'Fringe' climate skeptic may head special White House committee

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The Trump administration is exploring the idea of forming a special committee to look at climate change and security risks, with the effort being coordinated by a 79-year-old physicist who rejects mainstream climate science. A “discussion paper” obtained by The Associated Press asks federal officials from an array of government agencies to weigh in on a proposed executive order that President Donald Trump would sign establishing the “Presidential Committee on Climate Security.” A memo to those federal officials asks them to direct any questions to William Happer, a member of Trump’s National Security Council and a well-known critic of mainstream climate science findings. “Happer would be a fringe figure even for climate skeptics,” said retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. David Titley, now a professor of meteorology at Pennsylvania State University. Several climate scientists agreed with Titley, including Georgia Tech’s Kim Cobb, who said Happer’s “false, unscientific notions about climate change represent a danger to the American people.” Harvard science historian Naomi Oreskes, who wrote the book “Merchants of Doubt” on climate denial, pointed to instances when Happer has claimed that carbon dioxide, the main heat-trapping gas from the burning of coal, oil and gas, is good for humans and that carbon emissions have been demonized like “the poor Jews under Hitler.” Happer’s bio at Princeton University, where he previously taught, describes him as a pioneer in the field of optically polarized atoms. It notes that he served in the administration of President George H.W. Bush as the director of energy research at the Department of Energy, where he oversaw a basic research budget of roughly $3 billion. The National Security Council advises the president on security and foreign policy issues. According to the discussion paper, the council would fund and oversee the committee. Among the committee’s responsibilities would be to “address existing United States Government reports on climate for scientific accuracy and advise on the national security implications of climate change.” The committee would be composed of 12 members, according to a draft of the executive order. Members would include experts in national security and climate science. The panel would advise the president on how climate “might change in the future under natural and human influences.” A spokesman for the National Security Council declined to comment. The Washington Post first reported on the proposed executive order establishing the climate security committee. Trump once tweeted that climate change was a “Chinese hoax.” More recently, he used a cold snap that hit much of the nation last month to again cast doubts. “People can’t last outside even for minutes. What the hell is going on with Global Waming (sic)? Please come back fast, we need you!” he tweeted. Both the Pentagon and the president’s intelligence team have mentioned climate change as a national security threat, and a 2018 National Climate Assessment detailed drastic effects of global warming. Over about a dozen years, government scientists, military leaders and intelligence experts have repeatedly highlighted climate change as a major national security risk, said Titley, who founded one such study team in the Navy. Titley said these studies have come to the same conclusions under three presidents, including two Republicans. He said there are “a surprising number of documents from the Pentagon and intelligence community after January 2017 (when Trump took office) that talk about climate and security risk.” “For the Pentagon, it’s about readiness,” Titley said. “For the intelligence community, it’s about risks. We see the risks are accelerating.” Climate change can “push a marginally stable area into chaos,” Titley said, mentioning Syria, which suffered a record drought at the same time as a civil war that triggered a migration of a million people. Francesco “Frank” Femia, chief executive of a think tank that reviews systemic risk to national and international security, expressed concern that the proposed panel was meant to poke holes in future government reports and studies. “I would welcome a serious study commissioned by the White House on the security implications on climate change that include climate scientists and national security experts, but this is not that,” said Femia, the CEO of The Council on Strategic Risks. A place like the National Academy of Sciences was set up just for that type of study, said Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at Berkeley Earth, which monitors global temperatures. “The ice doesn’t care what this administration thinks,” Titley said. “It’s just going to keep melting and obeying the laws of physics, whatever Will Happer wants.”

climate change
donald trump
emissions
global warming


Putin threatens to target Western capitals with new missiles, warns U.S. over deployments

Abstract: MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to deploy new missiles against Western capitals as he delivered a state of the nation address aimed at boosting his falling approval ratings on Wednesday. In the speech, he also reached out to Russians with promises of improved living conditions. The longtime leader warned Washington against deploying any new missiles in Europe following the collapse of a key Cold War-era treaty, saying Moscow would consider it a “serious threat.” “I’m saying this clearly and openly: Russia will be forced to deploy weapons that can be used … against the decision-making centers behind the missile systems that threaten us,” Putin said. The United States and Russia raised fears of a new arms race earlier this year when they announced they were pulling out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, a 1987 deal that limited medium-range missiles. Washington was the first to announce its withdrawal, accusing Moscow of developing new weapons that violated the treaty, but Putin on Wednesday dismissed the U.S. claims as “far-fetched. Putin also reeled off a list of weapons programs that he said would give Russia a military edge over the United States. They included the development of the Zircon missile, with a range of more than 1,000 km (600 miles), testing of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, the deployment this spring of the Poseidon underwater drone system and the recent start of production of Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles. NATO reacted to the speech by denouncing what it said were “unacceptable” threats. It called on Moscow to “focus on returning to compliance” with the INF treaty. The tough military talk seemed aimed at stirring up patriotic support for Putin, who won re-election last year with more than 76 percent of the vote but has been struggling with dropping poll numbers. A survey by Russia’s independent Levada Center released in January found his approval rating at 64 percent — a figure many Western leaders could only dream of, but Putin’s lowest in five years. Most of Wednesday’s speech focused on promises to address poor living standards — a key source of frustration for many Russians nearly 20 years after Putin came to power. “We cannot wait. The situation must change for the better now,” Putin told assembled lawmakers from the lower house, the State Duma, and the upper house, the Federation Council. “Within this year, (Russians) should feel changes.” Putin lamented that some 19 million Russians are living below the poverty line. “This is too much. … The state should help.” Putin focused in particular on help for families, pointing to a demographic crisis in which birth rates have fallen drastically since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Last year the government’s statistics agency said the birthrate had fallen by 11 percent in 2017 to the lowest level in a decade. “The incomes of Russian families should of course rise,” he said, promising new child benefits and lower taxes for larger families. Putin, 66, appeared calm and confident as usual during the speech, but the Kremlin is reportedly deeply concerned by the fall in his personal approval ratings in recent months. Russians appear increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of economic growth and the concentration of the country’s wealth in a few hands in Moscow. Moves by the government to implement economic reforms, including an increase in the retirement age and a rise in the value-added tax from Jan. 1, have prompted widespread opposition including rare street protests. Another Levada poll in October found only 40 percent of Russians would vote for Putin if an election were held. In his 90-minute speech, Putin also promised new investments in health care and a major anti-cancer program, financial aid for home-buyers and further investments in education. He spent a significant amount of time criticizing officials for their handling of a waste-management crisis that has seen Russians outside Moscow protesting at plans to send the capital’s rubbish to provincial landfills. “We must form a civilized and safe waste-management system,” Putin said, promising efforts to close dumps and boost recycling, which is nearly nonexistent in Russia.


Microsoft detects Russia-linked hackers targeting Europe democracy groups ahead of polls

Abstract: LONDON - A hacking group has targeted European democratic institutions, including think tanks and nonprofit groups, ahead of highly anticipated EU parliamentary elections in May, Microsoft has found. The company said Tuesday that a group called Strontium targeted email accounts for more than 100 people in six European countries working for the German Council on Foreign Relations, the Aspen Institutes in Europe and the German Marshall Fund. Microsoft said it discovered the hacking through its Threat Intelligence Center and Digital Crimes Unit. It said the hacks targeted 104 employee accounts in Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Romania, and Serbia. Hackers in most cases create malicious web links and spoofed email addresses that look legitimate, aiming to gain access to employee credentials and deliver malware, the company said. Microsoft said in a blog post that it is continuing to investigate but is confident many of the attacks originated from Strontium, a group that others call Fancy Bear or APT28. U.S. authorities have tied the group to Russia’s main intelligence agency, known as the GRU. Germany’s BSI cyberprotection agency said it has not seen a substantial rece3nt increase in Strontium’s activities. Microsoft said that the attacks occurred from September to December and that it notified the organizations after discovering they had been targeted. Tech companies have been accused of not doing enough to prevent hacking attacks and the spread of fake news, which some say influenced major elections like the 2016 U.S. presidential vote and the Brexit referendum. Hundreds of millions of people are set to vote for more than 700 European Union parliamentary lawmakers in May, and the recent rise of populist parties has raised the prospect of euroskeptic politicians gaining more seats and potentially undermining the bloc. The German Marshall Fund has done extensive work researching and documenting Russian attempts at interfering in elections as part of its broader efforts on democracy-building and trans-Atlantic cooperation. In a statement, the German Marshall Fund president, Karen Donfried, said the attacks were unsurprising for an organization “dedicated to advancing and promoting democratic values.” The organization said its systems did not appear to be compromised. The German Council on Foreign Relations declined to offer details, citing the ongoing investigation. But a council spokeswoman, Eva-Maria McCormack, called for “strong political and public attention” to the issue of cyberattacks.

microsoft
russia
hacking
europe
eu
elections
fancy bear
gru


U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant arrested for mass murder plot targeting Democrats and media figures

