U.S. reportedly increasing digital incursions into Russian power grid

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday accused The New York Times of “a virtual act of treason,” after it reported the U.S. is stepping up digital incursions into Russia’s electric power grid . Current and former government officials have described the classified deployment of American computer code inside Russia’s power grid and other targets, the Times reported. The action is intended partly as a warning but also to leave the U.S. poised to conduct cyberstrikes in the event of a major conflict between the U.S. and Russia, the newspaper said. Trump tweeted that the accusations were “NOT TRUE,” calling the media “corrupt” and repeating accusations that journalists are “the enemy of the people.” “Do you believe that the Failing New York Times just did a story stating that the United States is substantially increasing Cyber Attacks on Russia,” he wrote. “This is a virtual act of Treason by a once great paper so desperate for a story, any story, even if bad for our Country.” The Times report came after an investigation by U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller of alleged hacking by Russia’s GRU intelligence agency and social media manipulation by Russia’s Internet Research Agency to benefit Trump’s election campaign. Mueller detailed a disturbing number of contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia ahead of the 2016 poll. Trump claimed the report cleared him of wrongdoing. On the question of obstruction of justice, the report did not conclude Trump committed a crime, but Mueller wrote that “it also does not exonerate him.” In its Saturday report, the Times described “broad hesitation to go into detail with Mr. Trump about operations against Russia for concern over his reaction — and the possibility that he might countermand it or discuss it with foreign officials.” The Times also cited National Security Council officials as saying they had no security concerns about the newspaper’s reporting on the digital incursions, perhaps indicating that some of the intrusions were meant to be noticed by the Russians. The New York Times, Washington Post and other publications have issued numerous investigative reports into Trump and his administration, with probes also under way by Congressional committees. In February the publisher of the Times, A.G. Sulzberger, said Trump’s attacks on the press were “reckless” and “dangerous” and threatened to encourage violence against journalists. “America’s founders believed that a free press was essential to democracy because it is the foundation of an informed, engaged citizenry,” he said in a statement.

hacking
electricity
cyberattacks
donald trump
mueller report


Israel court convicts prime minister's wife of misusing public funds to buy catered meals

Abstract: JERUSALEM - Under a plea bargain which saw her admit to lesser charges, an Israeli court on Sunday convicted the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of fraudulently using state funds for meals. In a deal approved by Judge Avital Chen at Jerusalem Magistrates’ Court, Sara Netanyahu was found guilty of exploiting the mistake of another person. She was also fined 10,000 shekels ($2,800) and ordered to reimburse the state a further 45,000 shekels ($12,500) . “The deal reached between the sides is worthy and appropriately reflects the deeds and their severity on the criminal level,” Chen said in his ruling. The 60-year-old, a high-profile presence at her husband’s side throughout his long tenure in office, was initially charged in June 2018 with fraud and breach of trust for buying catered meals despite the presence of a cook at the prime minister’s official residence. The amended indictment, approved Sunday, dropped the graft charges. In a small room at the court, packed with journalists, Netanyahu told the judge she was aware of the charges. Her lawyer and a prosecutor then requested that the court accept the deal. “As in every plea bargain, each side makes concessions, sometimes hard concessions,” prosecutor Erez Padan said. “It is right and proper for the public interest to bring this case to an end.” Sara Netanyahu’s attorney, Yossi Cohen, told the court his client had already been heavily punished by the media. “Four years of ugly leaks and denigrations” constituted “inhuman punishment,” he said. “No other person could have withstood this, this lady is made of steel,” Cohen added. Netanyahu has a reputation for finding legal loopholes to receive state funding for her household’s relatively high expenses. The original charges accused her of paying $100,000 for hundreds of meals from a variety of well-known Jerusalem businesses while falsely declaring there were no cooks available at the residence. The caterers included an Italian restaurant, a Middle Eastern grill joint and a sushi house. Sara Netanyahu is also being sued by a former cleaner who claims she was mistreated by the prime minister’s wife. In 2016 a court awarded some $47,000 in damages to a former housekeeper who accused her of repeated workplace abuse in a similar case. While the ruling cut short a high-profile trial, the Netanyahu family’s legal woes are far from over: The veteran prime minister himself faces possible indictment for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in the coming months. He is reportedly seeking legislation that would result in him being granted immunity. However, he was unable to form a coalition following an April general election, and Israel is now gearing up for September polls. In a Facebook post late Saturday, he declared his wife a “real heroine” who was “a punching bag for the media.”


Anti-graft crusader Zuzana Caputova becomes Slovakia's first female president

Abstract: BRATISLAVA - Anti-corruption campaigner Zuzana Caputova was sworn in as Slovakia’s first female president on Saturday, vowing to fight impunity and champion justice in a country shaken by a journalist’s murder last year. The killing of Jan Kuciak, who investigated high-level graft cases, and his fiancee at their home last February sparked mass street protests and hit the approval ratings of the governing leftist party Smer. Smer is still the most popular party but Caputova’s victory in the March presidential vote boosted the opposition liberal alliance Progressive Slovakia/Together, which backed her and aims to unseat the ruling party in a 2020 general election. The pro-European coalition already won the EU Parliament election last month. In her inauguration speech, Caputova, 45, said state officials that had proven incapable of stamping out corruption should lose their jobs and vowed to make the justice system work fairly for everyone. “Under the constitution, people are free and equal in dignity and in rights, meaning nobody is that irrelevant to have their rights compromised, nor is anyone that powerful to stand above the law.” “Too many people feel that this is not quite the reality in our country. The feeling of injustice has grown and has demonstrated itself in calls for change and decency but also in anger over ‘the system,'” she said in a nod to the rise to anti-system and far-right parties. Caputova’s election stood in contrast to a European shift towards populist and nationalist parties. Caputova, whose fight against an illegal landfill in her hometown earned her the nickname “Slovakia’s Erin Brockovich” after the American environmentalist portrayed by Julia Roberts in a 2000 film, also called on the European Union to become a leader in the battle against climate change. Slovakia’s president wields little day-to-day power but appoints prime ministers and can veto appointments of senior prosecutors and judges. Five people have been charged with the murders of Kuciak and his fiancee, Martina Kusnirova, including businessman Marian Kocner, who was investigated by Kuciak and has become a symbol of perceived impunity after more than a decade of rule by Smer. Kocner has denied any wrongdoing.

eu
corruption
elections
slovakia
zuzana caputova


German SPD's record low in poll puts strain on Merkel's coalition

Abstract: BERLIN - Support for Germany’s Social Democratic Party, a junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition, has slumped to a record low, a poll showed on Saturday, piling more pressure on it to quit the government and rebuild in opposition. There is rising skepticism that Merkel’s coalition will survive until 2021 after SPD leader Andrea Nahles quit two weeks ago in the wake of her party’s losses in European Parliament elections and a regional vote in the state of Bremen. The troubled center-left SPD had the backing of 11 percent of respondents in a Forsa poll, a decline of one point from a week ago. It marked its lowest level of support since 1949 and placed it in fourth, behind the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on 13 percent. The resurgent Greens remain the most popular party, with 27 percent, attracting voters disenchanted with the ruling coalition and concerned about climate change. Merkel’s conservatives were unchanged at 24 percent, a record low. The national survey will cast a shadow over a government meeting this weekend near Berlin to discuss a planned coal exit, pensions, rising housing costs and property tax reforms. The SPD, punished by voters who feel the party has lost its working-class ethos, has appointed a trio of caretakers before starting the process to find a permanent replacement for Nahles. “The SPD has made millions of former voters (politically) homeless,” said Forsa chief Manfred Guellner. “A lot of those former voters would like to give their vote to the SPD, but they can’t do so because the SPD for years has been taking care of a few remaining members instead of the many voters it lost.” Merkel has dismissed concerns about the stability of the coalition and said she plans to serve a full term until 2021. The coalition partners will hold a midterm review in the autumn, which could be an opportunity for the SPD to pull out of the alliance — a scenario favored by members disenchanted with power-sharing with the right. That would leave Germany facing the possibility of a snap election, a minority government or an unwieldy alliance of three blocs. Any of those outcomes would be likely to hasten the exit of Merkel, who has served 14 years as chancellor. After handing over the leadership of her Christian Democrats (CDU) to protege Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, she has said she will not stand again as chancellor of Europe’s biggest economy. Forsa polled 2,001 people between June 11 and June 14. The margin of error was 2.5 percentage points.


