they lacking sensitivity?” The peace sign, or V-sign, can mean may things — a wish for peace, a sign of triumph after a victory or even a spontaneous sign. It is common practice in Japan to make the sign when having a photo taken, but is it inappropriate in front of Hiroshima’s Atomic Bomb Dome? A Chugoku Shimbun reporter observed tourists in front of the A-Bomb Dome and noticed that Japanese visitors — especially the younger generation — have a tendency to show the peace sign. The reporter asked 50 people, both men and women as well as Hiroshima residents and tourists, whether they are disturbed by people making the sign in front of the solemn site. Thirty-five people, 70 percent, said “yes.” Twelve said “no,” and three responded “not sure.” Many who thought it was inappropriate said the sign is intended to be shown on a happy occasion. “I feel horrible thinking about the people who died in pain,” said Yuriko Ubukata, an 84-year-old tourist from Gunma Prefecture. “The sign isn’t appropriate here.” On the other hand, many who responded “no” to the reporter’s question argued that it’s a reflexive thing to do when having a camera pointed at them and that there’s no bad intent. A 32-year-old female office worker from Kanagawa Prefecture said she made the sign because the A-Bomb Dome is “a Hiroshima tourism destination.” “I just made the sign spontaneously,” she said. The majority of people surveyed, regardless of their responses, noted they hadn’t thought about the problem until being questioned. When a reporter asked a 22-year-old college student from the city of Kyoto why he was making the sign, the man appeared startled and looked at his friend. “Now that you mention it, it might have been inappropriate,” he said. How does all this sit among survivors of the atomic bombing? Masaaki Tanabe, an 81-year-old filmmaker whose house was standing next to the dome at the time of the bombing, is disappointed. “Those who show the V-sign perhaps can’t imagine that there had been a town where people lived their lives until the bomb was dropped,” he said. Posting a sign reminding people of the solemnity of the site might be one way to deter visitors from flashing the hand sign. But Seiji Horie, a 46-year-old representative director of an educational nonprofit organization, said he is skeptical of such an idea. “Forcing people not to make the V-sign won’t help them think deeper,” Horie said. Through experience, Horie feels that students who’ve been instructed to listen to the survivors’ stories may have a solemn expression on their face, but do not necessarily understand the deeper meaning. “What’s important is for them to think on their own,” he said. “The role of Hiroshima is to make younger people realize that war is not a story about the elderly, and to provide opportunities to contemplate about peace on more contemporary terms.” On Aug. 8, it will be 74 years since the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. As survivors age, what is the significance of visiting the A-Bomb Dome? The V-sign tourists make spontaneously could be an opportunity to think about the question. While the journalist was at the memorial, something unexpected happened. The college student from Kyoto who had been interviewed came back to the reporter half an hour later and confided he regretted his action. He said he had a change of heart after reading the description of the dome. “I want to learn and know more about atomic bombs when I go back to Kyoto,” the student said.


14% of medical students in Japan asked personal questions, including on marriage and childbirth, during entrance interviews

Abstract: A total of 14 percent of medical students said they were asked personal questions on topics including marriage and childbirth during their entrance examination interviews, a survey showed Tuesday. Some female students were asked whether they thought being pregnant was an advantage or a disadvantage, according to interim results of the survey announced by a nationwide association of student unions at medical schools. The ongoing survey, which is set to close at the end of this month, began in November last year in response to revelations over unfair admissions at medical schools. The survey covers students, both male and female, enrolled in the department of medicine at 81 universities throughout Japan. The interim results were based on answers collected by Feb. 1 from 2,186 respondents at 50 universities. According to the results, most personal questions focused on whether applicants would be able to juggle family and work if they got married or had children. Some respondents, however, said they were asked questions that did not sound tolerant of diverse career paths. For example, one female respondent was asked if female doctors actually want to focus on housework or child-raising, rather than medicine. According to the results, 5 percent of all respondents were asked questions that focused on their age. Among those who did not go to medical school straight after graduating from high school, 8 percent were asked questions about their age, and for those who took medical school entrance exams after changing majors, the proportion rose to 25 percent. A respondent said he was asked whether he really intends to become a doctor if he was granted admission to the school, while another older applicant was questioned whether he had the ability to contribute to the university over a shorter number of working years. “There is still a sense of discrimination toward women and older people, seen as less valuable in the labor force,” association head Sakura Yamashita, who is in the fifth year at the University of Miyazaki, told a news conference. Yamashita expressed a wish for improvement to the work environment and reform so that diverse work styles can be accepted.

women
entrance exams
doctors
medical schools


Two 12-year-old girls jump to their deaths from building in Aichi, leaving notes hinting at bullying

Abstract: NAGOYA - Two 12-year-old elementary school students apparently jumped to their deaths from an apartment building in Aichi Prefecture on Tuesday, leaving notes suggesting that they were being bullied, according to investigative sources. The two girls have been identified as sixth-graders who attended the same elementary school in the city of Toyota. The city’s education board told a news conference Wednesday that it had not received any reports about the two being bullied. A woman in the neighborhood made an emergency call at around 7 p.m. Tuesday, saying she had found two girls lying on the ground and bleeding next to the building. The two, who did not live in the complex, were confirmed dead at a hospital. Suicide notes addressed to the school’s principal and a few friends were found in the building. They included accounts of verbal abuse, according to the sources. The apparent suicide came just a week before their graduation ceremony. The two, who were in different classes, had gone to school on Tuesday. According to the city’s education board, the school surveyed the students about bullying several times during the academic year, which started last April. The two did not indicate they were being bullied. The board sent counselors to the school to provide emotional support to children who may experience shock over the deaths. It also said it will consider whether to conduct hearings with students in connection with the incident.

children suicide bullying toyota schools aichi


Man with intellectual disabilities wins damages after Japanese police collected his DNA without a warrant

Abstract: KOBE - A local court ordered Hyogo Prefecture on Wednesday to pay ¥110,000 in damages to a man with intellectual disabilities, saying the prefectural police illegally took his DNA without proper consent in 2015. The police had said they received written permission from the man before conducting the swab at a police station in the city of Nishinomiya. But the Kobe District Court said the man did not have the ability to give consent. The court ruled that the 41-year-old, who is also autistic and has difficulty communicating with others, “did not have the ability to comprehend what giving his DNA (to the police) meant.” The plaintiff had demanded ¥1.65 million in damages for a human rights violation. Presiding Judge Koji Yamaguchi said the police should have obtained a warrant for collecting the DNA sample from his mouth. According to the ruling, the man burned plastic bags near a park in Nishinomiya in October 2015 after lighting a candle and incense while his caretaker was not around. The police were alerted to the incident and took the man to the police station.


