Feng shui masters say Trump's secrets could be sniffed out in Year of the Boar

Abstract: HONG KONG - As the Chinese zodiac enters the Year of the Boar next week, feng shui masters are predicting turbulence and division for world leaders — not least President Donald Trump, who risks having past secrets revealed. Taiwanese fortune-teller Tsai Shang-chi explained that the boar can be a particularly bad year for those born in the year of the dog — which includes America’s divisive president. “All bad things done by people who were born in the dog years could be exposed and made public,” he said. “There is a chance he might be impeached.” Hong Kong feng shui master Thierry Chow concurred. “For Donald Trump, I foresee there would be quite a lot of energy focusing on getting himself out of trouble,” she explained. “There will be a lot of issues that will surface that won’t be very good for his career.” But Alion Yeo, another Hong Kong-based feng shui master, said Trump’s opponents will need to time their moves carefully. “The only chance to successfully impeach Trump is between Dec. 6 and Jan. 6, 2020,” he proclaimed. Feng shui — meaning “wind water” — is influential in many parts of Asia, where people adjust their lives and carefully position items such as a cup of water or pieces of crystal in offices and homes to maximize their luck and wealth. The philosophy says that all events are dictated by the varying balances in the five elements that make up the universe: metal, wood, water, fire and earth. The Chinese zodiac switches yearly among 12 animals that adopt a different elemental attribute each time they come around, which soothsayers then use to make predictions. This week’s Lunar New Year welcomes the arrival of the “earth boar.” Fortune tellers had predicted claws out for geopolitics in 2018, an “earth dog” year that saw the world’s two largest economies embark on a trade war and a bitterly divided Britain barrel towards leaving the European Union. Yeo said there should be fewer tensions between nations this year — but there would be little respite for politicians back home. “Pigs represent water. And when water adds with earth it becomes muddy, which means people will lack clear thinking and their decisions will be problematic this year,” Yeo said. Using his “I Ching” (“Book of Changes”) — the ancient Chinese divination book used by many fortune tellers — he alighted on the hexagram of “thunder,” which he said represents shock and quakes. “It indicates that every country will be very busy dealing with their internal problems, although international conflicts will be lessened this year,” Yeo explained. Not good news for Britain’s Theresa May, who has had a rough year trying to get her own party behind her deal with the EU. “The hexagram shows only by relying on the EU, Britain will be prosperous and lucky, and can develop smoothly and steadily,” Yeo said. “A ‘hard Brexit’ would lead to riots and protests.” Tsai said Britain faces a tough year whether it stays in or out of the EU. “The country’s economy would be bogged down whether Brexit will be realized or not and it would be a year of grave challenges for May.” On the U.S.-China trade war, Tsai said he held little hope for a breakthrough partly because the muddy confluences of the boar year will prompt both sides “to stick to old and conservative ways of thinking and only look at what is happening right in front of their eyes.” “The parties involved in the U.S.-China trade war would not see the long-term consequences, so negotiations are likely to fall through,” he said. Chow said Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was born in the year of the snake, is facing “an enormous energy that represents movements, shifts and sometime if it is not managed well, it will become trouble.” But a good year beckons for Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, who is expecting a baby at the end of April or early May. “We do see it is a very good year to have a baby for her,” Chow said. And the baby’s sex? “For her birth chart, it is a bit more male dominant energy. So I would say to expect more of a boy than a girl.”


Flu hits 300 staffers and inmates at Nagoya Prison, sparking lockdown and state of emergency

Abstract: NAGOYA - About 300 people — 200 prisoners and 100 staff members — at Nagoya Prison in Aichi Prefecture have contracted the flu since late December, the prison said Thursday. Even though none of the flu cases is severe at this point, the facility, which has a total of roughly 1,700 inmates, declared a state of emergency and temporarily suspended prisoner activities to allow inmates and staff to recover, and to stop the virus from spreading further. Prisoners started showing symptoms of the flu around Dec. 20, and 205 inmates had contracted it by Wednesday, according to the prison, which is located in the city of Miyoshi. The last time more than a hundred people at the prison caught the flu was in 2015 when 109 got sick. Starting Jan. 26, the prison began taking the temperature of every inmate daily in an effort to alleviate the situation. Prisoner activities have been temporarily put on hold and inmates have been confined to their rooms since Monday. The prison began testing its entire staff for the flu the same day. Every fall, the Justice Ministry cautions prisons to take precautions to stave off the onset of the flu. Since December, inmates and staff at Nagoya Prison have been advised to wear face masks and gargle, and 63 elderly individuals at higher risk have received vaccinations.