Abstract: WASHINGTON - A U.S. Coast Guard officer who espoused white supremacist views and drafted a target list of Democratic politicians and prominent media figures has been arrested on firearms and drug charges. Christopher Paul Hasson, an admirer of Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, was arrested last week and a powerful arsenal seized from his home, according to court documents unsealed on Wednesday. “The defendant intends to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country,” U.S. District Attorney Robert Hur said in a motion seeking that Hasson be detained until trial. “The defendant is a domestic terrorist, bent on committing acts dangerous to human life that are intended to affect governmental conduct,” Hur said. Hasson is being held on drug charges and for unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition. The U.S. Attorney’s office said 15 firearms and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition were recovered from Hasson’s apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland, along with illegal drugs. In documents seized by the authorities, Hasson “identified himself as a White Nationalist for over 30 years and advocated for ‘focused violence’ in order to establish a white homeland,” the U.S. Attorney’s office said. Hasson routinely perused portions of the “Breivik manifesto” on amassing firearms and compiling a list of targets, it said. Among those listed as targets were Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats in the House and Senate. Media personalities included CNN’s Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo. Hasson, a lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard working at U.S. Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, is a former U.S. Marine who also spent two years in the U.S. Army National Guard. Hasson was remanded in custody and is to appear in court before a court in Greenbelt, Maryland, on Thursday. Breivik is serving a 21-year sentence for the July 2011 massacre of 77 people, most of them teenagers who were attending a youth camp.

mass murder
democrats
paul hasson
anders breivik
cnn
guns
u.s .
terrorism
u.s. coast guard


U.S. Justice Department expecting to receive Robert Mueller report within days, sources tell CNN

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Justice may announce as early as next week that special counsel Robert Mueller has given the attorney general his report on the federal Russia investigation, CNN said on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. After the expected announcement, U.S. Attorney General William Barr will review Mueller’s findings and submit his own summary to Congress, CNN reported. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined comment on the CNN report. Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, also declined comment. Democrats have been concerned that Barr, who has discretion over what is ultimately made public, will choose to limit disclosure, although the new attorney general has said he would seek to make public as much of Mueller’s findings as he can. Trump, responding to the CNN report on Wednesday, noted that decision would be up to Barr. “That’ll be totally up to the new attorney general,” Trump told reporters at the White House as he prepared to meet Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. Mueller is investigating alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible collusion by U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign, as well as possible obstruction of justice by the Republican president. Trump has denied any collusion and repeatedly slammed the Russia probe as a “witch hunt.” Moscow has also denied any meddling. So far, 34 individuals and three companies have pleaded guilty, been indicted or otherwise swept up in the inquiry, including several former Trump advisers. The report will not mark the end of legal scrutiny on Trump. Newly empowered Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have said they plan to use Mueller’s court filings to build a picture of wrongdoing by Trump advisers that can provide the basis for hearings. The Mueller probe has also spawned several investigations that are being handled by other offices and will carry on even after Mueller’s work is done. Under special counsel regulations, Mueller must submit a confidential report to the attorney general explaining his prosecutorial decisions at the conclusion of his work. The attorney general, in turn, is required to inform the judiciary committees of Congress about Mueller’s report in the form of “brief notifications, with an outline of the actions and the reasons for them.” How much ultimately becomes public is unclear. Barr, who was confirmed by the Senate last week, said during his confirmation hearings that he would make public as many of Mueller’s findings as he can but stopped short of promising to release the entire report.

robert mueller
cnn
william barr
donald trump
russia probe


Egypt hangs nine for 2015 assassination of prosecutor general, bringing month's executions to 15

Abstract: CAIRO - Egypt hanged nine men on Wednesday for the 2015 assassination of the prosecutor general, judicial sources said, bringing to 15 the number of executions it has carried out this month. Hisham Barakat was killed in June 2015 when a car bomb struck his convoy in Cairo following jihadist calls for attacks on the judiciary to avenge a crackdown on Islamists. The nine men hanged on Wednesday were among 28 people sentenced to death in 2017 for involvement in his murder. Their death sentences were upheld in November by the Court of Cassation, which commuted the sentences of six others to life imprisonment. The sentences of the other defendants were not considered because they had been sentenced in absentia. The hangings came despite an 11th-hour plea by human rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday for a stay of execution. Amnesty International condemned the executions. “Executing men who were convicted in trials marred by torture allegations is not justice but a testament to the magnitude of injustice in the country,” said Najia Bounaim, Amnesty’s North Africa campaigns director. “Egyptian authorities must urgently halt this bloody execution spree which has seen them repeatedly putting people to death after grossly unfair trials in recent weeks.” Last week, Egypt hanged three people convicted of the 2013 murder of senior police officer Nabil Farag. The previous week, it hanged three young “political detainees” convicted of the September 2013 murder of the son of a judge, Human Rights Watch reported. No one claimed the 2015 attack against Barakat but authorities pointed the finger at members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood of ousted President Mohamed Morsi. Since Morsi’s overthrow by then army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2013, Egypt has struggled to quell a jihadi insurgency and cracked down on Islamists who backed him. Hundreds of Morsi supporters have been sentenced to death, while the former president and top Brotherhood figures have also faced trial. The Muslim Brotherhood was outlawed and branded a terrorist organization in December 2013, just months after Morsi’s ouster. Many of the death sentences have been handed down at mass trials involving hundreds of defendants and lasting just days.

egypt
amnesty international
torture
muslim brotherhood
mohamed morsi
terrorism
death penalty
hrw


Western 'troika' powers warn of surge in violence in South Sudan

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The United States, Britain and Norway on Wednesday voiced alarm over a new flare-up of violence in South Sudan, saying all sides needed to show their commitment to peace. The three powers, the so-called troika that has led diplomacy and aid efforts aimed at stabilizing the troubled young nation, urged all sides to ensure the safety of civilians in the southwestern area of Yei. “This renewed violence risks undermining the peace agreement and lowers confidence of the troika and other international partners in the parties’ seriousness and commitment to peace at a critical time,” they said in a joint statement. “We are concerned that if the situation escalates, the progress made in implementing the peace agreement will be irrevocably set back,” they said. South Sudan’s government in September reached a peace deal with the main opposition unit of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement but a holdout rebel group, the National Salvation Front, rejected the deal. Thousands of civilians in the Yei area have fled the renewed fighting and crossed the border to the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. South Sudan won independence from Khartoum in 2011 with fanfare from the West and billions of dollars in aid, but the country was immediately torn by internal conflict. Nearly 400,000 people died and millions were displaced after President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy, Riek Machar, of plotting a coup. The United States warned in December that it was finished with assisting South Sudan unless its leaders make peace.

south sudan
norway
conflict
u.s .
u.n .
u.k .


Russia warns Guaido against 'inviting foreign intervention' under aid 'cover' into Venezuela

Abstract: MOSCOW - Moscow on Wednesday warned Venezuela’s self-declared interim president, Juan Guaido, against “inviting foreign intervention” by using aid shipments as “cover,” and called for dialogue between the government and opposition. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow was concerned about “threats from the U.S. that are actively supported … by Venezuela’s opposition, essentially inviting foreign intervention.” He said that “whether direct or under cover of humanitarian aid,” such an intervention is “unlikely to bring the result (Guaido) seeks.” Venezuela’s military, which is backing President Nicolas Maduro, said it was on alert after Guaido vowed to bring aid into the struggling country, which Maduro slammed as a smokescreen for a U.S. invasion. U.S. President Donald Trump has refused to rule out military action, warning the Venezuelan military that they will “lose everything.” Lavrov said U.S. threats are “unquestionably a violation of the U.N. charter and direct meddling in domestic affairs of an independent country.” He said he hoped that Guaido “would respond to initiatives that suggest inclusive dialogue between all of Venezuela’s political forces.” “Results can only come from inclusive political dialogue,” he said. Shipments of food and medicine for Venezuelans suffering in the country’s economic crisis have become a focus of the power struggle between Maduro and Guaido. Maduro had said that 300 tons of Russian aid would reach Venezuela on Wednesday. He also announced arrival of goods from his other allies China and Cuba. Russian state newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta on Wednesday quoted Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as saying that the aid has arrived in the country. “We are thankful to Russia for shipments of medical equipment which has arrived in Venezuela,” she said in an interview to the paper.

russia
venezuela
juan guaido
sergey lavrov
humanitarian aid
nicolas maduro
u.s .
vladimir putin


May heads back to Brussels but EU not budging on Brexit 'Irish backstop'

Abstract: BRUSSELS - Prime Minister Theresa May headed back to Brussels on Wednesday to renew her quest to reopen the terms of Britain’s Brexit divorce, but appears headed for disappointment. With less than six weeks until Brexit day, May met European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker hoping for progress on the “Irish backstop,” though EU leaders have insisted they will not restart negotiations. Juncker and May posed stiffly for photos as she arrived at commission headquarters but did not shake hands, and shortly before the meeting the former Luxembourg PM repeated a warning that he did not expect a breakthrough — despite more encouraging noises coming from Downing Street. British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt warned earlier in the day that progress on the thorny problem of the Irish border is the “only way” to avoid Britain crashing out without a deal on March 29. May meanwhile suffered a fresh blow to her authority at home when three of her MPs resigned from her Conservative party in protest at her Brexit strategy to join a new independent group of lawmakers. May and the other 27 EU leaders approved a Brexit withdrawal agreement at a summit on Nov. 25 last year, but the British leader’s own parliament rejected it overwhelmingly on Jan. 15. Since then, May and her ministers have repeatedly met EU leaders and their negotiator Michel Barnier to urge them to reopen the text to find a way to appease euroskeptic MPs. May will try again on Wednesday, but on this trip she will not even meet Donald Tusk who, as president of the European Council, represents the leaders of EU member states. She will instead meet Juncker and Barnier, who have no mandate from Tusk’s council or EU capitals to renegotiate the deal, or to modify the “Irish backstop” clause. This provides for Britain to remain in the EU customs union until a way is found — such as a future free trade deal — to ensure that Ireland’s border with Northern Ireland remains open. Brexiteers in May’s own Conservative party see this as a “trap” to keep Britain tied to the bloc indefinitely, and have demanded a time limit or exit clause. This would be seen in Brussels as a betrayal of EU member Ireland, and it has consistently got short shrift from EU officials. “We cannot accept a time limit to the backstop or a unilateral exit clause,” Juncker’s spokesman Margaritis Schinas told reporters on Tuesday, reiterating the longstanding EU position. This represents a direct rejection of May’s core demand. May’s spokesman said the prime minister was “working hard to secure legally binding changes” to the backstop that would win a majority in parliament. The spokesman said Brexit Minister Stephen Barclay and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox would be having further “detailed talks” with Barnier in the coming days following May’s meeting with Juncker. Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will meet Barnier on Thursday, while officials in both Brussels and London have played down talk that an EU-Arab League summit in Egypt this weekend could become a “Brexit in the desert” meet, insisting the issue would not hijack the gathering. A European source said Cox, whose legal analysis of May’s deal confirmed Brexiteer fears, will have a have a key role to play. If Brussels does enough on the backstop to persuade Cox to soften his advice, it could help swing the parliamentary arithmetic behind the prime minister. Without a deal, Britain is due to leave the Union abruptly after four decades on March 29, with no follow-on agreement or transition period to manage trade and economic relations. Both sides have said they want to avoid this, and many experts foresee economic chaos, even warning of food and medicine shortages or a renewed threat of unrest in Northern Ireland. Manufacturing supply chains could be disrupted, and Brexit uncertainty has already been cited as a contributing factor in the closure or departure of several British-based businesses. On the EU side, the commission on Wednesday published an update on its no-deal planning, with seven out of 19 legal proposals to mitigate the effects now approved. Another option would be for Brussels to accord Britain an extension to the March 29 deadline, although May insists she will not request a delay. A delay could keep Britain inside the EU for May 23-26 elections for a new European Parliament, which will start sitting from July 2, presumably without any British members.

