Malawi sentences man to death for murder of albino teenager

Abstract: BLANTYRE - A man was sentenced to death in Malawi on Friday for killing an albino teenager in a case has become a campaign issue ahead of a national election this month, with the opposition accusing the government of inaction. Belief in witchcraft is widespread in rural Malawi, one of the world’s poorest countries, fueling ritual killings particularly targeting people with albinism because of the belief that their body parts can increase wealth. In the first such punishment for the abduction and killing of people with albinism, Justice Mclean Kamwambe said he wanted to send a stern warning to would-be offenders. The judge said the killings and abductions of albinos since 2014 has tainted the international image of Malawi and has reduced the country to “a state of terror.” The focus on albino murders has sparked finger-pointing among politicians ahead of the election on May 21, with the main opposition party, the Malawi Congress Party, accusing the government of doing little to stop the killings. The government, which has formed a judicial inquiry into the killings and abductions, says it cannot interfere in work of the police and courts. The government has also offered cash rewards for information about the abductions and killings, which have reached at least 150 since 2014, according to the United Nations. According to the court’s ruling, the convicted 28-year-old confessed to the murder and said he wanted to use the 19-year-old victims’ body parts to become rich on instructions from a witch doctor in neighboring Mozambique. The superstitions, stigmas and maiming and killing of people with albinism is visible across a number of southern and eastern African countries, with cases reported in Congo, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa. There is a lucrative market for albino body parts in the region and internationally. One Malawian albino who narrowly escaped death was street musician Lazarus Chigwandali, who was once lured into a car and kidnapped to be killed for his body parts but managed to escape. Chigwandal’s life story is the center of “Lazarus,” a new short documentary playing at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. The singer Madonna, who has adopted four children from Malawi, was executive producer. This past week he gained a new fan in Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio, playing a private show for the actor and his friends in New York.


Trump and Putin discuss possible new nuclear accord, White House says

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for more than an hour on Friday, discussing the possibility of a new nuclear accord, North Korean denuclearization, Ukraine and the political situation in Venezuela, the White House said. “Had a long and very good conversation with President Putin of Russia,” Trump said in a post on Twitter, noting they had discussed trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, nuclear arms and special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Trump and Putin talked about the possibility of a new multilateral nuclear accord between the United States, Russia and China, or an extension of the current U.S.-Russia strategic nuclear treaty. She called it an “overall positive conversation.” The two men, who last chatted informally at a dinner of world leaders in Buenos Aires on Dec. 1, briefly talked about the Mueller report, which concluded Trump did not collude with Russia during his 2016 presidential campaign. The Mueller probe discussion was “essentially in the context of that it’s over and there was no collusion, which I’m pretty sure both leaders were very well aware of long before this call took place,” Sanders said. The Kremlin confirmed the two leaders talked and highlighted in its statement that the call was initiated by Washington. It said the two leaders agreed to maintain contacts on different levels and expressed satisfaction with the “businesslike and constructive nature” of the conversation. With the United States concerned about a Russian military presence in Venezuela at a time when Washington wants Venezuelan President Nicolas Madwort to leave power, Trump told Putin “the United States stands with the people of Venezuela” and stressed he wanted to get relief supplies into the country, Sanders said. Putin told Trump that any external interference in Venezuela’s internal business undermines the prospects of a political end to the crisis, the Kremlin said. The 2011 New START treaty, the only U.S.-Russia arms control pact limiting deployed strategic nuclear weapons, expires in February 2021 but can be extended for five years if both sides agree. Without the agreement, it could be harder to gauge each other’s intentions, arms control advocates say. The New START treaty required the United States and Russia to cut their deployed strategic nuclear warheads to no more than 1,550, the lowest level in decades, and limit delivery systems — land- and submarine-based missiles and nuclear-capable bombers. It also includes extensive transparency measures requiring each side to allow the other to carry out 10 inspections of strategic nuclear bases each year; give 48 hours notice before new missiles covered by the treaty leave their factories; and provide notifications before ballistic missile launches. Trump has called the New START treaty a “bad deal” and “one-sided.” “They discussed a nuclear agreement, both new and extended, and the possibility of having conversations with China on that as well,” Sanders said. The Kremlin said the two sides confirmed they intended to “activate dialogue in various spheres, including strategic security.” Sanders also said the two leaders discussed Ukraine. Trump canceled a summit meeting with Putin late last year after Russia seized three Ukrainian Navy ships on Nov. 25 and arrested 24 sailors. Putin also told Trump that the new leadership in Ukraine should take steps to solve the Ukrainian crisis, the Kremlin said. Trump also raised with Putin the issue of getting North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Trump has met twice with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but Kim has yet to agree to a disarmament deal. Sanders said Trump mentioned several times “the need and importance of Russia stepping up and continuing to put pressure on North Korea to denuclearize.” The Kremlin said both leaders highlighted the need to pursue denuclearization of the region. During an April summit with Kim in Vladivostok, Putin expressed Russian support for a gradual process of trading disarmament for sanctions relief.

donald trump
vladimir putin
north korea
ukraine
new start
nuclear weapons
2016 u.s. presidential election
russia probe


Congress gives U.S. attorney general deadline to release full Mueller report

Abstract: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump and a senior U.S. House Democrat tightened the screws on U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Friday over the Mueller report, making new demands on him after an already tough week for the Justice Department chief. Trump said it will be up to Barr to decide whether special counsel Robert Mueller, author of the report on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, will testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which wants to hear from him. Earlier in the day, House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler set a new deadline of Monday at 9 a.m. for Barr to comply with a subpoena seeking an unredacted version of the report before moving to hold Barr in contempt of Congress. The two developments ensured that Barr, Mueller and his report will remain in sharp focus in the coming week in Washington, where Congress and Trump are on a collision course over investigations being led by Nadler and other committee leaders. At the White House, speaking to reporters, Trump was asked whether he would let Mueller testify to the Senate panel. The president responded, “That’s up to our attorney general.” Barr, who was appointed by Trump, testified on Wednesday for four hours to the Senate Judiciary Committee. He took heavy criticism for it from congressional Democrats, who have accused Barr of misrepresenting the findings of Mueller’s much-anticipated two-year investigation. The same committee now wants to talk to Mueller. His 448-page report unearthed many links between Russians and Trump’s campaign, but concluded there was insufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and Moscow. It also described attempts by Trump to obstruct Mueller’s probe, but did not say whether Trump had committed a crime. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, a Republican, wrote to Mueller to ask whether he wanted to appear before his panel to discuss any misstatements Barr may have made about the special counsel’s investigation. The special counsel’s office would not comment on Graham’s invitation. In a letter to Barr, House Judiciary Chairman Nadler set the Monday deadline for Barr to comply with the subpoena demanding the unredacted report, as well as underlying evidence from the Mueller probe. He also offered to negotiate further to gain the Justice Department’s cooperation, but made clear what would be at stake if Barr refused. “If the department persists in its baseless refusal to comply with a validly issued subpoena, the committee will move to contempt proceedings and seek further legal recourse,” the New York Democrat wrote. The Justice Department declined to comment. Barr on April 18 released a redacted version of the Mueller report. Nadler subpoenaed the entire document a day later. If Barr does not comply, the House Judiciary Committee is expected to move forward on Monday with a contempt citation that could ultimately lead to a civil court case against Barr, followed by fines and even imprisonment for failure to comply. Also on Friday, Trump said he will decide in coming days whether he will let former White House lawyer Don McGahn testify to Congress. Mueller’s report said McGahn told investigators that Trump contacted him in an attempt to get Mueller fired.

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


U.S. OKs nearly $6 billion in weapons sales to Persian Gulf allies

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department has approved a possible $6 billion worth of weapons sales to Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in three separate packages, the Pentagon said on Friday after notifying Congress of the certification. The United States depends on allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia, to counter Iranian influence. In April, the U.S. moved ahead with part of a THAAD missile defense system sale to the kingdom. In one of the notifications sent to Congress on Friday, Bahrain could potentially buy various Patriot missile systems and related support and equipment for an estimated cost of $2.48 billion. That potential Bahraini deal included 36 Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missiles known as GEM-T, an upgrade that can shoot down aircraft and cruise missiles. In a separate State Department notification sent to Congress, Bahrain was also given the nod for various weapons to support its F-16 Block 70/F-16V aircraft fleet for an estimated cost of $750 million. That package included 32 AIM-9X missiles, 20 AGM-84 Block II Harpoon missiles and 100 GBU-39s which are 250-pound small diameter bombs and other munitions. In a third State Department notification, the United Arab Emirates was given potential approval for $2.73 billion worth of Patriot missiles and related equipment including 452 Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) Missiles Segment Enhanced (MSE) and related equipment. The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale. The notification process alerts Congress that a sale to a foreign country has been approved, but it does not indicate that a contract has been signed or negotiations have concluded. The principal contractors for the sales were Raytheon Co. and Lockheed Martin Co.

bahrain
saudi arabia
u.s .
military
iran


Boeing 737 slides into Florida river with 136 on board; no fatalities

Abstract: JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - A Boeing 737 commercial jet with 136 people on board slid into the St. John’s River near Jacksonville, Florida after landing on Friday, a spokesman for Naval Air Station Jacksonville said. There were no reports of fatalities. The flight arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay went into the river at the end of the runway at about 9:40 p.m., the air station said. The mayor of Jacksonville said on Twitter that everyone on board the flight was “alive and accounted for” but that crews were working to control jet fuel on the water. “The plane was not submerged. Every person is alive and accounted for,” the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said on Twitter. The sheriff’s tweet was accompanied by two photographs showing the plane bearing the logo of Miami Air International resting in shallow water and fully intact. Miami Air International is a charter airline operating a fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Representatives for the airline could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters on Friday evening. A Boeing spokesman said that the company was aware of the incident and was gathering information.

