May says she is 'armed with fresh' Brexit mandate and new ideas

Abstract: LONDON - British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday she would be “armed with a fresh mandate and new ideas” when she next meets European Union negotiators over her Brexit deal. EU officials have insisted that the deal — rejected by British lawmakers — is not open for renegotiation. But May wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that she would be “battling for Britain and Northern Ireland” in her efforts to get rid of the agreement’s unpopular “backstop” provision. “If we stand together and speak with one voice, I believe we can find the right way forward,” she said. The so-called backstop is intended to ensure there is no return to a hard border with Ireland, but Brexit supporters fear it will keep Britain tied to the EU’s customs rules. MPs voted last week to send May back to Brussels to renegotiate the clause, suggesting her deal would then be able to pass after it was roundly rejected in parliament last month. “I am now confident there is a route that can secure a majority in the House of Commons for leaving the EU with a deal,” she wrote. “When I return to Brussels I will be battling for Britain and Northern Ireland, I will be armed with a fresh mandate, new ideas and a renewed determination to agree a pragmatic solution.” The EU insists that the deal “remains the best and only way to ensure an orderly withdrawal,” and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Sunday that “if the British want to avoid a disorderly Brexit, our offer is on the table. But with the clock running down until the March 29 exit date the risks of a no-deal Brexit for both Britain and the bloc are coming into sharp focus. Car giant Nissan announced Sunday it was canceling plans to build its X-Trail SUV at its plant in northeast England, saying that “the U.K.’s future relationship with the EU is not helping.” May said opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn “also believes the potential indefinite nature of the backstop is an issue,” and that the EU has “already accepted the principle of ‘alternative arrangements’ superseding the backstop should it ever be required. The backstop would kick in if Britain and the EU have not agreed a trade deal on their future relationship after a time-limited transition period of up to two years. The prime minister rejected accusations that plans to reopen the backstop talks risked upsetting the Irish peace process. “Nor do I have time for those who believe the verdict passed by the British people in 2016 should be overturned before it is even implemented,” she added, referring to the rump of MPs calling for a second referendum. “I’m determined to deliver Brexit, and determined to deliver on time — on March 29, 2019,” she wrote. May has promised MPs that she will bring any revised deal back to be voted on by MPs on Feb. 13. Warnings of the consequences of a no-deal Brexit intensified last week as several multinational firms, including Airbus and Ford, said jobs could suffer with an unfavorable negotiating outcome. Nissan dealt another blow on Sunday by announcing it was shifting future investment away from its largest European plant in Sunderland, northeast England, which employs 7,000 people. The car giant announced in 2016 that it planned to build its X-Trail model in Sunderland, but will now assemble it instead at Nissan’s global production hub in Kyushu. Queen Elizabeth II was even drawn into the fray, with the Sunday Times reporting that the civil service had drawn up plans to whisk away the royal family to a secret location if riots should break out due to no deal, with Buckingham Palace declining to comment on the report. The Brexit saga has driven a wedge in the heart of both major parties, pitting centrists against their more ideologically driven MPs. Several rebellious centrist Labour MPs, who want a soft Brexit or to stay in the EU, are mulling forming a new party, according to Sunday’s Observer. They are disillusioned with the ambiguous stance taken by leftist leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has been a long-term euroskeptic but said he voted to Remain in 2016.

northern ireland
eu
u.k .
labour
brexit
theresa may
jeremy corbyn


In move sure to please Trump's base, Pentagon to deploy 3,750 more U.S. troops to border with Mexico

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is sending 3,750 U.S. forces to the southwest border with Mexico for three months to provide additional support to border agents, the Department of Defense said on Sunday. The deployment will raise the total number of active-duty forces supporting Customs and Border Protection agents there to approximately 4,350, it said. The additional units will be deployed for 90 days. The Pentagon first approved the high-profile deployment of active-duty U.S. troops to the Mexico border in October, before the U.S. midterm congressional elections. The move was embraced by President Donald Trump’s supporters, including fellow Republicans in Congress. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan approved the deployment on Jan. 11, according to the statement. U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, chairman of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, first disclosed plans to send more troops on Thursday. Smith criticized senior Pentagon officials for failing to disclose the information during a hearing before his committee in Congress on the issue just two days earlier.

u.s. military
pentagon
u.s.-mexico border
donald trump
pat shanahan


Guaido pressures Maduro to allow in humanitarian aid for Venezuela

Abstract: CARACAS - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido was set Sunday to announce a date for the arrival of humanitarian aid to the crisis-wracked country — a path President Nicolas Maduro believes will lead to a U.S.-led military intervention. The clock, meanwhile, was ticking on a midnight deadline set by seven European countries demanding that Maduro call presidential elections or see them recognize Guaido, head of the National Assembly, as acting president. And in Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that a U.S. military intervention remains “an option” in dealing with the crisis in oil-rich Venezuela. Tens of thousands of people turned out Saturday for competing shows of support for Guaido, who stunned the world 10 days ago by declaring himself “acting president,” and Maduro, who was sworn in Jan. 10 to a disputed second six year term. During the protest, Guaido announced the installation of collection centers for medicine and food in neighboring Colombia and Brazil. At the opposition leader’s request, Washington was already readying “and transporting humanitarian aid” for Venezuela, U.S. National Security Advisory John Bolton said on Twitter. The U.S. recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president on Jan. 23 while seven European nations, including Britain, France, Germany and Spain, have said they will do likewise unless Maduro calls presidential elections by midnight on Sunday. Austria was the latest to join the group. Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz announced the decision to join the ultimatum in a tweet on Sunday. France warned Maduro of the approaching deadline and that it was preparing to recognize Guaido. “The ultimatum ends tonight,” France’s European affairs minister, Natalie Loiseau, told French media on Sunday. “If between now and this evening Mr. Maduro does not commit to organizing presidential elections, we will consider that Mr. Guaido is legitimate to organize them in his place,” Loiseau added. Speaking at a pro-regime demonstration marking 20 years since his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, came to power, Maduro ignored those demands and instead reiterated his call to bring forward legislative elections slated for the end of 2020 to this year. “They want to bring forward elections, let’s have elections,” he said. Loiseau, the French minister, dismissed Maduro’s threat to hold early legislative elections as “a farce, a tragic farce.” Maduro, making his first appearance at a rally since a military parade in August when he claimed to have been targeted in an attempted assassination, accused Guaido of being a U.S. “puppet” in a coup d’etat attempt. The National Assembly is the only one of Venezuela’s five government branches controlled by the opposition. Guaido had earlier urged the armed forces to allow humanitarian aid from abroad into the country. “You, soldier … have the decision in your hands” to allow it in or not, said Guaido. Under Maduro’s stewardship, oil-dependent Venezuela has lurched into an economic crisis that has left the country suffering from hyperinflation and shortages of food and medicine. But he refuses to let aid into Venezuela. At his rally on Saturday, he called the opposition “imperialist beggars,” claiming the U.S. pledge to deliver $20 million in aid would precede military intervention. Guaido also called for a new demonstration on Feb. 12, and another protest to push for the entry of humanitarian aid. Speaking at the European Union’s headquarters in the east of the capital, he said this month “should be decisive.” The rival Caracas rallies, separated by 10 km (6 miles), attracted huge crowds. Carlos Morales, a 62-year-old who voted for Chavez in 1998 but now says socialism only brings “misery,” attended a pro-Guaido rally with his wife. “This is the leader that all Venezuelans hoped for, a new leader, young, who is not contaminated,” he added. At the pro-Maduro demonstration, Virginia Rondon, 69, hummed songs that glorified Chavez, and reminisced about his socialist revolution, saying: “I never experienced anything more beautiful in all my years.” Others denounced the specter of U.S. intervention and called on the United Nations to halt “Trump’s war.” In a boost for Guaido, an air force general Saturday became the highest ranking military officer to back him. Gen. Francisco Yanez said in a social media video that he disavowed Maduro’s “dictatorial” authority and recognized Guaido as the acting president. The air force high command strategic planning director said “90 percent of the armed forces don’t support the dictator.” His defection is “a hard blow” to Maduro, said Rocio San Miguel, an expert on the Venezuelan military. The military and security forces have so far been Maduro’s main pillar of support, but there have been signs of unrest in the ranks. On Jan. 21, a group of 27 soldiers rose up against Maduro in Caracas, although that was quickly suppressed. It helped spark a week of protests in which 40 people were killed in clashes with security forces, with hundreds more arrested. The challenge to Maduro is his most serious yet, with the United States leading the campaign to drive him from office. European and Latin American states have formed a “Contact Group” with a 90-day deadline to try to resolve the crisis, and will meet in Uruguay capital Montevideo next Thursday, the EU said. Guaido moved to expand his international support by reassuring China — Venezuela’s main creditor and a long-time ally of the socialist regime — that he would honor bilateral agreements if successful in ousting Maduro.

france
venezuela
eu
elections
nicolas maduro
donald trump
juan guaido


Russia objects as Trump calls U.S. military intervention in Venezuela 'an option'

