Runaway Saudi sisters get help offer from Georgia

Abstract: TBILISI - Two Saudi sisters who fled their country and appealed for international protection earlier this week saying their lives would be at risk if they were to return to the conservative kingdom got an offer of help from Georgia on Thursday. Immigration authorities in the former Soviet republic visited the siblings in their temporary apartment in Tbilisi, providing them with information on how to apply for asylum in the country, the Georgian interior ministry said. “The purpose of the visit of law enforcement officers was to offer assistance and security guarantees to the women,” the ministry said in a statement. The sisters identified as Maha al-Subaie, 28, and Wafa al-Subaie, 25, were later taken to the interior ministry’s immigration office aboard a security van, local media footage showed. They had taken to Twitter on Wednesday saying they had arrived in Georgia and needed help from the international community to find a new country to call home. The case is the latest to draw attention to Saudi Arabia’s strict social rules, which force women to obtain the permission of a male “guardian” if they want to work, marry or travel. Rights groups say the system can trap women and girls as prisoners of abusive families, and the sisters are not the first Saudi women to seek urgent refuge outside their homeland. “Women and girls in Saudi Arabia who attempt to flee from the control of their families can face very grave consequences,” said Suad Abu-Dayyeh, Middle East consultant for women’s rights group Equality Now. “They are in danger of being locked at home for the rest of their lives, severely punished, and may even be killed.” Earlier this year, a Saudi teen who had holed up in a Thai airport hotel to escape her family won asylum in Canada. And in 2017, a Saudi woman who had sought asylum in Australia, saying she feared violence from relatives, was stopped on a layover in the Philippines and returned to Riyadh. The sisters said they had become stranded in Georgia after the Saudi government suspended their passports and they feared for their lives, as members of their family had come looking for them. “We are in danger. We need your support to deliver our voice. We want protection. … Please help us,” Maha said in a Twitter video, where both sisters appeared without the head-covering veil imposed by Saudi social norms. But on Thursday the interior ministry said there were no relatives in the country who posed a danger to them. The Saudi Embassy in Tbilisi did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Georgian authorities to keep the two women safe. “By interviewing the sisters, the Georgian authorities have made a positive first step,” Giorgi Gogia, HRW associate director for Europe and Central Asia told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “The rest depends on the sisters’ wishes. If they file an asylum request, we hope that this request will be granted quickly.”

georgia
maha al-subaie
wafa al-subaie
saudi arabia
rights
hrw
male guardianship


U.N.'s Libya envoy warns Tripoli fight could spark 'widening conflagration'

Abstract: TRIPOLI - The U.N.’s Libya envoy warned Thursday of “a widening conflagration” in the North African country, saying international divisions had encouraged strongman Khalifa Haftar to launch his assault on Tripoli. Despite days of heaving fighting, Ghassan Salame told AFP there was a stalemate south of the capital between Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) and the internationally recognized government. “After the very first successes of the Libyan National Army two weeks ago, we are witnessing a military deadlock,” he said. Fighting broke out on April 4 when Haftar and his LNA, based in the country’s east, launched an offensive to take Tripoli, the western seat of the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA on Thursday issued an arrest warrant against Haftar for allegedly ordering deadly airstrikes against civilian areas, its press office said. A spokesman for the GNA said it was seeking an international arrest warrant against Haftar for “war crimes,” as two U.N. experts were expected in Tripoli later Thursday to investigate the origin of rocket fire that killed six people the previous day. Salame told AFP that “international divisions” prior to the assault on Tripoli had emboldened Haftar, who is backed by Russia and seen by his allies Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as a bulwark against Islamists. “There are countries that have invested in Mr. Haftar as a champion of the fight against terrorism,” Salame said, without naming any countries. “They will not drop him now even if they do not agree with his attack on Tripoli.” Haftar’s offensive forced the U.N. to postpone a national conference that was to draw up a roadmap to elections in a bid to turn the page on years of turmoil since the 2011 ouster of dictator Moammar Gadhafi. “We worked for a whole year to prepare something that has no precedent,” he said, saying the plan had been to “bring the country out of chaos. Instead, the political process was on hold and “these efforts are going up in smoke a little like the attic of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” he said. The renewed fighting has killed at least 205 people and left more than 900 wounded, the World Health Organization said Thursday, while more than 25,000 have been displaced, according to the International Organization for Migration. Fighting continued Thursday on several fronts south of Tripoli, AFP journalists on the ground and security sources said. With both sides dug in, Tripoli this week witnessed its heaviest fighting since Haftar launched his offensive, including what the UN described as “indiscriminate rocket fire on a high-density neighborhood” of Tripoli. World powers have long been divided on how to stabilize Libya, wracked by violence since Gadhafi’s fall. Haftar’s offensive has again highlighted those divisions. “There are interests in Libya. It’s a country rich in oil,” Salame said. This “makes companies — oil companies, construction companies, etc — salivate. But he added that some countries had supported one camp or another for “reasons that are not necessarily economic.” The U.N. Security Council has been split on how to address the latest crisis. Negotiations this week on a draft resolution demanding a cease-fire in Tripoli have failed to yield agreement. Germany, which holds the council presidency, called for an urgent meeting Thursday, when the council was to hear a briefing on the situation on the ground and “consult on the way forward,” according to a note seen by AFP. Britain has put forward a draft resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire and de-escalation, but Russia objected to clauses that criticized Haftar’s offensive as a threat to Libya’s stability. Britain put forward a slightly watered-down version on Wednesday but the three African countries on the council — Equatorial Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, South Africa — blocked it. They have insisted on including a reference to an African Union statement on the need for all parties fighting in Tripoli to protect civilians, including migrants and refugees, according to documents seen by AFP. Moscow said even the amended version was “still far away from accommodating our concerns,” according to a note from the Russian U.N. mission. The revised text did not single out Haftar’s forces, but instead expressed “grave concern at military activity” near Tripoli, “including the launching of a military offensive by the LNA. Britain had hoped to hold a vote before Friday, but that now looks unlikely. Diplomats said the United States appeared to be dragging its feet rather than pushing for a quick adoption of the draft resolution.

libya
tripoli
khalifa haftar
ghassan salame
war crimes
conflict
u.n .


New York City defends measles vaccination order in court after parents sue

Abstract: NEW YORK - New York City’s Department of Health defended its mandatory measles vaccination order in a state court on Thursday after a group of anonymous Brooklyn parents sued, arguing that the order was unconstitutional. The department issued the order last week, saying it was an unusual but necessary step to contain the worst outbreak of the highly contagious virus seen in the city since 1991. The outbreak has infected 329 people so far, most of them children from Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn. The order, which was extended this week, requires unvaccinated people living in certain affected Brooklyn neighborhoods to get the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine if they cannot otherwise demonstrate immunity to measles, or face a $1,000 fine. Five people who said they were parents living in the affected neighborhoods sued the department this week in Brooklyn’s Supreme Court, filing their lawsuit anonymously in order, their lawyers said, to protect their children’s privacy. Their lawyers told Judge Lawrence Knipel that the city had overstepped its authority, saying 329 confirmed cases so far did not constitute an epidemic. They argued that quarantining people with measles would be a preferable approach. “It’s excessive, it’s coercive,” Robert Krakow, a lawyer for the parents, said in court. He said he estimated that 0.0006 percent of the population of Brooklyn and Queens had measles. “That’s not an epidemic,” he said. “It’s not Ebola. It’s not smallpox.” He said even vaccinated people could spread the virus and that the vaccination carried a “risk of injury,” which the city disputed. The department’s lawyers argued that this is a serious outbreak and that quarantining was ineffective because infected people can be contagious before symptoms appear. They said the lawsuit relied on bogus or discredited science. Lawyers for the Health Department said three or more cases constituted an outbreak, given the United States had declared the disease eliminated in 2000, meaning it is no longer present year round. Measles can lead to serious complications and death. “The percentage is irrelevant,” Sherrill Kurland, a lawyer from the city’s Law Department, told the court. “The rates of transmission has continued to increase. These areas remain serious for concern.” The Brooklyn outbreak has been traced to an unvaccinated child who became infected on a visit to Israel, which is also grappling with an outbreak. The number of measles cases worldwide nearly quadrupled in the first quarter of 2019 to 112,163 compared with the same period last year, the World Health Organization said this week, while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported measles cases in at least 20 U.S. states. Judge Knipel said he would release his decision on whether to temporarily block the city’s order by the end of the week.

new york
measles
vaccinations
disease
u.s .


