In energy fight in Ohio, billionaire Koch and environmentalists are on the same side

Abstract: NEW YORK - The Sierra Club and billionaire Charles Koch have found at least one thing to agree on: They hate Ohio’s plan to take away renewable power subsidies and give them to coal and nuclear plants. The pair, normally at odds over energy issues, have both found elements to rail against in the “Ohio Clean Air Program,” which passed a key hurdle Thursday in the state House of Representatives. The Republican bill would scuttle wind and solar quotas and create an annual fund of about $190 million, primarily to bail out reactors owned by bankrupt FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. The move would be unprecedented. While New York, New Jersey and Illinois have all begun subsidizing nuclear power as part of their clean-energy strategies, Ohio would be the first to do so by directly yanking support from renewables. Environmentalists decry the move as an assault on wind and solar, while fossil fuel advocates warn it will drive up power prices and unfairly tilt markets. Both say it’s a blatant corporate “bailout.” “It is cronyism on full display,” Micah Derry, Ohio director for the Koch-backed group Americans for Prosperity, told lawmakers at hearing earlier this month. The stakes are high. Ohio has the fourth-highest retail power sales in the nation. But the state’s two reactors, which account for about 12 percent of its power generation, are struggling to stay afloat as cheap natural gas pulls down wholesale power prices. Without subsidies, FirstEnergy Solutions has said it will close the plants, which employ 2,200 people. Republicans, who control both house of the Ohio legislature, say the measure will boost the state’s commitment to clean energy. Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy Solutions, which filed for Chapter 11 last year, heralds it for putting nuclear on a “level playing field” with wind and solar. The reactor would enjoy subsidies for seven years through 2026, according to the measure. Environmentalists, meanwhile, blast the measure for scrapping the state’s goal to get 12.5 percent of electricity from renewables. The American Petroleum Institute says it would shortchange natural gas plants. And Ohio’s largest utility, American Electric Power Co., warned that a bailout for a single company wouldn’t benefit customers at large. “Bill sponsors put together a package that is massively unpopular for many different reasons,” said Neil Waggoner, an Ohio representative for the Sierra Club. Debates have been so contentions that Democrats briefly walked out of a hearing earlier this month after they were barred from questioning a witness. Nonetheless, the bill was approved Thursday by the Ohio House of Representatives’ Energy and Natural Resources Committee. It now heads to the full chamber for further debate. In a push to shore up support from Republicans and utilities, the bill’s sponsors expanded the measure this week to provide support for two coal plants operated by the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation, whose owners include American Electric Power. “This dramatic shift in strategy shows that House Speaker Larry Householder has lost hope in getting Democrats on board and is opting to bolster support with powerful utilities to attract additional Republicans,” Height Securities analyst Josh Price wrote in a research note Thursday. Ohio has never fully embraced renewable energy. Wind and solar account for less than 3 percent of power generation in the state. And its goal of pushing that up to 12.5 percent pales in comparison to the 100 percent renewable-energy targets in California, New Mexico and elsewhere. State Rep. David Leland, a Democrat from Columbus, said in a Tweet Wednesday that the bill “has gone from bad to worse.” The bill “now goes to the full House, where we think House Speaker Larry Householder has sufficient political capital to move the bill forward,” Timothy Fox, vice president at ClearView Energy Partners LLC, wrote in a research note Thursday. “The Ohio Senate may represent a higher, but still surmountable, hurdle to enactment.”

sierra club
charles koch
renewables
coal
nuclear energy
climate change


After Modi's win, record number of women set to enter Indian Parliament

Abstract: MUMBAI - A record number of women are set to enter India’s Parliament after a marathon election that returned Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power, initial results showed Friday. With most of the counting complete, 78 of the 542 seats in the Lower House of Parliament were on course to go to women candidates — a record high in the world’s largest democracy, but still well below the global average of nearly one in four seats. India was one of the first countries to have a female leader, but more than five decades after Indira Gandhi became prime minister, women’s participation in politics remains stubbornly low. “There is a myth that women candidates will lose and that is not true,” said Sasmit Patra, spokesman for the Biju Janata Dal party, which fielded seven women candidates from a total of 21 in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. Among its successful women candidates is Pramila Bisoy, 70, who spent years helping rural Indian women set up small businesses and said she never imagined she would enter Parliament. “Now that I have won, I will speak to the other leaders about the problems of my region,” she said Friday. Almost half of India’s 900 million voters are women, and both Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress party appealed heavily to female voters in their election campaigns. Both promised a safer life and new opportunities to women, who still earn less, learn less, live poorer, marry younger and risk sexual violence from molestation to rape. Female voter turnout has historically been low, but this year for the first time women turned out in roughly the same numbers as men at about 67 percent. The proportion of women in the lower house now looks set to rise to 14 percent — 2 percentage points higher than before the election, but still well behind neighboring Pakistan and Bangladesh. “Wherever the dominant party has fielded women, they have won,” said Tara Krishnaswamy of Shakti, an organization campaigning for more women in Parliament. “This proves that gender is not an inhibitor to proper representation of women in the Parliament,” she said. One of the biggest upsets in the election was scored by Smriti Irani, a BJP candidate who defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Amethi — a bastion of the Gandhi family for decades. BJP women’s wing President Vijaya Rahatkar described it as a “symbolic” win that showed voters did not see female candidates as lesser.


Indonesian opposition set to challenge election result in court

Abstract: JAKARTA - Defeated Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto is set to lodge a challenge to the result of the April 17 election in the Constitutional Court on Friday after complaining that the vote was rigged. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo won 55.5 percent of votes in the poll to lead the world’s third-biggest democracy, beating retired general Prabowo, who got 44.5 percent, the General Election Commission (KPU) said on Tuesday. After the announcement, Prabowo repeated earlier claims that there had been widespread cheating in favor of the incumbent and thousands of his supporters demonstrated in the capital this week to protest against the result. Eight people were killed, including three teenagers, while 737 were hurt in two nights of rioting, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said. The election agency has said there was no evidence of systematic cheating and independent observers have said the poll was free and fair. “The process of submitting the dispute lawsuit and other legal efforts are steps to ensure that we can carry election results that are free and fair,” Prabowo’s running mate, Sandiaga Uno, told reporters. The last ranks of protesters dispersed early on Thursday, but opposition supporters are expected to gather again on Friday near the court, which is close to the presidential palace in the heart of the capital. Police have arrested hundreds of people accused of taking part in the riots or provoking violence, two of whom were members of a militant group that had pledged support for Islamic State, national police spokesman Muhammad Iqbal said. Police had also found envelopes containing money, suggesting instigators had paid some of the rioters, Iqbal said, adding that tests showed some of the suspects had taken the stimulant methamphetamine. The Constitutional Court must make a ruling on the challenge 14 days after it considers the plaintiff has provided sufficient documentation. The Election Commission should resolve the dispute by June 15. Jokowi has warned of tough action against those instigating riots, while Prabowo has called for peaceful protests and restraint. Prabowo also lost the 2014 presidential election to Jokowi by a slimmer margin and had objected to that result, lodging a complaint with the Constitutional Court that was rejected. The government has deployed 58,000 police and soldiers across Jakarta to maintain security and put temporary blocks on some social media to prevent unrest sparked by fake news.


North Korea vows 'fiercer' response, end to nuclear talks if U.S. continues 'hostile acts'

Abstract: North Korea said Friday that nuclear talks with the United States “will never be resumed” unless Washington halts what Pyongyang said were “hostile acts” and demands of “unilateral disarmament,” warning of a “fiercer” response if this continues. In a statement carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency, an unidentified Foreign Ministry spokesman delivered Pyongyang’s latest warning to the U.S. in the wake of President Donald Trump’s failed summit with leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi in February. “We hereby make it clear once again that the United States would not be able to move us even an inch with the device it is now weighing in its mind, and the further its mistrust and hostile acts towards the DPRK grow, the fiercer our reaction will be,” the spokesman said, using the acronym for the North’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “Unless the United States puts aside the current method of calculation and comes forward with a new method of calculation, the DPRK-U.S. dialogue will never be resumed and by extension, the prospect for resolving the nuclear issue will be much gloomy,” the spokesman said. The Hanoi talks, the second summit between Trump and Kim, collapsed without a deal due to large differences over the scope of North Korea’s denuclearization and potential sanctions relief by the U.S. Reuters reported in March that Trump had passed Kim a note bluntly calling for North Korea to surrender all its nuclear weapons and fuel, a demand he could not abide by. Nuclear talks between the two countries have languished in the months since, with North Korea delivering criticism of Washington’s position in the negotiations and Kim setting an end-of-the-year deadline for progress. Friday’s statement said the “underlying cause” of the “setback” in Hanoi was “the arbitrary and dishonest position taken by the United States.” The U.S. had insisted on “a method which is totally impossible to get through,” it said. The warning came just a day ahead of Trump’s arrival in Tokyo for a four-day state visit, where he will be the first foreign leader to meet the new emperor and will hold talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The North’s nuclear arsenal is likely to be high on the agenda for those talks. It also came after a senior North Korean official warned late last month of an “undesired consequence” if Washington does not adjust its policy by the deadline. “Our determination for denuclearization remains unchanged, and when the time comes, we will put it into practice. But, this is possible only under the condition that the U.S. changes their current method of calculation and formulates a new stand,” North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, a key figure in negotiations with the United States, said in April. At a meeting of the North’s rubber-stamp parliament that month, Kim said he is willing to meet with Trump for a third time if Washington comes to the table with the “correct posture” — but laid down his deadline “for a bold decision from the U.S.” The warning came amid growing tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, which launched a series of short-range missiles over five days earlier this month, bringing a period of more than 500 days without a missile test to an end. Trump, who has repeatedly touted the halt of North Korean missile tests as one of his top foreign policy achievements, has played down the significance of those tests, calling them “very standard stuff.” Prior to the recent launches, the North’s last known missile test was in November 2017, when it test-fired a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, which experts believe is capable of striking much, if not all, of the continental United States. Pyongyang informally adopted a freeze on missile tests from then on, and in April last year declared a “suspension” of nuclear and long-range missile launches. Vipin Narang, a North Korea expert and professor of international relations at MIT, said Friday’s statement, especially the reference to a “fiercer” reaction, could mean “missile tests might get longer or more frequent.” “After that …. maybe an ICBM or SLV test,” he wrote on Twitter, referring to the test of an ICBM or a space-launch vehicle, which shares characteristics with long-range missiles. For now, added Narang, “Trump is in a pickle. Ignore the missile tests and he incentivizes Kim pushing the line. Lash out for something short of an ICBM and risk blowing the whole thing up.”