Abstract: CARACAS - U.S. President Donald Trump said military intervention in Venezuela was “an option” as Western nations boost pressure on socialist leader Nicolas Maduro to step down, while the troubled OPEC nation’s ally Russia warned against “destructive meddling.” The United States, Canada and several Latin American countries have disavowed Maduro over his disputed re-election last year and recognized self-proclaimed President Juan Guaido as the country’s rightful leader. In an interview with CBS on Sunday, Trump said U.S. military intervention was under consideration. “Certainly, it’s something that’s on the — it’s an option,” Trump said, adding that Maduro requested a meeting months ago. “I’ve turned it down because we’re very far along in the process,” he said in a CBS “Face the Nation” interview. “So, I think the process is playing out.” The Trump administration last week issued crippling sanctions on Venezuelan state-owned oil firm PDVSA, a key source of revenue for the country suffering medicine shortages and malnutrition. Maduro, who has overseen an economic collapse and the exodus of millions of Venezuelans, still maintains the powerful backing of Russia, China and Turkey, and the critical support of the military. Russia, a major creditor to Venezuela in recent years, quickly urged restraint. “The international community’s goal should be to help (Venezuela), without destructive meddling from beyond its borders,” Alexander Shchetinin, head of the Latin America department at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, told Interfax. France and Austria said they would recognize Guaido if Maduro did not respond to the European Union’s call for a free and fair presidential election by Sunday night. Guaido allies plan to take a large quantity of food and medicine donated by the United States, multilateral organizations and nonprofit groups across the Colombian border into the Venezuelan state of Tachira this week, according to a person directly involved in the effort. The group has not yet determined which border point they will cross, said the person, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak publicly about the issue. It is unclear whether Maduro’s government, which denies the country is suffering a humanitarian crisis, will let any foreign aid through. Maduro on state television promised peace for the country without specifically responding to Trump. Tens of thousands of people thronged the streets of various Venezuelan cities on Saturday to protest Maduro’s government. “In Venezuela, there will be peace, and we will guarantee this peace with the civil military union,” he said in the company of khaki and black-clad soldiers who were earlier shown carrying guns and jumping from helicopters into the sea. Venezuela’s ambassador to Iraq, Jonathan Velasco, became the latest official to recognize opposition leader Guaido this weekend. Air Force Gen. Francisco Yanez in a video also called on members of the military to defect but there were no signs the armed forces were turning against Maduro. Venezuela has as many as 2,000 generals, according to unofficial estimates, many of whom do not command troops and whose defection would not necessarily weaken the ruling socialists. The police have also fallen in line with Maduro. A special forces unit called FAES led home raids following unrest associated with opposition protests in January, killing as many as 10 people in a single operation in a hillside slum of Caracas.

europe
russia
u.s. military
venezuela
elections
nicolas maduro
donald trump
juan guaido


Weary of gang violence and poverty, Salvadorans vote for president and change

Abstract: SAN SALVADOR - Polls opened Sunday in El Salvador’s presidential elections amid heavy security as voters look for change in a country beset by gang violence and widespread poverty. Nayib Bukele, the 37-year-old former mayor of San Salvador, is the front-runner in a race that could upend the nearly 30-year grip of the country’s two largest parties on Salvadoran politics. Gang-violence and insecurity was high on voters’ minds. El Salvador is among the world’s most violent countries with a murder rate of 51 per 100,000 citizens. “It’s honestly scary to go out alone in the street, you never know what can happen you,” first-time voter Gabriela Solorzano said at a polling station in the north of the capital, her brother holding her hand. “So I think whoever wins this election should care about us young people, give us more security as there is so much violence,” said Solorzano, 19. Ligia Mejia, 21, a pharmacy chain employee wearing her work uniform, was concerned about high unemployment fueling migration. “Hopefully, the new president will be aware that more jobs are needed, because it is very difficult to get a job for the first time,” said Mejia. In nearby streets, many people were arriving to vote aboard buses laid on by the political parties. Some 23,000 police officers and 15,000 soldiers have been deployed to protect the sixth presidential election since democracy was restored in the country in 1992 after 12 years of bloody civil war between state security forces and leftist guerrillas. Should Bukele, who represents the conservative Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) party, win it would put to an end three decades of domination by the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) and leftist Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation (FMLN). His main challenge is expected to come from 42-year-old supermarket magnate Carlos Calleja, representing ARENA. If he does win, though, he will have to form an alliance with the right, which dominates congress. He has promised to increase investment in education and fight corruption but his main task will be to implement new programs to confront insecurity. The Central American country has been battered by gang violence, which authorities say was the source of most of the 3,340 murders reported last year. Gangs are said to have 70,000 members, 17,000 of whom are behind bars. “The new president must offer daring security solutions,” Carlos Carcach, an analyst and professor at the Higher School of Economy and Business in El Salvador, told AFP. Another challenge will be to reduce illegal immigration to the United States given President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off aid if the stream of Central American migrants heading there is not stopped. During the last few months of 2018, more than 3,000 Salvadorans joined caravans marching toward the U.S., fleeing gangs and a lack of employment. “You think and rethink about whether or not it’s worth staying in this country or have the courage to go and try your luck in another,” Sergio Hernandez, a 41-year-old carpenter told AFP. “It’s terrible with the gangs, someone has to do something because it’s unbearable.” Rigorous security was in place as polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (1300 GMT). Some 5.2 million people are eligible to vote at the more than 1,500 election centers. The other main worry for Salvadorans is the economy. Although it grew by 2.6 percent in 2018, its biggest rise in five years, that is considered insufficient to cover the demand for new employment. The election winner will have to juggle the need to raise taxes to cover an external debt of more than $9.5 billion while trying to maintain social programs in a country where the minimum wage of $300 a month is barely enough to buy food. “The challenge for the new leader is to satisfy the demand for fairer salaries and avoid the social exclusion that forces many to flee the country,” said Raul Moreno, an economics professor at the state university. Just over 30 percent of El Salvador’s 6.6 million inhabitants live below the poverty line.

conflict
elections
gangs
el salvador
migration
nayib bukele


Senior Democrats press Virginia governor to resign over racist photo

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Senior Democrats on Sunday accused embattled Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam of being dishonest and urged him to resign after he backtracked from an earlier admission that he appeared in racist garb in a yearbook photo. Northam, a Democrat trying to resist mounting pressure from his party to step down, on Saturday walked back his admission that he was one of two people shown in the photo from his 1984 medical school yearbook, one person in blackface standing next to another in a Ku Klux Klan costume. Northam, who took office a year ago, had admitted on Friday he was in the photo from the 1980s. Even as he denied it on Saturday, he admitted to dressing up in blackface to imitate the late pop star Michael Jackson in a dance contest around the same time. “He is being completely dishonest and disingenuous,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Karen Bass said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I think given the overall climate around race in this country, especially over the last two years, it’s completely unacceptable,” said Bass, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus. She also took issue with Northam’s claim that wearing blackface was commonplace in 1984. “He’s basically saying that he participated in it and especially when he described the time that he did the Michael Jackson impression,” said Bass. “He even acted at the press conference like he was willing to moon walk until his wife stopped him, which shows that he still does not understand the seriousness of his actions.” Bass’ sentiment was echoed by Donald McEachin, a black House member from Virginia, who said he had spoken to Northam on Friday and that the governor was apologetic. “So I was really surprised when the next day he comes out and says it’s not him,” McEachin, a Democrat, also said on “Meet the Press.” “That was quite a surprise to me.” Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who has called for Northam to resign, said he believed he would do so. “It doesn’t matter whether he was in that photo or not in the photo at this point. We have to close that chapter,” McAuliffe said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And if Ralph is watching this today, I know how much he loves this Commonwealth of Virginia. And you have got to make the right decision. You have got to make the right moral decision.” Democratic party strategists worry that the controversy could hurt the party’s chances in the 2020 presidential election. Virginia is a competitive state that leans Democratic. Former Vice President Joe Biden, a Democrat weighing a 2020 presidential run, has also urged Northam to step down. Other prominent Democrats — including 2020 presidential candidates Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Julian Castro, a former top U.S. housing official—- have been calling on Northam to resign since Friday. Northam, a 59-year-old pediatric neurologist and Army veteran, graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1984.

racism
joe biden
democrats
virginia
blackface
kamala harris
ralph northam
corey booker


Venezuela's Juan Guaido says he wants Italy's backing, report says

Abstract: ROME - Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido said in a newspaper interview published on Monday he would do all he could to secure Italy’s backing after the government split on whether to recognize him as interim president. As nine European nations expressed support for Guaido on Monday, challenging Nicolas Maduro’s socialist rule, Italy was silent due to a split within the coalition government. “We’ll do everything possible so that the Italian government adds its support — which is very important for us — to that expressed by the rest of the European Union,” Guaido told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who plays a mainly ceremonial role and usually stays out of day-to-day politics, urged the government to hammer out its differences and express support for Guaido. “We must demonstrate responsibility and clarity with a common line taken by all our EU partners and allies,” Mattarella said at an event in Rome on Monday. Venezuelans of Italian origin are a large and influential group in the South American country. “Handing out ultimatums, sanctions, freezing Venezuelan goods … It would mean opening the road to a military intervention,” said Alessandro Di Battista, a prominent figure in the 5-Star Movement, which makes up half of the ruling coalition. “The 5-Star Movement and this government will never recognize people who appoint themselves president,” he added. 5-Star’s governing partner, the League, has come out strongly in favor of Guaido. “Maduro is one of the last leftist dictators left, and he governs with the use of force and is starving his people. The hope is that there will be free elections as soon as possible,” League leader Matteo Salvini said in a statement on Monday.

italy
venezuela
nicolas maduro
juan guaido


Anti-corruption outsider wins El Salvador presidency, ending three decades of two-party dominance