eu
brexit
theresa may
ireland
northern ireland
u.k .
u.k. parliament


Former New Zealand PM Jenny Shipley denies writing pro-China article in Communist Party paper

Abstract: WELLINGTON - A former New Zealand prime minister has denied writing an article attributed to her by the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party that praised the Asian giant’s economic development at a time of strained ties. The first-person opinion piece, headlined “We need to learn to listen to China,” was published under Jenny Shipley’s name on the website of the People’s Daily on Monday. It had become its top-read English-language story by Thursday. “It is important for the foreign minister and prime minister and others to understand that I would never think of getting into a public situation like this, at such an important time for New Zealand’s relationship,” Shipley told the New Zealand Herald newspaper. She said she had not been aware of the piece. The item drew a backlash from Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who told Radio New Zealand on Wednesday its timing was “very unwise.” An intelligence agency decision in November that rejected participation by Chinese technology giant Huawei in New Zealand’s 5G network has left politicians and foreign policy analysts worried about relations with one of New Zealand’s key trading partners. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s first visit to Beijing has faced scheduling issues and China last week postponed the New Zealand launch of a major tourism campaign. Shipley said she had been interviewed by a Chinese newspaper in December for a feature article that had already been published, the New Zealand Herald said. An article with comments on topics similar to those in Monday’s piece ran last month on the website of the China Daily, a separate state-run newspaper, but was couched in the third person and put Shipley’s comments in quotation marks. Shipley was New Zealand’s first female prime minister and led the country from 1997 to 1999 as head of the center-right National Party.

new zealand
jenny shipley
china
media
ccp


Popular ex-minister Julie Bishop retires in fresh blow to Australian government ahead of polls

Abstract: SYDNEY - Former Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced her retirement from politics Thursday, in another blow to the conservative government just months before tight general elections. Bishop, widely considered the most popular politician in the ruling Liberal Party of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, stunned her parliamentary colleagues with the decision not to re-contest her West Australian seat in elections due by mid-May. “I will leave this place, positive about the future, proud of the service that I have been able to give to my electorate of Curtin, my beloved Liberal Party, the state of Western Australia and my country,” she said to standing applause from both sides of parliament. Bishop was the first woman to serve as Australia’s foreign minister, from 2013 to 2018, and as deputy Liberal leader, and the latest of several Liberal women MPs to either retire or quit the party to become independents. But her standing in the party suffered when right-wing power brokers ousted moderate Malcolm Turnbull as Liberal leader and prime minister in August. Bishop was one of three candidates to run for the leadership in Turnbull’s place, but was snubbed by party colleagues despite opinion polls showing her as the most popular Liberal politician. Defections by female Liberal MPs and a by-election loss have put the Morrison government into the minority in parliament, while opinion polls show the opposition Labor Party comfortably ahead in the run-up to the elections. Morrison, who won the vote to replace Turnbull, heralded Bishop as a “ground-breaker” for women in public life. “Julie has been a good friend. I have valued her judgment, appreciated her insight and admired the tireless way she has served the party, the parliament and Australia,” he said in a statement. Renowned for her steely gaze dubbed the “death stare,” Bishop’s highlights as foreign minister include her strong condemnation of Russia’s role in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines MH17 in 2014.

julie bishop
australia
elections
scott morrison


Daughter of missing North Korean diplomat Jo Song Gil has returned home, Italy says

Abstract: ROME - North Korea informed Italy last year that the daughter of its acting ambassador had asked to return home after her father left his post in Rome, the Italian foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Diplomat Jo Song Gil and his wife went missing in November, and a South Korean newspaper has reported that they have applied for asylum in an unspecified Western country. Thae Yong Ho, a former deputy North Korean ambassador to Britain who defected to South Korea in 2016, said on Tuesday that Gil could not take his daughter with him when he escaped. Citing his contacts in North Korea, Thae said she had been immediately whisked back to Pyongyang. An undersecretary at the Italian foreign ministry, Manlio di Stefano, demanded information about the girl’s disappearance, saying in a Facebook post, “Those responsible for this will pay.” Shortly afterward, his ministry put out a statement saying it had been informed by North Korea on Dec. 5 that Jo and his wife had left the embassy on Nov. 10 and that their daughter had been repatriated on Nov. 14. It said the girl had asked to go back to her grandparents and had been accompanied by female staffers from the North Korean Embassy. “The Farnesina (foreign ministry) does not have any further information about this affair,” the statement said. Di Stefano, a member of the 5-Star Movement in Rome’s governing coalition, said the unnamed daughter is 17 and Italy should have protected her. “She now risks being tortured by one of the worst regimes in the world,” he wrote. He declined to comment on his ministry’s subsequent statement. A diplomatic source in Rome said in January that Italy had no record of Jo seeking asylum there and added that the whereabouts of him and his family were not known. Thae urged Jo in January to move to South Korea, but he said that the fact that Jo’s daughter was in North Korea complicated matters. “The level of punishment that the children of a North Korean diplomat who defected would face is completely different depending on whether the parent went to South Korea or a Western country,” he said, suggesting Jo’s daughter would face much harsher penalties if her father went to Seoul. Antonio Razzi, a former Italian center-right parliamentarian who is a staunch defender of secretive North Korea, said Jo’s daughter had been abandoned by her parents and was now safe back home with her grandparents. “Those two wretches left their daughter alone. She is a child and suffers from a disability,” Razzi told Italy’s Adnkronos news agency. “It is normal that she was sent back to her grandparents,” he added, denying she is in any danger. Pyongyang normally requires diplomats going overseas to leave at least one child at home, but those from the top echelons or seen as the most loyal to the leadership get some exceptions. Thae has said previously that Jo hailed from a wealthy family of diplomats, and was able to take his child with him on his posting to Italy which started in 2015.


Taiwan unveils 'permanent union' bill in bid to sidestep referendum vote against same-sex marriage

Abstract: TAIPEI - Taiwan’s ruling party unveiled its latest attempt to create Asia’s first same-sex marriage law on Thursday, a bill offering couples “permanent unions” as well as limited adoption rights, despite stiff opposition from conservatives. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has had a stuttering and troubled journey towards delivering on their 2016 election promise to grant same-sex couples equal marriage rights. In November, conservatives won a referendum against revising the island’s Civil Code to allow gay marriage, in a blow to President Tsai Ing-wen’s party and a stark illustration of the social divide caused by the issue. The referendum came after Taiwan’s Constitutional Court voted to legalize gay marriage in 2017 — the first place in Asia to do so — arguing that denying same-sex couples marriage rights was unconstitutional. The court ordered the government to amend the law by May 24, 2019 but did not specify how it wanted gay marriage to be brought in. The bill published Thursday by the cabinet is the Tsai administration’s attempt to square that circle — a new law that meets the court’s demands while trying to respect the referendum result by not altering the Civil Code which currently defines marriage as between a man and a woman. The draft law released by the justice ministry proposes allowing “two persons of the same sex to create a permanent union of intimate and exclusive nature for the committed purpose of managing a life together to realize the equal protection of the freedom of marriage.” Gay couples will be allowed to adopt the biological children of their partner while both parties are financially responsible for each other and are entitled to inheritance rights. The law is set to take effect on May 24 but needs to pass parliament, where the DPP holds a majority. Taiwan is seen as one of the most progressive societies in Asia when it comes to gay rights, and it stages the biggest gay pride parade in Asia annually. Gay marriage rights receives high approval ratings among young people in particular. But it also remains a staunchly conservative place with powerful religious lobbies, especially outside of urban areas and analysts say DPP underestimated how controversial their gay marriage proposals would be. President Tsai openly supported the legalization of gay marriage before she was elected but has since said there needs to be more consensus in society. If the bill is passed it would be Asia’s first gay marriage law. In December Thailand’s junta rulers proposed a similar bill but it has yet to make it parliament in the kingdom, which is currently in the midst of an election campaign.

