U.S. Senate's Mitch McConnell calls Robert Mueller probe 'case closed' but top Democrat slams coverup

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday sought to slam the door on further investigations of President Donald Trump by declaring “case closed” after a two-year probe of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 elections, even as House Democrats’ war with the White House intensified. McConnell, the top Republican in the U.S. Congress, delivered a stinging rebuke of Democrats seeking additional information on special counsel Robert Mueller graphics.reuters.com/USA-TRUMP-RUSSIA/010091HX27V/report.pdf ‘s report that found no evidence Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. “The special counsel’s finding is clear. Case closed,” McConnell declared. Meanwhile, battles between the White House and congressional Democrats over documents and testimony related to the Mueller investigation deepened on Tuesday. White House Counsel Pat Cipollone informed the House Judiciary Committee in a letter that ex-White House Counsel Don McGahn does not have the legal right to comply with a House of Representatives subpoena and disclose documents related to Mueller’s investigation. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, when asked by ABC News whether McGahn would comply with the subpoena, said, “I don’t anticipate that that takes place.” McConnell accused Democrats of being in an “absolute meltdown” and refusing “to accept the bottom line conclusion” that Mueller’s “exhaustive” report found no collusion with Russia. Since the public release of the report last month, House and Senate Republicans have defended the president and called for an end to congressional investigations. Mueller detailed extensive contacts between Trump’s campaign and Moscow. His 448-page report also outlined 11 instances in which the president tried to impede the special counsel’s investigation, but avoided a conclusion on whether or not Trump obstructed justice. Speaking on the Senate floor after McConnell, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer fired back, calling Trump a “lawless president” and accusing the Senate Republican leader of wanting to bury any congressional investigations. “Of course he wants to move on. He wants to cover up,” Schumer said of McConnell. Schumer likened McConnell’s move to President Richard Nixon, who was under investigation by Congress before resigning from office in 1974 in the face of impeachment and likely conviction. “It’s sort of like Richard Nixon saying let’s move on at the height of the investigation of his wrongdoing,” Schumer said. While McConnell urged an end to the fight over the Mueller report, he acknowledged that was unlikely. Democrats hold a majority in the House, while Republicans control the Senate. “Would we finally be able to move on from partisan paralysis and breathless conspiracy theorizing? Or would we remain consumed by unhinged partisanship,” McConnell said, adding, “Regrettably, the answer is pretty obvious.” House Democrats prepared to meet with Justice Department officials on Tuesday over Attorney General William Barr’s failure to release the full unredacted Mueller report as they prepared to cite him for contempt. The House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a Wednesday vote on a contempt citation for Barr, who missed a second deadline to give lawmakers the full report and failed to appear at a hearing before the panel last week. The full House would then vote on the rebuke. A contempt citation against McGahn or other administration officials could lead to a civil case, raising the possibility of fines and even imprisonment for failure to comply. The Judiciary Committee is among several House panels investigating Trump and his administration on various matters, including the Russia probe and Trump’s personal and business tax returns. The administration is stonewalling congressional investigators while the president, who has denied any wrongdoing, vowed to fight all congressional subpoenas. On Monday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin turned down the House Ways and Means Committee’s request for Trump’s tax returns, teeing up a likely legal battle. Democratic lawmakers want Mueller to testify before Congress, something Trump has balked at although Barr has said he would not object. If lawmakers decide that Trump obstructed justice by seeking to impede Mueller, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler could move to impeachment proceedings against the president. If the House goes down the impeachment route, at least some Republican support would be needed for a Senate conviction.

mitch mcconnell
robert mueller
donald trump
congress
don mcgahn
chuck schumer
richard nixon
russia probe
u.s .


Nancy Pelosi issues impeachment warning as White House escalates subpoena fight

Abstract: WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that the Trump administration’s defiance of subpoenas could be an impeachable offense, even as the top White House lawyer instructed his predecessor not to comply with a subpoena from House Democrats. White House Counsel Pat Cipollone said in a letter Tuesday to the House Judiciary Committee that President Donald Trump may want to assert executive privilege over the documents the panel is seeking from former counsel Don McGahn. At the same time, Trump’s Justice Department is pushing back against a separate subpoena from the House Judiciary Committee for the full, unredacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. Trump and his Republican allies are trying to move past the Mueller probe, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell calling it “case closed” in a floor speech Tuesday. But Pelosi made clear that Democrats plan to press their multiple investigations of the president, accusing Trump of “goading” House Democrats into trying to remove him from office. One of the articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon was based on ignoring subpoenas from Congress, the speaker said Tuesday during an event at Cornell University. “That could be part of an impeachable offense” against Trump, Pelosi said. “Every day he’s obstructing justice by saying this one should testify, that one shouldn’t testify.” The Trump administration has been rebuffing House Democrats’ demands for testimony and documents, with Trump saying last month that “we’re fighting all the subpoenas.” Questioning McGahn took on additional importance since the former White House counsel provided Mueller a detailed account about Trump’s attempt to have the special counsel removed from his post. The White House gave McGahn permission to speak with Mueller. The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed McGahn last month with a Tuesday deadline to comply with the records request. Cipollone told the committee to redirect its subpoena to the White House. His letter said White House acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney instructed McGahn not to hand over the records. A lawyer for McGahn, William Burck, said he told his client to honor the White House request, unless the committee and Trump administration reach an agreement. Attorney General William Barr missed a separate deadline on Monday to comply with the Judiciary panel subpoena for the the full Mueller report on Russian election-meddling and the Trump campaign. After committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler scheduled a vote to hold Barr in contempt, the Justice Department agreed to hold further talks Tuesday on the dispute. After the meeting, panel Democrats indicated the vote was likely to go ahead as planned. “Right now all systems go for the contempt hearing,” Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland told reporters. “We remain unanimously determined on our side of the aisle to get the unredacted report as we’ve demanded.” The House Intelligence Committee is also pursuing the unredacted Mueller report. The panel’s ranking Republican, Devin Nunes, joined Chairman Adam Schiff in threatening to subpoena the report on Friday if the Justice Department hasn’t complied with its request. The House is justified in seeking the full Mueller report ‘in order to exercise all of the powers of Congress, including impeachment,” Pelosi said at Cornell. Pelosi said following “the facts and the law” will lead Congress to the correct action to take in response to Trump’s actions documented in the Mueller report. She said any case against Trump must be built not only in congressional committees, but also in the court of public opinion. “He is just trying to goad us into impeachment, and wherever you go, I say to my colleagues — whatever it is, be ready,” the California Democrat said.

nancy pelosi
impeachment
donald trump
don mcgahn
robert mueller
congress
william barr
u.s .
russia probe


White House tells Don McGahn to snub Congress subpoena as Trump battles Democrats

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The White House on Tuesday instructed Don McGahn, its former counsel, to refuse to comply with a congressional subpoena for documents related to special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia inquiry, intensifying a fight between President Donald Trump’s administration and Democratic lawmakers. McGahn, who left his post as White House counsel last year, was directed not to produce White House records sought in the subpoena issued by the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, according to the current White House counsel, Pat Cipollone. It was the latest episode in an escalating fight between the Republican president and Democrats, who control the House and are seeking documents and testimony relating to various investigations, ahead of the 2020 presidential election in which Trump is seeking a second four-year term. Cipollone said in a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler that McGahn was given the documents during the investigation “with the clear understanding that the records remain subject to the control of the White House for all purposes.” Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, a former House Republican, directed McGahn not to produce the records, the letter said. “The White House records remain legally protected from disclosure under longstanding constitutional principles, because they implicate significant executive branch confidentiality interests and executive privilege,” Cipollone wrote. Executive privilege is a right claimed by presidents to withhold information about internal executive branch deliberations from other branches of government. A Republican congressional aide said the White House was not asserting executive privilege over the documents and pointed to Cipollone’s readiness to respond to further congressional inquiries about the records. “Conversations … would not occur if, in fact, the White House had asserted privilege here,” the aide said. Nadler had asked McGahn to produce the documents by Tuesday morning. The committee also subpoenaed McGahn to testify at a deposition. Neither committee officials nor McGahn’s lawyer were immediately available to comment on whether he would do so. “Because Mr. McGahn does not have the legal right to disclose these documents to third parties, I would ask the committee to direct any request for such records to the White House, the appropriate legal custodian,” Cipollone said. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told ABC earlier she did not believe McGahn would comply with the subpoena. “I don’t anticipate that that takes place,” Sanders said. House Democrats have sought McGahn’s cooperation as part of their investigation of possible corruption and obstruction of justice by Trump. Trump denies wrongdoing. Mueller’s 448-page report referred to conversations in June 2017 in which Trump called McGahn to tell him he should direct Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who was overseeing the special counsel’s probe, to remove Mueller because of alleged conflicts of interest. The report cited “McGahn’s clear recollection” that the president directed him to tell Rosenstein that “Mueller has to go.” McGahn did not carry out Trump’s order, the report said. Trump also tried unsuccessfully to get McGahn to dispute media reports that the president had attempted to fire Mueller, the report said. Trump is fighting congressional Democrats on several fronts. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday denied a request by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal for Trump’s tax returns. The House Judiciary Committee has set a vote for Wednesday on whether to cite Attorney General William Barr with contempt of Congress over his refusal to provide it with a full, unredacted version of Mueller’s report and underlying evidence from the investigation. Trump, his three oldest children and the Trump Organization also have sued Deutsche Bank AG and Capital One Financial Corp to try to block them from responding to U.S. congressional subpoenas issued by Democrats seeking financial records. Republicans in Congress have rejected the efforts of Democratic-led House committees as political gamesmanship intended to appeal to the Democratic Party’s voting base ahead of the 2020 election.

