Suspect in knife attack that left Osaka police officer in coma sent to prosecutors

Abstract: OSAKA - Police on Tuesday sent a man suspected of stabbing a police officer and stealing his gun in Osaka Prefecture to prosecutors, a day after his arrest. The police said Yujiro Iimori, 33, who is charged with attempted murder and robbery, attacked Suzunosuke Kose, 26, with a knife at 5:38 a.m. Sunday at a police box in the city of Suita. The knife used in the attack had a blade as long as 15 centimeters. The police said it penetrated Kose’s lung, reaching his heart. The officer was reportedly stabbed at least seven times and remains in a coma. While Iimori has denied the allegations, he has also blamed the incident on an illness, according to investigators. He is a holder of a mental disability certificate. The police said that about 10 minutes before the attack, a person who gave the name of one of Iimori’s former classmates, called to report a home break-in. The police suspect it was Iimori making a false report in an attempt to lure police officers away from the police box, according to investigative sources. The sources said Iimori had recently approached former junior high school baseball teammates in order to find out their home addresses and other information. He had also sought to obtain a photograph of the team’s coach. Iimori told his former teammates that he was collecting information because he hoped to organize a reunion. Iimori belonged to a local baseball team while he attended elementary school in Suita, as well as to a baseball club at his junior high school in the city, the sources said. He later went to college in Tokyo. A 33-year-old former teammate said he received a message from Iimori on Facebook six days before the attack. In the message, Iimori asked the former teammate to send the full names of the members of the school baseball team and a photo of the coach. The former teammate did not respond to the message, as he had not seen Iimori since they left junior high school. Iimori was arrested early Monday after the police found him in a mountainous area in northern Osaka Prefecture not far from the crime scene. Police said he was in possession of the stolen pistol. The gun contained five bullets when it was stolen, but only four were left when it was retrieved, the police said. There were signs the gun had been fired, and residents near the police box reported hearing an explosive sound about 20 minutes after the attack. Iimori was wearing a light blue cap, a dark red jacket, navy pants and shoes at the time of his arrest. But security camera footage shows him walking around the police box just before the attack wearing a white cap. The police suspect Iimori changed into different clothing as he fled and are now searching for the clothes and shoes he had on earlier.

guns
osaka
osaka prefecture
stabbings
suita
police
yujiro iimori
suzunosuke kose


Denki Groove's Pierre Taki given suspended sentence for cocaine use

Abstract: The Tokyo District Court on Tuesday sentenced Pierre Taki, an actor and member of Japanese techno-pop duo Denki Groove, to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, for using cocaine. The court ruled that Taki, 52, whose real name is Masanori Taki, snorted a small amount of cocaine at an apartment in Tokyo around March 12. The judge said Taki was not addicted to cocaine but continued using it in repeated violation of the law. “(Taki) used cocaine alone while watching movies and listening to music to relieve stress from work, being under pressure in his private life as he expanded his activities from being a musician to acting,” Judge Hironobu Ono said in handing down the ruling. Ono, however, gave Taki a suspended term, taking into consideration the fact that he has been discharged from his management company and is under the supervision of a doctor to ensure he does not take cocaine again. “I am very sorry for causing so much trouble to everyone. I will keep in mind that I should never do this kind of thing again” Taki said in a statement after the ruling. His arrest reverberated through Japan’s entertainment industry. As well as appearing at a number of overseas dance music festivals with Denki Groove, Taki was the voice of snowman Olaf in the Japanese-dubbed version of the hit Disney animated movie “Frozen” and had parts in numerous domestic films and television series. Sony Music Artists Inc. terminated its management contract with Taki following his arrest. Following his indictment, he was released on bail of ¥4 million ($36,000) on April 4. Prosecutors had demanded an 18-month prison term, saying he had been using cocaine since his 20s.


Japan to encourage foreign workers to maintain employment outside major cities

Abstract: The government is planning measures to encourage foreign workers with specific skills under the country’s new visa statuses to secure jobs and continue employment outside of big cities, officials said Monday. The measures are designed to prevent a concentration of such workers in urban areas, according to an understanding reached by some attendees at a meeting of ministers on the acceptance of and coexistence with foreign workers. The measures will be decided officially at a plenary session soon. Specifically, the government will consider adopting preferential measures for a technical trainee with relatively low professional skills switching to certain visa statuses if the trainee continues to work for the same company. The measures include simplified procedures for the switch. The government hopes that the measures will help discourage technical trainees working for companies in rural areas from relocating to Tokyo or other urban areas for higher wages. In cooperation with Hello Work public job placement offices, the government will also select several municipalities where foreign workers will be encouraged to seek employment. The government will provide support to small firms and foreign workers there for two years to establish a model for offering assistance The meeting members also decided to create a service that will accept inquiries for consultations on issuing visas, employment and departures from and entry to Japan. The facility is expected to open in the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo, as soon as fiscal 2020.

employment
visa
foreign workers
rural areas
hello work


Japan and U.S. officials hold talks to advance trade negotiations

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Officials from Japan and the United States started a two-day meeting Monday in Washington to advance negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement. The working-level meeting comes ahead of talks Thursday in the U.S. capital between Japanese economic revitalization minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. The two sides are expected to focus on each other’s calls for tariff reductions on automobiles and agricultural products, a key issue for bilateral negotiations. Japan is expected to offer cuts in tariffs on American farm products to levels agreed to under a revised Trans-Pacific Partnership, if the United States agrees to remove levies on Japanese industrial goods, including automobiles. The revised TPP, formally known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, is an 11-nation regional free trade agreement that includes Japan and farming nations Australia and Canada. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the TPP in 2017, citing his preference for bilateral trade deals. The Trump administration has expressed reluctance to remove auto-related tariffs, though the U.S. leader does appear poised to appease American farmers with increased market access to Japan as part of his 2020 re-election bid. Last month, however, Trump indicated that Washington would not press Tokyo for a bilateral trade deal until after a Japanese House of Councilors election slated for July, apparently taking into consideration Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s desire to avoid pressure to cut tariffs on agricultural goods — a sensitive issue for farmers — ahead of the vote. Japan has been calling for the elimination of U.S. tariffs on Japanese vehicles, including a 2.5 percent levy on cars and a 25 percent duty on trucks as had been agreed by former President Barack Obama’s administration during TPP negotiations.

u.s .
agriculture
tpp
trade
carmakers
tariffs


BBC to scrap free TV licenses for people over 75

Abstract: LONDON - Pensioners in Britain who have watched television programs such as “Blue Planet” and “Doctor Who” for free will have to start paying after the publicly funded BBC said it would scrap free licenses for people over 75 years old. The BBC, which is funded by a tax on all television-watching households, said around 3.7 million pensioners who previously received a free TV license will have to pay when its new rules come into force in June 2020. However. any household that receives a Pension Credit, a form of welfare to top up income for the poorest, will still be eligible for free access. The current annual license costs £154.50 ($195.81) for a color TV. The move is likely to prove unpopular. The broadcaster has a central presence in British cultural life, with its TV, radio and online content reaching 92 percent of the population each week. “While research suggests pensioners are now better off than they were when the concession was first introduced nearly 20 years ago, the simple fact is that many are still in poverty — and many want the companionship the BBC can provide,” said BBC Chairman David Clementi. The BBC agrees a funding settlement with the government. In 2015 it had to take over the cost of providing free licenses for over-75s by 2020 as part of its latest funding round. It said on Monday its proposed scheme was the most cost effective way of helping the poorest retain a TV license without having to spend so much on the scheme it would lead to the closure of services. The BBC said the funding available for British services is already 24 percent lower than if the license fee had gone up with inflation from 2010. It estimates the new scheme will cost it around £250 million ($317 million) a year. But a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said the government was “very disappointed” by the move. “We’ve been clear that we expected the BBC to continue this concession. People across this country value television as a way to stay connected and we want the BBC to look again at ways to support older people,” the spokesman told reporters. “Taxpayers want to see the BBC using its substantial license fee income in an appropriate way to ensure it delivers for U.K. audiences.”

television
u.k .
aging
elderly
bbc
theresa may


Japan plans to cut mobile phone contract penalties to ¥1,000

Abstract: The government plans to impose new regulations on mobile phone operators to cut cancellation penalties by about 90 percent to ¥1,000 ($9) or less to make it easier for users to switch mobile carriers and spur competition, officials said Tuesday. The move is expected to lead the country’s major mobile operators to further reconsider their price plans. They have already decided to offer plans with reduced communications fees amid pressure from the government, but the cancellation penalty charges had been left unchanged at ¥9,500 for users who quit in the middle of a two-year contract. The charge has been criticized as being too expensive. Low-cost providers effectively impose similar charges by setting minimum contract periods. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications presented to a panel a draft ordinance revision that would set a cap on cancellation charges at ¥1,000. The ministry also proposed a plan to limit discounts on handsets to a maximum ¥20,000. The ceiling would effectively end operators’ discounting of mobile devices in exchange for relatively high data usage fees, a long-held practice criticized as keeping communications fees high. The two caps are due to enter into force in autumn, affecting not only the top firms of NTT Docomo Inc., KDDI Corp. and SoftBank Corp., but also major low-cost mobile service providers with over 1 million subscribers. Subscribers will see an increase in new handset prices, but overall costs are likely to drop as monthly fees are projected to fall, according to a member of the panel. The three major mobile phone operators have recently been targeted by the government over what are deemed relatively high mobile phone charges compared with other countries. The discount limit will be a temporary measure over a two-year span. The ministry will review the limit if handset sales practices are normalized. Last month, the Diet enacted a revision to the Telecommunications Business Law aimed at lowering mobile phone fees, banning them from offering plans that cover both the price of a mobile phone and connection fees in one package. Consumers and government officials have said the plans make it difficult to compare the fees charged by carriers. The ministry plans to revise the ordinance around this fall in tandem with the implementation of the revised Telecommunications Business Law. E-commerce giant Rakuten Inc., which will enter the market in October, will also be covered by the new regulation. The ministry is also discussing a revision to the calculation method for fees that low-cost providers pay for leasing mobile communications networks from carriers. The change would help lower monthly communications fees for low-cost services. Cuts in the fees are expected to revitalize the mobile phone market as a whole.