north korea
donald trump
kim jong un
nuclear weapons
u.s .


Deadly Jakarta riots revive specter of religion-fueled violence in Indonesia

Abstract: SINGAPORE/JAKARTA - Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, was eerily calm on Thursday morning after two nights of deadly clashes between protesters and police that left seven dead and hundreds injured. The unusually subdued mood in what is normally a frenetic and noisy urban sprawl of more than 30 million people belies a polarization in the country that has been building steam for years. The pressure boiled over on Tuesday night in a wave of political violence that hasn’t been seen in the city in decades. The trigger was the re-election of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who defeated his arch-rival Prabowo Subianto for a second time. Underlying the faceoff between the two are tensions over religion, the military and the distribution of money and power that have racked Indonesian politics for decades. Tens of thousands of police and soldiers remain on high alert three days after the election commission declared Jokowi winner of last month’s election with 55.5 percent of the votes in a process observers say was free and fair. That wasn’t enough to stop Erny Prasatyawaty from traveling more than an hour from the suburb of Depok to join thousands of others on the street in support of the defeated opposition candidate. “There is no justice and honesty,” said Prasatyawaty, 47, secretary general of Wanita Militan Indonesia, a volunteer women’s group that supports Prabowo. “Massive fraud occurs. We only demand that the system be run fairly, democratically.” Stoking discontent Prabowo — a one-time army general and former son-in-law of former dictator Suharto — won nearly 70 million votes, many from traditionally conservative Muslim areas. He set the stage for discontent among supporters when he declared earlier this month that the election was fraudulent. He’s expected to follow that up with an official appeal to the Constitutional Court, something he tried unsuccessfully after his 2014 loss. “He has this audibility to turn the dial up, but not to dial it down,” said Aaron Connelly, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Southeast Asian politics. “Prabowo’s coalition was broader than just his onus. There are a lot of people in that crowd who really believe Prabowo won the election.” While many set out to protest peacefully, photographs and video show others arrived in droves deep into the night armed with rocks and bamboo sticks, escalating clashes with police into a violent confrontation with tear gas and rubber bullets that saw more than 250 protesters detained. National Police said on Thursday there was evidence some rioters were supporters of Islamic State, without giving details. The unrest far outstrips the relatively small protests by Prabowo supporters when he lost in 2014. Then, Jokowi had earned widespread popularity locally for his time as governor of Jakarta. Sluggish growth A former furniture salesman, Jokowi’s hands-on approach and public engagement won over Muslim and ethnic groups. But the president’s failure to deliver the 7 percent economic growth rate he promised and the rise of increasingly assertive Islamic groups put a strain on the country’s motto, “unity in diversity.” “It’s an election year and that alone could cause chaos in any country, but it is unfortunately the case in Indonesia that it has used religious issues for political pandering,” said Gayle Manchin, vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The issue came to a head in 2017 when Jokowi’s ally, Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, was found guilty of insulting Islam, drawing thousands of hard-liners to the court. He was sentenced to two years in jail. In a country where 90 percent of the nearly 270 million population is Muslim, Prabowo tapped discontent within the religious community during the election campaign, cultivating his image as a pious Muslim and offering protection for those with the extreme views. He attacked Jokowi for his pluralism. “Prabowo has made an already polarized community exposed — there’s some elevation of hostility between the two groups that has not been seen before,” said Achmad Sukarsono, a senior analyst at Control Risks. Muslim interests The secular divide may force Jokowi to do more to placate Muslim interests as he tries to sell a proposed $400 billion infrastructure package to boost the economy. He picked Ma’ruf Amin, the country’s most senior Islamic cleric, as his running mate in the election. Sukarsono said further concessions could include greater restrictions on alcohol, prioritizing projects that benefit Muslims, advancing Shariah finance and enforcing Halal labeling on consumable products. Jokowi must “combine the economic plans with the necessity to negotiate with different forces in the country, and you cannot deny the ties of the Muslim population in Indonesia — you have to be able to address the needs of the majority population first,” Sukarsono said.

religion violence indonesia elections islam


Taiwan holds first same-sex marriages in historic day for Asia

Abstract: TAIPEI - Taiwan’s first official same-sex weddings kicked off Friday in a landmark moment for LGBT rights in Asia as gay couples took the historic step of registering as married, the culmination of a three-decade fight for equality. Shane Lin and Marc Yuan, a couple who fell in love in college, were the first to arrive at a government office in downtown Taipei. Dressed in matching suits, they embraced and kissed in front of a huge media scrum before signing their marriage certificates. They were followed by playwright LiYing Chien and her girlfriend, a cartoonist who goes by the pen name Cynical Chick. Taiwan made history last week when it became the first place in Asia to legalize gay marriage, sparking jubilation among huge crowds of gay rights supporters on the streets of Taipei. But the issue has also caused deep divisions on an island that remains staunchly conservative, especially outside of the cities and among older generations. Some 300 same-sex couples are expected to register on Friday, according to local authorities, around 150 in the capital Taipei which boasts a thriving and vocal gay community. The city hall will co-host an outdoor wedding party near the famous Taipei 101 skyscraper, with local and foreign dignitaries expected to attend. Among those planning to tie the knot on Friday was social worker Huang Mei-yu, marrying her partner You Ya-ting. “I am feeling nervous even though we already had a ceremony in 2012,” she said, referring to a religious blessing conducted by a progressive Buddhist master. “But I am also very happy as it’s faster than I had expected. I had thought I would have to wait 10 more years,” she added. Legal recognition of their love, Huang said, was a crucial step and might help others accept the relationship. “Now that same-sex marriage is legally recognized, I think my parents might finally feel that it’s real and stop trying to talk me into getting married (to a man),” she said. For veteran gay rights activist Chi Chia-wei, Friday’s weddings are the culmination of a three-decade long fight trying to persuade successive governments to change the law. It was Chi who eventually petitioned Taiwan’s Constitutional Court leading to a 2017 judgment that denying same-sex couples the right to marry was unconstitutional. Facing an imminent court deadline, parliament finally passed a bill last Friday allowing same-sex couples to form “exclusive permanent unions” and another clause that would let them apply for a “marriage registration” with government agencies. “I feel very happy that same-sex couples can finally register and be listed as each other’s spouse. I am honored to witness Friday’s marriage registrations,” he said. In the last decade Taiwan has placed itself at the vanguard of gay rights in Asia but the issue has polarized society. Conservative and religious groups mobilized after the court ruling and comfortably won a series of referendums last November in which voters comprehensively rejected defining marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman. Conservative lawmakers put forward rival bills that offered something closer to limited same-sex unions but those measures failed as parliament comfortably passed the gay marriage law. However, the new law still has restrictions not faced by heterosexual couples. Same-sex couples can currently only adopt their partners’ biological children and can only wed foreigners from countries where gay marriage is also recognized. Gay rights groups say they are willing to accept partial equality for now in the hopes of winning later legal battles over issues such as adoption, surrogacy and marrying foreigners. Opponents have vowed to punish President Tsai Ing-wen and the lawmakers who supported the gay marriage law at January’s elections when Taiwanese will elect both a new president and a new parliament.

taiwan
same-sex marriage
marriage
lgbt
rights


Officials at Hawaii tsunami center say fake alert about Japan earthquake circulated

Abstract: HONOLULU - A fake threat was circulated about an earthquake in Japan and a subsequent tidal wave, according to officials in Hawaii. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center on Oahu said there is no tsunami threat in the Pacific after a “fabricated message was circulated,” news outlets reported Tuesday. The bogus message went out after 4 p.m. on a global telecommunications system used by the World Meteorological Organization based in Switzerland. The message said a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred in Japan near Nagasaki, although the coordinates given were not accurate. “It was fabricated, it was not a real message and there was no earthquake in Japan,” said Chip McCreery, director of the center operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The center received inquiries from global weather agencies and tsunami monitoring stations. Officials provided assurances there was no earthquake or tsunami threat, with additional messages posted on social media. Unlike the false ballistic missile threat issued to cellphones in Hawaii last year, the tsunami warning was only shared on a closed communication channel. “It’s a type of circuit that should be dedicated and secure, only within the meteorological services of the various countries,” McCreery said. The National Weather Service will investigate, he said. “I think they will be able to determine at least a general idea of where that message came from and hopefully put something in effect to prevent that from happening in the future,” McCreery said.