Abstract: SAN SALVADOR - A former mayor campaigning on an anti-corruption ticket swept to victory in El Salvador’s presidential election on Sunday, bringing an end to a two-party system that has held sway over the violence-plagued Central American country for three decades. Nayib Bukele, the 37-year-old former mayor of the capital, San Salvador, won 54 percent of votes with returns counted from 88 percent of polling stations, said Julio Olivo, the head of the electoral tribunal. Bukele’s two rivals from mainstream political parties conceded defeat. Definitive results would be announced within two days, Olivo said. Bukele must now contend with U.S. President Donald Trump’s frequent threats to cut aid to El Salvador — as well as neighboring Guatemala and Honduras — if they do not do more to curb migration to the United States. “Today, we won in the first round and we made history,” Bukele said in a victory speech to cheering supporters in the capital, after turning to snap a selfie with the crowd. “We’ve turned the page on power.” Bukele, who was mayor from 2015 to 2018, capitalized on the anti-establishment feeling sweeping elections across the region and further afield, as voters seek an alternative to traditional parties. “Let’s see if he can do what he’s promised for us,” said Baltazar Sanchez, 30, one of hundreds of Salvadorans dancing, waving flags and blowing whistles in a plaza that Bukele had revitalized when he was mayor. “After 30 years of two parties, we’ve been dealt the best hand.” Gang violence has made tiny El Salvador one of the world’s most murderous countries in the past few years, driving Salvadorans to flee to the north. Among his campaign promises, Bukele, an avid social media user who often sports a black leather jacket, said he would push infrastructure projects to limit such migration. Since the end of its civil war in 1992, El Salvador has been governed by the ruling leftist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) and its rival, conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA). Though he describes himself as from the left and was expelled from the FMLN, Bukele has formed a coalition including a right-wing party that together has just 11 seats in the legislature. Outside the hotel in San Salvador where Bukele waited for the results, a group of supporters set off fireworks, beat drums and danced as early figures came in. “Yes, we did it! Yes, we did it!” they chanted. FMLN candidate Hugo Martinez conceded defeat shortly after Bukele’s victory speech while ARENA candidate Carlos Calleja said he recognized the election results and would call Bukele to offer congratulations. Besides challenges on the international stage, when Bukele takes office in June, he will face a sluggish economy and rampant poverty. He wants to modernize government and create an international anti-corruption commission with the support of the United Nations, following similar committees in Guatemala and Honduras. “We’ll create a (commission) … so that the corrupt can’t hide where they always hide, instead they’ll have to give back what they stole,” Bukele said in January. Growing up, Bukele’s relatively wealthy family was sympathetic to the FMLN, the former leftist guerrilla army that became a political party at the end of the civil war. But Bukele has turned away from Latin America’s traditional left, branding Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega as well as conservative Honduran Juan Orlando Hernandez as dictators. “A dictator is a dictator, on the ‘right’ or the ‘left,'” Bukele wrote last week on Twitter.


Seven passengers killed when express train derails in eastern India

Abstract: NEW DELHI - Seven passengers were killed and several others injured when a Delhi-bound train derailed in India’s eastern state of Bihar on Sunday, railways officials said. Eleven coaches of the Seemanchal Express left the rails near Sahadai Buzurg railway station, about 50 km (30 miles) from the state capital, Patna, early in the morning, the railways ministry said in a statement. It marked a bad start to the year for India’s troubled railways. Sixty people were killed last year when a commuter train traveling at a high speed ran through a crowd of people on the rail tracks in northern India. India’s state railways, largely built during colonial rule, have an appalling safety record after decades of underinvestment in rail safety infrastructure, with the priority on keeping fares low for the 23 million passengers who use the network daily.


Trump wants U.S. forces to stay in Iraq to 'watch Iran' but still seeks exit from Syria and Afghanistan: CBS interview

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump said it was important to keep a U.S. military presence in Iraq so that Washington can keep a close eye on Iran “because Iran is a real problem,” according to a CBS interview to be broadcast on Sunday. The Republican president lamented “endless wars” in Syria and Afghanistan in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” and made clear he wants to reduce the costly U.S. military presence in those countries despite warnings against such moves from his military advisers and spy chiefs. The United States could rely heavily on intelligence work in Afghanistan, he said, and respond to developments in Syria from U.S. bases in neighboring Iraq. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have sent weapons and thousands of soldiers to Syria to help shore up the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad during a seven-year civil war there. Trump said the United States has spent a “fortune” on the Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq, which he visited in December, and that the United States should hold on to it. “One of the reasons I want to keep it is because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran because Iran is a real problem,” he said in the CBS interview. Asked if that meant he wanted to be able to strike against Iran, Trump said, “No, because I want to be able to watch Iran. All I want to do is be able to watch.” The president defended his decision in December to withdraw troops from Syria but refused to provide a timetable for the pullout, which drew criticism from members of his own Republican Party and concerns among some allies. In a rebuke, the Republican-led U.S. Senate advanced largely symbolic legislation on Thursday opposing plans for any abrupt withdrawal of troops from Syria and Afghanistan. Trump initially said the withdrawal from Syria should be immediate but he has since said it would be gradual. Some of the forces moving out of Syria will go to Iraq, where they can monitor any resurgence of Islamic State or other militant group and “ultimately some will be coming home,” Trump said. He said U.S. forces could be deployed again if there is a resurgence of militant groups like al-Qaida. “We’ll come back if we have to,” he said. Trump said on Thursday he would bring U.S. troops home if a peace deal was reached to end 17 years of war in Afghanistan. He told CBS he would be open to keeping a small number of troops there as well as intelligence operations to monitor for “nests” of militant activity, according to the interview taped on Friday. Trump did not say whether he trusted Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgent group but said he believed they want peace. “They’re tired. Everybody’s tired,” Trump said. “I don’t like endless wars.”

syria
u.s. military
afghanistan
iran
al-qaida
bashar assad
islamic state
donald trump


Taiwan casts shade on China's lack of democracy in New Year message

Abstract: TAIPEI - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen took aim at China’s lack of freedom in a recent message for the coming Lunar New Year, which starts Tuesday, saying she hoped ethnic Chinese all over the world would be able to experience the “blessing” of democracy. Self-governed Taiwan is China’s most sensitive issue and is claimed by Beijing as its sacred territory. President Xi Jinping has stepped up pressure on the democratic island since Tsai, who hails from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, became president in 2016. Xi kicked off 2019 with a speech warning that China reserves the right to use force to bring Taiwan under its control, though it will strive for peaceful “reunification.” Taiwan is able to maintain cultural traditions and is committed to upholding the values of freedom and democracy, Tsai said in her New Year message, posted late Sunday on her official social media accounts. “Those in places lacking democracy may not understand this commitment. We hope that ethnic Chinese all over the world can experience this blessing,” she added, without directly mentioning China. “So I want to make three New Year’s wishes for our ethnic Chinese friends both at home and abroad. I hope that you may all enjoy democracy, freedom and continued prosperity.” There was no immediate reaction from Beijing. Xi’s new year’s speech, also on Sunday, did not mention Taiwan, apart from offering New Year wishes to people on the island. Taiwan is gearing up for presidential elections early next year. Tsai’s party suffered stinging losses to the China-friendly Kuomintang in mayoral and local elections in November. Tsai has repeatedly called on China to respect Taiwan’s democracy, and to embrace democratic reforms itself. Taiwan has shown no interest in being ruled by autocratic China, where Xi has overseen a sweeping crackdown on dissent since assuming office six years ago and the ruling Communist Party has tightened controls on all facets of society.

china
taiwan
holidays
chinese new year
tsai ing-wen


Ahead of Lunar New Year, Chinese advised to stop pigging out to help save the planet

Abstract: KUALA LUMPUR - As Chinese people celebrate the new Year of the Pig this week, environmental campaigners are urging them to eat less pork and help save the planet. China consumes more meat than any other country and accounts for half the world’s consumption of pork, which is used in everything from dumplings and stir-fries to hot pots. That has helped make it the world’s biggest emitter of climate-warming greenhouse gases — according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), livestock are responsible for about 14.5 percent of global emissions. “Chinese emissions can be reduced by almost 10 percent in the next decade if Chinese people just ate half as much meat,” said Jen Leung, China climate director at the U.S.-based charity WildAid. “So just try eating a little less pork in honor of a healthy Year of the Pig,” she said. Twelve animals make up the traditional Chinese zodiac and this week marks the transition from Year of the Dog to Year of the Pig. The weeklong holiday starts Monday, the eve of the new year, and is the most important in the Chinese calendar, when millions of people travel home. Many restaurants have special menus to mark the festival, which is celebrated by Chinese communities around the world. In Hong Kong, famous for its dim sum and barbecue pork, one company is partnering with restaurants to promote Lunar New Year dishes cooked with its “vegan pork” made with ingredients including soybeans and peas. “Traditional belief dictates that we should not eat the same animal during their year in order to bring good luck — so pig year don’t eat pork,” said Alvin Lee, marketing manager at Green Monday, a social enterprise that promotes sustainable living. “But more importantly it’s to address the issue of food safety and to mitigate climate change,” he said, referring to a recent outbreak of deadly African swine fever on pig farms in China. On Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, animal rights group PETA has launched a campaign to honor the “playful” animal with the hashtag #PigYearDontEatThem. “Animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gases than all the world’s transportation systems combined,” PETA Asia campaigner Jason Baker said. China issued dietary guidelines in 2016 recommending people halve their meat consumption — a move lauded by environmentalists as a way to cut greenhouse gas emissions as well as boosting public health. Experts said people are unlikely to give up on their pork dumplings any time soon in China, where meat is still associated with wealth and status. “It’s quite challenging because culturally there are quite a lot of values attached to being able to eat meat,” Beau Damen, an expert on climate change at the FAO in Bangkok, said. “But one thing consumers do have to keep in mind is that choices about what we eat do have a direct impact on the environment,” he warned.