Over 100 guns found at house of deceased man in Tokyo after widow tips off police

Abstract: Over 100 guns have been found at a private house in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward after a male resident in his 50s died from an illness last July, police said Wednesday. The discovery came after the man’s widow reported to police in December that there were many guns in the house and that she was at a loss about what to do with them. The police have searched the house on suspicion of a violation of the firearm control law. They are now examining whether the guns, as well as bullets that were also found there, are real, and investigating how the man acquired them. The police believe that the man was a gun collector with no ties to yakuza or other anti-social groups. Police also found air guns and model guns, along with what appeared to be real guns, in his house. The man had obtained permission from the Tokyo Metropolitan Public Safety Commission to own some of the guns, including a rifle, but may have acquired other guns illegally, police said.


Japan to toughen controls on brokers for foreign workers as it prepares to bring in blue-collar labor

Abstract: The government is planning to strengthen regulations on brokers who collect large sums from foreign nationals seeking to work in Japan as the country prepares to bring in blue-collar workers from overseas under new visas. According to a draft plan compiled by the labor ministry, the government aims to enhance the protection of foreign workers from April, when the new visa system is scheduled to enter into force, by introducing tougher standards for Japanese placement agencies working with brokers overseas. The move reflects problems faced by foreign workers who arrive in the country as trainees under a government-sponsored technical internship program. They often bear heavy debts, as brokers collect a large amount of money from the workers or their families under the pretext of guarantee deposits or other fees. Under the envisioned stricter regulations, placement agencies in Japan may have their permits revoked or not be granted if associated brokers overseas collect deposits from workers, make them sign contracts that require them to pay penalties if they quit midway, or lend them money for travel expenses or other fees. Japan currently checks whether brokers are given permission for their work in each country but does not check whether they collect deposits. Tokyo has created a new visa system to attract foreign workers into its labor-hungry sectors — including construction, farming and nursing care — due to an aging population and falling birthrate. The introduction of the system represents a major change for the country, which had effectively granted working visas only to people with professional knowledge and high skill levels, such as doctors, lawyers and teachers. The number of foreign workers in Japan has tripled over the past decade to a record 1.46 million as of October, according to the ministry.


Tokyo and other parts of Kanto region may see snow on Thursday night

Abstract: Rain and some snow may fall on Tokyo Thursday night due to cold winds blowing in from the Pacific Ocean, the Meteorological Agency said Thursday, adding that commuters should be wary of traffic and icy roads. Between Thursday and Friday, reduced atmospheric pressure and low temperature winds traveling west across Japan are expected to disperse clouds across the area, which may lead to rain and snow in the Kanto region and across east Japan along the Pacific Coast. Though heavy snow in Tokyo’s 23 wards is unlikely, precipitation and low temperatures may cause roads and train tracks to become slick, according to the agency. Snow may accumulate in the lower elevations, as well. Up to 3 cm of snow is predicted to fall in some areas of the Kanto plain, with 20 cm expected in the northern part of Kanto near more elevated areas. The agency said it will continue to release updates as the weather progresses, and urged residents to be cautious when they travel outside.


