Prince William spends time embedded in U.K.'s secretive spy world

Abstract: LONDON - The name’s Windsor. William Windsor. As one of the most recognizable public figures in the world, Britain’s Prince William would not make as effective a 007 as legendary fictional spy James Bond. But that did not stop the heir to the British throne spending the last three weeks working with the security services, including in Bond’s own foreign intelligence unit, MI6. The Duke of Cambridge ended the top-secret attachment — which also included a week with domestic intelligence service MI5 and cybersecurity agency GCHQ — on Saturday, according to Kensington Palace. “Spending time inside our security and intelligence agencies, understanding more about the vital contribution they make to our national security, was a truly humbling experience,” William said in a statement. “These agencies are full of people from everyday backgrounds doing the most extraordinary work to keep us safe.” The prince, who has a military background, began the secondment at the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) — better known as MI6 — whose spies work around the world gathering information and furthering British interests. William, 36, “got to see first-hand how SIS helps the U.K. identify and exploit opportunities as well as navigate risks to its national security, military effectiveness and economy,” Kensington Palace said. The father-of-three then switched over to the Security Service — MI5 — to observe how counterterrorism teams conduct investigations, including surveillance. The duke finished his foray into spycraft at the communications monitoring agency GCHQ, based in Cheltenham, western England. There he spent time “with those using cutting-edge technology, technical ingenuity and wide-ranging partnerships to identify, analyze and disrupt threats,” the palace added. GCHQ’s head of counterterrorism operations, whose name was given only as David, said the prince had worked “exceptionally hard to embed himself in the team.” He added William had “comfortably held his own amongst some highly skilled analysts and operators.” The prince is no stranger to the world of security. After graduating in 2005 from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, he spent 7½ years in the military, before completing active service as a search and rescue helicopter pilot.


Rwanda honors those killed in genocide that began 25 years ago

Abstract: KIGALI - Rwandans were gathering on Sunday for a solemn commemoration of the lives of 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutus murdered during the Rwandan genocide, a three-month-killing spree that began 25 years ago. The ceremony marks the beginning of a week of events to honor the dead. Rwandan President Paul Kagame is scheduled to lay a wreath at Gisozi genocide memorial site, where over a quarter a million of people are buried. In the afternoon, officials will join around 2,000 people in a “walk to remember” from parliament to the national soccer stadium, where candles will be lit in a night vigil. At least 10 heads of state were expected to attend, Stephanie Nyombayire, head of communication at the president’s office, told journalists on Saturday. Canadian Governor General Julie Payette and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker were also expected. The 100 days of slaughter began on April 6, 1994, after President Juvenal Habyarimana and his counterpart Cyprien Ntaryamira of Burundi — both Hutus — were killed when their plane was shot down over the Rwandan capital. The attackers have never been identified. The attack mobilized Hutu government soldiers and allied extremist militia, who orchestrated the genocide to exterminate the Tutsi minority. In villages across the densely populated country, neighbor turned on neighbor as men, women and children were hacked to death, burned alive, clubbed and shot. As many as 10,000 people were killed daily. Seventy percent of the minority Tutsi population was wiped out, and over 10 percent of the total Rwandan population. The fighting ended in July 1994 when the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Tutsi-led rebel movement led by Kagame, swept in from Uganda and seized control of the country. Official policy is to strongly discourage any talk of ethnicity, but the opposition says the tight control of the media and political sphere is also used to stifle dissent, something the government denies.


As political tensions fall, twice as many tourists head to Pyongyang to take part in annual marathon

Abstract: SEOUL - Twice as many foreigners as last year gathered in Pyongyang on Sunday for the city’s annual marathon, tour firms said, as reduced tensions see visitor numbers rise in isolated North Korea. The event — part of celebrations for the anniversary of founder Kim Il Sung’s birth in 1912 — is the highlight of the North’s tourism calendar and offers the chance to run or jog through the streets of the tightly-controlled city. Around 950 Westerners entered the event, according to market leader Koryo Tours, compared to some 450 last year when numbers slumped. That brought participation almost back to the levels of 2017, before tensions soared as the North carried out a series of missile launches and leader Kim Jong Un traded threats and personal insults with U.S. President Donald Trump. The same year, Washington also banned its citizens from visiting the North following the death of Otto Warmbier, a U.S. student jailed for trying to steal a propaganda poster who died while in a coma days after his release. Several other countries subsequently raised their travel warnings, a combination of events that dealt a significant blow to the North’s tourism industry. The U.S. ban remains in place but more Western tourists signed up for the marathon this time, tour operators said, following a year of high-level diplomacy between Trump and Kim. “As political tensions have subsided, tourism demand has increased,” said Elliott Davies, director at Uri Tours, another operator, adding: “You could plot a graph in this direct relationship.” The vast majority of tourists to the North are Chinese. But some 5,000 Westerners a year also used to visit the North — with about 20 percent of those from the U.S. — seeking unique adventures in one of the most closed countries in the world. The annual race also attracts so-called “marathon chasers” who tick off runs around the world, said Matt Kulesza, a senior tour guide at Young Pioneer Tours. Angel Arnaudov, a 34-year-old engineer from Macedonia, said Pyongyang came onto his “radar” after finishing more than 30 marathons in cities ranging from Tokyo, New York and Copenhagen. “I want to experience the life in North Korea myself and see if it is like they say on TV or different,” he said, adding he would be posting videos on his Youtube channel. For third-time participant Jasmine Barrett, the Pyongyang Marathon was an opportunity to interact with ordinary North Koreans who line the streets to cheer on the runners, offering high-fives and posing for selfies. “I keep coming back because I love to see the smiles on the children’s faces,” the Australian entrepreneur said. “I’d definitely recommend it to others because it’s a great way to see the city and the people who live there,” she added. Tour operators advise visitors to take extra precautions about “what to do and what not to do” when traveling in the North. Simon Cockerell, Koryo Tours’ general manager, said: “This is vital when visiting North Korea and anyone wanting to travel shouldn’t go without a briefing.”


Singapore's 'fake news' laws upset tech giants and stoke censorship fears

Abstract: SINGAPORE - Tech giants have reacted with horror after Singapore proposed laws against “fake news” allowing authorities to order the removal of content and impose hefty fines, in what critics say is an assault on free speech. A week ago, the government unveiled a bill containing tough measures, including powers for ministers to order social media sites like Facebook to put warnings next to posts that authorities believe to be false, and in extreme cases to take them down. If an action is deemed malicious and damaging to Singapore’s interests, companies could be hit with fines of up to 1 million Singapore dollars ($740,000). Individuals could face prison terms of up to 10 years. Authorities in the tightly controlled country — long criticized for restricting civil liberties — insist the measures are necessary to stop the circulation of falsehoods that could sow divisions in the multiethnic city-state. But press freedom groups condemned the proposals, saying they could stifle online discussion, as did tech companies that have big investments in the ultramodern city. “As the most far-reaching legislation of its kind to date, this level of overreach poses significant risks to freedom of expression and speech,” said the Asia Internet Coalition, an industry association whose members include Facebook, Google and Twitter. Simon Milner, Facebook’s vice president of public policy in Asia-Pacific, said the social media giant was concerned about potentially being compelled to remove content. “Giving people a place to express themselves freely and safely is important to us and we have a responsibility to handle any government request to remove alleged misinformation carefully and thoughtfully,” he said in a statement. The internet is a relatively free space in Singapore, and there are some local alternative news sites, which are typically more critical of the authorities than the traditional, pro-government newspapers and TV. Singapore is among several countries pushing legislation to fight fake news, and the government stressed ordering “corrections” to be placed alongside falsehoods would be the primary response, rather than jail or fines. A government decision can also be appealed to the courts. K. Shanmugam, law and home affairs minister, said in a Facebook post that “the proposed law targets false statements of fact — not opinions, not criticisms. Ultimately, disagreement over truth and falsity will be decided by the courts.” Google, Facebook and Twitter have their Asia headquarters in Singapore, a city of 5.6 million that is popular with expats as it is developed, safe and efficient. But there were already signs of tensions with tech companies as the government prepared to unveil the laws. During parliamentary hearings last year about tackling online falsehoods, Google and Facebook urged the government not to introduce new laws. In November, Facebook refused a request to remove an article linking Singapore to a financial scandal in Malaysia that the government said was untrue — prompting the law ministry to say the firm “cannot be relied upon to filter falsehoods.” Critics say one of the most worrying aspects of the new legislation is that it is up to authorities to decide what is false and what is not. While authorities insist decisions can be appealed, Kirsten Han, the Singapore-based editor of regional news site New Naratif, said most people do not have the resources or will to fight the government. “Even if you are convinced that your Facebook post is in the right, how many average Singaporeans would appeal to the minister, and then spend thousands of dollars to hire a lawyer and file an application in the court?” she said. Human Rights Watch has described the bill as “sweepingly broad.” Other critics note Singapore already has tough laws against sedition, defamation and disturbing racial harmony, that can be used to police the web. But it is not yet clear how the legislation — which is likely to pass easily through parliament, dominated by the ruling party — will be used in practice, and some believe authorities will wield it cautiously. “I think that the government will be very careful in their implementation of the law,” said Professor Ang Peng Hwa, from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information in Singapore. “I think, in general, there’s a very high level of trust in the government and its institutions by foreign entities, and so I don’t see them … being too trigger-happy about the implementation of this bill.”