Denki Groove's Pierre Taki arrested in drug bust and reportedly admits to using cocaine

Abstract: Pierre Taki, a member of techno-pop duo Denki Groove and the voice of snowman Olaf in the Japanese-language version of the hit Disney movie “Frozen,” was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of using cocaine, investigators said. The 51-year-old, whose real name is Masanori Taki, has admitted to using a small quantity of cocaine in Tokyo and its vicinity earlier this week, according to a regional bureau of the health ministry’s narcotics control department. Authorities searched Taki’s car and home in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward shortly after 6 p.m. on Tuesday based on several tip-offs. He was then arrested at around 11 p.m., after his urine sample tested positive for cocaine. Early Wednesday morning, Taki was transferred to a police station in Koto Ward, where he is currently being detained. Investigators will check his cell phone to find out how he obtained the cocaine and how often he used it. Possession or use of cocaine carries a prison sentence of up to seven years. Taki — a native of Shizuoka Prefecture — is currently playing a supporting role in the NHK drama “Idaten” and has appeared in many film and TV productions. Denki Groove, made up of Taki and Takkyu Ishino, has performed at a number of overseas music and dance festivals. This year, the duo took part in a tour to celebrate its 30th anniversary.


Owners of TV-capable cellphones must pay NHK public channel fees, Japan's top court rules

Abstract: The Supreme Court has finalized high court rulings ordering owners of cellphones with TV functions to pay a subscription fee to NHK, it was learned Wednesday. The broadcast law obliges anyone who has a TV signal receiver to sign a contract with the public broadcaster. Presiding Judge Toshimitsu Yamasaki ruled Tuesday in two cases that the broadcast law applies to individuals who own a cellphone with TV capabilities, rejecting appeals by the plaintiffs. One of the lawsuits was filed by a member of the assembly for the city of Asaka, Saitama Prefecture, who does not own a TV set. The Saitama District Court decided in August 2016 he was not obliged to pay the subscription fee because possessing such a cellphone was not necessarily equivalent to installing a TV signal receiver. The Tokyo High Court overturned the ruling in March last year, saying the possession of a cellphone with a TV function should be regarded as the same as installing a TV receiver, and that owners of such devices and people that own TVs need to be treated equally. In another lawsuit, both the Tokyo District Court and the Tokyo High Court ruled that the owner of a cellphone capable of receiving TV signals who doesn’t have a TV set at home still needs to pay a subscription fee to the public broadcaster. NHK issued a statement and said the top court made a “reasonable” ruling in line with its assertions.

television
smartphones
taxes
nhk
supreme court


Japan shelves bill on stricter copyright control after academics, manga artists and fans air concerns

Abstract: The government on Wednesday decided to forgo submitting to the Diet a bill that would make it illegal to download literary materials without the permission of copyright holders, as concerns grew that it would impose excessive restraints on internet use. With Japan seeing a rise in the number of piracy websites, some of which are estimated to have caused damage worth hundreds of billions of yen, the government had sought to broaden the criminalization of downloads of copyrighted materials from videos and music to cover all types of content. But academics, manga artist groups and others have said the envisioned expansion to also cover materials including manga, computer games and literary pieces could affect freedom of expression by fans and hinder legitimate activities, such as research. In a meeting held last month in the Diet by manga artist groups and researchers, cartoonist Ken Akamatsu said he collects work online as part of his research and said that the bill that bans downloads of all kinds of copyrighted materials “goes too far.” Keiko Takemiya, head of the Japan Society for Studies in Cartoons and Comics, said at the same meeting that the bill could have an adverse impact on the creation of fan fiction, in which people create stories based on existing works that they like. “Fan fiction represents a love for manga,” Takemiya said. “We don’t want the close relationship between artists and fans to collapse.” Their concerns have prompted some members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to voice the need to hear further opinions from such copyright holders. “We have yet to eliminate the worries of both copyright holders and (internet) users,” said House of Councilors lawmaker Masaaki Akaike, who heads the LDP culture panel, after its executives failed to approve the bill. “We should work on it anew.” The bill, which the government had sought to put into effect on Jan. 1 next year, targeted not just piracy websites but also downloads and screenshots of individual blogs and posts on social networks. It called for punishing serious offenses, such as repeating illegal downloads of pirated content, with a prison term of up to two years or a fine of up to ¥2 million, or both. The envisioned legislation also targeted “leech sites” and “leech apps” that list hyperlinks to piracy websites and criminally punishes the operators of such services. Damage caused to publishers by a Japanese piracy site called Mangamura, which became inaccessible last April, was estimated at about ¥300 billion. The website, which once had over 100 million hits a month, hosted unauthorized copies of popular manga titles, including “Attack on Titan” and “One Piece.”