Athletes shoot for stardom to raise profile of Paralympics

Abstract: Amid cries to nurture bona fide Paralympic superstars in Japan, Gurimu Narita, the men’s Pyeongchang Paralympic banked slalom champion, is certainly among the few athletes with the potential to become sports icons as famous as today’s able-bodied superstars. While social recognition of both the Paralympics and Olympics in Japan is virtually the same at around 97 percent and 98 percent, respectively, according to a survey by a professor at Nihon Fukushi University in December 2016, critics point out many still do not know much about the athletes and their sports. The few exceptions are people like Narita and men’s wheelchair tennis champion Shingo Kunieda. “A valuable aspect of the Paralympics is people getting inspired by watching great performances by top athletes,” professor Motoaki Fujita said, adding that an environment must be created in which all people, able-bodied and disabled and from children to top athletes, can play sports. Narita, who abruptly announced his retirement from snowboarding after the 2018 Paralympics in South Korea, is aiming to achieve an unprecedented “Grand Slam” by competing in the Summer and Winter Games of both the Olympics and Paralympics. Shifting his focus to the Summer Games, the ambitious 24-year-old captured gold in the high jump at the Japan Para Championships in July 2018, giving the world a glimpse of his multiple talents. “It is my dream of a lifetime to compete in (all four events at the) Summer and Winter Games of the Olympics and Paralympics,” said Narita, who has a left lower limb impairment. According to a survey by Yamaha Motor Foundation for Sports in June 2018, Narita is the most recognized figure from the Pyeongchang Paralympics, with 50.9 percent of respondents saying they knew of or had heard about him. When asked to link athletes with their sports, 84.1 percent of that group correctly said he was a snowboarder. Narita was followed by Momoka Muraoka, who was correctly identified as an alpine skiing medalist by 48.0 percent. The most watched sport at the Pyeongchang Paralympics was snowboarding at 49.8 percent, followed by alpine skiing at 34.7 percent, the Yamaha survey said. Experts pointed out that their popularity can be linked to the medal-winning performances by Narita and Muraoka. Narita captured the gold and bronze for the banked slalom and snowboard cross, respectively, while Muraoka bagged five medals — gold in the women’s giant slalom, sitting, silvers in the downhill, sitting and the slalom, sitting, and bronzes in the super-G, sitting and the super combined, sitting. Since Narita was born to a well-known family of athletes, he was exposed to media attention from a young age. His older brother, Domu, and older sister, Melo Imai, competed in the Turin Olympics as snowboarders in 2006. The youngest of the three siblings, Gurimu became a candidate for the 2012 London Olympics in trampoline and was also making a name for himself as one of the world’s top freestyle skiers for his age group. After a devastating training injury in 2013, however, he was left paralyzed below his left knee despite a series of operations. Kazunari Obuchi, a researcher at Sasakawa Sports Foundation, pointed out in his study that Narita’s popularity stems in part from his wide recognition, even among people not interested in the Paralympics. Among survey respondents who didn’t watch the Pyeongchang Paralympics but nevertheless knew or had heard about Narita, nearly 80 percent said he was a snowboarder, Obuchi said. “People want to cheer for him because Narita, who had fallen to a low point in life at one point, was able to achieve the exhilarating success of reaching the top through overcoming hardships and setbacks,” Obuchi wrote. His appearances on TV and YouTube have attracted attention as well. He is known for his unconventional training methods — playing golf to improve concentration and shogi (Japanese chess), to enhance his ability to make predictions. After retiring from snowboarding, he tried out nearly 10 able-bodied sports, including canoeing and shooting, for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. For the 2020 Games, however, he has decided to concentrate on making the Paralympic high jump team. “I am bubbling with excitement. I may be able to make the impossible possible,” he said. Narita’s motto is “to challenge,” as he understands that the road to competing in the rest of the three events will not be a cakewalk and that winning medals is the most convincing way to achieve stardom. In the meantime, among the sports Japan is expected to be in the gold medal hunt for is wheelchair rugby, after defeating No. 1 Australia at the world championships this past summer. Since then, Japan’s captain Yukinobu Ike has decided to cross the Pacific to play in the U.S. league to gain valuable experience. “I am setting my eyes only on the gold medal. I would like to spend my time on achieving that goal,” he said. With the Games less than two years away, Japan has ratcheted up efforts to improve barrier-free transportation and other facilities to welcome guests from around the world. According to data from the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry in December, 89.4 percent of facilities hosting an average of at least 3,000 passengers per day had reached “step free” status by installing elevators and making other modifications as of the end of March 2018, up by around 2.2 percent from a year ago.

gurimu narita
momoka muraoka
2020 tokyo paralympics


Tokyo police questioning suspected bidder and sellers in online uranium auction

Abstract: Police are questioning a number of people allegedly involved in the sale of a substance believed to be uranium, on suspicion they may have broken the law by handling the strictly controlled radioactive material, investigative sources said Thursday. Tokyo police have identified the seller and multiple men who successfully bid for the material online, and have taken them in for questioning on a voluntary basis. Authorities have also asked the Japan Atomic Energy Agency to confirm whether, as suspected, the material is depleted uranium or uranium concentrate, the source said. The powder was enclosed in a glass tube and put on sale under the name of “Uranium 99.9%” on Yahoo’s auction website. The Nuclear Regulation Authority notified police of the sale in January last year after discovering the advertisement in November 2017. An initial test of the powder proved that it is radioactive, according to the sources. A Japanese nuclear regulation law bans people other than approved businesses and organizations from transferring nuclear fuel materials such as depleted uranium. Anyone found to have violated the law can be subject to imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to ¥1 million. As uranium found in nature only consists of about 0.7 percent of the uranium 235 isotope, which easily splits, it needs to be concentrated in order to be used for nuclear power generation or nuclear weapons. Waste produced during the concentration process is called depleted uranium.