china
food
chinese new year
lunar new year
climate change


Rights groups urge U.N. to probe China crackdown in Xinjiang

Abstract: GENEVA - Rights groups urged the United Nations Monday to send investigators to China’s northwestern Xinjiang province to probe the mass detainment of ethnic Uighur and other Muslim minorities. “The abuse in Xinjiang today is so severe that it cries out for international action,” Human Rights Watch chief Kenneth Roth told reporters in Geneva. HRW and more than a dozen other human rights and civil society organizations including Amnesty International and the World Uighur Congress published an appeal for the U.N.’s human rights body to send an international fact-finding mission to the region. Up to a million Uighurs and members of other mostly Muslim minority groups are being held in extrajudicial detention in camps in Xinjiang, according to a group of experts cited by the U.N. Dolkun Isa of the World Uighur Congress told reporters via video link from Oslo that his group believes the numbers detained in Xinjiang had reached “maybe 3 million.” Beijing says the “vocational education centers” help people steer clear of terrorism and allow them to be reintegrated into society. But critics say China is seeking to assimilate Xinjiang’s minority population and suppress religious and cultural practices that conflict with Communist ideology and the dominant Han culture. In their statement, the organizations insisted that the sites were in fact “political education” camps, where people are sent “for their perceived disloyalty to the government and the Chinese Communist Party.” “In these camps, they are subjected to forced political indoctrination, renunciation of their faith, mistreatment, and in some cases torture,” the statement said. “There have been reports of deaths inside the facilities including suicides of those unable to bear the mistreatment,” Amnesty International head Kumi Naidoo said in a video statement. HRW’s Roth lamented “the still muted global outcry.” “China gets away with this extraordinarily brazen abuse because first, few people know who the Uighurs are,” he said, adding that the lack of outcry was also linked to the fact that “China has shown itself willing to use its economic clout to suppress criticism.” Roth pressed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “to say something.” “He has been notably silent on one of the most important — the most brazen — human rights abuses, because he is worried about upsetting the Chinese,” Roth said. U.N. rights chief Michelle Bachelet has addressed the situation, voicing concern last September before the Human Rights Council at “deeply disturbing allegations of large-scale arbitrary detentions of Uighurs and other Muslim communities in so-called re-eduction camps across Xinjiang.” She has said her office is seeking access to Xinjiang to check reports about the camps, with Beijing insisting U.N. officials can come only if they agree to stay out of the country’s internal affairs. In their statement, the organizations insisted that “an international fact-finding mission mandated by the Human Rights Council is needed to uncover the truth.” They stressed that China’s membership in the 47-seat Human Rights Council “does not exempt it from scrutiny in the face of serious allegations.” The reports of “sweeping violations,” they said, “require immediate and urgent attention.”

china
religion
rights
u.n .
uighurs
xinjiang


Northeast Australia braces for 'unprecedented flooding' as system threatens to dump year's worth of rain

Abstract: SYDNEY - Thousands of people in northeast Australia should expect “unprecedented flooding,” authorities have warned, after relentless downpours forced a dam to be fully opened on Sunday. Once-in-a-century floods have turned streets into rivers and caused thousands to abandon their homes in Townsville, in Queensland state. Australia’s tropical north experiences heavy rains during the monsoon season at this time of the year, but the recent downpour has surged far above normal levels. The Bureau of Meteorology late Sunday issued a “major flood warning,” announcing that spillway gates at the Ross River dam had been opened to their maximum setting and a rapid rise in the water level was predicted to follow. “Dangerous and high velocity flows will occur in the Ross River Sunday night into Monday. Unprecedented areas of flooding will occur in Townsville,” a statement said, adding there was a “risk to life and property. Many homes in the city had already been left without power and cut off by flooded roads. More severe weather could whip up tornadoes and destructive winds in the days ahead, Bureau of Meteorology state manager Bruce Gunn told reporters. Up to 20,000 homes are at risk of being inundated if the rains continue. Military personnel were delivering tens of thousands of sandbags to affected locals, as Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk warned residents to be careful. “It’s basically not just a one in 20-year event, it’s a 1 in 100-year event,” she told reporters Saturday. The Bureau of Meteorology said a slow-moving monsoonal trough was sitting above Queensland, with some areas expected to receive more than a year’s worth of rain before conditions ease. Bureau meteorologist Adam Blazak told AFP the downpours could continue until Thursday, while floodwaters would take some time to recede even when the rains lessen. The region receives an average of about 2,000 mm (6.5 feet) of rain annually but some towns were already on track to pass that. The town of Ingham, north of Townsville, received 506 mm of rain in 24 hours between Saturday and Sunday, of which 145 mm fell in just one hour, Blazak said. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Townsville resident Chris Brookehouse told national broadcaster ABC, adding that his house was flooded with water more than one metre deep. “The volume of water is just incredible. Downstairs is gone, the fridge and freezer are floating. Another five or six steps and upstairs is gone too.” Blazak said that with adverse weather predicted to continue for up to 72 hours, some regions could see record-breaking levels of rainfall. There has been a silver lining to the deluge, with drought-stricken farmers in western Queensland boosted by the soaking. “It is a welcome relief, especially in our western communities, to not only get the rain but also to fill up their dams,” Palaszczuk said Sunday. “We’re getting food supplies in there. We still have many roads that are cut around those areas.” The deluge comes amid a severe drought in the eastern inland of the vast Australian continent, including parts of Queensland state, that has left graziers struggling to stay afloat. Extreme heatwaves during the southern hemisphere summer have led to maximum-temperature records being broken in some towns. High temperatures are not unusual in Australia during its arid southern hemisphere summer, with bushfires a common occurrence. But scientists say climate change has pushed up land and sea temperatures and led to more extremely hot days and severe fire seasons. In the southern states of Victoria and Tasmania, firefighters in recent days have been battling numerous bushfires threatening homes and communities.

australia disaster floods rains queensland


In Year of the Pig, Hong Kong faces dilemma with abundance of wild boars

Abstract: HONG KONG - One of the world’s most densely populated cities, Hong Kong, is facing a proliferation of wild boars as the large mammals stray increasingly into built-up areas. And while some residents welcome sightings of the boars as a symbol of good fortune, especially with the arrival of the Chinese Lunar Year of the Pig on Tuesday, others say reports of attacks show that the wild pigs are becoming a danger. The global financial hub isn’t well known for its biodiversity, but with 40 percent of its land area comprising protected country parks and reserves, it still harbors creatures such as boar, barking deer, porcupine, otters, threatened pangolins, giant Burmese pythons and more than 530 species of bird, some highly endangered. Continued urbanization of the city of 7.4 million is now increasingly drawing droves of wild boar to the teeming metropolis’ fringes. Boar have charged down hikers, raided garbage tips and camp sites, and even scampered through a shopping mall and a runway at the airport. “Most Hong Kong wild boars, at this point, have already lost their fear of humans,” said Roni Wong, a member of a community group campaigning for the protection of wild boars. “The cause of it is feeding, which causes them to lose their natural instincts,” added Wong who has identified numerous spots where residents feed wild animals in violation of local wildlife protection laws. The habituation of boars to humans has brought some safety concerns. Complaints against wild pigs have more than doubled since 2013, with over 700 incidents reported in 2017, including some attacks on people. “A lot of the residents who used to take part in outdoor leisure activities, especially at night, are no longer doing that,” said Jeremy Young, a district councilor for the Peak, an affluent area with a conspicuous boar population in its woods. “They are scared. You don’t want to run into a 250 pound (113 kilogram) male pig with tusks.” The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said in a statement that some pigs “pose imminent risks to public safety, particularly those which have attacked people, or are accustomed to searching for food around built-up areas and also getting easily irritated.” Young believes the government should once again allow the selective culling of boars by “civilian hunting teams” to mitigate the porcine threat, a practice that was suspended in 2017 after an outcry by animal rights groups. The AFCD, however, rejected this proposal. Instead, it said it would take measures to put down or relocate troublesome pigs to wilder areas, and to fit some with GPS trackers. Authorities say they don’t know the size of Hong Kong’s wild pig population, nor whether numbers have actually increased or whether they’re just venturing more frequently into urban areas. “Most Hongkongers won’t mind the wild boars,” said 40-year-old taxi driver Water Siu, shortly after a boar interrupted his Sunday barbecue in the Aberdeen country park. “In fact, we see them as our neighbors.”


Rodrigo Duterte and Kim Jong Un impersonators spark frenzy at Hong Kong church

Abstract: HONG KONG - A Rodrigo Duterte impersonator sparked frenzy and confusion during Sunday Mass when he walked into a Hong Kong church popular with the city’s Filipino community. Accompanied by Howard X — the Hong Kong-based impersonator of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — the Filipino actor arrived at St. Joseph’s Church dressed in the Philippine president’s signature relaxed white shirt. Hundreds of distracted worshippers erupted into cheers and took photos of the impersonator, who goes by the stage name Cresencio Extreme. They settled down for the hour-long service but many continued to grin and glance at him. “Is that Duterte?” whispered an incredulous-looking woman, who said the man appeared too young to be the Philippine leader. As soon as Mass ended, worshippers mobbed Cresencio Extreme, many screaming and taking photos with their mobile phones as he waved at them and shook their hands. Outside the church, some examined photos of the impersonator, saying it was odd that he did not have any bodyguards and that his personality seemed off. While most did not mind the stunt, one woman who identified herself as Linda found it “impolite.” “Coming in here to make a scene — our Duterte is not like that,” she told AFP. The Philippine president has repeatedly attacked the church since taking office in 2016, accusing the Catholic clergy of sexual abuse. And the Church has been one of Duterte’s most outspoken critics, particularly over alleged human rights abuses during his deadly anti-narcotics campaign. Hong Kong is home to around 200,000 Filipinos, mostly women working as domestic helpers.

hong kong
kim jong un
filipinos
rodrigo duterte


Culture of impunity for Pakistan police in 'encounter killings' faces trial by social media