don mcgahn
congress
robert mueller
donald trump
jerrold nadler
u.s .
russia probe


Sudan army rulers want to retain Sharia as legal guide

Abstract: KHARTOUM - Sudan’s army rulers Tuesday said Islamic law should remain as the guiding principle in a new civilian structure, after protest leaders handed in proposed changes they want enforced but kept silent on Sharia. The 10-member military council was handed the proposals last week for the new civilian structures protest leaders want. The military council told reporters that the generals overall agreed to the proposals but had “many reservations.” These included the silence on Islamic Sharia law remaining the bedrock of all laws. “The declaration failed to mention the sources of legislation, and the Islamic sharia law and tradition should be the source of legislation,” Lt. Gen. Shamseddine Kabbashi, spokesman for the military council, told reporters. Sudan, under ousted leader Omar al-Bashir, saw Islamic law applied inconsistently, even though the country’s constitution says that Sharia is the guiding principle. This led to thousands of women being flogged for “indecent behavior,” according to women’s rights activists. Kabbashi said the military council was also of the opinion that declarations of emergencies be in the hands of a “sovereign” authority and not the cabinet as proposed by protest leaders. He said the composition of a “sovereign” body has yet to be discussed with the protest leaders. The military council and protest leaders have differed on the composition of an overall ruling council, with protest leaders demanding it be led by majority civilians and the generals insisting it be a military-led body. Thousands of protesters meanwhile remain encamped outside the army complex, demanding that the army rulers step down and hand over power to a civilian administration. The generals took power after the army ousted Bashir on April 11 following months of protests against his iron-fisted rule. But since then the military council has resisted calls for handing over power to civilians, the main demand of protesters.


Michael Cohen says he helped racy Falwell photos go away before evangelical family backed Trump

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Months before evangelical leader Jerry Falwell Jr.’s game-changing presidential endorsement of Donald Trump in 2016, Falwell asked Trump fixer Michael Cohen for a personal favor, Cohen said in a recorded conversation reviewed by Reuters. Falwell, president of Liberty University, one of the world’s largest Christian universities, said someone had come into possession of what Cohen described as racy “personal” photographs — the sort that would typically be kept “between husband and wife,” Cohen said in the taped conversation. According to a source familiar with Cohen’s thinking, the person who possessed the photos destroyed them after Cohen intervened on the Falwells’ behalf. The Falwells, through a lawyer, declined comment for this article. Cohen, who began a three-year prison sentence this week for federal campaign violations and lying to Congress, recounted his involvement in the matter in a recording made surreptitiously by comedian Tom Arnold on March 25. Portions of the recording — in which Cohen appeared to disavow parts of his guilty plea — were first reported April 24 by The Wall Street Journal. The Falwells enlisted Cohen’s help in 2015, according to the source familiar with Cohen’s thinking, the year Trump announced his presidential candidacy. At the time, Cohen was Trump’s confidant and personal lawyer, and he worked for the Trump Organization. The Falwells wanted to keep “a bunch of photographs, personal photographs” from becoming public, Cohen told Arnold. “I actually have one of the photos,” he said, without going into specifics. “It’s terrible.” Cohen would later prove successful in another matter involving Falwell, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Cohen helped persuade Falwell to issue his endorsement of Trump’s presidential candidacy at a critical moment, they said: just before the Iowa caucuses. Falwell subsequently barnstormed with Trump and vouched for the candidate’s Christian virtues. Reuters has no evidence that Falwell’s endorsement of Trump was related to Cohen’s involvement in the photo matter. The source familiar with Cohen’s thinking insisted the endorsement and the help with the photographs were separate issues. Cohen’s connection to the Falwells sheds light on the formidable alliance between Trump and a man who, through his university, is one of the most influential evangelical figures in America. Falwell’s backing helped galvanize evangelicals and persuaded many Christians concerned about Trump’s past behavior to embrace him as a repentant sinner. Falwell’s support for Trump has not wavered throughout the New York celebrity-politician’s own tribulations, including the Access Hollywood recording of Trump talking about grabbing women’s genitals and payoffs made by Cohen to hide Trump’s extramarital affairs. This past weekend, Falwell tweeted that “Trump should have 2 yrs added to his 1st term” to make up for the two years of the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Falwell’s endorsement of Trump, however, did surprise some students and staff at Liberty University, the school in Lynchburg, Virginia, founded by Falwell’s father, Jerry. It was at Liberty where fellow Republican presidential candidate and major Trump rival Ted Cruz had chosen to launch his campaign the previous year. Cruz’s father was an evangelical preacher, much like Falwell’s father; Trump has been married three times and divorced twice. For years, prior to running for president, Trump boasted of his sexual exploits and supported a host of social positions, such as abortion rights, that run counter to beliefs espoused by Falwell. Although Falwell declined interview requests for this story, he has said repeatedly that he endorsed Trump because Trump was the strongest candidate, had significant experience running a business, and had the right vision for the country. The connection between Trump and Falwell goes back years. In 2012, Trump gave the convocation at Liberty University. One link between Trump and the couple appears to have been Cohen, a now-disbarred New York lawyer who formed a close bond with the Falwells. During the campaign, Cohen worked closely with Liberty University to help promote Trump’s candidacy. It was around that time that Cohen heard from the Falwells about the photographs, said the source familiar with Cohen’s thinking. The Falwells told Cohen that someone had obtained photographs that were embarrassing to them, and was demanding money, the source said. Reuters was unable to determine who made the demand. The source said Cohen flew to Florida and soon met with an attorney for the person with the photographs. Cohen spoke with the attorney, telling the lawyer that his client was committing a crime, and that law enforcement authorities would be called if the demands didn’t stop, the source said. The matter was soon resolved, the source said, and the lawyer told Cohen that all of the photographs were destroyed. Months later, in early 2016, Trump faced what seemed like an enormous challenge. The Iowa caucus was coming up, and Cohen — then deeply loyal to Trump — was concerned about how Trump would fare, the source said. Cohen felt Trump “was being slaughtered in that community,” and “didn’t want to see him embarrassed or, you know, without support,” said the source familiar with Cohen’s thinking. Cohen repeatedly reached out to Jerry Falwell, and pleaded with him to back Trump, the source said. Soon after, according to this account, Falwell made his historic announcement. “I am proud to offer my endorsement of Donald J. Trump for President of the United States,” Falwell was quoted saying in a statement issued by the Trump campaign. “He is a successful executive and entrepreneur, a wonderful father and a man who I believe can lead our country to greatness again.”

michael cohen
evangelicals
jerry falwell
donald trump
tom arnold
u.s .


U.K. soldier on Malawi anti-poaching mission killed by elephant

Abstract: LONDON - A British soldier serving in Malawi with an anti-poaching operation has been killed by an elephant, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Mathew Talbot was on patrol Sunday in Liwonde National Park when “he was killed by an elephant,” a spokesman told AFP. The director of Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Brighton Kumchedwa, said that “two British soldiers and three Malawian wildlife rangers were out on a normal patrol where they came across three elephants. “One of the elephants charged and the team tried to run for cover.” According to Kumchedwa, the elephant pulled Talbot from a tree he had climbed and trampled him. “His friends tried to resuscitate him but it was all in vain because he died before they could take him to hospital,” he said. Defense Secretary Penny Mordaunt said in a statement that the tragic incident was a “reminder of the danger our military faces as they protect some of the world’s most endangered species.” The presence of well-equipped British forces in the 530-sq.-km (250-sq.-mile) Liwonde park has reassured rangers who routinely confront gangs of poachers armed with assault rifles. Prince Harry, who visited the park in 2016, is the public face of the anti-poaching project that began that year. Talbot’s commanding officer Ed Launders said he was “determined and big-hearted” and had volunteered for the Malawi mission. “He was hugely proud of his work as a counter-poaching operator and tragically died doing great good,” Launders said. Talbot enlisted in 2013 and last year attended a multi-national training exercise in Kenya. Benson Linje, a communications officer at the British High Commission in the capital Lilongwe, told AFP that Talbot’s body would be repatriated to the United Kingdom by the end of the week.

malawi
elephants
military
endangered
prince harry
nature
u.k .
poaching


Iran threatens uranium enrichment if world powers do not keep promises under 2015 pact