internet
censorship
singapore
google
social media
twitter
facebook
fake news


Sanctions delay plans for North Korean beach resort, analysts say

Abstract: SEOUL - North Korea has again pushed back the construction end-date of a massive beach resort — a move analysts say shows the regime is struggling from international sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons programs. The eastern seaside strip, known as the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, is intended as a centerpiece of the isolated country’s nascent tourism industry as Pyongyang seeks to develop its economy despite the tough economic measures. The site’s construction has been closely overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, and was initially scheduled to open this April, to mark the birthday anniversary of the country’s founder Kim Il Sung. But in a recent visit to the site, Kim delayed the finish date for the second time, ordering construction to be completed by the same time next year, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Saturday. The decision, would allow the workers “to perfectly finish it so that our people would fully enjoy themselves in the impeccable tourist area from the sea-bathing season next year,” KCNA quoted Kim as saying. The plan was first pushed back last August when Kim extended the project by six months to October 2019. The isolated North is under several sets of sanctions for its weapons programs which analysts say has hampered efforts to secure materials needed to finish the vast beach complex. “North Korea can complete the external construction of the hotels by itself but most of the finishing materials for the interior are imported,” Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP. The economic measures banned imports of some items and Pyongyang was supplying the sanctioned goods with its foreign currency, Cho said, adding: “But that has also dried up.” Satellite images taken by U.S. monitors in December showed the buildings previously under construction were nearing completion. “The North Korean economy has hit a limit with the sanctions,” Cho added. Immediate sanctions relief was a key demand of the cash-strapped North when Kim met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February for a second summit that ultimately broke down. Trump, the former real estate developer turned billionaire, has praised North Korea’s tourism potential, referring to its “great beaches” he said would make ideal locations for condos.

north korea
nuclear weapons
south korea
tourism
north korea nuclear crisis


Cracking a cold one: Egg beer draws curious drinkers in Hanoi

Abstract: HANOI - Scrambled, fried, or … whipped into beer? It might not be the most conventional way to serve eggs, but a decades-old Hanoi cafe is delighting drinkers with a frothy beer cocktail that has no place on a breakfast menu. The staple menu item at Giang Cafe in Hanoi’s pulsating Old Quarter is made with ice-cold beer topped with creamy egg yolks whipped with sugar and a touch of butter to boost richness. Owner Nguyen Chi Hoa said he came up with the recipe in 1999, curious how the combination might turn out. “I made egg beer just for myself. … I thought it was good, so I decided to give it a try to see if anyone agreed,” he said in his packed terra cotta-tiled cafe. The creamy beer concoction wasn’t such a dramatic departure from his most popular menu item: Vietnamese coffee topped with sweetened egg froth, now enjoyed in cafes across Hanoi among locals and tourists alike. Hoa claims it was his father who came up with the recipe in 1946 as an affordable alternative to the cappuccinos that were sipped by French colonial occupiers, who made them with cow’s milk — a luxury ingredient for most of the population of Vietnam under French rule. “Poor people could also drink egg coffee because they had lots of chickens, so they just cracked an egg, added sugar and mixed it together — then we had egg coffee,” he said in the cafe where black-and-white photos of his family hang on the walls. Hoa didn’t stop at coffee and beer, and he also offers frothy egg drinks made with rum, matcha, chocolate and even Coca-Cola. To keep up with demand for his whipped delights, his daughter cracks 1,000 eggs every morning to be beaten by machine throughout the day. Though many of Hoa’s customers have never heard of egg beer, he said he has won most of them over — especially those from beer-guzzling Germany — and sells up to 20 mugs a day. “It’s very special, it tastes like dessert, plus the beer,” said Malaysian visitor S.T. Lim. In a city better known for its ubiquitous open-air beer markets called bia hoi , Hoa said his unique beer beverage is still met with skepticism by some. But he is hoping to sway them — even beauty-conscious drinkers. “This is very good for your skin, bright skin,” Hoa said with a smile.


Japan's new Aegis Ashore systems will not be fitted with air defense capabilities

Abstract: U.S.-developed Aegis Ashore land-based missile interceptor systems, when introduced by Japan, will not have Cooperative Engagement Capability equipment for air defense, it was learned late Saturday. The CEC equipment enables early-warning planes, Aegis destroyers and others to share positional data on enemy aircraft, cruise missiles and other targets of interception, leading to greater interceptor ranges and quicker responses to threats. Without CEC, Aegis Ashore systems for Japan will be designed solely for defense against ballistic missiles, not capable of defense against warplanes or cruise missiles, informed sources said. Installing the CEC equipment may be considered in the future as it is a desirable feature, but there is no plan to do it at the moment, a source familiar with the matter said. Another source said the CEC equipment would cause additional costs of tens of billions of yen. In terms of cost effectiveness, the Japanese government plans to use existing Aegis destroyers and surface-to-air missiles to deal with attacks on Aegis Ashore units and nearby targets, the source said. The government is looking to deploy Aegis Ashore units in Akita and Yamaguchi prefectures. Both face the Sea of Japan, which separates the country from the Korean Peninsula. The envisioned Aegis Ashore units were initially expected to include CEC equipment. A U.S. military source questioned the Japanese plan to limit the use of Aegis Ashore systems at least initially to ballistic missile defense, claiming that it is necessary for Japan to not just respond to the threat of North Korean ballistic missiles but also strengthen its air defense capability to address threats from China. Huge costs associated with the Aegis Ashore system may have discouraged the government from adopting the CEC equipment, observers said. The Defense Ministry has come under fire after revising up its estimate of the introduction costs from about ¥80 billion per unit to ¥134 billion. The government may face further costs related to its selection of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s sophisticated solid-state radar equipment for the Aegis Ashore units.

military
self defense forces
aegis ashore


Emperor and Empress surprise joggers in early morning stroll outside Imperial Palace

Abstract: Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko took a morning walk outside their residence Sunday, viewing cherry blossoms in the outer Imperial Palace grounds in central Tokyo during a rare occasion that surprised joggers and other passersby. It is likely to be their last such stroll during his reign as the 85-year-old Emperor is scheduled to abdicate on April 30. The Imperial couple apparently took a breather amid a hectic schedule in relation to the abdication and the beginning of the Reiwa Era, which will begin with Crown Prince Naruhito’s ascension to the throne on May 1. At around 7:10 a.m., the Emperor and Empress made an unannounced appearance near the Kitanomaru garden park and walked around for about 10 minutes, during which they exchanged greetings with people who were also walking there. The couple, known for their morning strolls, walked the same route and viewed cherry blossoms also in 2017 and 2018. The Imperial Palace grounds are famous for cherry trees, and the blossoms along Inui Street, which was open to the general public from March 30 through Sunday this year, have attracted hordes of people.

emperor akihito
imperial family
empress michiko


Portrait book years in the making explores identity from eyes of mixed-race Japanese

Abstract: SAGA - Japanese-Belgian photographer Tetsuro Miyazaki’s ongoing project Hāfu2Hāfu, which documents the portraits and thoughts on identity of Japanese mixed-race individuals, is being released after years in the making. Individuals with mixed roots are colloquially referred to in Japanese as hāfu , the Japanese pronunciation of the word “half.” The term most often signifies someone whose ethnicity is half Japanese. The 40-year-old photographer was curious about such individuals and their upbringings, and wanted to explore the nature of what it means to be Japanese for those who are half-Japanese. “There are many who feel isolated because of their appearance or parent’s nationality, despite growing up Japanese,” Miyazaki said. The project features a total of 120 individuals spanning 98 nationalities and all genders, ages, ethnicities and places of residence to present the full experience of what it means to be hāfu. Each portrait in the 152-page book is shot in black and white, with a question printed at the bottom of each raising different topics, such as “How many places do you call home?” or “Do you think the problem of discrimination is improving?” Miyazaki, who was raised in Brussels, was born to a Japanese father from Saga Prefecture and a Belgian mother. “Many treated me like a foreigner based on my name and appearance,” he said. His background in kendo and karate as a child led to him spending six months at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies as an exchange student. There, he practiced kendo five times a week. He soon discovered that the university’s Japanese students were practicing outside of club hours and felt as if he “existed outside of Japanese society.” After graduating, Miyazaki joined a company in the Netherlands but quit his job to pursue photography. He then wrote an article online about hāfu, leading him to gain support for the project. He began the portraits in the summer of 2016 with help from crowdfunding sources and is currently working to reach his goal of documenting and photographing half-Japanese individuals from 192 countries. “We’re not all bilingual. We’re not all models. I’m challenging the stereotype of what it means to be hāfu in Japan,” he said. “I want this project to open discussions between friends and family about identity.”


Insiders warn of continued exploitation by technical-trainee brokers as Japan launches new visa system

Abstract: A whistleblower working for a technical trainee broker in Vietnam has brought to light a series of problematic, exploitation issues at such firms, including illegal spending on extravagant events and fake claims for entertaining expenses that were passed on in fees charged to the trainees. The claims were sent in an email by a Japanese woman who works at a Hanoi-based technical trainee brokerage. “While working here, I sense arrogance toward trainees,” she claimed in the message sent in January to a Kanto-based intermediary group that screens and dispatches technical trainees around Japan. Officials at the brokerage are “oblivious to the circumstances of trainees, including their determination to go to Japan even by borrowing money while leaving their families behind,” the woman wrote. The news comes after Japan introduced new work visas earlier this month in a bid to accept more foreign workers to compensate for labor shortages. The email mirrors warnings by experts that exploitation by unscrupulous labor brokers is likely to remain a serious problem. The unnamed Kanto-based dispatch group also received an email from a Japanese man who works at a different trainee brokerage in Hanoi. The second email mentioned the existence of a group that charges prospective trainees a fee for helping them pass interviews with Japanese companies. “Young people (in Vietnam) usually earn around ¥20,000 to ¥30,000 (per month). We send them to Japan with debt of ¥1 million,” the man wrote in the email. It’s “unacceptable” to force trainees to bear these extra financial burdens, the man stressed. Brokers are banned from demanding over $3,600 (about ¥400,000) in commission fees from trainees, rules that often appear to be ignored. While the existing Technical Intern Training Program has a different purpose from the new visa system, which is to help foreign trainees acquire professional skills that will be useful in their home countries, technical trainee brokers are expected to provide services to those seeking entry to Japan under the new system as well. According to an official with the Kanto group, there are also problems on the Japanese side. Many officials of recipient organizations demand that brokers pay them kickbacks or wine and dine them at expensive restaurants, he said. Such kickbacks are prohibited by law. Under the new system, organizations that accept foreign workers are allowed to conduct recruitment on their own in foreign countries. But those with no offices in target countries have no choice but to rely on local brokers and others. People hoping to work in Japan are “placed in the weakest position,” the official with the Kanto-based firm stressed. “The problem is that they may be forced to cover extra costs with additional loans.” The Japanese government is working to sign memorandums of understanding with nine Asian countries to exclude unethical labor brokers. Under the MOUs, however, the Japanese government will not be able to directly regulate brokers in the partner countries.