Abstract: ISLAMABAD - Five policemen raise their guns and fire dozens of times into a parked car at point-blank range in Pakistan. Then they reach inside, around the dead bodies, to pull out three crying children. The footage filmed by shocked witnesses of the killing went viral, sending Prime Minister Imran Khan scrambling to quell anger over a police culture of impunity that is now being threatened by social media. Thousands have been gunned down in recent years across Pakistan in so-called encounter killings — incidents where suspects allegedly resist arrest, are slain, then later identified as terrorists to boost statistics. This latest “encounter” saw a family gunned down in broad daylight in the eastern city of Sahiwal last month, leaving four people dead, including two parents and their teenage daughter. Three children survived the incident, including 9-year-old Umair Khalil, who later told journalists that police shot at the family as their father offered the cops a bribe, pleading to let them go. “My father told them to take our money and not to shoot their guns. But they started firing,” Umair said in the video broadcast widely across Pakistan news outlets and social media. Police initially defended their response, saying terrorists with links to the Islamic State militant group were in the car and were using the family as a human shield. But this “encounter” was fundamentally different from others — it was filmed on phones and the videos posted online. Authorities have since backtracked as furor grew with the prime minister vowing to mete out “exemplary punishment” to the guilty. Five officers were hit with murder charges and protests erupted in nearby Lahore. “People . . . know that a video they make from their cellphone can have far more impact than the camera of a news channel,” said Pakistani digital rights activist Haroon Baloch. “Had the nearby people not filmed the Sahiwal incident, nobody would have noticed the extrajudicial killing,” he added. The incident is the latest instance of how phones are radically changing Pakistanis’ relationship with power. During elections over the summer, a host of videos went viral, showing angry voters hounding elected representatives over their failure to serve their constituents. And it’s not just in Pakistan. In the U.S., the Black Lives Matter movement coalesced as outrage exploded following a series of viral videos allegedly showing police killing black Americans, bringing greater scrutiny to racial profiling and pushing some police departments to outfit patrol officers with body cameras. The Sahiwal incident comes almost exactly a year after a similar killing of a young social media star in Karachi ignited an ethnic rights movement by the country’s beleaguered Pashtun community. The movement it spawned — the Pakistan Protection Movement, or PTM — has been largely sustained by social media and videos captured on mobiles, piling even more pressure on authorities. But the killings continue, with analysts saying reforms are needed to challenge impunity in the police ranks. “It’s a culture of the police in Pakistan to kill people and make it look it like an encounter,” Mehdi Hasan, chairperson of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), said. Data compiled by HRCP showed that 4,803 people have been killed in these “encounters” in Pakistan within the past three years alone. “The police need to be properly trained if such incidents are to be avoided in the future,” Hasan added. Security analyst Amir Rana, however, argued that increased police accountability and judicial reform are key to cementing lasting change. “This culture has existed in the police force for decades,” Rana explained, saying Pakistan’s mammoth backlog of legal cases overloading its judiciary is a part of the problem. “(Police) want quick results and they try to avoid . . . lengthy legal procedures which leads to staging encounters.”

pakistan
murder
social media
police
_asia


Zen Buddhist priest touched by kindness in Nepal offers shelter to those seeking refuge in Japan

Abstract: One day in January, in a quiet Zen temple on a hill in Nagoya’s Tenpaku Ward, a priest offered a Nigerian visitor okaki (rice crackers). “Can you eat (this)?” the chief priest of Tokurinji temple asked him in English. The man, who came to Japan to seek asylum, is one of many people — usually students or refugees — that 75-year-old Shucho Takaoka has taken in at his temple over the past three decades. “Some people call our temple kakekomidera ,” Takaoka said, raising a combined term that was used to describe Edo Period (1603-1868) temples that functioned as shelters for women fleeing their husbands. Although born as the eldest son of a Buddhist priest, Takaoka did not enter the priesthood until he turned 37. After entering Nagoya University, he saw his classmates join demonstrations armed with wooden sticks, and his distrust toward society grew. When he was 26, he told his father that he would not succeed him at the temple and headed to Nepal. After arriving, he came down with a high fever and diarrhea. A local Chinese man offered to rent him a room for free. While there, he became involved in activities to preserve Buddhist scriptures written in Sanskrit. A decade later, he came to feel it was about time to return to his home — the temple in Japan. In 1985 he succeeded his father at Tokurinji temple and created a room named Shantikuti, meaning “peace house” in Sanskrit, at the back of its main hall to serve as free accommodation for foreign people seeking shelter, just as the Chinese man did for him in Nepal. In 2011, an acquaintance who supports Africans told him more people were likely to come to Japan seeking refuge. He then set up a pair of wooden two-story houses on the temple grounds, helped by residents and a carpenter acquaintance, for use as a guesthouse. Since then, he has provided temporary shelter to people in need at the request of a refugee support group and facilitated their bids for refugee status. “I just want to help people in difficulty,” he says. When a Nepalese man died in March 2017 after being taken into custody at Shinjuku Police Station in Tokyo, Takaoka went there to collect his body and arrange for cremation. In addition, he bore most of the expenses, which reached ¥600,000. He says most of his activities to support foreign people are covered by donations from danka (supporters of his temple). Usually, such donations are used to run and renovate temples, but Takaoka said he has tried to limit such spending. “I renovated the temple roof myself to save money, so I hope they will forgive me,” he said. When he succeeded his father, there were only 16 danka and he was unable to pay a ¥5 million fee requested by the Soto sect, which the temple belongs to. But as he continued to help people in need, his financial supporters grew. His danka now exceed 200. Recently, some elderly people in the neighborhood began growing vegetables on a small piece of land alongside the guesthouse. The land was initially cultivated by an American Buddhist priest who stayed at the temple 27 years ago, Takaoka said. While he plans to hand the temple over to his son at some point in the future, he appears willing to continue his work for now. “I feel like I’m still about 40 years old,” he says.

charity
zen
nagoya
refugees
buddhism
tokurinji temple
shucho takaoka


AI-based medical diagnostic services set to debut in Japan

Abstract: Medical diagnostic services using artificial intelligence are set to be introduced this year in Japan, where the adoption of information technology in health care has been slow, sources said Monday. The private Showa University in Tokyo together with Nagoya University and Cybernet Systems Co. have jointly developed software that analyzes colon polyps shown in images taken during endoscopic examinations. Using a vast amount of past diagnostic data, the software can determine whether such polyps are malignant. It has been proven reliable — with an assessment determining that it can identify a potentially cancerous polyp with the same accuracy as a leading specialist — and approved for commercialization by the government. LPixel Inc., an image analysis service venture, has produced a program that spots cell degeneration in the cerebrum by examining images taken during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The company used a deep learning approach, having the system process large amounts of diagnostic data. When a progression in a cerebral disease is suspected, the system will recommend that the patient undergo a closer check by a doctor. LPixel’s software has also been approved for sale. The types of cell degeneration detected are often caused by arteriosclerosis or age-related deterioration in blood circulation, and are associated with the prevalence of dementia and stroke. Software-aided medical devices are expected to lessen the burden on doctors during diagnosis, while reducing human error. Expecting increased reliance on AI technologies in the medical field, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has compiled guidelines that put the onus on doctors to ultimately ensure diagnostic results are correct.


Annual rally seeking return of Russia-held isles may tone down language to appease Moscow

Abstract: The organizers of an annual rally calling for the return of Russian-held islands off Hokkaido may refrain from issuing a declaration that includes language potentially upsetting for Moscow, according to sources close to the matter, as Japan seeks a breakthrough in the decades-old dispute over the territory. The declaration may refrain from referring to the disputed territory as “illegally occupied” by Russia — a phrase that has been used at annual rallies in the past, in line with the Japanese government’s position. Russia has rejected the claim. The annual rally is held in Tokyo on Feb. 7 — designated as Northern Territories Day — and is organized by representatives from both the public and private sectors. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has attended some of the rallies in the past and is expected to do so this year. Sources said the organizers are considering dropping from the declaration terms that could be deemed sensitive, as ongoing talks to settle the territorial dispute and sign a postwar peace treaty with Russia are believed to be reaching a crucial stage. Abe is believed to be pursuing a June timeline to reach a broad agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is expected to visit Japan that month for the Group of 20 summit in Osaka. The sources said organizers have been closely watching the development of the negotiations and are leaning toward the view that they should avoid using terms that risk provoking Russia. The declaration at last year’s rally said participants “can no longer tolerate this issue being left unresolved,” but according to the sources that phrasing may also be reviewed. Tokyo maintains that Kunashiri, Etorofu and Shikotan, the three islands, and the Habomai group of islets, are its “inherent territories” that were “illegally occupied” by the Soviet Union following Japan’s surrender in World War II in 1945, while Moscow insists it legitimately acquired them as a result of the war. Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Kono have also avoided using terms such as “illegal occupation” recently, in a move seen as intended not to adversely affect ongoing bilateral talks on a peace treaty.