softbank
ntt docomo
kddi
internal affairs ministry


Trump signals frustration with Fed's independence, while Xi 'can do whatever he wants'

Abstract: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump complained Monday that President Xi Jinping enjoys a major advantage in the U.S.-China trade war in that he controls China’s central bank while Trump must deal with a Federal Reserve that is “very destructive to us.” Trump made clear in an interview with CNBC his frustration with a system that provides political independence for America’s central bank — something most economists see as vital to its credibility. Trump noted that China’s president, by contrast, is essentially also head of the Chinese central bank. “He can do whatever he wants,” Trump said in the interview. Trump also complained that even though he selected four of the Fed’s five board members, including elevating Jerome Powell to chairman, “We have people on the Fed that really weren’t, you know, they’re not my people.” Speaking of the Fed’s policymaking committee, the president expressed exasperation that the panel raised its key short-term rate four times last year and acted to reduce the Fed’s balance sheet — action that had the effect of tightening credit — despite his public warnings against it. “They certainly didn’t listen to me because they made a big mistake,” Trump said. Last week, Powell helped fuel a rally in the stock market by holding out the possibility that the Fed will soon cut rates to protect the economic recovery from any damage resulting from Trump’s trade wars. Many analysts think the Fed will cut rates more than once before year’s end, perhaps beginning in July. In addition to choosing Powell, a Republican whom President Barack Obama had named to the Fed board, to be chairman, Trump has filled three other vacancies on the board in his first two years in office. Lael Brainard is the only Democrat on the board. There are still two vacancies on the seven-member board. Trump had earlier intended to nominate two political allies — Herman Cain and Stephen Moore — but both later withdrew in the face of sharp opposition from critics.

china
u.s .
banks
xi jinping
federal reserve
donald trump
jerome powell


Wracked by opioid scandal, drug maker Insys files for bankruptcy

Abstract: NEW YORK - American drug maker Insys announced on Monday it was filing for bankruptcy and will sell its assets as it faces legal and financial fallout from its role in the opioid crisis. The Arizona-based company last week agreed to pay $225 million to settle criminal and civil probes into the marketing of an addictive opioid painkiller. Insys’ founder and four other former executives were also convicted last month of engaging in systematic bribery of doctors to prescribe the powerful opioid Subsys unnecessarily and at higher-than-recommended dosages. The company said in a statement Monday it intends to continue operations as it seeks bankruptcy protection, but will sell “substantially all” of its assets under court supervision to pay the settlement. “After conducting a thorough review of available strategic alternatives, we determined that a court-supervised sale process is the best course of action to maximize the value of our assets and address our legacy legal challenges in a fair and transparent manner,” CEO Andrew Long said in a statement. Beyond its settlement with the Justice Department, the company faces millions in legal costs. In court filings on Monday, the company valued its assets at between $100 million and $500 million. The court documents also show founder John Kapoor retains a 63 percent stake in the company. Sentencing for Kapoor is set for September. Shares in the company fell nearly 57 percent from Friday’s close to 74.5 cents on the Nasdaq shortly after 1500 GMT. Prior to the scandal, shares in January 2018 reached as high $13.38. The company says it plans to honor employee wages and to continue operating as normal while paying vendors and suppliers in full.

u.s .
arizona
bankruptcy
opioid crisis
subsys
insys


Under pressure in the Trump era, U.S. Federal Reserve faces an outlook clouded by trade wars and signs of weakness

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump’s attacks on the Federal Reserve have broken one set of precedents, his talk of stacking the central bank with political allies has strained another, and his on-again, off-again tariff threats have made the economic outlook harder than ever to predict. While the Fed may well find reason to cut interest rates in recent weak job and inflation readings, doing so could also put a safety net under Trump policies that, to the eyes of many policymakers, have to date done more harm than good. “There is a kind of feed the beast aspect to it,” said former Fed vice chair Alan Blinder. “Among the many things the Fed has to take as given is trade policy. And if in fact trade policy is going to push the economy into a slump, that is a reason to cut interest rates. … If the Fed comes in to bail him out you encourage bad behavior.” Fed Chair Jerome Powell and other officials insist they can only consider what is happening in the economy and the appropriate policy response, and not try to second guess what the administration does or might do. Trump on Monday renewed his attacks on the Fed, claiming that central bank policy put him at a disadvantage in his trade negotiations with China because the Asian country, with closer political control of its central bank, could devalue its currency or use other tools to offset the tariffs Trump has imposed on Chinese imports. “Our Fed is very destructive to us. … They haven’t listened to me,” Trump said in a CNBC interview. “They’re not my people.” In fact, Trump elevated Powell to the Fed leadership and appointed three of the other four sitting Fed governors. Trump has for a year berated the Fed for raising rates and other policy steps that Fed officials say are the best way for keeping the recovery underway. That broke a roughly 30-year run of presidents largely staying away from specific policy recommendations for the Fed, even if they were sometimes generically critical of the central bank. Earlier this year, Trump threatened a fuller assault by considering the appointment of two highly partisan political allies to the central bank, straying from a tradition of more technocratic appointments. The surprise announcement in early May of higher tariffs on China and a threatened imposition of levies on Mexican imports added to the minefield the Fed must now navigate. Though Trump in the end chose not to impose the tariffs on Mexico, the prospect of using an economic lever for the noneconomic end of border control showed how in the Trump era policy could shift abruptly for central bankers who try to keep their focus on medium- and longer-term outcomes. “We take all kinds of things … into account,” St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said last week before Trump called off the Mexican tariffs. “There are some good policies in there. There may be some bad policies in there. But we have to take everything into account.” Recent economic data are already complicating the Fed’s job. Policymakers have expected the economy to slow, but also regarded the likely slowing as modest, and not enough to warrant a rate cut. The story shifted after Trump’s latest trade war salvo. “I don’t feel backed into a box,” to cut rates, Dallas Federal Reserve bank president Robert Kaplan said last week. But “in the month of April I might have said … I was a little more optimistic that the outlook was firming, and today I will tell you I am more cognizant of risks to the downside. That is a pretty big change in a relatively short amount of time.” Whether it is enough for the Fed to put a rate cut squarely on the table will become clearer next week. Fed officials will hold their policy meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, and issue updated rate projections. They will also have to decide whether to maintain their “patient” approach to changing rates from the current range of between 2.25% and 2.5%, or drop that description in a sign that they are open to a move sooner rather than later. Weak inflation readings like those in a New York Fed report on Monday have already led Bullard to say that a rate reduction was “warranted.” Analysts and markets, though, are split. Bond markets have been aggressive in pricing in lower rates later this year, and U.S. stocks have rallied hard in the past week on optimism that a rate cut looked more likely, especially after last week’s weak jobs report. Economists at Goldman Sachs and elsewhere, meanwhile, have discounted any pressure from Trump and argue the economic outlook does not yet warrant a rate cut. Rolling with the punches from political Washington is nothing new. Former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke complained when congressional spending caps reduced economic growth just as the U.S. recovery was getting traction and the eurozone was threatening to crack apart. This problem here is different, though, with the Fed both under political pressure and less certain, week to week, what actions of the White House they may have to take into account. After years in which U.S. central bankers bemoaned being “the only game in town” influencing the economy, they may now be nostalgic for those simpler times. “The Fed has had too much on its plate for a long time,” said Boston College economics professor Peter Ireland. “Powell was taking pains to say ‘trade is trade’ and that is not our business. But he has gotten sucked into it.”