taiwan
same-sex marriage
marriage
rights
lgbt
sexuality


India's top court orders eviction of more than 1 million forest dwellers

Abstract: BANGKOK - India’s Supreme Court has ordered the eviction of more than 1 million indigenous people and others who live in forests after the federal government failed to defend a law aimed at protecting their rights. The top court’s order, dated Feb. 13 and delivered in written form on Wednesday, was in response to a petition against the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006, filed by some environmental groups who said the law impeded conservation efforts. Under the landmark Forest Rights Act, which gave back to traditional forest dwellers the right to access and manage forest lands and resources within village boundaries, at least 150 million people could have had their rights recognized to about 40 million hectares (154,000 square miles) of forest land. But the law states that individual and community claims have to be settled before activity can be carried out on those lands. The Supreme Court has asked officials in 16 states to submit details of rights claims settled, and “in the cases where claims have been rejected … to ensure that eviction is made on or before the next date of hearing” on July 24. The order “is a major blow to the struggle of tribals and forest dwellers for justice,” advocacy group Campaign for Survival and Dignity said in a statement. “Another historic injustice is about to be committed against tribals and other forest dwellers,” said Shankar Gopalakrishnan, president of the group. India has more than 100 million indigenous people, who are also known as Adivasis, or original inhabitants. The court’s order could affect claims of indigenous people in the remaining states and lead to more evictions, he said. Campaigners say many states had rejected recognition of community forest rights on flimsy grounds as demand increased for land for mining and industry. The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has, over the last five years, introduced laws that activists say diluted earlier legislation meant to protect the rights of farmers and indigenous people over land and natural resources. The Supreme Court order comes in the run-up to a national election that must be held by May. Land rights and forest rights have come to the fore in recent state elections, and unrest among farmers and villagers — who make up a big voting bloc — could hurt Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist BJP party, analysts say. Opposition leaders had earlier written to the tribal affairs minister, saying they were “dismayed at the utterly indifferent and callous attitude” of the federal government in relation to the FRA case. Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition Congress party, which had enacted the FRA, earlier criticized the government for being “a silent spectator” in the Supreme Court. “It is showing its intention of driving out hundreds of thousands of tribals and poor farmers from the forests,” Gandhi tweeted last week.

india courts forests tradition ethnicity discrimination


'Nut rage' Korean Air heiress now accused of child abuse by husband amid divorce proceedings

Abstract: SEOUL - The husband of a Korean Air heiress known for a “nut rage” tantrum that sparked uproar in South Korea has accused his wife of abusing him and their young children, police said on Thursday. Cho Hyun-ah shot to international infamy in 2014 when she lost her temper over the way she was served nuts in first class before takeoff from New York. She was sentenced to a year in prison for hampering an air route after ordering the Seoul-bound Korean Air plane back to the gate so she could have a flight attendant ejected. The attendant, along with a colleague, had served her macadamias in a bag rather than a bowl — prompting Cho to order them to kneel and beg for forgiveness. She was later cleared on appeal and served just five months. Her husband, surnamed Park, said Cho had been physically and verbally abusing his family, including their 5-year-old twin sons, since she was released from jail in 2015. He filed charges against Cho — who denies the allegations — on Wednesday. “He is suing her for child abuse and inflicting of bodily injury, among other things,” an officer at the National Police Agency said. Park, a plastic surgeon, and Cho — who married in 2010 after meeting in elementary school — are in the process of divorcing. He shared photographs of his neck and toe wounds with a local TV station, claiming they were inflicted by Cho, and said he had submitted photos and video footage of the abuse to police. His wife repeatedly “strangled him” and threw a tablet PC at him, injuring his toe, he told authorities. Park also claimed Cho threw spoons and chopsticks at their young children for “not eating quickly enough” and verbally abused them for “not falling asleep.” He is seeking full custody of the boys. A spokesman for Cho’s law firm Sejong denied the allegations, claiming Park is an alcoholic and therefore his memories are flawed. He has been hospitalized for alcoholism three times during their marriage, the firm said. “We are seriously considering filing a complaint against Park for defamation.” Other family members of Cho, including her mother Lee Myung-hee and her sister Cho Hyun-min, have been accused of abusing their employees. The alleged abuses range from cursing and screaming at staff members to kicking, slapping and even throwing a pair of scissors at them. A series of scandals — including allegations over tax evasion and smuggling of furniture and food — have also left Cho’s father, Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho, facing mounting scrutiny that has riled the public and even sparked protests by the firm’s employees.

korean air
child abuse
divorce
south korea
cho hyun-ah
scandals


Winking and driving: License plates in Australia to get emoji

Abstract: BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - Motorists in northeastern Australia can soon an emoji added to their license plates. It will be positive vibes only on the morning commute after a Queensland firm announced that from March drivers can add smiling, winking or laughing characters to their plates. The state’s largest automotive organization has welcomed the digital addition. “For quite some time we’ve seen you can support your favorite team or town with a symbol on your number plate and using an emoji is no different,” said Royal Automobile Club of Queensland spokeswoman Rebecca Michaels. Queensland resident Laura McKee has already put her order in for the new look plates. “It’s a bit of fun. If this brightens up someone’s day while their stuck in traffic, then so be it,” she said. With a cost of between 100 and 500 Australian dollars ($70 to $350) per plate, Queensland local Aroha Liebhart isn’t a fan, and thinks the emoji could attract unwanted attention. “The cost pushes them out of reach for so many people; no one I know will be purchasing them when they’re so expensive,” she said. “I live in a high crime area, I do believe this will entice people to target the cars who do have them.” But resident Mark Edwards wants to see more options for drivers, to better express a driver’s changing moods. “They should be interchangeable so when you’re tired you can warn drivers, or when you’re a little angry you can swap them over,” he said.

australia emoji transportation internet computers


Fire kills at least 70 in old part of Dhaka

Abstract: DHAKA - A devastating fire raced through densely packed buildings in a centuries-old shopping district in Bangladesh’s capital, killing at least 70 people, officials and witnesses said Thursday. The fire in Dhaka’s Chawkbazar area was mostly under control after more than 10 hours of frantic efforts. Some of the about 50 people injured were critically burned. The district, dating to the Moghal era 400 years ago, is crammed with buildings separated by narrow alleys, with residences commonly above shops, restaurants or warehouses on the ground floors. The blaze started late Wednesday night in one building but quickly spread to others, fire department Director General Brig. Gen. Ali Ahmed said. Many of the victims were trapped inside the buildings, said Mahfuz Riben, a control room official of the Fire Service and Civil Defense in Dhaka. “Our teams are working there but many of the recovered bodies are beyond recognition. Our people are using body bags to send them to the hospital morgue, this is a very difficult situation,” he told The Associated Press. The fire services director, Maj. AKM Shakil Newaz, said 70 dead had been recovered and were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Ambulances were arriving carrying bodies, and relatives were mourning in front of the morgue. First responders were delayed reaching the site for various reasons, including the closing of roads as part of national holiday commemorations on Thursday. Just after midnight as the fire blazed, Bangladesh’s prime minister and president laid wreaths at a monument less than a mile (kilometer) away to commemorate protesters who died in a 1952 demonstration. Fire officials said the road closures worsened traffic, slowing down some of the fire trucks traveling to the site. Most buildings in Chawkbazar are used both for residential and commercial purposes despite warnings of the potential for high fatalities from fires after one had killed at least 123 people in 2010. Authorities had promised to bring the buildings under regulations and remove chemical warehouses from the residential buildings. Such tragedies are shockingly common in Bangladesh, where fires, floods, ferry sinkings and other disasters regularly claim dozens of lives or more. In 2012, a fire raced through a garment factory on the outskirts of Dhaka, killing at least 112 people trapped behind its locked gates. Less than six months later, another building housing garment factories collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people. The death toll from the latest fire could still rise as the condition of some of the injured people was critical, said Samanta Lal Sen, head of a burn unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Sen said at least nine of the critically injured people were being treated in his unit. Witnesses told local TV stations that many gas cylinders stored in the buildings continued to explode one after another. They said the fire also set off explosions in fuel tanks of some of the vehicles that got stuck in traffic in front of the destroyed buildings. Some reports suggested many of the dead were pedestrians, shoppers or diners who died quickly as several gas cylinders exploded, and the fire engulfed the nearby buildings very quickly. Officials said the firefighters struggled to get close to the scene because of heavy traffic and narrow alleys that were busy when the fire started.


Once a hot ticket at Tsukiji, Tokyo's Toyosu market struggles to attract tourists to its tuna auctions

Abstract: The Toyosu wholesale market in Tokyo’s Koto Ward has been struggling to attract visitors to watch tuna auctions even though a designated viewing area was opened about a month ago. The now-defunct Tsukiji market had been flooded with people looking to witness its tuna auctions, which became a hugely popular event for domestic and foreign visitors alike. But the auction has been slow to catch on at Toyosu, partly due to a rule change that requires applications be made in advance, causing a headache for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which operates the market. The Toyosu facility opened in October last year, taking over from the Tsukiji market in Chuo Ward. At Tsukiji, visitors were allowed to view tuna auctions on a first-come, first-served basis, without needing to make prior applications or reservations. As a result, visitors lined up for hours before the start of tuna auctions. The observation deck for the tuna auction was opened on Jan. 15 at Toyosu, but visitors need to apply in advance either online or over the phone. If the number of people making applications tops the limit of 120 a day, successful applicants are selected at random. The number of applicants, however, has been far below that threshold, apparently because applications must be made half a month before a visit and many people are unaware of the system. In addition, some of the successful applicants have failed to show up on their scheduled day. Up to five people can apply as a group, but the names of all visitors must be submitted. This requirement is also believed to be dragging down the number of applicants. In fact, the number of non-Japanese viewing tuna auctions at the designated area in groups has been small. Many foreign visitors are instead going to a passage on the second floor of the Toyosu market’s wholesale building, where the auction can be viewed without making any prior arrangements. Tokyo officials say they want more people to take in the auction from the observation area, noting that the space allows visitors to take in the sounds of the lively event, including the ringing of the opening bell and the energetic calls of the sellers and buyers. “Visitors can feel the vibrant atmosphere of auctions, which is not possible from the second-floor passage,” a metropolitan government official said. As part of measures to promote the use of the observation deck by foreign visitors, the metropolitan government has added related information to the English page of the official website for the Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market. “We hope many people, including foreigners and families, will visit the Toyosu market” as the spring holiday season is set to start, the official said.