internet
manga
ldp
books
copyrights
fan fiction


Volkswagen pulls truck unit IPO in setback to CEO's revamp

Abstract: MUNICH, GERMANY - Volkswagen AG canceled plans to sell a share of its Traton SE division due to weak market conditions, dealing a setback to the automaker’s plan to generate fresh funds for the heavy-truck unit’s expansion outside Europe. “We regret that we have to refrain from a stock listing of Traton SE,” Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter said Wednesday. “The management board continues to aim for a stock listing in a better market environment.” VW decided to delay after a difficult start to the new year for the global automotive industry. In Europe, Traton’s biggest market, the economy is forecast to grow this year at the slowest rate since 2013. Activity has declined in part due to uncertainty surrounding the U.K.’s departure from the European Union and U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to increase tariffs on European-made cars. Carmakers including VW are also suffering in China, the world’s biggest auto market and the top region for the company’s sales. A slowdown there has worsened in the first two months of the year, and VW this week said that its growth forecast for the year would depend on improvements in the second half. VW was up 1 percent at €145.38 euros at 5:28 p.m. in Frankfurt, after earlier gains of as much as 1.8 percent. The truck unit decision was disappointing, said Arndt Ellinghorst, an Evercore analyst. The announcement came a day after the VW Chief Executive Officer Herbert Diess and Witter, the CFO, updated investors on the company’s strategy. “VW certainly takes it responsibility to maximize shareholder value seriously, which we think has been the rationale behind pulling the IPO on current valuations,” Ellinghorst said. VW on Monday said a listing, valued at as much as €30 billion ($34 billion), would be “highly desirable,” while warning of volatile markets and economic uncertainty. The planned minority share sale would have been the biggest in Europe this year. The IPO, which has been in the works for more than two years, is VW’s most tangible effort thus far to become less centralized and boost efficiency as part of a strategy overhaul through 2025. Gaining fresh funds would help Traton challenge global leaders Daimler AG and Volvo AB in markets outside Europe. The decision is a setback for Diess, who’s under pressure to keep up the pace on a revamp to ready the world’s biggest carmaker for the industry’s transformation to electric cars. VW seeks to gain speed and lower costs to deliver on a plan for 70 electric models by 2028 and keep up profitability.


Britain eyes Brexit 'no-deal' trade shift to China from EU

Abstract: LONDON - Britain on Wednesday unveiled a contingency trade policy that favors global giants such as China over EU countries in case of a messy divorce from the bloc. London is bracing for the worst as it races toward the March 29 Brexit deadline without a plan for unwinding its 46-year involvement in the European project. A “no-deal” split would bring an end to the current free trade arrangements between Britain and its EU partners overnight. In a tentative first step toward ending months of deadlock, Parliament on Wednesday opened the door to delaying Brexit and radically re-writing the terms of the divorce. The House of Commons voted 321 to 278 to reject leaving the EU with no deal and is now expected to seek to delay Brexit in the hope of securing a better deal. The vote had political but not legal force. Speaking in the Commons, Prime Minister Theresa May announced that if a deal can be agreed to in the coming days, she would ask the EU for a short “technical” extension to the deadline. If there is no deal, the delay will be much longer, she said. The government said Wednesday it would mitigate the damage on businesses and consumers by eliminating customs duties on 87 percent of the imports into the United Kingdom. The measure would have to apply to all countries — both in the European Union and those farther overseas — because of global trade rules. Analysts said the current figure stands at around 80 percent — much of it enjoyed by the 27 EU nations. An increase in the total amount of tariff-free imports “will probably mean EU producers lose out to Chinese and other lower-cost producers,” said David Hening of the European Center For International Political Economy. Hening predicted a “trade diversion from the EU. But the proposals for tariff-free imports contained exceptions for sensitive industries — particularly farming and the automotive industry. Here is a look at how three of Britain’s most important sectors would fare in the 12-month window over which the measures would be rolled out initially: Fair to farmers? Most nations protect their farmers to at least some extent because of their social importance. Britain would keep “tariffs and quotas on beef, lamb, pork, poultry and some dairy to support farmers and producers who have historically been protected through high EU tariffs,” according to a U.K. government statement. This sparked an immediate outcry from Ireland — a U.K.-focused food producer in which almost 1 in 10 people work in the agri-food sector. Its agriculture ministry warned that Dublin might respond through “traditional market support” — a euphemism for reciprocal tariffs and quotas — and “increased flexibility under state aid regulations.” Steel spat Britain’s shift of attention to China is most vividly displayed by the complete elimination of tariffs on its massive aluminum and steel mills. The benefits would also stretch to big metals producer Russia — a potentially sensitive issue considering the chilly state of London’s affairs with Moscow. U.K. steel producers would suffer in manufacturing cities that voted for Brexit and disproportionately feel the impact of the new trade approach. These factors could compound May’s political problems in the first weeks of a full-blown “no-deal Brexit” crisis. Wheel woes Cheaper metals are a boon for Britain’s troubled car producers. The sector is a vital employer in smaller cities and would get the additional help thanks to tariff-free imports of components. But any boost could be countered if the EU reacts with protectionist tariffs of its own, as is likely although Brussels has set out no official “no-deal” trade policy. Analysts said they expected the price of German and French cars in Britain to jump by 10 percent as a result of the new tariff plan. Britain’s proud bike producers, meanwhile, complained they would lose out as the government proposals would reduce tariffs on bicycle imports. Britain’s Bicycle Association says the industry employs twice as many people as the steel sector and is worth three times more. “U.K. bike makers are particularly badly hit as anti-dumping duties and tariffs have been removed, and they will face tariffs in overseas markets,” said Hening.