u.s .
federal reserve
interest rates
donald trump
trade war


Abe says his 'real' economic goals were met without hitting 2% inflation

Abstract: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his real economic objectives, including full employment, have been achieved even though 2 percent inflation has not, pointing to a further softening of the government’s commitment to a price goal seen as one of the cornerstones of Abenomics. “It’s true that the 2 percent price target hasn’t been reached, but while we have a kind of 2 percent price stability target, our real objectives, including those for monetary policy, such as spurring job growth to reach full employment, have been achieved,” Abe told the Diet on Monday. He was responding to a question about the economy and policy following data earlier in the day that showed first-quarter growth was faster than first estimated. The remark came on the same day that Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda emphasized in a Bloomberg interview his commitment to the price goal, saying he would take further action if momentum was lost. In March, Finance Minister Taro Aso talked of the need for the BOJ to take a more flexible view on reaching 2 percent inflation, fueling speculation that the government was no longer taking the target so seriously. If that conclusion is true, there could be less pressure on Kuroda’s BOJ to act should price growth face a setback over the coming months. Abe said Monday that he wouldn’t comment on the BOJ’s eventual exit strategy, which he said he would leave to central bank policymakers. While economists say the BOJ is running out of firepower to support prices and overall growth, Kuroda said the central bank still was capable of big stimulus measures if needed. Concern remains that a global slowdown, escalating trade tensions and a planned sales tax increase in Japan could derail the economy and sink prices. Despite the positive result for gross domestic product released Monday, Abe acknowledged that there were still latent risks for the economy and pledged to put together a macroeconomic stimulus package without hesitation should those risks materialize. He once again denied any link between his economic policy and Modern Monetary Theory, saying that his administration was committed to stably lowering Japan’s government debt-to-GDP ratio. In the six years since Abe launched his Abenomics program, unemployment has fallen from 4.3 percent to as low as 2.3 percent, a 26-year low. Still, a tight job market has failed to boost wages by the amount needed to increase consumption and prices as much as hoped. Core inflation was 0.9 percent in April, compared with minus 0.2 percent in December 2012 when Abe returned to office

shinzo abe
unemployment
boj
inflation
jobs


Mexico denies Trump's claim of secret concessions in migrant deal

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Three days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal with Mexico to stem the flow of migrants at the southern border, the two countries appear unable to agree on exactly what’s in it. Stung by criticism that the agreement mostly ramps up border protection efforts already underway, Trump on Monday hinted at other, secret agreements he says will soon be revealed. “We have fully signed and documented another very important part of the Immigration and Security deal with Mexico, one that the U.S. has been asking about getting for many years,” Trump wrote Monday, saying it would “be revealed in the not too distant future.” Not so, said Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, holding up a paper and pointing to the previously announced details. He told reporters the two countries agreed on two actions made public Friday and said if those measures didn’t work to slow migration, they would discuss further options. “There is no other thing beyond what I have just explained,” he said. The episode revealed the complicated political dynamics at play as Trump and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador tussle over who made out best in the agreement hashed out under Trump’s threat of new tariffs on Mexico. Trump appeared eager to declare his negotiation tactics successful, even as he tried to hype the deal with made-for-TV drama and invented measures, sparking questions and confusion. Mexico’s leaders showed they weren’t willing to play along. The White House did not respond to inquiries about Trump’s tweets. But the president appeared to be making a reference to talks over how Mexico handles Central American migrants who travel through the country to claim asylum in the U.S. The Trump administration has been trying to pressure Mexico to enter into a “safe third country” agreement, which would deem Mexico a safe place for migrants and make it harder for asylum seekers who pass through the country to wait until they reach American soil to file a claim. But the deal announced Friday made no mention of the issue. A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to share details of closed-door talks, said Mexico had expressed openness to the idea during negotiations, and said the two countries would continue to discuss the issue over the coming months. Mexico has been insistent that it has not agreed to the provision, which would require approval from local lawmakers. Instead, Ebrard said during a news conference in Mexico City on Monday, if the deal announced Friday does not begin to drive down migrant numbers in the next 45 days, officials will open up new discussions in which the U.S. will again push for the safe third country measure and Mexico will propose establishing a regional refuge system in conjunction with the United Nations and the governments of Guatemala, Panama and Brazil — three countries that are often starting points for migrants headed to the U.S. “They wanted something else totally different … to be signed,” Ebrard said Monday. “But that is what there is here. There is no other thing.” As for Trump’s tweets hyping a secret measure? Ebrard said he’d provided a full account for transparency’s sake. Mexico fears that being designated a safe third country would only add to the number of asylum applications it receives. Those numbers have climbed dramatically in recent years and the government has admitted it does not have the resources to keep up. As a practical matter, Mexico would have difficulty integrating thousands of additional migrants into a barely growing economy, making them targets to expand the ranks of Mexican organized crime groups. Over the weekend, Trump also claimed another new element of the deal, tweeting that Mexico had “AGREED TO IMMEDIATELY BEGIN BUYING LARGE QUANTITIES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT FROM OUR GREAT PATRIOT FARMERS!” The administration has yet to reveal the details of any such provision, and Mexican officials say no agreement on farm goods was reached as part of the talks. Ebrard told reporters the talks had focused on migration, not commerce, and hypothesized that Trump was calculating an economic boost resulting from his decision not to implement the tariffs. “We do not have a specific agreement on products of that nature,” he said. Trump has spent the days since Friday’s announcement defending the scope of the deal. That includes a commitment by Mexico to deploy its new National Guard to the country’s southern border with Guatemala — something the country already intended to do before Trump’s latest threat. It also includes an agreement to publicly support the expansion of a program under which some asylum seekers are returned to Mexico as they wait out their cases. U.S. officials had been working to expand the program, which has led to the return of about 11,000 to Mexico without Mexico’s public embrace. Trump and other administration officials, however, say Mexico made major concessions and have credited his threat to slap a 5 percent tax on all Mexican goods if the country didn’t immediately agree to do more to stem the flow of Central American migrants across the U.S. southern border. Without the threat, Trump has insisted, Mexico never would have acted. “It was all done because of the tariffs and because of the relationship that we have with Mexico,” he told reporters Monday, following a call-in interview with CNBC Monday morning in which he said officials had “talked about it for months and months and months,” but couldn’t reach agreement until the threat.

u.s .
mexico
tariffs
migrants
donald trump


Trump takes hard line on new China tariff threat if Xi proves a no-show

Abstract: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump warned Monday he will slap huge new tariffs on China if his counterpart, Xi Jinping, doesn’t show up for a planned face-to-face meeting later this month and insisted the Chinese economy will never overtake the United States. Trump delivered his hard-line message ahead of the G20 summit on June 28-29 in Osaka that could mark a turning point in the trade dispute between the world’s two biggest economies. Asked if a failure by Xi to come to the summit would lead to tariffs kicking in on a further $300 billion in Chinese imports, Trump told CNBC television: “Yes it would.” Trump said the meeting was “scheduled” and that he expects Xi to attend. “I would be surprised if he didn’t go,” Trump said. “I think he’s going, I haven’t heard that he’s not.” However, as U.S.-Chinese tensions mount, a spokesman for Xi’s government said last month that he had “no information at present” on Trump-Xi talks. Trump has been trying to strong-arm China into fundamental change on trade policies that the president argues have for decades put the United States at an unfair disadvantage. The two sides seemed to be close to striking a bargain until talks stalled last month. Washington says that Beijing walked away at the last minute, while the Chinese side has signaled it is prepared for a long fight against unreasonable demands. Trump has already imposed 25 percent duties on $200 billion of Chinese imports. China has responded with punitive tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. goods. Last month he threatened to slap tariffs on a further $300 billion of goods — virtually everything American companies import from China — if no breakthrough is achieved. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has launched the process to impose the huge new duties, with a hearing scheduled for June 17 — but Trump has said he has yet to decide whether he will ultimately impose the levies. Trump has made tariffs a pillar of his foreign policy, arguing that U.S. economic power puts him in a win-win situation when he threatens rivals like China and even close allies, such as Canada, the European Union and Mexico. The United States says that China cheats in bilateral trade by forcing U.S. importers to give up intellectual property, subsidizing its own companies and running a huge trade surplus with Washington. Trump told CNBC that by ratcheting up tariffs, he can ultimately force manufacturers to leave China. “Those companies are going to move into other locations and there won’t be a tariff,” he said. In a game of tit-for-tat, Trump added, China will lose simply because they have far fewer U.S. imports they can target. “We have the big, big advantage,” he said. “China’s going to make a deal because they’re going to have to make a deal.” Trump’s tariff rattling has spooked global markets and also run into pushback from many in Congress. But in his lengthy CNBC interview, Trump said he is doing what previous presidents avoided because they “either didn’t understand it or they were bored by it or they weren’t smart enough.” His overall aim, the Republican said, is to ensure that China never overtakes the United States as the world’s top economy. “Had a Democrat gotten in … China would have caught us,” he said. Now “they’ll never catch us.”

china
u.s .
osaka
g20
xi jinping
tariffs
donald trump
trade war


Tokyo stocks rise on weaker yen, robust Shanghai market

Abstract: Stocks continued to advance on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Tuesday, buoyed by a weaker yen and a rise in Shanghai stocks, amid a lack of strong trading incentives. The 225-issue Nikkei average rose 69.86 points, or 0.33 percent, to end at 21,204.28, after surging 249.71 points on Monday. The Topix index of all first-section issues finished up 8.38 points, or 0.54 percent, at 1,561.32. It gained 20.55 points the previous day. The market started lower, battered by a stronger yen and uncertainties over the future of the U.S.-China trade friction, fueled by a hawkish statement by U.S. President Donald Trump, brokers said. In an interview with CNBC on Monday, Trump warned that the United States will impose tariffs worth $300 billion on Chinese imports if Chinese President Xi Jinping does not agree to a bilateral summit with Trump during a Group of 20 summit in Osaka later this month. The market gradually cut losses and popped into positive territory later in the morning, partly thanks to buying on dips, the yen’s downturn and higher Shanghai stocks, brokers said. While the market turned sluggish in the afternoon amid the dearth of fresh trading incentives, it remained in the plus side for the remainder of the session. But the market failed to extend gains, with its upside weighed down by profit taking, brokers said. Touching on Trump’s statement, Tomoaki Fujii, head of the investment research division at Akatsuki Securities Inc., said, “Investors refrained from active buying due to concern that (the U.S.-China summit) may not take place.” An official of a bank-affiliated securities firm noted that market players will be unable to make major moves until after the G20 summit as it is uncertain whether the U.S.-China negotiations to discuss their trade conflict will produce an agreement or end in inconclusively. Rising issues outnumbered falling ones 1,368 to 676 in the TSE’s first section, while 97 issues were unchanged. Volume dropped to 1.002 billion shares from Monday’s 1.163 billion shares. MonotaRO jumped 7.35 percent after the tool shopping website operator announced on Monday a 22.6 percent year-on-year sales growth for May. Semiconductor-related Disco enjoyed a rise for the third consecutive trading session. Also on the positive side were Suruga Bank and steelmaker JFE Holdings. On the other hand, drug producer Hisamitsu fell 0.87 percent in response to a news report that the company’s group operating profit for March-May is believed to have dropped from a year before. Also on the minus side were railway operator JR Tokai and delicatessen operator Rock Field. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key June contract on the Nikkei average gained 60 points to end at 21,210.