Japanese police to get new, more secure holsters after series of attempts to snatch their guns

Abstract: The National Police Agency said Thursday it will introduce new pistol holsters in March designed to prevent officers from being disarmed in hostile situations following a series of such attempts. The new holsters, made of leather and resin, have improved features protecting the pistol from being taken by force, but the NPA refrained from revealing specific design details for security reasons. As a first step, a total of 6,000 new holsters will be distributed by the end of March to prefectural police departments across the country, including in Tokyo, Osaka and Toyama. Additionally, 30,000 holsters are planned to be made available in the next fiscal year starting in April, with the NPA earmarking ¥495 million for purchases and distribution in its fiscal 2019 budget. Along with the introduction of the new holster, the NPA will revise the uniform code for officers as well as rules concerning their use of guns, they said. In June, a former member of the Self-Defense Forces fatally stabbed a senior officer at a police box in Toyama, stole his handgun and shot and killed a security guard at a nearby school. Last week, a university student armed with a knife and hammer injured an officer at a police station in Toyama. The student, who was arrested on the spot, told investigators he tried to steal a gun so he could use it to take his own life.


Girl's death again shines light on lack of coordination between authorities over child abuse in Japan

Abstract: CHIBA - The death of a 10-year-old girl in Chiba Prefecture after alleged abuse by her father has added to cases that had already raised concern over the country’s child protection system. Insufficient commitment and coordination by local authorities and schools in tackling such cases have been increasingly criticized since fourth-grader Mia Kurihara died last week at home in the city of Noda, with police arresting her 41-year-old father on suspicion of assault. The Chiba Prefectural Government has decided to set up a third-party committee to review how the case was handled. “We will never repeat cases like this,” Gov. Kensaku Morita told reporters Thursday. Local authorities including a child consultation center had been alarmed multiple times about the abuse against Mia but they failed to prevent her death. “When my mom is not around, dad slaps me and it’s very painful. I wish she was with me all the time,” one of her friends in Okinawa Prefecture recalled Mia as saying. Her family lived in Itoman, Okinawa, before moving to Chiba. The friend also said she had spotted bruises on Mia’s back when changing for physical education. In a questionnaire conducted at their school around spring 2017, Mia replied that she was abused by her father, Yuichiro Kurihara, according to the friend. The school recently said her teacher had not confirmed any abuse, adding it has discarded the questionnaire. While the family was still living in Itoman, the city government asked Kurihara to accept a home visit by officials after being alerted by a relative of the family in July the same year about his alleged abuse of Mia and violence against her mother. The family moved to Noda the following month and no such visit was made. Officials in Itoman did not pass on information regarding the alleged abuse to those in Noda as they “could not confirm” whether it was true. At her new school in Noda, the girl again detailed her father’s “bullying” against her in a questionnaire, according to the local board of education. She was then taken into protective custody at the local child welfare center. But because she expressed a desire to go home, the center concluded the abuse was “not serious” and ended her protection toward the end of December the same year so she could stay with relatives. The school handed a copy of Mia’s report to Kurihara in January 2018 after he lodged a protest about the allegation and told school officials he would take the matter to court. From the time she returned home in March, neither the center nor the school paid a visit to the home to check on her safety. She had missed school for more than two weeks before she was found dead in the bathroom of the house last week. Experts have criticized the school for having informed her father of what she said in the questionnaire because the act may have only worsened the girl’s situation. “The school lacked the principle of placing children’s safety first,” said Naoki Ogi, an education commentator and special professor at Hosei University, who also underscored the importance of coordination between welfare authorities, schools and police to resolve such issues.

child abuse
chiba
mia kurihara
children
murder


JR East mulls later train services during 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Abstract: East Japan Railway Co. is considering extending train operating hours in and around Tokyo during the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year, sources close to the matter said Thursday. The temporary measure is designed to help fans get home or to their hotel from events that finish late, but will not apply to shinkansen, the sources said. The company will work with Tokyo 2020 organizers to decide details such as how late trains will run and how many additional services will be offered. The company, also known as JR East, is expected to study whether extra train crews and station staff will be needed, and to explore more efficient ways to conduct maintenance on carriages and facilities, the sources said.