Redactions heavier on Russian meddling than on obstruction in Robert Mueller report

Abstract: Across nearly 450 pages, blocks of black interrupt parts of Robert Mueller’s careful, dry narrative recounting Russian election meddling and President Donald Trump’s fear and ire. Most often, the Justice Department redactions mask a few words or paragraphs. In a few spots, they stretch for an entire page. Attorney General William Barr said the report released Thursday was marred only by “limited redactions,” but that’s true only for the part of the report dealing with possible obstruction by Trump. An Associated Press analysis of the full document shows that nearly two-thirds of the section dealing with Russia’s meddling — 139 pages out of 199 — had some form of redaction. By comparison, only 24 out of 182 pages in the obstruction section were at least partially masked, the AP analysis shows. The disparity reflects concerns over disclosing intelligence and ongoing law enforcement matters related to Russian interference in the election and, to a lesser degree, exposing grand jury testimony. The AP analysis showed that nearly 40 percent of the report’s entire 448 pages — including its two main sections, appendixes and even its table of contents — had redactions. The blacked-out passages leave factual holes that force readers to guess Mueller’s intent. Even before the report’s release, the redactions were at the core of a political battle pitting the Trump administration against skeptical Democratic lawmakers, who have insisted on the release of the full report. They are expected to wage a court fight over it, testing the limits of presidential authority. Barr has promised to provide congressional leaders with a version of the report containing fewer redactions, but it’s not clear if this will satisfy Democrats. Barr said his department had to redact material related to grand jury proceedings, ongoing investigations, privacy issues and intelligence, but said the redactions were limited. “Given the limited nature of the redactions, I believe that the publicly released report will allow every American to understand the results of the special counsel’s investigation,” Barr said in a news conference shortly before the redacted report was released. Several blacked-out passages refer to efforts by the Trump campaign to keep apprised of WikiLeaks dumps of Clinton-related material. The passages refer to now-convicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and to other campaign aides and allies. Those references are likely related to the Mueller team’s investigation into the activities of long-time Trump ally Roger Stone, who faces charges stemming from conversations he had during the campaign about WikiLeaks Some pages that are almost entirely blacked out appear to mask the Mueller team’s narrative concerning efforts by a secretive Russian tech team known as the Internet Research Agency to interfere in the 2016 election on the side of the Trump campaign. In referencing Yevgeniy Prigozhin, an oligarch who funded that group, Justice officials blacked out details about his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin is under indictment, but is not in U.S. custody. “Harm to Ongoing Matter,” the blacked out section noted. ___ For complete coverage of the Mueller report, go to www.apnews.com/TrumpInvestigations

russia
robert mueller
donald trump
yevgeniy prigozhin
u.s .
censorship
russia probe


Sarah Sanders admitted her James Comey claim was a lie, says Mueller report

Abstract: WASHINGTON - White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told investigators it was a “slip of the tongue” when she falsely said in 2017 that countless members of the FBI had lost confidence in James Comey, according to special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. Sanders made the comments May 10, 2017, the day after President Donald Trump fired Comey as FBI chief. In a separate press interview, she made similar comments, later claiming they were made “in the heat of the moment” and weren’t founded on anything, according to the report that was released Thursday. The passages on Sanders’s comments illustrate how the White House tried to justify the firing amid reports that Trump was trying to quash the investigation. Comey himself claimed that the president had tried to get him to pledge his loyalty and to drop an investigation into Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser, over his ties to foreign countries. Comey’s ouster played a central role in Mueller’s investigation into whether the president obstructed the probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. While Attorney General William Barr found that the president’s conduct didn’t support charges, Mueller recounted 10 episodes of potential obstruction in his report, ultimately deciding neither to charge nor exonerate Trump. According to the report, Sanders spoke to Trump about his decision to fire Comey on May 10. Sanders then told reporters that Trump, the Justice Department and lawmakers from both parties had lost confidence in Comey. She followed, “Most importantly, the rank and file of the FBI had lost confidence in their director.” When a reporter suggested that Comey enjoyed wide support within the FBI, Sanders said: “Look, we’ve heard from countless members of the FBI that say very different things.” She acknowledged to Mueller’s team that her comments weren’t true. According to Mueller’s report, Sanders spoke to the president after the press conference. Trump told her she had done a good job and didn’t mention any inaccuracies.

sarah sanders
james comey
robert mueller
donald trump
michael flynn
u.s .
fake news
russia probe


France salutes 'exemplary' firefighters for saving Notre Dame

Abstract: PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday hailed as “exemplary” hundreds of firefighters who saved Notre Dame in the devastating blaze, as efforts intensified to shore up the still fragile cathedral. Some 600 firefighters worked throughout the night Monday to put out the fire at the Paris landmark and prevent an even worse disaster, in a blaze that felled the spire and destroyed two-thirds of its roof. Sixty firefighters are still keeping a vigil at Notre Dame to ensure no further fire erupts while France’s culture minister warned that two gables and figurines perched high up in the building were still at risk of collapse inside. “The country and the entire world were watching us and you were exemplary,” Macron told some 250 of the firefighters at the Elysee Palace. “You were the perfect example of what we should be,” he added. He said the firefighters would be awarded France’s golden medal of honor in recognition of their “courage and devotion.” Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo also paid tribute to the firefighters and others who helped rescue the 850-year-old Gothic masterpiece, in a public ceremony outside Paris City Hall. “You saved part of ourselves,” she said, hailing the “boundless courage” of the firefighters who were loudly cheered by the assembled public as they took to the stage. “It was 9:30 p.m. The wind was blowing. … There were flames around the northern bell tower with a temperature of 800 degrees,” Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said in his tribute. “Waiting even seconds more could have meant the tower and the facade fell. But they continued … risking their lives to save Notre Dame. Only their mission counted,” he said. Culture Minister Franck Riester said on Thursday that even three days after the fire there remained concerns that parts of the building could collapse. He said one gable in the north transept and another between the two great bell towers were at risk. He also said that figures in the southern bell tower still risked falling and, if they did, this would damage the organs below. An operation will be undertaken to remove them. But he added that “thanks to the exceptional work of the fire brigade, their courage, the strategy for attacking the fire adopted by the two officers in charge, we can say that the worst was avoided.” Macron had on Tuesday in an address to the nation outlined an ambitious strategy to rebuild Notre Dame within just five years, hailing the French as a nation of “builders. The goal was warmly applauded by some but greeted with skepticism by some experts who warned of the painstaking work and expertise needed to make the cathedral anew. Macron named former French chief of staff Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin his special representative for the reconstruction effort, who described his task as a “combat mission. The president “has set an objective—- five years. I need to make sure that everyone engaged in this battle mobilizes to reach the objective,” Georgelin told AFP. Investigators trying to determine the cause of the blaze are questioning workers who were renovating the steeple, an operation suspected of accidentally triggering the blaze. For the toppled spire, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Wednesday that an international contest of architects would determine one of three options: not replacing the spire, rebuilding it as it was or creating a wholly new edifice. A descendant of the 19th-century French architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, who built the steeple, on Thursday urged that it be rebuilt in some form. “Not reconstructing the spire would equate to amputating an element that belongs to it,” Jean-Marie Henriquet, 76, told AFP. Meanwhile, pledges of donations for rebuilding from France’s biggest family companies, listed firms as well as foreign giants like Apple and Walt Disney have rolled in. More than €850 million ($960 million) has now been pledged but there has been controversy over why the money has been so quick to come when France is beset by social problems. “In one click, €200 million, €100 million. That shows the inequality which we regularly denounce in this country,” the head of the CGT trade union, Philippe Martinez, said on Wednesday. Riester, however, called the debate “pointless” and urged people to let this “extraordinary show of generosity to run is course. Diplomatic sources said Thursday a former French ambassador to Russia and the Vatican, Stanislas de Laboulaye, 72, would be named as coordinator of the international aid effort.

france
fires
firefighters
notre dame
paris
emmanuel macron


Huge protest crowds seen massing again outside Sudan army HQ

Abstract: KHARTOUM - Huge crowds of protesters massed again Thursday outside Sudan’s army headquarters, determined to seek civilian rule one week after the military ousted veteran leader Omar al-Bashir, an AFP photographer said. Every road leading to the protest site was full of people as throngs of demonstrators converged outside the complex in central Khartoum. Protesters chanting “power to civilians, power to civilians” and “freedom, peace, justice” marched from several areas of the city towards the complex, a witness said. “It’s extremely difficult to move closer to the protest site as there are hundreds and hundreds of people everywhere on roads leading to the complex,” a witness said. The sit-in outside the army headquarters has been the epicenter of the protests for almost two weeks, but numbers had dwindled there in the days since Bashir was toppled. Thursday’s rally was not convened by protest organizers who campaigned for four months against Bashir’s iron-fisted rule, but was a result of widespread calls by activists and individual demonstrators on social media networks.


Redaction nation: Secrecy reflex seen in blacked-out Mueller report is as old as the U.S. itself