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


Abe and Merkel seek to take Japan-Germany ties to 'higher level' amid trade turmoil and Brexit

Abstract: German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday in Tokyo, where the two leaders pledged to further strengthen the bilateral relationship as the world faces growing protectionism and the United Kingdom’s potentially turbulent exit from the European Union. “The roles Japan and Germany are playing are now getting bigger and bigger as the U.K. is heading toward the exit from the EU,” Abe told Merkel at the outset of their summit meeting. Merkel’s visit to Tokyo days after the Japan-EU free trade pact took effect on Friday “sends a strong message on promotion of free trade and strengthening of the Japan-Germany economic relationship,” Abe said. The pact removes nearly all tariffs between the two economic zones, which account for 28 percent of the world’s gross domestic product. “It’s time to raise the Japan-Germany relationship to a higher level, toward a rule-based international order and prosperity of the world,” added Abe. In response, Merkel said she came with “a large group” of business leaders from Germany to “breathe life into” the Japan-EU economic partnership pact. She also noted that Japan and Germany each have close relationships with China, and that those relationships have both “good and difficult aspects” at the same time. “In that sense, too, cooperation (between Germany and Japan) is quite important,” Merkel said. The two also agreed to continue working together in dealing with Brexit, and joint efforts are set to include promoting reform of the World Trade Organization, according to Japanese officials. Merkel and Abe also neared agreement on concluding a pact on sharing sensitive security information, which will boost cooperation on defense, the officials said. And the leaders agreed to work together on promoting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, Africa and the Western Balkans, according to the officials. At the Merkel-Abe meeting, “the message we’d like to send is, ‘Hang on, EU, and maintain a strong Europe,’ ” a senior Foreign Ministry official said last week. Merkel and Abe are among those world leaders calling for the maintenance of free trade and economic systems, with both Tokyo and Berlin concerned by U.S. President Donald Trump’s protectionist approach to trade. Merkel’s visit comes ahead of a U.S. Commerce Department report, set to be published by Feb. 17, on whether auto imports are affecting national security — which could be used to justify tariffs on foreign vehicles. Officials in Tokyo are also concerned about a possible no-deal Brexit. Many Japanese firms have invested in the U.K. and use the country as their gateway to Europe. Japan’s direct investment in the U.K. totaled ¥4.25 trillion in 2016, the second-largest destination following the United States that year, according to the Foreign Ministry. “Japan is determined to preserve — and committed to enhancing — the free, open and rules-based international order,” Abe said in a speech at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 29. “I call on all of us to rebuild trust toward the system for international trade,” he said.

shinzo abe
eu
angela merkel
germany
epa
germany-japan relations
brexit
trade war


Incumbent Omura easily wins third term in Aichi gubernatorial election against sole JCP challenger

Abstract: NAGOYA - Hideaki Omura won a third term in the Aichi gubernatorial election Sunday, defeating a challenger backed by the Japanese Communist Party. The 58-year-old incumbent garnered 1,774,763 votes, against 355,311 votes collected by his only contender, Saichi Kurematsu, 62, who is head of the prefecture’s labor union center. During campaigning, Omura stressed economic achievements during his past eight years as governor and vowed to boost social infrastructure ahead of a maglev train project scheduled to connect Tokyo and Nagoya from 2027. Omura ran as an independent with the support of the local chapter of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the LDP’s coalition partner Komeito, as well as the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Kurematsu criticized Omura for pushing major public works projects such as a plan to build another runway at Chubu Centrair International Airport near Nagoya. He said he would review the projects, but failed to win broad support from voters. Voter turnout rose to 35.51 percent from 34.93 percent in the last election, which was held in 2015.


Japan reluctantly endorses 'undesirable' U.S. exit from INF nuclear arms pact with Russia

Abstract: The government on Monday endorsed the U.S. decision to withdraw from a key Cold War-era arms control treaty with Russia, but stressed that the move is seen as “undesirable.” “We understand the U.S. awareness of problems that led it to announce it will halt its obligations under the treaty,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said in a news conference. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement Saturday that the United States had formally notified Russia of its intention to pull out of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, accusing Moscow of violating the agreement that bans both countries from possessing land-based missiles with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. “As the treaty has played a historic role in arms control and reduction, it is undesirable that the treaty be ended,” the top government spokesman added. He also said Japan believes it necessary to consider missile development and deployment by countries other than the United States and Russia, apparently referring to China. “The issue of missiles under the treaty is directly linked to security in East Asia. (Japan) will communicate with relevant countries, including Russia and China, while cooperating with the United States,” Suga said. Japan was the target of U.S. atomic bombs at the end of World War II but now stands under that country’s nuclear umbrella.

vladimir putin
russia
nuclear weapons
cold war
donald trump
inf


Ministry to collect Japan diabetics' data for development of AI tools that help manage condition

Abstract: The industry ministry has begun a project to support the development of artificial intelligence tools that help diabetics improve their diet and daily habits, to prevent their condition from worsening, sources have said. The ministry hopes to collect data from some 2,000 diabetics whose condition is very bad by year-end through a clinical trial in cooperation with the Japan Diabetes Society. The data, which will include weight and the numbers of steps taken, will serve as high-quality training data for AI development. Training data is the initial set of information used by AI computer systems to learn how to draw accurate conclusions on a topic. A project linking clinical research with data collected from so many diabetics is unprecedented anywhere in the world, according to sources, which include a ministry executive. Participants in the trial will provide the necessary data through a smartphone app. In Japan, local municipalities or prefectural governments often collect citizens’ health data through health awareness programs. But because such programs tend to attract healthy people, it is not easy to collect data from those who need to improve their daily habits such as patients with relatively mild cases of diabetes, the sources said. Participants for the clinical trial were selected based on their HbA1c readings, which are a measure of average blood sugar levels. The ministry will provide the information collected to companies and research institutes so that they can use it as training data to develop AI tools. It hopes the measure will also help promote the development of the health care industry, the sources said.


Support for Abe's Cabinet rises to 46% despite labor data scandal, latest poll finds

Abstract: Public support for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet has risen to 45.6 percent from mid-January’s 43.4 percent, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday, despite growing criticism of the government’s response to a labor data scandal. The weekend telephone poll also showed that less than 10 percent of respondents expected a decades-old territorial dispute with Russia, over islands off Hokkaido, to be resolved while Abe is in office, with nearly 90 percent believing otherwise. The disapproval rate for Abe’s Cabinet stood at 41.1 percent, down from 42.3 percent in the previous survey. The latest poll was conducted following the start of a regular Diet session in late January, with the revelation that faulty labor data had been released for more than a decade provoking heated discussions and calling into question what the government has touted as the benefits of Abenomics, Abe’s economic policy mix. A total of 83.1 percent said the government’s handling of the issue was “insufficient,” while 7.8 percent said it was “sufficient.” Respondents, however, were divided over whether labor minister Takumi Nemoto should resign over the faulty data, which led to work-related benefits being underpaid to more than 20 million people. Around 46 percent said he should step down, while 42.2 percent said he should remain in the post. Following a probe involving outside experts, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has admitted officials were aware that the survey was being compiled improperly but has denied a systematic cover-up. The ministry has faced fresh criticism because some parts of the probe were conducted by ministry officials. On the dispute over the Russian-controlled territory off Hokkaido, which has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty since World War II, 88.2 percent said they do not think the issue will be resolved by the end of Abe’s term of office in September 2021. The three islands and group of islets, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and Southern Kurils in Russia, were seized by the Soviet Union following Japan’s surrender at the end of the war in 1945. In the poll, 54.5 percent said they support a plan to prioritize the return of Shikotan, the smaller of the three islands, and the Habomai group, and continue discussions on the fate of Kunashiri and Etorofu, the remaining two. However, 21.5 percent said they want all four islands returned together and 8.4 percent said they do not believe any of the islands need to be handed over. Around 7 percent said they would be satisfied with the return of Shikotan and the Habomai group. With Abe apparently keen to reach a broad agreement with Russia on the issue prior to the House of Councilors election in July, the focus is shifting to whether Tokyo can secure a deal on the handover of Shikotan and the Habomai group. Of the respondents, 51 percent opposed Abe’s decision to raise the consumption tax rate from the current 8 percent to 10 percent in October, while 45 percent backed the plan. As for the controversial transfer of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma within Okinawa Prefecture, 51.6 percent opposed the government’s push to realize the relocation despite local protests, while 39.4 percent were supportive. Abe’s long-standing ambition to amend the postwar Constitution for the first time was opposed by 56.7 percent, while 32.9 percent were in favor. By party, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party remained the most popular with 40.6 percent support, followed by the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan at 8.6 percent. Regarding the Upper House election, 36.1 percent said they would vote for the LDP in the proportional representation section, up 4.2 percentage points from the previous survey, and 10.3 percent said they would vote for the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, up 0.9 percentage point. The survey covered 737 randomly selected households with eligible voters as well as 1,212 mobile phone numbers, obtaining responses from 514 and 513 people, respectively.


Sommelier lapel pins — some fake — sold online in Japan despite ban

Abstract: The Japan Sommelier Association has found that pins it issues to those who pass the sommelier and other wine expert qualifications have been sold on auction sites despite a ban, and that some of the pins are fake, association officials said Monday. The association has alerted restaurants that fake lapel pins might be misused by unqualified individuals to try to secure employment, saying it has taken legal action in malicious cases. Among such cases is that of a man who sold 38 fake pins for a total of ¥1.3 million ($11,800) on an auction site. The association sued him and won damages. The man, currently working at a liquor shop in the Kanto region, said in an interview that he had presented himself as a qualified sommelier while wearing a fake pin. “I wore it as if it was just an accessory but my understanding was wrong,” he said. The association offers the grape motif pins to those who pass its qualification tests while prohibiting sale of the pins or lending them to others. Some restaurants favor qualified sommeliers or wine advisers and experts when hiring staff. “We found that more than 100 pins had been offered online over the past several years,” an official said. As part of its probe, the association purchased several pins online and confirmed that some were fake. One authentic pin, sold at ¥150,000, had its engraved qualification number carved out. “The qualification is not something you can buy and (the lapel pin) is not an item for a collection,” said Shinya Tasaki, the president of the association. Tasaki became the first Japanese winner of the World’s Best Sommelier Competition in 1995. “It’s disrespectful to those who were certified after their hard work,” Tasaki said. In order to become a certified sommelier, the association requires over three years of working experience in restaurants before taking a written exam and a tasting exam. The pass rate in 2018 was 26.5 percent and the current number of sommeliers in Japan is some 30,000, of whom 13,000 are women.