china
russia
trade
eu
u.k .
steel
brexit
theresa may
no-deal


Climate protesters ejected from Houston energy conference

Abstract: HOUSTON - Protesters tried to interrupt the biggest U.S. energy conference, holding signs and using a microphone to shout “Climate Change is Genocide.” It’s the first time in recent memory that environmental activists have made their presence felt at the CERAWeek by IHS Markit conference in Houston, an event that has armed uniformed city police officers stationed on several floors of the Hilton Americas hotel, who ask people entering the event to show their badges. About half a dozen protesters managed to enter the downtown hotel before being quickly removed by police. They were carrying a sign that said, in part: “TELL THE TRUTH.. FRACKING DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.” The incident occurred as U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry finished a luncheon speech at the conference. The protesters didn’t interrupt the speech or make it to the room where the secretary was speaking. “We’re here to protest the extraction industry again,” a 29-year-old protester named Danny, who refused to give his last name, said in an interview. “Climate change affects the global south, the places with black and brown people.” Meeting attendees Tuesday night heard from Bob Dudley, chief executive officer of London-based BP PLC, who said oil and natural gas producers are operating “in a world that is not on a sustainable path.” He called for the industry to engage with policymakers around the world, “including those behind the Green New Deal.” Two weeks ago, oil executives gathered in London for IPWeek were confronted by environmental protesters who glued themselves to the doors of the venue.

bp
climate change
environment
rick perry
fracking
houston
ceraweek by ihs markit


Brokerages brace for Japan's longest market shutdown since WWII

Abstract: Brokerages are taking steps to help relieve at least some investors worried about getting trapped by the country’s unusually long holiday next month related to the Emperor’s succession. Markets in Japan are scheduled to be closed from April 27 through May 6 because the government has designated national holidays around the abdication of Emperor Akihito, in addition to the annual Golden Week days off over that period. In total, markets will be shut for six trading sessions, sparking concerns of volatility. Brokerages have started implementing measures that may alleviate trouble for investors in overseas stocks at least. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. plans to make trading in U.S. and Europe-listed stocks available for its Japanese clients on April 30 and May 2, said Yuji Kamioka, a spokesman for the Tokyo-based firm. SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. is considering setting up a call center to handle transactions from clients looking to sell U.S.-listed equities, NHK reported. Rakuten Securities Inc. earlier this week cautioned investors of possible post-holiday volatility. These actions may alleviate some problems for investors who otherwise may not have had a way out of positions for more than a week. Extended holiday closures bring back memories of January’s “flash crash,” when Japan’s four-day New Year holiday exacerbated liquidity constraints in the currency market, sending the yen soaring against the dollar. The impact for domestic stocks from the break planned for April-May remains to be seen. The total 10-day market closure will be Japan’s longest since the end of World War II, a spokesman at Japan Exchange Group Inc. said.

holidays
brokerages
golden week
daiwa securities
nikko securities


Bank of Japan's never-ending monetary stimulus offers lessons for the world's central banks

Abstract: Central bankers searching for options to fight the next downturn should look to Japan, where policymakers are gathering for a regular review of the world’s most epic monetary stimulus program. The Bank of Japan’s two-decade journey from zero interest rates to massive asset purchases, negative rates and yield-curve control demonstrates a combination of tools that can be used to sustain stimulus — along with the huge damage that piles up when it drags on too long. As global economic growth wanes, Europe doles out a fresh round of easing and the U.S., Canada, Britain and Australia put rate hikes on hold, economists are asking what more can be done with scant room to lower borrowing costs and already swollen balance sheets. “Whether central banks like it or not, there is little choice than to venture further with ‘creative’ new strategies to reflate inflation expectations,” said Ben Emons, managing director of global macro strategy at Medley Global Advisors in New York. Yield targeting, interest-rate ceilings, deeper fiscal and monetary coordination and various forms of asset purchases should be on the radar of policymakers around the world, according to Emons. Economists are unanimous in forecasting that BOJ Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda and his Policy Board will maintain the current monetary settings at their two-day meeting beginning Thursday in Tokyo. Few see any change this year, and the majority expect Kuroda’s next move will be tightening, but a rising minority now project more easing. Many of the underlying problems confronting the BOJ — slowing growth, tepid wage increases, lackluster productivity gains and an aging population — are becoming more pronounced in other developed economies. This increases the likelihood of more drawn-out stimulus, pushing others down the same road as Japan. “When Japan first confronted the problem of very low inflation, monetary economists pooh-poohed the problem, saying there was an easy fix,” said Raghuram Rajan, former governor of the Reserve Bank of India and now a professor at the University of Chicago. “After confronting the same issue in their own countries and showing an inability to deal with it, there seems to be a general consensus that the problem is harder.” Its latest experiment in yield-curve control involves pinning short-term borrowing costs at minus 0.1 percent and holding long-term rates around zero percent by operations in the bond market. The tool has drawn the attention of Federal Reserve Deputy Chair Richard Clarida amid an examination of strategy at the U.S. central bank. Clarida has noted that yield-curve control could be helpful when there is little scope for conventional rate cuts, but that it also carries the threat of expanding the balance sheet too much. But for the BOJ, which has already swallowed up 43 percent of Japanese government bonds, this tool has actually let it slow the pace of purchases and extend the life of stimulus. Its huge holdings of JGBs relative to other investors now allow it to guide rates with relative comfort. The strategy has relieved a little pressure on Japanese commercial banks by allowing interest rates on longer maturity debt to rise a smidgen, providing a sliver of a margin for lending. But it does little to change the long-term trend for the nation’s regional banks, which are struggling with declining business as the population falls. In a worrying sign, Mizuho Financial Group, one of Japan’s three biggest banks, this month reported a ¥680 billion charge that was due in part to chasing higher yields on bonds overseas as opportunities dry up at home. JGB traders aren’t faring much better either. Trading volumes have fallen dramatically in the bond market, which no longer serves Japan as an arbiter of economic risk, and jobs in the industry are declining. Years of low interest rates have also meant cheap loans are keeping unproductive companies alive, slowing efforts to revitalize the economy. Central banks that fail to revive inflation over many years could also face what Kuroda describes as a “deflationary mindset.” After two decades of stagnation, Japanese consumers and businesses now look to the past as a better predictor of future prices than anything the BOJ does to nudge up inflation, undermining the effectiveness of monetary policy. There is no telling when the BOJ may be able to provide its peers with lessons on exiting such a momentous stimulus program, but the path looks perilous. Current central bank policy is keeping a lid on the yen, to the great benefit of exporters, and is allowing the hugely indebted Japanese government to keep borrowing cheaply. Jerome Jean Haegeli, chief economist at the Swiss Re Institute in Zurich, said yield-curve control could turn out to be the “best of bad options” for other central banks that get in a bind and need to contain asset purchases, but at another cost. “The downside of yield-curve control is an unholy marriage of the fiscal authority getting together with the monetary authority, and that in the end won’t go well,” he said.