National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas looking for new home

Abstract: LAS VEGAS - The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas has outgrown its space east of the Las Vegas Strip, according to museum officials, who are looking for a new location to expand the facility’s nuclear testing exhibits. The museum, which opened in 2005 and became affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution in 2011, chronicles the development of atomic weapons and Nevada’s history hosting above-ground tests for the weapons for decades. “The museum has been in the same location for the past 15 years now. We’ve basically outgrown it,” Jordan McGee, the museum’s director of education, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We have more stories to tell.” The museum’s displays include radiation detectors, a simulator for an atmospheric test blast and pop culture memorabilia from the atomic age. It is run by the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy pays the museum’s lease, which is up in three years. McGee did not have details about where the museum might relocate. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said she would like to see the facility move downtown near the Mob Museum, which document’s the area’s past in organized crime. “I’ve been trying to bring anything historic down into the heart of downtown for years, and what more significant museum could there be than the National Atomic Testing Museum?” the mayor said. Nevada lawmakers passed a bill that would allow the museum to get a $1 million matching fund grant from the state. Gov. Steve Sisolak signed the bill Thursday.

history
nuclear weapons
museums
las vegas


Saudi Arabia seeks oil supply protection as U.S. and Iran face off

Abstract: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Saudi Arabia called for swift action to secure Persian Gulf energy supplies and joined the United States in blaming Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in a vital shipping route that have raised fears of broader confrontation in the region. Thursday’s tanker attacks in the Gulf of Oman exacerbated the antagonistic fallout from similar blasts in May that crippled four vessels. Washington, already embroiled in a standoff with Iran over its nuclear program, has blamed Tehran and Saudi Arabia’s crown prince also accused Iran on Saturday. Iran has denied any role in the strikes on the tankers south of the Strait of Hormuz, a major transit route for oil from Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest crude exporter, and other producers in the region. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said there must be “a rapid and decisive response to the threat” to energy supplies, market stability and consumer confidence, his ministry said on Twitter. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in an interview with the Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, blamed Iran and called on the international community to take a “decisive stand” against the attacks. “The kingdom does not want a war in the region but it will not hesitate to deal with any threats to its people, its sovereignty, or its vital interests,” the crown prince said. The U.S. military released a video on Thursday that it said showed Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were behind the explosions that damaged the Norwegian-owned Front Altair and the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous. “Iran did do it and you know they did it because you saw the boat,” U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News on Friday. But Japanese government officials remain unconvinced, sources said. “The U.S. explanation has not helped us go beyond speculation,” said one senior government official. Japan has been seeking more concrete evidence through various channels, including Foreign Minister Taro Kono who is likely to have made a request during a call with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on Friday, the sources said. The United States has tightened sanctions on Iran since Washington withdrew from a 2015 nuclear pact between Tehran and global powers last year. Washington’s stated aim is to drive Iranian oil exports, the mainstay of its economy, to zero. Tehran has said that if its oil exports were halted, it could block the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel of water separating Iran and Oman through which passes a fifth of the oil consumed globally. Ship insurers said insurance costs for ships sailing through the Middle East have jumped by at least 10 percent. Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said in Japan at a meeting of energy ministers from the G20 group of nations that the kingdom is committed to ensuring stability of global oil markets. Japanese Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko said ministers agreed on the need to “work together to deal with the recent incidents from (an) energy security point of view.” Trump, who pulled the United States out of the nuclear deal under which world powers agreed to ease international sanctions on Iran in return for curbs on Tehran’s nuclear work, said any move to close the Strait of Hormuz would not last long. He also said he was open to holding talks with Iran, although Tehran said it had no plans to negotiate with the United States unless it reversed a decision on the nuclear deal. Tehran and Washington have both said they have no interest in a war. But this has done little to assuage concerns that the arch foes could stumble into conflict. A U.S. official said a surface-to-air missile was fired from Iranian territory on Thursday morning at a U.S. drone that was near Front Altair following the attack on the tanker. The missile did not hit the drone, the official said. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the United States was “planning various contingencies” when asked if more military forces would be sent to the area, but added that the focus was on building an international consensus. “We also need to broaden our support for this international situation,” he told reporters on Friday. As well as blaming Iran for the tanker attacks, Washington has said Tehran was behind May 14 drone strikes on two Saudi oil-pumping stations. Tehran has denied all those charges. Britain has backed the United States in blaming Iran for the tanker attacks. On Saturday, Iran summoned the British ambassador to complain about its “unacceptable stance,” ISNA news agency reported. Other nations have urged caution. Germany said the video released by the U.S. military was not enough to prove Iran’s role, while U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent investigation to determine responsibility. China and the European Union called for restraint. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani renewed Iran’s threat to continue scaling back compliance with the nuclear deal unless other signatories to the pact show “positive signals.” He did not specify what Iran wanted in his comments to a meeting of Asian leaders in Tajikistan. France and other European signatories to the nuclear deal have said they wanted to save the accord. But many of their companies have canceled deals with Tehran, under pressure from the United States.

gas
saudi arabia
oil
iran
shipping
hormuz tanker attack


Ancient Afghan citadel collapses; other cultural heritage sites at risk

Abstract: GHAZNI, AFGHANISTAN - An ancient tower dating back 2,000 years in the historic Afghan city of Ghazni collapsed last week, local officials said, raising concerns about the vulnerability of the country’s cultural heritage and the government’s ability to protect them. The old citadel, known as Ghaznain Fort, originally had 36 towers but 14 had collapsed in recent years due to decades of war, heavy rain and neglect. The fort is one of dozens of unique historic sites in Afghanistan — ranging from the pre-Islamic Buddhist center in the Bamyan Valley to the 12th-century minaret of Jam in a remote area of Ghor province — in urgent need of protection. Officials in Ghazni, which nearly fell to the Taliban last year in some of the heaviest fighting seen in the war, said the tower collapsed on Tuesday following heavy rain. A short video posted on social media shows it crumbling but local residents say negligence also contributed to its collapse. “The government paid no attention to the sites and didn’t build canals to divert flood water,” said Ghulam Sakhi, who lives near the citadel. “We have warned the government about the dire condition of the citadel but no one visited,” Sakhi said. Mahbubullah Rahmani, acting director of culture and information in Ghazni, said heavy rain and recent fighting had contributed to the tower’s collapse but said the government was working on a plan to protect the site from complete destruction. He said a German archaeologist had worked at the site as recently as 2013. Ghazni, a strategically vital center on the main highway between Kabul and southern Afghanistan and two hour drive from the capital, is home to a range of cultural and archeological artefacts, some of which date back to pre-Islamic period. The province and its cultural heritage was officially declared as Asian Capital of Islamic Culture in 2013 by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, a Morocco-based body created in 1981, supported by UNESCO. The collapse of the tower in Ghazni follows concern over the condition of the 900-year-old Minaret of Jam, in Ghor, which has been on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Properties in Danger since 2002. The Taliban during their austere regime from 1996 to 2001, before they were toppled by the U.S. and coalition force in late 2001, blew up two giant Buddha statues in central Bamiyan province, calling them idols.

history
archaeology
afghanistan
architecture
world heritage


Mexico's president vows to help Central American migrants amid crackdown

Abstract: MEXICO CITY - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Saturday his country must help Central Americans fleeing poverty and violence, even as it increases security and legal revisions to deter migrants from passing through Mexico en route to the United States. He has walked a fine line between enforcement and humanitarian overtures for migrants since he took office on Dec. 1. Initially, his administration issued thousands of transit visas for safe passage through Mexico, only to clamp down shortly after with stepped up detentions and deportations. Under pressure from the U.S., Mexico plans to deploy 6,000 National Guard troops by Tuesday to its border with Guatemala to slow the arrival of migrants to the U.S. Armed soldiers with black National Guard armbands were seen stationed just north of the Guatemalan border on Saturday, stopping trucks to ask passengers for identification. Others pulled what looked to be undocumented migrants off small public buses. “The truth is that there is a great humanitarian crisis in Central America, and many people out of necessity have set out to look for a life in the United States and they pass through our territory,” said Lopez Obrador, speaking in the northern state of Chihuahua. Lopez Obrador said the refusal to help foreigners in need is “anti-Christian,” adding, “We can’t turn our backs on them.” He is lobbying for international development aid to help Central Americans stay in their countries. He said Saturday that 80 percent of the migrants crossing through Mexico toward the U.S. are from the region. Mexico has offered refuge to migrants with credible fears. Thousands remain in the country while they await court dates for asylum petitions in the U.S. The understaffed and underfunded Mexican refugee commission faces a backlog of cases. But in recent months, police and immigration authorities have stepped up enforcement in southern Mexico, setting up highway checkpoints, raiding a caravan of mostly Central American migrants and trying to keep people off the northbound train known as “the beast.” At the same time, Mexicans have grown increasingly intolerant of the large numbers of migrants passing through their country in hopes of reaching the U.S. A June poll in Mexican newspaper El Universal showed that Mexicans are less receptive to allowing undocumented migrants to come in, or to stay on permanently as refugees, than they were in October, when caravans with thousands of migrants were winding their way north. A majority of Mexicans who participated in the survey said they favor barring entry to migrants who try cross into Mexico without visas, and a majority now say Mexico should not offer them refugee status. Mexico’s southern border is porous and difficult to patrol, with dense jungle and rivers. On Friday, a sociologist who served as Mexico’s immigration chief resigned and was replaced by the country’s director of prisons. Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said an additional 825 immigration agents will be sent to the southern border in the coming week. Alejandro Murat, governor of the southern state of Oaxaca, applauded the stepped-up enforcement and controls. “For the first time, there will be order on the southern border that will allow us to have the identity and control of who is in the national territory,” Murat said Friday.

u.s .
immigration
mexico
guatemala
refugees
andres manuel lopez obrador


Notre Dame celebrates first Mass since devastating fire

Abstract: PARIS - The archbishop wore a hard hat, burned wood debris was still visible and only about 30 people were let inside, but Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday held its first Mass since a devastating fire ravaged its roof and toppled its masterpiece spire on April 15. Exactly two months after the blaze engulfed the landmark Gothic building in the French capital, the service was celebrated by Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit in a chapel behind the choir, a place confirmed by construction experts as safe. French Culture Minister Franck Riester said earlier in the week the cathedral remains in a “fragile” state, especially its vaulted ceiling, which is still at risk of collapsing. For security reasons, only about 30 people — mainly priests, canons and church employees — were admitted inside the cathedral for the service; Aupetit and others wore construction workers’ helmets. Some of the workers rebuilding the church were also invited. Other worshippers could watch the Mass live on a Catholic TV station. The video showed some burned wood still in the church, but a famous statue of the Virgin and Child appeared intact behind wooden construction planks. The annual Dedication Mass commemorated the cathedral’s consecration as a place of worship. “This cathedral is a place of worship, it is its very own and unique purpose,” Aupetit said. One French priest called the service “a true happiness, full of hope.” “We will rebuild this cathedral. It will take time, of course — a lot of money, lot of time, lot of work — but we will succeed,” the Rev. Pierre Vivares said outside the cathedral. “Today it’s a small but a true victory against the disaster we have had.” It is still unclear when the cathedral will reopen to the public. French President Emmanuel Macron has set a goal of rebuilding it in just five years, which many experts consider unrealistic. In the meantime, the French parliament is debating amendments to a new law that would create a public body to expedite the restoration of the cathedral and circumvent some of France’s complex labor laws.