Despite divisions, LDP scores key win as Japan votes in nationwide polls

Abstract: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party got off to a good start Sunday as it heads toward this summer’s Upper House election, winning the key Hokkaido gubernatorial election in the first round of nationwide local polls, Kyodo News projections showed. But the process of choosing candidates also revealed significant divisions in the ruling party as it failed to field a single candidate in other gubernatorial races held the same day due to conflicts within some local chapters. The LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito scored a victory in the race in Hokkaido — the only one among Sunday’s 11 gubernatorial elections that pitted a candidate backed by the ruling bloc against a unified candidate for opposition parties. Naomichi Suzuki, 38, a former mayor of the town of Yubari who was endorsed by the ruling bloc, defeated former Lower House member Tomohiro Ishikawa, 45, who was backed by opposition parties including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, according to Kyodo projections. Ishikawa is a former secretary to Ichiro Ozawa, an opposition party heavyweight, and many opposition leaders visited Hokkaido to support Ishikawa’s campaign. Ishikawa’s defeat is likely to dampen election prospects for opposition parties, which are now preparing for a critical Upper House election set for summer. Elections were also held to pick six mayors as well as assembly members in 41 out of the country’s 47 prefectures and 17 big cities. The final results were expected early Monday. In Fukuoka, incumbent governor Hiroshi Ogawa, 69, beat Kazuhisa Takeuchi,47, who was backed by Finance Minister Taro Aso, and Kiyoshi Shinoda, an independent backed by the Japanese Communist Party. That result is particularly humiliating for Aso, a close ally of Abe, because some LDP members rebelled against him and supported Ogawa during the campaign. Aso’s own election district is in Fukuoka Prefecture. “We couldn’t get him elected and it’s very frustrating. I apologize for it,” Aso told a meeting of Takeuchi’s supporters in the city of Fukuoka on Sunday evening. The first round of nationwide elections came only days after a deputy land minister resigned to take responsibility for remarks he made that special treatment was given to a road project to please Abe and Aso, adding to a series of gaffes and scandals involving ruling lawmakers since Abe took office in 2012. Aso doubles as deputy prime minister. Revitalizing regional economies and stemming population declines were among major issues in the elections as rural areas are seen as benefiting less from the Abenomics policy mix undertaken by the prime minister. The central government has said Japan’s economy is expanding moderately. But recent data have indicated the country has already entered a recessionary phase rather than marking its longest growth streak since the end of World War II, as was previously believed. In Fukui, Shimane, Tokushima and Fukuoka prefectures, the LDP failed to field single candidates, revealing divisions within its local chapters. Gubernatorial races were also held in Kanagawa, Nara, Tottori, Oita and Mie prefectures. Japan will have another round of simultaneous local elections on April 21.

shinzo abe
ldp
taro aso
elections
hokkaido


Japan's top government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, among post-Abe candidates, LDP heavyweight says

Abstract: Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga is among those who may take over the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who also serves as LDP president, the party’s secretary-general has said. Suga “has done very well as chief Cabinet secretary in this difficult period,” Toshihiro Nikai said in an interview with the monthly magazine Bungei Shunju. “He is capable enough (of serving as LDP president).” Suga, the country’s longest-serving chief Cabinet secretary, has long been in the public eye, but gained an iconic spot in the popular consciousness after announcing the new era name, Reiwa, at a nationally televised news conference last Monday. Nikai, however, said he does not mean to put Suga forward as a candidate in the next LDP leadership race. The interview is set to be published in the magazine’s next issue, due out Wednesday. Concerning speculation about possible simultaneous elections for both chambers of the Diet, Nikai said it was important to focus on the planned summer Upper House election. However, he said, if Abe decides to hold a double election, the LDP would definitely accept his decision.

shinzo abe
yoshihide suga
ldp
elections
cabinet
toshihiro nikai


Toyota's optical sensors might help farmers raise crop yields through quick soil analysis

Abstract: Toyota Motor Corp. has started testing a service that analyzes farm soil with optical sensors, allowing farmers to strategically distribute fertilizer to increase crop yields. The experiment in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, uses the automaker’s so-called Toyota Production System, which was developed to maximize production efficiency based on data analysis. By clarifying soil composition and offering suggestions on fertilizer amount and other important factors needed to make the best soil for growing crops, Toyota hopes to make it easier for farmers to pass their expertise down to younger generations. “We hope that digitizing the experiences and intuition of artisan-like farmers, and offering cultivation guidance based on that data, will lead to solving the problem” with farmers lacking successors, said Takeshi Kanamori, head of Toyota’s agriculture support division. In the experiment, a tractor tows an optical sensor inserted into the ground. The sensor measures the amount of light the soil absorbs, which differs according to soil composition, every 50 cm. The data is then combined with GPS data to create a map showing the distribution of 30 soil components related to crop growth, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Through the analysis, Toyota can offer diagnoses and soil improvement plans that can tell clients which crops are best suited for their land and which fertilizers they should use to raise yields. Farmers who want their soil diagnosed usually have to gather samples from several locations in their fields during the offseason and send them out for analysis. In some cases, it can take a couple of months to get the results, which can be too late to make adjustments. By using the new technology developed jointly by Toyota and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, the time required can be shortened to a week or two. In addition, the technology makes it possible for all of one’s farmland to be measured thoroughly, allowing farmers to calculate exactly how much fertilizer is needed. This means the technology can help reduce costs and reduce the impact on the environment. In the experiment, which will be conducted through December, Toyota is providing the new service to a rice farmer in Suzuka and collecting data with Tokai Trading Co., a supplier of agricultural materials in Yokkaichi. They are planning to conduct the experiment in other regions as well. Toyota started developing ways to support farmers in 2011 to contribute to local development. Based on the TPS, it developed a system to manage farm tasks via smartphone, and more than 80 agricultural production corporations now use it. Toyota believes its new soil service will help farmers further improve their efficiency.


Japan defense chief vows to defend territory in visit to new GSDF base on distant southwest island

Abstract: MIYAKOJIMA, Okinawa Pref. - Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Sunday highlighted Japan’s resolve to defend its far-flung territory amid China’s maritime assertiveness by touring a newly opened Ground Self-Defense Force base on Miyako Island. “The Miyako Island camp is on the front lines of our country’s defenses. We are seeing steady progress over the defense of the southwestern region,” Iwaya told GSDF members on the islet located some 290 kilometers southwest of Okinawa’s main island. Miyako Island sits around 210 km from the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which China claims and calls Diaoyu. Chinese government ships have repeatedly entered Japanese waters around the Senkakus, creating tensions. The GSDF is gearing up to fill what is considered a defense vacuum in the waters around Okinawa, with Japanese troops having been stationed only on the prefecture’s main island until recent years. On Miyako Island, a 380-member security unit was deployed to a camp established on March 26. Missile units are also expected to be installed as early as 2020, with the total number of troops there to eventually increase to 700 or 800. Some of the approximately 54,000 residents of the island group have expressed opposition to the GSDF deployment. Iwaya has recently admitted that ammunition, such as mortar rounds, have been in storage on the camp site despite authorities having told locals that only guns and flares are kept. On Sunday, he apologized to Miyakojima Mayor Toshihiko Shimoji and a representative of local residents over the incident. “Our explanation was insufficient. I’m very sorry,” Iwaya said. The ammunition has been temporarily removed from the island to address safety concerns among residents. It will be brought back once an ammunition depot, which is under construction in a different part of the island, is completed, according to the Defense Ministry.