boeing
florida
u.s .
accidents
aviation
air accidents


King Maha Vajiralongkorn crowned Rama X of Thailand

Abstract: BANGKOK - King Maha Vajiralongkorn — Rama X of Thailand — was crowned Saturday in a dazzling show of pageantry, laced with Hindu and Buddhist ritual, vowing to reign “with righteousness” on behalf of the Thai people. Starting at the auspicious time of 10:09 a.m., the public was granted a rare window into the cloistered halls of Thai power as the key rituals of the three-day coronation began. King Vajiralongkorn is the 10th monarch of the Chakri dynasty, which has reigned since 1782. He ascended to the throne over two years ago following his the death of his beloved father but waited until after a long mourning period before setting his coronation date. Saturday’s somber ceremony opened with the white-gowned king — the folds of his robe leaving one shoulder bared — receiving sacred water from across Thailand and dabbing it gently across his face at a shrine inside the Grand Palace complex. A cannon salute marked the moment as pipes played and Buddhist monks chanted. Several gray-haired Hindu Brahmins were also in attendance at the syncretic ceremony, which symbolizes Rama X’s transformation from a human to divine figure. He later took his seat under the umbrella of state and was handed the great crown of victory, a tiered gold 7.3-kilogram (16-pound) headpiece topped by a diamond from India. Uttering his first, brief royal command, he vowed to reign “with righteousness” for the benefit of the Thai people. His fourth wife, Suthida — married in a surprise ceremony days before the coronation — was invested as queen, kneeling in respect in front of her husband, who sat on a throne. For most Thais, it is the first time they have witnessed the pomp and grandeur of a coronation — the last was in 1950 for the king’s beloved father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Bhumibol was seen as a figure of unity in the politically chaotic kingdom until his death in October 2016. His son Vajiralongkorn, 66, is less well-known to the Thai public, preferring to spend much of his time overseas and rarely addressing his subjects. Fiercely private and four times married, he has inherited one of the world’s richest monarchies and a kingdom submerged by political crisis. Thailand has been run by an archroyalist junta since 2014. Rama X is widely seen as an adroit player of Thailand’s treacherous politics, intervening several times — including in the March 24 election — during his short reign. Those elections have yet to yield a new government, with the kingdom split between pro and anti-junta blocs — the latter crying foul over the vote count so far. Full results are due to be announced in the coming week, with the ruling junta tipped to return as the civilian government. “The coronation distracts from the popular indignation regarding election irregularities,” said Thai politics expert Paul Chambers of Naresuan University. The Thai monarchy takes primacy in the country’s power pyramid but is buttressed by the army. Junta leaders past and present were prominent in Saturday’s ceremonies. The king arrived at the Grand Palace in a cream Rolls-Royce, his hand raised in a wave but his face characteristically inscrutable. On Friday, the king warmly greeted family members, a rare glimpse of royal family intimacy broadcast on Thai television, including his elder sister Ubolratana. She stunned Thailand in February when her name was forwarded as a candidate for premier by an anti-junta party — a move swiftly shot down by her brother in a rare royal command. Harsh lese-majeste laws mean unguarded discussion about the monarchy inside Thailand is virtually impossible. Thailand’s normally hyperactive social media were subdued in the days leading up to the coronation. Born on July 28, 1952, the British-schooled Vajiralongkorn is known for his love of cycling and piloting jets, but he spends much of his time overseas — mainly in Germany — and remains something of a mystery to many Thais.

king maha vajiralongkorn
thailand
history
royalty
tradition


North Korea fires several rounds of short-range 'projectiles' into Sea of Japan, South Korea says

Abstract: North Korea fired several rounds of unidentified short-range “projectiles” into the Sea of Japan on Saturday, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The North “fired multiple rounds of unidentified projectiles from its east coast town of Wonsan in the northeastern direction between 9:06 a.m. and 9:27 a.m. today,” the JCS said in a release. They flew for a range of about 70 kilometers to 200 kilometers, the JCS said. Japan’s Defense Ministry said the projectiles did not reach anywhere near the country’s coast and that Japan is not facing any security threat. The ministry said it has not detected signs that any of the projectiles fired Saturday reached in or around the country’s territory or its 200-nautical-mile (320-kilometer) exclusive economic zone. Japan is seen as likely to avoiding any harsh response as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to secure a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The JCS had initially referred to the weapons as being missiles. The change suggested the firings could have involved multiple rocket launches, not missiles. “What the North fired this time is not a ballistic missile,” the South’s Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified official with the country’s military as saying. The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan also spoke separately with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the telephone, with Washington agreeing to “prudently” handle the North Korean launch, the South’s Foreign Ministry said. “Regarding today’s launch, the two sides agreed to prudently deal with it and continue to communicate while continuing additional analysis (of the launch),” the ministry said in a statement. The Pentagon was also looking into the apparent launch, a U.S. Defense Department spokesman said. If the launch was of missiles, it would be the first by the nuclear-armed country since November 2017. The move was likely to raise tensions as denuclearization talks with the United States remain deadlocked. It comes just days after North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, a key figure in nuclear negotiations with the United States, warned of an “undesired consequence” for the U.S. if Washington does not adjust its policy on North Korea’s denuclearization by an end-of-the-year deadline Kim has set. In mid-April, the North Korean leader also oversaw a test of what the country called a new type of “guided tactical weapon.” That and Saturday’s launches appeared to signal that Kim was working to escalate tensions in an attempt to gain leverage with Washington. The nuclear talks have stalled since the second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed in February with no deal on the North’s denuclearization. While Choe did not elaborate as to what that consequence might mean, it could suggest a resumption of nuclear or missile tests by the North. Choe said in March that the country was rethinking whether to continue talks with the U.S., adding that Kim would decide soon whether to stay on the track of dialogue and maintain its informal nuclear and missile moratorium. Around the end of 2017, North Korea informally adopted a freeze on missile flight tests, and in April last year, it declared a “suspension” of nuclear and long-range missile tests. At a meeting of the North’s rubber-stamp parliament in April, Kim said he is willing to meet with Trump for a third time for nuclear talks — if Washington comes to the table with the “correct posture” — but laid down a year-end deadline “for a bold decision from the U.S.”

north korea
south korea
kim jong un
missiles
donald trump
north korea nuclear crisis


Background on the royal instruments for Thai king's coronation

Abstract: BANGKOK - During Thailand’s main coronation event for King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Saturday, the monarch was presented with five royal regalia marking the legitimacy of his reign. Historical evidence suggests the tradition dates back to the Ayutthaya period (1350-1767) of Siam, as Thailand was known. The items were first made for the coronation of King Buddha Yod Fa Chulalok (Rama I) and are heavily infused with Hindu-Brahman beliefs. Here are the five royal instruments that played a vital role in making King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) the 10th divine monarch of Thailand’s Chakri dynasty. The great crown of victory : The crown is the most important article among all the royal regalia. Adorned with diamonds set in gold enamel, the crown is 66 cm (26 inches) tall and weighs 7.3 kg (16 pounds). At the tip of the cone-shaped crown is a large diamond from Kolkata called Phra Maha Wichian Mani. During coronation ceremonies of the early reigns, kings Rama I to III would only place the crown next to them upon receiving it. But later, when Siam had more contact with European countries, King Rama IV started the practice of placing the crown upon his head, to be more in line with the Western idea of kingship. The high-reaching crown symbolizes the summit of Mount Meru, the Hindu god Indra’s heavenly abode, and its weight represents the monarch’s royal burden. The sword of victory : The sword is believed to be an ancient sword of the Khmer Empire, which was lost at the bottom of a lake in Siem Reap until it was caught in a fisherman’s net and later presented to King Rama I. The king then ordered the sword’s hilt and sheath to be ornamented in gold enamel and precious gems, becoming the sword Phra Saeng Khan Chai Sri as we now know it. The length of the sword is 89.8 cm (35 inches), including the 64.5-cm (25-inch) blade. It weighs 1.9 kg (4.2 pounds) when enclosed with the sheath. It represents the king’s ability to protect his nation. The royal scepter : The 118-cm (3.8-foot) staff, called Than Phra Kon, is made of Javanese cassia wood enameled in gold. The finial is shaped like a trident gilded with gold, and its iron hilt is also inlaid with gold. The staff symbolizes the righteousness of the king. The royal fan and fly whisk : The Walawichani was originally only a fan made of a palm leaf, with gold-trimmed rim and gold-enameled rod. However, King Rama IV said Walawichani, in the Pali language, refers more to a whisk-like item, made from the hair of a yak, an animal found in the Himalayas. The king, therefore, ordered the whisk to be made and included it in the royal regalia along with the original palm-leaf fan. The fan and whisk signify the king’s duty to chase away his people’s troubles. The royal slippers : The curve-tipped slippers, called Chalong Phrabat Choeng Ngon, are made of colorful enameled gold and inlaid with diamonds. During the coronation ceremony, the chief Brahmin, who presents the king with the five royal regalia, put the slippers on the king’s feet. The royal slippers represent the ground of Mount Meru, the abode of the god Indra.

thailand
king maha vajiralongkorn
tradition
history
royalty


North Korea faces food crisis due to drought, heat, floods and bad policy: U.N.