Abstract: TEHRAN - A year after President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, Tehran threatened Wednesday to resume higher enrichment of uranium in 60 days if world powers fail to negotiate new terms to the accord, raising tensions as a U.S. aircraft carrier and a bomber wing deploy to confront unspecified threats from Tehran. In a televised address, President Hassan Rouhani also said Iran would stop exporting excess uranium and heavy water from its nuclear program — two requirements of the deal. He did not elaborate on the degree to which Iran is prepared to enrich uranium, which at high levels of enrichment can be used in nuclear weapons. Rouhani said Iran wants to negotiate new terms with remaining partners in the deal but acknowledged that the situation is dire. “We felt that the nuclear deal needs a surgery, and the painkiller pills of the last year have been ineffective,” Rouhani said. “This surgery is for saving the deal, not destroying it.” The 2015 deal lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program. After the U.S. withdrew from the accord it restored crippling sanctions on Iran, exacerbating a severe economic crisis. The Iranian rial, which traded at 32,000 to the dollar at the time of the accord, traded Wednesday at 153,500. The three European parties to the deal — the U.K., France and Germany — tried to save the accord with a trade mechanism meant to bypass reimposed U.S. sanctions, but their attempt was dismissed by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as a “bitter joke.” Iran notified the U.K., Russia, China, the European Union, France and Germany of its decision earlier Wednesday. All were signatories to the nuclear deal and continue to support it. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was to meet Wednesday in Moscow with his Russian counterpart. “If the five countries join negotiations and help Iran to reach its benefits in the field of oil and banking, Iran will return to its commitments according to the nuclear deal,” Rouhani said. However, Rouhani warned of a “strong reaction” if European leaders seek to impose more sanctions on Iran via the U.N. Security Council. He did not elaborate.Zarif issued his own warning from Moscow. “After a year of patience, Iran stops measures that (the) US has made impossible to continue,” he tweeted. World powers have “a narrowing window to reverse this.” Zarif stressed that Iran’s actions were not in breach of the nuclear deal, which U.N. inspectors have repeatedly certified its compliance with. “We are not operating outside of the JCPOA (nuclear deal) but are in fact working in its framework,” he told state television. Rouhani also said that if the 60 days pass without action, Iran will halt a Chinese-led effort to redesign its Arak heavy-water nuclear reactor. Such reactors produce plutonium that can be used in nuclear weapons. There was no immediate response from the U.S. However, the White House said Sunday it would dispatch an aircraft carrier and a bomber wing to the Persian Gulf over what it described as a new threat from Iran. On the eve of the Iranian announcement, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced visit to Baghdad in an effort to consolidate relations as Washington pushes ahead with its “maximum pressure” against Tehran, an ally of Iraq. Tokyo said it is closely following the situation and will use its amicable ties with Tehran to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East. “We hope to use our traditionally friendly relations with Iran to solve problems through dialogue and achieve peace and stability in the region,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday, adding that Iran playing a “constructive” role is important. “The Iranian government’s decision is not to withdraw from the nuclear agreement, and we take note of this point, he said at a news conference. “We will continue to monitor the situation carefully.” Japan, a nonmember, has supported the 2015 deal, but the recent hardening of stance by the United States has put Tokyo in a difficult position as it seeks to maintain good relations with Tehran. The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Iran had been provoked into rolling back some of the terms of the 2015 deal due to external pressure, which it blamed on the United States. “President (Putin) has repeatedly spoken of the consequences of unthought-out steps regarding Iran, and by that I mean the decision taken by Washington” to quit the deal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. “Now we are seeing those consequences are starting to happen.” China underlined that it “resolutely opposes” the unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States but called on all parties to uphold the nuclear deal. “We call on all relevant parties to exercise restraint, strengthen dialogue and avoid escalating tensions,” foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. Iran reached the deal with world powers after years of negotiations, including secret talks between Iran and U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration in Oman. Western governments had long feared Iran’s atomic program could allow it to build nuclear weapons. Iran has always maintained its program is for peaceful purposes. That Iran choose to keep its excess uranium and heavy water first, rather than abandon the accord in its entirety, shows it still hopes to secure a deal. Under the 2015 deal, Iran can keep a stockpile of no more than 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of low-enriched uranium. It once had 10,000 kilograms (22,046 pounds) of higher-enriched uranium. The U.S. last week ended deals allowing Iran to exchange its enriched uranium for unrefined yellowcake uranium with Russia, and to sell its heavy water, which is used as a coolant in nuclear reactors, to Oman. The U.S. also has ended waivers for nations including Japan that buy Iranian crude oil, a key source of revenue for Iran’s government. Currently, the accord limits Iran to enriching uranium to 3.67 percent, which can fuel a commercial nuclear power plant. Weapons-grade uranium needs to be enriched to around 90 percent. However, once a country enriches uranium to around 20 percent, scientists say the time needed to reach 90 percent is halved. Iran has previously enriched to 20 percent.

iran
hassan rouhani
nuclear weapons
conflict
nuclear energy
iran nuclear deal


Trump claimed business losses of $1.17 billion over a decade, report says

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump, who won the presidency in part on his image as a successful business mogul, lost $1.17 billion over 10 years on failed business deals, according to tax records obtained by The New York Times. The losses, in the 1980s and 1990s, were greater than those reported by nearly any other American taxpayer during that period, according to Internal Revenue Service data The Times said it had reviewed. In 1990 and 1991, according to the report, Trump’s loses of $250 million a year were more than double those of the nearest taxpayer the IRS collected information on. Democrats in Congress have been battling for the release of the president’s more recent returns, a clash that may likely end in court. Trump sold himself to voters as a master deal maker, who could bring the same success to the country as he did to his businesses. While he never personally filed for bankruptcy, his businesses sought bankruptcy protection four times. The Times said it did not obtain the actual tax returns, but instead received Trump’s IRS tax transcripts that included figures from his federal 1040 tax form from someone who had legal access to it. The Times said it was able to verify some of the figures by cross referencing them to other documents they had obtained. The losses cover Trump’s taxes from 1985 to 1994. The losses began with $46.1 million in 1985 from casinos, hotels and retail space, and grew year after year, the report said. The returns also show how Trump’s primary sources of income changed each year from stock market earnings — in part from boosting stock prices by suggesting he would take over a company — to an unexplained $52.9 million gain in interest income. Yet the income was offset each year by losses, which were so great that Trump would have been able to avoid paying income taxes for eight of the 10 years. In a statement to The Times, Charles Harder, a lawyer for Trump, said that the tax information was “demonstrably false,” and that the paper’s statements “about the president’s tax returns and business from 30 years ago are highly inaccurate.” In an additional statement to The Times he said “I.R.S. transcripts, particularly before the days of electronic filing, are notoriously inaccurate” and “would not be able to provide a reasonable picture of any taxpayer’s return,” the paper reported. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin refused to release Trump’s personal and business tax returns from the past six years, setting up what could become one of the biggest legal showdowns between the president and a Congress seeking to investigate him. Democrats, citing a section of the tax code from 1924, say the law is on their side. The law allows the chairmen of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees and the Joint Committee on Taxation to request the tax returns of any taxpayer and that the Treasury secretary “shall” provide them. The Times has previously reported on parts of Trump’s tax returns from his 1995 filings after receiving some of the pages in the mail. They showed that Trump had reported a loss of $915.7 million. Trump’s financial troubles over the period examined by The Times have been well documented with his companies having sought bankruptcy protection in 1991, 1992, 2004 and 2009.

donald trump
taxes
u.s .
business ethics


Mike Pompeo makes unannounced visit to Baghdad as U.S.-Iran tensions heat up

Abstract: BAGHDAD - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in Baghdad late Tuesday on an unannounced visit, an Iraqi government source told AFP, canceling a trip to Germany amid boiling U.S.-Iran tensions. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the high security nature of the visit, said Pompeo was due to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi. The surprise visit is seen as an effort to stand up Washington’s ties with Baghdad as it wages a campaign of “maximum pressure” against Tehran — a U.S. arch-rival, but an ally of Iraq. On Sunday, Washington announced it was dispatching an aircraft carrier strike group and bomber task force to the Middle East in a “clear and unmistakeable” message to Iran. National Security Adviser John Bolton said the deployment was in response to a “number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings,” but did not elaborate. Both Bolton and Pompeo have said in recent days that the U.S. would respond to any attack by Iran, its feared Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or armed groups allied to Tehran across the region. Pompeo had been traveling from Finland, where he had attended a meeting of the Arctic Council, to Germany, where he was due to meet both Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas later Tuesday. He suddenly canceled the trip due to “pressing issues,” the State Department said on Tuesday, without elaborating where he was heading. But in response to a question about threats from Iran or its proxies on U.S. forces in Iraq, the top U.S. diplomat mentioned both Iraq and Jordan. “As secretary of state I have a responsibility to keep the officers that work for me safe each and every day all around the world. That includes in Arbil and Baghdad, in our facilities in Amman, all around the Middle East,” he told journalists. “And so any time we receive threat reporting, things that raise concerns, we do everything … that we can to make sure that those planned or contemplated attacks don’t take place, and to make sure that we’ve got the right security posture,” he said. In a press conference a few hours before Pompeo’s arrival, Abdel Mahdi said Iraq would not accept any attack on foreign troops on its land. “Iraq really is taking the responsibility to avoid any attack on any of our friends here, coalition forces or any of our friends here,” he told reporters. “This is an obligation that Iraq would honor, (and) not accept any attack on anyone — whether Iraqi, foreigner, whether it’s an embassy or a company or a military mission,” he said. Pompeo and Abdel Mahdi had spoken by phone on Friday, but a readout provided by the PM’s office did not mention Iran. Pompeo is due in London after his trip to Iraq, his second time in Baghdad as secretary of state. He traveled to Baghdad and Arbil in January, also unannounced, to reassure Washington’s Kurdish allies after the US announced it would withdraw its troops from Syria. Washington and Tehran have been at loggerheads since the US unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and instead vowed “maximum pressure” against Tehran — with Baghdad repeatedly caught in the middle. In November, the U.S. reinstated tough sanctions on Iran’s energy and finance sectors, but granted Iraq waivers to keep importing Iranian electricity and gas for its crippled power sector. The U.S. has urged Baghdad to partner with U.S. companies to fill that gap. And last month, Washington named the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a “foreign terrorist organization,” in the first such designation for a government body. The move prompted Iran to designate U.S. troops across the region as “terrorists.” In Iraq, a debate has been raging in recent months over the fate of some 5,200 U.S. troops stationed across the country. Their presence angers the Hashed al-Shaabi, a paramilitary force that is dominated by pro-Iran factions which played a key role alongside government forces in the fight against IS.