Abstract: NEW YORK - Focus Somewhere in the shadows of federal bureaucracy, there was an issue about the drinking habits of Augusto Pinochet. The National Security Archive, an advocate for open government, had for years tried to gain access to intelligence files about the Chilean dictator, his human rights abuses and his ties to the United States. In 2003, the Defense Intelligence Agency declassified documents that included a biographical sketch of Pinochet assembled in 1975, two years after he seized power. Parts of the sketch had been blacked out — “redacted” — for national security. The archive had no trouble discovering that the missing information included Pinochet’s liking for scotch and pisco sours. “The sketch been published in full by the government in 1999,” notes Tom Blanton, director of the archive. But, he said, “all it takes to change that is a single objection.” The censoring of government reports isn’t new, but since Robert Mueller turned in his report last month on alleged ties between Russian officials and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, “redacted” has joined “collusion” and “obstruction” as a national buzzword. Attorney General William Barr’s stated guidelines range from protecting intelligence sources to the privacy of those not under investigation. But over the past few decades, the government has redacted everything from the most sensitive information to the most harmless trivia. “We believe there are real secrets, common-sense secrets, like names of people in the field who would be killed or specifications of weapons of systems,” Blanton said. “But redactions also are overused.” David Cole, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said any government official who ever had a security clearance will say the same thing: Whether under Clinton, Bush or Obama, “the problem of overclassification is rampant.” “It’s partly the consequence of what is safest for the government to do,” Cole said. “If you make a mistake and disclose something you shouldn’t have, that mistake is public. If you decide to keep something secret that doesn’t need to be secret, that mistake is private.” The secrecy reflex is as old as the country: The American government itself was created behind closed doors. Framers of the Constitution gathered at the Pennsylvania State House from May to September in 1787 and, anxious to speak freely, were so resolved to keep the public away they kept windows shut even on the hottest days. No official transcripts were logged, and much of our understanding of the debate has been shaped by James Madison’s (revised) notes, which didn’t come out until 1836, after Madison and fellow delegates were dead. “I think they are pretty reliable,” historian Gordon Wood said of Madison’s notes. “But they may only account for a fraction of what was said at the convention.” At the time of the Constitution’s drafting, there was no system for classifying government documents and no process for the public to obtain them. The redaction nation formed over the course of the 20th century as the federal government expanded, the country became a superpower and means of communication and surveillance grew more sophisticated. By the start of the Cold War, just after World War II ended, new bureaucracies such as the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council were defined by what they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, reveal. “In 1947, when you have creation of the CIA and the NSC, you have the production of literally billions of papers and billions of secrets contained within them,” said Tim Weiner, whose “Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA” won the National Book Award in 2007. “And the machinery of secrecy far outstripped the ability to demand an open government.” For years, the general public had few means to request records, and little awareness of how much it wasn’t being told. The Freedom of Information Act wasn’t enacted until 1966, and broad demands for accountability only began with the jarring revelations of the 1970s: years of official deceit about the Vietnam War, as detailed in the Pentagon Papers; the Watergate scandal, which forced President Nixon to resign; and the Senate’s Church Committee of 1975-76, which confirmed reports of the government’s history of backing the assassination of foreign leaders. Ever since, it has been an exhausting process of keeping up. Names and events change, whether the assassination of President John F. Kennedy or the torture of prisoners during the Iraq War, but millions of documents each year continue to be classified. The NSA and others have even compiled lists of some of the more unlikely information to be withheld: • Some files from World War I, including a method for opening sealed letters without detection and a formula for German secret ink, were not declassified until 2011. “When historical information is no longer sensitive, we take seriously our responsibility to share it with the American people,” CIA Director Leon Panetta said at the time. (The release followed years of lawsuits and formal requests). • The redaction in 2014 of remarks about the Cuban Missile Crisis made 50 years earlier by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. The remarks were made in a public speech. • FBI files about Marilyn Monroe’s alleged communist sympathies were redacted until 2012, 50 years after her death and more than 20 years after the Cold War ended. Sometimes, history itself is censored. Daniel Ellsberg, the former defense department analyst famous for leaking the Pentagon Papers, remembers the long process to make all of the documents public. The Pentagon Papers were a Defense Department-commissioned study about U.S. policy in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. It took decades, long after the Vietnam War ended, for the full report to come out. When it did, Ellsberg noticed that one of the sections originally redacted referred to the so-called Haiphong Massacre of 1946. “The French attacked Haiphong and killed 6,000 people,” Ellsberg said. “The entire reference was whited out. The government didn’t want people to know that an ally was seeking to conquer and colonize Vietnam.”

robert mueller
donald trump
history
u.s .
congress
russia
2016 u.s. presidential election
russia probe


Down in the polls, Ukraine leader Poroshenko begs for second chance ahead of elections

Abstract: KIEV - Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko begged for forgiveness and a second chance Thursday as polls showed him facing all-but-certain defeat three days ahead of a presidential vote. In a dramatic televised address, Poroshenko pleaded with voters to support him over Volodymyr Zelensky, a comedian with no political experience who has surged ahead in the polls. “I once again ask you to forgive me. What did not work out hurts the most,” Poroshenko said. Polls show Zelensky, a 41-year-old standup comic and television star, sailing to victory in Sunday’s second-round vote. The latest survey on Thursday showed him winning 73 percent of the vote against only 27 percent for Poroshenko. His rise has stunned Ukraine’s political elite, who have struggled to revive the economy, root out corruption and put an end to a war with Moscow-backed separatists in the country’s east. Poroshenko, 53, has cast himself as the only Ukrainian politician who can take on Russia’s Vladimir Putin and settle the war, which has claimed 13,000 lives. He said Thursday that because of the conflict with Russia it would be “very risky to experiment with the post of the president and commander-in-chief. He also warned that Ukraine risked defaulting on its debt after a Kiev court on Thursday ruled that his government’s 2016 decision to nationalize the country’s biggest lender was illegal. The bank, PrivatBank, was owned at the time by Igor Kolomoysky, a controversial tycoon who owns the channel that broadcasts several of Zelensky’s television shows. Poroshenko said a default would mean “tens of millions” of people would lose their money and suggested the ruling was linked with Zelensky’s campaign. He called an emergency meeting of his security council, while Kiev’s international partners including the EU, Washington and the World Bank said in coordinated statements they were closely monitoring the situation. Ukraine’s government has spent nearly 160 billion hryvnyas (around $6 billion) on recapitalizing the lender to cover the losses caused by the withdrawal of money from the bank and poorly-secured loans. “You see they just cannot wait,” Poroshenko said. “They’ve already started implementing their plans.” Supporters credit Poroshenko, who took power in 2014 after a popular uprising ousted a Kremlin-backed leader, with implementing important economic reforms, rebuilding the army, securing an Orthodox Church independent of Russia and winning visa-free travel to Europe. But Zelensky has seized on continued economic hardship and corruption, as well as his popularity as the star of sitcom “Servant of the People,” in which he plays a school teacher who becomes a president. Anticipation has been building ahead of a presidential debate scheduled for Friday in a 70,000-seat arena, the first and only one of the presidential campaign. “Preparations for the debate are in full swing. You will see the results tomorrow,” a Zelensky spokeswoman told AFP. The comic suggested he would have an easy time in the debate given Poroshenko’s record. “I don’t want to call anyone names, insult anyone or engage in mud-slinging,” he told local media. “After what has been done over the last five years I believe I can simply keep mum.” In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was hoping to watch what was likely to be a “curious spectacle. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who was knocked out in the first round of voting last month, said it was time to accept that Ukraine was facing a new political reality. “Mathematics already tells us that Volodymyr Zelensky will win the second round,” she said in a video address. “This is objective reality. It’s time to think of how to live with this.” Poroshenko has fought hard to recover lost ground in a bruising campaign after Zelensky leapfrogged the political establishment in the first round of voting on March 31. Over the past few days the candidates traded insults on television and in social media. In a campaign that has become increasingly sensational, both men even underwent drug tests at Zelensky’s insistence.

ukraine
elections
petro poroshenko
volodymyr zelensky
russia
vladimir putin


Release of Mueller report leaves Democrats in a quandary: Keep up the attack or move along

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Democrats clamored for the speedy release of U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings of his probe into whether President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. Now they finally have them, and they are confronted with a choice — stay on the attack or move on. Progressives in the party used the report to renew their calls for action, but there was little immediate consensus on how to move forward. Billionaire Tom Steyer, who has pumped millions of dollars of his own money into a campaign calling for Trump’s removal from office, said lawmakers in the Democratic-led House of Representatives should begin the process of impeaching Trump, a Republican, based on the evidence amassed by Mueller. Mueller found no evidence of collusion between members of Trump’s campaign and Russians, despite numerous contacts, but he amassed a wealth of evidence he said showed the president had sought to impede or control the FBI investigation. He stopped short of concluding that Trump had committed a crime but noted that the U.S. Congress had the power to address that issue. Democratic strategists said Democrats in the House, spurred on by progressives in the chamber, would continue their congressional investigations into Trump, but that Democratic presidential candidates, who hope to appeal to moderates and independents next year, are likely to take a less aggressive approach. “I don’t think Bob Mueller’s report is going to make a difference in Lordstown,” said Robin Winston, a former chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, referring to the auto plant in Ohio that auto giant General Motors shuttered last month. Winston said economic concerns were far more pressing on voters’ minds than the Russia probe and that breathless coverage of the nearly two-year-old probe had left voters “fatigued.” Opinion polls show that the U.S. public has also largely made up its mind about the probe before the report’s release on Thursday. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last month after Mueller’s conclusions were first made public showed that about half of the country still believed Trump worked with Russia to influence the 2016 election. More than half said they believe Trump tried to block the probe. Democrats in the House signaled their efforts to investigate Trump’s actions would continue. It is unclear, however, what their efforts will yield. Any attempt to force Trump from office would likely be thwarted by the Republican-controlled Senate. The prospect of impeaching Trump has largely been downplayed by Democrats since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi argued it would be counter-productive. But Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a popular progressive Democratic lawmaker, raised the prospect again on Thursday in a tweet. “Many know I take no pleasure in discussions of impeachment. I didn’t campaign on it, & rarely discuss it unprompted,” she said on Twitter. “But the report squarely puts this on our doorstep.” Those bidding for the 2020 Democratic nomination took a more cautious path on Thursday. While many called for Mueller to testify before Congress, there was no mention of the “I word.” “It is clear that Donald Trump wanted nothing more than to shut down the Mueller investigation,” U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Democratic candidate, said in a statement. “While we have more detail from today’s report than before, Congress must continue its investigation into Trump’s conduct and any foreign attempts to influence our election.” Democratic candidates are conscious that their voters are more interested in their positions on health care, the economy, immigration and climate change than whether or not Trump conspired with Russia or obstructed justice. Indeed, in a two-day swing through Iowa this week, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana did not hear a question on the topic. That has been similar to the experience of other candidates who have campaigning in early voting states. Buttigieg’s campaign said it has not been a subject on voters’ minds. Former U.S. congressman Beto O’Rourke may have summed up the field’s collective view most succinctly while campaigning last month. “I think the American people are going to have a chance to decide this at the ballot box in November 2020, and perhaps that’s the best way for us to resolve these outstanding questions,” he said. Democrats could be heeding the lesson of last year’s congressional elections, when they won more than 40 House seats and gained control of the chamber. Successful candidates, particularly moderates, found traction in talking more about kitchen-table issues and less about Trump. “The base gets ginned up — as a presidential candidate you have to decide whether you are going to cater to the base or take a longer view,” said Rodell Mollineau, who served as a top aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

democrats
robert mueller
donald trump
russia
congress
russia probe
u.s .
2016 u.s. presidential election