jr east
trains
2020 tokyo olympics
transportation
2020 tokyo paralympics


Takeda dengue vaccine meets main goal of trial; detailed results to come

Abstract: CHICAGO - Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. said Tuesday that its experimental dengue vaccine appears to be safe and effective at preventing all four types of the mosquito-borne disease, meeting the main goal of the drugmaker’s late-stage clinical trial. The company said no significant safety concerns have emerged to date with the vaccine called TAK-003. Takeda did not disclose how the vaccine performed in people who had never been previously exposed to dengue, a group that experienced an increased risk of severe disease with Sanofi SA’s Dengvaxia, the world’s first dengue vaccine. Sanofi had not collected blood samples on all subjects prior to beginning its trials. By the time the company confirmed the safety risk in 2017, the vaccine had already been used in more than 800,000 schoolchildren in the Philippines. Takeda collected blood samples from all 20,000 children aged 4 to 16 from Asia and Latin America who participated in the Phase III TIDES trial. The study looked at the vaccine’s safety and efficacy both in children who had been exposed to dengue and those who had not. Takeda said it will release full details of how the vaccine fared at 15 months after the first dose in a peer-reviewed journal as quickly as possible. The vaccine is administered in two doses three months apart. The first efficacy results include 11 months of follow-up. Part two of the trial, which includes another six months of patient data, will review how the vaccine performed in each of the four different types of dengue, as well as its performance according to prior dengue exposure and the number of participants who contracted severe dengue. Those two parts will form the basis of Takeda’s filings seeking regulatory approvals. A third part of the study will evaluate long-term safety by following participants for another three years. Dr. Rajeev Venkayya, president of Takeda’s vaccines business, said in a phone interview that the upcoming publication will include preliminary data on the vaccine’s performance against each dengue strain and data on prior dengue exposure of trial subjects. The first safety problems with Sanofi’s vaccine only became apparent in the third year after vaccination. After the Sanofi experience, some experts believe governments will require several years of follow-up data before incorporating Takeda’s vaccine into mass vaccination campaigns. Venkayya would not speculate on how much follow-up regulators or health authorities will require, but said, “I do think it’s going to be more than one year.” While Sanofi’s vaccine was based on a Yellow fever virus with dengue genes added in, TAK-003 is based on a weakened dengue 2 virus plus genes from the three other dengue types. Some infectious disease experts think the all-dengue design may trigger a broader immune response.

vaccine
takeda pharmaceutical
sanofi
dengue fever


Faced with massive suits over California wildfire damages, PG&E files for bankruptcy protection

Abstract: SAN FRANCISCO - Faced with potentially ruinous lawsuits over California’s wildfires, Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday in a move that could drive up rates for customers of the U.S.’s biggest utility and reduce the size of any payouts fire victims receive. The Chapter 11 filing allows PG&E to continue operating while it puts its finances in order. But the bankruptcy was seen as a possible glimpse of the financial toll that could lie ahead as a result of global warming, which scientists say is leading to fiercer, more destructive blazes and longer fire seasons. In addition to leading to higher bills and smaller wildfire damages, it could jeopardize California’s ambitious program to switch entirely to renewable energy sources. PG&E cited hundreds of lawsuits from victims of fires in 2017 and 2018 when it announced earlier this month that it planned to file for bankruptcy. The blazes include the U.S.’s deadliest wildfire in a century — the one in November that killed at least 86 people and destroyed 15,000 homes in Paradise and surrounding communities. The cause is under investigation, but suspicion fell on PG&E after it reported power line problems nearby around the time the fire broke out. Last week, however, state investigators determined that the company’s equipment was not to blame for a 2017 fire that killed 22 people in Northern California wine country. The bankruptcy filing immediately puts the wildfire lawsuits on hold and consolidates them in bankruptcy court, where legal experts say victims will probably receive less money. The victims have little chance of getting punitive damages or taking their claims to a jury in a bankruptcy proceeding. Instead, they will have to compete with PG&E’s creditors, including bondholders, for a payout from the company. “My administration will continue working to ensure that Californians have access to safe, reliable and affordable service, that victims and employees are treated fairly, and that California continues to make forward progress on our climate change goals,” Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. Consumer activist Erin Brockovich, who took on PG&E in the 1990s, had urged California lawmakers not to let the utility go into bankruptcy because it could mean less money for wildfire victims. PG&E faced additional pressure not to move forward with the bankruptcy after investigators said a private electrical system, not utility equipment, caused the 2017 wine country blaze that destroyed more than 5,600 buildings in Sonoma and Napa counties. Newsom’s office estimated that more than half of the roughly $30 billion in potential wildfire damages that PG&E said it was facing was from that fire. While the investigators’ finding reduced PG&E’s potential liability, it wasn’t enough to reassure investors. Its stock is 70 percent from a year ago. Legal experts say the bankruptcy will probably take years to resolve and result in higher rates for PG&E customers. The company provides natural gas and electricity to 16 million people in central and northern parts of the state. A bankruptcy filing would not affect electricity or natural gas service but allow for an “orderly, fair and expeditious resolution” of potential liabilities from the wildfires, the company has said. PG&E would not speculate on any changes to customers’ bills, noting that the California Public Utilities Commission sets electric and gas rates. PG&E also filed for bankruptcy in 2001 during an electricity crisis marked by rolling blackouts and the manipulation of the energy market. It emerged from bankruptcy three years later but obtained billions in higher payments from ratepayers. California has set a goal of getting 100 percent of its electricity from carbon-free sources such as wind, solar and hydroelectricity by 2045. To reach that goal, utilities must switch to buying power from renewable sources. PG&E made agreements in 2017 to buy electricity from solar farms. But because of the utility’s bankruptcy, some experts have questioned its ability to pay what it agreed to, or to make the investments in grid upgrades and batteries necessary to bring more renewable energy online. “PG&E’s bankruptcy is going to make it a lot more costly for California to meet its environmental goals, and could make it more challenging just to get the infrastructure built to help cut emissions and increase renewable energy,” said Travis Miller, an investment strategist at Morningstar Inc.