mike pompeo
iran
iraq
adel abdel mahdi
u.s .
donald trump


Meghan and Harry present royal newborn to public

Abstract: LONDON - Tired but beaming, new parents Meghan and Prince Harry presented their 2-day-old son to the world as he slumbered Wednesday and also revealed his name: Archie. The royal couple, known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since their marriage not quite a year ago, said the full name of the child born seventh in line to the British throne is Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The baby slept peacefully through his carefully orchestrated media moment. His mother, making her first public appearance since giving birth early Monday, called Archie “a dream” who “has the sweetest temperament.” “He’s really calm,” Meghan said. Harry quipped: “I wonder who he gets that from.” Harry and Meghan did not choose an aristocratic title for their son. He is not a prince but could have been given the title “Lord” before his first name. Instead he will be known for now as “Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.” The surname, used by some members of the royal family, was created to recognize the lineage of both Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip. Unlike many senior royals, Archie only has one middle name. Prince Harry’s full name is Henry Charles Albert David. The couple did not disclose why they chose Archie’s first and middle names — though the meaning of Harrison, “son of Harry,” is probably a clue. Many in Britain had expected a more traditional royal name, with bookmakers taking many bets on Alexander, Arthur and James. Archie, a name of Germanic origin with meanings that include “genuine,” “bold” and “brave,” is an increasingly popular baby name in Britain. It was among the top 20 most common boy’s names in 2017, according to the U.K.’s Office for National Statistics. As tourists visiting Windsor Castle, near the royal residence outside London that Meghan and Harry moved into last month, mulled over the baby’s name, surprise seemed to be the most common reaction. “A mouthful for him,” Elizabeth Barker, an Irish tourist, said laughing. “But anyway, I guess, if that’s what they wanted, then it’s the name that they like. You know, nobody has to like it.” In America, famous Archies, both real and fictional, have included former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp and the red-haired comic book character Archie Andrews. The baby’s name was announced a few hours after his proud parents posed with him for cameras, helping to satisfy a huge global appetite since their son was born Monday at 5:26 a.m. weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces (3.26 kilograms). Standing in the vast, red-carpeted St. George’s Hall at Windsor Castle, Harry cradled the newborn in his arms. The baby lay silently, swaddled in a white merino wool shawl and wearing a knitted cap. Both were made by English firm G.H. Hurt & Son, which has supplied three generations of royal babies with knitwear. Meghan declared motherhood to be “magic.” “It’s pretty amazing,” said the 37-year-old American, formerly known as actress Meghan Markle. “I have the two best guys in the world, so I’m really happy.” Asked who the baby took after, Harry said it was too soon to tell. “Everyone says that babies change so much over two weeks,” said the 34-year-old prince. “We’re basically monitoring how the changing process happens over this next month really. But his looks are changing every single day, so who knows.” “We’re just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy,” he added. The couple left the photo call to introduce the baby to his great-grandparents, the queen and Prince Philip. The infant is the eighth great-grandchild of 93-year-old Elizabeth, the U.K.’s longest reigning monarch. They were joined by Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, who is staying with the couple at their Frogmore Cottage home near the queen’s Windsor Castle residence. The baby is the first Anglo-American member of the royal family, and is eligible for U.S. citizenship should his parents want him to have it. He has African-American heritage though his biracial mother. Meghan, the former star of the TV show “Suits,” married Harry, a former soldier and the younger son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, in May 2018. An audience of millions around the world watched the spectacular televised wedding ceremony at Windsor Castle, 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of London. Harry is due to return to royal duties Thursday, attending an event in The Hague for the Invictus Games sports competition for injured service personnel and veterans. Harry is likely to make the jaunt to the Netherlands as a day trip so he can get back to his family in Windsor. Prince William, Harry’s older brother and a father of three, joked Tuesday that he will be glad “to welcome my own brother into the sleep deprivation society that is parenting!” “Obviously thrilled, absolutely thrilled, and obviously looking forward to seeing them in the next few days,” William told reporters.

prince harry
births
meghan markle
children
u.k .
parenthood
nobility


Russia probes possible pilot error after deadly Aeroflot jetliner blaze

Abstract: MOSCOW - Russian investigators were on Tuesday considering pilot error as the cause of a crash that saw a plane erupt in flames at Moscow’s busiest airport and kill 41 people during an emergency landing, media reported. The first fire engine arrived at the scene only two minutes after the plane landed and burst into flames, the airport said Tuesday. Russian television channel Ren TV posted what it said was the conversation between the pilots and air traffic control that showed that the pilot remained calm as he requested an emergency landing and did not assess the situation as critical. The Sukhoi Superjet-100 had just flown out of Sheremetyevo airport on Sunday evening when it sent out an emergency signal and circled back, bouncing on the runway and catching fire. Sources in the investigation told Kommersant newspaper the Aeroflot pilots made a number of errors, including flying into a thunderstorm and landing with a full tank rather than circling to use up fuel. Various sources told the business daily RBK the pilots opened a cockpit window, potentially fanning the flames, and failed to turn off engines immediately after landing. Investigators are still examining the black boxes from the plane and have so far given no official reason for the crash. Pilot Denis Yevdokimov told media the lightning strike shortly after takeoff caused the aircraft to lose communication and forced the emergency landing. In the transcript of his communications with air traffic control, Yevdokimov said: “We request return (due to) loss of radio communications.” He said that the plane had been hit by lightning. The plane’s automatic flight control system was not working, the pilot then added. He confirmed he was going to land using only instruments and told air traffic control that “help is needed. Passengers and crew said they saw a bright light and felt a jolt as the plane entered clouds. Videos on social media showed the plane landing with a jolt and then speeding along the runway with flames pouring from its fuselage. People could be seen leaping onto an inflatable slide at the front and running from the blazing plane as columns of black smoke billowed into the sky. The first fire engine arrived at the scene at 6.32 p.m., two minutes after the plane landed at 6.30 p.m., Sheremetyevo airport said in a detailed time-line of the incident. It said that air traffic control had given out an alarm signal one minute after the plane landed, after which fire engines were supposed to arrive at the scene within 3 minutes according to norms. The fire was fully extinguished 18 minutes after it broke out, the airport said. Air traffic control only called for emergency services to go to the runway after talking the pilot through landing, Ren TV reported. It also released a transcript of communications between emergency services which showed initial confusion over whether passengers had already been evacuated from the plane. In the footage, several passengers were carrying hand luggage, prompting harsh online criticism. Some on social media suggested that taking the bags out of lockers could have held up the evacuation of the plane, though no witness accounts confirmed the speculation. Survivor Oleg Molchanov, who posted a photo of his boarding pass to prove his identity, wrote on an online forum that toxic black smoke filling the cabin within seconds was the reason evacuation from the back rows was extremely difficult. Meanwhile a video also emerged showing unidentified officials at the airport laughing as they shot footage of the fatal landing. Sheremetyevo said in a statement that the officials — who were not employees of the airport company or Aeroflot — would be “punished in the strictest possible way. Ten passengers were hospitalized following the crash, and all were in a stable condition Tuesday, transport minister Yevgeny Dietrich said. Russia’s national carrier Aeroflot was once notorious for a poor safety record but in recent years its image has improved and it has not had a fatal accident in more than a decade. The Russian Sukhoi Superjet-100 however has been dogged with problems since its launch in 2011 and Russia has struggled to convince foreign carriers to purchase it. In 2012, a Superjet performing at an Indonesian air show slammed into a volcano, killing all 45 people on board. Indonesia blamed the crash on pilot error. Dietrich said there were no plans to ground the Superjet-100 model.

russia
aeroflot
moscow
sukhoi
aviation
air accidents


Thai election results show no clear winner but junta party favored

Abstract: BANGKOK - Long-delayed results of Thailand’s first election since a 2014 military coup released on Wednesday produced no clear winner but gave a pro-army party a clear advantage in its bid to install the current junta leader as an elected prime minister. The opposition threatened legal action against Wednesday’s results, saying that a new seat allocation formula robbed the “democratic front” alliance of a majority in the 500-seat House of Representatives. The results are likely to set up a period of coalition building, since neither the pro-military bloc of parties nor a “democratic front” opposition alliance so far has enough votes to elect a prime minister under rules written by the junta. Any government that emerges is likely to be weak, because even if the junta leader’s party forms the government, it will still have to contend with the possibility of defections with allies in the lower house to pass legislation. It will still be weeks before any government can be formed while a junta-selected committee finishes appointing the Senate, the 250-seat upper house of parliament that will vote together with the elected House to choose the prime minister. Still, Wednesday’s results made it more likely that the party of coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha will stay in power because it needs fewer allies among small and medium-sized parties to get to the 376 votes needed to elect the prime minister in the combined House and Senate vote. Prayuth’s Palang Pracharat party said it was confident it would lead to the formation of the next government, but didn’t yet name its allies. “We will coordinate with other parties who share our ideology and are interested in forming a government together,” said its leader, Uttama Savanayana, a former minister under Prayuth’s previous cabinets. The Pheu Thai party, allied to ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, vowed to “pursue every legal means” to reverse an Election Commission formula it says favored tiny parties at the expense of its own larger vote-getters. “The Pheu Thai Party sees the Election Commission’s proceedings as deliberate actions and use of power in violations of the constitution and the (electoral) law,” it said in a statement. The opposition had already complained the post-coup election rules were written to give advantage pro-army parties, because the appointed Senate is likely to vote along with Prayuth’s party. The Election Commission and the junta deny any bias in the electoral law. Palang Pracharat needs control over only about 126 seats in the House to vote in Prayuth as prime minister, under the assumption it will get most or all of junta-appointed Senate’s 250 votes. Palang Pracharat won 115 seats in the House, according to Wednesday’s results from the Election Commission. Parties it is allied with won seven seats, bringing it to 122 votes. That means Palang Pracharat needs only to gain four or more votes from the 16 unaligned parties that won 131 seats combined. The “democratic front” of seven parties won a combined 245 seats in the House, falling just short of the majority in the 500-seat lower house. Two seats have not yet been allocated pending re-votes ordered by the Election Commission. The electoral rules make it practically impossible for the opposition to overcome the Senate’s vote to form a government. But it had hoped gaining a majority in the lower house would allow it to block the junta from retaining nearly unrestrained power it has wielded since the military takeover five years ago.