china
okinawa
military
senkakus
self defense forces
miyako island


U.S. 'not satisfied yet' in China trade talks, says White House official

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. officials are “not satisfied yet” about all the issues standing in the way of a deal to end the U.S.-China trade war but made progress in talks with China last week, a top White House official said on Monday. The United States and China have been embroiled in a tit-for-tat tariff battle since July 2018, roiling global financial markets and supply chains and costing both of the world’s two largest economies billions of dollars. U.S. officials are pressing China to make changes to address longstanding concerns over industrial subsidies, technology transfer and intellectual property rights. The two sides wrapped up the latest round of talks in Washington late last week and will be resuming discussions this week remotely. “We’re making progress on a range of things, and there’s some stuff where we’re not satisfied yet,” Clete Willems, a top White House trade official, told Reuters on the sidelines of a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event on Monday. He declined to get into specifics on which issues remained unsettled. Last week, President Donald Trump said a deal could be reached in about four weeks. Willems also declined to specify a time-line for the pact, noting: “It should be a good sign for people that we’re not rushing into this we want to get it right and we need to nail down specifics.” Willems said that the two sides were still trying to settle on how to handle existing tariffs. The United States has slapped tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods, and the Trump administration sees those as leverage to ensure Beijing keeps any promises made in the deal. Chinese officials want the levies removed. The United States and China have agreed on an enforcement structure that would give Washington the right to retaliate if Beijing was not honoring the terms of the agreement, Willems said. European Union leaders did not take issues with Chinese trade policy as seriously as they should have in the past, but the United States and the EU are now “working hand in hand” at the World Trade Organization on China’s nonmarket economic policies, Willems said earlier in remarks at the Chamber of Commerce. The United States and the EU want to work together on joint projects that provide market-based alternatives to state-led initiatives “that can come with strings attached,” he said. Next month China is hosting its second summit for its Belt and Road initiative, which envisions connecting China with Asia, Europe and beyond with massive infrastructure spending, but the United States will not be sending high-level officials to the event. Washington views Beijing as a major strategic rival. The United States has said it views the initiative as a way of spreading Chinese influence overseas and saddling low-income countries with unsustainable debt using opaque projects. Willems, who has been a key figure in negotiations with China, said last month he will be leaving the White House in the coming weeks to spend more time with his family after the birth of a new baby.

china
u.s .
tariffs
donald trump
trade war


Neo-Nazi website founder must return to U.S. to face suit over anti-Semitic 'troll storm'

Abstract: NEW YORK - A neo-Nazi website operator is not excused from returning to the U.S. for questioning under oath in a lawsuit accusing him of orchestrating an anti-Semitic “troll storm” against a Montana real estate agent’s family, a federal judge has ruled. The Daily Stormer founder Andrew Anglin claims it’s too dangerous for him to travel to the U.S., but Magistrate Judge Jeremiah Lynch ruled Friday that Anglin’s personal safety concerns are “factually unsupported” and no basis for a protective order sparing him from an in-person deposition in the U.S. One of Anglin’s attorneys, Marc Randazza, said in a text message Monday that his client has made it clear to him and to the court that he won’t return to the U.S. Randazza said he expects that Anglin would “willingly” accept a default judgment against him before returning to the U.S. for a deposition by Tanya Gersh’s attorneys from the Southern Poverty Law Center. “The end result of that will be that the SPLC will get a piece of paper, my client will pay nothing and there won’t even be a decision on the legal merits, at least clarifying the law. Everyone loses,” Randazza wrote. In the lawsuit she filed in Montana against Anglin in 2017, Gersh claims anonymous internet trolls bombarded her family with hateful and threatening messages after Anglin published their personal information, including her 12-year-old son’s Twitter handle and photo. In a string of posts, Anglin had accused Gersh and other Jewish residents of Whitefish, Montana, of engaging in an “extortion racket” against the mother of white nationalist Richard Spencer. Gersh says she had agreed to help Spencer’s mother sell commercial property she owns in Whitefish amid talk of a protest outside the building. Sherry Spencer, however, later accused Gersh of threatening and harassing her into agreeing to sell the property. Anglin, an Ohio native, claims he hasn’t been to the U.S. since 2012. He refuses to disclose his current whereabouts, claiming he gets death threats. But he has said he took up residency in the Philippines sometime before 2010, moved to Greece in 2013 and then moved to Cambodia four days before Tanya Gersh sued him in 2017. Anglin’s attorneys had argued the court can order Anglin’s deposition to take place abroad or by telephone or video conference. Court records show Anglin suggested meeting in Cuba or Venezuela for his deposition — a suggestion that Gersh’s attorneys found dubious. Her lawyers from the Alabama-based law center said Anglin’s request amounted to baseless gamesmanship. “Since the outset of this case, (Anglin) has displayed a pattern of disregard for the authority of this Court and the seriousness of these proceedings,” they wrote in a court filing. Gersh’s attorneys said they recently deposed Richard Spencer “without incident, and without publicizing either the fact of the deposition or its location or timing.” Lynch said he is willing to order that the time and place of Anglin’s deposition be kept confidential. Gersh’s suit accuses Anglin of invading her privacy, intentionally inflicting “emotional distress” and violating a Montana anti-intimidation law. Anglin’s site takes its name from Der Stuermer, a newspaper that published Nazi propaganda in Nazi-era Germany, and includes sections called “Jewish Problem” and “Race War.”

u.s .
anti-semitism
montana
neo-nazis
richard spencer
daily stormer
andrew anglin


In retaliation for Airbus subsidies, Trump says he'll put tariffs on $11 billion in EU goods

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday lashed out at the European Union, vowing to slap tariffs on billions in EU imports in retaliation for subsidies to aviation giant Airbus. “The World Trade Organization finds that the European Union subsidies to Airbus has adversely impacted the United States, which will now put Tariffs on $11 Billion of EU products!” Trump tweeted. “The EU has taken advantage of the US on trade for many years. It will soon stop!” However, the immediate consequences from Trump’s Twitter outburst were unclear. Hours earlier, on Monday evening, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer had said the final amount of any tariffs had yet to be determined and would not be announced until the outcome of a WTO arbitration process — expected later this year. Lighthizer’s office published a preliminary list — including items as diverse as aircraft, swordfish, cheeses and liquors — that he said could be subject to additional duties in the future. The EU and the United States have been maintaining a fragile trade truce since Trump angered Europe last year by slapping duties on steel and aluminum imports and threatening new ones on cars. For more than 14 years, Washington and Brussels have accused each other of unfairly subsidizing Boeing and Airbus, respectively, in a tit-for-tat dispute that long predates Trump. The Boeing-Airbus spat is the longest and most complicated dispute dealt with by the WTO, which aims to create a level playing field in global trade. The EU fired back on Tuesday, saying that the amounts claimed by the U.S. were “greatly exaggerated.”

u.s .
trade
eu
airbus
tariffs
donald trump


France begins debating digital tax for tech giants, defying U.S. ire

Abstract: PARIS - French lawmakers on Monday began debating a new tax on digital giants such as Facebook and Apple that has angered the United States, with Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire boasting that France was proud to be in the vanguard of such a move. The United States has urged its NATO ally to drop the plan, with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warning last week that it would hurt both the American firms and the French citizens who use them. The legislation, dubbed “Gafa” after Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple, comes amid rising public outrage at the minimal tax paid by some of the world’s richest firms. “France is honored to be leading on such subjects,” Le Maire told parliament, saying that the draft constituted a “step … towards a fairer and more efficient taxation for the 21st century.” The debates in the National Assembly are due to last until Wednesday. Responding to the criticism from the United States, Le Maire said France was “determined” to press on with the legislation and would be “sovereign” on fiscal issues. He said it was “unacceptable” that digital giants could make “considerable profits” from user data so that the “profits are made in France but the taxes are imposed abroad. Last month, France unveiled the draft legislation to set a three percent tax on digital advertising, the sale of personal data and other revenue for any technology company that earns more than €750 million ($840 million) worldwide each year. France is seeking to agree the legislation on a national level after a European Union-wide effort was scuttled by low-tax countries such as Ireland, which have wooed big technology firms. But Le Maire insisted that a “good solution in the long term will be a multilateral solution,” vowing not to let up in efforts for an agreement within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

france
u.s .
google
apple
facebook
amazon.com
mike pompeo
bruno le maire
digital tax


Dollar slips through ¥111.30 in Tokyo

Abstract: The dollar fell below ¥111.30 in Tokyo trading Tuesday, battered by lower U.S. long-term interest rates. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥111.26-26, down from ¥111.45-45 at the same time Monday. The euro was at $1.1265-1265, up from $1.1228-1229, and at ¥125.34-34, up from ¥125.14-15. The dollar rose close to ¥111.60 after moving around ¥111.50 in early hours. But the greenback slipped through ¥111.30 in line with the Nikkei 225 stock average’s drop later in the morning. Following a slight rebound, the dollar eased back to levels below ¥111.30 on selling prompted by a drop in U.S. 10-year interest rates in off-hours trading. “Position-squaring selling emerged when the dollar topped ¥111.50,” an official of a foreign exchange margin trading service firm said. “But the U.S. currency did not fall further due to a lack of follow-through selling,” the official added. A currency broker said trading became subdued ahead of a European Union summit and the release of the minutes of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting last month, both set for Wednesday.


Nikkei 225 takes moderate upturn on selective buying

Abstract: The Nikkei 225 average turned moderately higher Tuesday, supported by buying of individual issues with incentives. The benchmark gauge gained 40.94 points, or 0.19 percent, to end at 21,802.59 after falling 45.85 points Monday. On the other hand, the Topix, which covers all first-section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, finished down 1.38 points, or 0.09 percent, at 1,618.76. It dropped 5.61 points the previous day. After getting off to a weaker start, the Nikkei soon popped into positive territory. But the jump prompted selling on a rally, brokers said. Underpinned by selective buying, the key indicator fluctuated in a narrow range slightly above the previous day’s closing level for most of the afternoon, they added, The Topix failed to become buoyant throughout the session, although it displayed some resilience in the afternoon. The Nikkei’s advance was supported mainly by Sony’s surge, which helped the price index gain some 16 points on a closing basis, a market source pointed out. Investors rushed to buy Sony following a news report that U.S. investment firm Third Point LLC is raising its stake in the technology giant, according to Chihiro Ota, general manager for investment research and investor services at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. But taken as a whole, Tuesday’s market was “weighed on by individual players’ small-lot selling,” Ota said. “Investors won’t buy in stocks before examining earnings reports” to be released by major Japanese firms from late this month, Yoshihiko Tabei, chief analyst at Naito Securities Co., said. Falling issues outnumbered rising ones 1,318 to 705 in the first section, while 117 issues were unchanged. Volume inched up to 1.105 billion shares from 1.057 billion Monday. Sony rocketed 9.26 percent. Japan Cash Machine and another cash machine maker Glory shot up 8.57 percent and 7.87 percent, respectively, following the government’s announcement Tuesday morning that it will redesign paper currency. Other major winners included industrial robot producer Fanuc and chipmaking gear manufacturer Tokyo Electron. By contrast, furniture retailer Nitori Holdings sagged 2.21 percent as its consolidated operating profit forecast for the year through February 2020 failed to beat market expectations, brokers said. Also sold were convenience store operator FamilyMart Uny and technology investor SoftBank Group.