Thousands of Peruvians say goodbye to ex-President Garcia following suicide

Abstract: LIMA - Thousand of Peruvians said goodbye on Thursday in Lima to ex-president Alan Garcia — who killed himself this week — in the second of three days of national mourning declared by President Martin Vizcarra. Garcia shot himself in the head on Wednesday to avoid arrest in connection with alleged bribes from Brazilian builder Odebrecht, in the most dramatic turn yet in Latin America’s largest graft scandal. Friends, allies and leaders across the political spectrum paid homage to Garcia at the headquarters of his APRA party, one of Latin America’s oldest political parties, and one that twice helped usher Garcia to the presidency. Vizcarra ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at the country’s Congress and other public buildings to honor the ex-president and former lawmaker. Despite that, some of Garcia’s most tenacious allies cried out “Vizcarra is a murderer,” at the wake, a nod to Garcia’s recent critique that his prosecution was politically motivated. A pugnacious politician considered one of Latin America’s best orators, Garcia had long been dogged by graft allegations that he brushed off as baseless political smears. But prosecutors investigating Brazilian builder Odebrecht gathered enough evidence to secure a judicial order this week to hold Garcia in pre-trial detention while they prepared charges against him, prompting the ex-president’s suicide. The investigation in Peru had picked up speed in recent months, with a judge ordering another former president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, to jail before trial in connection with the company last week. The scandal had already touched the highest levels of Peru’s ruling political class. Ex-President Alejandro Toledo is fighting extradition from the United States after a Peruvian judge ordered him jailed in 2017, while another former leader, Ollanta Humala, spent nine months in pre-trial detention before he was released last year on appeal.

peru
suicide
alan garcia
martin vizcarra
odebrecht
scandals


Landlords cry foul as NYC climate bill targets Trump Tower and other skyscrapers

Abstract: NEW YORK - New York City has passed sweeping legislation to curb energy demand from some of its most iconic skyscrapers, including Trump Tower. The legislation, approved 45 to 2 in the City Council Thursday, is backed by Mayor Bill de Blasio and will push owners of residential and commercial buildings larger than 25,000 sq. feet (2,300 sq. meters) to install new boilers, air conditioning systems, windows and insulation. The goal is to reduce carbon emissions 40 percent by 2030, moving the city toward a goal of 80 percent by 2050. The Council also voted to require 5-cent fees on all paper bags distributed by stores, starting in March 2020, and to study the feasibility of replacing gas-fired power plants with battery storage systems powered by renewable energy. Council Speaker Corey Johnson, a Manhattan Democrat who’s already announced his interest in running for mayor in 2021, called the package of bills, “some of the most ambitious climate legislation in the world to combat and mitigate the dramatic effects of global warming.” New York City’s Panel on Climate Change, an independent body of scientists, has predicted that sea levels will rise between 8 and 30 inches (20 and 76 cm) by the 2050’s, and as much as 15 to 75 inches by the end of the century. Thursday’s legislation targeted buildings because their use of electricity, natural gas and other fuels generate two-thirds of the city’s greenhouse gases. While City Councilman Costa Constantinides, the main sponsor, said the legislation represents the “largest emission reduction policy of any city anywhere,” private landlords say they’re being unfairly targeted. The legislation includes carve-outs for hospitals, churches and rent-controlled housing. Exemptions leave “market-rate housing and commercial buildings to shoulder the entire burden of what is undeniably a shared societal problem,” John Banks, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, wrote in Real Estate Weekly, a trade publication. Based on city audits, Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan used more energy per square foot than 93 percent of large residential buildings, according to ALIGN, a coalition of labor and community groups that supports the legislation. ALIGN examined data on 50,000 buildings, all more than 25,000 sq. feet, Executive Director Maritza Silva-Farrell said. Amanda Miller, a Trump Organization spokeswoman, didn’t respond to requests for comment. Constantinides denied any intent to single out President Donald Trump or the Trump organization. Tony Gigantiello, president of a 364-unit cooperative apartment complex, says it’s already spent $10 million on upgrades to conserve energy by more than 40 percent in the past decade. The new city law would disregard that and demand that the co-op spend more to cut emissions another 40 percent, he said. “It’s outrageously unfair.” Gigantiello’s cooperative apartment complex would not have to act immediately because his buildings already meet current standards under the law, said Jeff Baker, director of the Council’s legislative division. The first buildings to be targeted are the 20 percent that use the most energy per square foot and have the highest carbon-gas emissions in the city, he said. They face a 2024 deadline to reduce their energy use. To avoid the 2030 deadline, though, the cooperative would have to be among the top 25 percent in low energy use per square foot. The city’s data are collected in surveys based upon electricity and fossil fuel use, divided by the square footage of the building, Baker said. The City Council’s law imposing a 5 cent fee on paper bags distributed by stores, would exempt beneficiaries of nutrition assistance programs such as food stamps. It supplements a bill enacted by the state to ban the use of plastic bags, intending to encourage reusable bags and reduce solid waste trash that ends up in landfills. The Council also passed legislation that would: Require city school buses to convert to an all-electric fleet, on top of a current effort to do the same with public transportation. Study ways to replace its 21 natural gas fueled power plants with mostly renewable energy and battery storage. Amend codes to accelerate installation of wind turbines large and small.

trump tower
new york
bill de blasio
buildings
climate change
trump organization
donald trump
pollution
u.s .


Mueller says he lacks confidence to clear Trump on obstruction

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Special Counsel Robert Mueller said he lacked confidence to clear Donald Trump of obstruction of justice but suggested Congress could take action on at least 10 instances where the president sought to interfere with the probe. “We concluded that Congress has authority to prohibit a president’s corrupt use of his authority in order to protect the integrity of the administration of justice,” he said in the report sent to Congress on Thursday. Mueller said acts of possible obstruction include “discouragement of cooperation with the government and suggestions of possible future pardons.” The 448-page report cited actions including Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey and efforts to have former Attorney General Jeff Sessions take control of the investigation. It was a damning assessment shortly after Attorney General William Barr said in a news conference that he found Trump had “non-corrupt motives.” After Barr spoke, Trump quickly tweeted, “Game Over.” Mueller’s report raises new questions about whether House Democrats will intensify their investigative efforts — and perhaps move toward an impeachment inquiry despite earlier statements by leaders to the contrary. In written answers to Mueller, Trump — whose lawyers resisted an in-person interview — said that he had “no recollection of learning at the time” that his top campaign officials met with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower on June 9, 2016, after being promised dirt on Hillary Clinton. Further, the president said, “I have no recollection of being told during the campaign that any foreign government or foreign leader had provided, or wished to provide, or offered to provide tangible support to my campaign.” On the underlying issue of whether Trump or those around him conspired with Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, Mueller said “the evidence we obtained did not establish that the president was involved in an underlying crime related to Russian election interference.” Democrats have demanded Mueller’s full report — without redactions made by Barr — as well as all the evidence behind it. Objecting to Barr’s news conference in advance of the report’s release, they demanded that Mueller testify to Congress as soon as possible. The voluminous report touched on several well-known incidents, including Trump’s firing of Comey in May 2017. Mueller said the White House wanted to put out a statement saying the firing was the idea of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. But Rosenstein told other Justice Department officials that he wouldn’t participate in putting out a “false story,” according to the report. Still, Mueller said, “The evidence does not establish that the termination of Comey was designed to cover up a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia.” Barr had said he would withhold material in the report that touched on classified information and grand jury proceedings or could damage the reputations of people “peripheral” to the investigation. He said Thursday that he will give leaders of several congressional committees a version of the report with no reductions except those relating to grand jury information. The House Judiciary Committee voted on April 3 to authorize a subpoena to demand that Barr provide that the full report and supporting evidence. If no accord is reached between the lawmakers and the attorney general, a subpoena could result in a legal clash that could reach the Supreme Court. “The Constitution charges Congress with holding the president accountable for alleged official misconduct,” House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler has said. “Congress is entitled to all of the evidence.” Mueller submitted his final report to Barr on March 22, concluding a 22-month investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Barr released his four-page summary of the report on March 24. Barr went beyond what’s required under Justice Department regulations by sharing any of the report. The regulations require only that he inform Congress if the special counsel was prevented from taking a significant action. Barr has said there was no such situation. See report at: www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf

robert mueller
donald trump
russia
scandals
2016 u.s. presidential election
russia probe


China invites partners to load experiments onto planned probes for 10-year asteroid mission

Abstract: BEIJING - China plans to launch an ambitious asteroid exploration mission and has invited collaborators to put their experiments on the probes, space agency officials said Thursday. The 10-year mission will involve a probe sent to a near-Earth asteroid to collect samples, said Liu Jizhong, head of China’s Exploration and Space Engineering Center. After the sample collection from the 2016 HO3 asteroid, the probe will return to Earth orbit, where it will split into two. A capsule carrying the samples will return to Earth’s surface, while a separate module will approach and orbit the comet 133P. No timeline has been set for the mission. A similar call was made for the lunar probe Chang’e-6, whose launch date will depend on the success of its predecessor, Chang’e-5, which will launch by the end of this year. France’s National Centre for Space Studies said last month that Chang’e-6 would carry French experiments. Originally scheduled to collect moon samples in the second half of 2017, it was delayed after its planned carrier, the powerful Long March 5 Y2 rocket, failed during a separate launch in July 2017. Two more moon missions have been planned, the Chinese space agency announced this year, with the ultimate goal of building a joint lunar research base. China has ambitions of achieving space superpower status and took a major step towards that goal when it became the first nation to land a probe on the far side of the moon on Jan. 3. At Thursday’s event, data collected from Chang’e-4 was handed to representatives from the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany, which had installed instruments on the craft. China now spends more on its civil and military space programs than do Russia and Japan, and is second only to the United States. Although opaque, its 2017 budget was estimated at $8.4 billion by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.