boj
abenomics
haruhiko kuroda
monetary policy
interest rates
zero interest rates


Verdict due in Mt. Gox bitcoin case after prosecutors lay out claims of lavish spending by CEO Karpeles

Abstract: The former high-flying head of collapsed bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox will learn his fate Friday as a Tokyo court hands down its verdict on charges of faking digital data and embezzling millions of dollars. Prosecutors have called for a 10-year jail sentence for French-born Mark Karpeles, 33, who denies the charges. Karpeles is alleged to have repeatedly manipulated computer data over several years while embezzling a total of ¥341 million ($3 million) of clients’ money deposited at the company. Prosecutors claim he splashed the embezzled money on a 3D-printing software business unnecessary for Mt. Gox, as well as on personal expenses, including some ¥6 million ($54,000) for a canopy bed. He also spent millions of yen on arranging overseas trips for his estranged wife, as well as utility bills and cleaning services at his luxury apartment, prosecutors allege. Mt. Gox was shut down in 2014 after 850,000 bitcoins, worth an estimated ¥48 billion at the time, disappeared from its virtual vaults, a mystery that remains unsolved. The disappearance left a trail of angry investors, rocked the virtual currency community and dented confidence in the security of bitcoin. At one point, Mt. Gox claimed to be handling around 80 percent of all global bitcoin transactions. The spectacular failure of the exchange caused a dramatic slump in the value of bitcoin, but the cryptocurrency rallied to an all-time high above ¥2 million in December 2017 before dropping off sharply. Japan issued new regulations after the Mt. Gox case, but the exchange Coincheck was forced last year to refund customers more than ¥46.6 billion in virtual currency that disappeared from its holdings. During the trial, Karpeles apologized to customers for the company’s bankruptcy but denied both data falsification and embezzlement. “I swear to God that I am innocent,” Karpeles, speaking in Japanese, told the three-judge panel hearing when his trial opened. Karpeles has said the bitcoins were lost due to an external “hacking attack” and later claimed he had found some 200,000 coins in a “cold wallet” — a storage device not connected to other computers. “Most people will not believe what I say. The only solution I have is to actually find the real culprits,” he told reporters after the hearing. The charges against the former CEO are not directly related to how the Mt. Gox losses came about. Satoshi Mihira, chief attorney at Mizuho Chuo law firm, said, “If it was an outside hacker who stole the currency, it’s a problem. But if he stole even part of the money, it would be embezzlement.” “His defense counsel needs a high level of evidence to win an innocent verdict,” he said. “If he’s found guilty, it is possible he will get a jail term considering the significant money losses (suffered by customers),” said the lawyer, an expert on cryptocurrency issues. The odds are stacked against Karpeles as the vast majority of cases that come to trial in Japan end in a conviction. The Frenchman was first arrested in August 2015 and, in an echo of another high-profile case against former Nissan chief and compatriot Carlos Ghosn, was re-arrested several times on different charges. Karpeles eventually won bail in July 2016 — nearly a year after his arrest — reportedly paying ¥10 million to secure his freedom pending a trial, which began in July 2017. During his time on bail, Karpeles has been active on social media — notably voicing doubts about bitcoin and replying to some media questions about conditions in Japanese detention centers. However, he has largely avoided commenting on his case in detail. The court is expected to issue a verdict Friday and, if it finds Karpeles guilty, will likely hand down a sentence at the same time. However, even if he were to lose the case, he has the right to appeal, which would keep him on bail.

courts
scandals
bitcoin
mt . gox
mark karpeles
cryptocurrency


U.S. and India commit to building six nuclear power plants

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The United States and India on Wednesday agreed to strengthen security and civil nuclear cooperation, including building six U.S. nuclear power plants in India, the two countries said in a joint statement. The agreement came after two days of talks in Washington. The United States under President Donald Trump has been looking to sell more energy products to India, the world’s third-biggest buyer of oil. The talks involved Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and Andrea Thompson, the U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security. “They committed to strengthen bilateral security and civil nuclear cooperation, including the establishment of six U.S. nuclear power plants in India,” the joint statement said. It gave no further details of the nuclear plant project. The two countries have been discussing the supply of U.S. nuclear reactors to energy-hungry India for more than a decade, but a long-standing obstacle has been the need to bring Indian liability rules in-line with international norms, which require the costs of any accident to be channeled to the operator rather than the maker of a nuclear power station. Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse has been negotiating to build reactors in India for years, but progress has been slow, partly because of India’s nuclear liability legislation, and the project was thrown into doubt when Westinghouse filed for bankruptcy in 2017 after cost overruns on U.S. reactors. Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management bought Westinghouse from Toshiba in August 2018. Last April Westinghouse received strong support from U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry for its India project, which envisaged the building of six AP1000 reactors in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The agreement to build the reactors, announced in 2016, followed on from a U.S.-India civil nuclear agreement signed in 2008. India plans to triple its nuclear capacity by 2024 to wean Asia’s third-largest economy off polluting fossil fuels. Last October, India and Russia signed a pact to build six more nuclear reactors at a new site in India following summit talks between their leaders in New Delhi.