Abstract: GENEVA - Four in 10 North Koreans are chronically short of food, and further cuts to already minimal rations are expected after the worst harvest in a decade, the United Nations said on Friday. Official rations are down to 300 grams (under 11 ounces) per person per day, the lowest ever for this time of year, the U.N. said following a food security assessment it carried out at Pyongyang’s request from March 29 to April 12. Many families eat very little protein, surviving on a diet of rice and kimchi cabbage most of the year. “This is worrying because many communities are already extremely vulnerable, and any further cuts to already minimal food rations could push them deep into a hunger crisis,” said Nicolas Bidault, who co-led the mission. It found that 10.1 million people were suffering from severe food insecurity, “meaning they do not have enough food till the next harvest,” U.N. World Food Programme spokesman Herve Verhoosel said. North Korea’s population is around 25.2 million, according to its Central Bureau of Statistics, the report said. Verhoosel said the word “famine” was not being used in the current crisis, but it might come to that in a few months or years. “The situation is very serious today — that’s a fact.” The country suffered a famine in the mid-1990s that is believed to have killed as many as 3 million people. For its assessment the WFP, one of only a few aid agencies with access to the country, gained widespread entry to farms, households, nurseries and food distribution centers. Verhoosel blamed a combination of dry spells, heat waves and flooding for the new crisis, which the U.S. State Department said was the government’s fault. “The DPRK regime continues to exploit, starve and neglect its own people in order to advance its unlawful nuclear and weapons program,” a department spokeswoman said, adding that it could meet its people’s needs if it redirected state funds. After a second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump failed to produce a deal to end the program in return for sanctions relief, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un set a year-end deadline for Washington to show more flexibility. North Korea has for years relied on regular supplies of U.N. food aid. Its agricultural output of 4.9 million tons was the lowest since 2008-2009, leading to a food deficit of 1.36 million tons in the 2018-2019 marketing year, the WPF report said. Prospects for the 2019 early-season crops of wheat and barley are worrisome. “The effects of repeated climate shocks are compounded by shortages of fuel, fertiliser and spare parts crucial for farming,” Verhoosel said. The WFP plans to make another assessment during July and August.

north korea
food
hunger
agriculture
u.n .
north korea nuclear crisis


Cyclone Fani targets Kolkata on coastal rampage

Abstract: KOLKATA - Cyclone Fani headed for the major Indian city of Kolkata on Saturday after leaving a trail of deadly destruction along the country’s east coast. Fani, one of the most powerful storms to come out of the Bay of Bengal in the past decade, has reportedly killed at least eight people in India and one person in Bangladesh — some hit by flying trees and lumps of concrete carried by ferocious winds. While weakening, the storm — which had packed winds of 200 kilometers (125 miles) an hour — lashed torrential rain onto Kolkata, and its normally packed streets were empty ahead of the arrival of Fani, which means ‘snake’ in the Bengali language. The international airport in the city of 5 million people was ordered closed. Train services were also halted. The storm moved north into West Bengal state from neighboring Odisha, where more than 1 million people were moved away from coastal areas. Eight people were killed in Odisha, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported, including a teenage boy crushed under a tree and a woman hit by concrete debris. Authorities in Bangladesh, next in Fani’s path, said a woman was killed by a tree, and that 14 villages were inundated as a tidal surge breached flood dams even before the storm arrived. Some 400,000 people have been taken to shelters, officials told AFP. While not confirming any deaths, Odisha disaster management official Prabhat Mahapatra told AFP there were about 160 people injured in the Hindu pilgrimage city of Puri alone. The storm made landfall just south of Puri and immediately tore up trees and flimsy thatched roof homes. “It just went dark and then suddenly we could barely see five meters in front of us,” said one Puri resident. “There were roadside food carts, store signs all flying by in the air,” the man told AFP. “The wind is deafening.” PTI reported that a construction crane collapsed and that a police booth was dragged 60 meters by the wind. As Fani headed northeast, Odisha authorities battled to remove fallen trees and other debris strewn over roads and to restore phone and internet services. Electricity pylons were down, tin roofs were ripped off and windows on many buildings were smashed. Puri’s famous 12th-century Jagannath temple escaped damage. Gouranga Malick, 48, was solemnly picking up bricks after the small two-room house he shared with his six-strong family collapsed, its roof blown away. “I have never witnessed this type of devastation in my lifetime,” he told AFP. “Energy infrastructure has been completely destroyed,” Odisha’s chief minister Naveen Patnaik said. In Kolkata, many businesses took precautions ahead of the storm’s arrival. Shopping malls shut and hawkers moved their stalls off the roads. Only a few vehicles packed with people heading home plied the roads. Subrata Das, manager of the AXIS Mall, said: “We have seen how the cyclone ravaged some buildings in Bhubaneswar. We don’t want to take any risk. We are trying to survive the cyclone.” “If we don’t take our things, we fear the cyclone will raze everything,” said Murad Hussain, 45, who runs a stall. “We are monitoring the situation 24/7 and doing all it takes. … Be alert, take care and stay safe for the next two days,” West Bengal’s chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, tweeted. The winds were felt as far away as Mount Everest, with tents blown away at Camp 2 at 6,400 meters (21,000 feet) and Nepali authorities cautioning helicopters against flying. Ports have been closed but the Indian Navy has sent warships to the region to help if needed. Hundreds of workers were taken off offshore oil rigs. “We are mooring our boat because it’s the only means of income for us. Only Allah knows when we can go back to fishing again,” Akbar Ali, a fisherman near the town of Dacope in Bangladesh, told AFP while battling surging waves to tie his boat to a tree.

cyclone fani
kolkata
india
storms
weather
typhoons


Rising political star Shinjiro Koizumi calls for closer Japan-U.S. alliance and vows domestic reforms

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Rising political star Shinjiro Koizumi on Friday called for a deepening of the alliance between Tokyo and Washington while expressing his commitment to reforms that will help Japan cope with its rapidly aging population. “I am absolutely convinced that Japan will remain a reliable partner for the United States and for the world,” Koizumi, a lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said in a speech in Washington. With the rise of China leading to a shift in the regional balance, Koizumi said there will be room for further collaboration between Japan and other democratic countries in the Indo-Pacific, such as the United States, India and Indonesia. “Japan should engage more with the world and play a more significant role on the international stage,” he told the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank. “Shifting geopolitical dynamics now more so than ever put Japan and the United States in the same boat, both politically and economically.” A son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, the 38-year-old is seen as a potential future prime minister. The younger Koizumi studied at Columbia University and served as a fellow at the CSIS. Despite the nation’s declining population, the Japanese market “has been expanding significantly in recent years,” Koizumi said, citing the enforcement of a revised 11-member Pacific trade pact and a free trade agreement between Japan and the European Union. He also voiced confidence that Japan will further increase exports of agricultural products, given a rising demand for healthy Japanese farm produce abroad. Koizumi said Japan is “at the edge of a new frontier” with its shrinking population and high life expectancy, and he pledged to help the country thrive in the future by advancing social security and employment reforms. “New frontier” was a term used by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy. “Just like President Kennedy, I am also determined to do everything I can to inspire the Japanese people to undertake all reforms necessary for our survival,” Koizumi said. “The guiding principle for Japan’s future should be its engagement with the world and its reinvention,” he said.

shinjiro koizumi
ldp
u.s.-japan relations


New group of South Korean lawmakers plans fence-mending visit to Japan; Nam Gwan-pyo named new ambassador

Abstract: SEOUL - Moon Hee-sang, speaker of South Korea’s National Assembly, has set up a group of lawmakers to beef up interchanges with Japanese politicians, the office of the assembly’s press secretary announced on Friday. Suh Chung-won, an independent who formerly headed an association of National Assembly members that promotes relations with Japan, was named head of the new group. Korean politicians including Suh and Kang Chang-il, the association’s current head, will visit Japan this month. They will hold talks with senior members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to seek ways to stop the deterioration in bilateral relations, according to sources close to them. Earlier this year, Moon called on the emperor to apologize to former South Korean “comfort women,” a euphemism for women who provided sex — including those who did so against their will — for Japanese troops before and during World War II. The Japanese government has been urging Moon to withdraw the remark and apologize. Under the circumstances, Moon will not visit Japan this time, according to the sources. In the meantime, Nam Gwan-pyo, former second deputy chief of the National Security Office at the South Korean presidential office, was formally named ambassador to Japan on Friday. The relationship between the two Asian neighbors has also been souring in the wake of a series of court rulings, including by the South Korean Supreme Court, ordering Japanese companies to pay compensation to Koreans who were requisitioned to work for them during the war.