hawaii
earthquakes
pacific tsunami warning center
oahu
nagasaki
u.s .
fake news


Singapore special needs youngsters set 'indoor skydive' record in wind tunnel

Abstract: SINGAPORE - Children with special needs set a world record in Singapore on Friday by performing hundreds of “indoor skydives” in a massive wind tunnel. Scores of youngsters and their teachers did simulated, tandem skydives under the guidance of instructors, floating up and down on air blasting through the 17-meter-high (56-feet) wind tunnel. Organizers said the team managed to perform the feat 300 times to set a Guinness World Record for the most tandem indoor skydives. They broke the previous record of 227 set in 2016. “The fact that (the children) bucked up the courage to go into the air tunnel — it empowers them,” school principal Ruby Chiew said. “It really provides my kids with the opportunity to experience something that the school itself will not be able to provide.” The students were from the AWWA School, an institute for children with disabilities, and the aim of the record attempt was to raise money for a second school run by the same group.

singapore
skydive
sport
guinness records


Sumo superfan to skip basho finale, saying tight security for Trump is an unwelcome distraction

Abstract: When U.S. President Donald Trump arrives with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to take in live sumo wrestling on Sunday at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, security will be beefed up to its highest level — with bodyguards even on alert to protect the president from flying cushions tossed by excited fans, according to reports. Due to concerns over the tightened security, Kenzo Furushima, an 83-year-old sumo enthusiast, has decided that he will not attend the final day of the tournament Sunday, even though he has a ticket for a front-row seat. “My cane and wheelchair might be bothersome for security personnel,” Furushima said during an interview with The Japan Times at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me whether I get to see Trump because I simply want to enjoy sumo.” Furushima is a member of the sumo support association known as Tamarikai, which has 69 of the 300 limited-membership seats surrounding the raised ring. He said he has already given away two spots in front of the ring to his close friends. Occasionally, Furushima offers tournament tickets to friends when he is unable to go. But this time he had to provide security officials with the names and home addresses of his guest attendees to ensure that only those who have registered their personal information can attend. To be a member of Tamarikai and have the rights to a seat, fans have to pay at least ¥4.14 million to the Japan Sumo Association once every six years and be recommended by at least two people who are “closely associated with the JSA,” Furushima said. He explained that he had to wait eight years before a seat became available because members rarely leave the association. However, membership is not only about money, connections and patience. Tamarikai members must have sufficiently “discerning eyes” to fully appreciate sumo. According to a passage in the association’s book on its history, published in 2002, such members are required to “observe the match as strictly and calmly as a judge” and must “overcome their personal feelings as they sit there.” They must also refrain from talking and maintain an upright posture at all times. Furushima, who also chairs an association of enthusiasts who support yokozuna Hakuho, worries there might not be anyone on hand to explain the history of sumo to Trump. “I hope a translator will explain the history and rituals of sumo so that he will understand that it is not just a sport,” he said. Current members, including Furushima, normally sit beside the ring — where there is always a risk that the sumo wrestlers might tumble out and fall on them. Trump and Abe, however, will be sitting in one of the secure box seats further away from the ring, Kyodo News reported. High-profile officials and guests normally watch the matches from special seats on the second floor of the arena. That’s where the U.K.’s Prince Charles and his then-wife, Princess Diana, sat when they watched sumo in 1986. And while sumo spectators in the lower level of the arena normally sit cross-legged on traditional zabuton (cushions), Trump will be given a special chair for the sake of comfort. When asked what he thought about that decision, Furushima chuckled. “It seems weird.” However, what rankles Furushima the most is that almost all the seats in the section from where Trump and Abe will watch the action have been reserved in advance for security personnel, and are thus not available to the public. “There are so many sumo fans who were looking forward to seeing the final matches of the tournament. Seats should be made available for them,” said Furushima. “Sumo is for people who simply love sumo. And that should not be undermined just because of the president’s visit, especially since there are already special seats for such high profile officials.” Trump will step into the dohyō (ring) on Sunday and present the first-ever “Trump Cup” to the winner, but you will not see Furushima, who is often seen in the background during NHK’s broadcasts. “When I’m absent, some people call me and ask if I am sick,” said Furushima. “I might get some calls this Sunday, too.”

sumo
donald trump
summer grand sumo tournament
jsa
u.s .


Japan turns up heat but fails to convince South Korea to accept arbitration over wartime labor

Abstract: PARIS - Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Thursday turned up the heat on South Korea in a dispute over compensation for wartime labor, but failed to convince Seoul to accept Tokyo’s request for arbitration. In a meeting in Paris, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha only repeated Seoul’s intention to review the request, according to a Japanese Foreign Ministry official. Kono told reporters later that South Korean President Moon Jae-in needs to come up with measures necessary to resolve the spat in a responsible manner by the time a Group of 20 summit takes place in Osaka in late June as Seoul “cannot let the situation remain in violation of international law.” Relations between the two countries have shown no signs of improving following a series of court rulings in South Korea that ordered Japanese companies to compensate for forced labor during Japan’s 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. In a tense exchange at the outset of their meeting, Kono criticized a South Korean Foreign Ministry official for telling reporters there would be “no problem” if Japanese companies just complied with court orders to pay compensation. “This remark shows a lack of understanding of the gravity of the situation. I would like you to see that things like this are complicating our countries’ relations,” Kono told Kang. Their first face-to-face meeting since February followed Tokyo’s request that an arbitration panel involving a third country be established to resolve the dispute. Tokyo maintains that the issue of wartime compensation was resolved by a 1965 treaty that established diplomatic ties between the two countries, under which Japan provided South Korea with a total of $800 million as “economic cooperation” that consisted of a $300 million grant in economic aid, $200 million in loans and $300 million in loans for private trust. Seoul’s annual budget was $350 million at the time. Kang said she hopes that with the beginning of the Reiwa Era in Japan, the two countries can resolve “difficult issues” and take relations in a more positive direction. She said the two countries should work together “to heal the pains and scars of the victims.” South Korea has yet to say whether it will agree with the request for arbitration, which was made in line with the dispute-settlement procedures agreed to under the treaty. If Seoul rejects the request, Kono has said that Tokyo will take the issue to the International Court of Justice. The two met on the sidelines of a meeting of the OECD. In late October, South Korea’s top court ordered Nippon Steel Corp. to pay compensation to four South Koreans for forced labor during Japan’s colonial rule. The company was previously called Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. Other Japanese companies have since been hit with similar rulings and had their assets seized. Due to the frosty ties, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may not hold bilateral talks with Moon on the periphery of the G20 summit in Osaka, government sources have said. During Thursday’s talks with Kono, Kang refused to lift a ban on seafood from Fukushima and seven other Japanese prefectures, citing the need to honor the World Trade Organization’s ruling last month in favor of the restrictions imposed in the wake of the 2011 nuclear disaster. Kono and Kang also discussed recent developments concerning North Korea, including Pyongyang’s testing of short-range ballistic missiles earlier this month, and agreed to continue closely coordinating on the matter.

south korea
wartime labor
taro kono
kang kyung-wha
wwii
history
south korea-japan relations


Abe considering Iran visit in June amid worsening tit-for-tat between Tehran and Washington

Abstract: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering visiting Iran in June for talks with its leadership in a bid to help ease escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, government sources said Friday. Abe is expected to make a final decision after consulting with U.S. President Donald Trump, who is scheduled to arrive in Japan on Saturday as a state guest. If realized, Abe will be the first sitting Japanese prime minister in about four decades to visit Iran. Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda visited the Middle Eastern country in 1978. As Japan has traditionally maintained amicable ties with Iran, Abe hopes to encourage Tehran to keep its commitments under a 2015 international nuclear deal, according to the sources. Abe expressed his concern about the U.S.-Iran standoff but offered to work with Tehran during a meeting last week in Tokyo with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Iran said in early May it plans to hold more enriched uranium than allowed under the nuclear deal initially sealed with the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and China. Tehran has set a 60-day deadline to negotiate new terms. The announcement came as the Trump administration has been hardening its stance on Iran, pulling out of the nuclear deal and reinstating crippling sanctions. Washington has sent an aircraft carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf, ratcheting up tensions. Tokyo, a longtime U.S. security ally, has been put in a difficult position. The United States ended its sanctions waivers granted to Japan and other buyers of Iranian oil. Iran has traditionally been one of the major oil exporters to resource-poor Japan.

iran
shinzo abe
nuclear
mohammad javad zarif
u.s .
iran nuclear deal
iran-japan relations


Consumer agency orders McDonald's Japan to pay ¥21 million for improper labeling of two items