restaurants
wine
fraud
auctions
japan sommelier association


Gender, aging and climate to feature at Osaka G20, but Japan wants strong message on stable global growth

Abstract: OSAKA - As host of this year’s Group of 20 leaders’ summit, a key official said Monday that Japan’s most important task will be to chair a gathering that concludes with a strong message promoting stable worldwide economic growth. The June 28-29 conference is expected to be held amid escalating trade frictions between the United States and China, the following United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union at the end of March. “The effects of both are starting to be felt in the real economy,” said Koji Tomita, a senior Foreign Ministry official who serves as sherpa for the high-profile event, which is expected to bring to Osaka 37 presidents, prime ministers and heads of international organizations. Tomita made the remarks at a forum in the city to discuss topics Japan is expected to raise at the summit, as well as how the event, expected to draw 30,000 people, might benefit the city and region. Other areas of importance for Japan at the G20 summit, Tomita said, include gender issues and aging, as well as climate change and reaffirming the importance of multilateralism for both economic issues and global problems. Reform of the World Trade Organization is also an issue Japan hopes the G20 will address. “These are areas that one country alone cannot solve,” he said. Finally, Japan is expected to bring up the subject of technological revolution — and innovation — in relation to addressing many of the problems, as well as the importance of setting rules and standards for the new digital economy. With less than five months remaining until the summit, Osaka officials are also stepping up local efforts to show support for other specific issues the G20 leaders will discuss, however briefly. One is the problem of plastic waste in the world’s oceans and waterways. Last year, the Japanese government said it would raise the issue with G20 leaders. Since then, local governments around the country have begun reviewing their own policies on plastic use. Last week, the Osaka Prefectural Government and the Osaka Municipal Government jointly announced they had officially adopted a policy to eventually cut plastic waste to zero. This would be achieved by encouraging the use of nonplastic products and recycling measures among municipal and prefectural residents and businesses, as well as increased efforts toward recycling plastic waste. “As host of the G20 Summit and as a city that has already met many of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the host of the 2025 World Expo, we in Osaka recognize the importance of taking the initiative to contribute to helping the international community prevent plastic waste from getting into the marine environment,” Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura said in his opening address. The mayor also hopes the G20 summit will provide a major boost to Osaka’s tourism industry and raise its international profile. Yoshimura said that when he visited Hamburg, he was told that despite problems that occurred during the 2017 G20 Summit there, which included riots, it had been worth hosting the event because it gave the city greater international recognition.


Mother of Chiba girl who died after suspected abuse by father held for allegedly failing to stop attack

Abstract: CHIBA - A 31-year-old woman whose husband was arrested last month on suspicion of assaulting their 10-year-old daughter just before the girl’s death was detained by police Monday for allegedly failing to stop the attack, investigative sources said. Nagisa Kurihara is suspected of failing to stop the assault on Jan. 24, which allegedly included dousing their daughter, Mia, with cold water from the shower. Yuichiro Kurihara, 41, was arrested on Jan. 25, after his daughter was found dead with bruises in the bathroom of the family’s house in the city of Noda, Chiba Prefecture, the previous night. An autopsy failed to identify the cause of the girl’s death. Investigators have been informed that the mother herself may have been a victim of domestic violence. The police are believed to have factored in that possibility in examining her involvement in the alleged assault, according to the sources. Mia lived with her parents and her 1-year-old sister. The police believe the mother’s failure to stop the father’s alleged assault constitutes a crime, the sources said. The mother told investigators that her husband did not stop his pattern of abuse despite her pleas, investigative sources said. The abuse included waking Mia up and making her stand for a period of time in the middle of the night, the sources said. According to the city of Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, where the family lived before moving to Noda in August 2017, its officials were alerted by a relative of the family in July the same year that Mia was frightened of her father and that he was acting violently toward the mother. She had told her friend in Itoman that she would be hit by her father if her mother was not around. Mia had reported to her school in Noda in November 2017 that she was being “bullied” by her father, who used “violence” against her. A note made by her classroom teacher after speaking with Mia said that the mother had been subjected to violence when they were in Okinawa. Following the report, Mia was taken into protective custody for seven weeks at a child welfare center. But after this period no visits were made to her home by officials of either the center or school to check on her safety. “Honestly, I am very surprised” about the latest arrest in the case, said an official at the child welfare center in Kashiwa, adjoining Noda. The mother had told the Kashiwa child welfare center that she had tried to stop her husband from abusing her daughter. The Noda education board has admitted to having handed a copy of Mia’s report of abuse to the father in January 2018, yielding to Kurihara’s request due to his “intimidating demeanor.” The handing over of the document has drawn criticism from child welfare experts, who argue it may have aggravated his physical abuse of the girl. Mia’s death comes at a time when the Japanese government has pledged to improve measures to prevent child abuse, following the death of 5-year-old Yua Funato in Tokyo in March last year. Insufficient information sharing between public entities was seen as a factor behind the high-profile abuse case.

child abuse
chiba
yuichiro kurihara
mia kurihara
nagisa kurihara


Former nurse, held over elder abuse case in Gifu Prefecture, may be linked to four other cases

Abstract: GIFU - A nurse who previously worked at a home for the elderly in central Japan was arrested Sunday for an alleged 2017 assault on a resident in her 90s, with police suspecting he was also involved in four other cases. Takeshi Odori, 33, is suspected to have severely injured Hideko Yokoyama, then 91, around 2 p.m. at the Soleil nursing home in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, on Aug. 15, 2017. The alleged attack caused her to require two months of treatment and the resident, who was mostly bedridden, died on Oct. 3. The autopsy performed on her body found no evidence of foul play in her death. Besides Yokoyama, three other elderly residents died and another was seriously injured at the nursing home over a period of less than three weeks. They were all dementia patients in their 80s and 90s and all lived on the second floor. Yokoyama sustained multiple broken ribs in the August incident and bone shards had pierced both her lungs, causing internal bleeding and bruises, according to the police. An hour after the alleged attack, a worker at the facility discovered numerous bruises on her throat and breasts and called an ambulance. Investigators said they do not believe the injuries could have been inflicted in the process of carrying out normal care. Having checked security camera footage and work schedules, police allege Odori is the only person who could have committed the crime. To prevent the dementia patients from roaming, a passcode was necessary to ride the elevator from the second floor, and the two doors leading to an emergency staircase were usually locked, indicating the assailant either had access or did not come from outside. Before his arrest Odori, in posts on his online blog, had denied any involvement in the deaths or injuries of the five residents. The suspect quit Soleil on Aug. 17, 2017, at the request of the facility after he was linked to the care of all five alleged victims. Odori started the blog a month after leaving the nursing home and wrote some 40 posts related to the situation. He accused the facility of doctoring medical records of the five to cast suspicion on him. He also wrote that he went to Yokoyama’s room only to change her diaper and that he was being suspected because it was unclear who entered and left her room after he left. The facility investigated the incidents by setting up a third-party panel and concluded in September 2017 that one resident had died due to illness and four others, some of whom later died, were injured accidentally.

abuse
nursing home
elderly
takeshi odori


The week ahead for Feb. 4 to Feb. 10

Abstract: Monday Sapporo Snow Festival to open for eight-day run through Feb. 11. German Chancellor Angela Merkel to make two-day visit to Japan to hold talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Panasonic to announce earnings for April-December period. House of Representatives Budget Committee to hold two days of question-and-answer sessions on second supplementary budget draft for fiscal 2018. Opposition parties expected to grill Abe and his administration about the timing of the government’s labor data scandal and demand the resignation of labor minister Takumi Nemoto. Tuesday Nagasaki Lantern Festival to be held through Feb. 19. Wednesday Japan Automobile Dealers Association to release January sales figures for new motor vehicles on a model basis. Toyota, SoftBank Group to announce financial results for April-December period. Toyota has reported record sales in the first half through September thanks to strong sales in China and Europe. Amid increasing concerns about a global economic slowdown, the focus is on whether the nation’s top automaker can maintain its pace. Thursday Rally to demand return of the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido to be held in Tokyo. Abe usually takes part in the annual event to express his resolve to seek progress on the territorial dispute. A 1956 joint declaration calls for handing over the smaller two of the four disputed isles to Japan. Friday Finance Ministry to release preliminary balance of payments statistics for December, whole of 2018. Cabinet Office to release results of monthly “economy watchers” survey for January. Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry to release wage earners’ household spending statistics for December. Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry to release monthly labor survey for December, whole of 2018. The statistics are under heavier scrutiny in light of the ministry’s admission in January that it released years of data tainted by incorrect surveying methods. District court to hold retrial for a man who served time for a 1985 murder committed in a town then known as Matsubase, Kumamoto Prefecture. The hearing is expected to conclude the same day, with Koki Miyata, now in his 80s, certain to be declared not guilty. Saturday 18th anniversary of fatal collision between the Japanese fisheries training boat Ehime Maru and the submarine USS Greeneville off Hawaii. Sunday Liberal Democratic Party to hold convention in Tokyo. The ruling party will adopt a 2019 action plan that includes pledges to prevail in the House of Councilors election this summer.


Tesla to buy battery tech firm Maxwell in bid to boost range of its cars

Abstract: NEW YORK - Tesla agreed Monday to buy energy tech firm Maxwell Technologies for $218 million, a move that could help the electric carmaker extend the driving range for its vehicles. The all-stock deal values Maxwell at $4.75 a share, according to a statement. The move comes with Tesla facing increasing competition in the sector and electric carmakers looking for ways to extend their driving range between charges. “We are always looking for potential acquisitions that make sense for the business and support Tesla’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy,” a Tesla statement said. Maxwell, a maker of various kinds of batteries, claims to have a proprietary dry electrode system that it says can create “breakthrough technology that can be applied to the manufacturing of batteries.” Franz Fink, president and chief executive of Maxwell, said the deal “offers investors the opportunity to participate in Tesla’s mission of accelerating the advent of sustainable transport and energy.” Tesla dominates the electric car market but is facing a growing number of rivals as it seeks to develop affordable vehicles and steer the industry away from fossil fuels. In the fourth quarter of 2018, Tesla posted a profit of $140 million on revenues of $7.23 billion.