Dollar almost flat around ¥108.60 in late Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar was almost unchanged around ¥108.60 in Tokyo trading late Tuesday amid a dearth of fresh trading incentives. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥108.60-60, against ¥108.66-66 at the same time on Monday. The euro was at $1.1320-1320, up from $1.293-1293, and at ¥122.94-94, up from ¥122.71-71. The dollar sagged below ¥108.40 in early trading, carrying over its weakness from foreign trading overnight amid rekindled concerns over a U.S.-China trade conflict following U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of additional tariffs on Chinese imports. The greenback rose to around ¥108.60 in midmorning trading due to real demand-backed purchases, traders said. The benchmark 225-issue Nikkei stock average’s upturn to positive territory on the back of solid performances of U.S. and Chinese equities also supported the dollar’s advance, an official of a foreign exchange margin trading service firm said. The U.S. currency traded narrowly around ¥108.60 in afternoon trading. An official of a bank-affiliated securities firm said that investor sentiment “isn’t good due to political risks as well as weak U.S. economic indicators.” Buying induced by a U.S. decision to suspend plans to impose punitive tariffs on all imports from Mexico “has apparently run its course,” the official with the foreign exchange margin trading service firm said, adding that market players are paying attention to the movements of U.S. and European stock prices.


Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa sought special deal on stock options in 2013, says former Ghosn aide

Abstract: SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN - A former senior board member of Nissan Motor Co. said the company’s current chief executive officer sought an exception on the sale of compensation-linked stock, which resulted in him earning a higher profit, according to a Japanese media report. Greg Kelly, who was arrested the same day as former Chairman Carlos Ghosn in November, told monthly magazine Bungei Shunju about the request alleged to have been granted to Hiroto Saikawa in 2013. Saikawa was executive vice president with Nissan at the time, and became CEO about four years later. Saikawa sought the exception to help pay for the purchase of a new home, which Kelly alleges the executive had initially asked Nissan to buy for him, the report said. The magazine quoted Kelly as saying Saikawa reaped an estimated additional gain of ¥47 million ($430,000) when the stock award’s execution date was changed to May 22 instead of May 14, a period during which Nissan’s stock appreciated about 10 percent. The magazine quoted the former executive as saying the exception represented a “special case.” Saikawa denied using company funds to buy his house. “I bought it with my own money,” he told reporters on Monday. Kelly was removed as a representative director of Nissan in April and charged by authorities in Japan with underreporting executive compensation. Kelly’s attorney in the U.S. wasn’t available for comment. A representative for Nissan’s U.S. subsidiary declined to comment. Kelly and Ghosn, who are both free on bail after having been jailed for weeks after their arrest in Japan, have denied wrongdoing and are contesting the charges against them. The report raises questions about Saikawa’s knowledge of remuneration practices at the automaker. Saikawa was found by an outside corporate governance panel appointed by Nissan to have signed off on Ghosn’s retirement package, but the CEO hasn’t been charged with any crimes or accused of any wrongdoing. Prosecutors in Japan have said Ghosn’s compensation was underreported, although it’s unclear how much if any of that was deferred for retirement. The allegations come at an awkward time for Nissan and Saikawa as its two-decade old alliance with French automaker Renault SA may be in peril. Saikawa himself is under intense pressure to turn around the Japanese automaker’s profit slide, and devise a long-term strategy for Nissan following the ouster of his former mentor Ghosn. According to the magazine report, Kelly said Saikawa was fully aware of Ghosn’s compensation — including a proposal to provide the then-chairman with a consulting fee if he should retire from Nissan or accept a less prominent role in company.

corruption
scandals
nissan
carmakers
renault
carlos ghosn
ceo
hiroto saikawa
greg kelly


Japan, France agree on aircraft parts partnership

Abstract: The Japanese and French governments have agreed to strengthen private-sector partnerships for the production of engines, seats and other airplane equipment, informed sources said Monday. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the French Civil Aviation Authority will conclude a memorandum of cooperation at the annual International Paris Air Show, which will begin June 17. The memorandum will promote cooperation on production and technological innovation between French airplane maker Safran Group and Japanese corporations and research institutions. Safran, strong in airplane equipment such as electronic devices and landing gear, sells engines for small aircraft worldwide through a joint firm with U.S. conglomerate General Electric Co. The Japanese side, looking to nurture the country’s aircraft industry, will start preparations to produce engine parts and other aircraft equipment for Safran, based on the memorandum. “Leading domestic small and midsize companies are showing interest,” a source said. Japan will also seek to jointly develop new engines, electrification technology and artificial intelligence tools for aircraft management with the French side. Meanwhile, the French government and Safran will speed up efforts to establish a supply chain for Asia, including Japan, in hopes of tapping the region’s market. Japanese heavy machinery makers Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and IHI Corp., as well as companies from Nagoya and Niigata involved in their respective cities’ aircraft industrial development plans, will exhibit at the air show. The Japanese aircraft industry, also including airframe production, marked sales of nearly ¥1.8 trillion last year, about 10 percent the size of the U.S. industry. The Japanese government hopes to raise the annual sales to ¥3 trillion by 2030.

france
aviation
aircraft
mitsubishi heavy
ihi
safran group


Renesas opens Shanghai auto electronics lab in joint project with Volkswagen group

Abstract: Japanese semiconductor-maker Renesas Electronics Corp. has opened a laboratory in Shanghai jointly with a local affiliate of Germany’s Volkswagen group to boost research and development for automotive electronics applications. Renesas will mainly provide the lab with its RH850 automotive microcontroller along with its R-Car system-on-chip, which processes information from automotive sensors, and its expertise on software. The lab is the Japanese company’s first joint research base with an automaker in China, a Renesas spokeswoman in Tokyo said Monday. Fifteen employees of SAIC Volkswagen Automobile Co., a Chinese-German joint venture and leading carmaker in the world’s largest automobile market, will undertake development work at the lab, she added. “Through our close collaboration in the field of vehicle body electronics and in new fields such as a digital cockpit and smart connectivity, we aim to develop a hardware and software platform that will enable us to attain a leading market position,” Wu Qingwen, executive director of SAIC Volkswagen Automobile, said in a statement released Monday.

china
carmakers
volkswagen
renesas electronics
lab
car parts


Nissan extends olive branch to Renault as relations hit new low

Abstract: Nissan Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Hiroto Saikawa has extended an olive branch to Renault SA after acrimony over proposed governance changes at the Japanese automaker. In an interview with the Financial Times, Saikawa said Nissan must “make our peace” with the French carmaker. The companies need to “stabilize and reinforce” their partnership, he told the newspaper. “This is the most important thing.” Hostilities between Nissan and Renault have plumbed new lows, threatening their two-decade alliance. It’s not clear whether any cease-fire will hold: Saikawa himself has criticized Renault’s plan to stymie Nissan’s board reforms. That, in turn, was an apparent riposte by Renault after Nissan refused to endorse a deal with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV. In the interview, Saikawa described the alliance between Nissan and Renault as a “cradle” for cooperation and value creation. “I am quite convinced we need to work it out, and we will,” he told the newspaper. A representative for Nissan confirmed the interview took place but declined to provide details of the conversation. Relations between the carmakers were already strained by the arrest in Tokyo last November of Carlos Ghosn, the industry titan who oversaw the manufacturers and their alliance. That crisis triggered plans for sweeping corporate governance reform at Nissan’s board. Saikawa had said it was “most regrettable” that Renault planned to hinder those changes. The implosion of Renault’s merger plans with Fiat brought the conflict into the open, with Nissan’s reluctance to endorse the deal said to be partially responsible for its failure. In the aftermath, Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard sent a letter threatening to block Nissan’s plans to overhaul its governance structure — changes that had been hashed out in the wake of the Ghosn scandal. Renault holds a 43 percent stake in the Yokohama-based company. In an unusual public statement, Nissan on Monday confirmed that it had received the letter, and upbraided Renault for its position. The corporate-governance reform “was discussed thoroughly by Nissan’s board and approved by all board members, including Renault’s own nominees,” Saikawa said in the statement. “Such a stance runs counter to the company’s efforts to improve its corporate governance.” On Tuesday, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko expressed “serious concern” about Renault SA’s reported move to block Nissan’s governance reform plan. “We’re closely watching with serious concern whether Renault will abstain from a vote on the key corporate governance reform or vote for it,” he told a news conference. Nissan also seized on comments made by the finance minister of France, Renault’s biggest shareholder, that his government is willing to reduce its stake to strengthen the alliance. Nissan, which has long chafed against French influence, would prefer a full exit by the government, people familiar with Nissan’s thinking said, asking not to be identified because the information isn’t public. “Overall it is a mess, and just makes a tricky situation worse,” said Janet Lewis, an analyst at Macquarie Capital in Tokyo. “Senard’s threat to abstain on the corporate governance reform is very negative for the alliance.” Senard, who was brought in by the French government to smooth the relationship with Nissan, has instead pressed Nissan for a merger it didn’t want, then pursued the mega-deal with Fiat Chrysler. In the letter to Nissan, Senard said the French automaker is seeking better representation within Nissan’s plan to set up three committees on nominations, remuneration and auditing, according to a person familiar with the matter, who cautioned that Renault hasn’t made a final decision on its vote and was still in negotiations. While Renault understands Nissan’s desire to improve its governance, the so-called three board level committees system “should not serve as a tool directed or used against Nissan’s largest shareholder,” the letter said. Nissan shareholders are set to meet on June 25 to vote on the structure. The latest crisis erupted a week ago, when Renault’s merger talks with Fiat fell apart. Nissan’s two representatives to Renault’s board had planned to abstain on the plan, prompting the French state to pause discussions — which then caused Fiat to pull out. Even so, chairmen of both Fiat and Renault have since met, and the automakers are looking for ways to revive the merger plan and gain Nissan’s approval, Reuters reported Monday. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, in Japan to attend G20 meetings, sought to patch up tensions but ended up reminding the Japanese company of his government’s outsized influence over the automakers afforded by its 15 percent stake in Renault. Renault and Nissan produced a combined 10.6 million vehicles last year. A separation could result in years of disarray because Renault and Nissan cooperate on engineering, manufacturing, supply chain management, purchasing and human resources.