Honda to end car production in Turkey in 2021

Abstract: ISTANBUL - Honda Motor Co. will end car production in Turkey in 2021 after the completion of existing manufacturing operations for the Civic Sedan model. The automaker said Monday the move is needed to ensure appropriate production capacity amid developments in the electrification field in the global auto industry. Honda said it will shut down the Turkey plant and provide re-employment and other kinds of support to about 1,100 employees affected by the decision.


Japan's IHI finds 7,000 more cases of improper jet engine inspections

Abstract: A scandal over improper maintenance work at jet-engine maker IHI Corp. deepened as the company said it has found over 7,000 cases of flawed engine inspections in the process of making engine parts during the two years through January. The latest findings, which also affect parts supplied to Self-Defense Forces aircraft, raised the tally of improper inspections by the Tokyo-based company to over 13,000. IHI said Monday it has found no safety problems due to the improper checks. IHI, a supplier of engines to Boeing Co. and Airbus S.A.S., is among a slew of Japanese manufacturers recently embroiled in scandals over improper quality controls on their products, including Nissan Motor Co. and Kobe Steel Ltd. In an investigation covering 1.8 million engine part inspections conducted at three plants in Tokyo and elsewhere, 7,138 cases were found to have involved uncertified staff such as trainees or were not conducted by inspectors whose names were recorded in documents. About 20 percent of the flawed checks involved defense equipment, including SDF planes, the company said. The heavy machinery maker stated in a news release that the affected products meet the specified size, strength, functions and performance and have no technical problems. The company also said the malpractice took place because employees lacked the awareness to abide by the rules and there were insufficient inspectors to handle the increased workload. “We are considering company-wide measures … to make sure that the same thing will not happen again,” IHI said, noting that it is already training people to become inspectors. In late March, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ordered IHI to rectify its jet engine maintenance operations and stick to government-approved methods, after it reported 6,340 improper inspections affecting 209 engines in the two years through January. The number jumped from an initial report in early March, in which the company only confirmed 211 improper checks in engine maintenance work entrusted by airlines. The problem was uncovered earlier this year following an on-site inspection by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co. said earlier that IHI told them that no engines inspected by the company had safety issues. The two airlines consign some of their engine repairs and maintenance operations to IHI. The scandal has rocked IHI at a time when it is seeking to strengthen its maintenance business through the construction of a new plant in Saitama Prefecture.


In video, ousted Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn claims he's a victim of 'conspiracy'

Abstract: In a highly anticipated video released Tuesday, Carlos Ghosn characterizes his ousting from the automaker he led for 20 years as “a conspiracy” by “selfish” Nissan executives afraid to forge ahead in its alliance with Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Renault SA. “This is about a plot. This is about conspiracies. This is about backstabbing,” the former Nissan Motor Co. chairman says in the video that according to his lawyers was recorded April 3, the day before his fourth arrest. “I have a lot of respect for Nissan employees,” he says. “I am talking here about a few executives who obviously for their own interest and for their own selfish fears are creating a lot of value destruction … we are talking about people who really played a very dirty game.” According to Junichiro Hironaka, one of his lawyers, Ghosn originally named individuals as masterminds of the conspiracy, but the defense team redacted those names at their discretion after getting consent from Ghosn. The video was aired to journalists a day after Nissan formally expelled Ghosn, who faces charges of financial misconduct and breach of trust, from its board at an extraordinary shareholders meeting. Ghosn appears in the video dressed in a black jacket and white shirt with no tie, maintaining a calm demeanor. He reiterates his innocence but offers no specifics. Hironaka justified that decision, saying it would be inappropriate for Ghosn to comment on the allegations based on speculation and because the prosecutors have not fully revealed their evidence. “I am also innocent of all the accusations that came around these charges that are all biased, taken out of context, twisted in a way to paint a personage of greed and the personage of dictatorship,” Ghosn says. Nissan removed Ghosn from its board, his last remaining tie to the Nissan-Mitsubishi-Renault alliance, on Monday in a vote by its shareholders. Ghosn was relieved as chairman immediately after his arrest in November. The other two automakers had already stripped him of his executive titles. Ghosn stresses his affection for Japan and Nissan, explaining that he came to this nation in 1999 because he “was fascinated with the country” as well as “the challenge of reviving” the automaker, which was struggling at the time. “My love for Japan and my love for Nissan is untainted today after all the ordeal I’ve been through,” he says. At the same time, the former auto titan also expresses his concern for the future of the company, citing sluggish performance and scandals, including tampering with the results of new cars’ carbon dioxide emissions. He says the current executives have elaborated neither on the future of Nissan nor the alliance in spite of Nissan’s “absolutely mediocre performance.” “This becomes very sad and obviously for somebody like me it’s very sickening,” he says. His attorneys said Ghosn recorded himself talking about the case because of the possibility that the prosecutors could bring fresh allegations against him and he might be deprived of an opportunity to tell his side of the story. Both Ghosn and Hironaka denounced prosecutors for sabotaging a planned news conference by arresting him. Hironaka repeated his remarks from last week that Ghosn’s fourth arrest isn’t justifiable as he did not pose a flight risk and was not at risk of tampering with evidence. The prosecutors are taking “cruel steps” to force Ghosn into making a confession, he said. “The arrest and detention of Mr. Carlos Ghosn was carried out … to apply unjust pressure upon Mr. Ghosn,” Hironaka said. The defense team will make a special appeal to the Supreme Court on Wednesday about the arrest. Ghosn was rearrested last Thursday after the Tokyo prosecutors accused him offunneling some of Nissan’s payments — about ¥500 million — to a Lebanese firm run by his associates through a distributor in Oman for his own personal use. The arrest took place while he had been released on bail, a highly unusual legal practice. The 65-year-old former automaker executive tweeted April 3, the day before his fourth arrest that he would be holding a news conference to “tell the truth about what’s happening.” His wife, Carole, had left Japan following his arrest, telling the French media she did so because she feared for her safety. Hironaka blasted prosecutors last week for treating her like a criminal when they raided Ghosn’s home by confiscating her personal items, such as her cellphone, even though she is not a suspect. “You would be able to imagine how frightening it must have been for (Carole) to come to a foreign country and see her husband who has been in detention,” Hironaka said. Ghosn was arrested along with his close associate, Greg Kelly, in November after being accused of falsely reporting his income for years. He was subsequently arrested and charged with aggravated breach of trust for the alleged transfer of private investment losses to Nissan in 2008. Ghosn said he hopes he will get a fair trial, but his lawyers indicated it is unclear whether he will get one.

scandals
nissan
carmakers
renault
carlos ghosn


France reportedly says it won't give special treatment to Carlos Ghosn despite wife's plea

Abstract: PARIS - An official of the French presidential office has indicated that the government is unwilling to give special treatment to former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn, French radio RTL reported Monday. The official said that Ghosn, rearrested in Tokyo last week on fresh charges of aggravated breach of trust, should be put on trial in the same way as other suspects. The official also reportedly said French judicial authorities are investigating the case just like Japanese authorities and that the government does not have a say in such a judicial matter. The comments came after Ghosn’s wife, Carole Ghosn, sought the support of French President Emmanuel Macron in efforts to have the former Nissan chief, a French citizen, released on bail. In an interview with RTL, Ghosn’s wife criticized the Japanese judicial system by saying that her husband has been treated like a criminal though his trial has not begun yet, and that the principle of assumed innocence has not been respected. She claimed that France has done nothing except for having the French ambassador to Japan accompany her when she left the country last week. She said she hopes Macron will help her husband win release from the Tokyo Detention House. Ghosn’s wife also told RTL that she is ready to return to Japan to be questioned by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office.