religion
history
fires
paris
architecture
disasters
notre dame


Hobby-horse fans show off their skills in Finland

Abstract: HELSINKI - The 400 contestants at a sports arena in Finland show jumped, barrel raced and pranced in a dressage competition. They just didn’t do it with live horses. What organizers called “the biggest hobby-horse event in the world” took place Saturday in Finland’s western town of Seinajoki, which hosted the annual national championships for the sport that simulates the gymnastic elements of real-life horseback riding. Teens and young girls, mostly 10 to 18 years old, galloped, jumped and pranced with their homemade stuffed horse heads on a wooden stick in the physically demanding competition as over 2,500 spectators watched, Elviira Sarakoski of the Finnish Hobby Horse Association told The Associated Press. The Western horsemanship section included barrel racing modeled after North American rodeos. Competitor Aquata Kirveskari, 19, said hobby-horsing “is a sport for everybody, but the boys haven’t been participating so much yet. But there are more and more coming every year.” Sarakoski said Finland has over 10,000 hobby-horse aficionados — by far the largest number in any country — and says the sport is gradually gaining momentum in some other European nations like Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, all hotbeds for equestrian sports. There is a bit of a social media subculture among the hobbyists, who often spend dozens of hours creating their own wooden horses. Sarakoski said most cite the camaraderie, the “do-it-yourself” spirit and the lack of bossing adults, not competition success, as what hooked them on the sport. “At real horse stables, you always have adults telling you what is right and how things should be done. It’s not that it is bad, particularly concerning safety, but still,” she said, adding that many — but not all — of the competitors have some experience with live horses. Kirveskari said she didn’t mind journalists flocking to the arena “because they can show this hobby isn’t just childish playing around.” “This is a serious competition, and they can show it to people all around the world,” she said. The highlight of Saturday’s event came as Marie Karkkainen of Finland scored the country’s new hobby-horse high jumping record, leaping over a bar set at 1.41 meters (4 feet, 7 inches) high. “I wasn’t expecting anything like this at all. I was expecting like 1 meter or something,” the elated 16-year-old said, gently patting her hobby horse.


Papua New Guinea vows to get rich in a decade

Abstract: PORT MORESBY - Papua New Guinea’s new prime minister has an ambitious — cynics would say far-fetched — objective of turning one of the world’s poorest countries into the “richest black nation” on Earth in just a decade. If national economies were like soccer teams, Papua New Guinea would be near the bottom of the table, struggling to avoid a relegation dogfight. Violent crime and corruption are endemic, reliable electricity is rare and population centers sit like isolated city-states, surrounded by trackless jungle and mountain ridges that soar into the equatorial sky. Papua New Guinea, though rich in culture, language and beauty, ranks 153rd out of 189 countries in terms of development, according to the United Nations — slightly better than Syria, marginally worse than Myanmar. Prime Minister James Marape wants to change that. He has promised that within 10 years his compatriots will live in “the richest black Christian nation” in the world. That is not going to be easy. The current titleholder is the highly industrialized economy of Trinidad and Tobago, where the average resident earns around 833 percent more than those in Papua New Guinea. If the British territory of Bermuda were also included in the rankings, the task would be even more daunting. Papua New Guinea’s economy would have to grow at a world-beating rate of around 30 percent per year, every year for the next 10 years just to catch up. “PNG has never experienced 30 percent growth in the past — nor has any other country, for that matter, at least not for any sustained period of time,” said Maholopa Laveil, a lecturer in economics at the University of Papua New Guinea. To reach his lofty goal, Marape appears to be betting on a surge in gas revenues, and on more of that cash staying in the country. He has hinted that he may look to renegotiate a massive contract for liquefied natural gas with Total and ExxonMobil that would double national production to better benefit the local economy. He has also promised to stop the export of unprocessed hardwoods and tackle corruption. But the strategy comes with risks. The World Bank has warned that even before a second LNG project comes online, the economy has “become increasingly concentrated in petroleum and gas-related activities.” That, the bank warned, raises Papua New Guinea’s vulnerability to the vagaries of international energy markets and natural disasters — like the 7.5 magnitude quake that froze production and stalled the economy in 2018. Even the existing project PNG LNG — which started to flow in 2014 — has failed to live up to expectations. It required a controversial public loan worth more than $700 million and helped national debt spike. The project was forecast to increase GDP by over 97 percent, but according to Paul Flanagan — a former Australian government official who runs the influential PNG Economics blog — the increase has been closer to 6 percent. “Overall, the PNG LNG project massively over-promised and then failed to deliver,” one of his recent blog posts read. “For household disposable income, the prediction was an 84 percent improvement. The outcome is a decline of 9 percent.” Flanagan believes that regardless of any energy boom, Marape — a former finance minister — will need to undertake difficult currency and trade reforms if the country has any hope of growing sustainably. “Time will tell if the new government will tackle such difficult political economy challenges — challenges that must be addressed to make PNG a much richer black Christian nation,” he said.

poverty
development
investments
papua new guinea
james marape


Hong Kongers march again, mourn death

Abstract: HONG KONG - Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents, mostly in black, jammed the city’s streets Sunday, demanding an end to a proposed extradition bill and the resignation of the city’s top leader. The crowds spilled into the streets from downtown Victoria Park and began marching toward the Central district, where the government headquarters is located. The demonstrators carried banners demanding that Chief Executive Carrie Lam resign and drop the legislation completely instead of just suspending it, as she had announced Saturday. “Our demands are simple. Carrie Lam must leave office, the extradition law must be withdrawn and the police must apologize for using extreme violence against their own people,” said bank worker John Chow as he marched with a group of his friends. “And we will continue,” he added. Sunday’s march looked likely to match in scale one a week earlier that brought as many as 1 million out to express their concern over the former British colony’s relations with mainland China. The rally drew marchers both young and old. Few wore face masks or appeared concerned to hide their identities, in contrast with demonstrations a few days earlier where participants expressed worries over retribution from the authorities. Farther down the parade route, mourners lined up to lay flowers and pay respects at a makeshift memorial for a man who fell to his death Saturday after hanging a protest banner that read in part, “Make love, no shoot” and “No extradition to China.” The man slipped from the grasp of rescuers after clinging for a time to scaffolding outside a shopping mall. He missed a big cushion set up to capture him and was declared dead at a nearby hospital. Pro-democracy activists were calling for a general strike on Monday despite Lam’s decision to suspend work on the legislation. Some labor unions, teachers associations and other groups were planning boycotts of work and classes. “We encourage all the public to carry on the campaign,” said Bonny Leung and other leaders of the pro-democracy Civil Human Rights Front. Many fear the extradition legislation would undermine freedoms enjoyed by this former colony but not elsewhere in China. “China just wants to turn Hong Kong into another Chinese city,” said Alex To, 54, who said he runs a small business. “Carrie Lam is just a figurehead. Everything depends on the attitudes of the leaders in Beijing.” After Lam announced she was suspending the legislation for the sake of avoiding more violence, Chinese government officials issued multiple statements backing that decision. Lam’s move appears to have failed to extricate her from Hong Kong’s toughest political test since the Communist Party-ruled mainland took control in 1997 with a promise not to interfere with the city’s civil liberties and courts. Demonstrations on Wednesday turned violent, with dozens injured as police fought back with tear gas, rubber bullets and other forceful measures. Lam has said the extradition legislation is needed if Hong Kong to uphold justice, meet its international obligations and not become a magnet for fugitives. The proposed bill would expand the scope of criminal suspect transfers to include Taiwan, Macau and mainland China. China has been excluded from Hong Kong’s extradition agreements because of concerns over its judicial independence and human rights record. Lam has sidestepped questions over whether she should quit and said she still plans to seek passage of the proposed amendment. She also defended how the police dealt with the clashes with demonstrators. But she said she was suspending the bill indefinitely. It was time, she said, “for responsible government to restore as quickly as possible this calmness in society.” “I want to stress that the government is adopting an open mind,” she said. “We have no intention to set a deadline for this work.” Many here believe Hong Kong’s legal autonomy has been significantly diminished despite Beijing’s insistence that it is still honoring its promises, dubbed “one country, two systems.” Prosecutions of activists, detentions without trial of five Hong Kong book publishers and the illegal seizure in Hong Kong by mainland agents of at least one mainland businessman are among moves in recent years that have unnerved many in the city of 7 million.

china
hong kong
rights
protests
hong kong extradition protests


How Hong Kong protests and Beijing pressure forced Carrie Lam to cave on extradition bill