Groundbreaking British-led exploration of Indian Ocean's depths reaches an end

Abstract: VICTORIA, SEYCHELLES - The British-led Nekton scientific mission on Thursday completed a seven-week expedition in the Indian Ocean aimed at documenting changes beneath the waves that could affect billions of people in the surrounding region over the coming decades. Little is known about the watery world below depths of 30 meters, the limit to which a normal scuba diver can go. Operating down to 450 meters with manned submersibles and underwater drones off the island nation of the Seychelles, the scientists were the first to explore areas of great diversity where sunlight weakens and the deep ocean begins. The oceans’ role in regulating climate and the threats they face from global warming are underestimated by many. Scientific missions are crucial in taking stock of underwater ecosystems’ health. Principal scientist Lucy Woodall called the mission “massively successful,” saying that members believe they have found evidence near several coral islands of a so-called rariphotic zone, or “twilight zone,” located between 130 and 300 meters deep. “The rariphotic zone has been shown in a number of papers in the Atlantic and Caribbean but has never previously been shown in the Indian Ocean,” Woodall said, adding that months of analysis will be needed to confirm the discovery. In this twilight zone that sunlight barely reaches, photosynthesis is no longer possible and species that cannot move toward the ocean’s surface rely on particles falling from above for sustenance. Woodall also said she was excited to see “vibrant” communities of fish during the mission. “We’re seeing schools of small fish — that middle of the food chain — but we’re also seeing a large number of big predators — the sharks and all the other fish predators as well that are there. So this shows that protection works,” she said. With the expedition over, the long work of analysis begins. Researchers conducted over 300 deployments, collected around 1,300 samples and 20 terabytes of data and surveyed about 30 square kilometers (11.5 sq. miles) of seabed using high-resolution multibeam sonar equipment. Woodall estimated her team will need up to 18 months of lab work to process and make sense of the data gathered during the expedition. The data will be used to help the Seychelles expand its policy of protecting almost a third of its national waters by 2020. The initiative is important for the country’s “blue economy,” an attempt to balance development needs with those of the environment. On Sunday, President Danny Faure visited the Nekton team and delivered a striking speech broadcast live from deep below the ocean’s surface, making a global plea for stronger protection of the “beating blue heart of our planet.” For Nekton mission director Oliver Steeds, Faure’s visit was a win for the ocean. “I hope our ability to broadcast live from the ocean has helped put the oceans back on the map in the boardrooms, the corridors of power and in the classrooms,” Steeds said. “That’s where the decisions need to be made to fundamentally secure our future and the improved management and conservation of our ocean.” He said mission members hope that nations across the Indian Ocean will have the political will to improve the management and conservation of their waters. “It’s been an extraordinary aquatic adventure,” Steeds said. “We’re delighted that so many people around the world have been following our progress but it only really matters if the Seychelles can continue to take a lead on the world stage as a beacon of hope for ocean conservation.” This is the first of a half-dozen regions the mission plans to explore before the end of 2022, when scientists will present their research at a summit on the state of the Indian Ocean.

indian ocean
oceans
seychelles
nekton
nature


Indonesia's 'smooth' polls a beacon in sea of strongmen: analysts

Abstract: JAKARTA - Indonesia pulled off a complex yet peaceful election across its vast and ethnically diverse island territory this week, cementing its place as a democratic beacon in a sea of authoritarian governments, analysts say. But the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation still faces a spike in militant Islam and myriad other challenges. On Wednesday, the sprawling Southeast Asian archipelago saw as many as 190 million voters cast ballots to elect a new president, parliamentarians and local legislators, in a one-day contest with a record 245,000 candidates. Preliminary results appeared to hand a second term to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, but he held off declaring victory pending official results next month. However, his rival ex-general Prabowo Subianto — who has strong ties to the Suharto dictatorship that collapsed in 1998 — insisted he won, and vowed to challenge the results. He did the same, unsuccessfully, after losing to Jokowi in 2014 and there is little to suggest Subianto will win this latest fight. Despite the lingering uncertainty, Indonesia’s democratic feat still stands in stark contrast to strongman governments in the Philippines and Cambodia, authoritarian regimes in Vietnam and Laos, Myanmar’s stumbling post-junta steps and a chaotic election in Thailand, its first since a 2014 coup. “In a region that is not inclined towards democracy, where authoritarianism is on the rise, Indonesia’s democracy really has weight — even if it is turning more conservative,” said Christine Cabasset at the Bangkok-based Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia. In a nod to voter participation, one reputable pollster recorded 82 percent turnout in this week’s polls, the highest since 2004 legislative elections, local media reported. “People are voting and making a difference. Indonesians have embraced their own electoral power, especially younger voters,” said Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asia expert at John Cabot University in Rome. “This bodes well for greater demands for better governance,” she added. Still, Welsh was sharply critical of Jokowi’s rights records, and there are doubts about whether the 57-year-old will use his political capital to safeguard two decades of democratic progress that some fear is being undermined. “My prediction over the next five years is that we will continue to see a slow erosion of democratic quality,” said Marcus Mietzner, an associate professor at the Australian National University. “(But) not a full push into authoritarianism,” he added. Jokowi himself has been accused of creeping authoritarianism following arrests of opposition campaigners under a controversial electronic defamation law, while a decree during his tenure allowed Jakarta to ban mass organizations. Others have raised concerns about the renewed influence of the military, which is eyeing more civilian government positions in the country of 260 million — home to hundreds of ethnic groups and languages. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s reputation for religious tolerance has also been tested by increasingly vocal hard-line Islamists, who were emboldened after their calls to prosecute Jakarta’s Christian governor for blasphemy saw him jailed in 2017. A yearslong struggle with extremism was underlined last year by suicide bombings at several churches in its second-biggest city Surabaya amid a growing gulf in society between moderate and hard-line Muslims. “Both candidates exploited Islam as campaign issues,” said Made Supriatma, a visiting fellow at Singapore-based think tank Yusof Ishak Institute. “This religious war surely will have some effects in political debates in Indonesia in the years to come.” Jokowi’s choice of conservative cleric Ma’ruf Amin as his running mate — in part to neutralise attacks on his own religious credentials — has stirred fears about how minorities will fare over the next five years. LGBT people have been subject to abuse and arrest, while a Christian woman was jailed for blasphemy after complaining about the volume of a mosque’s loudspeaker. “Military sector reform is a must, so is the protection of minorities and tackling intolerance and extremists,” said Yohanes Sulaiman, a political analyst at the Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani in Cimahi, Indonesia. Some also see traces of the country’s long collapsed dictatorship in the current, corruption-riddled system. “It is hard to root out,” said Supriatma. “All political parties are dominated by old players, both nationally and regionally.” But there is little appetite for anything but another smooth power transition. “Indonesian democracy is still a work in progress,” said Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a research professor at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences. “But the fact you do not go to the streets and bring your guns if you want to dispute a vote, rather you go through a court process — that is very much part of Indonesian democracy.”

indonesia
elections
prabowo subianto
joko widodo
_asia


With Kim-Putin summit, Moscow seeks to carve out role in North Korea nuclear negotiations