california
wildfires
bankruptcy
lawsuits
chapter 11
pg & e


Arrest was result of 'plot and treason' by Nissan, Carlos Ghosn says during interview

Abstract: Detained auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn believes his arrest and the charges against him are the result of a “plot and treason” at his former employer Nissan Motor Co., he told the Nikkei business daily Wednesday. The daily quoted Ghosn as saying he had “no doubt” that the charges against him were motivated by Nissan executives opposed to greater integration of the firm with its French alliance partner Renault SA. The interview, the first Ghosn has given since his stunning arrest on Nov. 19, was conducted at the Tokyo detention facility where he has languished ever since. The 64-year-old has been denied bail several times, with the court considering him a flight risk and concerned that he could attempt to destroy evidence. But he again stressed that he “won’t flee. I will defend (myself),” according to the Nikkei. “All the evidence is with Nissan and Nissan forbids all employees to talk to me,” he added. Even his own lawyer has said it is unlikely he will be released before a trial, which could take up to six months to organize given the complexity of the case. Ghosn faces three separate charges, all of which he denies. He stands accused of underreporting his income between 2010 and 2015 to the tune of ¥5 billion and continuing to do so for a further three years. In total, Ghosn is suspected of having failed to report around ¥9 billion of his pay. He also stands accused of a complex scheme to try to pass off personal foreign exchange losses to Nissan and using company funds to reimburse a Saudi contact who put up collateral for him. The executive, once feted for his turnaround of the struggling Nissan, has been removed as chairman of the carmaker as well as of Mitsubishi Motors. He resigned as chairman and chief executive of French company Renault. He told the Nikkei that there was a plan to “integrate” the three companies but insisted it was intended to ensure there would be “autonomy under one holding company.”


Nissan and Renault hire French auditor to run probe of alliance misconduct on Ghosn's watch