Abstract: HONG KONG/BEIJING - With an escalating U.S. trade war, a faltering economy and tensions in the South China Sea vexing her bosses in Beijing, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam appeared in no mood to compromise on a planned extradition law at recent meetings, according to foreign envoys and business people who met with her. Some of the people at those meetings in recent weeks pointed to media reports that even Hong Kong’s usually reticent judges were worried about the proposed law, which threatened to send people for trial in mainland China for the first time. But Lam bluntly dismissed concerns about the Chinese justice system, which is widely criticized for forced confessions, arbitrary detentions and one-sided trials, saying judges were not supposed to speak. Worries over the bill’s impact on Hong Kong’s international standing as a financial hub with a respected legal system were building in Washington and in London and other European capitals, but Lam stressed the need for the extradition law to help solve the murder of a Hong Kong woman in Taiwan. “She needed a dinghy and she deployed the Titanic,” said one diplomat who met Lam this month, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue. In numerous public appearances after that, Lam was unyielding on the need for the bill, despite huge and sometimes violent street protests, including one on June 9 that organizers said drew more than a million people. Then on Saturday, Lam suddenly announced the bill had been postponed indefinitely. She told a news conference she felt “deep sorrow and regret that the deficiencies in our work and various other factors have stirred up substantial controversies and disputes in society.” Hong Kong’s self-styled “Iron Lady” had cracked, having apparently created an entirely fresh crisis for President Xi Jinping — and the city’s biggest since Britain handed it over to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee that its freedoms and autonomy would be preserved. Clues to the catalyst for the about-face may lie in a reported meeting between Lam and Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng. According to Hong Kong’s Sing Tao newspaper, Lam had a clandestine emergency meeting with Han, a member of the Politburo’s seven-person Standing Committee, China’s top decision-making body, across the border in Shenzhen on Thursday. The content of the meeting is unknown. Lam on Saturday refused to confirm or deny that it had taken place, despite repeated questions. Beijing’s grip over Hong Kong has intensified markedly since Xi took power in 2012, and after the city’s protracted 2014 pro-democracy street protests. He warned in 2017 that any attempts to undermine Chinese sovereignty were a “red line” that Beijing would not allow to be crossed — warnings that reinforced his strongman image among Hong Kongers. Many politicians, diplomats and analysts had not expected Beijing to allow any back-down on the bill, unlike in 2003, when contentious national security laws were scrapped after half a million people took to the streets. But a source in Beijing with ties to China’s leadership who meets regularly with senior officials said the Hong Kong government had handled the extradition saga badly. And while a back-down from Beijing on the bill seemed nearly inconceivable just a week ago, the violence and escalating unrest forced their hand. “The outcome doesn’t bear thinking about if this situation wasn’t turned around,” the source said, declining to be named given the sensitivity of the matter. The source added that Beijing now had severe doubts about Lam’s capabilities. China’s State Council and the central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Steve Tsang, a London-based political scientist, said Lam had caused Xi “major embarrassment” at a time that is not helpful for him given trade tensions with the United States, and ahead of a possible meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the month’s end at the G20 summit in Osaka. “Xi is not a leader who tolerates failures of officials,” Tsang said. Retired senior Hong Kong government official Joseph Wong said he was shocked by Beijing’s U-turn, but the situation had become so untenable that he believed it had led to a recalculation by Han after meeting Lam in Shenzhen. “I suspect … he (Han) would have had to consider, are we prepared to continue to fire rubber bullets or even real bullets in order to get this through, and what would be the implications for the central government internationally, vis-a-vis the U.S. So that protest was the turning point.” Lam has refused calls from the opposition and protesters to step down, but her ability to govern has been questioned on numerous fronts, including her failure to gauge the pulse in Hong Kong, the broader U.S.-China relationship, and Taiwan’s refusal to accept any extradition bill, undermining her core argument that the bill would resolve the Taiwan murder case. Tsang said he did not expect Lam to last much longer as leader. “I think Carrie Lam’s days are numbered. … Beijing cannot afford to sack her right away, because that would be an indication of weakness. They would have to allow for a bit of decent interlude.” Two former post-colonial leaders, Tung Chee-Hwa and Leung Chun-ying, were forced to truncate their terms in office due to various controversies linked to policies that stoked fears of Chinese encroachment on the city’s freedoms. Lam has asked for time so that the bill can be properly deliberated. “Give us another chance and we will do this thing well,” she told Saturday’s news conference. Asked about China’s leaders, she said: “They have confidence in my judgment and they support me.”

china
hong kong
rights
protests
carrie lam
hong kong extradition protests


Flowers and tributes pile up for dead Hong Kong protester

Abstract: HONG KONG - Bouquets of white flowers, written tributes and origami cranes piled up Sunday outside a high-end Hong Kong shopping mall, where a young man plunged to his death protesting against a controversial extradition bill. The man had hung a banner off the roof of Pacific Place, which overlooks the site of violent clashes last week between police and demonstrators angry at a proposed law that will allow people to be sent to mainland China. A video circulating on social media showed the man falling from rooftop scaffolding on Saturday evening as firefighters tried to grab him. They clutch at his clothes and he slips through their hands, missing a jump raft that had been inflated on the ground below. He had unfurled a banner saying: “Entirely withdraw China extradition bill. We were not rioting. Release students and the injured.” Thousands of mourners, mostly young people dressed in black, joined enormous queues along busy roads to leave tributes and pay their respects, some crying and bowing as they offered incense sticks. Next to a large pile of white flowers were hundreds of hand-written messages and gifts, including a bottle of single malt whiskey and a white hard hat with the word “hero” written across it. “The flowers are white for purity and so we can show our respect for the dead. When I get there, I will offer these and say a prayer for him,” said 18-year-old Travis. “He walked a bloody road, I admire his energy, I admire his bravery,” said a man named Yung, aged 26. Signs reading “Help Hong Kong. No extradition to China. RIP” have been posted at the site. Protesters attending Sunday’s rally against the divisive bill were urged to bring a flower to leave as the marchers passed by the site, and student groups announced plans for a candlelit vigil during the evening. “I think it will give us more energy to come on the streets today,” said Lau, another mourner standing in the long lines on the busy road. “Now it’s no longer as simple as someone being hurt or bleeding, it’s someone who lost their life because of this resistance,” said a man who gave his name as Hubert. “No one wanted to see this happen. I’m sure (Hong Kong Chief Executive) Carrie Lam didn’t want to see this happen, but as Hong Kong’s highest official she should not avoid people’s appeals.” Sean Lam, a florist from Kowloon district, said he bought multiple boxes of flowers from the wholesalers in the morning to distribute for free to anyone who wanted to lay a bouquet “It’s just so sad what happened,” he said. Protesters planned to hold a candlelight vigil for the man at 9 p.m. outside the mall. The proposed extradition bill — and the fear that it threatens Hong Kong’s way of life, freedom of speech and rule of law — has provoked some of the worst politically motivated violence in the city for decades, with nearly 80 protesters and police hurt and 11 people arrested. Many of those lining up to pay their tributes said they were going on to join the planned rally through the city to show their opposition to the bill. Organizers said more than 1 million people turned out a recent protest event. Police said the dead man, surnamed Leung, was 35 years old. They said they are treating the incident as suicide, adding that a note was found at the scene.


Bangladesh's 200-year-old colonial-era prison breakfast menu is given a makeover

Abstract: DHAKA - As part of a reform of the country’s penal system, Bangladesh authorities have upgraded a 200-year-old colonial-era breakfast menu in all its prisons, an official said Sunday. Bazlur Rashid, deputy head of the Prison Directorate, said the nation’s more than 81,000 convicts from Sunday will receive an improved breakfast, replacing the bread and molasses that has been on the menu since being introduced by British colonial rulers in the 18th century. The new diet will contain bread, vegetables, sweets and “khichdi” — a spiced rice cooked with lentils — Rashid said. Previously prisoners were given just 116 grams (four ounces) of bread and 14.5 grams (half an ounce) of molasses, he said. Bangladesh’s 60 prisons, built to house 35,000 inmates, are notoriously overcrowded and frequently draw criticism from rights organizations. Inmates also often complain about the quality and quantity of food served. Rashid said the diet change is part of a series of reforms to “help prisoners get motivated and rehabilitated.” “We are gradually trying to adapt . . . so the convicts can reform themselves during their stay in the facilities,” he said. Several thousand prisoners cheered the new breakfast menu in Dhaka’s Keraniganj central prison Sunday, he said, adding: “Good food makes everyone happy.” The official said the government has also introduced cheap telephone calls for inmates in the prisons. “They would be able to talk to their family via screened phone calls whenever they want,” he said.