Japan's Asics and Mizuno look to capitalize on Rugby World Cup and Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Abstract: Japanese sports equipment firms are looking at the three years through 2021, dubbed the “Golden Sports Years,” as opportunities for growth. These are “three unprecedented years,” Akito Mizuno, president of Mizuno Corp., said of the period during which major world sporting events will be held here, including the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, and the 2021 World Masters Games. Asics Corp. aims to use the 2020 Summer Olympics to make its brand “shine,” said Yasuhito Hirota, president and chief operating officer. The company is one of the sponsors of the Tokyo Games. Hirota said Asics will aim to achieve consolidated sales of ¥500 billion in 2020, up 29 percent from 2018. The company “wants to return to world No. 1” in the market for running shoes by pushing its new Metaride series of high-performance models, he said. He also said Asics will make India and Indonesia, where sports are growing in popularity, its priority markets. The company is considering local production in India, he added. Mizuno expressed hopes that the 2021 World Masters Games, which will be mainly held in Kansai, will contribute to his company’s earnings. Noting that the World Masters Games allow anyone to compete, in contrast with spectator-driven events, he said that his company “has high expectations” for the event. Osaka is also set to host the 2025 World Expo. On such events, Mizuno said it is “important to leave a legacy” and make sure the events are “not a temporary festival.” He indicated that his company will work on lowering barriers for participation in sports, including promoting the construction of related facilities.

olympics
asics
2020 tokyo olympics
2019 rugby world cup
mizuno


Japan's Kameda Seika to produce popular Kaki No Tane rice crackers in India

Abstract: NEW DELHI - Snack company Kameda Seika Co. will produce its mainstay crispy rice cracker in India starting in June following a better than expected trial sales performance in the world’s second-most populous nation. The investment amount and production capacity for a plant in Haryana state adjacent to the capital has not been disclosed, Tamotsu Katagiri, manager of the corporate planning department, told NNA on Monday. The cracker with roasted peanuts, known as Kaki No Tane in Japan and Kameda Crisps abroad, will be priced at 50 rupees (¥80) for a 70-gram package and 99 rupees for 150 grams, he said. The firm, headquartered in Niigata Prefecture, formed a joint venture, Daawat Kameda (India) Pvt., in the northern state with leading local food maker LT Foods Ltd. in 2017. The venture has since test-marketed the product under the Kari Kari brand imported from China and has seen good responses from local consumers, Katagiri said. Kameda Seika is ramping up its overseas business, aiming to boost the ratio of sales in foreign markets to total sales from 7.5 percent in the year to March 2018 to 14.5 percent in the year to March 2024. India is Kameda Seika’s sixth country to locally manufacture the rice crackers, after Cambodia, China, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.

india
rice
snacks
kameda seika
nuts
rice crackers


Daniel Loeb's Third Point hedge fund building a stake to pressure Sony, sources say

Abstract: BOSTON/NEW YORK - Daniel Loeb’s hedge fund Third Point LLC is building a stake in Sony Corp. to push for changes, the second time in six years it has targeted the electronics maker, according to sources familiar with the matter. Once a market leader in consumer electronics, Sony is now in the midst of a turnaround effort spearheaded by Kenichiro Yoshida, its chief executive who formerly served at its chief financial officer. The maker of the iconic Walkman and Trinitron TV fell behind the likes of Apple Inc. in innovation after the release of the iPod in 2001 and the iPhone in 2007. Sony over the past decade has reinvented itself as an entertainment company with stable revenue from music content and its video game platform. Investors are now searching for its next source of growth as Sony’s gaming business shows signs of slowing, with its popular PlayStation 4 console nearing the end of its cycle. Third Point’s amassed stake in Sony thus far could not be learned. The hedge fund, which has about $14.5 billion in assets under management, is raising a dedicated investment vehicle, targeting between $500 million and $1 billion in capital, so it can buy more Sony shares, the sources said Monday. Third Point wants Sony to explore options for some of its business units, including its movie studio, which the hedge fund believes has attracted takeover interest from the likes of Amazon.com Inc. and Netflix Inc., the sources said. The hedge fund also wants clarity on how the semiconductor and insurance divisions fit in with the rest of the company. The sources asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential. Sony and Third Point declined to comment. Sony reported lower than expected profit in February, dragged down by its previously thriving gaming business, even as a one-off gain related to its acquisition of music publisher EMI pushed the quarterly result to a record high. Third Point last exited a stake in Sony in 2014 with a roughly 20 percent gain after spending a year and a half pushing for Sony to spin off its entertainment division, writing in a letter to investors that the division “remains poorly managed.” Later Loeb changed his tune, praising the company for cutting costs at the entertainment division and having made management changes. Sony’s shares rose more than 8 percent in Tokyo on Tuesday afternoon after the report.

sony
electronics
investments
hedge funds
third point
video games
daniel loeb


Japan's Dai-ichi Life Insurance gets green light to set up shop in Myanmar

Abstract: YANGON - Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co. has become one of five foreign insurers to obtain initial approval to enter the Myanmar market via a wholly owned subsidiary. The Japanese insurer is expected to set up a subsidiary to start operations in the Southeast Asian country. Dai-ichi Life won in-principle approval along with Hong Kong-based AIA Co., Bermuda-registered Chubb Tempest Reinsurance Ltd., Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. of Canada and Prudential Hong Kong Ltd., according to the Ministry of Planning and Finance’s Financial Regulatory Department. Myanmar announced in January the opening of its insurance sector to foreign firms and released terms and processes to give license approval. In addition to the five foreign companies, the Myanmar government is expected to grant licenses to five other Japanese insurers by mid-May to operate via joint ventures in which their shareholdings are limited to up to 35 percent, according to the regulatory body. The five Japanese companies are two life insurers — Taiyo Life Insurance Co. and Nippon Life Insurance Co.’s regional arm Nippon Life Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., and three nonlife insurers — Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance Inc., Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. After nearly half a century of monopoly under the state-backed Myanmar Insurance Co., the government started reforming the insurance sector in 2013 by granting licenses to local firms, and 33 foreign firms have been allowed to set up representative offices since then.

myanmar
insurance
dai-ichi life insurance


Mitsubishi UFJ to issue its own digital currency in Japan, called 'coin,' by end of year

Abstract: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. plans to put its original digital currency into practical use by the end of this year, according to President Kanetsugu Mike. The major banking group hopes to enable other enterprises, such as retail stores, to use the digital currency, called “coin,” as their own currencies and bearing their own respective corporate names. If businesses in different sectors use the currency, Mitsubishi UFJ “will be able to connect economic blocs,” including customer bases of such firms, Mike said in a recent interview. With competition for cashless payments intensifying, as seen in moves to issue new digital currencies, Mike voiced confidence in differentiating his company from others by providing a payment infrastructure that will enable many companies to participate. Mike also revealed that Mitsubishi UFJ plans to introduce a smartphone app by the end of June that will centrally manage credit cards, reward point services and other functions. Amid a harsh business environment surrounding the banking industry, mainly due to prolonged low interest rates, Mike said Mitsubishi UFJ will treat people accordingly when they take on a challenge in a new area. He indicated that he will continue to change Mitsubishi UFJ’s corporate culture by reviewing its personnel system, including through promoting personnel exchanges among the banking, trust bank and securities arms, and the appointment of younger employees. Mike, who doubles as head of MUFG Bank, assumed the post of president at Mitsubishi UFJ on April 1. He became president of the banking unit in June 2017. “We aim to build an organization that is relied on and trusted globally, and represents innovation,” he said.


Japan to mandate alcohol tests for flight attendants and plane inspectors following string of drinking-related incidents

Abstract: The transport ministry said Tuesday it will mandate Breathalyzer tests for all flight attendants, engineers and flight operations managers after loosely imposed drinking regulations came under fire for a series of alcohol-related problems at Japanese airlines. Drinking rules for pilots will be applied to flight attendants, prohibiting them from consuming alcohol within eight hours of their flight duties, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said. Further alcohol tests while on duty will also be mandatory, the ministry said, and they are to be relieved of duty if even a very low level of alcohol is detected. While the ministry decided to tighten alcohol regulations for pilots following a string of drinking issues at carriers including Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co., it had been considering introducing drinking restrictions on other personnel. Engineers inspecting aircraft before departure will be subject to the new regulations, while those undertaking hanger work, such as overhauling planes, will be exempted, it said. The transport ministry set up an expert panel in November to review drinking rules for pilots. Drinking by pilots less than eight hours before duty was prohibited even before serious violations surfaced, but the rule has not been strictly implemented by domestic airlines, and Breathalyzer tests were not mandatory.


Global warming shrinking glaciers faster than thought, especially in mountains, study finds

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Earth’s glaciers are melting much faster than scientists thought. A new study shows they are losing 369 billion tons of snow and ice each year, more than half of that in North America. The most comprehensive measurement of glaciers worldwide found that thousands of inland masses of snow compressed into ice are shrinking 18 percent faster than an international panel of scientists calculated in 2013. The world’s glaciers are shrinking five times faster now than they were in the 1960s. Their melt is accelerating due to global warming, and adding more water to already rising seas, the study found. “Over 30 years suddenly almost all regions started losing mass at the same time,” said lead author Michael Zemp, director of the World Glacier Monitoring Service at the University of Zurich. “That’s clearly climate change if you look at the global picture.” The glaciers shrinking fastest are in central Europe, the Caucasus region, western Canada, the U.S. Lower 48 states, New Zealand and near the tropics. Glaciers in these places on average are losing more than 1 percent of their mass each year, according to a study in Monday’s journal Nature. “In these regions, at the current glacier loss rate, the glaciers will not survive the century,” Zemp said. Zemp’s team used ground and satellite measurements to look at 19,000 glaciers, far more than previous studies. They determined that Southwestern Asia is the only region of 19 where glaciers are not shrinking, which Zemp said is due to local climate conditions. Since 1961, the world has lost 10.6 trillion tons of ice and snow (9.6 trillion metric tons), the study found. Melted, that’s enough to cover the lower 48 U.S. states in about 4 feet of water. Scientists have known for a long time that global warming caused by human activities like burning coal, gasoline and diesel for electricity and transportation is making Earth lose its ice. They have been especially concerned with the large ice sheets covering Greenland and Antarctica. This study, “is telling us there’s much more to the story,” said Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, who wasn’t part of the study. “The influence of glaciers on sea level is bigger than we thought.” A number of factors are making sea levels rise. The biggest cause is that oceans are getting warmer, which makes water expand. The new figures show glacier melt is a bigger contributor than thought, responsible for about 25 percent to 30 percent of the yearly rise in oceans, Zemp said. Rising seas threaten coastal cities around the world and put more people at risk of flooding during storms. Glaciers grow in winter and shrink in summer, but as the Earth has warmed, they are growing less and shrinking more. Zemp said warmer summer temperatures are the main reason glaciers are shrinking faster. While people think of glaciers as polar issues, shrinking mountain glaciers closer to the equator can cause serious problems for people who depend on them, said Twila Moon, a snow and ice data center scientist who also wasn’t part of the study. She said people in the Andes, for example, rely on the glaciers for drinking and irrigation water each summer. A separate study Monday in Environmental Research Letters confirmed faster melting and other changes in the Arctic. It found that in winter, the Arctic is warming 2.8 times faster than the rest of the Northern Hemisphere. Overall, the region is getting more humid, cloudier and wetter. “It’s on steroids, it’s hyperactive,” said lead author Jason Box, a scientist for the Danish Meteorological Institute.