Abstract: PARIS/TOKYO - Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA have hired the French auditor Mazars to investigate possible wrongdoing within their automotive alliance, people familiar with the matter said, a sign the partners are moving forward on a joint probe following Carlos Ghosn’s arrest for alleged financial crimes. Mazars will look into Renault-Nissan BV, the Amsterdam-based unit set up by the carmakers to coordinate their alliance, for any misconduct such as the misuse of company assets, the people said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private. Spokesmen for Renault, Nissan and the alliance declined to comment. Mazars didn’t return calls seeking comment. The audit follows the arrest of Ghosn in Tokyo late last year on allegations of understating his income at Nissan by around ¥9 billion and temporarily transferring personal trading losses to the company. The auto-industry luminary, who has denied wrongdoing, has been in custody ever since. Ghosn was ousted as chairman of Nissan and alliance partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp. shortly after his arrest, and he resigned as chief executive officer and chairman of Renault last week. The allegations against Ghosn that emerged from the monthslong investigation at Nissan subsequently triggered a probe at Renault into the pay of its top executives. Nissan had pushed for the third, joint probe at RNBV, which Renault agreed to last month. Meanwhile, Nissan is grappling with its own legal fallout from the scandal. The carmaker has been indicted in Japan for allegedly misreporting Ghosn’s pay, and it also faces an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Nissan has said it is cooperating fully with the inquiry. On Wednesday, the Yokohama-based carmaker reported its first full-year sales slump since 2009. Auto deliveries declined 2.8 percent, adding to the challenges the company faces in the wake of the allegations. By comparison, rival Toyota Motor Corp. showed a 2 percent increase. RNBV’s board members include Renault CEO Thierry Bollore, Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa and the head of Renault’s CEO office, Mouna Sepehri. Renault’s probe is led by Eric Le Grand, a former head of security who recently was appointed to be an ethics and compliance officer, and another Renault insider, Claude Baland, a former top civil servant. They hadn’t found issues in Ghosn’s remuneration as of their latest update.


Japan Patent Office says trademark registration of era names will be banned from May

Abstract: The Japan Patent Office revised its screening criteria Wednesday to prevent all era names from being registered as trademarks. The amendment came as the country prepares for the change in May of the current era name following the abdication of Emperor Akihito on April 30. Under previous criteria, there was room for era names, except Heisei, to be registered as trademarks. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in his New Year’s news conference that the government will unveil the new era name on April 1, a month before the Imperial succession, to mitigate the impact of the change on people’s lives. There was concern that the patent office might be flooded with requests to register the new era name for trademarks during the last month of the Heisei Era, which commenced on Jan. 8, 1989. According to the patent office, more than 100 trademark registration applications for merchandise and company names using Heisei were filed in January of that year. Japan will start using the new name from May 1 when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends to the throne. The revised guidelines now clearly state that all era names, in principle, cannot be used for trademarks. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference in November that the guidelines should be revised to ensure trademarks do not feature any era name. However, even after the revision, familiar product and corporate names already using old era names, such as Meiji Holdings Co. and Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., will continue to be treated as exceptions.

japan patent office
abdication
emperor akihito
copyright


Tokyo stocks fall amid wait-and-see mood

Abstract: Stocks fell back in thin trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Wednesday, with investors refraining from active trading ahead of major events overseas. The 225-issue Nikkei average lost 108.10 points, or 0.52 percent, to end at 20,556.54. Tuesday, the key market gauge edged up 15.64 points. The Topix index of all first-section issues finished down 6.33 points, or 0.41 percent, at 1,550.76, after rising 1.58 points the previous day. After getting off to a firmer start, the market came under pressure of position-squaring selling by investors who were waiting to see the outcomes of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy-setting meeting ending later in the day and the ministerial-level trade talks between the United States and China in Washington through Thursday, traders said. “Few investors boosted trading today,” said Yutaka Miura, senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities Co. Players found it difficult to move before watching reactions of Wall Street and the currency market to the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting, he added. Ahead of the start of the two-day FOMC meeting, speculation grew that Fed policymakers would discuss slowing or ending the U.S. central bank’s move to shrink its balance sheet. Yoshihiko Tabei, chief analyst at Naito Securities Co., said investors may continue sitting on the fence this week, pointing out that major economic indicators are scheduled to be released Friday, such as the U.S. government’s jobs data for January. A market source noted that if some progress is announced after the U.S.-China trade talks, including an agreement to hold a summit, it will likely trigger stock buying. Falling issues overwhelmed rising ones 1,730 to 351 in the TSE’s first section, while 47 issues were unchanged. Volume increased to 1.44 billion shares from 1.18 billion shares Tuesday. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. tumbled 6.22 percent after the company announced disappointing consolidated earnings for April-December on Tuesday. Akebono Brake Industry Co. plunged 18.22 percent following its announcement Wednesday morning that the major auto parts maker’s request for the start of alternative dispute resolution, or ADR, procedures for out-of-court business reconstruction was accepted. Other major losers included clothing retailer Fast Retailing Co. and automaker Suzuki Motor Corp. By contrast, electronic parts makers related to Apple Inc. gained ground as the U.S. technology giant’s sales forecast for January-March, released Tuesday, fell within market expectations. Taiyo Yuden Co. jumped 4.23 percent and Murata Manufacturing Co. rose 2.57 percent. Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. gained 2.07 percent thanks to its brisk earnings in April-December. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key March contract on the Nikkei average slumped 20 points to end at 20,610.