Workplace messaging startup Slack to go public

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Workplace messaging startup Slack says it has filed a confidential registration for an initial public offering, becoming the latest of a group of richly valued tech enterprises to look to Wall Street. California-based Slack’s filing comes under a special provision of securities laws enabling startups to begin the IPO process without disclosing details of their financing. The statement offered no information on the date or amount of money expected to be raised. Some reports say Slack will use the direct listing, a method used by Spotify, that allows insiders to sell existing shares without issuing new stock, streamlining the IPO process and avoiding big investment banking fees. Slack, which claims some 10 million users in 150 countries, has raised more than $1 billion from investors with the latest valuing the company at $7.1 billion, making it one of the most richly valued “unicorns” — startups with private funding worth at least $1 billion. Slack, which offers real-time messaging for the workplace, is used to help improve communications and help companies get around email overload. It offers free services for small teams and paid plans with additional options. Created in 2013, Slack has been a leader in the new segment but faces competition from the likes of Microsoft, Facebook and others offering workplace collaboration tools. Analysts say Slack has found a niche, especially among small and medium-size businesses. Other richly valued unicorns aiming for an IPO in 2019 include ride-sharing giants Uber and Lyft, and lodging startup Airbnb. Other potential IPOs in the sector include the social platform Pinterest and coworking sector leader WeWork. Slack’s CEO and founder, Stewart Butterfield, was part of the team that started the photo-sharing service Flickr.


How Narendra Modi’s political priorities ambushed Amazon and Walmart, and benefited India’s richest man

Abstract: MUMBAI - Amazon Inc. and Walmart Inc.’s plans to dominate India’s online retail landscape have been ambushed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political priorities heading into a tightening election. The vote, which must be held by May, has increased the influence of local retailers that lobbied for growth-crimping curbs on the U.S. giants. On cue, India this month rolled out constraints on foreign e-commerce players, including Jeff Bezos-led Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart, which together control 70 percent of its online shopping. The tighter rules, aimed at protecting small traders, may end up benefiting the country’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, who is building a homegrown competitor. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party is still licking its wounds after being trounced in three key recent state polls and a year ago fighting an unexpectedly close contest in Gujarat — Modi’s home state. Among small businesses, which are a traditional support base, the government’s popularity has been eroded by 2016’s surprise cash ban and the subsequent chaotic rollout of a new sales tax. The rules now bar Amazon and Flipkart Online Services PTE from owning inventory and require them to treat all vendors equally, throttling discounts and exclusives — a huge advantage to homegrown companies, including Ambani’s new venture. His Reliance Industries Ltd., which owns India’s largest retail chain and third-biggest telecommunications network, has the potential to evolve into a local version of Amazon or Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., UBS AG said last month. “Whether serendipitous or not, India’s tightened regulatory regime for online retailers is a huge win for Reliance with its new retail ambitions,” said Sanchit Vir Gogia, chief executive officer of consultancy Greyhound Research. “This could be a field leveler for them.” Ambani wants his consumer offerings — covering telecommunications, fiber-to-home broadband, media and entertainment, and retail — to contribute nearly as much to the conglomerate’s overall earnings as its bread-and-butter energy and petrochemical businesses. He is fresh from disrupting the nation’s telecom sector, which he entered in 2016 with services so cheap that rivals have quit, merged or gone bankrupt — including a carrier controlled by his younger brother. On the back of that success, he last year unveiled plans to create a model that combines Reliance’s consumer offerings into a “hybrid, online-to-offline new commerce platform.” Analysts at UBS predict Reliance can gain market share in new-age retail given its starting point of 280 million telecom subscribers, a broadband offering, extensive content and a web of 10,000 stores nationwide. The company also wants to partner with India’s 12 million mom-and-pop shops to create distribution and delivery centers. Reliance resembles Alibaba in its ability to offer bundled services in a fast-growing, fragmented market with low online penetration, according to UBS. “In retail/e-commerce, despite competition from well-funded global companies, Reliance’s wide footprint of physical stores along with its omni-channel focus, subscriber reach and regulations governing foreign e-commerce entities,” could help it gain market share, analysts wrote in a Jan. 24 report. The U.S. retail giants are being curbed in a market where they have committed billion of dollars and, until recently, seemed to have already won. Both Amazon and Walmart will have to reduce cash-back payments and discounts — a sore point for smaller sellers, who accuse the pair of predatory pricing. To meet rules, the companies have also removed thousands of products from virtual shelves, must redraw contacts with merchants and brands and are bracing for a full-fledged e-commerce policy that is under review. Flipkart’s losses may rise 20 percent to 25 percent following the changes, according to Morgan Stanley, which said in a report that it didn’t think Walmart was considering walking away from the investment. The world’s largest retailer is “financially and strategically invested in India,” analysts wrote, adding that it may make sense to exit if Walmart can’t see a long-term path to profits. Walmart has suffered other setbacks. During the course of its Flipkart acquisition and soon after, it lost the co-founders of its new purchase. Their know-how and connections would have helped the U.S. retailer better navigate this latest regulatory wrinkle. Reliance will probably use the opportunity posed by the government’s tighter rules to make a “grand entry” into e-commerce, said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary-general for the Confederation of All India Traders, a lobbying group that had threatened political repercussions if the Feb. 1 rollout was delayed. Ambani had last month mapped out the beginnings of his strategy, which involves rolling out a shopping platform to 1.2 million store owners in western India. As the initiative expands, the company will enlist more neighborhood shops as distribution and delivery centers for products that will be available on its mobile platform, people familiar with the plans said at the time. An integrated platform will probably be launched within 18 months, the people had said. “Our agenda is to ensure a level playing field,” Khandelwal said. “Players such as Amazon and Walmart are in a major fix post the new guidelines, and they will take time to restructure their operations.’ Neighborhood stores have already started working with the big online retailers such as Amazon, leveraging their advantages of last-mile access and familiarity with their customers. “We have been around for many years and know our customers very well,” said Laiji Varghese, owner of a small provision store on the outskirts of Mumbai. That is why “Amazon and Reliance want to tie up with us.”

india
amazon
narendra modi
jeff bezos
walmart
_asia
ecommerce
mukesh ambani


U.K. offered Brexit assurances and $100 million to Nissan to secure now-scuppered SUV deal

Abstract: LONDON - The U.K. promised Nissan up to £80 million ($104 million) of support and offered Brexit-related assurances to help secure a major investment from the Japanese carmaker in 2016, according to a well-guarded letter released Monday. Nissan said in October 2016 that it would build the next generation of its Qashqai and X-Trail sport utility vehicles at its Sunderland plant in northern England, but on Sunday canceled plans to build the X-Trail as diesel sales drop in Europe. The original decision, which would have created 740 new jobs, was hailed by Prime Minister Theresa May, who had newly taken office at the time, as a major boost to the U.K. as it began the process of extricating itself from the European Union. But the letter, which the government refused to publish on multiple occasions, had prompted accusations that ministers were doing secretive deals with firms, prompting some Brexiteers to question whether pledges made might keep the U.K. tied to EU mechanisms such as the customs union. “The government fully recognizes the significance of the EU market to your presence in Sunderland,” business minister Greg Clark wrote to then-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn. “It will be a critical priority of our negotiation to support U.K. car manufacturers and ensure that their ability to export to and from the EU is not adversely affected by the U.K.’s future relationship with the EU. “We will set our ambitions high and vigorously pursue continued access to the European market as an objective in future negotiations.” The up to £80 million of support for skills, research and development, and innovation, was contingent on the new Qashqai and X-Trail models being built in Britain, Clark wrote. Clark told Parliament on Monday that as the terms of Nissan’s investment had changed, they would need to re-apply for the funding. He said that of the £61 million worth of grants which had already been approved, only £2.6 million had so far been paid to Nissan. Nissan, which builds 30 percent of the U.K’s 1.52 million cars at its factory, the country’s biggest car plant, exports the vast majority of the vehicles to EU countries and, like the rest of the industry, is worried about tariffs if there is a no-deal Brexit. Nissan had announced its plan to build new SUV models at the Sunderland plant about a week after Clark’s letter was sent. But the company said Sunday the X-Trail for the European market will be produced in its Kyushu plant in Fukuoka Prefecture, citing “the continued uncertainty around the U.K.’s future relationship with the EU.” “The letter, written in October 2016, shows Nissan and the U.K. government’s continued desire to support investment in the U.K. and maintain Sunderland as one of Nissan’s manufacturing hubs in Europe,” the company said Monday. The continued uncertainty over Brexit “is not helping companies like ours to plan for the future,” said Nissan Europe Chairman Gianluca de Ficchy. The firm will still build its new Juke and Qashqai models at the factory, which opened in 1986 after then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher successfully encouraged Japanese companies to pick the country as a gateway into Europe. Brexit uncertainty has since prompted consternation in some boardrooms in Tokyo. On Feb. 1, an EU-Japan free trade agreement also kicked in, which includes the EU’s commitment to removing tariffs of 10 percent on imported Japanese cars, diminishing part of the business case for building in Europe. Union representatives met Nissan representatives Monday and said they will push to secure the future of the site. “Unite will continue to press for further long-term guarantees over future investment and new models to secure the site’s future for generations to come,” said Steve Bush, acting national officer for the automotive sector.

eu
u.k .
nissan
carmakers
brexit
theresa may
greg clark