Ford fears double-whammy from May's no-deal Brexit tariffs

Abstract: LONDON - Ford Motor Co. said it will be hit twice by U.K. tariffs to be imposed in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The U.S. company, which only makes engines in Britain, would be taxed on exporting them to assembly plants in mainland Europe and then face import duties for bringing finished vehicles back to the U.K. for sale, it said in a statement Wednesday. Competitors that manufacture engines elsewhere and then ship them to the U.K. for assembly, by contrast, would incur no charges thanks to a tariff-free regime that Prime Minister Theresa May’s government plans to offer for auto-component imports. And the same companies could then satisfy the demands of the local market direct from their British plants, also tariff free. “These tariffs would deal a devastating blow to much of the complex and integrated automotive industry, and would damage the competitiveness of Ford’s engine manufacturing in the U.K.,” the U.S. firm said, adding that the proposed levies were drawn up without detailed consultation with automakers. Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford stopped making cars in the U.K. in 2002 after seven decades of production, but still employs more than 10,000 people in the country, many of them at plants in Bridgend, Wales, and Dagenham, near London, that make engines for gasoline- and diesel-engine vehicles, respectively. The company, which last month said a hard Brexit would be “catastrophic” for the U.K. auto industry and its own production facilities, also counts Britain as its biggest European market, representing 6 percent of global sales in 2017. The Ford Fiesta and Focus were the country’s two best selling models in the first two months this year, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Ford added that it’s imperative that a no-deal split is ruled out as soon as possible to avoid the imposition of such a draconian tariff regime. That’s something that is expected to happened later when the British Parliament votes on outlawing the scenario.

trade
u.k .
carmakers
tariffs
ford
brexit
theresa may


Facebook considers paying back advertisers as system outages persist around globe

Abstract: NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook is undergoing one of its most widespread and persistent system outages, with users across the globe unable to access its social network and services from Instagram to Messenger for much of Wednesday. From about noon New York time, users encountered only partially loaded pages or no content at all, accompanied by a message saying an error had occurred. Several brand marketers tweeted that Facebook’s advert buying system was down as well. As of about 6:30 p.m., Facebook said it was still investigating the overall impact, “including the possibility of refunds for advertisers.” Ad sales are the company’s lifeblood and persistent difficulties could be costly. Based on 2019 sales estimates, Facebook Inc. is projected to generate average daily revenue of about $189 million. Reports on Downdetector, a website for reporting problems on applications and websites, have ranged from troubles logging into accounts to an inability to post comments or photos. Regions affected include the New York area, parts of California and the Seattle region, according to Downdetector. Other problem locations include Japan, the Philippines, Peru and major cities in Australia. Users cited snags not only with Facebook, but also its photo-sharing site Instagram, the messaging tools Messenger and Whatsapp, as well as Oculus virtual reality devices. Some users encountered a message indicating the site was down for maintenance. “We’re aware that some people are currently having trouble accessing the Facebook family of apps. We’re working to resolve the issue as soon as possible,” according to a Facebook spokesperson. The timing of a major outage is sub-optimal for Facebook, which is already embattled by revelations it failed to safeguard user data or stanch the spread of hate speech, fake news and other forms of disinformation. Facebook’s reputation was tarnished after its platform was used by Russian trolls to interfere in the U.S. presidential election in 2016. A U.S. Justice Department investigation into the company’s data-sharing practices broadened to include a grand jury, a person with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday. The stock had climbed less than a percent to $173.37 as of the close of U.S. trading, and it has lost more than 20 percent since reaching a peak on July 25.

internet
smartphones
computers
social media
facebook
instagram
cyberattacks


Tokyo stocks end slightly lower

Abstract: Stocks closed marginally lower on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday, after erasing healthy early gains under the pressure of profit-taking. The 225-issue Nikkei average lost 3.22 points, or 0.02 percent, to end at 21,287.02. On Wednesday, the key market gauge shed 213.45 points. The Topix index of all first-section issues finished down 3.78 points, or 0.24 percent, at 1,588.29, after retreating 13.41 points the previous day. The Tokyo market got off to a firmer start, with the Nikkei briefly gaining over 230 points, thanks chiefly to buybacks, market sources said. But the market’s topside grew heavy in midmorning trading, hit by selling to lock in gains, according to the sources. In afternoon trading, the Nikkei gradually cut gains and fluctuated around the previous day’s closing level toward the close. The Topix showed directionless movements for most of the afternoon session. Hiroaki Hiwada, strategist at Toyo Securities Co., suggested that profit-taking was prompted by “sluggish Chinese stocks.” Chihiro Ota, general manager for investment research and investor services at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc., said selling apparently by nonresidents weighed on the market. Investors “largely ignored” the rejection on Wednesday by the U.K. Parliament of U.K.’s no-deal exit from the European Union, as the vote result came as no surprise, Ota said. Falling issues outnumbered rising ones 1,257 to 783 in the TSE’s first section, while 94 issues were unchanged. Volume dropped to 1.132 billion shares from 1.225 billion shares on Wednesday. Daiwa House Industry Co. fell 2.58 percent, with investor sentiment battered by suspected fund misappropriation at an affiliate in China. Also on the minus side were mobile phone carrier KDDI Corp., electronic parts maker TDK Corp. and daily goods manufacturer Kao Corp. By contrast, higher crude oil prices lifted oil companies JXTG Holdings Inc., Idemitsu Kosan Co., Showa Shell Sekiyu KK and Cosmo Energy Holdings Co. Among other major winners were clothing store chain Fast Retailing Co., employment information service firm Recruit Holdings Co. and technology conglomerate Softbank Group Corp. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key June contract on the Nikkei average climbed 70 points to end at 21,120.

stocks
nikkei
tokyo stock exchange
topix


Dollar firms to around ¥111.60 in Tokyo as long-term rates climb in U.S.