Abstract: McDonald’s Co.’s Japan unit was ordered to pay ¥21.7 million for improperly labeling ingredients for a burger and a muffin, the Consumer Affairs Agency said Friday. When the fast-food chain sold its Tokyo Roast Beef Burger and Tokyo Roast Beef Muffin products for two months from August 2017, more than half of the patties were made from molded rather than sliced beef as shown in a television advertisement, according to the agency. The proper ingredients were not displayed on the company’s website or at restaurants, the agency said. Many consumers who bought the items complained about the disparity between the TV advertisement and the actual burgers on Twitter. The agency ordered the company to improve its labeling last July, saying molded beef accounted for 58 percent of the meat in the products. McDonald’s Japan said it takes the order seriously and will improve how it discloses product information.

mcdonald 's
consumer affairs agency
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Meet, greet, but don't talk politics: How foreign dignitaries should act when visiting a Japanese emperor

Abstract: What should you do when you meet the emperor? With visiting U.S. President Donald Trump set to meet newly crowned Emperor Naruhito on Monday, it’s a question that may cross the American leader’s mind. Should one shake hands? Or perhaps bow? After the rites, rituals, and regalia of an imperial succession were shown in their full glory earlier this month, when current Emperor Naruhito acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne, it may seem like the centuries-old monarchy is ridden with quaint traditions and obscure customs. But that’s not necessarily the case when it comes to hosting foreign guests. A spokesperson for the Imperial Household Agency confirmed to The Japan Times that the agency does not make recommendations to foreign dignitaries on how they should greet the emperor. There are some formalities on what kind of attire would be appropriate when meeting the emperor but no hard-and-fast rules, and the details of what the guests will wear are decided based on discussions between the parties involved. And although the public may have a different impression, the lack of strict rules is actually a core tenet of such protocols worldwide. “As a basic principle of protocol, making rigid rules on ‘how things should be done’ is dangerous thinking,” explained Chiyoko Teranishi, a board member of the Japan Manners and Protocol Association, who recently wrote the book “What is Protocol?” “There are always exceptions and it is important to apply what rules there are with flexibility. Understanding local customs and different views and values is also key to receiving guests successfully,” she said. The ways foreign dignitaries have greeted the emperor have indeed varied, and those variations have, at times, sparked media interest. When U.S. President Barack Obama greeted Emperor Akihito in 2009, they shook hands before Obama bowed deeply at nearly a 90 degree angle. Critics in the U.S. took issue with Obama for bowing “too low.” Trump managed to keep such criticism at bay when he met the emperor in 2017, opting instead to shake hands without bowing. Some female dignitaries, such as Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand and the late Princess Diana of the U.K., have opted to curtsy before the emperor in the past. However foreign guests meeting the emperor decide to greet him, the only real faux pas likely to spark outrage within Japan would be an act inconsistent with his carefully delineated role as a symbolic — rather than political — state figure. In 2013, lawmaker Taro Yamamoto sparked controversy and outrage when he passed a letter to the emperor in person at an imperial garden party. The letter detailed what Yamamoto believed were issues caused by the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and radioactive fallout from the facility after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami disasters in 2011. The move was met with intense criticism and was perceived as an attempt to exploit the emperor for political purposes — a taboo in Japan given its wartime history.

donald trump
emperor naruhito
barack obama
royalty
imperial family


Japan enacts law calling for 'national movement' to slash 6 million tons of food wasted annually

Abstract: Japan enacted legislation Friday to promote the reduction of food waste, with the aim of cutting down on the over 6 million tons of still-edible food discarded annually. Under the legislation, sponsored by a cross-party group of lawmakers, the central government will formulate a basic policy to cut back food waste that will also oblige municipalities to devise their own action plans toward that end. The legislation also calls for a “national movement” to drive food loss reduction through collaboration between local governments, as well as businesses and consumers. Images showing large amounts of discarded seasonal sushi rolls went viral on social media last year, leading the farm ministry in January to call on convenience stores and supermarkets to refrain from supplying more products than demand requires. Adding momentum to the move, major convenience store operators Seven-Eleven Japan Co. and Lawson Inc. said last week they will start discounting rice balls and lunch boxes that are close to their expiration dates by offering customers enrolled in the chains’ loyalty programs shopping credits worth 5 percent of the value of purchases. The issue is also gaining attention globally, with the agriculture ministers from the Group of 20 major economies agreeing earlier this month in a meeting in Niigata to take a leading role in reducing food waste. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, around 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted every year worldwide. Government data in fiscal 2016 showed 6.43 million tons were wasted in the country and over half of that total came from the commercial sector.

food
food waste
waste
convenience stores


Number of human trafficking victims rescued in 2018 fell to 27, most of them Japanese

Abstract: Twenty-seven people were rescued from human trafficking in Japan in 2018, of whom two-thirds were Japanese, with the figure falling from 46 the previous year, a government report showed Friday. Eighteen of the victims were Japanese, while five were Filipinos and four were Thais. Only one male victim was reported. Five of the Japanese were children, according to the report. Many of the Japanese victims were forced into prostitution and brothels in order to pay off illegal loans. A majority of the foreign nationals were forced to work as hostesses or prostitutes. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a government meeting on the matter that with more foreign nationals coming to Japan either as travelers or to work under a new visa program, it is necessary to boost support for victims of human trafficking in multiple languages. The report, the fifth of its kind, is based on an action plan compiled by the government in December 2014 that calls for the reinforcement of immigration controls and improved support for trafficking victims.

human trafficking
children
prostitution
women
sex crimes


Osaka High Court upholds death penalty for 'black widow' serial killer Chisako Kakehi

Abstract: OSAKA - The Osaka High Court on Friday upheld the death penalty imposed on a 72-year-old woman dubbed Japan’s “black widow” for murdering her husband and two common-law partners with poison to inherit money and escape debt. In handing down the sentence to Chisako Kakehi, presiding Judge Hiroaki Higuchi said there was no error in the lower court ruling that recognized she had murdered the three men and attempted to murder another. The judge also rejected her lawyers’ claim that she cannot be held responsible due to dementia. “The crimes were premeditated and she properly understood the situation,” the judge said, referring to capsules containing cyanide that were prepared for the victims. The lawyers for Kakehi, who has pleaded not guilty, immediately appealed the ruling. According to the ruling, Kakehi murdered her 75-year-old husband, Isao Kakehi, and common-law partners Masanori Honda, 71, and Minoru Hioki, 75, and tried to kill her acquaintance, Toshiaki Suehiro, 79, by having them drink cyanide. The murders, which took place in Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo prefectures between 2007 and 2013, drew a great deal of attention, with the media portraying her as a woman who preyed on wealthy and elderly men. Kakehi was married or associated with more than 10 men and inherited about ¥1 billion. She eventually fell into debt following failed stock investments. At the Osaka High Court, the lawyers called for new psychiatric tests to check whether Kakehi is competent to stand trial. But the request was rejected, clearing the way for Friday’s ruling. Kakehi did not appear in the first and only hearing at the high court in March, but attended Friday. A defendant has no obligation to attend an appeal trial. She talked quickly when the judge asked her to give her name and date of birth, and she looked as though she was wiping away tears when listening to the ruling. In November 2017 the Kyoto District Court’s ruling acknowledged that the defendant had developed dementia from around 2015, but determined that she was competent to defend herself at trial because the symptoms were not serious and the progress of the disease was slow.

osaka
death penalty
black widow
serial killers
chisako kakehi
murder
kyoto
hyogo
kansai


Shogi master Yoshiharu Habu equals record for number of victories

Abstract: Yoshiharu Habu, a 48-year-old shogi master, on Thursday tied the record for number of victories in official professional games. The ninth-dan player marked his 1,433rd victory by defeating ninth-dan Koji Tanigawa, 57, in a league match to choose the challenger for the Oi title. Habu has now reached the all-time high reached by late 15th meijin (master) Yasuharu Oyama. Habu’s next official match is set for May 30. After debuting as a professional in 1985 as a junior high school student — the third player to make their professional debut before entering high school — Habu became the first player to win all seven major titles in 1996 and qualified for the eisei (lifetime) holder of the seven titles in 2017. He has won a record 99 tournament titles.

shogi
yoshiharu habu
records
koji tanigawa
yasuharu oyama


To help simplify complex tasks, Diet passes legislation allowing online administrative procedures

Abstract: The Diet on Friday enacted legislation that enables online administrative procedures in order to enhance residents’ convenience by simplifying complex procedures related to events such as changes of address, death and property inheritance. The bill was approved at a plenary meeting of the House of Councilors, the upper chamber of the Diet, by a majority vote with support from ruling and opposition party lawmakers. It cleared the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, earlier this month. The government is set to draw up a relevant program by yearend, and online administrative procedures will become available in stages as soon as a necessary system is ready. At a news conference the same day, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said, “We hope to realize more efficient and affluent communities by making the most of digital technologies and further pushing forward with the digitalization of the whole society.” On moving, a portal website allowing people to conduct procedures related to the changes of address for electricity and gas supplies and bank accounts all together is slated to come into use by the end of March. As for deaths and inheritance issues, online procedures will become available for stopping the receipt of pensions, getting life insurance payouts and making inheritance tax payments. Meanwhile, online procedures will not be allowed for welfare benefit applications and for marriage and divorce registrations because they require face-to-face procedures at administrative offices. The legislation will enable Japanese nationals living abroad to use their My Number tax and social security identification cards and therefore to complete procedures to receive pensions and pay taxes on the Internet.