Multilingual translation tools spread in Japan with new visa system

Abstract: The use of multilingual translation tools is expanding in Japan, where foreign workers are expected to increase in the wake of April’s launch of new visa categories. A growing number of local governments, labor unions and other entities have decided to introduce translation tools, which can help foreigners when going through administrative procedures as they allow local officials and other officers to talk to such applicants in their mother languages. “Talking in the applicants’ own languages makes it easier to convey our cooperative stance,” said an official in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward. The ward introduced VoiceBiz, an audio translation app developed by Toppan Printing Co. that covers 30 languages. The app, which can be downloaded onto smartphones and tablet computers, will be used in eight municipalities, including Osaka and Ayase in Kanagawa Prefecture, company officials said. Toppan Printing aims to introduce the app to 600 local governments by fiscal 2020. Demand for the app is also high at schools. As the number of foreign workers increases, the ability to communicate, particularly in schools where their children could face serious problems due to language barriers, is a task that urgently needs to be addressed. Toppan Printing will pitch the app so that it will be used at 7,000 schools across the nation, according to the officials. Multilingual translation tools are also being utilized to address labor issues. Rengo Tokushima, a prefectural arm of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, started using Pocketalk, a translation device developed by Sourcenext Corp. Rengo is trying to cope with an increasing number of consultation requests from foreign technical interns seeking help with unpaid wages. “The good point is that we can use highly specialized vocabulary, including legal terms,” a Rengo Tokushima official said. The use of translation tools is also expected to spread among transportation service providers, including railway companies, as well as in sectors where the number of foreign workers is seen rising, such as in agriculture and elderly care.

tourism
foreign workers
foreign languages
interpreters


Drug devised to replace chemotherapy may reshape cancer care

Abstract: A class of drugs is emerging that can attack cancer cells in the body without damaging surrounding healthy ones. They have the potential to replace chemotherapy and its disruptive side effects, reshaping the future of cancer care. The complex biological medicines, called antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), have been in development for decades, and are now generating renewed excitement because of the success of one ADC in late-stage testing, a breast cancer treatment called DS-8201. The fervor over ADCs is such that AstraZeneca PLC in March agreed to pay as much as $6.9 billion to jointly develop DS-8201 with Daiichi Sankyo Co., the British drugmaker’s biggest deal in more than a decade. The investment was widely seen to be a validation of DS-8201’s potential — and the ADC class of drugs as a whole — as an alternative to chemotherapy, the most widely used treatment, for some types of cancer. DS-8201, which will be filed for U.S. approval by the end of September, is so well-regarded that some analysts already predict it will surpass the $7 billion in annual sales for Roche Holding AG’s breast cancer drug Herceptin, which it aims to replace. “DS-8201 may become one of the largest cancer biologic drugs,” said Caroline Stewart, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence who estimates sales of the drug to eventually approach $12 billion globally. That’s a level that has been attained by only a handful of biologic drugs, which are produced from extracts of other living organisms. Analysts say DS-8201 could triple the number of patients who get powerful targeted treatment for breast cancer, the most common tumor in women that kills more than half a million annually. As importantly, its ability to target cancer cells without affecting normal cells is a key advantage over the take-no-prisoners approach of chemotherapy. Daiichi’s treatment has been seen to double survival time for advanced breast cancer patients to 20 months from 10, former UBS Securities Japan Co. analyst Atsushi Seki said in March. In trials, patients using DS-8201 experienced less nausea and hair loss compared with chemotherapy. ‘Magic bullet’ goal DS-8201’s full potential is still years away, as it will take time for data to validate the drug’s efficacy in a wide range of patients. Still, the potential of ADCs is already jolting Big Pharma. Roche, whose Herceptin loses patent exclusivity in the U.S. this year, has added ADCs to its portfolio with its Kadcyla breast cancer treatment. Pfizer Inc. has Mylotarg, an ADC that treats myeloid leukemia. About 56 pharmaceutical companies are developing ADC candidates, including ImmunoGen Inc. and Seattle Genetics Inc., and they could be targets for acquisitions or licensing deals from global pharmaceutical companies anxious for a piece of the ADC pie, according to Cowen Inc. “ADCs are being positioned as a chemo replacement,” Cowen analysts including Boris Peaker wrote in an April note. “There is significant potential for partnership activity.” The global ADC market was valued at $1.57 billion in 2017 and is projected to grow 26 percent every year through 2025 to almost $10 billion, according to a report by Grand View Research. The concept behind ADCs was envisioned in 1900 by German Nobel laureate Paul Ehrlich, who formed the idea of a “magic bullet” in which a single toxic molecule would be delivered to attack a diseased cell without damaging surrounding healthy cells. The actual use of ADCs began in 2000, but the interest in the sector cooled down as many failed to live up to expectations. The therapies belong to a broader category of cancer immunotherapies that include Merck & Co.’s Keytruda and Novartis AG’s CAR T-cell therapy Kymriah that harness the immune system to kill tumors. Another level Daiichi Sankyo’s drug takes ADCs to another level. Its advantage is that it carries eight payloads stably to cancer cells, double the number provided by the industry standard, said Toshinori Agatsuma, head of oncology research at Daiichi Sankyo who led a team that discovered the therapy. “Currently available ADCs are far from being perfect technically because the payload linked to antibodies aren’t properly delivered to cancer cells,” said Agatsuma. “We wanted to challenge and improve that. We were a latecomer in biotech, but I knew it was an area where we could catch up, compete and win.” About 2.1 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, according to the World Health Organization. Some 18 percent of cases are driven by a protein called HER2, and the first treatment is chemotherapy alongside Herceptin and Perjeta, a related drug. While DS-8201 is being tested for later-stage cancer, the plan is to go up against the first-line treatment in the next two years. “It would be transformative” if the drug were to become the sole first-line treatment, said David Fredrickson, president of AstraZeneca’s oncology business. “If we can eliminate the side effects associated with chemotherapy, that would be a tremendous benefit for women.” Drugs like Herceptin only target high levels of HER2, and women with lower levels must rely on hormone therapy or chemotherapy. That’s where DS-8201 has the potential to serve far more patients, treating those with both higher and lower levels of HER2. ‘It’s different’ “We need more evidence, but my gut feeling is that DS-8201 is the most effective among existing medicines targeting HER2-positive patients, including Herceptin and chemotherapy,” said Shunji Takahashi, deputy director at the Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, who took a part in an early-stage DS-8201 trial. He noted that interstitial pneumonia is a concern as a side effect, and needs to be monitored. For Daiichi Sankyo, the development of DS-8201 has helped resurrect the company after it struggled for years to set a path for growth, weighed down by a failed acquisition of India’s Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. and a shortage of blockbuster products. “A single drug has a potential to transform Daiichi Sankyo and I didn’t expect it a year ago,” SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. analyst Yasuhiro Nakazawa said. “Daiichi Sankyo had a track record of betraying market expectations with previous drug developments. But with this one, I can really feel that it’s different this time.”


G20 energy ministers agree at meeting in Japan to outlines of framework to tackle marine plastic waste

Abstract: KARUIZAWA, NAGANO PREF. - Environment and energy ministers from the Group of 20 agreed to the outline of a new international framework in order to tackle the problem of marine plastic waste, at their meeting in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, on Sunday. The actions, though not legally binding, are the first of their kind. They call upon the G20 nations to share information on their policies, plans and measures to identify the best practices for preventing and reducing plastic litter discharge into the world’s oceans. In addition, the framework calls for international collaboration in a number of areas related to environmental damage due to such waste. These include using resources more efficiently, developing better waste management and water treatment practices and technologies, and creating more environmentally sound products and designs. “Each country will take voluntary measures and will report on their activities periodically,” said Environment Minister Yoshiaki Harada at a news conference Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of the two-day meeting. Japanese officials said the first G20 meeting to discuss these issues will take place before Japan’s presidency expires in November. The agreement did not specifically refer to reducing “single-use plastics,” which often end up as marine plastic. Harada said it was implied, and that each country was committed to not producing unnecessary things. As the G20 includes countries with vastly different levels of wealth and technological development, he added, it was important that developed, developing and emerging countries have the same standards and objectives in working on solving the plastic issue. In addition to marine plastic waste, a separate agreement by the G20 energy ministers called for greater energy security, a call that comes after last week’s attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, there were calls to accelerate the introduction of various renewable energies — especially hydrogen. The ministers promised to step up existing international efforts to utilize hydrogen, which has long been a goal of Japan in particular. On fossil fuels, the ministers called for using more liquid natural gas, which produces fewer carbon dioxide emissions than coal. But despite international pressure on the G20 to get out of coal, the ministers continued to show support for coal investment, especially in carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and usage (CCU) technologies. Japan has come under particular fire for continuing to support coal domestically and for building coal plants in other countries. But Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko said current economic and energy realities meant coal was still necessary, but that better technology can help reduce its emissions. “It’s inevitable that in some countries, coal thermal has to be used. … Japan’s coal thermal power, compared with conventional coal thermal power, has fewer carbon dioxide emissions and we should provide and implement it in developing countries, “he said. “With innovation CCS and CCU, coal emissions can be captured, stored, used, or recycled,” he added.

g20
environment
nagano prefecture
plastic waste


Japan seeks cooperation from Mongolia in North Korean abduction issue, denuclearization

Abstract: ULAANBAATAR - Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Sunday sought cooperation from Mongolia over efforts to settle the issue of past abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea, as Ulaanbaatar maintains friendly ties with Pyongyang. During talks between Kono and his Mongolian counterpart, Damdin Tsogtbaatar, in the Mongolian capital, the two agreed on the importance of fully implementing U.N. sanctions against North Korea to push the country toward denuclearization, according to Japanese officials. Kono said the two countries are strategic partners sharing universal values and that he hopes to further develop their relationship. Tsogtbaatar agreed to deepen ties. Tokyo, which has no diplomatic ties with North Korea, has often looked to Mongolia to act as a mediator. It is the first time in about nine years that a Japanese foreign minister has visited the country. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recently stepped up efforts to reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying he is willing to hold a meeting “without preconditions” — a shift from his previous position that any summit should yield progress on the abduction issue. North Korea has so far reacted coldly, with its state-run media quoting a spokesperson for the country’s Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee earlier in the month as calling the offer “brazen.” Japan officially lists 17 people as victims of abduction, five of whom were repatriated in 2002, and suspects the North’s involvement in many other disappearances. Kono will return to Japan on Monday.