CAR T-cell cancer therapy approved for use in Japan, offering new hope for young leukemia patients

Abstract: An expert panel of the health ministry on Wednesday approved production and sales of a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell cancer therapy, which gives hope to young leukemia patients who cannot be cured with existing anti-cancer agents. The health minister is expected to give final approval in the near future. This will be followed by a process to fix its price under the public health insurance system. The CAR T-cell therapy is likely to join the list of drugs and treatments covered by the system as early as May, according to informed sources. In the therapy, T-cells, a type of immune system cell, are taken out of a cancer patient and put back in after being genetically modified to attack cancer cells. Treatments involving CAR T-cells have been developed by several companies. The Kymriah therapy developed by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis will be the first one to win Japanese approval. The treatment, which is conducted with only one dose of CAR T-cells, is reported to be highly effective. But a single application costs some ¥50 million in the United States, where the treatment is already an approved therapy. In Japan, out-of-pocket costs for patients are expected to range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands yen, depending on their income level. The rest will be covered by public health insurance, raising concern about the therapy’s financial impact on the system. The therapy will be used on patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia who are age 25 or younger and patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who cannot be cured through existing anti-cancer agents. It is estimated there are 250 such patients each year. In a clinical test involving Japanese patients, the treatment proved effective in about 80 percent of patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and in about half of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

cancer
leukemia
car t-cell therapy
medicine
disease
mhlw


American activist against the Futenma relocation plan questioned at Kansai airport for two hours upon arrival

Abstract: An American activist who has collected over 210,000 signatures for a petition calling for the suspension of land reclamation work to relocate U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma within Okinawa Prefecture was questioned by authorities for almost two hours shortly after his arrival in Japan on Tuesday. Robert Kajiwara said he was “detained” at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture and was interrogated by immigration officials regarding his activism in connection to Henoko. “I think the Japanese government was trying to make me miss my connecting flight to Tokyo in order to make me late for our events. Also, they are probably trying to harass me to discourage me from coming back to Japan,” Kajiwara wrote on his Twitter feed. Kajiwara, who has visited Japan numerous times previously and can trace some of his family history to Okinawa, added that it was the first time he had been interrogated at an airport. The reason why I was eventually let go after being detained for 110 min. by the JP gov in Osaka was because of the Okinawan Senator Kantoku Teruya. He called the immigration office and vouched for me. If not for him I probably would’ve been kept there longer. — Rob Kajiwara (@robkajiwara) February 20, 2019 Asked about the reasons for the interrogation, Manabu Kora, an immigration office spokesman at the airport, said that the office’s decision to interrogate him was not based on any instruction from the central government. “We usually question foreign persons who repeatedly come to Japan under short-term stay permits in order to determine whether or not they are illegally working,” Kora said. “We followed the same normal procedure for Kajiwara since he has visited Japan several times. I would say a two-hour interview is routine as it was necessary for translators to participate as well.” At a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday, Kajiwara took a swipe at the central government’s stated reluctance to consider the result of a prefectural referendum on Feb. 24 regarding the land reclamation work in Nago’s Henoko district, as well as its determination to proceed with the relocation of the base from the city of Ginowan to Henoko — an area with endangered coral reefs. The activist started his campaign on the White House’s “We the People” petition website last December, urging U.S. President Donald Trump to halt the reclamation process “until a democratic referendum can be held.” In the referendum, local voters will be asked if they support, oppose or are neutral toward the plan for the Futenma base. The central government is not legally obliged to abide by the result of the local referendum, although the poll is designed for people in Okinawa to express their opinions on the issue. Garnering support from Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki and some celebrities including fashion model Rola and Queen guitarist Brian May, the number of signatures climbed to twice the 100,000 threshold that obliges the White House to make a response within 60 days. Kajiwara staged a rally with other activists in front of the White House on Jan. 7, but the Trump administration has not responded so far and the Japanese government has continued with land reclamation work in Henoko. Kajiwara will be a guest speaker Saturday at a talk entitled “Referendum Eve” in Okinawa along with other activists including Jinshiro Motoyama — the head of the Association for the “Henoko” Referendum on the Construction of a New U.S. Base in Henoko, whose efforts last year pushed the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly into holding the vote. “(Voting) is important not just for Okinawa Prefecture, but the whole world,” Kajiwara said during an interview with TBS on Wednesday. “The world is watching and I especially would like to ask young Okinawans to get out and vote.”

futenma
okinawa
u.s. military
military bases
futenma air station


Trump coming to Japan for new Emperor enthronement and Osaka G20 summit, official says

Abstract: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is expected to make a pair of trips to Japan later this year, first to meet the country’s new Emperor and then for the G20 summit, according to an administration official. Trump spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Wednesday morning in advance of his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next week, the White House said. The president will travel to Japan in May to meet with the new Emperor, Crown Prince Naruhito, whose accession is May 1, the official said. He’ll return in late June for a summit of the Group of 20 industrialized nations. Trump is to meet Kim in Hanoi next week to again discuss a possible agreement under which Pyongyang would give up its nuclear arsenal. Abe has previously pressed Trump to also raise the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea and Pyongyang’s intermediate-range missiles that can target Japan.

osaka
g20
donald trump
shinzo abe
north korea
kim jong un
hanoi
tokyo
emperor akihito
emperor naruhito


In phone talks, Abe and Trump agree to work together to resolve North Korea abductions issue

Abstract: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed Wednesday to cooperate in addressing issues linked to North Korea, including past abductions of Japanese citizens, before Trump meets with the North’s leader Kim Jong Un next week. “We firmly and closely coordinated our policies in the run-up to the second U.S.-North Korea summit to resolve nuclear, missile and abduction issues,” Abe told reporters after speaking with Trump on the phone. Abe said Trump promised to prioritize helping address the abductions by North Korean agents of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, which has prevented the normalization of diplomatic relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang. Abe has also expressed his readiness to meet directly with Kim. Trump and Kim are scheduled to hold their second summit on Feb. 27 and 28 in Hanoi. “I strongly hope the upcoming talks will lead to peace and stability in East Asia,” said Abe, who added that Trump will brief him after the summit over the phone. When Trump met with Kim for the first time in Singapore in June last year, they agreed that Washington would provide security guarantees to Pyongyang in return for “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula. Trump also took up the abduction issue at Abe’s request. Abe and Trump also agreed that the president will visit Japan from May 26, a Japanese official said. With the visit, Trump is expected to be the first foreign state guest to meet Crown Prince Naruhito after his planned ascension to the throne on May 1, Japanese government sources said earlier. Trump is also expected to visit Japan in June for the Group of 20 summit in Osaka. It is unusual for a U.S. president to visit a foreign country twice in just two months. The White House said separately that Abe and Trump “reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the final, fully verified denuclearization” of North Korea, and agreed to coordinate closely in advance of the Hanoi summit. Earlier Wednesday, Abe told a Diet committee that his administration “will decisively take action not to miss any opportunity” for addressing the abductions issue. In a meeting with Abe on Tuesday, Shigeo Iizuka, head of a group representing abductees’ families, called for a resolution of the issue and relayed to the prime minister the group’s new message for the North Korean leader. “We would not oppose diplomatic normalization if all the abduction victims are immediately returned,” the group said in its statement. Tokyo officially considers 17 Japanese nationals as having been abducted by the North and suspects the country’s involvement in many more disappearances. Five of the 17 returned in 2002. North Korea has confirmed that Minoru Tanaka, one of the 17 victims, is living in Pyongyang with his wife, and Tatsumitsu Kaneda, who Tokyo believes was abducted, is also in the country, another Japanese official said recently.

north korea
abductions
shinzo abe
donald trump
kim-trump summit


Japan to ease language requirements for foreign nursing care trainees amid sluggish growth in applications

Abstract: The central government plans to ease language requirements for foreign technical interns in the nursing care sector as part of its efforts to bring in more laborers from abroad, government sources have said. Japan opened up its nursing care sector to foreign nationals willing to work as trainees from November 2017. But the number of such trainees has seen sluggish growth apparently due to Japanese-language proficiency requirements, which have been set higher than those for interns in other sectors. Currently, care workers must have either reached the N4 level on the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test before entering the country or pass N3 a year after they arrive. Those who fail the N3 test have to return to their home country. But the government now plans to allow the workers to stay two additional years if they express their willingness to continuously study the language, the sources said Wednesday. The change in the system could go into effect in March, they said. The move comes as Japan struggles with a labor crunch in the face of an aging population and falling birthrate. From April it will introduce a new visa system that will broaden the entry of foreign workers, including for the nursing care sector. Japan introduced the technical intern program in 1993 with the stated goal of transferring skills to developing countries. Having added the option of care workers to the intern program, the government had been expecting many applicants from countries such as Vietnam to engage in the job to assist the elderly in their daily activities, such as getting dressed or eating meals. But only about 250 were serving as care workers as of October last year. Technical interns can stay up to five years. The system has been criticized as a cover for companies that want to import cheap labor. Those who have gone through the existing technical intern program for more than three years will be able to obtain a new visa status to be created from April, and the government expects many interns to apply. The introduction of the new visa system represents a major shift for the country, which had effectively granted working visas only to people with professional knowledge and high skills, such as doctors, lawyers and teachers. In line with the new visa policy, the government is planning to strengthen regulations on brokers who collect large sums from foreign nationals seeking to work in Japan. According to a draft plan compiled by the labor ministry last month, the government aims to enhance the protection of foreign workers from April by introducing tougher standards for Japanese placement agencies working with brokers overseas. Foreign workers who arrive as trainees under the technical intern program often bear heavy debts as brokers collect a large amount of money from the workers or their families under the pretext of guarantee deposits or other fees.