Florence study proves artist Leonardo da Vinci was ambidextrous

Abstract: FLORENCE, ITALY - An in-depth study of Leonardo da Vinci’s earliest-known drawing has proved that the great Renaissance artist was ambidextrous, Italy’s Uffizi Gallery said on Monday. The scientific and technological analysis also revealed a hidden, previously unknown landscape sketch, also by Leonardo, on the back of the original work. “It is a real revolution in the field of Leonardo studies,” said Uffizi director, Eike Schmidt. The findings were announced a month ahead of the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo, with museums around Europe organizing exhibitions and events to celebrate the life of the man responsible for such masterpieces as Mona Lisa. His first-known drawing is dated Aug. 5, 1473 — when Leonardo was 21 — and shows a landscape of the Arno river valley and Montelupo Castle, just outside Florence. Commonly known as “Landscape 8P” from its inventory number, the work has words on the front going from right to left, as Leonardo often used to write, which gives the date. On the back, the brief script goes from left to right, and alludes to an informal contract. A study of the two texts confirmed they were both written by Leonardo and showed he was able to write perfectly using both his left and right hand. “Leonardo was born left-handed, but was taught to write with his right hand from a very young age,” said art historian Cecilia Frosinini. “By looking at his writings, including from this drawing, one can see his right-handed calligraphy is educated and well done.” Using infrared light, the art experts also discovered two different layers of drawing, both on the back and front, with an ink line covering the original charcoal trace in certain places. Not much ink is visible on the back, but the infrared revealed that another landscape depicting a river crossed by a bridge was originally drawn there using a type of charcoal. It was not clear if the artist had rubbed the paper clean or if the charcoal had simply faded over time. “The elements that emerged during this research open up new perspectives on the interpretation of Leonardo’s Landscape 8P and on how the artist (built) the landscape, on his technique and even on his habits and abilities in writing,” Schmidt said.


Zap cap: Electrical brain stimulation seen boosting memory function in older people

Abstract: LONDON - Electrical brain stimulation using a noninvasive cap can help boost older people’s mental scores to those of people 20 to 30 years younger, according to a study published on Monday. The research, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, found that age-related decline in working memory can be reversed by stimulating two key brain areas at a specific rhythm. The findings are early and only relate to healthy volunteers at this stage, but could point to new ways to boost brain function in people with age-related cognitive decline such as dementia and Alzheimer’s patients Using a technique known as electroencephalography (EEG), scientists stimulated the brains of a group of young and old people and were able to modulate the brainwave interactions linked to their working memory. The study involved 42 younger adults aged 20 to 29 and 42 older adults aged 60 to 76, who were all assessed for their performance in a working-memory task. Working memory refers to information retained temporarily for use in immediate tasks such as reasoning and making decisions. Without brain stimulation, the older people were slower and less accurate than the younger ones. This was because the younger ones had higher levels of interaction and synchronization of certain brain wave rhythms, the researchers said — suggesting that targeting these types of rhythms in the older people’s brains might help their function. While receiving active brain stimulation, older adults improved their working-memory test scores to the levels of the younger people. The effect lasted for at least 50 minutes after the stimulation was given, said Robert Reinhart, a researcher at Boston University in the United States who co-led the study. “By using this type of stimulation (we found) we can reconnect or resynchronize those circuits,” he told reporters in a telephone briefing. Reinhart said that the findings opened up new avenues for research but had no immediate implications for use in medicine: “Much more basic science has to be done first.” Neuroscientists agreed that the findings raised interesting questions about how working memory functions, and how it declines with age, but that it would need more research before being developed for clinical use.

memory
seniors
alzheimer 's
electroencephalography


Republicans and Democrats want Robert Mueller to testify about his Russia probe report

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Top U.S. Democratic and Republican lawmakers said Monday they want special counsel Robert Mueller to testify before Congress about his investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 election campaign. Two weeks ago, Attorney General Bill Barr cleared U.S. President Donald Trump of colluding with Russia in a four-page summary of the report. But the special counsel’s final report on the investigation — and whether Trump himself was involved in obstructing the probe — remains unreleased. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said he wants Democrats to immediately bring Mueller before the panel to testify about his report. “If you seek both transparency and for the American public to learn the full contours of the special counsel’s investigation, public testimony from Special Counsel Mueller himself is undoubtedly the best way to accomplish this goal,” Collins wrote in a letter to the committee’s Democratic chairman, Jerry Nadler. Nadler said he “fully” agreed, but stressed that Mueller should testify after the full report is delivered to Congress and Barr testifies. He called on Barr to testify before the committee on May 2. “We look forward to hearing from Mr. Mueller at the appropriate time,” Nadler said. It comes amid a heated battle in Washington over what Congress will actually be able to see of the report itself. Democrats are demanding access to the entire, unredacted 400-page text, saying the evidence within could be damning to the president. But Barr has said he will not release key evidence that is part of any investigation by a grand jury, a special panel used by prosecutors in politically sensitive cases. Last week Nadler was among six Democrat committee chairs who wrote to Barr demanding the full report with its underlying evidence be submitted to Congress. In his letter, Collins said Democrats were politicizing the situation by seeking the protected grand jury materials, despite an appeals court last Friday ruling that federal judges do not have authority to disclose such evidence except in specifically authorized situations. Collins wrote that courts have determined that such situations include a formal impeachment inquiry, something Democrats have so far refused to launch. “If you decline to launch an impeachment inquiry, which is your clear legal path to the 6(e) grand jury information, I suggest instead inviting Special Counsel Mueller in to testify before the Committee as soon as possible,” Collins wrote.

u.s .
congress
republicans
robert mueller
democrats
donald trump
russia probe
william barr
jerry nadler


Chinese woman nabbed with high-tech gear at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort appears in court

Abstract: WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - A Chinese woman charged with bluffing her way into President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Florida resort last month, renewing concerns about security at the club, appeared in court on Monday at a hearing to determine whether she will remain in custody, according to U.S. media. The woman, Yujing Zhang, was arrested after giving conflicting reasons for being at the club during one of Trump’s routine weekend visits. According to prosecutors, she was carrying four cellphones, a laptop computer, an external hard drive and a thumb drive containing what investigators described as “malicious malware.” Prosecutors argued in court that concerns about Zhang’s trustworthiness and the fact that a search of her hotel room turned up a device to detect hidden cameras, five cellphone SIM cards and $8,000 in cash were reasons to keep her in custody, the Washington Post reported. “She lies to everyone she encounters,” the newspaper quoted Assistant U.S. Attorney Rolando Garcia as saying during the hearing. The FBI is examining whether Zhang has any links to Chinese intelligence or political influence operations, two U.S. government sources told Reuters last week. Zhang told one of the U.S. Secret Service agents who protect the property she was there to use the pool and later told a second agent that she had been invited to a U.N. Chinese American Association event, though club officials determined no such event was scheduled. She was arrested after agents determined she had no legitimate reason to be at the club, a business owned by Trump. Zhang has been charged with making false statements to a federal officer and entering or remaining in a restricted area, charges that carry up to a five-year sentence in federal prison if she is convicted. She is 32 or 33 years old, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach, Florida. Congressional Democrats raised questions on Wednesday about security at the club, where Trump is in close and frequent contact with club members and guests. The president brushed off the concerns, calling the incident a “fluke” and praising the Secret Service.

china
u.s .
espionage
florida
malware
u.s. secret service
donald trump
mar-a-lago
yujing zhang


Uganda tries to calm fears after kidnapped U.S. tourist and guide are rescued and ransom paid

Abstract: KAMPALA - President Donald Trump asked Uganda to find the abductors of a U.S. tourist and her guide to reassure guests of security, even after the East African nation’s leader said the incident is isolated and that the parks are safe. “Uganda must find the kidnappers of the American tourist and guide before people feel safe in going there,” Trump said Monday on Twitter. Kimberly Sue Endicott and local guide, Jean Paul Mirenge, were abducted on April 2 in Queen Elizabeth National Park about 380 km (236 miles) west of the capital, Kampala. The park is a popular tourist destination because of its tree-climbing lions, hippopotamuses, elephants, and over 500 bird species. Trump’s comments came after the vacationer and guide were rescued, and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni tried to reassure tourists that the country is safe. The state will enhance security in its national parks to deal with “isolated pockets of criminals” such as those who snatched the two last week, Museveni said Monday on Twitter. Tourism is Uganda’s biggest source of foreign currency and authorities estimate its earnings jumped by about a fifth last year to $1.7 billion following a visit by U.S. musician and fashion designer Kanye West and his wife, Kim Kardashian West. Endicott and Mirenge were freed Sunday in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo after five days in captivity, but their abductors escaped, Uganda government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said by phone. Police said Sunday evening that the two were in good health. They’ll be given time to partly recover before being interviewed by security officials, Opondo said, without giving further details. A payment was made to secure their release, AFP reported Sunday, citing Mike Walker, manager of Wild Frontiers Safaris, the company that conducted the tour. The abductors had earlier demanded a $500,000 ransom using Endicott’s mobile phone. Authorities aren’t “aware that a ransom was paid,” Opondo said.