north korea
abductions
mongolia-japan relations
taro kono
damdin tsogtbaatar


At Fukushima's ground zero, a town slowly comes back to life

Abstract: Shigeru Niitsuma moved back into Okuma’s Ogawara district on June 1 — the first day residents were allowed to move into disaster-relief housing since the triple core meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant forced them to leave town in 2011. “I feel at home in Ogawara, where I was born and raised,” said the 70-year-old, who carried a washing machine and TV set into his new home. It makes him smile to water the marigolds and other flowers in his new garden. The evacuation order for the neighborhood was lifted in April after decontamination work lowered radiation levels there. Before the crisis, he was a farmer who grew rice and vegetables. Now he lives in the unit alone while his family remains in Takahagi, Ibaraki Prefecture, where they fled during the nuclear crisis. The house where he used to live in Ogawara had to be demolished because of damage caused by boars, dogs and mice. Niitsuma still visits it from time to time to tend to his flowers and vegetables and participate in neighborhood watch duties. “It will be best if young people come back, which will revive the town,” he said. “In the meantime, I want to show everybody that it’s safe to return.” Akiyoshi Fushimi, 68, and his wife, Teru, 66, moved into their disaster-relief unit from Tamura, Fukushima Prefecture. The Great East Japan Earthquake struck just three months after they had built a house in Okuma, which co-hosts the now-defunct power plant. Though they can’t return to their former home, which remains in a no-go zone, it still brings them joy to live nearby. As they entered their new home, the couple brought in a painting of hollyhocks made by Teru, taking a moment to appreciate the work. The couple said it was difficult to be happy while thinking about those unable to return, but they agreed it was important for those able to return to do so. The disaster-relief housing in Ogawara includes 40 shared units and 50 two- or three-bedroom units with kitchens, living rooms and dining rooms. Workers were still coming and going on June 1 to get them ready and help people move in. As of Friday, the town was still recruiting potential residents for the shared units. In the meantime, to cater to residents and construction workers in the area, a convenience store opened on June 3 right in front of Okuma’s new town hall. Yamazaki Shop sells about 700 products including bread, bento, instant noodles, snacks, alcohol, cigarettes, general supplies and newspapers. With about 30 sq. meters of floor space, the tiny store is intended be a makeshift facility until a commercial complex under construction in Ogawara is finished. For now, the store is scheduled to operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Saturdays. It will be closed on Sundays except for special events. On the first day, residents and construction workers came in to search for lunch. “I want to build up this store together with customers,” said the manager, Takashi Akama, 29. “If there’s a product people want, they should feel free to let me know.”

fukushima
disasters
3.11
fukushima minpo


Contemporary Japanese artist Nara wants to raise awareness on struggles faced by refugees

Abstract: Contemporary Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara urged visitors to an international aid symposium in Tokyo to try to “imagine” being in the shoes of displaced persons during a speech where he shared his experience of visiting refugee camps in Jordan. At the event held Saturday at the United Nations University, Nara, known for his paintings of a small child staring at viewers, called for more attention to be given to vulnerable people in the world such as those who have fled the war in Syria. The artist presented snapshots of the refugee camps Zaatari and Azraq, which he visited in March on behalf of a nonprofit organization involved in aid activities. Along with the photos, including those of smiling children and food from Syria, he also displayed a painting he bought from a local artist. “You don’t necessarily have to make supporting Syrian refugees your aim,” he told the audience, adding he has learned from experience that, by giving thought to people facing difficulties and starting with even small things to help them, the spirit of caring will eventually reach others. “For me, I’ve come to realize that I have more ability to paint than others, so by doing that I think I could support them in some way.” The artworks of Nara, who also visited refugee camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2002, often include messages of peace. Although the visit was not intended to inspire his creativity, he said he was sure that the experience of meeting people full of life despite their difficult situations would be reflected in his future works. “The experience (of the visit) helps me have a more realistic view of the life of refugees,” he said. As of June 2019, there were about 5.4 million registered Syrian refugees, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Many of them stay in neighboring countries such as Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Japan, which has maintained a strict immigration policy, has primarily only accepted foreigners with high skill levels, such as those in the fields of medicine and law, while taking in only a tiny number of refugees. In 2018, only 42 out of 10,493 asylum seekers were granted refugee status, according to the Justice Ministry. Nara’s nine-day trip through March 9 was planned by Japan Platform, an organization that coordinates emergency humanitarian assistance and tries to raise awareness on the situations faced by refugees.


Man flees with service pistol after police officer is stabbed in Osaka Prefecture

Abstract: OSAKA - A police officer was stabbed multiple times and his pistol was stolen in the northern Osaka Prefecture city of Suita, authorities said Sunday. Officer Suzunosuke Kose, 26, was found at a police box with a knife embedded in the left side of his chest and other stab wounds. Emergency services were notified of the incident at around 5:40 a.m., according to police. Kose was apparently attacked after two fellow officers on duty left the police box to respond to an emergency call reporting a home break-in. The police believe that it was a false report. The suspect, who is facing potential robbery and attempted murder charges, is thought to be in his 30s and is about 170-180 centimeters tall. Surveillance camera footage showed a man loitering around the police box, which is located in front of Hankyu Railway’s Senriyama Station, about an hour before the incident. The gun was loaded with five bullets when it was stolen. Schools in the northern Osaka area have been instructed to cancel events and club activities, Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said on Twitter. The incident happened at a time when the prefectural police have been stepping up security in the nearby city of Osaka where a meeting of leaders from the Group of 20 major economies will be held late this month. The stabbing shocked local residents and led some nearby universities to cancel open campus events. “The police officers here are all nice. I hope the suspect will be caught before the gun is used,” a 49-year-old woman said. A male university student saw the injured officer in the police box while he was out walking at around 6 a.m. “He looked like he was writhing in pain,” the 22-year-old said. A 31-year-old mother of two said, “Listening to the constant noise of police sirens this morning was a chilling experience,” adding, “It’s terrifying to think that someone may be wandering around with a gun.” The opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan canceled leader Yukio Edano’s planned stump speech in the city of Osaka following reports about the stabbing. Police departments in Japan have been introducing new pistol holsters designed to prevent officers from being disarmed following a series of serious incidents in which there was a struggle for a firearm. Kose was using an older-style holster, according to the police. In January, a university student armed with a knife and hammer slightly injured an officer at a police station in the city of Toyama. The student, who was arrested on the spot, told investigators he tried to steal a gun so he could use it to commit suicide. Also in Toyama in June last year, a former member of the Self-Defense Forces stabbed an officer to death at a police box, stole his handgun and fatally shot a security guard at a nearby school.


The week ahead for June 17 to June 23

Abstract: Monday Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya to visit Akita Prefecture amid local anger at errors in a geographical survey which his ministry used to select it as a potential host for Aegis Ashore missile defense system. Tuesday Pierre Taki, actor and member of Japanese techno-pop duo Denki Groove, to be sentenced at a Tokyo District Court for cocaine use. First anniversary of magnitude 6.1 quake that hit northern Osaka Prefecture, killing six and injuring more than 400. Wednesday Prime Minister Abe, opposition party leaders to hold one-on-one parliamentary debates. Expected topics include Abe’s Iran visit last week and a Financial Services Agency report criticized for estimating that a retired couple would have a shortfall of ¥20 million ($184,000) under Japan’s public pension system if they live to be 95 years old. Thursday BOJ Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda to hold a news conference where he is expected to give analysis on the U.S.-China trade war’s effect on the global and domestic economy. Friday Mitsubishi Motors Corp., partner in three-way alliance with Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA, to hold an ordinary general meeting of shareholders. Saturday No major events. Sunday Okinawa to mark 74th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa.


Erdogan says drilling off Cyprus will continue despite warning

Abstract: ANKARA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said Turkey would not back down from gas exploration in Cyprus after Southern European leaders urged Ankara to stop. “We continue and will continue to search in those areas that are ours,” Erdogan said during a televised speech in Istanbul. “Someone has given an order. They will apparently arrest our boats’ personnel. You will come off badly if you do so,” Erdogan warned, after Cyprus reportedly issued arrest warrants for crew members of Turkey’s drilling ship, Fatih, last week. After a summit of the Southern European Union countries in Valletta, the seven nations issued a joint declaration on Friday, expressing “serious concern over actual or potential drilling activities within Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone. They urged the EU to keep an eye on the issue “and, in case Turkey does not cease its illegal activities, to consider appropriate measures in full solidarity with Cyprus. The Turkish foreign ministry on Saturday said the declaration was “biased” and contrary to international law, accusing the European Union of siding with EU members Cyprus and Greece. The discovery of huge gas reserves in the Mediterranean has fueled the race to tap underwater resources. The island is divided between the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and the northern third under Turkish military control since 1974, formed after Ankara’s troops occupied the area in response to a coup sponsored by the Greek military junta. Turkey considers the area in the Mediterranean to be part of its continental shelf and granted exploration licenses to Turkish Petroleum in 2009 and 2012. Last month Brussels and the United States urged Turkey to reconsider plans to start exploratory drilling off the island. Erdogan on Sunday also hit out at French President Emmanuel Macron over his support for Cyprus. Macron said on Friday the EU would “not show weakness on this matter.” “What business does France have here?” Erdogan said. “Turkey is a guarantor power in Cyprus. Greece and the UK are guarantor powers as well. What are you? “Are you making such statements for Total? Show you have the power of attorney. So it means you have left the presidency and have now begun work as a lawyer,” he quipped. Energy giants Total of France and Italy’s ENI are heavily involved in exploring for oil and gas off Cyprus as well as ExxonMobil.