Abstract: MOSCOW - With Russia’s Vladimir Putin set for his first talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this month, Moscow is eyeing a major role in yet another global flashpoint. The situation on the Korean Peninsula seemed to be stabilizing after a historic meeting between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump last year, at which they both backed denuclearization. But a second round of talks ended in failure and Pyongyang this week said it was testing weapons again. Now Putin, who has long expressed his readiness to meet with Kim, is gearing up to play a bigger role in nuclear negotiations with Moscow’s Cold War-era ally, with which it shares a short border. Russia’s main interest in the summit is to remind other players “that it exists and that it has economic and political potential” in the region, said Andrei Lankov of Seoul’s Kookmin University. “Russia needs some sort of control over the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Recent events have pushed out almost everyone apart from North Korea and the U.S., and of course nobody likes that,” he said. Russia has been inviting Kim for talks since last year but he was unwilling to spend time and resources on the trip because Moscow was not a major player, Lankov said. But now Kim is looking for all the allies he can get “because (the second round of U.S. talks) were a failure, and he was not able to achieve the things he was counting on.” Moscow has relatively good relations with the reclusive regime, though these have deteriorated from Soviet-era highs. Putin has expressed tacit support for Pyongyang, saying last year that “it seems counterproductive if we demand everything from the North Korean side and in response they are given nothing.” The U.S. has accused Moscow, which provides some food aid to North Korea, of helping Pyongyang evade some international sanctions — a charge Moscow denies. The Kremlin however lacks the regional clout of Beijing, Pyongyang’s sole major ally and biggest trading partner. China, intent on keeping Pyongyang within its sphere of influence, has played diplomatic wingman to North Korea — even loaning Kim an Air China jet to travel to his landmark first meeting with Trump in Singapore last year. Russia’s role in any global negotiations will likely be as part of a group with China and North Korea itself, said Konstantin Asmolov, a Korea specialist at the Moscow-based Institute of the Far East. Russia’s foreign policy focus remains on former Soviet states and the Middle East, particularly its backing for the regime of Bashar Assad in Syria, Asmolov said. Lankov, meanwhile, said it was futile to hope for any practical breakthroughs at the Putin-Kim summit. “There will be declarations, promises, they will sign yet another declaration of intent to increase trade 10 times in five years, but after two years they will forget about it,” he said. The Kim-Putin summit is set take place before the end of April, the Kremlin announced Thursday, without specifying a date or a location. International media reported that the summit was set for Russia’s far-eastern city of Vladivostok, which lies not far from its short land border with North Korea. There is also a chance that the talks will not take place at all: Kim pulled out of 2015 celebrations in Moscow for the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II at the last minute. The last meeting between a Russian and North Korean head of state came in 2011, when Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, traveled by train to Siberia for tightly guarded talks with then-President Dmitry Medvedev at a military base. Medvedev said he was “full of positive feelings” after Kim Jong Il said his state was prepared to renounce nuclear testing.

north korea
russia
vladimir putin
kim jong un
nuclear weapons
north korea nuclear crisis
kim-trump summit


Dingo drags sleeping toddler from bed on Australia's Fraser Island

Abstract: A dingo dragged a sleeping toddler from a camper van on a popular Australian holiday island late on Thursday, but his father awoke and pulled his 14-month-old son from the jaws of the dog-like dingo. “The parents woke up to the baby screaming and chased after him and had to fight the dingoes off to take the 14-month-old boy away,” paramedic Ben Du Toit told local media on Friday. The boy suffered head and neck injuries in the attack on Fraser Island off the northeast coast and was taken to a hospital. Australia’s dingo is a protected species on Fraser Island and are a popular attraction for camping tourists. The latest dingo attack was the third this year on Fraser Island. In 1980 baby Azaria Chamberlain disappeared from a tent in a camping ground in Australia’s outback, with her mother claiming she was taken by a dingo. The baby’s body was never found, creating a mystery that captivated Australians for years and was made into a book and a film with Meryl Streep and Sam Neill. Azaria’s mother Lindy was jailed for three years over her daughter’s death before later being cleared, but it wasn’t until 2012 that a court ruled that a dingo killed Azaria. Dingoes, introduced to Australia about 4,000 years ago, are protected in Queensland state’s national parks, World Heritage areas, Aboriginal reserves and the Australian Capital Territory. Elsewhere, they are a declared pest species. Dingoes hold a significant place in the spiritual and cultural practices of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Fraser Island’s dingo population is estimated to be around 200, with packs of up to 30 dogs roaming the island, according to the Queensland Department of Environment and Science. The department warns that generally dingoes go about their lives and stay clear of people. “From time to time, dingoes may come close and some encounters can turn to tragedy,” a statement on the department’s website warns. “Stay alert and stay calm.”


Only for 'naughty girls': Stigma lingers after South Korea abortion ban overturned

Abstract: KUALA LUMPUR - South Korea is set to legalize abortion after a decadeslong ban was struck down, but women’s rights campaigners have warned those who undergo the procedure will still be “punished in the eyes of society.” In a landmark verdict last week, a South Korean court ruled the ban — which dates from 1953 — unconstitutional and asked the government to legalize abortion by the end of 2020. Under the ban, as it currently stands, women who have abortions can be jailed for up to a year and get a fine, while doctors who perform the procedure at the woman’s request can face imprisonment of up to two years. The ruling was lauded as a victory for gender equality, but women’s rights activists said conservative values mean women — even doctors — would still face stigma, hampering access to abortion. “Even if women are no longer criminals under the law for abortion, they will still be punished in the eyes of the society,” said Jiann Woo, who has organized protests against the ban since 2016. “Abortion is still seen as immoral here — it is only something that the ‘single, naughty girls’ would do,” added the 25-year-old student, co-founder of Femidangdang, a Seoul-based women’s rights group. The Roman Catholic Church, with 5 million adherents — out of a population of 51 million in South Korea — has taken a firm stance against the ruling. “A nation has a responsibility to protect its people’s life and safety under any circumstances,” Seoul’s Roman Catholic Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung said, adding he is “worried” over the ruling. “Every life, from the moment of conception, should be protected as a human being,” he added in a statement. South Korea became one of the last developed countries where abortion is a crime after Ireland voted in a referendum last year to overturn its highly restrictive abortion laws. A survey by polling firm Realmeter this month showed more than 58 percent of South Korean respondents favor scrapping the ban, but a little over 30 percent wanted it retained. The court ruling comes amid a burgeoning feminism movement in South Korea after tens of thousands of women took to the streets last year to protest against illicit filming of women — so-called “spycam porn.” But society’s traditional, patriarchal views on women and their sexuality are still deeply rooted in South Korea, which ranked 115 out of 149 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Global Gender Gap report. “Abortion is still a huge taboo because our society has strict views on women’s sexuality,” said Yong, a South Korean student living in Germany who underwent an abortion in March. “I made a stupid mistake but I knew I had options. “Many friends back home who had abortions had a very different reaction — it was like the end of the world for them,” said the 27-year-old, who asked not to be named in full to protect her privacy. Exemptions under current South Korean law allow abortions within 24 weeks of pregnancy in cases involving rape, hereditary disease or danger to a mother’s health. Abortion numbers have been dropping in South Korea, with nearly 50,000 estimated for women between 15 and 44 in 2017, down from some 340,000 in 2005, as birth control measures spread and the population of women in that age range falls, said the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. But campaigners say the ban has driven women to turn to black-market abortion drugs, and pushed the cost of surgical abortion prohibitively high with the fees for a late-term termination averaging about $5,000. In many cases, women must also give a written promise that they will not implicate the doctor. The constitutional court challenge stemmed from the case of a doctor who was charged with conducting nearly 70 illegal abortions. Beyond the Catholic Church, some of the world’s largest churches and church-affiliated groups in South Korea have led the protest against making abortion legal. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea has said the ruling denied embryos’ rights to life, while a group calling itself the National Alliance Against Abolition of Abortion decried the procedure as an “act of murder.” The issue is divisive among the medical fraternity, too. Gynecologist Yoon Jung-won, who has conducted hundreds of abortions for rape survivors, said some doctors have called for the right to not perform the procedure after the court lifted the ban. “Some doctors don’t want to perform abortion simply because it is a stigmatized job. It’ll take time and effort,” said Yoon, who works in a private hospital in Seoul that specializes in sexual assault cases. “Law and policy change is the first (step) — culture and social change is the last and the most difficult one.” At the hospital where she works, Yoon has had to turn away many women over the years — from teenage girls who become pregnant, to women who feel they are too poor for another child to those who are trapped in an abusive relationship. The government has said it would respect the court’s decision and take steps to comply, however some campaigners like Woo fear the 2020 deadline would give religious groups time to lobby for restrictions. President Moon Jae-in, a Catholic and a liberal, has not stated clearly if he supports abortion, but has called for more discussions to build consensus. Ryu Min-hee, a lawyer in the legal team that mounted the successful court challenge, said the onus is now on the government to ensure abortions are accessible to women and doctors are adequately trained. “It’s the government’s duty to implement the ruling,” said Ryu, adding “It’s not a crime, it’s women’s rights.”

south korea
abortion
women
rights
courts
pregnancy
family planning
parenthood


Abe's Cabinet approves measures against gambling addiction ahead of Japan's casino openings

Abstract: The Cabinet on Friday approved a plan to limit customers’ access to betting establishments and remove cash machines from the facilities as the government prepares to curtail problem gambling ahead of the opening of casinos. Prefectures nationwide will formulate their own efforts based on the government’s plan, with authorities required to take action under the basic law on measures against addiction that was enacted in October. “We will create a healthy society by thoroughly implementing measures based on the basic plan in order to prevent people from finding themselves in difficult situations,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said during a government meeting. Japan hopes to see casinos established in up to three places as part of “integrated resorts” comprising hotels, conference facilities and shopping areas by the mid-2020s as it seeks to attract more foreign tourists and boost regional economies. Under the basic plan covering three years from fiscal 2019, operators of slot machine and pachinko parlors and government-operated gambling venues, including horse racing and keirin (cycling tracks), have been asked to remove ATMs from their facilities. Pachinko parlor operators have been urged to introduce a system by next spring to restrict entry by certain customers at the request of their family members. The operators of the various gambling venues have been also asked to research how underage people and problem gamblers can be barred from entering casinos through the use of electronic ID systems. But the measures are mere requests from the government that do not carry penalties. Among other measures, the government envisions placing advertisements warning against gambling addiction in newspapers and magazines, and on TV. The measures also put a restriction on the value of online bets that can be placed on horse races and other events. The government seeks to set up consultation and treatment hubs in each of the 47 prefectures and in 20 major cities, with enhanced support to be extended to private organizations that host recovery programs for gambling addiction. Japan ended its ban on casino gambling when it enacted the integrated resorts promotion law last July amid stiff resistance from the opposition camp and widespread public wariness about the impact of increasing access to gambling.