elections
thailand
prayuth chan-ocha
thaksin shinawatra


China and U.S. clash as Beijing wins seat on U.N. indigenous peoples forum despite Uighur detentions

Abstract: UNITED NATIONS - China assailed the United States on Tuesday for calling on countries to deprive Beijing of a seat at a U.N. forum over its treatment of the Uighur minority. It was the second time in as many weeks that the two countries openly clashed at the United Nations over the rights of the Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities held in camps in China’s Xinjiang region. Last week, the United States invited the head of the World Uyghur Congress, Dolkun Isa, to address the U.N. forum on indigenous peoples, infuriating China. U.S. diplomat Courtney Nemoff said ahead of elections on Tuesday that China’s treatment of Uighurs should be a factor in deciding on membership to the forum tasked with protecting indigenous people worldwide. “The United States is alarmed that more than a million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and other Muslims have suffered arbitrary detention, forced labor, torture and death in camps in China’s Xinjiang” region, said Nemoff. “These atrocities must be stopped. We call on member states to bear this in mind in this important forum.” A Chinese diplomat took the floor to strongly reject the U.S. statement. “The U.S. representative made an unreasonable accusation against China and defamation against China,” he said, expressing Beijing’s “strong displeasure over this and our firm opposition to it.” Despite the U.S. appeal, China’s candidate, Zhang Xiaoan, was elected by acclamation to the 16-member U.N. forum along with four other representatives from Burundi, Namibia, Denmark and Russia. Beijing claims the camps in Xinjiang are “vocational training centers” to steer people away from extremism and reintegrate them, in a region plagued by violence blamed on Uighur separatists or Islamists. In his address at the U.N., Isa said Uighurs are being rounded up to live in “an open-air prison,” deprived of their religious rights and freedom. The Chinese diplomat told the meeting that Isa is a “terrorist designated by the Chinese government” and supported by the U.S., which “is utilizing him to attack China and defame China, with no basis at all.” The United States was among a group of countries that asked U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to raise the plight of the Uighurs during his visit to China last month. Guterres told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that “human rights must be fully respected in the against terrorism,” according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

china
indigenous people
uighurs
rights
xinjiang
u.n .
discrimination


Canadian drug smuggler Robert Lloyd Schellenberg to appeal death sentence in China

Abstract: BEIJING - A Canadian man handed the death penalty for drug smuggling in China will appeal his sentence Thursday, in a case that has deepened the diplomatic rift between Beijing and Canada. The appeal comes against the backdrop of Beijing’s anger over the December arrest of Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive at the Chinese tech giant Huawei, who faced a U.S. extradition hearing in Canada on Wednesday. Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was sentenced to death on charges of drug trafficking in January. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced the decision as “arbitrarily” chosen. Schellenberg’s appeal will take place Thursday morning at the Dalian Intermediate People’s Court in northeastern Liaoning province, a source said. The Dalian court declined to comment. The provincial level Liaoning High People’s Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “Canada remains extremely concerned that China has chosen to apply the death penalty, a cruel and inhumane punishment,” Canadian foreign ministry spokeswoman Brittany Fletcher said in an email. “Canada has requested, and will continue to seek, clemency for Mr. Schellenberg.” Canadian officials plan to attend Thursday’s hearing. Schellenberg was originally sentenced to 15 years in prison and a forfeiture of 150,000 yuan ($22,000) in November. But following an appeal, the high court in Liaoning ruled in December that the sentence was too lenient. About a month later, his sentence was changed to capital punishment. China has executed foreigners for drug-related crimes in the past, including a Japanese in 2014, a Filipina in 2013 and a Briton in 2009. Last week, another Canadian, Fan Wei, was sentenced to death for drug trafficking in a separate case in southern China. Schellenberg’s case is seen as potential leverage for Meng, who was arrested on a U.S. extradition request related to violations of sanctions on Iran. Beijing has repeatedly denied a link between the cases. Following the Huawei executive’s arrest in December, China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, in what observers saw as retaliation. Days after Canada launched the extradition process against Meng in March, China announced it suspected Kovrig of spying and stealing state secrets. It alleged fellow Canadian Spavor had provided him with intelligence. Both men have been denied access to lawyers and are allowed only monthly consular visits. Meng is free on bail in Vancouver as the extradition process continues. The diplomatic dispute appears to have has spilled over into the economic arena: China has banned Canadian canola shipments worth billions of dollars. Beijing has punished other countries with trade sanctions over diplomatic spats in the past.

drugs
smuggling
china
death penalty
canada
meng wanzhou
courts


Asia Bibi, Christian woman in blasphemy row who was given a death sentence that was later overturned, leaves Pakistan

Abstract: ISLAMABAD - Asia Bibi, the Christian woman at the center of a decade-long blasphemy row, has left Pakistan, a senior government source said Wednesday, months after her death sentence was overturned to mass protests by Islamist hard-liners. Her departure is the latest chapter in a saga that has sparked violent demonstrations and high-profile assassinations while spotlighting religious extremism across wide sections of Pakistani society. “Asia Bibi has left Pakistan of her own free will,” the government source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. It was not clear when Bibi may have left or where she may have gone. Her lawyer, Saif ul Mulook, said he had not spoken to Bibi directly but understood from “sources” that she was in Canada, where her daughters are believed to have already fled. There was no immediate announcement from Pakistani officials or the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt tweeted his relief that Bibi “appears to have left Pakistan safely,” adding: “This shows that with concerted effort the right thing can happen.” Blasphemy carries a maximum death penalty under Pakistan’s penal code. It is an incendiary issue in the Muslim-majority country, and mere allegations of insulting Islam have sparked lynchings and vigilante violence in the past. “It is a great relief that this shameful ordeal has finally come to an end and Asia Bibi and her family are safe,” said Omar Waraich, deputy South Asia director at Amnesty International. “She should never have been imprisoned in the first place, let alone endure the constant threats to her life. This case horrifyingly illustrates the dangers of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and the urgent need to repeal them.” Bibi — a laborer from central Punjab province — was first convicted of blasphemy in 2010 and was on death row until her acquittal last year. Her case swiftly became the most infamous in Pakistan, drawing worldwide attention to extremism in the country. She has technically been free to leave Pakistan since January when the Supreme Court dismissed a legal challenge to her acquittal in October. Since then, Bibi has been widely believed to have been held in protective custody by authorities as she awaited an asylum deal in a third country. Many blasphemy cases in Pakistan see Muslims accusing Muslims, but rights activists have warned that religious minorities — particularly Christians — are often caught in the crossfire, with such accusations used to settle personal scores. Two politicians have been assassinated in connection with Bibi’s case, and she spent much of her time in prison in solitary confinement because of fears she could be attacked by a guard or another prisoner. Islamist groups have regularly called for her to be executed, and activists have warned that she would not be safe in Pakistan. Following Bibi’s acquittal in October, the country was gripped for days by violent protests led by hard-line group Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), which also called for mutiny in the armed forces and assassination of the country’s top judges for acquitting her. In the wake of the nationwide protests, TLP’s leaders — who paralyzed the capital Islamabad for weeks in 2017 with an anti-blasphemy sit-in — were rounded up in a government crackdown months ago and remain in detention. Christians — who make up around 2 percent of the population — occupy one of the lowest rungs in class-obsessed Pakistani society, largely living in slums and working menial jobs as street sweepers, cleaners and cooks.

asia bibi
christianity
pakistan
islam
canada
death penalty
religion


Trump supports plan for humanitarian food aid to North Korea, says Seoul

Abstract: WASHINGTON/SEOUL - South Korea said on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump supports Seoul’s plan to provide humanitarian food aid to North Korea after the United Nations reported the country had suffered its worst harvest in decades, leaving many there chronically short of food. Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in spoke by telephone for 35 minutes on Tuesday and discussed ways to continue dialogue with North Korea in spite of its testing of weapons last week, a statement from the South Korean presidency said. “The two leaders exchanged their views on a recent report on North Korea’s food situation,” the statement said. “President Trump assessed that South Korea’s food provision to North Korea as a humanitarian effort will be a very timely and positive measure and he supported this.” Trump and Moon also talked about a visit by Trump to South Korea “in the near future,” the statement said, without giving details. A White House statement on the call said only that Trump and Moon “discussed recent developments” on North Korea and how to achieve its “final, fully verified denuclearization.” However, Trump was asked by reporters last month whether he was prepared to ease some sanctions on North Korea, Trump said he and Moon were discussing “certain humanitarian things” and the possibility of South Korea helping North Korea with food. A United Nations report released May 3 said 4 in 10 North Koreans were chronically short of food and further cuts to already minimal rations were expected after the worst harvest in a decade. The South Korean statement said that despite North Korea’s weapons tests, Trump and Moon “discussed ways to resume denuclearization talks as soon as possible, while keeping North Korea on the dialogue track for denuclearization.” Trump and his administration have played down the North Korean weapons tests, which took place on Saturday, and which military analysts say could have involved short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missiles. In a Twitter message on Saturday, Trump said he was still confident he could reach a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Analysts have interpreted the North Korean tests as an attempt to exert pressure on Washington to give ground in denuclearization negotiations after a February summit between Trump and Kim ended in failure.

aid
north korea
south korea
donald trump
moon jae-in
kim jong un
u.s .
u.n .