europe
gas
turkey
cyprus
recep tayyip erdogan
total
exxonmobil


Facebook to unveil new cryptocurrency

Abstract: LONDON - Facebook is set Tuesday to unveil a bid to bring cryptocurrency payments into the mainstream, reportedly with the endorsement of governments and financial giants. The world’s biggest social network is expected to outline details of a virtual currency launching next year that it hopes will avoid the rollercoaster volatility of “blockchain” technologies such as bitcoin. Facebook is setting up a consortium called “Libra” which, according to the Wall Street Journal, has been joined by more than a dozen companies including Visa, Mastercard, PayPal and Uber. The companies along with venture capitalists and telecommunications firms will reportedly invest around $10 million each into the consortium. Facebook has been trying to ward off hostile regulatory scrutiny after a series of privacy abuses and the spread of fake news. The consortium will be managed externally and will seek to build trust among consumers by pegging the virtual coin to a basket of currencies including the dollar and euro, the Journal said. Facebook has already sought blessings from the U.S. Treasury and the Bank of England, the BBC reported last month. Regulators have been reticent about cryptocurrencies, not only due to potential abuse by criminals but the wild swings in their value harming consumers. With more than 2 billion users across its platforms, which include WhatsApp and Instagram, Facebook could have the clout to bring cryptocurrency out of the fringes and emulate the likes of WeChat in China, where the U.S. site is banned. WeChat allows its users to chat, shop and play games without leaving its platform, generating more revenue by offering a one-stop portal. Buffeted by the privacy storms, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has promised a new direction for Facebook built around smaller groups, private messaging and payments. But it will need to overcome questions of trust and privacy, not least over how financial data will be stored. Some analysts are betting that the heavyweight Libra consortium will help to do that. Facebook’s crypto initiative could facilitate shopping, applications and gaming, and would leverage its broad user base in Asia, RBC analyst Mark Mahaney said in a research note last week. It “may prove to be one of the most important initiatives in the history of the company to unlock new engagement and revenue streams,” he wrote.

social media
facebook
mark zuckerberg
bitcoin
blockchain
cryptocurrency
libra


China plans pilot nuclear reactor for heating in northeast

Abstract: BEIJING/SHANGHAI - China plans to build a pilot small-scale nuclear reactor that could replace coal or gas to heat towns and cities in its colder northern regions, an official with the state-owned developer in charge of the project said Monday. The small heating reactor is planned for the city of Jiamusi in northeastern Heilongjiang province, one of two proposed units with a combined capacity of 400 megawatts, Wang Xujia, a senior engineer with the State Power Investment Corp., said on the sidelines of an industry conference. “The project is still under central government review for approval,” Wang said, adding that the developer aimed to put the project into operation by 2024. China has been exploring the use of small nuclear reactors — less than a fifth of the size of a standard reactor — as alternative heating systems in smog-prone northern regions. The state provides heating throughout northern China from November to March, using predominantly coal- or gas-fired boilers. State-owned China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC) has already conducted trial runs for a “district heating reactor” (DHR) design, which it says can supply heat to 200,000 urban households. The DHR model consists of a reactor core immersed in a water-filled tank. It is estimated to require investment of 1.5 billion yuan ($217 million) and take three years to build, making it cheaper and quicker to construct than conventional reactors. However, while the various designs will use only a fraction of the radioactive material of a conventional nuclear plant, officials acknowledge the biggest challenge is convincing the public the reactors are safe and reliable. “The planned project in Jiamusi will be located in a remote area of the city which undermines its economic efficiency, but since it is just a demonstration project we just want to complete one first and show it to the public,” Wang said. China aims to raise total nuclear capacity to 58 gigawatts by the end of next year, but it has not launched any new conventional reactors in more than three years. After the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, China conducted a root-and-branch safety review and decided it would only use the most advanced “third generation” technology for any new projects. However, those technologies — including Westinghouse’s AP1000 and the Areva-developed EPR — have proved to be expensive, complex and prone to long construction delays. In a bid to broaden its options, the country is developing smaller units and plans to launch its first “small modular reactor” (SMR) on the island province of Hainan at the end of this year. China also plans to launch floating nuclear reactors with the aim of developing a fleet of ship-mounted nuclear generators that could be deployed on islands in Southeast Asia, Song Danrong, a reactor designer at CNNC, told Monday’s conference.


Brutal hailstorm exacts heavy financial toll on French farms and vineyards

Abstract: LYON, FRANCE - Farmers in southeast France counted the costs from lost harvests on Sunday after a fierce storm battered the region with hail the size of ping-pong balls, decimating orchards and vineyards just as the summer season was kicking into high gear. “Pretty much my entire harvest is ruined,” said Gregory Chardon, who grows apricots, peaches and cherries at his farm in La Roche-de-Glun in the Drome department, about an hour’s drive south of Lyon. Even the netting strung over his fields was no match for the tempest of hail which suddenly struck on Saturday afternoon, strewing the ground with damaged fruit and broken branches. “The damage is enormous and widely spread — cereals, greenhouse and vegetable farms, and vineyards as well,” Chardon said. In the neighboring village of Pont-de-L’Isere, Aurelien Esprit showed apricots littering the ground and battered apple trees at his orchards in a Facebook video. “Unfortunately the season ended for us last night. I don’t think I’m going to make it this time,” he said. Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume said the state would declare a natural emergency to trigger insurance payments and other help to farmers facing huge losses. “It’s catastrophic, I’ve rarely seen scenes like this,” Guillaume told BFM television while touring the area Sunday. “It’s unthinkable that farmers would be forced into bankruptcy because of this.” The epicenter of the storm was at Romas-sur-Isere, where streets were turned into raging torrents. The hail shattered car windshields and severely damaged the roofs of dozens of homes, including smashing the sunlight on the roof of a gymnasium where a judo competition was being held. In the neighboring Haute-Savoie region, a 51-year-old German woman was a killed after a tree fell on her camper during the storm. Rescue workers responded to hundreds of calls for help and officials said 10 people were injured. “Weather episodes as violent as this are quite rare, and I’ve never seen one like it in this area,” said Lt. Col. Herve Gabion of the fire brigade for the Drome department.

france agriculture weather wine disasters drome


Canada backs start-up to boost big data on space debris

Abstract: PARIS - The Canadian government’s contracting arm is backing a proposed new satellite system that will use big data analytics to provide commercially available data about the Earth and its orbit amid growing concerns about the risks posed by space debris. Support from the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) will allow Canadian start-up NorthStar Earth and Space to negotiate initial service agreements with the United States, Britain and other countries, NorthStar CEO Stewart Bain said. The deal with CCC will be signed on Monday at the Paris Airshow. Bain cited strong international interest in the project given increasing levels of activity in space, and mounting concerns about the dangers posed to satellites by some 600,000 estimated pieces of debris floating in the Earth’s orbit. The United States and other governments already collect such data, but demand for near real-time information that is commercially available is growing rapidly, with experts forecasting a “new space” economy worth over $1 trillion a year. “This agreement puts us in a strong position to work with the United States, the U.K. and other countries to deliver our services,” Bain told Reuters, noting the government of Canada and Quebec had each already invested $13 million to date. Private investors in the project include Telesystem Space Inc. of Montreal, the majority shareholder, and the Space Alliance of Europe, which was formed by Telespazio and Thales Alenia Space, a joint partnership formed by France’s Thales and Italy’s Leonardo. NorthStar’s proposed system calls for the 2021 launch of a new constellation of small satellites that will use an array of hyperspectral, infrared and optical sensors to continuously monitor and analyse the Earth’s ecosystems and orbit. The company said its system would use big data analytics and artificial intelligence to make sense of the huge amount of information and accurately predict potential collisions with debris and other objects in space, while helping to validate and improve the performance of existing surveillance systems. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who will attend this week’s Paris Airshow, said last week he was encouraging all space-faring nations to work together on common issues such as space debris that could stifle the commercialization of space. “Partnerships are important in a world where there are alternative views about the future of space,” he said. Anti-satellite tests conducted by China in 2007, and most recently, India in March, have raised questioned about the long-term sustainability of operations in space that are essential to a huge range of activities, including banking and GPS services.

u.s .
space
canada
big data
space debris
paris air show
ccc
wilbur ross
northstar earth and space


Japan's labor crunch provides opportunities for more women to take the wheel

Abstract: OSAKA - From moving companies to taxi and train operators, Japanese firms have been recruiting more female drivers amid a serious labor shortage that is hitting the service sector particularly hard. But taking steps to support female drivers has become a critical challenge for companies, as many working mothers point to difficulties in balancing job and family. Major mover Sakai Moving Service Co. is one of a host of companies attempting to get more women behind the wheel, aiming to increase the number of its female drivers to 200 from the current level of around 30 by the end of next March. Asuka Maemura, 25, who has worked as a moving assistant at the Osaka-based firm since 2016, began working as a driver from June after passing an in-house exam that also promoted her to the position of group leader. “I couldn’t carry heavy packages when I began working and would cry in frustration,” said Maemura, who is now able to haul three cardboard boxes at once. “I’m glad that my male colleagues don’t treat me any differently just because I’m a woman,” she said. In Kyoto, taxi service Rakuto-taxi Inc. founded a women-only offshoot, Mitochan Taxi, in 2013. The group now employs nine female drivers. “There was originally a backlash from many male drivers who were skeptical about whether women were up to the job,” director Yuka Sugisaki said. “But once we began the service, the female drivers’ attention to detail, such as carrying passengers’ luggage to the front door (of their house), was well-received,” the 45-year-old director said. “The male drivers were inspired, and the atmosphere in the workplace has improved.” Major railway operator West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) has introduced measures to support working parents, allowing them to work fewer days and opening a 24-hour nursery facility in April. JR West train driver Seiko Kawabata, a 37-year-old mother of three, reduces her working month by up to eight days maximum to balance work and family. “While I’m driving a train, I cannot pick up my children if they suddenly develop a fever,” Kawabata said. “I wouldn’t have been able to continue working if the children’s grandparents hadn’t lived close by and supported child-rearing.” Her comments suggested more needs to be done to promote women in the workplace. Initiatives such as JR West’s nursery may be part of the solution.