moon hee-sang
comfort women
south korea-japan relations
nam gwan pyo


Japan's gang members are running out of places to hide

Abstract: Membership in organized crime syndicates has been decreasing about 10 percent each year since 2011, according to National Police Agency statistics. The reasons for the decline in membership are complex but we should give credit to the police for using every means at their disposal to put them behind bars or force them to go straight. Law enforcement officials are finally utilizing legislation that has existed for years without really being applied effectively. Gangsters that remain in syndicates have no place left to hide, with many being picked up for either trying to hide their identity or conceal evidence. According to the Osaka Police Department, several Yamaguchi-gumi gangsters attacked a rival gang member in the street on Feb. 7. Interestingly, security cameras at the entrance of the syndicate caught the assault on tape. Police officers arrested five gang members on assault charges in April 2018, asking the syndicate to voluntarily hand over the tapes for review. The syndicate refused to comply with the request. After obtaining a search warrant, police officers then raided the syndicate’s offices and seized the tapes. The period of time when the assault had taken place had been erased. In November, the police then arrested 11 members of the gang for willfully destroying evidence, which constitutes a violation of the organized crime control laws. A veteran organized crime case officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said prosecuting gangsters for destruction of evidence was a new tactic in the war against organized crime. “There was a time when violence between gangs was overlooked,” the officer says. “Over time, however, we’ve realized that such crimes can spill over and hurt ordinary people. But by prosecuting gang members for destroying evidence, we’re also adding pressure on gangsters to confess to their crimes — like they used to in the old days.” The organized crime ordinances that went into effect nationwide on Oct. 1, 2011, not only criminalized paying off syndicates but also prompted banks, real estate agencies and other firms to revise their contracts and exclude syndicates as clients. Such clauses appear on forms like gym membership applications, where potential members are asked to check a box confirming they’re not part of a gang. If a gang member is later found to have checked this box, they can be arrested for fraud — and often are. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, 59 of 120 banks nationwide had used exclusionary regulations to cancel contracts with gang members as of Sept. 4 last year. More than 1,300 bank accounts have been closed as a result. Some gang members argued the regulations are a violation of their human rights but courts in Japan disagree. In a case contesting the unilateral closing of yakuza accounts, the Fukuoka High Court ruled that “exclusionary clauses governing organized crime are necessary to restrict the economic activities of gangs and limit their acquisition of funds.” Moreover, the court ruled, “they exist to protect the peace and safety of society” and were, therefore, perfectly legal. Gang members now find themselves in a bind. If they attempt to hide their identity or conceal evidence, they are arrested. If they reveal their identity, they can’t open a bank account, rent a car or stay at a hotel. Gang members can also be arrested if they hide their income. In July 2018, the leader of the Kitakyushu-based Kudo-kai gang was found guilty of failing to pay taxes worth an estimated $3 million. He was sentenced to three years in jail and fined ¥80 million. The court ruled that the revenue the group had been collecting from construction companies as “hospitality payments” was effectively criminal income and that the portion subsequently paid to the syndicate boss was the equivalent of personal income. That does leave gang members with the option of openly declaring their income, but such a move might also incriminate them at the same time. Of course, some question whether the police aren’t taking things a little too far. In January, Tokai Television reported that a 60-year-old gang member was arrested for working at a post office and hiding his affiliation. He had signed a form declaring that he was not a member of any crime syndicate. After four days of work, he confessed to being a gangster and resigned. Yet, he was still arrested. According to a report in the Kobe Shimbun newspaper on Sept. 24, police helped 4,810 people leave crime syndicates between 2010 and 2017. Only 2.6 percent of these former gang members were able to subsequently find a job. Many former gang members go from being thugs with a modicum of ethics — don’t rob, steal, swindle, sell drugs, etc. — to being common criminals without much muscle very quickly. Crime syndicates are, for the most part, parasites that prey on weaker members of society and profit from labor exploitation and shady deals. It’s good to see the authorities finally cracking down on the syndicates but if gang members are being driven out of hiding, then we need to find a place for them to be rehabilitated.


Social media fails to follow traditional news outlets' stricter approach to portrait rights in Japan

Abstract: A man in Chiba Prefecture became irritated last month at how long it was taking for a barrier at a rail crossing to open. Losing patience, he fetched a hand saw from his van and removed the barrier arm so that he could drive through. Unfortunately, another person recorded the incident on their phone and posted it on Twitter . The user apologized for capturing a few passing cars’ license plates, but believed it was important to capture the man’s behavior. The post went viral , attracting tons of attention online before ultimately being picked up by television networks. When excerpts from the video were broadcast on TV, news programs blurred the man’s face. This is common practice for mass media in Japan, but this was only one of several recent incidents underlining how social media has changed such perception of privacy. Sites such as Twitter and YouTube are far more likely to encroach into someone’s space, whether the purpose is to shame someone for acting badly … or simply score some laughs. Part of the appeal of the internet early on in Japan was the sense of anonymity granted to users. This allowed sites such as 2channel or Mixi to become hubs of online activity. Even today, Twitter in Japan stands apart from other platforms because of this, with its privacy policy even specifying that pseudonyms are acceptable. This anonymity has emboldened users to attack others, with no hesitation about hiding their identity. One of the most popular genres of video online is the DQN video, a slang term referring to people acting in a stupid or obnoxious fashion. Compilations on YouTube capture such behavior in convenience stores and on the streets . This has extended to all corners of the internet, where some use the Net as a way to shame anyone doing something they shouldn’t be doing . A recent example of this occurred in Nagoya, where a man delayed a train by refusing to let its doors close . A video of the incident was shared online and was ultimately picked up by TV networks, which also blurred the faces of the people that appeared in the frame. This is because the networks are playing it safe. Media law in Japan gives people the right to be left alone, while portrait rights allow individuals to avoid being photographed. Such legislation has been around for decades as a way to protect identities, although the application of such laws gets blurry pretty fast . In short, if you film in public and you publish the results online, a person in the footage can in theory file a complaint if their identity is clear. Such practice also applies to social media, as a person can file similar complaints to YouTube or Twitter. In general, traditional media abides by these standards to avoid lawsuits. They are bigger targets with large financial reserves, after all. Individual online users generally don’t have to worry about this too much, although it is possible to find yourself in hot water for uploading such posts. It isn’t all about documenting jerks and teens messing with food . The Twitter account Shibuya Meltdown shares photos and videos of people sleeping in the entertainment district, along with images of other chaotic behavior. “Yeah, for some reason it’s the funniest thing in the world,” account founder Thom O’Brien told Vice in 2016 . Is it ethical? In the Vice interview, O’Brien wrestles with this question, but justifies it by saying being in public makes them fair game (while also avoiding ethical pits such as photographing homeless individuals). Shibuya Meltdown is ultimately a DQN account without the shaming ( down to highlighting recent incidents ), and has proven popular both at home and abroad. It helps that O’Brien says he doesn’t profit from the site or try to sway public opinion — compare this to a like-minded Polish photographer’s series , which was published in a book and tried to take a broader look at life in Japan. People weren’t so happy . However, trepidation still exists. Sometimes, Japanese netizens post images on #shibuyameltdown but go so far as to blur out faces . Maybe the best way to look at privacy on social media in Japan is to treat each user like its own TV station, and it is up to them to decide whether or not to play it safe and blur the faces. Hopefully, they will be able to save a few barrier poles at rail crossings in the process.

social media
portrait rights
japan pulse


Talking trash: The sport of collecting as much waste as possible

Abstract: Thanks to Netflix, many are familiar with Japanese clutter-buster Marie Kondo and her soothing remedies for the melancholy brought on by conspicuous consumption. Kondo is already a superstar in Japan, where closet sizes barely keep up with snowballing affluence, but she wasn’t the first in her field, nor necessarily the most influential. She reportedly now lives in Southern California but occasionally comes back to Japan to oversee her publishing and mentoring empire. A few weeks ago, NHK took advantage of KonMari mania with a show about the ecstasy of organizing , but mainly had to settle for her local acolytes. As is often the case, NHK is behind the curve because domestic media organizations have already moved on to the next stage in personal space care, which is what to do with all the junk produced when you rid your life of things that no longer spark joy. Supposedly, the KonMari boom in America has done wonderful things for second-hand book and clothing stores, but less great things for the environment . Given Japan’s limited space, refuse is a more compelling concern here, and I’m not just talking about gomi-yashiki (garbage houses), where trash accumulation is so severe that residents can barely move around. The issue there is mostly one of temperament, which is why TV shows about hoarding seem to be universal. However, excess trash is firstly a matter of excess consumption, a slippery slope for the authorities, who want people to buy things in order to keep the economy running. So the real challenge is taking charge of one’s garbage. This challenge has been met with a sub-genre of recreational activity and entertainment that finds enjoyment in the management of trash. In January, the Asahi Shimbun ran a story about something called supo-gomi taikai , a “sport” where teams compete to collect as much litter as possible. The article focused on one such meet held in Wakayama Prefecture in December. Around 70 participants ranging in age from 6 to 78 were divided into teams of between three and five persons. Everyone started at the same point in a public park, and when signaled to begin they started collecting trash within a 1-kilometer radius of that point. When a player found a piece of trash they called out their discovery, which was not limited by size. In fact, smaller items are often valued more because points are rewarded not just for the weight of the garbage collected, but the type as well, the idea being that certain items, such as cigarette butts, have a higher priority. So just because a team ends up with the most volume of trash at the end of the allotted time, it doesn’t mean they will win. The man who came up with the sport, Kenichi Mamitsuka, told the Asahi Shimbun that whenever he went out for his daily run he would often pick up litter and, in order to make the activity more fun, he tried to collect as much trash as possible without extending his exercise time. He then realized that such a challenge might be appealing to young people, who usually don’t pick up trash. He set up an organization to promote litter collection as a sport , and so far has overseen 639 events nationwide and abroad comprising about 76,000 participants. One research institute reported that the sport has demonstrably improved environmental awareness among children who take part. They can directly see the benefits of such activities, even more so than turning out the lights to save electricity. The entertainment sector wasn’t going to ignore such a phenomenon. TV Tokyo, which never met a theme it couldn’t exploit on the cheap, aired a special program in March featuring boy band Da Pump in competition with a civic volunteer group in a bid to clean up a section of Tokyo Bay near Yokohama. The competition was a convenient excuse. The real purpose was to reveal the kinds of things people throw away so irresponsibly and, if that purpose was to shock, the show was successful. A team of scuba divers dredged up appliances, cellphones, a bullet casing and a bus-stop pole. When they found a woman’s wallet complete with credit cards and a driver’s license, they brought it to the police, assuming it had been stolen and tossed in the sea after the cash was removed. However, those finds were almost trivial compared to the amount of common garbage they collected, the bulk of which was made up of PET bottles and other plastics, thus leading to a mini-report on the scourge of illegal dumping, which amounts to 16 million tons nationwide every year. Part of the problem, according to TV Tokyo, is that legal landfill sites charge money and have strict rules. The program’s guests managed to track down one illegal dumper in Mie Prefecture and show him how to dispose of his garbage properly. There is one comedian, in fact, who has managed to boost his brand by moonlighting as a refuse collector. In his book “Kono Gomi wa Shushu Dekimasen” (“ We Can’t Collect This Garbage ”), Shuichi Takizawa says that when he became a father he realized his work with the comedy duo Machine Guns didn’t pay enough, so he got a job as a garbage man with his local government. While working he often tweeted about how much fun he was having, and other show business personalities would retweet his comments. He was more famous as a sanitation engineer than he was as a comedian. However, the most successful example of turning refuse into entertainment is probably the YouTube channel for Katazuke Tonton, a cleaning service out of Aichi Prefecture that make videos of their jobs tidying up gomi-yashiki that are as sophisticated as any you will find on commercial TV. The channel’s videos are in fact much more edifying in that these workers are not only total professionals but more attuned to the psychology of hoarding than Marie Kondo is, since they actively do the work of decluttering people’s lives. When you’re this intimate with someone’s garbage, you can see into their soul.