Abstract: The dollar was stronger around ¥111.60 in Tokyo trading late Thursday, helped by higher long-term interest rates in the United States. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥111.58-61, up from ¥111.32-32 at the same time on Wednesday. The euro was at $1.1323-1323, up from $1.1279-1280, and at ¥126.36-36, up from ¥125.56-57. After moving around ¥111.10-20 in early trading, the dollar rose to around ¥111.50 later in the morning on the back of the benchmark 225-issue Nikkei stock average’s rebound and higher long-term U.S. interest rates. The U.S. currency gained further ground to around ¥111.60 in afternoon trading owing partly to stop-loss buy orders before its topside was somewhat limited in the late hours due to profit-taking. A currency broker noted that “sluggish movements of Asian stocks in the afternoon put pressure” on the dollar’s topside. In late trading, currency market players retreated to the sidelines to see the outcome of a British parliamentary vote later on Thursday on postponing the March 29 deadline for Britain’s exit from the European Union, according to an official of a major securities firm. An official of a foreign-exchange margin trading service firm pointed to the possibility of the dollar having been bought against the yen “amid speculation that the Bank of Japan may implement additional monetary easing steps.” The BOJ’s two-day policy-setting meeting will end on Friday.


Japan's Daiwa House suspects massive $211 million embezzlement at Chinese joint venture

Abstract: OSAKA - Home builder Daiwa House Industry Co. said Wednesday it suspects 1.42 billion yuan ($211 million) may have been embezzled by three employees at its joint venture in China. The suspected embezzlement at the housing development firm, Dalian Dahezhongsheng Estate Co., by two executives and an accounting staffer surfaced after a different employee reported Tuesday that the amount of the company’s funds in the bank and that logged in its books did not match, Daiwa House said. The three employees could not be reached, and the joint company in the northeastern port city of Dalian is preparing to file a criminal complaint, Daiwa House said. The two executives sent from a joint venture partner in Dalian and the accounting staffer are related, according to Daiwa House. The home builder said it will book half of the missing money as a loss if the company fails to collect it. Daiwa House suspects the missing money was transferred using internet banking from around 2015. Daiwa House has been considering dissolving the company in Dalian after the joint venture partner sold a property developed with Daiwa House without giving any notice last summer, according to officials of the firm.


'Judgment' delayed as Sega halts shipment after drug arrest of Pierre Taki, who plays gangster in game

Abstract: Entertainment company Sega has canceled shipments of its video game “Judgment,” also known as “Judge Eyes,” after one of its voice actors was arrested on drug charges. The health ministry’s drug division said actor and musician Pierre Taki, 51, was arrested in Tokyo earlier this week on suspicion of using cocaine. The game made by Tokyo-based Sega Games Corp., creator of the “Sonic the Hedgehog” games, depicts a detective fighting crime in a fictitious town. It went on sale in December in Japan and was set to ship overseas in June. Sega spokesman Hajime Oshima said Thursday that what’s already been sold and shipped to retailers will remain unchanged. The company has apologized. It said it was still studying what further action to take on the game. Taki plays a gangster in the game, both as a computer graphic and voice actor. He has appeared in various movies, including the 2013 crime drama “The Devil’s Path,” and leads a techno band. The maximum penalty for using cocaine is seven years in prison.

drugs
sega
cocaine
denki groove
pierre taki


SoftBank and Toyota in talks to invest $1 billion in Uber's self-driving unit: sources

Abstract: A group of investors led by SoftBank Group Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. is in talks to invest $1 billion or more into Uber Technologies Inc.’s self-driving vehicle unit, which would value the unit at $5 billion to $10 billion, said two people familiar with the talks. The investment would provide a cash injection for Uber’s self-driving program, which is costing the money-losing startup hundreds of millions of dollars without generating revenue. It could also help underscore Uber’s value as the ride-hailing firm prepares for a stock market debut in which its value could top $100 billion. Uber and SoftBank declined to comment. A Toyota spokesman said the automaker “constantly reviews and considers various options for investment” but does not have anything to announce. News of investment talks was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, which said a deal could be reached next month. Toyota, Japan’s largest automaker, injected $500 million into Uber last year to work on self-driving cars, where both companies are seen as lagging rivals such as Alphabet Inc.’s self-driving unit Waymo. Uber, which last year lost about $3.3 billion, is betting on a transition to self-driving cars to eliminate the need to pay drivers. The nascent technology came under greater scrutiny last year after one of Uber’s self-driving cars struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona. Prosecutors last week declined to pursue criminal charges. The challenge of developing the technology is leading to previously unlikely alliances, with SoftBank and Toyota partnering up in Japan. SoftBank has invested $2.25 billion in General Motors Co.’s self-driving unit Cruise, which has also received funds from Honda Motor Co.


Japan trading house Itochu partners with Singapore's Halcyon to join sustainable rubber trade

Abstract: SINGAPORE - Japanese trading house Itochu Corp. will aim to promote sustainable trade in natural rubber under a capital tie-up with a Singaporean market platform operator. Itochu acquired a 19 percent stake in HeveaConnect Pte. Ltd. for $2.2 million earlier this month through private share placement, Itochu spokesman Kenji Katsumoto said Wednesday. HeveaConnect is a digital marketplace operation established by Singapore’s global natural rubber firm Halcyon Agri Corp. last August. The online marketplace operator issues HeveaPro certifications — standards based on the screening of more than 1,200 items such as quality assurance, environment and health and safety, Itochu said in a recent statement. HeveaConnect’s service is currently being operated on a trial basis and will be fully launched next month, Katsumoto added. PT. Aneka Bumi Pratama, Itochu’s wholly-owned natural rubber processer in Indonesia, will obtain HeveaPro certification and join the platform, the statement said. Itochu is a founding member of a global platform for sustainable natural rubber that was established last October to improve the socioeconomic and environmental impact of the natural rubber value chain.

singapore
trade
itochu
rubber
heveaconnect
halcyon agri


For China drone-maker DJI, the real money in labor-starved Japan is in the industrial sector