nursing care
jobs
elderly
immigration
nihongo
foreign trainees


No major damage reported after magnitude 5.8 quake in Hokkaido

Abstract: Four people were injured and hundreds of others left stranded in train carriages and at an airport early Friday after a magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit Hokkaido the previous night. While no major damage was reported from the quake, which struck at 9:22 p.m. Thursday, more than 100 households suffered a temporary water outage in the hardest-hit town of Atsuma, which was already devastated by a major quake last September. Transportation services were disrupted elsewhere and there were reports of small-scale avalanches. Two women and two men in Tomakomai and Sapporo sustained minor injuries after falling during the quake. Some 680 people were temporarily stranded in train carriages on Hokkaido Railway Co.’s Chitose Line and about 170 people were forced to spend the night at New Chitose Airport, the region’s main international gateway. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Friday the government has yet to confirm whether any major landslides or avalanches resulted from the quake. Hokkaido Electric Power Co. said it has found no irregularities at its Tomari nuclear power plant in western Hokkaido. “I was anxious because I didn’t know when I would be able to return home,” said Takahiro Shibuya, 17, who was waiting for his mother to pick him up at Shimamatsu Station in the city of Eniwa. The high school student from Chitose said he was on his way home from a cram school in Sapporo when the trains stopped, leaving him and his fellow passengers stranded for about four hours. Hokkaido Railway Co. canceled 58 train services Friday as it carried out track safety checks. At New Chitose Airport, people huddled under blankets distributed by airport staff. “Bus services from the airport to Sapporo had ended, and I couldn’t wait for a taxi for hours in the sub-zero temperatures,” said Manami Imano, 35, who was on a business trip from Tokyo. In September, Hokkaido was hit by a magnitude 6.7 quake that claimed more than 40 lives and injured about 760 people, as well as cutting power to millions of homes across the region. The town of Atsuma was hit by deadly landslides triggered by the quake. “I could not stop shaking thinking about the previous quake,” said Atsuma resident Eiko Nakaya, 71, as she received food and water from local authorities. An official from the Meteorological Agency said at a separate news conference late Thursday that the epicenter of Thursday’s quake was about 10 km north of September’s quake. The agency and experts said Thursday’s quake was most likely an aftershock. Takashi Furumura, a professor of seismology at the University of Tokyo, said the two quakes’ “mechanisms were also similar.” “There’s no need for excessive worry, but caution is needed if quakes start to occur in other areas,” he said. Koshun Yamaoka, a professor of seismology at Nagoya University, also urged caution. “An aftershock of the latest one could follow, so we need to be prepared for quakes of the same intensity for up to 10 days,” Yamaoka said. “I was alone at home and it was very scary. I’m worried that another big quake might come,” said Yasuko Tsuzuki, a 73-year-old woman living in Atsuma, following the latest quake. Tsuzuki said the lights at her home briefly went out and that she tried to evacuate in the darkness. Japan is one of the most earthquake- and tsunami-prone countries in the world. On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 offshore quake hit the northeast coast, causing a tsunami that claimed more than 18,000 lives and triggered a nuclear disaster. Quake information in English can be viewed at the Meteorological Agency’s website: www.jma.go.jp/en/quake .


Tsunami-hit Japanese town completes divisive demolition of former municipal office

Abstract: MORIOKA, IWATE PREF. - A town in Iwate Prefecture on Wednesday completed the demolition of its former municipal office building — where its mayor and 27 other workers were killed in the tsunami triggered by the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011 — even though some people had sought to have it preserved as a memorial. The work to tear down the two-story building in the town of Otsuchi started on Jan. 19. “I wanted them to preserve (the building),” said a woman in her 40s who visited the site from the city of Wakayama, adding that she has to be careful about expressing her opinion because there “must be various thoughts on the issue.” While some residents of Otsuchi said they did not want to see the building preserved because it reminded them of the tsunami, others said it should be kept as a memorial. In January, the Morioka District Court rejected a petition to suspend the demolition work. The municipal government will develop the area into a green space and use it as a site for parking vehicles in the event of an emergency evacuation.

tsunami
great east japan earthquake
earthquakes
otsuchi
tohoku
3.11
local government


Japan's plastic waste shipments fall 30% after China import ban; experts urge action to curb usage

Abstract: Japan’s shipments of plastic waste overseas in 2018 decreased 30 percent, figures from a research institute showed Thursday, due to restrictions China imposed on receiving such waste in late 2017. The nation exported about 1.01 million tons of plastic waste in 2018, down from 1.43 million tons the previous year, according to the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, with shipments to China plunging to 100,000 tons last year from 1.02 million tons. China, a major importer of plastic and other waste, imposed an import ban on nonindustrial plastic waste and restricted imports of industrial plastic waste in late December 2017 amid growing concerns over pollution and health problems. Japan’s plastic waste shipments to Southeast Asian nations such as Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam increased last year after China imposed the restrictions. But the country’s shipments to Southeast Asia are unlikely to grow further as some countries in the region have also started to impose their own limits. Experts are urging Japan to take action to reduce its generation of plastic waste. Yoshinori Morita, a visiting researcher at IGES, said the government should oblige manufacturers of plastic products to use recycled materials in Japan. Morita also called for introducing international rules to better recycle plastic waste in Asia. “Japan needs to take the initiative in creating common rules throughout the Asian region so that plastic waste can be recycled properly,” Morita said. Hideshige Takada, a professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, said companies should use alternative materials for food containers and other products. Some companies are already taking steps. Skylark Holdings Co. stopped distributing plastic straws at its Gusto restaurant chain from late last year. Starbucks Coffee Japan Ltd. and Royal Holdings Co., which operates the Royal Host restaurant chain, will also stop offering plastic straws by 2020. Hamburger chain operator Mos Foods Services Inc. will switch from plastic to paper cutlery for takeout food. But such actions by individual firms have their limit. Japan produces the largest amount of plastic waste per capita after the United States and has lagged behind other countries in curbing the use of plastics despite growing fears over environmental pollution. In an effort to catch up with the global trend, the Environment Ministry has drafted a strategy to cut disposable plastic waste by 25 percent by 2030 and to oblige shops to charge for plastic bags. The strategy is expected to be officially endorsed by the end of March. Earlier this month, the government decided to ban in principle the use of plastic straws and cutlery in its cafeterias and to stop passing out plastic bottles to attendees at conferences. The policy will be applied to all central government institutions, including ministries, courts and regional bureaus, when they start signing new procurement agreements from April. Under the revised Basic Policy on Promoting Green Procurement, shops in government buildings will only be permitted to give customers bags made with a certain amount of natural materials. Plastic cutlery will only be given to customers if requested. Shop operators will also be asked to offer economic incentives to encourage customers not to use plastic bags.

plastic
plastic waste
waste
china
pollution
recycling


Japan mother and boyfriend arrested for allegedly forcing daughter to take cold bath and binding her wrists

Abstract: FUKUOKA - A mother and her boyfriend were arrested Thursday for allegedly injuring the woman’s 8-year-old daughter by binding her wrists and forcing her into a cold bath at their home in Fukuoka Prefecture last month, police said. The 29-year-old mother, whose name is being withheld to prevent the girl from being identified, and Jun Yahiro, 29, allegedly injured the daughter in the afternoon of Jan. 24 at their home in the city of Chikushino. Yahiro, who lived with the two, is also suspected of hitting the girl several times around midnight that day, according to the police. The woman and Yahiro have admitted to the allegations, according to police. “I did it to discipline her because she had wet the bed,” the mother was quoted by the police as saying. Investigators suspect the girl may have been subjected to daily abuse. A teacher at the girl’s elementary school found bruises on her body on Jan. 25 and the school informed a local child welfare center, which took her into protective custody the same day and reported the case to police. Child abuse cases in Japan have recently come under the spotlight again after the death in January of a 10-year-old girl in Chiba Prefecture, following alleged abuse by her parents, including food and sleep deprivation. In March last year, the death of 5-year-old Yua Funato in Tokyo gripped the nation after it was reported she had left desperate pleas for her parents to “forgive” her and stop mistreating her. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said earlier this month the government will confirm within a month the safety of all children suspected of being abused, as the Chiba and Tokyo cases highlighted a lack of communication among authorities.