Work on China's third — and largest — carrier underway, images show

Abstract: HONG KONG/BEIJING - Construction of China’s first full-size aircraft carrier is well underway, according to satellite images obtained and analyzed by a U.S. think tank. The images from April, provided to Reuters by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, reveal considerable recent activity during the last six months on a large vessel at the Jiangnan shipyard outside Shanghai. China has not formally confirmed it is building a third carrier, despite recent hints in state media, and the timing and extent of its carrier program remain state secrets. The Pentagon said last week that work had begun, but no images have emerged until now. Both Asian and Western militaries, and regional security analysts, are seeking information on the carrier, which is expected to be China’s first large, modern platform capable of leading a full range of operations by a strike group. The effort to build a large, locally designed carrier is seen as a core part of China’s extensive military modernization drive. The CSIS images show a bow section that appears to end with a flat 30-meter (98-foot) front and a separate hull section 41 meters wide, with gantry cranes looming overhead. That suggests the vessel, which China has dubbed Type 002, is somewhat smaller than 100,000-ton U.S. carriers but larger than France’s 42,500-ton Charles de Gaulle, analysts say. Fabrication halls the size of several soccer pitches have been built nearby, and work appears to be continuing on a floodable basin, possibly to float the finished hull into the nearby Yangtze River estuary. “While details regarding the Type 002 are limited, what is observable at Jiangnan is consistent with what is expected for the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s third aircraft carrier,” said the CSIS’ ChinaPower analysis, published on its website Tuesday. CSIS analyst Matthew Funaiole said that images taken late last year were inconclusive but the work now underway is clear. “From what we can see there has been a lot of activity in the last six months or so,” he said. “It would appear that it is the third carrier — and if it is not, it’s hard to envisage what other large vessel it would be.” The Pentagon’s annual report on China’s military modernization, issued last Friday, noted that the third carrier would probably be larger than the first two and fitted with a catapult launch system to accelerate aircraft during takeoff. “This design will enable it to support additional fighter aircraft, fixed-wing early-warning aircraft, and more rapid flight operations,” the report said. Funaiole and other analysts said it is unclear what kind of catapult — traditional steam-powered or a more cutting-edge electromagnetic system — would be used. It also remains unclear whether the Type 002 would be nuclear-powered. China has 10 nuclear-powered submarines but not surface ships; some analysts think China is not ready to make that step. Singapore-based regional security analyst Ian Storey said a full-size carrier would make some of China’s neighbors nervous and highlight the importance of their strategic relationship with the United States. “Once completed, it will outclass any warship from any Asian country, including India and Japan,” said Storey, of the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute. “It is yet another indication that China has emerged as Asia’s paramount naval power.” China’s first two carriers are relatively small, with only up to 25 aircraft — less than half the number aboard U.S. carriers — and have jump ramps built into their bows. That configuration limits not just the types of aircraft that can fly off them, but how much weaponry and fuel they can carry. Its first carrier, the Liaoning, was a Soviet-era Ukrainian ship bought secondhand in 1998 and refitted in China. A still-unnamed second carrier based on that design, launched in 2017, was built locally. The Liaoning had been seen as more of a training platform for teaching personnel the tricky art of carrier operations. But last month, Chinese state media said the ship “is starting to play a combat role following recent modifications and intensive training exercises.” The second carrier has been undergoing sea trials from its base in northern Dalian and is not expected to enter service until 2020. China’s state media have quoted experts as saying China needs at least six carriers. The United States operates 11 carriers. China’s Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment.


In first palace ritual of his reign, Japan's emperor reports enthronement plans to his ancestors

Abstract: Emperor Naruhito performed his first formal ritual within the Imperial Palace on Wednesday following his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne last week, ceremonially reporting to his ancestors that he will take part in major enthronement rites this fall. The emperor read out a statement at the three imperial sanctuaries, reporting that Sokuirei Seiden no Gi, a ceremony to proclaim his enthronement, will be held on Oct. 22, and that Daijokyu no Gi, a main part of the great thanksgiving ceremony known as Daijosai during which offerings are made to ancestors and the deities, on Nov. 14-15. Empress Masako similarly visited all sanctuaries for the first time since 2002. She has been undergoing treatment for a stress-induced illness and performed a limited number of official duties during her years as crown princess. Wearing a dark orange robe which is only worn by emperors during important ceremonies, Emperor Naruhito, 59, visited the sanctuaries, including Kashikodokoro, a shrine dedicated to the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu, from whom the imperial family is said to be descended. The robe dates back to the ninth century. His aides carried a sword and a jewel the emperor inherited from his father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, as proof of his ascension to the throne, following the 85-year-old’s abdication on April 30. Empress Masako, 55, wore an elaborate ancient-style kimono and her hair was tied back. The emperor is scheduled to take part in a slew of other ceremonies and celebrations associated with his enthronement.

emperor naruhito
imperial palace
empress masako
imperial family
abdication
royalty
reiwa


In graying Japan, pet hoarding proving to be a pesky problem

Abstract: Japan’s graying population has caused local governments to struggle to cope with the burgeoning problem of animal hoarding among seniors who are suffering from dementia or worsening chronic diseases. According to officials, homes are becoming overrun with urine and feces from pet dogs and cats, making a case for central and local government officials to draft policies to address animal abuse and seek the advice of animal welfare specialists. A 73-year-old housewife in Sendai began looking after five kittens following the devastating March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. She took five cats in that were born in the neighborhood after her husband, 79, started feeding them. Living off a pension, the couple could not afford to have the cats neutered, and their numbers increased to over a dozen within six months. As breeding continued, they came to care for even more cats. “We were responsible, so even if it was hard on our living situation, I had to keep them,” the woman said. The woman was hospitalized on and off and her husband’s dementia worsened. A city official later found large amounts of feces and urine in their home last summer, after neighbors began complaining of the smell. The official suggested the cats be spayed, neutered or destroyed, but the woman refused, so volunteers had to take the animals. “Pets belong to owners, and it’s difficult to deal with (large numbers of animals) if they refuse to give them up,” a Sendai official said. People with large numbers of pets are often seniors. Typically, older adults become highly reliant on pets because of social isolation in the wake of illness, unemployment or death of family members. According to the Environment Ministry, the number of cats and dogs put down at shelters run by local governments in fiscal 2017 came to 43,216 — the first time the number fell below 50,000 since such data were collected. A 2018 survey by the Japan Pet Food Association found that 9.6 million cats, compared to 8.9 million dogs, were kept as pets in the country. The issue of animal-hoarding “cannot be settled if it is seen merely as an animal issue,” said a head official of a local government. In the city of Nagano, a person in charge of animal protection and a welfare agent from the municipal government work as a team when visiting elderly animal owners. Because many owners refuse to give up their pets to the city, the welfare official will teach them how to restructure their lives to avoid keeping too many pets. The Environment Ministry will conduct a survey of prefectural and major municipal governments in the current fiscal year to work out guidelines for the prevention of excess pets in fiscal 2021. In Britain, courts can ban people from keeping animals if they are ruled to have abused them by “hoarding” or through other ill-treatment, according to Nai Machiya, a veterinarian belonging to the Japan Animal Welfare Society. “Japan needs similar legislation to rein in owners,” Machiya said.


Japan sees record number of medical accidents in 2018

Abstract: The number of medical accidents reported in the nation hit a record high of 4,565 cases in 2018, up 470 from the previous year, a nonprofit organization that compiles such data said Wednesday. The Japan Council for Quality Health Care, which began compiling the records in 2005, said the latest figures show the reporting of medical mishaps has taken root in the country. The data covers cases, including instances of malpractice, in which patients died or where their conditions required more treatment than initially expected. In 2018, 4,030 cases, or nearly 90 percent, were reported by state-run or university hospitals, and other medical institutions obliged to make such reports under the Medical Care Law. A total of 293 cases, or 7.3 percent, resulted in deaths, while 427 cases, or 10.6 percent, left patients with a high chance of permanent disabilities. By accident type, those related to recovery care topped the list with 1,366 cases, or 33.9 percent, followed by 1,113 cases related to treatments. By region, Kanto-Koshinetsu had the highest number of cases reported at 1,320, while Hokkaido had the lowest at 62 cases.

medical accidents
japan council for quality health care
hospitals


Trump to inspect Japanese helicopter carrier with Abe during state visit later this month

Abstract: U.S. President Donald Trump will likely board the Kaga, an Izumo-class helicopter carrier docked at a Maritime Self-Defense Force base near Tokyo, when he makes a state visit to Japan in late May, bilateral sources said Wednesday. Accompanied by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump is expected to meet with MSDF personnel at the Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture as the leaders aim to demonstrate the solid Japan-U.S. security alliance, according to the sources. Japan has two Izumo-class carriers. They will be remodeled to accommodate F-35B stealth fighter jets that the SDF plans to purchase from the United States. The jets are capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings. The envisaged inspection by Abe and Trump will “send a message to China,” which has increased its maritime assertiveness in Asia, a Japanese government source said. Abe is set to host the U.S. president and first lady Melania Trump from May 25 to 28 as the first state guests since Emperor Naruhito acceded the throne on May 1. Arrangements are being made for Trump to watch sumo at an upcoming tournament and visit the U.S. Navy’s base located next to the MSDF’s base in Yokosuka, the sources said.