Japan Times 1944: Potatoes to be grown on Diet Building lawn

Abstract: 100 YEARS AGO Saturday, May 24 1919 Mad dog bites seven children in Tokyo A dog kept by Tomoki Hayashi, of Dobocho, Kanda ward, suddenly went mad and bit seven children on the street yesterday morning. The dog was killed by police at once. The master was also bitten by the dog. 75 YEARS AGO Thursday, May 4, 1944 Potatoes to be grown on Diet Building lawn THE JAPAN TIMES Neat squares of Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn will dot the spacious lawn of the Diet Building grounds in a movement not to leave any cultivable land idle. The work on the first plot in the Diet grounds was tackled by 45 attendants of the Diet Building on Wednesday. Another plot of 100 tsubo will be dug up and planted by the end of May. The first crop of early potatoes, expected in June and other products of the garden will be offered for use of the restaurant in the Diet Building and served first of all to Prime Minister Gen. Hideki Tojo. The amateur farmers are looking forward eagerly to the time when the Prime Minister will taste the results of their efforts in gardening. Idle grounds in the three famous parks of Japan, the Kanazawa Kenroku-en, Okayama Koraku-en and the Mito Kairaku-en will also be tilled by the neighborhood and school children groups. Thus the parks will become not mere spots of pleasure but a real unit of “fighting Japan.” 50 YEARS AGO Sunday, May 18, 1969 Graduate files lawsuit over job offer loss THE JAPAN TIMES A 22-year-old university graduate Saturday filed with the Otsu District Court a suit against Dai Nippon Printing Co. of Tokyo demanding ¥2 million in solatium for the firm’s unexplained cancellation of a tentative decision to hire him. This is the first time a person has filed a suit over the cancellation of an informal decision to employ him by his prospective employer. The outcome of the suit will have far-reaching significance as not a small number of graduates or prospective graduates this year have had their tentative employment cancelled on the ground that they had engaged in militant political activities. The plaintiff in the suit is Munetada Takemoto, 22, who graduated from the faculty of economics of Shiga University last March. He took an employment exam for Dai Nippon, the nation’s leading printing company, on July 2 last year, and was notified by the company on July 12 that the company had tentatively decided to employ him. It is customary for Japanese business organizations to notify prospective employees of their tentative decision to employ them immediately after approving their employment, and then to officially employ them at a later date, typically in April. The plaintiff argued that his receipt of the tentative employment notice constituted the conclusion of a labor contract with the company. The printing company, the plaintiff said, notified him on Feb. 12 that it had cancelled his employment, without showing any reason for the cancellation. The unilateral action caused him to lose a chance to apply for positions in other leading organizations, he argued, Dai Nippon Printing Co. should pay him the April salary of ¥29,500 paid to other newly employed personnel and ¥2 million in solatium, the plaintiff argued. A lawyer for the plaintiff said that it was apparent that the company canceled his employment because of his ideological inclination. Discriminative employment based on one’s thought violated the Constitution, he said. Orie Kitajima, president of Dai Nippon Printing Co., said that as far as the company was concerned tentative employment did not constitute formal employment but only an act of reservation. He would not give any reason why the company canceled Takemoto’s employment. He said the company would like to settle the issue out of court. 25 YEARS AGO Tuesday, May 10, 1994 Harm to birds leaves bridge in the dark THE JAPAN TIMES Use of lights on Sato Ohashi Bridge, a major local tourist attraction, will be curbed due to a complaint from the Environmental Agency that the illumination may be harmful to birds, officials have said. Citing the possibility that the lights disturb the birds’ sense of direction, the agency complained to the Honshu Shikoku Bridge Authority and the authority agreed to cut the number of days the bridge will be illuminated this year from 80 to 53. Under a regulation to protect natural scenery, the bridge authority must negotiate with the agency before determining the number of days the bridge can be illuminated each year. “It is not desirable to light up the bridge for a long period because, as things stand now, we cannot rule out its effect on birds,” said a spokesman for the Seto-naikai National Park Office, a department of the agency. According to the Wild Bird Society of Japan, no incidents of illumination having an effect on wild birds have been reported. There have been reports, however, that some migratory birds were blinded by a lighthouse and died when they flew into it, society officials said. Migratory birds often travel at night. Both Okayama and Kagawa prefectural governments regret the decision. “We naturally assumed that the bridge authority installed the light system in a way that would not affect wild birds,” a local official said. “We wanted to have the lights on for as long as possible.” Officials in the prefectures, which the giant bridge links across the Seto Inland Sea, said they were surprised by the cut. They had counted on the lights drawing tourists to the area. The lights have been shining for about 30 days a year since 1989 on occasions such as the New Year’s holidays, the Bon festival and other festivals.

potatoes
dai nippon printing
sato ohashi bridge


Trump repeatedly took up abduction issue with Kim Jong Un: senior U.S. official

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly took up the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam in February, a senior U.S. official said Friday. Matt Pottinger, senior director for Asia at the National Security Council, disclosed the information at a meeting in Washington with family members of abduction victims. Pottinger pledged U.S. support for efforts to resolve the decades-old issue. According to Lower House lawmaker Keiji Furuya, Pottinger explained that at the bilateral summit, Trump referred to the abduction issue repeatedly, although Kim tried to change the subject of their talks. Furuya, who chairs a group of lawmakers working on the abduction issue, joined the meeting between Pottinger and the family members of abductees. Takuya Yokota, a younger brother of Megumi Yokota, who was taken at age 13 in 1977, asked the United States to help with the immediate resolution of the abduction issue. Noting that his 86-year-old father, Shigeru Yokota, is in the hospital, Yokota said his family is running out of time. After the meeting, Yokota told reporters, “We learned that we and the United States are on the same wavelength, and this is a significant result.” But Yokota also said he requested Washington refrain from easing sanctions on Pyongyang unless all victims are returned. Speaking at an event in Washington, Yokota also urged the U.S. government not to extend economic aid to North Korea during denuclearization negotiations unless Pyongyang immediately resolves the abduction issue. Koichiro Iizuka, a son of Yaeko Taguchi, who was kidnapped from an unknown location in 1978 at the age of 22, filed a similar request. Yokota and Iizuka, together with Japanese lawmakers, also met with Stephen Biegun, U.S. special representative for North Korea, on Thursday. Akira Sato, senior vice minister at the Cabinet Office, said he requested that Pottinger ask Trump to spend time with abductees’ families when he visits Japan in late May for a meeting with Emperor Naruhito. Speaking at the event, Cindy Warmbier, mother of Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student who died in 2017 following more than a year in detention in North Korea, expressed solidarity with the families of Japanese abductees. Warmbier said the U.S. government should not ease sanctions on North Korea. Japan officially lists 17 citizens as abduction victims and suspects North Korea’s involvement in many more disappearances. While five of the 17 were repatriated in 2002, Pyongyang maintains that eight — including Megumi Yokota — have died and the other four never entered the country.

abduction
takuya yokota
megumi yokota
north korea-japan relations


140,000 people greet Japan's Emperor Naruhito as he makes first public appearance since accession