Japan enacts law recognizing Ainu as indigenous, but activists say it falls short of U.N. declaration

Abstract: Japan enacted legislation Friday aimed at protecting and promoting the culture of the Ainu ethnic minority through financial assistance, while at the same time stipulating for the first time that they are an “indigenous” people. The law requires the central and local governments to promote Ainu culture and industry, including tourism, in order to correct long-standing socioeconomic disparities faced by the group. But some Ainu have criticized the legislation, saying it will not do enough to reverse historical discrimination. Although the law was enacted amid a rise in global awareness about promoting and protecting minority rights, it does not stipulate rights to self-determination and education for the Ainu despite both rights being acknowledged in the 2007 U.N. declaration on the rights of indigenous people. According to a 2017 survey conducted by the government of Hokkaido, the percentage of Ainu advancing to universities stood at 33.3 percent, over 10 points lower than the rest of the population in areas where Ainu live. “I heard indigenous peoples overseas realized various policies after they were stipulated in constitutions and laws. We will continue discussions toward the recovery of our rights,” said 72-year-old Kazushi Abe, vice executive director of the Ainu Association of Hokkaido. A supplementary resolution attached to the law asks that the Japanese government respect the U.N. declaration, but critics have said it is too weak. In March, Ainu activists took to the streets in Sapporo to call for the withdrawal of the legislation, saying it does not reflect the voices of the ethnic minority. “Respecting deliberations at the Diet and the supplementary resolution, we will certainly implement the law,” Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Keiichi Ishii said. Ainu have lived for centuries in northern Japan, notably in Hokkaido, as well as on neighboring Sakhalin in what is now Russia. They have struggled to maintain their language and culture due to the assimilation policy of the Japanese government beginning in the Meiji Era (1868-1912) along with the modernization of the country, highlighted by an 1899 assimilationist law. The law promoted farming for the Ainu instead of hunting and fishing, practices that had been integral to their culture. In 1997, the 1899 law was abolished and another law was enacted to preserve Ainu culture. It was the first legislation acknowledging the existence of an ethnic minority in Japan but it stopped short of saying the Ainu were indigenous. Under the new law, the government will establish an Ainu policy promotion headquarters and formulate basic guidelines based on which local municipalities will draw up their own plans to promote Ainu culture, industry and tourism. The central government will then provide subsidies for the projects. The law also simplifies procedures for Ainu people to obtain permission from authorities to conduct traditional salmon fishing in rivers and collect timber and other items in national forests for their rituals. “It doesn’t refer to (the recovery of) fishing rights taken from the Ainu. The situation does not seem to have changed in that we still need to obtain permission from the Hokkaido government,” said 77-year-old Satoshi Hatakeyama, who heads the Ainu association of Monbetsu. Under the new law, the government plans to open a national Ainu museum and park in the Hokkaido town of Shiraoi in April 2020. The government aims to attract 1 million visitors to the museum in the first fiscal year.

ainu discrimination rights education hokkaido


Concerns rise in Japan over growing number of LGBT people being outed

Abstract: People having their sexual orientation or gender identity revealed without their consent has become a deepening problem in Japan, a country known for its culture in which the “nail that sticks out gets hammered down.” In recent years, there have been a growing number of cases in which a person has been outed by someone they trust, sometimes resulting in the affected person feeling they have to quit school or work to escape the fallout. In the most tragic cases, outings have affected victims’ well-being, causing some to suffer mental health issues or even take their own lives. Experts argue that such malicious or careless intrusions into someone’s personal life should be considered discriminatory and possible grounds for criminal charges. In June 2015, a 25-year-old male graduate student at Hitotsubashi University law school was outed as gay by a fellow student. The victim had his secret revealed to a group of nine peers on a messaging app. “It’s impossible for me to hide the fact that you’re gay anymore,” the classmate wrote to the group, ending the life-changing message with a simple “sorry.” Just two months earlier, the student had come out to the classmate and expressed romantic feelings toward him. After he was outed, the student felt the need to visit a clinic specializing in psychosomatic disorders. Then, in August, he sent a message to the group, saying he cannot see himself operating in the same professional circle as the person who outed him and he “can no longer see this as an ideal profession.” He later fell to his death from a building at the university in an apparent suicide. The parents of the student sued both the classmate and the university for damages, claiming the university failed to respond properly to their son’s ordeal. Although a settlement was reached with the classmate, the Tokyo District Court dismissed the parents’ claim against the university in February. The family is appealing the case. “Outing someone destroys human relationships,” the parents’ lawyer Kazuyuki Minami said at a news conference following the verdict. “The court offered no mention at all on the substantive question of whether or not outing is an unlawful act,” he said, clearly frustrated by the court’s decision. Over the course of six years from March 2012, one private support center said it received 110 calls to its 24-hour hotline service from people aggrieved about being outed. But because the hotline in fiscal 2011, fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2014 did not categorize callers as having suffered an outing, and due to the heavy volume of calls that went unanswered, the total is believed to be up to 24 times higher than the 110 documented cases, the Shakaiteki Hosetsu Support Center said. Indeed, experts point out this is a perfect demonstration of the damage being done to members of the LGBT community. According to the center, there were 31 calls by people wanting to talk about being outed in fiscal 2012, 42 in fiscal 2015, 19 in fiscal 2016 and 18 in fiscal 2017. Many of those who called said they were outed after confiding in someone they trusted or were bad-mouthed by friends for making “a sick display of affection.” Other than outing cases, many people call the hotline seeking advice about coping with their sexual orientation or gender identity, asking whether or not it is wise to reveal their secret. Shinya Maezono, a lawyer who runs Saitama-based website lgbt.legaladvice.jp and has a long history of providing advice to the LGBT community, said the act of public outing can potentially have legal ramifications. “There is a big possibility of civil or even criminal charges being brought,” said Maezono, adding that the lawsuits might involve invasion of privacy or defamation of character. He added that in cases of outing a person’s sexual orientation that involve threats, it is possible to have a criminal intimidation or extortion charge filed if money or valuables have been obtained through leverage. Maezono explained that the root of the problem lies in society’s unwillingness to recognize sexual diversity. “Many sexual minorities are in a situation where they feel they must hide,” he said. “First of all, people other than those concerned need to understand sexual minorities better and then we can hope that (it will allow LGBT people to) become more open.” So what should be the proper response when a friend or coworker comes out to you? Gon Matsunaka, a representative of a nonprofit organization that fights for sexual minority rights, said, “Coming out (to someone) is evidence of their trust in you. It is very important that you understand that this is serious and crucial information that (if discretion is not shown) could possibly have life-threatening ramifications.” Matsunaka stressed that if such a revelation is made, the person involved should check if the person coming out wants anyone else to know and to what extent. And “if you are unable to accept the news, you should talk to a person or group with expertise in the area and who will have the utmost discretion.” To move forward in dealing with the problem of outing, “we need to recognize that each and every person is an individual and that it is crucial that we have mutual respect and understanding,” Matsunaka said. Yuichi Kamiya, secretary-general of the Japan Alliance for LGBT Legislation, warns “it is still the tip of the iceberg,” adding that most sexual minorities have experienced some form of discrimination. Moreover, Kamiya says those who take the step to consult with a hotline have been pushed to the brink, the culture of discrimination taking them there. Kamiya says he is calling on all members of society to be aware of the issue and for the government to create policy solutions before it becomes a full-blown crisis. It is important for everyone to recognize that there “is a serious problem that is close at hand and touches the daily lives of many,” Kamiya said.

lgbt
sexuality
mental health
discrimination
privacy


Trump to visit Japan as state guest May 25-28 and be first world leader to meet new Emperor

Abstract: U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will visit Japan from May 25 to 28, which will make them the first state guests to meet with Crown Prince Naruhito after his enthronement, the Japanese and U.S. governments said. The state visit is intended to showcase the closeness of the countries’ ties, they said. Talks between Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are also scheduled. “The fact that Japan will host President Trump and his wife as the first state guests under the new era of Reiwa symbolizes the bond under the unwavering Japan-U.S. alliance,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a news conference Friday. The White House said in a statement Thursday that the visit “will deepen the close bonds between the American and Japanese people and will highlight the continued importance of our alliance and partnership.” During the trip, the Trumps are also expected to attend a state banquet to be held at the Imperial Palace. Abe and Trump, meanwhile, plan to hold talks to reaffirm cooperation in urging North Korea to deliver on its promise to denuclearize, and resolve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang in the 1970s and 1980s. The two leaders, who are expected to meet every month from April to June, may also discuss trade. With Trump having taken issue with his country’s hefty deficit with Japan, Tokyo and Washington launched earlier this week negotiations for a bilateral trade deal. During his stay, Trump may watch sumo at an upcoming tournament and inspect an Izumo-class helicopter carrier, Japan’s largest postwar class of naval vessels. Japan has two such flat-top helicopter carriers, which will be remodeled to accommodate fighter jets. Abe has built close personal ties with Trump, putting priority on strengthening the long-standing bilateral security alliance through a series of face-to-face talks and telephone conversations. The prime minister also plans to visit Washington on April 26 and 27 to discuss a range of topics such as North Korea, while the U.S. president will likely travel to Japan again for the Group of 20 summit in Osaka in June. Trump visited Japan in 2017, but not as a state guest.