Damages from 'it's me' and other petty fraud scams in Japan down for fourth straight year

Abstract: The amount of money stolen in “it’s me” scams and other special cases of fraud fell 9.6 percent in 2018 from the previous year to ¥35.68 billion, down for the fourth straight year, National Police Agency data showed Thursday. The so-called ore-ore (it’s me, it’s me) scam refers to the swindling of mostly elderly people by perpetrators who impersonate their children or their grandchildren over the phone and ask for urgent money transfers. The number of special fraud cases, which also include charging people for visiting websites they never actually used, detected by police decreased 9.4 percent to 16,493 cases, the first decline in eight years, according to the data compiled by the agency. “We’re seeing the results of police efforts to promote damage prevention measures via cooperation with financial institutions and crackdowns on fraud groups so as to eliminate them,” an NPA official said. At the same time, the official noted, “The amount of money stolen and the number of detected cases are both still at high levels, suggesting that the situation remains serious.” By fraud type, police reported 9,134 cases of ore-ore fraud, up 7.5 percent. Damages from this type of fraud amounted to ¥18.28 billion, down 12.1 percent. Billing fraud cases came to 4,852, down 15.7 percent, causing ¥13.74 billion in losses, up 7.7 percent. The crimes are mostly committed by groups that form and disband quickly, with each member carrying out specific tasks such as making the calls and picking up the cash. Determining that such cases are still prevalent, the NPA has instructed police nationwide to continue to clamp down on them and gather information on various groups believed to be involved in the scams, including crime syndicates and juveniles. The report showed the cases were heavily concentrated in metropolitan areas, with those in Tokyo, Saitama and Kanagawa prefectures making up nearly half of the total at 7,944. The police suspect this is because the region has many elderly residents as well as people willing to work for crime groups. The percentage of special fraud victims who were age 65 or older stood at 78.0 percent, underscoring the need to focus on senior citizens in taking preventive measures. As for the ore-ore fraud, the percentage of elderly victims stood even higher at 96.9 percent, the report showed. A separate police survey focusing on the ore-ore fraud showed more than 70 percent of victims said they did not tell others about the calls or emails they received before they noticed they had been defrauded of money. More than a quarter of the victims were also found to have given the money to crime groups despite being told by financial institutions to halt the suspicious transfer. The survey conducted between August and November last year interviewed a total of 1,099 people — 354 victims and 745 others who avoided being scammed as a result of their own actions or due to warnings by family and financial institutions.

fraud
police
ore-ore
npa
yakuza
organized crime
it 's me scam


Nissan blow leads to regret and defiance in a Brexit heartland

Abstract: LONDON - Lisa Roley has worked at Nissan Motor Co.’s car plant in Sunderland, U.K., for the past two decades. Like the majority of people in the city, she also voted to leave the European Union in 2016. A day after the Japanese manufacturing giant pointed a finger at Brexit as it abandoned plans to build a new model at the factory in northeast England, the 47-year-old cleaner was questioning her decision. The warnings from some local politicians and executives of what might happen were no longer being dismissed as fantasy. “I’m not so sure now,” said Roley, as she waited for the bus back to her home four miles away from the sprawling grey Nissan complex. “They’re saying on the telly it’s going to affect a lot of businesses.” Sunderland’s enthusiasm for Brexit encapsulated the causes of the U.K.’s Trump-style rebellion — a culmination of budget cuts, resentment toward immigration and perceived neglect. Now the city finds itself at the sharp end of the consequences, at the mercy of the protracted and painful divorce from the EU with its economic lifeblood looking more precarious. Nissan’s move to locate construction of the X-Trail sport utility vehicle in Japan was partly motivated by a decline in diesel sales, but Brexit has cast a long shadow over Sunderland’s largest employer. When Nissan set up shop in the mid-1980s, it was expressly to use the region and its North Sea ports as a gateway to Europe’s common market. The car plant, now the U.K.’s largest, became a mainstay of the regional economy. It sustained the area’s industrial heritage after the collapse of coal mining and shipbuilding led to some of the country’s worst unemployment and poverty. Employing 7,000 people and supporting another 28,000 supplier jobs, the factory churned out 442,000 autos last year. “Everybody who lives in Sunderland either works in the plant or knows somebody who does,” said Mick Johnson, 61, a taxi driver who regularly ferries visitors to the factory. He voted to remain in the EU. “It’s absolutely huge.” Nissan and other carmakers are concerned that Brexit will disrupt the flow of components and finished vehicles across the U.K. border. They’re particularly worried about the possibility of a “no-deal” split, which would introduce customs checks and tariffs under World Trade Organization rules and jeopardize their just-in-time manufacturing processes. Many automakers are stockpiling parts and scheduling maintenance stops after March 29 to minimize the impact of any upheaval. But it’s a 46 percent drop in industry investment in the U.K. last year, together with mounting job losses and delayed decisions on new products, that are the chief concern for workers. Jaguar Land Rover, the U.K.’s biggest carmaker, said last month it would scrap 4,500 posts in response to a sales slowdown blamed on the diesel slump and Brexit. Ford Motor Co. is consolidating U.K. offices, while thousands of job cuts worldwide could threaten its Bridgend engine plant in Wales. And the future of PSA’s Vauxhall Ellesmere Port site is in doubt as it mulls plans for the next Astra. “The longer the Brexit uncertainty goes on, the more the damage will be,” said David Bailey, professor of industrial strategy at Aston Business School. “Manufacturers have got some big decisions coming up about future models and whether to build them in the U.K.” While Nissan has reassured staff about future investment in vehicles already produced in Sunderland, including the Qashqai and Leaf models, there’s concern that the X-Trail decision may prove to be the thin end of the wedge, said Steve Turner, head of manufacturing at the Unite union. “The reality is that if we fall out on March 29 without a trading relationship with the EU, they’ll review their decisions,” he said. “They’re incredibly worried about how the Brexit argument develops.” Members of Parliament representing Sunderland voted against the government’s current Brexit deal and want to avoid what they see as a catastrophic hit to the region’s economy. A poll by the local newspaper, though, found that most people wanted to carry on with Brexit regardless of how it unfolds. Some Nissan workers said they aren’t sure how serious a threat Brexit represents. They declined to be identified by their full names because of the sensitivities around the plant when talking about politics. David, 19, who had just finished an eight-hour stint working on the Qashqai and Leaf, said there are conflicting views among colleagues. Some reckon many jobs will be lost; some say that it’s just lies, he said. Heading home after a shift, others stood by their Brexit vote. A maintenance engineer for Calsonic Kansei Corp., which makes parts for Nissan, said the X-Trail decision was a blow, but was not as bad as it was being portrayed. His frustration was with the time it’s taking the government to implement Brexit more than 2½ years after the referendum. Two other Nissan workers said some politicians were scaremongering over the impact of Brexit and that there was nothing to fear from a “no-deal” departure from the bloc. “The plant’s still here,” one said. “I’ve still got a job and a roof over my head.” Another reason Nissan’s decision not to build the X-Trail in Sunderland has hit home is that Prime Minister Theresa May’s government moved quickly to safeguard the company’s U.K. investments in the wake of the 2016 Brexit vote. Business Secretary Greg Clark revealed Monday that Nissan was awarded £61 million (¥8.7 billion) in grants, contingent on building the Qashqai and X-Trail in Sunderland. That money is at risk if it reneges on the deal, he said. Taxi driver Johnson said the 61 percent “leave” vote in Sunderland, the first district to declare for Brexit in 2016, was motivated by concerns about immigration and jobs, but overlooked the economic benefits of EU membership. “This was a proper industrial town,” he said, pointing to the derelict shipyards by the River Wear where he once worked. “Now there’s only Nissan left.”


Unicode's new emoji aims to help break bloody taboo surrounding periods

Abstract: LONDON - Women and girls will be able to use an emoji to chat about their periods from next month, which will help to end the shame around menstruation, a child rights group said on Wednesday. Coding consortium Unicode, which distributes emoji across mobile devices, said it will include the period emoji — a drop of blood — in March, along with 58 other new symbols including ones to represent people who are deaf and mixed-race couples. “The inclusion of an emoji … is a huge step towards normalizing periods and smashing the stigma which surrounds them,” said Lucy Russell, head of girls’ rights at Plan International UK, which has lobbied for the emoji for two years. “An emoji isn’t going to solve this, but it can help change the conversation. Ending the shame around periods begins with talking about it,” she said in a statement. Menstruation is still taboo in many countries. In Nepal, the centuries-old Hindu practice of “chhaupadi,” where women are banished from their homes during their periods, has already led to four deaths in the past few weeks. Women refer to periods using some 5,000 euphemisms, such as “on the rag” and “Bloody Mary,” a 2016 survey of 90,000 people in 190 countries found. ✅ Approved in #emoji12 : Drop of Blood https://t.co/ulSgmBVbex pic.twitter.com/15Sq9IFdAc — Emojipedia 📙 (@Emojipedia) February 7, 2019 Plan said nearly half of 18- to 34-year-old women that it surveyed believed a period emoji would make it easier for them to overcome the embarrassment of talking about menstruation. Globally 1.25 billion women do not have access to a toilet during menstruation, according to the charity WaterAid. The United Nations estimates that due to a lack of facilities, one in 10 girls in Africa will miss school during their period and will eventually drop out of school as a result.

emoji women menstruation internet computers lgbt disability


Long-distance laundry: Japanese startup unveils remote-controlled robot that deals with your dirties