Abstract: Emperor Naruhito expressed his hopes for progress toward world peace on Saturday at the Imperial Palace, where tens of thousands of people gathered to witness his first public greeting since ascending to the throne on May 1. “I am deeply blessed and grateful for everyone here today who has offered congratulations,” the emperor said in a prepared statement. “Not only do I pray for everyone’s health and happiness, I hope that our nation can join hands with countries around the world and together make progress toward achieving world peace.” More than 140,000 people gathered for greeting sessions scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the Imperial Household Agency, in which members of the imperial family made roughly five-minute appearances once every hour. The figure exceeded around 109,800 for the former emperor’s first public appearance in November 1990 following his ascension to the throne, according to the Imperial Household Agency. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako greet well-wishers during their first public appearance in their new roles at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Saturday. | REUTERS The celebration in 1990 took place nearly two years after the death of Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, as the country remained in mourning. The emperor — who was born in 1960 — has never experienced war. He was educated at Oxford University and traveled during his time in Europe. Empress Masako, a former diplomat and Harvard University graduate who is fluent in French and English, spent significant parts of her formative years in Moscow, New York and Boston. Emperor Naruhito (center) thanks well-wishers at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Saturday. Kyodo | KYODO “We’ve never had a bilingual imperial couple with no memory of or connection to World War II,” said Setsuko Okada, an 84-year-old Tokyo resident who came to the greeting. “Or any war for that matter, at least, not directly.” “Because of that he’ll want to build peaceful relationships with other nations.” A woman waves a Japanese flag and fans featuring the name of the new imperial era, Reiwa, on them before the first public appearance of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Saturday. | REUTERS Okada’s father and brother were extremely fond of the imperial household, she explained. While she has walked past the palace numerous times over the years, the emperor’s public greeting on Saturday was the first time she had ever stepped foot inside the Imperial Palace grounds, much less caught a glimpse of the imperial couple. She brought her 43-year-old daughter, Nozomi, along with her. Women wear kimono during Emperor Naruhito’s first public appearance at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Saturday. More than 140,000 people are estimated to have taken part in celebrations. | AFP-JIJI The mother and daughter agreed that Emperor Naruhito seems like a good person — much like his father — and with Empress Masako at his side, they believe the imperial household will continue to modernize. Setsuko said it’s important for the monarchy to have a strong connection to the rest of the world. “For better or worse, this country changed every time a new emperor took the throne,” she said. “The world gets bigger every day. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will help us build bridges with other countries.” Well-wishers wait in line to enter the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Saturday before the first public appearance of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako in their new roles. | REUTERS It was the Shibuya family’s first time inside the grounds of the Imperial Palace as well. The young mother and father, along with their 1-year-old child, thought the beginning of a new era — and the accession of the new emperor — was a good opportunity to make their first visit. The father, who preferred not to give his first name, said he was nervous leading up to the emperor’s first public appearance since ascending to the throne. “He thought we were going to get much closer,” the mother said, laughing. “We’ve been meaning to come to one of these for years but we never had the chance.” A dog attends festivities surrounding Emperor Naruhito’s first public appearance at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Saturday. | RYUSEI TAKAHASHI “But I’m glad we did,” she said. “Emperor Naruhito’s demeanor reminds me of his father. I hope he carries on his legacy by praying for disaster victims, doing his best to give them energy and hope, and meeting us ordinary people at the same level, just as his father did.”

emperor naruhito
imperial family
empress masako
abdication
imperial change


Rugby World Cup organizers express concern over beer stocks as Japan girds for thirsty foreign fans

Abstract: The Japanese organizing committee of the 2019 Rugby World Cup is calling on business operators in cities that host games to secure sufficient beer supplies in preparation for the expected arrival of beer-guzzling fans from abroad. On the occasions of past World Cup matches, many restaurants and bars ran out of beer, the organizers said. During the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, beer consumption at games was more than six times the amount consumed during soccer games at the same venues, according to the committee. Total beer consumption during the last quadrennial event stood at 1.9 million liters, including sales at public viewing sites. Of the total, 1.3 million liters was consumed at game venues. More than 400,000 foreign nationals are forecast to visit Japan during the World Cup, which will start in September. The organizing committee has held briefing sessions in the cities of Sapporo and Oita, which are expected to receive visits by particularly large numbers of foreign nationals among the 12 host cities. The committee warned restaurant and hotel operators that running out of beer would cost them lucrative business opportunities and could prompt bad publicity to be spread on social media. “After explanations by the organizing committee, not only restaurants but also wholesalers took it as a realistic problem,” an official from Oita Prefecture said. The prefectural government has asked four major brewers to bolster their beer supply systems, according to the official. It has also called on restaurants and bars to extend business hours so that visitors can enjoy drinking beer after games and cautioned all-you-can-drink establishments against running out of stock. “We hope they will pump up the event while taking care to ensure enough beer is in supply during the event,” the official said.

rugby
rugby world cup
beer
2019 rugby world cup
restaurants
bars
drinking
tourism


Japanese banks to boost fight against money laundering

Abstract: The banking industry will strengthen efforts to prevent money laundering in preparation for the planned review of industry efforts by an international organization in the autumn. Next month, MUFG Bank, a core unit of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., plans to terminate overseas remittances made at the counter of branch offices that bypass bank accounts. Other banks are likely to follow suit. The review will be carried out by the Financial Action Task Force, an international framework in which 36 countries and regions mutually examine measures to forestall money laundering and terrorist financing. In the previous review conducted in 2008, the FATF concluded that measures taken by the Japanese government and financial institutions were insufficient. If the industry receives a similarly inferior evaluation again, Japanese banks’ international transactions may be subject to restrictions, and overseas settlements and remittances, as well as transactions for cross-border trade, may be affected. Regional banks have taken the lead in stopping some forms of overseas fund transfers, since the services are not frequently used in smaller cities and are thus unprofitable. Shimane Bank is one of the regional lenders that have withdrawn from all types of overseas remittances, including services that use bank accounts. The Financial Services Agency will keep all financial institutions and other businesses informed of the need to urge foreign students and workers in Japan to close their bank accounts in the nation when they return home. The request comes after many such bank accounts were sold for extra income and used in money laundering and remittance fraud cases. “Japan is a rare country where the number of crimes is small, which led to the delay in efforts to fight money laundering,” a senior official of a major bank said. According to the National Police Agency, however, suspected transfers of criminal proceeds are increasing, making it urgent for banks to step up efforts to tackle money laundering.

mufg bank
mitsubishi ufj financial group
money-laundering


Germany expresses readiness to work with Japan on free trade and WTO reform

Abstract: BERLIN - Germany is ready to cooperate with Japan on promoting free trade and reforming the World Trade Organization, Germany’s economic minister, Peter Altmaier, said in a recent written interview with Jiji Press. Altmaier made the statement in the lead-up to a Group of 20 ministerial meeting on trade and digital economy in the city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, which will take place early next month. In the interview, Altmaier stressed that Japan is a close partner with his country. He said that as free trade benefits all countries, Germany will make every effort to lower trade tariffs and strengthen the WTO. Japan and the European Union have sent a message against protectionism by concluding an economic partnership agreement, the minister noted. Both Japan and the EU are facing tough trade negotiations with the United States under President Donald Trump. While the EU aims to negotiate with the United States for the mutual abolition of tariffs on industrial products, the U.S. side is poised to demand that the EU open up its agricultural markets. The Trump administration is expected to seek concessions from the EU and others by threatening to impose higher tariffs on imported vehicles. The German minister claimed that raising automotive tariffs would not serve U.S. interests, saying many U.S. lawmakers and industry stakeholders consider it the wrong path.


Drop while they shop: Osaka firm offers room to weary dads in no mood for Golden Week shopping

Abstract: In Osaka’s busy Minami downtown district, a rental office company offered a special service targeted at fathers and children just for Golden Week — a special room for rent where they could rest while other family members shopped. The firm, Naniwa Midosuji Hall, offered space in the 200-square-meter room under the advertising slogan: “We Keep Your Dads.” For a basic fee of ¥500 per person per hour, sleeping mats and huge cushions were made available. Users could also enjoy Wi-Fi, manga, beer and other drinks for additional charges. The firm usually rents out office rooms for business use, but Golden Week is a very slow time of the year. “In a cafe, I would feel uncomfortable because other people would see me,” said a man in his 40s, who came from Nara Prefecture with his wife who was shopping at that time. “This room helps me a lot.” Another man came to stay in the room as his wife and daughter went to a music concert. Women were also welcome, the firm said.

shopping
golden week
naniwa midosuji hall
holidays
namba


Zozo founder Yusaku Maezawa says he is selling valuable paintings and jokes that he never has any money

Abstract: Japanese fashion tycoon Yusaku Maezawa said he plans to auction off artworks worth millions of dollars because he has no money. Maezawa, the founder and CEO of online fashion retailer Zozo, said in a Twitter post on Saturday that he plans to sell several items at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on May 16. The art-loving billionaire attached screenshots of two pieces to the post — an Ed Ruscha painting with an estimated value of $2 million to $3 million and an Andy Warhol flowers painting with an estimate of $1.5 million to $2 million. In response to a user query of whether the sale was because he has no money, Maezawa replied in a Twitter post on Sunday, “Yes, I never have any money because I always spend it,” ending the post with a laughing face emoji. The publicity-seeking entrepreneur’s past spending antics include the $110 million purchase of a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting and signing up to be the first private passenger taken around the moon by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Maezawa’s ambitions have hit turbulence with the billionaire only recently returning to Twitter after a series of corporate missteps saw Zozo’s stock price plunge by more than half and left its cash position weakened.

zozo
yusaku maezawa
auctions
andy warhol
sotheby 's


Probe begins into Boeing 737-800 that slid off runway into Florida river

Abstract: LOS, ANGELES/CHICAGO/MILWAUKEE - Federal investigators on Saturday began searching for what caused a Boeing jetliner with 143 people on board to slide off a runway into a shallow river while landing at a Jacksonville, Florida military base during a thunderstorm, injuring 21 people. The Boeing 737-800 chartered by the U.S. military was arriving from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba with 136 passengers and seven crew members when it slid into the St. Johns river at the end of the runway at Naval Air Station Jacksonville on Friday night, authorities said. No one was badly hurt and the 21 people taken to a hospital were listed in good condition, the local sheriff’s office said. The National Transportation Safety Board posted a photograph on Twitter on Saturday showing NTSB investigator Dan Boggs holding an orange flight data recorder recovered from the aircraft. Earlier in the day, the agency said 16 investigators were arriving in Jacksonville. The plane, chartered from Miami Air International, was attempting to land at about 9:40 p.m. local time amid thunder and lightning when it slid off the runway and came to rest in the shallow water of the river, authorities and passengers said. “It is a miracle. We could be talking about a different story,” Capt. Michael Connor, commanding officer at the Jacksonville station, said at a news conference on Saturday. “There’s a lot to say about the professionalism of the folks that helped the passengers off the airplane … because it could have very well been worse.” Active-duty military members, civilian government employees and their dependents were on the jetliner, Connor told CNN. The military base is on the western bank of the St. Johns River about 8 miles (12.87 km) south of central Jacksonville, about 350 miles (563.27 km) north of Miami. Miami Air International is a charter airline operating a fleet of the Boeing 737-800, different from the 737 MAX 8 aircraft that has been grounded following two fatal crashes involving that plane. Representatives of the airline did not immediately reply to requests for comment. A spokesman for Boeing Co. said that the company was aware of the incident and was gathering information. The charter company is contracted by the military for its twice-weekly “rotator” round-trip service between the U.S. mainland and Guantanamo Bay, said Bill Dougherty, a spokesman for the Jacksonville base. It flies every Tuesday and Friday from the Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia to the Jacksonville air station and on to Cuba. It then flies back to Virginia with a stop again at Jacksonville, Dougherty said.