North Korea may make contact with Japan after Abe says he's ready for summit 'without conditions,' sources say

Abstract: BEIJING - North Korea may begin making contact with Japan, sources close to the matter suggested Tuesday, a day after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed willingness to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “without conditions.” North Korea has criticized Abe for using the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by the country’s agents “for political purposes,” but Kim might try to get closer to Japan — a U.S. ally — as talks with U.S. President Donald Trump are deadlocked, the sources said. In early March, the Rodong Sinmun, Pyongyang’s most influential newspaper, attributed the collapse of the second U.S.-North Korea summit in February in Hanoi to Abe’s having asked Trump to raise the abduction issue at the meeting. “Japan committed too much crime to be dealt with by the DPRK and nothing can gain from the dwarfs clinging to the coattail of the U.S.,” the mouthpiece of the ruling Workers’ Party said, using the acronym for North Korea’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “Japan must not dream of dealing with the DPRK unless it clears itself of all the black-hearted intention and makes full reparation for its past crimes and drops ambition for becoming a military giant,” it added. A North Korean source, meanwhile, said, “We have realized that Abe and Trump have close ties.” A diplomatic source also said, “We have heard from the United States that Trump is surrounded by enemies but he listens actively to Abe’s opinion.” With Kim struggling to move ahead in denuclearization talks with Trump, North Korea has become aware of Abe’s presence, the sources said. Under the historic 2002 Pyongyang Declaration, Japan and North Korea agreed to make “every possible effort for an early normalization of relations.” Japan also agreed to extend economic cooperation to the North after ties were normalized. But ties later deteriorated over the abduction issue. Abe maintains that tackling the matter is his “life’s work.” Japan claims that 17 of its citizens were abducted in the late 1970s and early 1980s, five of whom were repatriated in 2002, and suspects North Korea was involved in many more disappearances. North Korea has argued that the abduction issue is “already resolved,” while urging Japan to atone for its past military occupation and colonial rule of Korea. Another North Korean source said Pyongyang is eager to start negotiations with Tokyo toward the normalization of diplomatic relations, but emphasized bilateral talks would be unnecessary if the main focus was on the abduction issue. At the same time, the source did not rule out the possibility that North Korea may unofficially contact Japan to determine Abe’s intentions. Although Abe had indicated a future summit with Kim would be impossible without a guarantee of progress, he told reporters following a phone conversation with Trump on Monday that “to resolve the abduction issue, I myself need to face Chairman Kim without conditions.”

north korea
shinzo abe
kim jong un
abductions
north korea-japan relations


Vehicle in crash hits group of toddlers in Shiga Prefecture, killing 2 and injuring 13 others

Abstract: OTSU, SHIGA PREF. - Two children died and 13 people were injured Wednesday morning after one of two vehicles that collided hit a group of pedestrians from a nursery school in the city of Otsu in Shiga Prefecture. The group of children, aged between 2 and 3, were taking a walk from the nursery school when the incident occurred, Shiga Prefectural Police said. Gaku Ito, a 2-year-old boy, and Yui Harada, a 2-year-old girl, died, while 11 other children and two teachers who were with them were injured. Of the 11 children taken to the hospital, two were in critical condition but later regained consciousness, the police said. The two teachers were also taken to the hospital. Two female drivers — Fumiko Shintate, 52, and Michiko Shimoyama, 62 — were arrested at the scene. The crash occurred at around 10:15 a.m. at a crossing in a residential area in Otsu. One of the vehicles spun into the children as they were waiting for the traffic light to change. According to police, a car driven by Shintate was making a right turn when it collided with the minivehicle driven by Shimoyama coming from the opposite direction, which then hit the group of children. The crossing is 200 meters away from the Leimond Nursery School attended by the children. According to local residents, preschoolers and their teachers are frequently seen taking walks in the area. There is a lot of traffic on the road near the area, they said. Lemonkai, a Wakayama Prefecture-based social welfare group that runs the preschool, said that 70 children aged up to 5 attend the facility. Officials with the group held a news conference in Otsu later in the day and confirmed that the accident site was on the walking course used for children at the facility. A 69-year-old man who lives near the accident site said he saw several children lying on the ground after they were hit, some of whom were not moving. Their belongings, including water bottles and other items, were scattered all over the place, he said. “I have often seen those children take walks around here,” said Hideo Osuki, 82, another resident in the area. “Actually, I lost my children to a traffic accident a long time ago. I can’t just think of this as someone else’s tragedy.” Wednesday’s accident comes on the heels of a recent spate of serious car accidents in the country. On April 19 in the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo a car, apparently out of control, fatally hit a mother and her 3-year-old daughter as well as running down several pedestrians. In Kobe on April 21 a city-run bus breached a red light, fatally struck two people and left six others injured. Police are investigating the causes of the accidents.


Japan plans to tap high-wealth tourists with bid to attract luxury superyachts from abroad

Abstract: The transport ministry is boosting efforts to attract superyachts, owned by wealthy foreign individuals, to Japan in the hope that their port calls bring a major boost to the country’s economy. The ministry hopes that visits by superyachts, or large cruisers with a length of 24 meters or more, will help revitalize regional communities. The ministry has been working with other government agencies to secure space for berthing facilities for the yachts and to identify ways to make their port call procedures more efficient, aiming to implement such measures before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, officials said. The number of superyachts has been increasing in recent years, standing at slightly below 10,000 worldwide in 2018. The superyacht market is expected to grow further. While ports in countries in or along the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas are popular anchorage sites, only 10 superyachts visited Japan in 2018. Fifteen to 20 superyachts are expected to make port calls in the nation in 2019. To achieve its aims Japan must secure quays for use by superyachts, to encourage long stays, and increase efficiency in customs procedures as well as inward and outward clearance. The transport ministry will work with the Japan Tourism Agency and others to identify tourist activities that may attract wealthy individuals to the nation aboard superyachts, and to launch a promotion campaign targeting those people, the officials said. As superyachts tend to stay for a long period, their crew members are expected to bring significant economic benefits through spending on tourism activities, souvenir purchases and expenses on food and other items for parties on board. For example, a group of people who visited Japan aboard a superyacht spent ¥45 million during their 30-day stay.

2020 tokyo olympics
tourism
foreign tourists
wealth
2020 tokyo paralympics
sailing
mlit


JAEA studying use of AI for forensic analysis after acts of nuclear terrorism

Abstract: The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has launched a study to explore the potential use of artificial intelligence for identifying the origin and characteristics of nuclear materials collected in the aftermath of an act of nuclear terrorism, officials said Tuesday. The move comes as Japan faces the need to enhance security measures ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. International concern is high that terrorists could obtain radioactive material and use it, together with conventional explosives, to make a so-called dirty bomb. In the event of a terrorism act, the agency, at the request of the police, would examine nuclear materials collected from the scene and cross-checking their characteristics with its database of nuclear materials stored at its facilities nationwide. Through such nuclear forensics technology, the agency would be able to find out the facility from which the illicitly used materials were obtained and when they were made, along with other information that could lead to criminal prosecution. Such analysis has so far been conducted by relying on the skills of researchers, but the national research institute hopes the use of AI for cross-checking would expedite the process, according to the officials. “The speed and reliability of identifying nuclear matter will increase with the use of AI,” said JAEA researcher Yoshiki Kimura. “We will work on its development and hope the technology can be utilized in measures against acts of nuclear terrorism in the future.”

ai
terrorism
nuclear materials
2020 tokyo olympics
olympics


Japan's CD album output fell below 100 million for first time in 2018, industry data shows

Abstract: The annual output of CD albums in Japan sank below 100 million in 2018 for the first time on record, an industry group said Wednesday, as more people listen to music via online streaming services. The nation’s CD album production, which totaled 88.65 million copies last year, peaked at 276.33 million in 2000, according to data released by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). Production has been declining as popular domestic musicians have started delivering their music through streaming services. The best-selling CD album in Japan to date is “First Love” by pop star Hikaru Utada, released in 1999 with some 7.67 million copies sold, followed by a greatest hits album released in 1998 by rock duo B’z that sold 5.14 million copies, according to music statistics firm Oricon Inc. The RIAJ started compiling annual production data for 12-centimeter CD albums from 1999. Older data was based on the production of CD albums and singles combined. Amid the declining trend that started in 2001, the output of CD albums, down 13 percent in 2018, has shrunk to less than one-third of the volume produced in 2000. With the spread of smartphones, many people are turning to online music distribution services instead of listening to CDs. Downloads of albums, single tracks and music videos expanded 13 percent in 2018 from the previous year to ¥64.5 billion, increasing for the fifth straight year, according to the association. A contributing factor in the rise of streaming services in Japan is pop stars joining the market, with Yumi Matsutoya and Yosui Inoue as well as rock band Mr. Children among those who have adopted the technology. While most online music distribution services in the past have involved downloading music to portable devices, sales of streaming services in which content providers deliver music via a constant internet connection accounted for 54 percent of the distribution services in 2018, surpassing download sales for the first time. Many people pay fixed monthly fees to listen to music via streaming services, while some are offered tunes free-of-charge if they watch ads streamed on smartphone or PC screens. Major streaming service providers include Sweden’s Spotify Technology SA and U.S. technology giants Apple Inc. and Google LLC. According to the International Federation of the Phonogram and Videogram Producers (IFPI), music streaming services became the largest revenue source for recorded music globally for the first time in 2017. Music media like CDs and videos still accounted for 80 percent of total music sales in Japan in terms of value last year, the RIAJ said. The association’s online nationwide survey released last month showed, however, that 65.9 percent of respondents used YouTube to listen to music, while 48.6 percent said they listened to CDs. Takashi Usui, a music business analyst, said, “The spread of streaming services in Japan will accelerate if listeners’ new experiences bring excitement — such as an encounter with music they did not know before, or the rediscovery of older music.”