nissan
carmakers
renault
acquisitions
mergers
fiat chrysler


Nagoya-based firm develops tech to let autonomous cars know if driver is holding the wheel

Abstract: Sumitomo Riko Co., a Nagoya-based auto parts maker, has developed a system that can determine whether a driver is holding the steering wheel, a piece of technology that could prove to be indispensable for semi-automated cars. The firm aims to start commercial production of the system — designed to enable drivers to switch from autonomous driving to manual control safely in case of emergencies — in the 2020 business year. The so-called Smart Rubber sensor, made of anti-vibration electrically conductive rubber material, can determine which part of the steering wheel a driver is holding by detecting a change of pressure. The auto industry is currently engaged in fierce competition to develop technology to achieve conditional automation — Level 3 on the Society of Automotive Engineers International’s scale to 5. In Level 3, cars are self-driving but a human driver must take over the wheel in emergency situations or if the system requests that the driver intervene. But self-driving mode will not be turned off unless the system determines that the driver is ready to take the wheel to avoid an accident. With the technology that’s currently available, however, computers have had a difficult time determining whether pressure applied to the rubber on the steering wheel was from the driver or from something else. For example, tire forces transmitted to the steering wheel could be mistakenly determined to be a driver’s hands depending on road conditions. But the firm’s newly developed system can improve the accuracy of detections because it can determine whether the driver is holding the steering wheel with one hand or both hands, and how firmly. The revised Road Traffic Law that allows Level 3 autonomous driving cleared the Lower House plenary session on May 28, paving the way for it to come into force in the spring of next year. Sumitomo Riko’s system, exhibited for the first time at Automotive Engineering Exposition 2019 Yokohama in late May, attracted a lot of attention. “We hope it will be adopted by carmakers in the development of autonomous cars,” said a Sumitomo Riko official. The firm developed the SR sensor in 2011 by utilizing its leading anti-vibration rubber material technology aimed at reducing vehicle vibrations transmitted to the interior of the car. Sumitomo Riko is also working on developing another system that could be installed in the driver’s seat and determine the health condition of the driver by detecting his or her heart rate and breathing pattern.

nagoya
tech
carmakers
self-driving
sumitomo riko


Black Missouri drivers 91% more likely to be stopped by cops: report

Abstract: JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI - A report from Missouri’s attorney general shows that black drivers across the state are 91 percent more likely than white motorists to be pulled over by police and newly collected data show that African-Americans are even more likely to be stopped in many communities where they live. The Attorney General’s Office for the first time last year collected data on whether people pulled over by police lived in the area or not. That’s significant because law enforcement organizations for years have said that if drivers of color from out of town are pulled over as they commute through a city with a large white population that could skew a local police agency’s data to make the disparity rate artificially high. While that appears to be the case in some jurisdictions, the numbers show the disparity is sometimes actually higher when comparing arrests of only resident white and black drivers. The Missouri NAACP in 2017 issued a travel advisory warning people to be careful while in Missouri because of a danger that civil rights won’t be respected, citing in part the attorney general’s annual report on disparities in police stops. For example, St. Louis County police were 80 percent more likely to stop black drivers compared to white drivers, when analyzing the total number of police stops. But when only comparing St. Louis County drivers, data show black drivers were more than twice as likely to be pulled over. In the Kansas City-area city of Blue Springs, which is 87 percent white based on 2010 census data and close to Interstate 70, black drivers in general were 275 percent more likely to be stopped. When isolating stops to residents, data show black drivers were nearly three times as likely to be stopped compared to white resident drivers. “That is worrisome, because now we have a more accurate indicator of disparity because the population base is, if you will, the correct one,” said Richard Rosenfeld, a University of Missouri-St. Louis criminologist who analyzed the data for the attorney general’s office. The 2018 report comes nearly five years after protesters in Ferguson drew national attention to longstanding concerns about police treatment of black communities following the 2014 police shooting death of Michael Brown, a black, unarmed 18-year-old who lived in the St. Louis suburb. Data released by Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt show that since then, reports of black drivers being pulled over at a disproportionately high rate compared to their white counterparts have only increased. Last year’s statewide disparity rate between white and black drivers is the highest recorded in the almost two decades since the state first began compiling data. In Ferguson, black drivers in 2014 were 265 percent more likely than white motorists to be pulled over. When comparing only residents, black drivers were more than three times as likely to be stopped compared to white motorists in 2018. “For the eighteenth year in a row, the Missouri Attorney General’s office has released a report that shows black communities, and people of color are disproportionately stopped and searched by law enforcement,” ACLU legislative and policy Director Sara Baker said in a statement. “A report is not enough. Actions must be taken.” In 2015, data show black drivers were roughly 70 percent more likely to be stopped by police compared to white motorists statewide. That disparity climbed to 75 percent in 2016 and up to 85 percent in 2017 . “One has to be cautious about how you interpret that,” Rosenfeld said, “because in the more recent years of course we’re moving further and further away from the 2010 Census, which was used as the population base. But I don’t think use of the 2010 Census alone explains that increase in disparity.” Missouri Sheriff s’ Association Executive Director Kevin Merritt in a Monday statement said “law enforcement has no tolerance for racial bias in policing and in general is not opposed to data collection.” But he raised issues with drawing conclusions from police stops and said law enforcement officials have pushed to collect additional data on whether officers knew the race of the driver before pulling them over. “There is much more to this issue than raw data of stops,” Merritt said. “Those who support our law enforcement officers should not blindly conclude bias exists without being part of the solution.” Missouri Police Chiefs Association President Wes Blair referred questions about the attorney general’s findings to Executive Director Sheldon Lineback, who on Friday said he has been out on medical leave and had not yet read the report. Lineback did not immediately comment. The attorney general released the annual police stops findings on May 31, within days of Plain View Project researchers flagging 166 bigoted or violent social media posts by active-duty and former cops in St. Louis and other cities, sparking an internal affairs probe and officer sensitivity training in St. Louis. One St. Louis police official shared a meme asserting that “if the Confederate flag is racist, then so is Black History Month.” The progressive advocacy group Empower Missouri is calling for increased communication between police and communities and policies “that help to break down the socioeconomic barriers that disproportionately affect People of Color in our state,” according to a release from the group in response to the latest police stops report. The organization also wants “meaningful legislation to address the inherent structural problems within our criminal justice system.” “If you don’t have any teeth in that law that bans racial profiling, then you won’t get compliance,” said Republican state Rep. Shamed Dogan, of the St. Louis suburb of Ballwin. “We need to get Republicans on board to recognize that it’s a crisis. We have data to prove this has been going on for two decades.” Missouri law allows the governor to strip state funding from police agencies that don’t comply with the state’s racial profiling law . State Budget Director Dan Haug said at least as far back as 2015, that has not occurred.

u.s .
rights
ethnicity
missouri
ferguson
racial profiling
black lives matter
police


Vatican rejects gender change to alarm of LGBT Catholics

Abstract: VATICAN CITY - The Vatican issued an official document Monday rejecting the idea that people can choose or change their genders and insisting on the sexual “complementarity” of men and women to make babies. The document, published during LGBT Pride Month, was immediately denounced by LGBT Catholics as contributing to bigotry and violence against gay and transgender people. Advocacy group New Ways Ministry said it would further confuse individuals questioning their gender identity or sexual orientation and at risk of self-harm. The text, “Male and Female He Created Them,” was intended to help Catholic teachers, parents, students and clergy address what the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education called an “educational crisis” in the field of sex education. It called for a “path of dialogue” and listening on the issue of “gender theory” in education. But even priestly advocates for LGBT Catholics noted that the text appeared to have relied entirely on previous papal pronouncements, Vatican documents and philosophers and theologians. “The real-life experiences of LGBT people seem entirely absent from this document,” said the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest who wrote a book on improving Catholic Church outreach to the LGBT community, titled “Building a Bridge.” “We should welcome the congregation’s call to dialogue and listening on gender, and I hope that conversation will now begin.” Pope Francis has repeatedly argued the position that people cannot choose their genders. But the document represents the first attempt to put the Vatican’s position, first articulated fully by Pope Benedict XVI in a 2012 speech, into a comprehensive, official text. The document called for a new alliance among families, schools and society to offer a “positive and prudent sexual education” in Catholic schools so children learn the “full original truth of masculinity and femininity.” It called gender fluidity a symptom of the “confused concept of freedom” and “momentary desires” that characterize post-modern culture. It rejected terms such as “intersex” and “transgender” and said the purpose of the biological “complementarity” of the male and female sex organs was to ensure procreation. Francis DeBernardo, head of New Ways Ministry, said such concepts are outdated, misinformed and ignore contemporary science on factors beyond visible genitalia that determine gender. “Gender is also biologically determined by genetics, hormones and brain chemistry — things not visible at birth,” DeBernardo said in a statement. “People do not choose their gender, as the Vatican claims, they discover it through their lived experiences.” He said the Catholic Church should encourage this process of discovery, saying it’s “a process by which individuals discover the wonderful way that God has created them.”