Abstract: In a few years, perhaps for some the most dreaded household chore may be taken over by robots. Robot startup Mira Robotics unveiled Thursday a machine that performs a range of laundry duties while controlled remotely. The new service, called ugo, hopes to resolve two major hurdles that have prevented the widespread adoption of services that delegate housekeeping chores to humans — privacy and prohibitive costs. Under the ugo service, robots will be rented to customers for use in their homes. Trained operators will remotely manipulate them to do chores so homeowners don’t have to worry about having a housekeeper at home, the startup said. By having operators control multiple robots at the same time, it will be possible to lower fees to ¥20,000 to ¥25,000 a month, compared with a range of ¥50,000 to ¥100,000 for conventional housekeeping services, according to Mira Robotics. The firm added that users’ privacy will be protected while they are out of the house because the robots’ functions will be limited to chores. They are hard-wired to detect the outlines of items and filter out unneeded details. The system will also limit the robots’ access to certain areas. “We believe that the demand for household chore assistance among dual-income households and the elderly is rising further,” said Mira Robotics CEO Ken Matsui at an unveiling event in Tokyo. The two-armed robot, which was developed in February 2018, weighs roughly 72 kilograms. Its height, adjustable from 110 centimeters to 180 cm, allows it to execute a wider range of tasks, while its arms are around 60 cm long “so it can reach up to 2 meters,” explained Matsui. At the event, the robot demonstrated three processes — removing clothes from washers, hanging them up to dry, and folding them. During the folding process, Matsui said the time it takes for the robot to do the job will be shortened by revamping the arms and the way they are manipulated. Matsui defines the remote control aspect of the robot as “step one.” By accumulating data, the company aims to eventually automate the processes. The robot can move on flat surfaces and even move side to side, but it cannot climb up and down stairs due to the high cost and power consumption. It can clear small steps, though, according to Matsui said. For now, he said the company envisions providing the service to those who live in apartments. Mira Robotics plans to conduct closed beta testing in August, and launch the service in May 2020. It is aiming to attract a few thousands users by 2021. It also intends to expand the service to other chores, like taking care of pets and receiving mail while users are away. Founded last year, Mira Robotics aims to provide robotics services that “can improve quality of life as the population in Japan ages,” said Matsui.


Dollar firmer above ¥109.90 in Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar firmed above ¥109.90 in Tokyo trading Thursday, supported by higher U.S. interest rates. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥109.91-91, up from ¥109.65-66 at the same time on Wednesday. The euro was at $1.1353-1354, down from $1.1389-1389, and at ¥124.81-81, down from ¥124.89-89. After moving mostly between ¥109.90 and ¥110 in early trading, the dollar fell below ¥109.80 around midmorning as the 225-issue Nikkei average’s loss widened. In the afternoon, the greenback gathered steam following a rise in U.S. long-term interest rates in off-hours trading. It also attracted buying on a dip. But the dollar’s upside turned heavy as the U.S. currency approached ¥110, as sell orders were lining up around the level, a Japanese bank official said. Now that the U.S. Federal Reserve has suggested its dovish stance, players cannot buy the dollar on expectations of a wider interest gap between Japan and the United States, an official of an asset management firm said.


Tokyo stocks battered amid dearth of buying incentives

Abstract: Stocks lost ground on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday following selling to take advantage of higher share prices amid a dearth of fresh buying incentives. The 225-issue Nikkei average lost 122.78 points, or 0.59 percent, to end at 20,751.28, after rising 29.61 points on Wednesday. The Topix index of all first-section issues finished down 13.10 points, or 0.83 percent, at 1,569.03. It shed 0.75 point the previous day. The Tokyo market came under selling pressure from the outset, after the Dow Jones industrial average snapped its three-day winning streak on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. The Nikkei average lost over 200 points in the morning. Both the Nikkei and Topix remained in negative territory throughout the session, as profit-taking and position-squaring selling took the upper hand, brokers said. “Short-term players moved to the sell-side after seeing the Nikkei’s failure to surpass 21,000 in recent sessions,” said Ryuta Otsuka, strategist at the investment information department of Toyo Securities Co. Given a series of downward revisions in earnings forecasts by major companies, investors found it difficult to step up buying, Otsuka added. Hiroaki Kuramochi, chief market analyst at Saxo Bank Securities Ltd., pointed out that in the afternoon the market’s downside was supported by speculation about the Bank of Japan’s purchase of exchange-traded funds. Falling issues trounced rising ones 1,575 to 489 in the TSE’s first section, while 63 issues were unchanged. Volume stood flat at 1.250 billion shares. Sony slumped 2.60 percent following its lowering of sales and profit estimates for the current business year to March. Chemical producer Asahi Kasei lost 4.79 percent due to its profit warning for the same year. Other major losers included automaker Toyota and clothing store chain operator Fast Retailing. Meanwhile, technology conglomerate SoftBank Group shot up 17.73 percent on buying triggered by its announcement of an own-share buyback plan. Chipmaking gear manufacturers Tokyo Electron, Screen and Disco rose by 1.70 percent, 3.73 percent and 2.22 percent, respectively, thanks to a leading U.S. semiconductor producer’s surge on Wall Street. Among other winners were drugmaker Takeda and cosmetics maker Shiseido. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key March contract on the Nikkei average sagged 150 points to end at 20,720.


Hostile takeover battle looms as Japan sportswear-maker Descente opposes Itochu's bid for larger stake

Abstract: Major Japanese sportswear-maker Descente Ltd. said Thursday it is opposed to a bid by its top shareholder, trading house Itochu Corp., to acquire a larger stake, drawing the two firms into a rare hostile takeover battle. Descente board members agreed their position at an extraordinary meeting. Itochu, which has had a long business relationship with Descente, made a tender offer on Jan. 31 that would raise its equity in the company from the current 30 percent to as much as 40 percent. Holding a stake of that level would give Itochu veto power over crucial management decisions. The trading house said it will proceed with the takeover bid despite opposition by the sportswear maker, which has grown through licensed brands such as Le Coq Sportif, Munsingwear and Umbro. The two companies have been at odds over Descente’s overseas strategy, with Itochu raising objections about its heavy reliance on its South Korea interests that generates most of its revenue. The trading house has urged the affiliate to seek revenue growth in other markets such as Japan and China. It has indicated that if Descente shows no signs of responding to its request, Itochu will propose the resignation of the maker’s President Masatoshi Ishimoto at a general shareholders meeting. But Descente argued in documents released Thursday that Itochu’s proposals regarding overseas strategy are not “significantly different from the measures we have already taken” and that it is opposed to any change in the top management. “We don’t think there is any business or economic rationality or necessity in seeking a change in management through such a high-handed manner when the current management has produced certain results,” the company said. Descente, which provides training wear to Los Angeles Angels slugging pitcher Shohei Ohtani, was founded in 1935 in Osaka. Its ties with Itochu date back to the 1960s. Itochu helped Descente out of trouble in 1984, when it struggled with excessive inventories at Munsingwear. The trading house became the major shareholder, holding a stake of some 25 percent, in 2009. However in 2013, Descente appointed Ishimoto president — the first time in 19 years that the sportswear company’s founding family had taken the helm. Itochu said that the appointment was made “without giving any prior notice to the directors who had been dispatched from Itochu.” Unlike in the United States and Europe, hostile takeovers are rarely successful in Japan.


After Ghosn, Nissan no longer willing to share a chairman with partner Renault, says source

Abstract: Nissan Motor Co. is unwilling to support an arrangement with its alliance partner Renault SA that would place the same person in the chairman’s role at both companies, as was the case under detained former leader Carlos Ghosn, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Japanese company would resist appointing new Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard as its own chairman as well, said the person, who asked not to be named. Nissan’s board plans to await a governance committee report before making a final decision, the person said. It’s the strongest sign yet of the challenges facing the Franco-Japanese partnership as the sides try to forge a fresh path without Ghosn, who enforced a common vision over two decades through his stature and personality. Nissan is said to be seeking a review of the lopsided power structure. Its chief executive officer, Hiroto Saikawa, has criticized Ghosn for having too much authority and making decisions that weren’t in the best interest of the Japanese company. “Discussions on this topic will take place after the special committee for improving governance submits its recommendations, and after Mr. Senard has officially joined Nissan’s board,” Nissan said in a statement, declining further comment. Renault didn’t respond to requests for comment. While Senard’s first contacts with Saikawa went well, Nissan opposes having him in the top role because it fears a conflict of interest, the person said. Renault has a 43 percent voting stake in Nissan, which has no reciprocal rights with its 15 percent stake in its French partner. The Japanese position is likely to be met with disappointment in Paris. While Renault has never officially said it wants Senard to become Nissan’s chairman, Japanese media has reported that French President Emmanuel Macron made the suggestion to his Japanese counterpart. According an official with knowledge of the matter, Macron didn’t make that request. Ghosn was the chairman of both automakers, along with alliance partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp., before his arrest on Nov. 19 over alleged financial misdeeds. While Nissan sacked him soon after, the 64-year-old held onto his role at Renault until resigning last month. That paved the way for Senard, Michelin’s departing CEO, to be brought in with a mission of patching up the frayed alliance. The French government owns a 15 percent stake in Renault and is its most powerful shareholder, which gives it influence over decisions that affect Nissan. A person familiar with the matter said the government’s position is that it was up to Nissan’s board to decide who will be its next chairman. Renault is entitled, per its bilateral agreements with Nissan, to name Nissan’s chairman, chief operating officer or CEO. Senard would be an obvious candidate for the chairman post. Nissan said Tuesday it plans to appoint Senard to its board as a director after a shareholder vote on April 8. Ghosn and his long-time aide Greg Kelly will be removed at the same time. Ghosn, who has denied wrongdoing, remains in custody on allegations of understating his income at Nissan and transferring personal trading losses to the company. Sources close to the matter said Wednesday that Nissan and Renault have launched a joint investigation into Ghosn’s alleged financial misconduct at the Amsterdam-based company overseeing the Japanese-French partnership. Nissan will also ask an accounting firm to look into Ghosn’s remuneration and other spending by Renault-Nissan B.V., which he led before his arrest in November, the sources said.

nissan
renault
carlos ghosn
jean-dominique senard
france
carmakers