donald trump
shinzo abe
u.s.-japan relations


Museum devoted to Japanese novelist Natsume Soseki, shuttered in London in 2016, to reopen in Surrey

Abstract: LONDON - A museum in London devoted to renowned Japanese novelist Natsume Soseki (1867-1916), which was closed over two years ago, is set to be revived in nearby Surrey in May. Ikuo Tsunematsu, 67, who headed the museum, decided to reopen it after receiving a flurry of requests from Soseki fans. The Soseki Museum was closed in September 2016 after 32 years of operation, due partly to financial difficulties. Dispatched by the Japanese government, Soseki studied in London for two years from 1900. Tsunematsu has renovated his house in Surrey to host the new museum. On display will be more than 10,000 items, including books Soseki loved when he was in the U.K., programs of theatrical performances he watched and his works translated into various languages. While the former museum was run with the general public in mind, many of the exhibits at the new facility will be for researchers. After collecting materials related to Soseki during the period of the novelist’s stay in the U.K., Tsunematsu opened the former museum in 1984 in front of Soseki’s final lodging in London. It attracted Japanese tourists and many famous people, including Crown Prince Naruhito, who visited while he was studying in the country. “I hope to talk about Soseki with those who love him, over tea,” Tsunematsu said of his decision to reopen the museum. He plans to operate the museum between March and August and accept visitors that have made prior reservations. Tsunematsu, who is from Kagoshima Prefecture, went to the U.K. in 1974 and learned about Soseki while living in London. Ever since, he has taken great pleasure in researching Soseki, collecting materials about the novelist and running the museum with money out of his own pocket. “Securing funds was the biggest challenge, but I’ve been able to keep going as I’ve refrained from lavish spending in my life,” he said. “I want to make the new museum a place that offers new clues for research about Soseki, and helps people get closer to his works.”

museums
natsume soseki
ikuo tsunematsu
books
literature
u.k .


World's smallest surviving baby boy, born in Nagano weighing same as an apple, ready to go home

Abstract: The world’s smallest baby boy, who was born in October in Nagano Prefecture weighing as much as a large apple, is now ready for the outside world, his doctor said Friday. Ryusuke Sekino was delivered via emergency caesarean section at Nagano Children’s Hospital in Azumino after 24 weeks and five days of pregnancy as his mother, Toshiko, experienced hypertension. At 258 grams (9.1 ounces) he was even lighter than the previous record holder, another Japanese boy who weighed just 268 grams when he was born last year in Tokyo. That baby was discharged from Keio University Hospital in February. When Ryusuke was born on Oct. 1 he measured 22 centimeters (8.66 inches) tall, and medical staff kept him in a neonatal intensive care unit. They used tubes to feed him, sometimes taking cotton swabs to apply his mother’s milk to his mouth. Nearly seven months later, the boy has grown thirteenfold in weight, now weighing over 3 kilograms. He was expected to be released from the hospital over the weekend. “When he was born, he was so small, and it seemed as if he would break with a touch. I was so worried,” his mother Toshiko told reporters. “Now he drinks milk. We can give him a bath. I am happy that I can see him growing,” she said. The smallest surviving girl was born in Germany in 2015 weighing 252 grams, according to a registry put together by the University of Iowa of the world’s tiniest surviving babies. The survival rate for tiny babies is substantially lower for boys than for girls.

babies nagano children pregnancy records azamino


Potential Banksy, now in storage, to be displayed at Tokyo City Hall

Abstract: A piece of street art discovered in January that some attribute to Banksy is to be shown at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building starting next week, Gov. Yuriko Koike said Friday. The announcement was met with skepticism online as some questioned whether Tokyo was now accepting vandalism. Others pointed to the irony of City Hall hosting the exhibition, as the elusive artist’s work is often perceived as anti-authority. “We’re not approving the act of vandalism on public property,” Koike said at a news conference. “We decided to display the work for a limited period as we find the public is very curious about it.” The image of a rat holding an umbrella and bag was spray-painted on a metal flood barrier in the Tokyo Bay area. It will be displayed from Thursday to May 8. The drawing — no bigger than a sheet of office paper — has since been removed and stored in a warehouse. Officials are trying to contact Banksy through an Instagram account to confirm its validity but have yet to receive a reply. Koike said the officials held hearings with experts and learned the drawing is highly likely to be an authentic Banksy. Banksy, whose identity is known to few, paints his work, including some featuring rats, on walls and other objects all over the world. In October the artist caused controversy by having his “Girl with Balloon” painting shredded by remote control just after it sold for $1.4 million at an auction in London.

banksy
tokyo metropolitan government
yuriko koike


'You almost forget you are talking to a monarch': U.K. scientists recall chats with Japan's biologist Emperor

Abstract: LONDON - Academics who have interacted with Emperor Akihito, a keen marine biologist, during his visits to Britain have paid tribute to the monarch and offered warm wishes ahead of his abdication at the end of this month. The Emperor has long-established links with scientific communities in Japan and abroad. He is known for his research on the various flora and fauna found in the gardens of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and has published academic papers on the biology of goby fish. The Emperor’s foreign tours have often included visits to science and nature-related organizations, among them a tour of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in southwest London, during a state visit to Britain in 1998. Botanist Ghillean Prance, 81, then-president of the gardens, led the tour and recalled the Emperor’s enthusiasm. Prance had met the monarch earlier on the same trip at an event hosted by the Linnean Society of London, the world’s oldest active biological research organization, named after the 18th-century Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus. The Emperor joined the society in 1980 and became an honorary member in 1986. “I saw a different side to him on that visit. He had a very good and professional scientific discussion with two specialists — I thought that showed his scientific nature,” said Prance, who also headed the society at that time. The monarch returned to the society in 2007 to give a speech marking the 300th anniversary of Linnaeus’ birth. The speech celebrated the long-standing tradition of academic cooperation between Japan and Europe and expressed the Emperor’s wish to help maintain this relationship through his own research. Echoing Prance’s remarks, botanist David Cutler, 79, who headed the society at the time of the Emperor’s 2007 visit, said his “genuine interest and respect” were clear to see during the well-received speech. Cutler was invited to a private audience with the monarch, along with parasitologist Vaughan Southgate, 74, another former Linnean Society president, during the Emperor’s state visit to Britain in 2012. Both noted the Emperor’s ability to create a comfortable, informal atmosphere and said the three discussed a wide range of scientific topics over tea. “We were just three biologists together having a normal conversation, so it was quite different from a formal visit,” Cutler said. “It was more relaxed. It’s a day we won’t forget,” Southgate added. Prance, who also accompanied the Emperor on an informal bird-watching trip in 2012, emphasized his skill in putting people at ease. “I think he is someone you can relate to. If you share something in common, which in our case is science, then it can be a very human relationship. You almost forget you are talking to a monarch,” Prance said. He added that the Emperor’s character has served to further his status as a positive symbol of Japan abroad. “He has had a great role but a difficult one. He has had to, in a way, be a peacemaker,” Prance said, referring to reconciliation efforts made by Japan following World War II. All three academics expressed their gratitude for the Emperor’s ongoing support for and contribution to Britain’s scientific community. Each also conveyed their wish that the Emperor will be able to continue pursuing his own interests after relinquishing the throne. “I think his interest in natural history is very broad. Natural historians don’t just stop. As long as they are capable, they carry on researching,” Cutler said. The 85-year-old will abdicate on April 30, to be succeeded by his elder son, Crown Prince Naruhito, 59, who will ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne the following day. Prance said the Emperor’s decision to step down showed confidence in the Crown Prince and envisaged continued good relations following the abdication. “I think there is a good relationship between Britain and Japan already, but the fact that the Crown Prince studied and had such an enjoyable time here can only help to maintain good relations,” he said. The heir to the throne studied at the University of Oxford from 1983 to 1985.

biology
emperor akihito
abdication
u.k .
imperial family
marine biology


Two killed, eight injured as man in his 80s drives into pedestrians in central Tokyo

Abstract: A mother and daughter were killed and eight other people were injured Friday when an elderly driver ran over a group of pedestrians at a crosswalk in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district, the police said. The driver, 87, rammed the pedestrians at around 12:30 p.m. before careening off a garbage truck and hitting yet more people, the Metropolitan Police Department said. Killed were Mana Matsunaga, 31, and her 3-year-old daughter Riko, who were pronounced dead at a hospital later in the day, the police said. In addition, eight people ranging in age from 40 to 90, including the driver and his wife, were injured, some seriously, they added. The accident occurred near Higashi-Ikebukuro Station on the Yurakucho subway line. “I saw a car hurtling through the pedestrian crossing I was about to cross, and after a loud noise, the people in front of me were hit by the car,” a male witness said. “It scares me that I might have been hit myself if I had been there a bit earlier.” According to a police analysis of dashcam footage from the suspect’s car, the driver ignored two red lights before accelerating for about 150 meters. He then plowed into the crowd, crashed into the garbage truck and rolled, hitting more people, they said. “The gas pedal got stuck for some reason,” the driver reportedly told investigators. The driver is from Itabashi Ward but his name is being withheld for the time being. Though he was not taken into custody, the police are investigating the accident with a view to building a criminal case of reckless driving resulting in deaths.

tokyo
elderly
ikebukuro
accidents
traffic accidents