lgbt
vatican
transgender
pope francis
intersex


Trump camp moves to release migrant children faster from U.S. custody to sponsors

Abstract: SAN FRANCISCO - The Trump administration is again changing the way it vets people who want to sponsor minors who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border alone in an effort to speed up the release of thousands of migrant children currently in U.S. custody. Under the change, announced to staff on Friday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which houses unaccompanied migrant children, will no longer require an immigration records check on potential sponsors already backgrounded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In May 2018, HHS began routinely sending sponsors’ fingerprints to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to check their records on potential sponsors’ immigration history, which would include any arrests for immigration violations and active deportation orders. But reconciling the immigration background checks with the FBI records was a time consuming process for HHS staff, and the addition of the immigration checks has “not produced any substantive information,” said Evelyn Stauffer, a spokeswoman for HHS. She said suspending the use of the immigration background checks could speed up the release of children by at least two or three days. About 13,200 children are in HHS custody, Stauffer said. In May, children spent on average 48 days in HHS shelters before being released to sponsors, she said. Children who are released to people such as grandparents, adult siblings and cousins — to whom this change applies — tend to stay in custody longer than children released to parents, because of increased vetting requirements. In some cases, they stay in care for months. HHS will continue to share fingerprints with ICE, who will continue to conduct background checks on potential sponsors, but under Friday’s policy change, HHS caseworkers will no longer review the results, which significantly delayed the process, Stauffer said. The change comes as HHS says it is struggling to find shelter space to respond to a surge of mostly Central American children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or legal guardian. Border agents apprehended 11,507 unaccompanied children in May, the highest monthly number since at least 2010, according to government data. Unaccompanied children are transferred from border patrol custody to HHS shelters until they can be released to a vetted sponsor, usually a relative. U.S. President Donald Trump has said unaccompanied minors are taking advantage of “loopholes” in U.S. immigration law and has proposed changing laws and regulations that put restrictions on the length of time and conditions in which children can be detained. He is pushing Mexico to do more to stop the flow of migrants through their country. In addition to sharing information with immigration authorities, HHS in June 2018 dramatically expanded fingerprinting of sponsors. The latest policy change, which is effective immediately, is the third time HHS has rolled back aspects of the increased vetting. In December, the agency halted the new requirement all household members be fingerprinted and in March it stopped requiring that all parents be fingerprinted. Many sponsors of unaccompanied minors, who are usually relatives, are living in the United States without authorization and advocates say some sponsors are now more reluctant to claim children in custody because their information is shared with ICE, which enforces immigration laws. Stauffer said HHS is opening a 1,600-bed shelter in Carrizo Springs, Texas, as soon as possible and will be announcing other sites shortly. Two military bases are also being assessed, she said. On Wednesday, HHS said it was suspending educational, legal and recreational programs for migrant kids in custody because of budget constraints.

u.s .
children
immigration
rights
mexico
donald trump


At least 95 feared dead in new ethnic massacre in central Mali

Abstract: BAMAKO - Unknown assailants killed at least 95 people in a central Mali village overnight, government officials said Monday, the latest massacre in a growing ethnic conflict driven by fear and suspicion over alleged ties to extremist groups once limited to the West African country’s north. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack on the ethnic Dogon village, though tensions have been high since an ethnic Dogon militia was accused of carrying out a massacre in an ethnic Peuhl village in March that left at least 157 dead. The killings highlight the Malian security forces’ inability to contain the spreading extremism by fighters linked to the Islamic State organization and al-Qaida and the growing danger of frightened communities arming themselves. Nineteen people were missing after the Dogon village of Sobame Da was attacked around 3 a.m. on Monday, said Interior Security ministry spokesman Amadou Sangho. Homes were burned and animals slaughtered, the government said. The village is in the commune of Sangha, the heart of the Dogon militia blamed for the March attack that has been the deadliest so far. Some Peuhl leaders had vowed to carry out reprisal attacks for the March bloodshed that was blamed on the Dogon militia known as Dan Na Ambassagou. Militia leader Youssouf Toloba has denied his fighters were involved. On Monday a prominent group representing the Peuhl community, Tabital Pulaaku, issued a statement blaming the “cycle of violence” on the absence of state authority and impunity for perpetrators of attacks. “The insecurity and the large-scale massacres exploited by terrorist groups are the seeds of a total and lasting destabilization of the region,” the statement said. Mali has long battled Islamic extremism in its far north, with a French-led military intervention dispersing jihadis from the region’s major towns. The extremists have infiltrated communities much further south in recent years, stoking animosity between ethnic groups in the more populated region. The Peuhl are accused of working alongside jihadis from the Islamic State of Greater Sahara organization to attack Dogon villages and prevent residents from cultivating their land. In turn, the Peuhl have alleged that the Dogons are collaborating with Mali’s military though there is no conclusive sign of state support. But the groups have not been evenly matched. Human Rights Watch says the Dan Na Ambassagou militia has been behind violence that resulted in much higher death tolls. This is due in part to the sophistication of their weapons. The latest act of “unspeakable barbarism,” however, is a reminder that in this conflict there is no good side and bad side, the head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, said in a statement: “Everyone is responsible.” The violence in central Mali is characterized by “killings, enforced disappearances and burning of villages on an appalling scale,” Amnesty International said Monday. The U.N. Security Council’s meeting this month on Mali to discuss the renewal of what has become the world’s deadliest active U.N. peacekeeping mission should focus on the protection of civilians, the rights group added. Mali’s president has vowed to extinguish the Dan Na Ambassagou militia, though the massacre in March in Ogossagou has led some once-demobilized fighters to take up arms again. Rural bands of hunters have “become paramilitary groups equipped with weapons of war,” arguing that they need to defend their communities if Malian security forces can’t, Jean-Herve Jezequel with the International Crisis Group wrote after the March massacre. The tensions go back several years, however, over issues such as land use, he added. “The availability of weapons of war and the pretext of fighting jihadist groups have opened the floodgates to a level of ethnic-based violence that is without precedent in the region.” The victims have included women and young children, and observers say hundreds of civilians were killed last year alone. In a report late last month, the U.N. secretary-general said that Mali’s government must address the arming of ethnic self-defense groups and the proliferation of arms in central Mali or “there is a high risk of further escalation.” The unrest in central Mali has displaced some 60,000 people, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote, adding that he was “appalled” by the surge in violence and its effect on civilians.

conflict
mali
terrorism
al-qaida
islamic state
mass murder
dogon
peuhl


In fluke experiment, espresso quells rare genetic disease

Abstract: PARIS - A lot of people say they cannot live without coffee, but for one 11-year-old boy living in France, that may be literally true. When his parents accidentally bought decaffeinated capsules recently, a rare genetic muscular disorder — which they knew could be held in check by two shots of espresso per day — flared up, provoking uncontrollable and painful muscle spasms. Four days of agony, anguish and doctor’s visits followed before his parents realized their mistake. Once the boy started drinking the caffeinated brew again, the symptoms subsided. “It’s one of those amazing cases of serendipity that dot the history of medicine,” said Emmanuel Flamand-Roze, a doctor at Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris and lead author of a study published Tuesday about the disease afflicting his patient. Unwittingly, Flamand-Roze said, the parents had carried out what scientists called a double-blind placebo experiment — the most rigorous test possible to see if a drug or treatment actually works. The “double blind” part means that neither the patient nor the persons carrying out the experiment know whether the medicine is the real thing of an inert fake. In this case, the accidental test proved the efficacy of caffeine as a treatment of dyskinesia — a family of disorders characterized by violent, involuntary muscle movements — caused by a mutation in the ADCY5 gene. “The arms, legs and face all move wildly,” Flamand-Roze explained. “This child couldn’t ride a bike, walk home from school, write with a pencil — a seizure-like crisis could strike at any time.” ADCY5-related dyskinesia is a roughly 1-in-a-million disease, and there is no known cure. The gene in its normal state provides instructions for making an enzyme that helps to regulate muscle contraction. The mutation disrupts that process, and caffeine helps to restore it. Doctors had long known that strong coffee helps quell the muscle spasms, but the condition is so rare that there are not enough patients to conduct an experiment in which one group take the “medicine,” and another imbibes a lookalike — in this case, a taste-alike — placebo. Such an experiment would, in any case, probably raise ethical issues, since researchers would know ahead of time that the placebo group would likely suffer severe discomfort. The condition is also known as facial myokymia, and is sometimes misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy. The symptoms typically appear as sudden jerks, twitches and tremors, and writhing, and usually begin between infancy and late adolescence. The movements can occur during waking hours or at night. The problem can also strike internally with the respiratory muscles. The study was published in the U.S.-based Annals of Internal Medicine.