transportation women jobs rail delivery driving taxis


South Korean studio behind cult game Mir engaged in all-out assault on copycats in China

Abstract: SEOUL/HONG KONG - In The Legend of Mir, warriors and sorcerers battle creatures from an ancient universe. Now, WeMade Co.’s longtime video game hit is at the center of a string of legal battles that could serve as a rallying cry for foreign companies harboring grievances against Chinese rivals. Over the last three years, the South Korean studio’s chief executive officer, Henry Chang, has filed about 65 lawsuits in China, Singapore and South Korea against Chinese gaming studios, attempting to block what he alleges are unlicensed versions of his two-decade-old title. That makes the 44-year-old one of the few foreign executives audacious enough to challenge a batch of Chinese firms in the world’s largest video game market. He’s already racked up a few victories: In December, a Beijing court ordered Guangzhou-based 37 Interactive Entertainment Technology Co. to stop selling a game allegedly based on Mir. In May, a Singapore-based arbitration court required a unit of China’s Kingnet Network Co. to pay WeMade 468 million yuan ($68 million) in royalties. Chang’s crusade provides a window into new challenges facing a $38 billion video game industry dominated by local behemoths Tencent Holdings Ltd. and NetEase Inc. Chinese courts are taking a tougher stance on copyright laws. And while multinationals have long avoided filing suits against rivals in China, Chang feels it’s now worth the effort partly because U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war has raised awareness about intellectual property. “Some people say Trump is bringing the world to its end, but I think he’s playing a positive role when it comes to China, ” said Chang, a gray-haired executive who prefers jeans to suits. “He’s speeding up China’s change through pressure.” Chang could also use the money: WeMade now relies on royalties from licensed games like Mir for half its revenue. On its WeChat account on May 10, before the arbitration court’s ruling, Kingnet said that although it was open to negotiations, the damages WeMade was seeking were too high. It urged the South Korean firm to stop “ill-intentioned” lawsuits and “unreasonable” demands. Tencent didn’t comment, while Kingnet and 37 Interactive didn’t respond to questions. “We fully respect the intellectual property rights of others and of our own, and we are a constant advocate for the protection of copyright,” NetEase said in an emailed statement. “NetEase has always had a ‘zero tolerance’ policy toward copycatting/plagiarism.” Even before the trade war, Chinese courts had begun enhancing protections for intellectual property, as more domestic corporations climbed the value chain and produced cutting-edge innovations. But Chang feels that’s accelerated as Trump called attention to the issue. He hopes winning more suits will boost profitability. Still, the effects of court battles like his could be felt beyond video games. “It would embolden more foreign companies, especially ones in the U.S. and Japan, to go ahead with suing Chinese firms on Chinese soil,” said Wi Jong-hyun, a professor of business management at Seoul’s Chung-Ang University. “These lawsuits would add headaches for Chinese companies who would no longer enjoy the kind of protection they would in the past.” Foreign firms are restricted from selling games without a local partner in China, which research firm Newzoo estimates is home to more than 600 million gamers. But growth slowed for the industry after Beijing froze licenses for new games for nine months last year and attempted to reduce screen time for teenagers. Other international companies, including U.S.-based Activision Blizzard Inc. and Seoul-based PUBG Corp., have previously sued Chinese firms for allegedly ripping off content. And the gaming industry in other parts of the world, including South Korea, has in the past been blamed for allowing other varieties of copycats. But Byun Ung-jae, a lawyer with Seoul-based Yulchon LLC, said China’s courts have become quicker to prohibit possible knockoffs from selling. “WeMade stands out because they’ve been brave and dogged enough to take the fight to the court for quite some time,” said Byun, who doesn’t have business ties with the company. “China’s gaming industry has also grown huge now, so the country also feels it’s time to provide protection for its own sake.” WeMade struck gold about 20 years ago when it released Mir through Shanda Games in China, getting as many as 200 million people to sign up at one point. But in the summer of 2015, as Chang traveled to China, he was shocked to learn that games almost identical to Mir were in service there. Yet his company had spotted red flags years before. In 2003, WeMade sued Shanda for allegedly copying Mir in its own game without licensing. The dispute was settled several years later, after Shanda bought a majority stake in a Korean company that is a Mir co-licensor. Shanda, which still runs the original Mir game in China and didn’t respond to a request for comment, is in a separate lawsuit with WeMade about renewing their licensing agreement. Winning isn’t easy. In April, a Hangzhou court issued an injunction, temporarily stopping another Kingnet unit from publishing one version of a game WeMade said was based on Mir. Kingnet produced a new version, sparking another round of legal battles over what WeMade says is really the same game. It’s easy to see why Chang likes Trump’s toughness on China, but he also worries about a trade war escalation. “It has been positive so far, with China showing off its judicial system,” Chang said. “But if this really turns into a war, it may no longer feel like doing so.”

china
trade
south korea
video games
intellectual property
trade war
wemade
legend of mir


Boeing CEO concedes 'mistake' with planes in two fatal crashes, vows to rebuild trust

Abstract: PARIS - The chief executive of Boeing said the company made a “mistake” in handling a problematic cockpit warning system in its 737 Max jets before two crashes of the top-selling plane killed 346 people, and he promised transparency as the U.S. aircraft maker tries to get the grounded model back in flight. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg told reporters in Paris that Boeing’s communication with regulators, customers and the public “was not consistent. And that’s unacceptable.” The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has faulted Boeing for not telling regulators for more than year that a safety indicator in the Max cockpit didn’t work. Pilots are angry the company didn’t tell them about the new software that’s been implicated in the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. “We clearly had a mistake in the implementation of the alert,” Muilenburg said. He expressed confidence that the Boeing 737 Max would be cleared to fly again later this year. The model has been grounded worldwide for three months, and regulators need to approve Boeing’s long-awaited fix to the software. Muilenburg called the crashes of the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines jets a “defining moment” for Boeing, but said he thinks the result will be a “better and stronger company.” Speaking ahead of the Paris Air Show, Muilenburg said Boeing is facing the event with “humility” and focused on rebuilding trust. He forecast a limited number of orders at the Paris show, the first major air show since the crashes, but said it was important to attend to talk to customers and others in the industry. Muilenburg also announced that Boeing is raising its long-term forecast for global plane demand, notably amid sustained growth in Asia.

boeing
aviation
ethiopian airlines
paris air show
737 max
lion air
air accidents
dennis muilenburg


Economists expect Bank of Japan will expand stimulus sometime soon, but not this week

Abstract: A majority of economists now see the Bank of Japan expanding its stimulus as its next move, with a strengthening of the yen from Federal Reserve rate cuts seen as a key factor for triggering action, according to a Bloomberg survey. While all 50 polled economists expect no policy change at the two-day meeting ending Thursday, 62 percent of them think the central bank will ramp up easing measures as its next step, compared with 48 percent in April, the survey showed. Economists said that against a backdrop of economic weakness, a sharp strengthening of the yen after U.S. rate cuts would trigger action from the BOJ. They predicted the yen would strengthen to ¥105 if the Fed starts lowering rates and that it would need to hit ¥100 to trigger action. The dollar was trading at ¥108.3 on Friday afternoon. A stronger yen would put downward pressure on prices through cheaper imports and cool sentiment among companies and households, weakening upward price momentum that the BOJ sees as critical to its mission to generate stable inflation. BOJ Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda said last week that the BOJ must respond swiftly if price momentum is lost and that the bank still had scope to unleash big stimulus. He added that the current state of the economy didn’t warrant more action. Still, movements following possible Fed rate cuts could sway Kuroda’s position. Some 60 percent of the polled economists said they expected extra stimulus from the BOJ within six months of the Fed lowering its benchmark rates. The survey also showed that speculation has further cooled that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will postpone a sales tax hike scheduled for October. More than 8 of 10 economists expect the increase to go ahead as planned. Japan’s gross domestic product expanded a better-than-expected 2.2 percent in the first quarter, offering support for the government’s view that the economy is holding up relatively well despite a global slowdown and trade tensions. Abe has also included the plan in his party’s platform for a July election. Still, economists expect the government to go beyond the countermeasures already unveiled to offset the negative hit to the economy from the higher tax rate. Some 92 percent of respondents said the government would take additional measures to support the economy through the tax increase.


'New' loan sharks increasing on social media, Japan panel says

Abstract: The rise of illegal financing by unregistered lenders through social media, including Twitter, was a point of discussion at a Financial Services Agency panel meeting Monday. The FSA plans to respond to this new breed of loan sharks, in cooperation with the National Police Agency and other government bodies. Around 50 complaints over such lending are filed annually in Japan, according to the FSA. On Twitter and other social networking sites, there is an increasing number of posts with certain hashtags, including “#kojinkan yushi,” or interpersonal financing. In some cases, loans are offered with unusual conditions, such as physical relationships. Such online loan sharks seem to include individuals who are unaware of the Money Lending Business Law and other related regulations, a member of the advisory panel on consumer financing said at the meeting. The panel member urged the government to warn the public of the possibility of arrest for online financing.