online
administrative procedure
internet
local government


Government urges utilities in Japan to manage data with care

Abstract: The government asked critical infrastructure operators Thursday to manage important data in Japan rigorously, in a bid to prevent its disclosure. The request was made as part of the government’s revised guidelines on security standards for operators of essential services such as electricity, water and gas. The guidelines were adopted at the day’s meeting of the government’s Cyber Security Strategy Headquarters. In cases where infrastructure operators use overseas servers to manage important data, the new guidelines called on such operators to do so based on a clear understanding of local regulations and systems. “With cyberattacks becoming increasingly complex and tricky, we’ll see more and more taking aim at (utility) supply chains,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, who heads the headquarters, told the meeting, directing related Cabinet ministers to boost measures against such attacks. As there have been cases in which earthquakes and heavy rain caused damage to infrastructure, the revised guidelines urged infrastructure operators to choose locations for establishing their information systems where risks of damage from disasters are low. Also at the headquarters’ meeting, the government decided on priority cybersecurity measures to be implemented under its fiscal 2020 budget. They included the creation of technologies for coping with information theft via malicious functions embedded in telecommunications devices, apparently reflecting the government’s aim to respond to theft allegations against Chinese telecommunications equipment-maker Huawei Technologies Co. The government has already indicated a policy not to procure devices posing such risks, and hopes similar efforts will be adopted by private-sector companies.

cyberattacks
hacking
big data
personal information


FAA to convene global safety summit in bid to get Boeing 737 Max jets back in the skies

Abstract: NEW YORK - Getting Boeing’s top-selling 737 Max back in the skies faces a critical test this week as the company and U.S. regulators each seek to restore their reputations after two deadly crashes. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration will convene a summit of global aviation regulators on Thursday to walk through the steps taken to address concerns with the Max following criticism the agency dragged its feet on the decision to ground the jets. Most agencies around the world have said little since the 737 Max was grounded following the March 10 Ethiopian Airlines crash, which together with a Lion Air crash in October, claimed 346 lives. So the gathering in Fort Worth, Texas is expected to provide clues as to whether the aviation safety authorities will be willing to set aside any skepticism about the FAA, which has not yet given the green light for the 737 Max to fly again. Regulators “are going to want a lot of explanation,” said Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group. “We’re going to learn a lot.” The FAA would prefer to have other agencies quickly follow its lead — which previously would have been likely — but several aviation experts think that is improbable. Officials from the European Union and Canada said Wednesday they will not clear the 737 Max for takeoff until their questions are answered. “There are conditions for us to have (the 737 Max) return to fly and that is we do our independent review,” said Jagello Fayl, communications chief for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. “We will assure that adequate training is agreed upon and put in place, that any changes by Boeing to the design is validated by us.” Transport Canada “has provided US Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing a list of questions and action items to address as part of the validation process and evaluation,” Transport Canada spokeswoman Frederica Dupuis said in an email. “Our expectation is that all data required to address these inquiries will be provided.” Dupuis said she “cannot speculate on the timelines” for approval of the 737 MAX by the FAA or Canadian officials. “The Government of Canada will not lift the current flight restriction of the Boeing 737-8 Max until it is fully satisfied that all concerns have been addressed by the manufacturer and the US Federal Aviation Administration, and adequate flight crew procedures and training are in place.” The FAA said 57 agencies from 33 countries will attend the summit, including China, France, Germany, Britain, India, Indonesia and Ethiopia, as well as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the UN International Civil Aviation Organization. The meeting comes after Boeing announced on May 16 that it had completed a software update to address a problem with the flight handling program known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System. In both of the Max crashes, the MCAS pointed the plane sharply downward based on a faulty sensor reading, hindering the pilots’ effort to control the aircraft after takeoff, according to preliminary crash investigations. China’s three largest airlines have sought compensation from Boeing over the grounding and delayed delivery of the jets, state media reported Wednesday. A Boeing spokesman said the company does not comment on conversations with customers. Boeing said it is providing additional information to the FAA in anticipation of a certification test flight, a key step in winning regulatory approval. Long considered a “gold standard” internationally, the FAA’s reputation has suffered, amid scrutiny of the oversight process and reports it allowed Boeing to effectively self-certify some features of the Max. U.S. lawmakers last week once again castigated acting FAA Administrator Daniel Elwell for lagging behind virtually all other regulators in grounding the planes, acting only after seeing data linking the two crashes. Elwell told the panel the agency would permit the 737 Max to resume flights “only when the FAA’s analysis of the facts and technical data indicate that it is safe to do so.” Aviation experts expect the U.S. agency to clear the way for the 737 Max in time for major American airlines to resume flights in mid-to-late summer, as they have publicly announced. But Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director of the budget Indian carrier SpiceJet, which reportedly operates 13 Max jets and has nearly 200 more on order, told The Financial Times he expected the aircraft to be back in the air by July. “We are confident that it’s a great plane. It’s a completely safe aircraft,” he said in an interview published Wednesday. “So we are waiting for the regulators to take that view.” Elwell said he hoped other regulators “make their un-grounding as close to ours as possible.”

faa
boeing
737 max
airlines
mcas
u.s .
air accidents


Duterte moves to forcibly send trash back to Canada

Abstract: MANILA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has moved to have truckloads of garbage that Filipino officials say were illegally shipped to the Philippines years ago be forcibly shipped back to Canada, Duterte’s spokesman said Wednesday. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo held a news conference to announce that Duterte has ordered officials to look for a private shipping company to transport the garbage to Canadian territory in an escalation of his increasingly adversarial stance. The Philippines will shoulder the cost of the garbage shipment, Panelo said. “If Canada will not accept their trash, we will leave the same within its territorial waters or 12 nautical miles out to sea from the baseline of any of their country’s shores,” Panelo said. “The president’s stance is as principled as it is uncompromising: The Philippines as an independent sovereign nation must not be treated as trash by other foreign nations.” The Philippine government recalled its ambassador and consuls in Canada last week over Ottawa’s failure to comply with a May 15 deadline to take back the garbage. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that Canada has been working hard with Philippine officials and hopes to strike a resolution shortly but did not specify a time frame. In 2017, Trudeau said legal issues preventing the return of the garbage to Canada had been resolved. “We are looking forward to having a solution to present to Canadians shortly and to our Filipino partners,” Trudeau said Wednesday. “This is a situation that is unacceptable and has gone on too long.” At least 103 containers of household trash, including plastic bottles and bags, newspapers and diapers, were shipped in batches from Canada to the Philippines from 2013 to 2014. Most of the shipping containers remain in two ports in Manila and northern Subic Freeport, sparking protests from environmental activists. Philippine officials say they were falsely declared by a private firm as recyclable plastic scraps and have asked Canada to take back the garbage. Duterte raised the garbage issue in a speech last month while officials from both countries were already discussing a resolution to the issue. The volatile president said he was ready to “declare war” against Canada over the issue. Panelo said Duterte was upset “about the inordinate delay of Canada in shipping back its containers of garbage,” adding “We are extremely disappointed with Canada’s neither here nor there pronouncement on the matter.” “Obviously, Canada is not taking this issue nor our country seriously. The Filipino people are gravely insulted about Canada treating this country as a dumpsite,” Panelo said. Duterte’s moves have been the latest strain in Philippine relations with Canada under Duterte. Last year, Duterte ordered the cancellation of a multimillion-dollar agreement to buy 16 helicopters from Canada after its government decided to review the deal due to concerns that the Philippine military might use the aircraft in counterinsurgency assaults.

canada
philippines
rodrigo duterte
justin trudeau
plastic
waste
plastic waste


Brazil bans labs from food inspections amid BRF scandal

Abstract: SAO PAULO - Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture officially banned three laboratories from conducting food inspections over their involvement in a food safety testing scandal that ensnared meatpacker BRF SA, according to decisions published in the official government gazette on Wednesday. The three laboratories run by Merieux NutriSciences Corp. in Brazil, which performed testing on BRF products, are no longer authorized to process samples under the ministry’s official control program, according to the decisions. BRF and the Agriculture Ministry did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Reuters reported in February that the three Merieux labs had lost their “ISO 17025” accreditation, which is essential to performing tests recognized by the ministry. The loss of ISO accreditation was based on an ongoing investigation of alleged cheating by BRF and Merieux on food safety inspections, the federal agency responsible for the lab certification said at the time. Merieux said in statement on Wednesday that it is in discussions with Inmetro, the federal certification agency, to restore the accreditations to perform food tests. BRF suffered financial losses from the scandal, which briefly closed several markets to the world’s largest poultry exporter. The company has said it was cooperating with authorities. Earlier this year, Merieux denied involvement “in any organized fraud or corruption system with any of its customers in relation with the investigations.” The labs affected by the ministry’s decision on Wednesday are based in two cities in the state of Parana and another in Sao Paulo state, according to the official gazette. The loss of accreditation is effective immediately.