tourism
kidnappings
uganda
congo
donald trump
kimberly sue endicott
jean paul mirenge


Brexit hangs in balance as May talks with Labour ahead of bid for delay at EU summit

Abstract: LONDON - Brexit hung in the balance on Monday as Prime Minister Theresa May tried to coax the Labour Party into agreeing to a divorce deal with a better chance of passage by Parliament, ahead of a crisis EU summit where she will try to delay the April 12 departure. Britain’s exit from the EU has already been delayed once but May is asking the bloc for yet more time as she courts veteran socialist Jeremy Corbyn, whose Labour Party wants to keep Britain more closely tied to the bloc after Brexit. May heads to Berlin and Paris on Tuesday to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron and will be phoning other leaders before setting out the case for another delay at Wednesday’s emergency EU summit in Brussels. Nearly three years after the United Kingdom shocked the world by voting by 52 percent to 48 to leave the EU, May warned that Brexit might never happen, but said she would do everything possible to make sure it did. “We have been in touch with the opposition today and technical talks between officials will take place this evening,” a spokesman for May said. Labour’s Brexit point man, Keir Starmer, said earlier that May’s government had so far not shifted from its red lines on Brexit and so no way forward had been agreed. “Both us and the government have approached this in the spirit of trying to find a way forward. We haven’t found that yet. We will continue to do that,” Starmer said. May’s spokeswoman said she wanted Britain to have an independent trading policy — something hard to reconcile with Labour’s demand to keep Britain in a customs union with the EU — and that both sides would need to compromise. The deputy political editor of the Telegraph newspaper, Steven Swinford, said Labour and the Conservative government were still discussing both a customs union and the idea of holding a confirmatory referendum on any deal they agree. Both ideas are anathema to many in May’s party, whose rebels have helped trigger three parliamentary defeats of the withdrawal deal she negotiated with the EU last year. “We all hope that these talks will produce a positive outcome. I’ve said many times before, we can be more, much more ambitious in our future relationship with the U.K.,” EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier told a news conference with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in Dublin. The 2016 referendum revealed a United Kingdom divided over much more than EU membership, and has sparked impassioned debate about everything from secession and immigration to capitalism, empire and what it means to be British. Yet, more than a week after Britain was originally supposed to have left the EU, nothing is resolved as May, the weakest leader in a generation, battles to get a divorce deal ratified by a profoundly divided parliament. EU leaders, fatigued by the serpentine Brexit crisis, must decide on Wednesday whether to grant May, who has asked for a postponement until June 30, a further delay. The decision can be vetoed by any of the other 27 member states. Without an extension, Britain is due to leave the EU at 2200 GMT on Friday, without a deal to cushion the economic shock. While the EU is not expected to trigger such a potentially disorderly no-deal exit, diplomats said all options were on the table — from refusing a delay to granting May’s request or pushing for a longer postponement. But May is boxed in at home. Brexiteers in her Cabinet insisted on at most a short delay, while Mark Francois, deputy chief of the Conservatives’ hard-line euroskeptic faction in Parliament, demanded she resign and called on the party to vote on forcing her out — even though there is no formal provision to do so before December. As the crisis grinds on, one survey suggested that voters wanted a strong leader willing to force through reform of a political system that has been found badly wanting by Brexit. Research by the Hansard Society found that 54 percent of voters wanted a strong leader willing to break the rules, while 72 percent said the political system needed “quite a lot” or “a great deal” of improvement.

eu
u.k .
angela merkel
labour
brexit
theresa may
jeremy corbyn
emmanuel macron


Taliban take credit after Afghanistan suicide blast kills three U.S. troops and contractor

Abstract: KABUL - A suicide bomber in a vehicle killed three U.S. troops and a military contractor Monday while targeting their convoy near Bagram Air Base, officials said, after the Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast. The attack is the latest to hit American forces amid an ongoing, U.S.-led drive to forge a peace deal in Afghanistan, more than 17 years after the Taliban were ousted. According to NATO, the blast also wounded three U.S. troops in what is the deadliest attack on American forces in Afghanistan so far this year. Officials did not immediately release the names of those killed, or the nationality of the contractor. “The wounded service members were evacuated and are receiving medical care,” NATO said in a statement. Earlier, the Taliban claimed to have conducted the attack, saying “multiple invaders” had been killed. They added that one armored personnel carrier had been “completely destroyed.” The blast brings to seven the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan so far this year. Still, American casualties have fallen dramatically since the end of 2014, when Afghan forces took over from U.S.-led NATO combat troops to secure the country. The U.S. now has some 14,000 troops in Afghanistan, most of them deployed to train and advise Afghan counterparts. While parts of Afghanistan including Kabul have experienced something of a lull in attacks in recent weeks, U.S. and Afghan forces have stepped up attacks on the Taliban across the country. Bagram, America’s largest air base in Afghanistan, is located about 50 km (30 miles) north of Kabul. Earlier, Bagram district Gov. Abdul Shakoor Quddusi said a car bomber attacked an armored vehicle carrying foreign forces close to a gate to the base. “The area is closed down by foreign forces and we don’t have any information of any possible casualties,” Quddusi told AFP. Afghans, meanwhile, are on high alert for a new round of violence when the militants kick off their expected spring offensive. They typically declare a new fighting season as winter snows melt, and have in the past sought to gain control of district centers and to target government facilities. Taliban leaders are set to meet with Afghan officials in Qatar next week for a fresh round of talks as the US tries to broker a peace deal. Last week, U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad called for a “comprehensive and inclusive” intra-Afghan dialogue between the government, women, youth and civil society. The Taliban has until now refused to meet with the Kabul government, accusing it of being a puppet regime. The diplomatic spat between Washington and Kabul came to a head last month when Afghanistan’s national security advisor Hamdullah Mohib accused Khalilzad of a lack of “transparency,” even suggesting the Afghan-born envoy wanted to be “viceroy” of his native country. Washington reacted furiously, with US officials reportedly refusing to attend meetings in which Mohib was present. The outspoken adviser visited eastern provinces when Khalilzad was in Kabul.

conflict
u.s .
terrorism
nato
afghanistan
taliban
bagram air base


Leaders of Hong Kong's Occupy rallies found guilty of public nuisance offenses

Abstract: HONG KONG - A Hong Kong court found nine leaders of 2014 pro-democracy demonstrations guilty Tuesday on public nuisance and other charges, in a verdict that activists say likely presages more restrictions on free expression in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. Those convicted included law professor Benny Tai, retired sociology professor Chan Kin-man and pastor Chu Yiu-ming. Two current lawmakers, one former lawmaker, two student leaders and a political activist were also found guilty. The nine were leaders of the non-violent “Occupy Central” campaign to demand the right of the city’s population to choose its own leader rather than merely approve a candidate picked by Beijing. “Hong Kong courts, by labeling peaceful protests in pursuit of rights as public nuisance, are sending a terrible message that will likely embolden the government to prosecute more peaceful activists, further chilling free expression in Hong Kong,” Maya Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. Prior to the verdict’s announcement, Chan said he and the others had no regrets for their actions but were chiefly concerned with the movement’s legacy. While the verdicts will have an impact on the individuals, “we are more concerned about how this movement will be recognized by the people of Hong Kong,” Chan said. Hong Kong’s biggest popular protest in recent years, also known as the umbrella movement, laid siege to government headquarters and paralyzed Hong Kong’s financial district for 79 days. Thousands staked out encampments on major thoroughfares. Several hundred were arrested. The movement fizzled without winning concessions from the Hong Kong government for free elections and the pro-democracy movement has struggled to retain a high-profile in recent years. More than 100 supporters, some raising yellow umbrellas that were a symbol of the protests, gathered at the courthouse in the West Kowloon district. Tai said that was a sign the spirit of the protests lived on. “I have the confidence, many people today, with me together, we will continue to strive for Hong Kong’s democracy. And we will persist and we will not give up,” Tai said. Ranging in age from their 30s to 70s, the nine defendants span generations of Hong Kong citizens who have been agitating for full democracy. Tai, Chan and Chu were found guilty of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. Tai and Chan were also found guilty of inciting others to cause a public nuisance, while the other six were found guilty of inciting others to cause a public nuisance, as well as inciting people to incite others to cause a public nuisance. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years. The defendants had all pleaded not guilty, calling the prosecutions politically motivated. They were due back in court for sentencing Tuesday afternoon. Three university students prosecuted in 2016 for their leadership roles in the protests received community service. But Hong Kong judges have since faced mounting pressure from Beijing to hand down heavier sentences to deter future protests. Some fear that central government meddling will erode judicial independence, a bedrock value that undergirds the city’s standing as a global business capital. The former British colony was handed over to Chinese rule in 1997 under an agreement in which China promised it could retain its own laws, economic system and civil rights for 50 years. However, China’s ruling Communist Party under authoritarian President Xi Jinping appears to be growing impatient with efforts by Hong Kong activists to promote greater democracy. The Hong Kong government last year banned a local political party that advocated the territory’s independence from Beijing. Man-kei Tam, Director of Amnesty International Hong Kong, called the verdicts a “crushing blow for freedom of expression and peaceful protest in Hong Kong.” “The government is increasingly using prosecutions as a political tool to target peaceful activists, abusing the law to silence debate about sensitive issues such as Hong Kong democracy and autonomy,” Tam said. “We urge the government to cease this chilling assault against people legitimately exercising their right to freedom of expression.”

china
hong kong
censorship
rights
protests
occupy central
umbrella protests