Deaths on both sides as militants fire hundreds of rockets into Israel, drawing strikes on Gaza

Abstract: GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP - Gaza militants fired fresh rocket barrages at Israel early Sunday in a deadly escalation that has seen Israel respond with waves of strikes as a fragile truce again faltered and a further escalation was feared. Gazan authorities reported four Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in the escalation that began Saturday, but Israel disputed their account of the deaths of a pregnant mother and her baby. One 58-year-old Israeli man was killed by a rocket strike on the city of Ashkelon near the Gaza border, Israeli police and the hospital said. The latest flare-up came with Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the blockaded Gaza Strip, seeking further concessions from Israel under the cease-fire. Israel said 430 rockets had been fired from the Palestinian enclave since Saturday and its air defenses intercepted many of them. Beyond the man killed, an 80-year-old woman was seriously injured in a rocket strike on the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, police and medics said. A man was also hospitalized in Ashkelon, said police, which spoke of other injuries without providing details. A house near Ashkelon was damaged while other rockets hit open areas. The Israeli Army said its tanks and planes hit some 200 militant targets in Gaza in response. They included an Islamic Jihad attack tunnel that stretched from southern Gaza into Israeli territory, it said. Two multistory buildings in Gaza City were destroyed. Israel said one of the buildings included Hamas military intelligence and security offices. Turkey said an office for its state news agency, Anadolu, was located in the building and strongly denounced the strike. Israel said the other building housed Hamas and Islamic Jihad offices. The Gaza health ministry said Israeli strikes killed a 14-month-old baby and her pregnant mother, 37, in addition to two Palestinian men, while 40 were wounded. Israeli Army spokesman Avichay Adraee on Twitter challenged the account of the mother and her baby being killed in an Israeli strike, suggesting they died from Palestinian fire. Adraee did not provide more details and the army refused to comment further. Israel’s military said it was targeting only military-related sites. As the exchange of fire continued, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with security chiefs on Saturday but had not commented publicly. A statement from Hamas ally Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for at least some of the rocket fire and said it was prepared for more. Its armed wing distributed a video showing militants handling rockets and threatening key Israeli sites, including Ben-Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv. Israel closed its people and goods crossings with Gaza as well as the zone it allows for fishermen off the enclave until further notice due to the rocket fire. Egyptian and U.N. officials were engaged in discussions to calm the situation, as they have done repeatedly in the past, while the European Union called for an immediate halt to rocket fire from Gaza. The U.N. envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Nickolay Mladenov, called on “all parties to immediately de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months.” The United States condemned the rocket attacks on Israel and said it fully supported its “right to self-defense against these abhorrent attacks.” The escalation follows what had been the most violent clashes along the Gaza border in weeks on Friday. Four Palestinians, including two Hamas militants, were killed after two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a shooting during weekly protests there. Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip have fought three wars since 2008 and fears remain of a fourth. A cease-fire between Israel and Hamas brokered by Egypt and the United Nations had led to relative calm around Israel’s April 9 general election. But the past week saw a gradual uptick in violence. With the cease-fire at risk, a Hamas delegation led by its Gaza head Yahya Sinwar went to Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials. The cease-fire has seen Israel allow Qatar to provide millions of dollars in aid to Gaza to pay salaries and to finance fuel purchases to ease a severe electricity shortage. Several factors may lead Israel to seek to calm the situation. Netanyahu is engaged in tough negotiations to form a new government following last month’s election, while Israel is due to host the Eurovision song contest in Tel Aviv from May 14 to 18. The country also celebrates its Independence Day on Thursday. On the Gazan side, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in the week ahead. Palestinians have participated in regular demonstrations and clashes along the Gaza border for more than a year, calling on Israel to ease its crippling blockade of the enclave. At least 271 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the protests began in March 2018, the majority along the border. Two Israeli soldiers have been killed in that period. Israel accuses Hamas of using the protests as cover to carry out attacks and says its actions are necessary to defend the border and stop infiltrations.

israel gaza palestinians hamas military conflict religion ethnicity


Trump proposal would make it easier to deport immigrants, including green card holders, who use benefits

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The Trump administration is considering reversing long-standing policy to make it easier to deport U.S. legal permanent residents who have used public benefits, part of an effort to restrict immigration by low-income people. A Department of Justice draft regulation, seen by Reuters, dramatically expands the category of people who could be subject to deportation on the grounds that they use benefits. Currently, those legal permanent residents who are declared to be a “public charge,” or primarily dependent on the government for subsistence, can be deported — but in practice, this is very rare. The draft regulation would use a more expansive definition to include some immigrants who have used an array of public benefits, including cash welfare, food stamps, housing aid or Medicaid. While the plan is at an early stage, might not become official government policy, and is likely to attract lawsuits, it is one part of efforts by the Trump administration to restrict legal immigration, in addition to its efforts to reduce illegal immigration to the United States. The full possible impact is not known, but the change in policy could affect permanent residents — also known as green card holders — who are legally entitled to use public benefits soon after their arrival in the United States, such as refugees. Department of Justice spokesman Alexei Woltornist said the agency “does not comment on or confirm draft regulations.” U.S. law allows for the deportation of immigrants who have become “public charges” within five years of admission if their reason for seeking help preceded their entry to the United States — for example, if they had a chronic health condition that was not disclosed. But due to a 1948 ruling, the deportation of immigrants for using public benefits has been strictly limited to cases in which the government has demanded payment for public services, and the person has failed to pay. Immigration lawyers said they have rarely if ever heard of someone being deported for using public benefits. The draft rule indicates the government would override that precedent to allow for deportation of some green card holders who have used certain public benefits within five years of admission. For the plan to go into effect, it would be subject to public comment, after which it could be revised. Attorney General William Barr would then have to sign off on it. The public benefits in question include Supplemental Security Income, given to disabled and older people; the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps; Section 8 housing vouchers; many Medicaid benefits; and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a cash assistance program. According to federal policy, many permanent residents do not qualify for public benefits unless they have had a green card for five years, making it unlikely they could be targeted for deportation on the basis of “public charge” even under the draft rule. But dozens of states have looser rules — for instance, allowing pregnant women and children who are permanent residents to access Medicaid without a waiting period. And the effort to tighten the rules could affect thousands of immigrant veterans, refugees and asylees, who are eligible to receive many benefits without time restrictions. Active members of the military would not be affected. Administration officials had earlier indicated that the Justice Department, which oversees U.S. immigration courts, planned to issue a regulation on who can be deported for using public benefits, but its details were not previously known. Immigrant advocates said the impact of the possible change is unclear, because it would be such a departure from long-standing practice. “We’re in new territory here because this has never been tested,” said Charles Wheeler, an attorney with the Catholic Legal Immigration Network nonprofit group. “I’m concerned that it’s going to be targeted at permanent resident aliens who otherwise thought they were free and clear to receive SSI and other public benefit programs.” The change, if implemented, fits with broader Trump administration efforts to squelch legal immigration by transforming public-charge rules. The administration has also slashed refugee admissions and imposed a broad travel ban on citizens of several mostly Muslim countries. The Justice Department’s draft proposal is based on a similar plan by the Department of Homeland Security to significantly broaden the definition of what it means to be a public charge. While DHS can decide whether to grant or deny immigration benefits, DOJ’s immigration judges can also decide whether a resident ought to be deported. The DHS is expected soon to tighten regulations so that a “public charge” would be any foreigner “who receives one or more public benefits,” including an array of cash and noncash benefits, such as food stamps, housing vouchers and Medicaid. The DOJ’s draft proposal mirrors that and also directs immigration judges to consider the use of public benefits as a heavily weighted negative factor when determining whether to admit a foreigner to the United States. The State Department is also trying to restrict entry to the United States of people it suspects might use public benefits. Last year, it gave U.S. consular officers more discretion to reject visas for people they believe may become public charges. The number of people refused immigrant visas on public-charge grounds was four times higher in 2018 than in 2017, and the highest total since 2004. In addition to considering new standards for deporting legal residents, the DOJ is also looking at requiring foreigners seeking permanent residency status to submit a declaration to an immigration judge that demonstrates their self-sufficiency. The form asks for a detailed listing of assets, income, and debts, among other information.