Fears grow that China could weaponize rare earth minerals in U.S. tech war

Abstract: BEIJING - By going after its telecom champion Huawei, the U.S. has hit China where it hurts. But Beijing’s control over the world’s supply of rare earths, used in smartphones and electric cars, gives it a powerful weapon in their escalating tech war. A seemingly routine visit by President Xi Jinping to a Chinese rare earths company this week is being widely read as an obvious threat that Beijing is standing ready for action. “We should firmly grasp the strategic basis of technological innovation, master more key core technologies and seize the commanding heights of industry development,” Xi said during the visit, according to a report by the official Xinhua news agency Wednesday. “Rare earth is not only an important strategic resource, but also a nonrenewable resource,” he added, in comments likely to further fuel speculation. However, analysts say China appears apprehensive to target the minerals just yet, possibly fearful of shooting itself in the foot by hastening a global search for alternative supplies of the commodities. Xi’s inspection tour “is no accident — this didn’t happen by chance,” said Li Mingjiang, China program coordinator at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore. “At this moment, clearly the policy circles in China are considering the possibility of using a rare earth export ban as a policy weapon against the U.S.” Last week the United States threatened to cut supplies of its technology needed by Chinese telecom champion Huawei, which Washington suspects is in bed with China’s military. The U.S. move has fanned speculation that Xi could impose retaliatory measures. In an indication of the importance of rare earths to the U.S., Washington did not include them in a tariffs increase on Chinese goods this month. China occupies a commanding position, producing more than 95 percent of the world’s rare earths, and the United States relies on China for upwards of 80 percent of its imports. Rare earths are 17 elements that have become critical to manufacturing technology from smartphones and televisions to cameras and lightbulbs. That gives Beijing tremendous leverage in what is shaping up largely as a battle between the U.S. and China over who will own the future of high-tech. “China could shut down nearly every automobile, computer, smartphone and aircraft assembly line outside of China if they chose to embargo these materials,” wrote James Kennedy, president of ThREE Consulting, on Tuesday in National Defense, a U.S. industry publication. China has been accused of using its rare earth leverage for political reasons before. Japanese industry sources said it temporarily cut off exports in 2010 as a territorial row flared between the Asian rivals — charges that Beijing denied. In 2014, the World Trade Organization ruled that the country had violated global trade rules by restricting exports of the minerals. The case was brought by the United States, European Union and Japan, which accused China of curbing exports to give its tech companies an edge over foreign rivals. China has cited environmental damage from mining and the need to conserve supplies as the reason for its past limits on output. While disruptive, any leverage gained from a supply block may be short-lived, experts said. “This would accelerate moves to find alternative supply sources,” said Kokichiro Mio, who studies China’s economy at NLI Research Institute.

china
xi jinping
tariffs
trade
u.s .
trade war


Bankruptcy judge to OK sale of Reading Eagle to chain known for slashing jobs

Abstract: READING, PENNSYLVANIA - A federal bankruptcy judge said Wednesday he intends to approve the sale of the Reading Eagle to a large newspaper chain known for taking over struggling papers and then making deep newsroom cuts. MediaNews Group, better known as Digital First Media, offered $5 million for the assets of the family-owned Reading Eagle Co., which filed for bankruptcy protection in March. Chief Judge Richard E. Fehling said Wednesday he plans to sign off on the sale. Digital First owns about 200 papers and other publications, including The Denver Post and the Boston Herald. Its biggest shareholder is Alden Global Capital, a New York hedge fund that invests in distressed companies. Digital First has a reputation for deep cost-cutting, leading to fears the Eagle will be gutted. The paper began publishing in 1868. “The Reading Eagle has always had an outsized role in defining this community. It is far and away the dominant source of news,” said Kevin Murphy, CEO of the Berks County Community Foundation. He said hundreds of people have talked to him about the paper since it entered bankruptcy. “I don’t remember anything in 25 years that has jolted this community more than this bankruptcy news,” he said. “It has been a process of shock and grief.” The Eagle, where the late “Rabbit, Run” novelist John Updike got his start, has an average daily circulation of more than 37,000 on weekdays and more than 50,000 on Sunday. The Reading Eagle Co.’s other properties include news-talk radio station WEEU and a weekly newspaper. It employs more than 200. In court papers, Digital First said it plans to take WEEU off the air unless someone buys its FCC license. Like many other newspapers, the Eagle has struggled with declining ad revenues. It was also burdened with heavy debt from the 2009 expansion of its downtown printing press and distribution center. The newspaper said it has been losing millions of dollars a year. “We’re either going to have a sale, or we’re going to have a liquidation,” Reading Eagle lawyer Robert Lapowsky told the judge Wednesday. Peter Barbey, the president and chief executive of the Reading Eagle Co. — whose great-great-grandfather started the paper — had been loaning it money to keep it afloat. He declined immediate comment after the hearing, saying he planned to issue a statement through the paper. Through a spokesman, Digital First said it was “pleased to save the Reading Eagle from liquidation and help ensure the people of Berks County don’t lose access to an important source of local news and information, as has unfortunately happened in too many communities across the country.” The company said it will “re-create” the Eagle so the paper “has the appropriate resources” to provide local news coverage. Digital First did not say how many of the paper’s workers it plans to lay off or whether it will reduce the number of days it publishes a print edition. Hundreds of U.S. newspapers have shut down over the past 15 years as news consumers have migrated to the internet. The number of reporters, editors, photographers and other newsroom employees in the industry fell by 45 percent nationwide between 2004 and 2017, according to the Pew Research Center.

bankruptcy
reading eagle
jobs
pennsylvania
digital first


U.S. judge rules Qualcomm violated antitrust law; appeal planned as shares plunge

Abstract: BANGALORE, INDIA/WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO - Qualcomm Inc. illegally suppressed competition in the market for smartphone chips by threatening to cut off supplies and extracting excessive licensing fees, a U.S. judge ruled, a decision that could force the company to overhaul its business practices. The decision issued late Tuesday night by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, caused Qualcomm shares to plunge 10.6 percent on Wednesday. “Qualcomm’s licensing practices have strangled competition” in parts of the chip market for years, harming rivals, smartphone makers, and consumers, Koh wrote in a 233-page decision. She ordered the San Diego-based company to renegotiate licensing agreements at reasonable prices, without threatening to cut off supplies, and ordered that it be monitored for seven years to ensure its compliance. Qualcomm said it will immediately ask Koh to put her decision on hold, and also seek a quick appeal to the federal appeals court in California. “We strongly disagree with the judge’s conclusions, her interpretation of the facts and her application of the law,” general counsel Don Rosenberg said in a statement. Koh’s decision followed a 10-day nonjury trial in January, and is a victory for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which accused Qualcomm in 2017 of violating antitrust law. The decision followed Qualcomm’s April 16 settlement of a long-running legal battle with Apple Inc., where Apple agreed once again to use Qualcomm chips in its iPhones, displacing Intel Corp. It is unclear whether the sanctions will be challenged by the U.S. Department of Justice, which has taken a different view of the case than the FTC and emerged as an ally to Qualcomm. On May 2, the Justice Department argued Koh should hold a hearing before placing sanctions on Qualcomm. Placing stringent conditions on the company would “reduce competition and innovation in markets for 5G technology,” the agency said. The courts are not required to defer to the Justice Department’s recommendations. But “the possibility certainly exists for Qualcomm to prevail upon appeal,” given the government’s “somewhat schizophrenic” approach to the case, Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon wrote. The Justice Department was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday. Koh said Qualcomm engaged in “extensive” anticompetitive conduct targeting more than one dozen original equipment manufacturers including Apple, BlackBerry, Huawei, Lenovo, LG, Motorola, Samsung, and Sony, often by cutting off or threatening to cut off chip supplies or withholding technical support. She also said Qualcomm’s monopoly power in modem chips enabled the company to sustain “unreasonably high” royalty rates not justified by its contributions to the marketplace. “With practices that result in exclusivity and eliminate opportunities to compete for OEM business, Qualcomm undermines rivals in every facet,” she wrote. She also found Qualcomm knew its licensing practices harmed competition “yet continued anyway” despite government investigations in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the European Union and the United States. “This evidence of Qualcomm’s intent confirms the court’s conclusion that Qualcomm’s practices cause anticompetitive harm because no monopolist monopolizes unconscious of what he is doing,” she wrote. Koh also said testimony from some Qualcomm witnesses “lacked credibility,” faulting Chief Executive Steve Mollenkopf and others for giving “long, fast, and practiced narratives” and saying company emails and notes contradicted his testimony. Koh said Qualcomm cannot bundle patent licensing deals with its hardware, a practice regulators called “no license, no chips.” That ruling could give chip customers more leverage in negotiations over patent terms and result in lower royalty rates for Qualcomm. Koh also said Qualcomm must license its patents to rival chipmakers like MediaTek Inc. Qualcomm argued during the trial that it achieved market dominance through technological leadership. The company began its licensing business in the 1980s and 1990s, decades before it began selling chips, and has charged broadly similar patent rates since then. Qualcomm also argued that the FTC failed to show harm to competition, arguing that the chip industry is thriving and prices are declining. Qualcomm’s next move will likely be to request Koh’s ruling is put on hold while the company seeks expedited review by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Gaston Kroub, a patent lawyer in New York not involved in the case, said Koh’s decision was unlikely to be reversed on appeal because she made detailed factual findings and witness credibility determinations. Appeals courts are reluctant to second-guess such findings by trial judges, he said. Qualcomm makes cellphone processors and modem chips, but generates most profits by licensing its technology to mobile phone makers. Rasgon, the Bernstein analyst, said Koh had indicated at trial she was leaning against Qualcomm, but some investors had hoped her views would be “softened” by the Apple settlement. “Apparently not,” Rasgon wrote.