Study links light exposure during sleep to weight gain in women

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Women who sleep with the television or a light on in the bedroom may be more likely to gain weight, according to a new study published Monday. The research, which was published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine, relied on a survey of almost 44,000 US women, with a follow-up five years later. The women were classified according to their level of exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN), which came from a variety of sources, from small nightlights or clock radios to light shining in from the street to televisions or room lights. One of the key findings was that women who slept with a television or a light on in the room were 17 percent more likely to have gained 5 kg (11 pounds) or more during the study period. The correlation remained strong even after controlling for factors like sleep duration, diet, and physical activity. Although the authors cautioned they could not definitely draw a causal link, they said their findings added to a growing body of evidence that supports sleeping in a dark room. “Public health strategies to decrease obesity might consider interventions aimed at reducing ALAN while sleeping,” wrote Dale Sandler and Yong-Moon Mark Park of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in North Carolina and coauthors. They suggested that the light may be suppressing production of melatonin, thereby disruption circadian rhythm and eating patterns. Other possibilities were that light acts as a “chronic stressor” disrupting the release of stress hormones such as glucocorticoids that play a part in regulating food intake, or that there may be another mechanism at work that affects metabolism directly. The authors acknowledged several limitations including that the data was self-reported and they did not know how intense various light sources were. High light exposure may also “reflect a constellation of measures of socioeconomic disadvantage and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, all of which could contribute to weight gain and obesity.” Commenting on the paper, Malcolm von Schantz, a professor of Chronobiology at the University of Surrey in Britain said: “What is novel with this paper is that it is a longitudinal study comparing the weight of the same individuals at baseline and more than five years later.” He added: “These new findings won’t change the advice to maintain good sleep hygiene, and avoid light and electronic distractions in the bedroom, but they add further strength to the case for this advice.”

u.s .
sleep
women
jama
light
weight
alan


U.S. measles outbreak spreads to Idaho and Virginia, hitting 1,022 cases

Abstract: NEW YORK/BANGALORE, INDIA - The worst U.S. measles outbreak in a quarter-century spread to Idaho and Virginia last week as public health authorities on Monday reported 41 new cases of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease. The U.S. has recorded 1,022 cases of the diseases this year as of June 6, in an outbreak blamed on misinformation about vaccines, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The 2019 outbreak, which has reached 28 states, is the worst since 1992, when 2,126 cases were recorded. Federal health officials attribute this year’s outbreak to U.S. parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. These parents believe, contrary to scientific evidence, that ingredients in the vaccine can cause autism. “We cannot say this enough: Vaccines are a safe and highly effective public health tool that can prevent this disease and end the current outbreak,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement last week. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning there was no continuous transmission of the disease for a year. Still, cases of the virus occur and spread via travelers coming from countries where measles is common. CDC officials have warned that the country risks losing its measles elimination status if the ongoing outbreak, which began in October 2018 in New York, continues until October 2019.


Justice Department agrees to turn over Mueller probe's 'most important files,' Democrats say

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The Justice Department has agreed to turn over some of the underlying evidence from special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, including files used to assess whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said Monday. In the first breakthrough in weeks of negotiations over the report, Rep. Jerrold Nadler said the department will begin complying with the committee’s subpoena on Monday and provide some of Mueller’s “most important files.” He said all members of the committee will be able to view them. The Justice Department did not have an immediate comment. In response to the agreement, Nadler said Democrats would not vote on holding Attorney General William Barr in criminal contempt, for now. Instead, the House will vote Tuesday on a resolution that would empower the Judiciary Committee to file a civil lawsuit for Mueller materials. “We have agreed to allow the Department time to demonstrate compliance with this agreement,” Nadler said in a statement. “If the department proceeds in good faith and we are able to obtain everything that we need, then there will be no need to take further steps.” The deal is unlikely to give Democrats all of what they were requesting — including an unredacted version of the report and secret grand jury testimony. But it is the first agreement that the Judiciary Committee has been able to strike with the department since the report was issued in April. The news came shortly before Democrats began the first in a series of hearings intended to focus public attention on the findings of the Russia investigation. John Dean, a star witness from Watergate who helped bring down Richard Nixon’s presidency, will testify Monday. The hearing, which will also feature former U.S. attorneys, is on “presidential obstruction and other crimes.” Dean, a White House counsel during Nixon’s administration, told CNN on Monday that he’ll describe “how strikingly like Watergate what we’re seeing now, as reported in the Mueller report, is.” He said he’ll pay particular attention to the question of whether Trump obstructed justice. The slate of televised sessions on Mueller’s report means a new, intensified focus on the Russia probe and puts it on an investigative “path” — in the words of anti-impeachment Speaker Nancy Pelosi — that some Democrats hope leads to Trump’s impeachment. In doing so, they are trying to aim a spotlight on allegations that Trump sought to obstruct a federal investigation as well as his campaign’s contacts with Russia in the 2016 election. And they will lay the groundwork for an appearance from Mueller himself, despite his stated desire to avoid testifying. Monday’s hearing is the start of three days of Russia-related action on Capitol Hill. The House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday intends to review the counterintelligence implications of the Russian meddling. Mueller said there was not enough evidence to establish a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but he said he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction. On Tuesday, the House has scheduled the vote to authorize lawsuits against Barr and former White House counsel Donald McGahn for failing to comply with subpoenas from the Democratic-controlled House. The vote will put the full House on record approving the lawsuits, if leaders and committees decide they want to move forward with them. Barr had defied a subpoena to provide an unredacted version of Mueller’s report, along with underlying evidence. McGahn, who is frequently referenced in the report, has defied subpoenas to provide documents and testify before the House Judiciary Committee. Language in the resolution also would make it easier for committee chairmen to take the Trump administration to court. The chairmen could take legal action to enforce subpoenas in the future without a vote of the full House, so long as the chairmen have approval from a five-person, bipartisan group where Democrats have the majority. With Trump pledging that “we’re fighting all the subpoenas,” Democratic leaders want to avoid repeated floor votes on contempt resolutions that would detract from their legislative agenda. The procession of hearings and votes in the week ahead is partly designed to mollify anxious Democrats who have pushed Pelosi, D-Calif., to begin impeachment proceedings immediately. Pelosi has rejected that option, preferring a slower, more methodical approach to investigating the president, including the court fights and hearings. During a meeting with Nadler and other committee heads last week, Pelosi made the case that she would rather see Trump voted out of office and “in prison” than merely impeached, according to a report in Politico. A person familiar with the exchange confirmed the account to The Associated Press. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, one of a handful of members who pleaded with Pelosi last month to start an inquiry, said the votes and hearings are going to be enough, for now, as they wait to see what happens in court. “I am very satisfied that things are moving in the right direction,” Raskin said. “And I think the American people are getting increasingly educated and engaged about the lawlessness of the president.” Educating the American public on what is in the Mueller report is a priority for Democrats, who believe Trump and his allies have created the public impression that the report said there was no obstruction of justice. Trump has made that assertion repeatedly, echoing Barr’s judgment that there was not enough evidence in the report to support a criminal obstruction charge. Mueller said in the report that he could not exonerate Trump on that point. The special counsel did not find evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia. But the report details multiple contacts between the two. Republicans are poised to defend the president at the hearings and challenge Democrats on the decision not to open impeachment hearings. Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, sent Nadler a letter Friday calling the upcoming hearing a “mock impeachment hearing” and warning Democrats to be civil when speaking of the president. Collins said in the letter that outside of impeachment proceedings, “it is out of order for a member of Congress, in debate, to engage in personalities with the president or express an opinion, even a third party opinion, accusing the president of a crime. The rules are clear on this point.”

u.s .
robert mueller
democrats
donald trump
russia probe
john dean
jerrold nadler
william barr