Russia's one-fingered 'hero' blogger defiantly rips Kremlin, one click at a time

Abstract: MOSCOW - He must use a wheelchair and has limited use of his hands, but Alexander Gorbunov, the author of hugely popular social media accounts in Russia, has emerged as one of President Vladimir Putin’s most vocal critics. Diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy and using his right index finger to type, the 27-year-old author of StalinGulag skewers the “hypocrisy” of Putin’s system and the everyday injustices ordinary Russians face. Known for his dry wit and generous use of profanities, StalinGulag has built an army of 1.5 million followers on Twitter and Telegram, with a total media outreach believed to include several million more. For years the StalinGulag author’s identity remained one of Russia’s best-kept secrets but Gorbunov blew his cover after authorities began harrassing his 65-year-old mother and 80-year-old father late last month. Gorbunov, an intelligent, soft-spoken man with a goatee, said he and his wife have been on tenterhooks. “They can easily arrest and put in prison anyone,” Gorbunov said in an interview, noting that even a short stint in jail could kill him. “They don’t care.” In an increasing crackdown on dissent, Putin in March signed laws that allow courts to fine and briefly jail people for showing disrespect towards the authorities and to block media for publishing “fake news.” Gorbunov, who is a successful self-taught financial trader by day, dreads publicity but last week revealed his identity to BBC and later spoke to AFP after gun-toting police inspected his parents’ home in the North Caucasus city of Makhachkala. His relatives in Moscow have also been intimidated, he says. “If the authorities are afraid of what I write they are worthless,” he said. Gorbunov’s story has stunned Russia. “This person is a damn hero,” said screenwriter Andrew Ryvkin, while author Denis Bilunov called Gorbunov “the person of the year.” In a show of solidarity, Pavel Durov, the self-exiled founder of the Telegram messenger app, verified the StalinGulag account and offered his author help in moving abroad. Gorbunov said he was heartened by the outpouring of support from Russians who have flooded him with offers of help and money. He has chalked up some 40,000 new followers over the past week. The blogger insisted he is neither a hero nor an opposition activist. He said he merely puts in writing his thoughts on everything from Russia’s foreign policy blunders to the excessive lifestyle of Putin’s inner circle. “What’s happening in the country is terrible,” Gorbunov said. “Injstice is what angers me the most.” In a 2018 post, he issued a dark warning to his readers. “Really scary times are coming,” he said, urging Russians to look out for each other. “This is the reality and not everyone will get out alive.” Gorbunov lives with his partner of seven years in a comfortable Moscow apartment, employs two drivers and a live-in aide and enjoys an active social life. He does not want to reveal his income but says he forks out around 400,000 rubles ($6,145) every month just to cover his rent and pay his helpers. He refuses to take any medication, saying his condition is incurable and he had no illusions about his future. “I don’t want to turn my life into a silly battle,” he said. “It’s a battle I am going to lose.” A lawyer by training, he works more than 10 hours a day, sometimes waking up at night if the market moves. He writes posts for his StalinGulag accounts when the mood strikes him and he needs a short break from work. He appears to take some of his inspiration from his favorite book, “Journey to the End of the Night” by French novelist Louis-Ferdinand Celine. The 1932 World War I classic filled with profanities expresses disgust with the hypocrisy of society and laments the misery of human existence. Gorbunov is fiercely protective of his wife, who sometimes holds his hand as he speaks and helps him drink from a cup. They met seven years ago but refuse to reveal details about their relationship. His story has generated huge media interest in Russia, but Gorbunov hopes the buzz will soon subside. He wants to get on with his life, watch the last season of “Game of Thrones” and keep trading and writing his blogs. He travels sometimes but has never been to Europe. Not that he plans to leave Russia, even though life for people with disabilities here is a relentless daily struggle, saying he wants to be together with his loved ones. For all his dark humor and keen intelligence, Gorbunov refuses to make any predictions about the future of the country. He has a feeling, however, that he will not see a change of leadership in his lifetime. “I am not an optimist in this sense.”

russia
blogs
alexander gorbunov
social media
vladimir putin


Austrian far-right leader ramps up anti-immigration rhetoric ahead of European elections

Abstract: ZURICH - The head of Austrian junior coalition partner and far-right Freedom Party pledged on Sunday to fight “creeping Islamization,” doubling down on his anti-immigration stance ahead of European elections on May 23. Heinz-Christian Strache, who serves as Austria’s vice chancellor, also insisted he would not stop referring to immigration as “population displacement,” a term used by far-right groups in Austria who want to reverse the inflow of newcomers into the country. Most polls in Austria showed the party was in third place, with its senior coalition partner, the conservative Austrian People’s Party in first and the opposition Social Democratic Party in second place. “There is a creeping Islamization, a population change, or a population displacement,” Strache told Austrian newspaper OE.24. Critics counter this view with government data on immigration, which shows that in 2018, roughly 16 percent of Austria’s population has foreign citizenship, up from 10 percent a decade earlier. Austria’s public broadcaster has compared anti-immigrant posters created by the FPO’s youth wing to Nazi propaganda, while the vice mayor of the Austrian town where Adolf Hitler was born resigned from the party after writing a poem comparing migrants with rats. Anti-immigration sentiment in Austria was stoked in 2015 during Europe’s migration crisis, during which thousands of migrants passed through the country on their way to other EU states such as Sweden and Germany. Many of them were Syrian War refugees. Austria took in asylum-seekers numbering the equivalent of around 1 percent of its population during the 2015 crisis. “It is our goal to correct the legacy of the previous government’s immigration policy and to stop immigration from Islamic countries and promote integration,” Strache told the newspaper.

austria
immigration
elections
heinz-christian strache


Britain-France Channel Tunnel, now 25, was centuries in the making

Abstract: PARIS - On May 6, 1994, Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Mitterrand boarded the royal Rolls-Royce and took an undersea train to Britain — a 50.5-kilometer (30-mile) trip that inaugurated a tunnel two centuries in the making. Followed by their spouses in a Citroen, their journey 100 meters (330 feet) underwater officially opened a route that has since been used by 430 million travelers and handles a quarter of the goods moved between Britain and Europe. It was a feat of engineering that cost billions of euros but was beset by delays, challenges and surprises. Already in 1802, French mining engineer Albert Mathieu-Favier had submitted to Napoleon Bonaparte a plan for a tunnel under the English Channel to be used by horse-drawn carriages. A hundred or so other projects were hatched over the 19th century as an alternative to the sea crossing, including bridges and underground tubes. In 1855 a proposal by Frenchman Aime Thome de Gamond won the approval of Queen Victoria and Napoleon III: a train in a bored rail tunnel. British mine owner and engineer William Low solved the tricky question of ventilation. Nearly two kilometers were drilled between 1878 and 1883, when work was halted. Britain — apparently wary of risks to its national defense — cited “strategic reasons.” The project would be revived 75 years and two world wars later. In 1957 the Channel Tunnel Study Group was formed to research the project. Around a decade later the two governments took the decision to build. Work got underway in 1973 and some 300 meters were dug out on the French side at Sangatte and 400 meters near Dover on the British side. But two years later, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson halted construction for budgetary reasons. After Margaret Thatcher took power in Britain in 1979 and Mitterrand in France two years later, the project to cross the channel gained new impetus. A group of Franco-British experts presented four options: a rail and road bridge, a rail and road bridge and tunnel, a rail and road tunnel or a rail tunnel. Most Britons followed Thatcher’s preference for a road link, while the French were keener on the rail option. It was a plan for a double undersea rail tunnel that got the final nod and the “Eurotunnel” was confirmed in a Franco-British agreement signed at Canterbury in February 1986. Europe’s biggest construction site involved up to 15,000 people with about 4,100 workers on the French side and nearly double the number in Britain. Media tracked the tunnel’s progress, a rate of “500 meters a month,” as well as the delays, strikes and technical problems — and, eventually, a countdown of the final kilometers. Then, at 12:12 p.m. on Dec. 1, 1990, workers from each side drilled through the final wall of rock separating their respective tunnels and joined up. A photograph shows the two helmeted men, each holding their national flags, making contact through the opening in the blue-black chalk. In a historical aside, the British miner, who then was a poster boy for the continental connection, is now a Brexit supporter. In a recent interview, Graham Fagg said he still marvels at one of humankind’s “greatest achievements” but admitted he has soured on closer relations with mainland Europe. “I worked on the Channel Tunnel and did the breakthrough, but I actually voted for Brexit,” the 70-year-old said. “I don’t see that as incompatible.” Fagg said he supported joining the European Economic Community — the forerunner to the EU — in a 1975 referendum, but had not envisaged it would become a political union. “We voted for a trade deal,” he explained. “I can’t remember anybody ever saying to me, ‘we’re going to turn it into a federal Europe. We’re going to set all the rules and you’ve got to obey them.'” Construction wrapped up in December 1993, the six years of work claiming the lives of nine workers, seven of them British. “Throughout this century, throughout the most difficult tests, the joining of French elan and British practicality has been marvellous,” Elizabeth said in French at a ceremony in the French town of Coquelles on May 6, 1994 to inaugurate the tunnel. “We now have, Madame, a land border,” said Mitterrand. The project would be “decisive” in strengthening the European union and the single European market, he said. After cutting a red, white and blue ribbon of Calais lace, the queen and president boarded her claret Rolls-Royce, which — due to its large size — was loaded onto a shuttle designed for buses and caravans for the subsea crossing to the terminal on the British side in Cheriton, Kent. Following behind in a car once owned by the late French President Charles de Gaulle were Mitterrand’s wife, Danielle, and the Duke of Edinburgh. During the 25-minute crossing, officials and journalists left their vehicles to mingle in the train and share their impressions, with U.K. Prime Minister John Major reportedly joking that Britain was “still an island.” Six months later the first members of the public would make the journey.

channel tunnel
eu
english channel
brexit
history
u.k .
anniversaries