qualcomm
california
apple
u.s .
corruption


Japan's Finance Ministry proposes cuts to local government workforce as population drops

Abstract: The Finance Ministry on Wednesday issued a set of proposals on the reform of local finances, including a call for cuts to the number of local government employees in line with the country’s shrinking population. According to the package, local governments should streamline clerical duties by using artificial intelligence and taking other measures in order to maintain their administrative services as they reduce the number of workers. The proposals were presented to the day’s meeting of a subcommittee of the Fiscal System Council, which advises the minister of finance. The council plans to reflect the proposals in its policy recommendations, set to be compiled shortly. In the package, the Finance Ministry said that it will become difficult for local governments to hire employees at the current pace, due to manpower shortages in both the public and private sectors as the population shrinks. Based on future population estimates, the ministry said that local governments will likely be able to maintain a certain number of employees per resident even if the total number of local government workers in general administrative jobs is reduced by 30,000 by 2025 — from some 920,000 at present. It also called on local governments to boost efficiency in medical services, citing current large gaps between prefectures in medical costs per resident. In addition, the ministry underlined the need for reforms to the huge budgets local governments have earmarked for health insurance programs and public hospitals.

finance ministry
local government
population
jobs


Japan's new supercomputer Fugaku to begin operations around 2021

Abstract: Japan’s new supercomputer Fugaku is set to begin operations around 2021 with the country aiming to regain the title of building the world’s fastest computer, replacing its current supercomputer K, government-backed research institute Riken said Thursday. The Fugaku, a nickname for Mount Fuji, aims to be about 40 to 120 times faster than the K, the first supercomputer in the world to achieve a speed of over 10 quadrillion computations per second. “A supercomputer is essential to solving social challenges such as drug development and disaster prevention,” Riken President Hiroshi Matsumoto said. “We will dedicate our best effort to its success and operation.” The new supercomputer, developed at a cost of about ¥110 billion, will be utilized in a wide range of research by various companies and universities including forecasting heavy rains. The institute received nearly 5,100 entries for potential names between February and April from the public, with only two entries for Fugaku. The new computer will be placed in the institute’s Center for Computational Science in Kobe, replacing the K when it retires in August. “We’re aiming for the world’s fastest computing speed,” Satoshi Matsuoka, head of the center, said. The United States and China have both revealed plans to release supercomputers with equal computing ability to the Fugaku in 2020 or 2021. In June 2011, the K, which refers to the way 10 quadrillion is written in Japanese, ranked first in the world in computing speed, going into full-scale operation in September 2012. It fell to 18th place in the most recent rankings reported in November last year. According to the “Top 500” list of the world’s fastest supercomputers made biannually by researchers, the United States ranked top with its supercomputer Summit in November 2018. China had held first place from 2013 until June 2018, when the United States regained the top spot.


Dollar slightly weaker, falls to ¥110.29 at end of Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar was marginally softer around ¥110.30 in late Tokyo trading Thursday amid a dearth of major market-moving news. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥110.29-29, down from ¥110.36-37 at the same time Wednesday. The euro was at $1.1140-1140, down from $1.1152-1152, and at ¥122.86-88, down from ¥123.08-09. In early trading, the dollar dropped close to ¥110.20, due to falls in long-term U.S. interest rates and Wall Street stocks reflecting concerns over U.S.-China trade tensions. The weak performance of the benchmark Nikkei stock average sent the greenback to levels near ¥110.10 later in the morning. The U.S. currency regained some steam to top ¥110.30 in midafternoon trading before easing back later. The dollar’s topside was capped as “long-term U.S. interest rates remained low,” an official of a major Japanese bank said. Investor sentiment is worsening due to uncertainties over the course of four-day European Parliament elections through Sunday and Britain’s exit from the European Union, or Brexit, as well as the U.S.-China trade conflict, the official added. Currency market players “are paying attention to whether British Prime Minister Theresa May will soon announce her decision to step down” amid confusion over Brexit, an official at a foreign exchange margin trading service firm said.


Japan's Financial Services Agency calls for financial products that focus on longevity risk

Abstract: The Financial Services Agency has released a draft report calling for financial products that focus on longevity risk, or when people’s funds for living expenses run short due to a rise in longevity. The draft includes plans for the agency to urge financial institutions to expand their ranges of financial products and services that respond to an aging society. It also noted the need for services that preserve assets for when people’s cognitive functions deteriorate. The document was presented to a task force under the Financial System Council, which advises the prime minister, on Wednesday. The content of the draft will be explained at a meeting of Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs set to be held in the city of Fukuoka in June. The draft splits asset formation and other matters into three stages — working period, just before and after retirement, and late life — and suggested necessary products and services. For the late life stage, the draft stressed that financial institutions should try to refrain from offering people high-risk, complicated products. It also stressed the need to create an environment to help people manage their assets even after they have lost or seen a decline in their cognitive abilities or judgment. The FSA said that a household composed of an unemployed elderly couple is currently facing a deficit of some ¥50,000 every month on average. If such a situation were to continue for 30 years, households affected would need to withdraw around ¥20 million in assets, it estimated. As the average value of financial assets held by a household of a couple aged 65 stands at ¥22.52 million, the agency said that such people may face a shortage of funds for living expenses if they also need to pay for nursing care and other costs.

financial products
financial institutions
banks
retirement
savings


Tokyo stocks drop amid U.S.-China tensions

Abstract: Stocks lost ground on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday, dragged down by lingering concerns over U.S.-China trade tensions. The 225-issue Nikkei average fell 132.23 points, or 0.62 percent, to end at 21,151.14. On Wednesday, the bellwether index rose 10.92 points. The Topix index of all first-section issues finished down 5.63 points, or 0.36 percent, at 1,540.58, after losing 4.09 points the previous day. It dropped for the third straight day. After getting off to a weaker start, the Nikkei lost over 200 points briefly in the morning, with the market falling prey to bouts of selling unleashed by the yen’s firming, as well as by an overnight drop in U.S. stocks reflecting investor concerns that the U.S.-China trade dispute may drag on, brokers said. The trade concerns were fueled by a media report that the U.S. government is considering trade restrictions on more Chinese companies, including major surveillance equipment-maker Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology, on top of telecommunications equipment-maker Huawei Technologies, they said. The market showed some resilience in the afternoon on the back of buybacks, but was unable to wipe out its earlier loss, with both the Nikkei and the Topix staying in negative territory throughout the day. Stocks cut their losses in the afternoon thanks to expectations that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will have a bilateral meeting on the fringes of the Group of 20 summit in the city of Osaka, which will be held on June 28 and 29, market sources said. During a U.S. House of Representatives committee meeting on Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that Trump and Xi are highly likely to hold talks in late June. Hiroaki Kuramochi, chief market analyst at Saxo Bank Securities Ltd., said that trading was slow in the afternoon session as “investors retreated to the sidelines” and waited for Trump or Xi to make any comments on trade talks between their countries. Falling issues outnumbered rising ones 1,258 to 783 on the TSE’s first section, while 100 issues were unchanged. Volume decreased to 1.16 billion shares from Wednesday’s 1.2 billion shares. Semiconductor-related companies and electronic component-makers tumbled due to concerns over an escalation in the U.S.-China trade war. They included Tokyo Electron, TDK and Advantest. General contractors, including Taisei and Shimizu, dropped on a media report that combined order receipts by eight major players in the industry in fiscal 2019 are expected to decline over 10 percent from the previous year. Other losers included technology investor SoftBank Group and Mitsui Mining & Smelting. Furniture retailer Nitori jumped 3.46 percent after announcing on Wednesday that its same-store sales in May increased 5.6 percent year on year, up for the third straight month. Also on the sunny side were cosmetics maker Fancl and seafood producer Maruha Nichiro. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key June contract on the Nikkei average went down 180 points to 21,100.