Abstract: Amid severe labor shortages, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to perform human tasks is sure to grow, and DJI, the world’s biggest drone-maker, is ready to respond, the firm’s Japan head said. Drones for industrial uses ranging from agriculture to infrastructure maintenance and security are becoming more popular, said Allen Wu, DJI’s head of Japan operations. But he said he is doubtful about the potential for drone-based product delivery. “For quite some time, we’ve figured that our main market in Japan is industrial, so our team has been focusing on it more,” Wu said in an interview Wednesday. Shenzhen-based SZ DJI Technology Co. dominates the global drone market and according to reports is estimated to have a market share of more than 70 percent. Wu said sales of drones for general consumers in Japan hardly grew in 2018 compared with 2017, but sales of drones for industrial use jumped by 40 percent. Sales of multicopters for agricultural use, such as spraying pesticide from the air, saw an 80 percent surge, while demand for other tasks including surveying, security and infrastructure maintenance are also rising, according to Wu. Although the outlook for industrial drone use is bright, it will take some time to set rules or standards for each task, he said. Tunnels, towers and dams are all infrastructure, but standards for maintenance using drones are different for each one, said Wu, who was interviewed on the sidelines of the three-day Japan Drone expo, which kicked off Wednesday at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture. At the business-oriented expo, DJI is displaying business solutions in collaboration with other companies. For instance, it is showcasing a service jointly developed with Microsoft Corp. and Nippon Systemware Co. to check cracks in buildings via drones. “To provide value for (industrial) customers, we can’t do it alone after all,” said Wu, adding that DJI plans to work with various firms to facilitate business applications. Given that Japan has a graying society and is plagued by labor shortages, more companies, particularly in the construction sector, will replace jobs that do not have to be handled by humans with drones, Wu said. But when it comes to logistics, he said drones are not fit for the task in Japan. The government is hoping to kick-start product delivery not only in rural areas but also in cities sometime in the early 2020s. Companies such as Japan Post Co. and Rakuten Inc. have been experimenting with drone delivery recently. “Drones can’t fly when it rains or if strong wind blows. In that case, you have to eventually hire people to deliver packages,” he said. He added that drones are unlikely to carry heavy items while their batteries are expensive. On top of that, Japan’s logistic services are already convenient enough. “In Tokyo, you can get an item delivered in one day. There is no point in using drones,” he said, adding that developing safety and flight infrastructure would be especially hard in busy cities. As for the consumer market, Wu said the ratio of drone sales among general customers is quite low compared with other territories. Globally, 80 percent of DJI’s sales comes from the consumer segment, with the ratio being 50 percent or less in Japan. That’s probably because general users in Japan follow drone flight rules more strictly than those in other countries, Wu said. Yet sales of other imaging devices, such as the Osmo Pocket, an ultra-compact handheld video camera equipped with a stabilizer, have been robust in Japan, he said.


Nissan may invite ex-Keidanran chief Sakakibara to chair meetings, leaving Ghosn's seat unfilled

Abstract: Nissan Motor Co. is considering asking ex-Toray Industries chief and Japan Inc. heavyweight Sadayuki Sakakibara to chair its board meetings while leaving vacant the chairman post previously held by Carlos Ghosn, a source said on Thursday. Japan’s No. 2 automaker is considering nominating Sakakibara, a former head of the powerful business lobby Keidanren, to become an external director at the general shareholders meeting in June, said the source, who has direct knowledge of the matter. The person declined to be identified because the decision is not final. Nissan has tasked an external committee with helping to improve corporate governance after the arrest and ouster of Ghosn, who faces charges of financial misconduct including understating his compensation by about ¥9 billion over nearly a decade. Ghosn has denied the charges. A spokeswoman for the external committee declined to comment on the possible selection of Sakakibara. A Nissan spokesman declined to comment. Sakakibara is already a co-chair of that committee, which is due to make recommendations this month on corporate governance including procedures for executive appointments and compensation. Nissan, along with partners Renault and Mitsubishi Motors, this week announced a major retooling of their alliance through the creation of a three-way board meeting to put themselves on a more equal footing. Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard would chair the alliance board, but — in a critical sign of the rebalancing — not become chairman of Nissan. Before his arrest in November, Ghosn had been chairman of all three individual companies while also leading the alliance. Meanwhile, Nissan is sending out notices to shareholders asking them to dismiss Ghosn as a director at an April 8 shareholders meeting, the company said Wednesday. The notice, signed by Nissan President Hiroto Saikawa, will be sent out Thursday, Nissan said. The notice says the agenda also includes the election of Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard as a Nissan director, on the condition that Ghosn is ousted. Although Ghosn has been dismissed as chairman at Nissan, he remains on the board. Shareholders’ approval is needed to remove him from the board. Nissan is part of an alliance with Renault SA of France, and more recently with Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors, that was largely cobbled together by Ghosn, who led Nissan for two decades. The notice from Nissan says its investigation also found Ghosn used company money for personal expenses. The notice did not give specifics, but sources familiar with the investigation have pointed to fancy homes in Lebanon and Brazil, as well as expensive furnishings such as a chandelier. The date for his trial has not been set. In Japan, preparations can take months. He was released on ¥1 billion bail last week. It is unclear whether he will try to attend next month’s shareholders meeting. Ghosn owns more than 3 million Nissan shares, or somewhat less than 0.1 percent of total shares, according to the most recent disclosure. Senard appeared with Saikawa at Tuesday’s board meeting at Nissan’s Yokohama headquarters to drive home the message that the French-Japanese auto alliance remains strong. Also on the shareholders’ agenda is the dismissal of Greg Kelly, a director who was arrested with Ghosn and accused of working with Ghosn in the alleged misconduct.

scandals
nissan
carmakers
mitsubishi motors
renault
carlos ghosn
sadayuki sakakibara