John Dean, of Watergate fame, calls Mueller report 'road map' for Trump probe

Abstract: WASHINGTON - John Dean, a star witness during Watergate who helped bring down the Nixon presidency, testified Monday that special counsel Robert Mueller has provided Congress with a “road map” for investigating President Donald Trump. He told the House Judiciary Committee he saw parallels between Mueller’s findings and those of congressional investigators looking into Richard Nixon’s administration decades ago. He pointed to the way the presidents used their pardon power in an attempt to influence witness testimony, and their efforts to seize control of investigations and direct the efforts of prosecutors. Dean, who served as White House counsel, testified as House Democrats opened three days of sessions aimed at focusing public attention on the findings of the Russia investigation and Trump’s actions. “We have a responsibility to do this work, to follow the facts where they lead,” said Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., as he gaveled in the hearing. He said the intent was to make certain “no president, Democrat or Republican, can ever act in this way again.” Trump, apparently watching the televised hearing, tweeted, “Can’t believe they are bringing in John Dean, the disgraced Nixon White House Counsel.” He added his oft-repeated claim, “No Collusion — No Obstruction!” Ahead of the hearing, Nadler announced that the Justice Department has agreed to turn over some of the underlying evidence from Mueller’s report, including files used to assess whether Trump obstructed justice. In the first breakthrough in weeks of negotiations over the report, Nadler said the department will begin complying with the committee’s subpoena on Monday and provide some of Mueller’s “most important files.” He said all members of the committee will be able to view them. Nadler said in response to the agreement Democrats would not vote on holding Attorney General William Barr in criminal contempt, for now. Instead, the House will vote Tuesday on a resolution that would empower the Judiciary Committee to file a civil lawsuit for Mueller materials. The Justice Department is “pleased the Committee has agreed to set aside its contempt resolution and is returning to the traditional accommodation process,” said spokesperson Kerri Kupec. She said the department “remains committed to appropriately accommodating Congress’s legitimate interests related to the Special Counsel’s Investigation and will continue to do so provided the previously voted-upon resolution does not advance.” The deal is unlikely to give Democrats all of what they were requesting — including an unredacted version of the report and secret grand jury testimony. At the same time, the Justice Department announced it was stepping up its counterprobe into the origins of the Russia investigations, a priority for Trump and his Republican allies on Capitol Hill. The department said Monday it has asked intelligence agencies to preserve all relevant records and access to witnesses. Dean was supposed to be the headliner Monday, but some of the strongest testimony came from two former U.S. attorneys who served during the Obama administration, Barbara McQuade and Joyce Vance, who have become regulars on cable news shows, analyzing developments in the Mueller investigation and offering criticism on Twitter of the president’s conduct. Dean said it was the first time he had testified since 1974. The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, dismissed Dean as a “godfather” figure, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, criticized Dean’s work and noted he pleaded guilty during the Nixon era. The slate of televised sessions on Mueller’s report means a new, intensified focus on the Russia probe and puts it on a path that some Democrats hope leads to Trump’s impeachment. They are trying to aim a spotlight on allegations that Trump sought to obstruct a federal investigation as well as his campaign’s contacts with Russia in the 2016 election. And they will lay the groundwork for an appearance from Mueller himself, despite his stated desire to avoid testifying. On Wednesday, the House Intelligence Committee intends to review the counterintelligence implications of the Russian meddling. Mueller said there was not enough evidence to establish a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but he said he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction. On Tuesday, the House has scheduled the vote to authorize lawsuits against Barr and former White House counsel Donald McGahn for failing to comply with subpoenas from the Democratic-controlled House. The vote will put the full House on record approving the lawsuits, if leaders and committees decide they want to move forward with them. Barr had defied a subpoena to provide an unredacted version of Mueller’s report, along with underlying evidence. McGahn, who is frequently referenced in the report, has defied subpoenas to provide documents and testify before the House Judiciary Committee. Language in the resolution also would make it easier for committee chairmen to take the Trump administration to court. The chairmen could take legal action to enforce subpoenas in the future without a vote of the full House, so long as the chairmen have approval from a five-person, bipartisan group where Democrats have the majority. With Trump pledging that “we’re fighting all the subpoenas,” Democratic leaders want to avoid repeated floor votes on contempt resolutions that would detract from their legislative agenda. The procession of hearings and votes in the week ahead is partly designed to mollify anxious Democrats who have pushed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to begin impeachment proceedings immediately. Pelosi has rejected that option, preferring a slower, more methodical approach to investigating the president, including the court fights and hearings. During a meeting with Nadler and other committee heads last week, Pelosi made the case that she would rather see Trump voted out of office and “in prison” than merely impeached, according to a report in Politico. A person familiar with the exchange confirmed the account to The Associated Press. Educating the American public on what is in the Mueller report is a priority for Democrats, who believe Trump and his allies have created the public impression that the report said there was no obstruction of justice. Trump has made that assertion repeatedly, echoing Barr’s judgment that there was not enough evidence in the report to support a criminal obstruction charge. Mueller said in the report that he could not exonerate Trump on that point. The special counsel did not find evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia. But the report details multiple contacts between the two.

congress
robert mueller
impeachment
donald trump
russia probe


Botswana decriminalizes gay sex in landmark Africa case

Abstract: JOHANNESBURG - Botswana became the latest country to decriminalize gay sex on Tuesday in a landmark case for Africa when the High Court rejected as unconstitutional sections of the penal code punishing same-sex relations with up to seven years in prison. Jubilant activists in the packed courtroom cheered the unanimous decision in the southern African nation that is seen as one of the continent’s most stable and democratic. The ruling came less than a month after Kenya’s High Court had upheld similar sections of its own penal code in another closely watched case. More than two dozen countries in sub-Saharan Africa have laws criminalizing gay sex, often holdovers from colonial times. Earlier this year, the southern African nation of Angola decriminalized same-sex activity and banned discrimination based on sexual orientation. Those arguing against the laws say they leave people in the LGBT community vulnerable to discrimination and abuse while making it difficult to access basic health care and other services. The Botswana-based nongovernmental group LEGABIBO, which supported the anonymous petitioner in the case, has said such laws “infringe on basic human dignity.” People in the courtroom were ecstatic, leaping up, clapping and ululating, LEGABIBO legal policy director Caine Youngman said. When the judges said the right to privacy includes the right to choose a partner, “it hit home,” he said. “I’m a gay man. I’ve been out for many years. Now I can live with my partner without worry,” Youngman said. He said the state might appeal “to appease the homophobes” and has 30 working days to do so. The ruling led to rejoicing from rights groups that had expressed frustration with the Kenyan decision last month, including ones in countries such as Nigeria, Uganda and Ghana where gay sex remains illegal. Amnesty International called on other African nations to follow Botswana’s example in “an exciting new era of acceptance.” Botswana’s High Court said in its ruling that penalizing people for who they are is disrespectful and discriminatory, and that the law should not deal with private acts between consenting adults. Sexual orientation is innate and not a “fashion statement,” the judges said. “Any criminalization of love or finding fulfillment in love dilutes compassion and tolerance.” The ruling cited the recent decriminalization in India and elsewhere. It also pointed out that all three arms of Botswana’s government have expressed the need to protect the rights of the gay community. Before the ruling, LEGABIBO shared a comment attributed to President Mokgweetsi Masisi: “There are also many people of same-sex relationships in this country who have been violated and have also suffered in silence for fear of being discriminated. Just like other citizens, they deserve to have their rights protected.” The judges cited the president’s comment in their ruling. Botswana in recent years has taken other steps toward protecting LGBT rights. The High Court in 2017 ruled that the government should issue a transgender man documentation reflecting his identity. And in 2016 an appeals court ruled that LEGABIBO could register as a nonprofit. “It is a day to celebrate pride, compassion and love,” UNAIDS executive director Gunilla Carlsson said in a statement after Tuesday’s ruling. Prohibitive legal environments increase the vulnerability of gay men, transgender women and others to HIV, the statement said.


Rights activist in Chechnya gets parole on drug sentence

Abstract: GROZNY, RUSSIA - A court in the Russian province of Chechnya granted parole Monday to a prominent rights activist whose conviction drew an international outcry. Oyub Titiyev, who led the Chechen office of prominent rights group Memorial, has been in custody since being arrested in January 2018 on a charge of possessing drugs. Titiyev, who denies the charges, received a four-year prison sentence in March. On Monday, the Shali court ruled to let him out of prison on parole. Titiyev is set to leave prison in 10 days, according to his lawyer. Titiyev played a major role in exposing extrajudicial killings, kidnappings and torture perpetrated by security forces in Chechnya. International rights groups have denounced his arrest and demanded his release. “If justice is to prevail, Oyub Titiev’s conviction should be quashed, and he must be given access to an effective remedy, including compensation, for his unlawful imprisonment,” said Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. “We further call on the Russian authorities to ensure a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders in Chechnya and elsewhere in Russia,” Struthers said in a statement. She also urged Russian authorities to swiftly look into the recent apprehension of prominent Russian investigative journalist, Ivan Golunov. According to his lawyer, Golunov was beaten and kept in custody for 12 hours without a lawyer after he was stopped by police in Moscow on Thursday. Golunov was transferred to house arrest on Saturday, but he still faces drug dealing charges that he describes as bogus but which could see him face prison for up to 20 years.

murder
russia
rights
memorial
chechnya
oyub titiyev
ivan golunov


U.S. Supreme Court rejects challenge to regulation of gun silencers

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court rejected a challenge to federal regulation of gun silencers Monday, just days after a gunman used one in a shooting rampage that killed 12 people in Virginia. The justices did not comment in turning away appeals from two Kansas men who were convicted of violating federal law regulating silencers. The men argued that the constitutional right “to keep and bear arms” includes silencers. The court’s action in the silencer cases was among dozens of orders in pending appeals, including decisions to add an international child custody dispute and four other cases to next term’s docket. The justices also will hear cases dealing with a death row inmate in Arizona, racial discrimination claims against Comcast by an African-American-owned media company, environmental cleanup at a Superfund site in Montana and a dispute between Intel Corp. and a retired Intel engineer. The court also rejected an appeal from a Yemeni man who has been held at the Guantanamo Bay naval base for more than 17 years. But Justice Stephen Breyer said “it is past time” for the court to decide whether indefinite detention at the U.S. Navy base in Cuba is legal. In the silencer cases, Kansas and seven other states joined in a court filing urging justices to hear the appeals. The states said the court should affirm that the Second Amendment protects “silencers and other firearms accessories.” The other states are: Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. President Donald Trump’s administration asked the court to stay out of the case and leave the convictions in place. Shane Cox, owner of a military surplus store, was convicted of making and transferring an unregistered silencer, and customer Jeremy Kettler was convicted of possessing one, all in violation of the 85-year-old National Firearms Act. Both men were sentenced to probation. Meanwhile, police are trying to determine a motive for the deadly shootings in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Authorities have said that city employee DeWayne Craddock opened fire in a municipal building on May 31. Police say Craddock was armed with two semi-automatic handguns, a silencer and extended ammunition magazines. Craddock later was killed in a shootout with police.

guns
u.s. supreme court
guantanamo bay
mass shootings
silencers