Ghosn's first full trial unlikely to convene until next spring, his lawyers say

Abstract: A lawyer representing embattled former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn speculated Thursday that the first full trial in the case would probably not begin until next spring. The attorney, Junichiro Hironaka, was uncertain how long the trial would last and also revealed Ghosn’s defense team would ask the court later in the day to grant a meeting with his wife, Carole Ghosn. They are not allowed to see each other as part of the bail conditions set following the auto executive’s fourth arrest and indictment. “We are thinking of proposing a method that the court is likely to accept, like having the meeting take place at a lawyer’s office,” Hironaka told a news conference Thursday afternoon. His remarks followed a pretrial hearing at the Tokyo District Court. Introduced in 2005 as part of the country’s judicial reforms, pretrial hearings are intended to streamline criminal trial procedures by having defense and prosecutors clarify points of contention in the presence of a judge. Ghosn, accompanied by his defense team and with strikingly gray hair, arrived at the court wearing a dark suit, a white shirt and a tie. Hironaka said Thursday’s pretrial hearing pertained to Ghosn’s alleged transfer of private investment losses to Nissan during the 2008 global financial crisis. The prosecutors alleged Ghosn orchestrated the transfer of ¥1.6 billion in payments to a firm run by Saudi businessman Khaled Juffali. The prosecutors recently revised one of the indictments, alleging Juffali paid about ¥2 billion to Ghosn. Hironaka said the defense team had asked the prosecutors at the pretrial hearing to explain the amendment to the indictment. Prosecutors declined to provide an immediate answer, which resulted in the court ordering the prosecutors to provide a response to the defense team’s question within two weeks. The court additionally ordered the prosecutors to disclose further evidence by June 21 pertaining to Ghosn’s dealings with Juffali, as well as from the latest indictment involving the alleged misappropriating of ¥1.7 billion in payments to Nissan’s exclusive distributor in Oman, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles. Ghosn was rearrested and indicted for the fourth time in April over the Oman allegations. “We (the defense team) insisted on speeding up the process (and the disclosure of evidence) by the end of May,” Hironaka said. Prosecutors believe some of the money was siphoned off to a Lebanese investment firm he effectively owns for his own personal use and for his family, including his wife Carole Ghosn. Even though Carole Ghosn has not been arrested or charged, prosecutors have questioned her. Under the bail condition the defense team presented, Carole Ghosn is prohibited from seeing her husband without court approval. The next pretrial hearing will be held on June 24, and will cover Ghosn’s alleged underreporting of his income for years. Prosecutors claim Ghosn hid about ¥9.1 billion over an eight-year period. Asked about whether Ghosn made any comments after the 30-minute hearing, Hironaka said, “Ghosn said something along the lines of ‘this is what a hearing looks like.’


Panasonic to suspend supply of some parts to Huawei in wake of U.S. ban

Abstract: Panasonic Corp. has decided to halt the supply of some components to Huawei Technologies Co., officials said Thursday, the latest sign that last week’s U.S. blacklisting of the Chinese telecoms giant is affecting major Japanese firms. Panasonic is still examining which product shipments run counter to the economic sanctions imposed on Huawei by the United States. Even when produced outside the United States, some Japanese components that incorporate U.S.-made materials and technology before being shipped to Huawei could infringe the ban. Impacts from the sanctions may spread to other Japanese manufacturers whose parts are used to assemble Huawei smartphones. Last year, Huawei received supplies worth ¥670 billion ($6.1 billion) from Japanese companies, including Panasonic and electronic components maker Kyocera Corp. Toshiba Corp. has also said it suspended shipments to Huawei to check whether its products included U.S.-made components subject to the controls. Officials at Murata Manufacturing Co., another leading maker of electronic parts, and Kyocera have said they are paying close attention to developments. On Wednesday, major Japanese mobile phone service operators said they would postpone sales of and stop taking orders for new Huawei handsets amid growing concern as to whether Google LLC will continue to provide services — including its Android operating system — to the Chinese manufacturer. U.S. President Donald Trump last week declared a national emergency banning U.S. companies from using telecoms technology and services provided by entities considered a security threat, in a move seen as targeting Huawei. The U.S. Commerce Department also said last week it had added Huawei to its trade blacklist. In another blow to the Chinese tech giant, U.K. chip designer Arm halted relations with Huawei to comply with the U.S. blockade of the company, potentially crippling the Chinese telecom company’s ability to make new chips for its future smartphones. Huawei, like Apple Inc. and Qualcomm, uses Arm blueprints to design the processors that power its smartphones. It also licenses graphics technology from the Cambridge-based company, which is owned by SoftBank Group Corp. Panasonic will still sell some components to Huawei, a point it made clear on its China website. Arm’s move will have a much bigger impact on Huawei’s ability to do business, particularly in the smartphone sector, where the Chinese firm vies with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. for global leadership. Arm’s chip designs contain technology of U.S. origin and are the backbone of Huawei handsets. The United States last week blocked Huawei from buying goods made from 25 percent or more of U.S.-originated technologies or materials, accusing the firm of being a vehicle of Chinese state power and a potential threat to national security. The sanctions are a major escalation in the bruising trade war between China and the United States. While the Chinese company denies the allegations, other countries such as Australia and New Zealand also have blocked the Shenzhen-based firm from bidding for critical contracts due to national security concerns. Washington is lobbying the U.K. not to use Huawei’s products, and on Thursday a South Korean newspaper reported similar pressure was being placed on Seoul. China is South Korea’s biggest export market. The U.S. government temporarily eased the restrictions on Tuesday by granting Huawei a 90-day license to buy U.S. goods, in a bid to minimize disruption for its customers. The Chinese company has remained defiant, saying it has the technology to replace supplies cut off by the ban — a claim analysts have contradicted.

kyocera
murata manufacturing
arm
u.k .
semiconductors
panasonic corp .


Sumitomo Mitsui Financial increases planned cuts, to the equivalent of 5,000 employees' workload

Abstract: Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. will increase planned cuts to its head count that will now reduce work done by the equivalent of nearly 5,000 employees over the three years to March 2020, it was learned Wednesday. Cuts reducing head count by the equivalent of around 4,000 employees were already planned. The megabank group hopes to streamline its business further by speeding up efforts to automate over-the-counter services, and to go paperless through the use of information technology. The number of domestic employees is expected to fall naturally by almost 4,000 over the three years, as new hires are being curbed and many workers are set to reach the mandatory retirement age, sources said. Financial institutions in the nation are moving to rationalize their operations as prolonged superlow interest rates hurt their business performance. Among the other megabank groups, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. has revised up its target for workload reductions by fiscal 2023 from the equivalent of 9,500 workers to over 10,000 workers, while Mizuho Financial Group Inc. is also expected to accelerate its employee reduction efforts.

sumitomo mitsui financial group
mizuho
jobs
banks
smbc
mufg


Honda recalls 137,000 SUVs in U.S., South Korea and Canada over sudden air bag deployments

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Honda Motor Co. said Wednesday it is recalling 137,000 new sport utility vehicles, or SUVs, following reports of three injuries tied to sudden air bag deployments in the United States. The automaker said it is recalling the 2019 CR-V to replace steering wheel wire harnesses and supplemental restraint system cable reels, after six unexpected driver air bag deployments that occurred without crashes. There are so far no reports of related crashes, the automaker said. The recall includes 118,000 vehicles in the United States and 19,000 in South Korea and Canada. Metal burrs on the interior surface of the steering wheel may result in damage that could lead to a short circuit and overheating of components, Honda said. The issue is separate from a series of recalls Honda has conducted over the last decade to replace more than 21 million defective Takata air bag inflators in about 12.9 million U.S. vehicles that Honda has said are responsible for 14 U.S. deaths. Honda also said it was recalling 19,000 U.S. vehicles that may have had Takata inflator replacement kits improperly installed before May 2018.

honda
recalls
south korea
canada
cr-v
u.s .
carmakers


Japanese and French ministers reaffirm support for Nissan-Renault alliance

Abstract: PARIS - Economy minister Hiroshige Seko and his French counterpart, Bruno Le Maire, reaffirmed on Wednesday the two governments’ support for the Nissan Motor Co.-Renault SA alliance. “We reconfirmed our strong support for their shared will to continue and strengthen their cooperative ties,” Seko told reporters after he had talks with the French minister in Paris. Le Maire told reporters that maintaining the status quo is not an option for the Japanese-French automotive alliance. He was answering a question over whether he would support the two automakers’ possible management integration. The French minister stressed that the alliance should be reinforced and advanced, as both companies are weakening under the current circumstances. He added that new Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard is considering ways to strengthen the alliance, together with the Nissan side. During the meeting, the two ministers also had talks on issues tackled by the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies, while agreeing on the need to promptly reform the World Trade Organization.


Mizuho to tighten rules on lending to coal-fired power plants in line with other Japan banks

Abstract: Mizuho Financial Group Inc. said Wednesday that it will tighten lending standards for coal-fired power plants with high emissions of carbon dioxide, as part of its efforts to combat climate change. Mizuho will also provide discussion and consulting services for clients who want to “decarbonize,” or reduce emissions per unit of electricity generated by their thermal power plants. Previously, loans to coal-fired plants were decided on a case-by-case basis in line with levels of carbon dioxide-cutting technology and economic efficiency. From July, new loans will generally be granted only to thermal power plants that use so-called ultrasupercritical pressure to increase efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, or use even more efficient systems. Industry rival Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. already applies the same standard to new loans to coal-fired power plants. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. plans to generally stop giving loans to coal-fired power plants.

mizuho banks emissions carbon energy coal smbc mufg smfg


Mitsubishi Chemical to ban employees from smoking during work hours, wherever they are

Abstract: Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. said Tuesday that it will ban employees from smoking during working hours, an unusual move for a major Japanese chemical company. The ban, slated to go into effect from next April, is aimed at protecting employees from secondhand smoke, said the core subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp. All employees of the subsidiary will be required to refrain from smoking during working hours, including when working from home and during business trips. The company will also remove smoking spaces from all domestic offices and plants under its management. Mitsubishi Chemical will ask employees of other companies who enter its facilities for maintenance and other purposes not to smoke within the premises. According to an in-house survey in 2017, 60 percent of Mitsubishi Chemical’s smokers who responded said they “need to quit smoking.” The company hopes to create a working environment that will help such employees kick their smoking habit.

mitsubishi
mitsubishi chemical
smoking
health
jobs