U.N. climate panel kicks off general meeting in Kyoto focused on how to calculate greenhouse gas emissions

Abstract: KYOTO - A U.N. climate panel kicked off a general meeting in Kyoto on Wednesday to discuss methods to more accurately calculate countries’ greenhouse gas emissions. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), comprising experts on the topic, will release a report documenting such methods Monday. Tokyo aims to demonstrate the nation’s efforts to combat climate change in the runup to the summit of the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies in Osaka on June 28-29. At the start of the 49th IPCC session, Hoesung Lee, chair of the panel, said that the new report is expected to help improve transparency regarding the ways emissions are calculated. In a video message, Environment Minister Yoshiaki Harada underscored Japan’s determination to support the IPCC’s activities and lead global decarbonization efforts by utilizing its advanced technologies and scientific knowledge. Japan, which has been active in the area of emissions calculation for some 20 years, plans to highlight its achievements while hosting the IPCC meeting in the city where the Kyoto Protocol, a landmark global framework for the fight against climate change, was adopted in 1997. During the meeting, participants will discuss issues related to the observation of greenhouse gas concentration levels via the use of satellites. Through the talks, Japan aims to promote the Ibuki-2 greenhouse gas-observing satellite, which was launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. last October. There will also be discussions on how to measure emissions from hydrogen and rare earth production, in order to reflect the latest scientific knowledge in the upcoming report. The Paris Agreement, an international framework adopted in 2015, obliges signatories to set their own emissions targets and report the volume of their emissions. The new report will be used as a guideline for calculating emissions.

climate
kyoto
emissions
climate change
ipcc
u.n .


Glitch in automated check-in system forces JAL to ground 32 flights

Abstract: Japan Airlines Co. canceled 32 domestic flights Wednesday due to a glitch in its automated check-in system, affecting about 2,500 passengers. Additionally, delays of up to about 2½ hours hit other domestic JAL flights. The system was restored by 10 a.m. and JAL is now investigating the cause of the problem, which it says likely resulted from a network fault. The carrier says problems started around 6:50 a.m., forcing customers to complete the boarding process over the counter. Luggage check-in services were unaffected by the system failure. The canceled flights include those linking Tokyo with Fukuoka and Osaka with Sendai. In the morning, the lobby of Itami airport, which straddles Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, was packed with bewildered travelers who formed long lines in front of JAL’s service counters. “I am totally clueless about what’s going on,” said a 49-year-old male company worker from Kobe, who was scheduled to make a day trip to Tokyo and concerned about whether he would make it to a business meeting there. “I want JAL to properly respond to the system failure,” he added. A woman in her 50s living in the city of Itami, Hyogo Prefecture, and heading to Tokyo to take care of her mother was at a loss after her return flight scheduled for later in the day was canceled. “I have no idea what to do,” she said.


Three people plead guilty over fraudulent Tokyo land sale

Abstract: Three people pleaded guilty Wednesday over a bogus land sale in Tokyo that targeted home builder Sekisui House Ltd. in 2017. According to the indictment, the three colluded to swindle Sekisui House out of about ¥5.5 billion ($50 million) in a fraudulent deal to sell a plot of land in a prime location in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward. One of them, Masami Haketa, impersonated the owner of the land by using a fake passport. The defense team for Haketa, 64, sought leniency during the trial at the Tokyo District Court. “She didn’t know the whole picture and just followed what her accomplices told her,” Haketa’s lawyer said. The other two defendants — Yoshihiro Tokoyoda, 67, and Koko Akiba, 75 — enlisted Haketa for the scheme and coached her on how to act like the female landowner. The Metropolitan Police Department has arrested 17 people in connection with the scam, including the suspected mastermind, 59-year-old Misao Kaminsukasu, who has been indicted on charges including fraud. His trial has not yet started.

fraud
masami haketa
tokyo district court
sekisui house ltd .


School intruder says he intended to stab 12-year-old Prince Hisahito

Abstract: A 56-year-old man who was arrested over leaving knives on Prince Hisahito’s classroom desk at a Tokyo school has told investigators he had intended to stab the 12-year-old, investigative sources said Wednesday. Kaoru Hasegawa admitted to leaving the knives and criticized Japan’s imperial system after being apprehended on April 29 for allegedly trespassing on the grounds of Ochanomizu University Junior High School, which is attended by the nephew of Emperor Naruhito, according to the sources. The prince and his fellow students were outside the classroom when the two knives were left, at around 11 a.m. on April 26. The police have not linked Hasegawa with any group, they said. On the day of the incident, an aluminum bar with two fruit knives attached by duct tape to one end was found placed across the prince’s desk and the one next to it. The blades of the knives were painted pink but no written message was left at the scene. Security cameras captured images of a man, believed to be Hasegawa, walking past the main gate of the university in the morning and leaving less than an hour later. The man, wearing blue clothing with a helmet, mask and gloves, entered the junior high school after telling a staffer that he was a plumber, according to police. The incident occurred as Japan awaited the abdication of Emperor Emeritus Akihito on April 30 and the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito on May 1. The imperial succession promoted Prince Hisahito to second in line to the throne after his father Crown Prince Akishino, 53, the younger brother of the 59-year-old emperor. In the wake of the incident, the education ministry has notified education boards overseeing elementary schools, junior high schools and high schools nationwide to enhance security measures. The notice, dated Tuesday, also reminds officials to set up multiple checkpoints at school gates and entrances to look out for suspicious individuals, among other steps.

prince hisahito
kaoru hasegawa
police
imperial family


No problems found in car crashed by 87-year-old in Tokyo's Ikebukuro, killing two

Abstract: No abnormalities were found with the accelerator or brake pedals of a car involved in a fatal crash last month in a major Tokyo district, investigative sources said Tuesday. Although the driver, 87-year-old Kozo Iizuka, claimed the gas pedal became stuck as he drove through the capital’s busy Ikebukuro district, police believe it is most likely he depressed the accelerator instead of the brake. The crash, which occurred around noon on April 19, killed a 3-year-old girl and her mother after Iizuka’s car hurtled for about 150 meters, struck a guardrail, plowed through crossings and hit a garbage truck. The accident also injured eight others. The police conducted a vehicle inspection at the end of April with Iizuka’s family present, using the same model and year as his car, the sources said. They said parts of his car were transferred to the test model, as it was too damaged for testing. Iizuka, a former senior government official, and his wife, who is also in her 80s, sustained broken bones. The police have said they will question him after he has recovered from his injuries.

tokyo
ikebukuro
kozo iizuka
elderly
traffic accidents


Sibanye says 1,800 workers are trapped underground in South Africa platinum mine

Abstract: JOHANNESBURG - About 1,800 workers are trapped underground at a Sibanye Gold Ltd. platinum operation in South Africa after an incident in the shaft used to transport workers, the company said. The company may use an adjacent shaft to hoist the workers to the surface, although there’s currently no estimate for when that may happen, a spokesman said. Some rails being transported underground fell down the shaft and have blocked it, said spokesman James Wellsted. Sibanye is assessing the shaft infrastructure, which may take a couple of hours, he said. There were no injuries as a result of the accident. The workers entered the mine this morning and the incident happened around lunch time, around when they’d normally be ending their shift, he said. The incident may revive concerns about safety at Sibanye, which last year experienced a spike in fatal accidents. About 1,000 workers were also trapped underground for more than a day at one of its gold mines in February 2018 after a power failure.


U.K. auto output to collapse on no-deal Brexit, industry body warns

Abstract: LONDON - Britain’s car output under a no-deal Brexit could collapse to a level last seen in “the dark days of the 1980s,” the nation’s industry body forecast on Tuesday. The warning came as Jaguar Land Rover said its new Land Rover Defender model would be assembled in Slovakia — but did not blame the move on the U.K.’s departure from the European Union. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said the worst-case scenario would be for Britain to depart the EU without a deal struck with Brussels, forcing it to endure tariffs set by World Trade Organization rules. These customs duties average 1.5 percent, which is still quite low. But they can be higher in some sectors such as the crucial automotive sector where they are 10 percent. “Should Britain crash out of the EU and fall back on WTO rules for a sustained period, (U.K. car) output is forecast to fall around 30 percent on recent levels to just 1.07 million units by 2021, a level consistent with the dark days of the mid-1980s,” the SMMT said in a release. Britain is due to leave the European Union on Oct. 31 after two delays this year triggered by MPs rejecting the divorce deal British Prime Minister Theresa May has struck with the bloc. The SMMT on Tuesday added that in the event of “a favorable deal and transition period maintaining the status quo, U.K. car production could be 1.36 million units in 2019, down from 1.52 million in 2018, before rising to 1.42 million by 2021. The SMMT has long argued that no-deal would ramp up costs and hurt supply chains, while tariffs would undermine competitiveness and bite into profits. “Despite the extension, the Brexit clock is still ticking and a devastating no-deal remains a threat,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes. “This new period of limbo does not end the havoc for industry, with investment stopped and expensive factory shutdowns moved to avoid a Brexit deadline that has itself now moved.” Japanese carmaker Nissan recently said it would stop production of Infiniti cars at its factory in Sunderland, northeast England, and cancel the plant’s plans for the X-Trail SUV. Japanese peer Honda has also curbed investment in Britain, and plans to close its U.K. car plant in southwest England in 2022 with 3,500 job losses. At the same time however, Toyota is to build a new hybrid car in Britain for Japanese peer Suzuki. Separately Tuesday, the SMMT revealed that British car production has tumbled for the tenth month in a row, hit also by China economic fears and dwindling demand for high-polluting diesel vehicles. U.K. car production slumped 14 percent to 126,000 units in March compared with a year earlier. Jaguar Land Rover on Tuesday announced that its “all-new Land Rover Defender will be assembled at its plant in Slovakia. JLR added in a statement: “Designed and engineered in the U.K., the new Land Rover Defender will be unveiled later this year. “It will use the latest clean Ingenium engines built at Wolverhampton, England, reinforcing both the company’s British roots and the diversified, globalized nature of its manufacturing strategy. “This decision is in parallel with plans for significant investment at the company’s Solihull plant in the UK to support the production of the next generation of flagship Range Rover and Land Rover models,” JLR added. It comes after the company owned by India’s Tata Motors recently moved production of the Land Rover Discovery model to Slovakia — and is in the process of axing about 4,500 mostly U.K. jobs.

brexit
theresa may
carmakers
nissan
honda
toyota
u.k .