stocks
tokyo stock exchange
nikkei
topix


Dollar closes firmer around ¥109.30 in Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar was slightly firmer around ¥109.30 in Tokyo trading Wednesday as investors sat on the fence to wait for outcomes of key events including a policy-setting meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve that was to end later in the day. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥109.31, up from ¥109.23 at the same time Tuesday. The euro was at $1.1433, almost unchanged from $1.1434, and at ¥124.98, up from ¥124.90. The dollar topped ¥109.40 during the early morning. But the U.S. currency fluctuated in a range near ¥109.30 until the closing of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, in line with moves of the key Nikkei average. The greenback was confined in a narrower band later, with investors finding it difficult to tilt their positions either way before seeing results of the two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting as well as U.S.-China trade talks set for Wednesday and Thursday in Washington, an official of a foreign exchange margin trading service firm said.


Sharp cuts fiscal 2018 sales outlook to ¥2.5 trillion due to China-U.S. trade war

Abstract: Sharp Corp. on Wednesday slashed its group sales outlook for the current business year ending in March to ¥2.50 trillion ($24.6 billion) from a previously estimated ¥2.69 trillion to reflect the possible negative effects of the prolonged U.S.-China trade dispute. The firm also revised downward its operating profit outlook to ¥107 billion from ¥112 billion. The company maintained its group net profit projection at ¥90 billion, citing continued progress on efforts to improve profitability. For the April-December period, Sharp posted a net profit of ¥63.08 billion, up 13.9 percent from the same period a year earlier. Its operating profit stood at ¥68.25 billion, down 3.0 percent, on sales of ¥1.77 trillion, down 3.2 percent.


Struggling Akebono Brake seeks capital infusion from Toyota as well as debt relief

Abstract: Akebono Brake Industry Co. is seeking a capital infusion from top shareholder Toyota Motor Corp. and a moratorium on debt repayment as part of a revival plan, sending its shares tumbling by a quarter on Wednesday. The brake-maker, a supplier to automakers including General Motors Co., which makes up about a quarter of Akebono’s sales, said in a statement it has filed for assistance with a government-certified third-party body which had been accepted. Akebono, whose troubled U.S. business has hurt its earnings, said it was confident its operations would be turned around under an out-of-court plan and that it will present a revival plan to lenders at a meeting next month. The Nikkei financial daily first reported Akebono’s move to seek capital from Toyota and a debt moratorium. A spokeswoman for Akebono told Reuters that “the content written in Nikkei is true.” “We are not facing any financing issues at the moment, but we will prepare to seek assistance from our main lenders should such a situation arise,” the company said in a statement, which did not make mention of Toyota. Toyota, which owned 11.6 percent of Akebono as of September, said in a statement it has not received a request from the brake-maker for capital assistance. Founded in 1929, Akebono manufactures brakes and brake pads for passenger and commercial vehicles, motorcycles, rolling and industrial machinery. It operates plants in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia and generates roughly half of its sales from North America, its biggest market. Besides General Motors, it also supplies Toyota, Nissan Motor Co. and other major automakers. Akebono’s latest financial woes date back to around 2014, when the company was struggling to fill a surge in orders from customers in the United States, where vehicle sales were climbing to record highs. The scramble to manufacture more products beyond its production capabilities resulted in additional manufacturing costs, including labor and shipping costs, leading to a three-year run of operating losses in North America to the 2016 financial year. Years of production issues also led to a slump in sales in the region, as Akebono has failed to secure orders for new models from U.S. automakers. Akebono’s shares fell as much as 26 percent on Wednesday to ¥158, their lowest in 17 years. The shares had slid more than 40 percent in 2018.


U.S. Treasury Secretary signals chance to end China trade war before talks if Beijing offers concessions

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that if China presents enough trade concessions to President Donald Trump, there’s a chance the administration may lift all tariffs. “Everything is on the table,” Mnuchin said early Tuesday during an interview on Fox Business Network. The Treasury chief is set to meet with top Chinese officials in Washington on Wednesday and Thursday alongside U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer about a month before the U.S. is set to escalate its trade war with China with fresh tariffs. Trump and China’s Xi Jinping gave their officials until March 1 to work out a deal on “structural changes” to China’s economic model. If they fail, Trump has promised to raise the tariff rate on $200 billion in Chinese imports to 25 percent from 10 percent. The collapse of talks would dash hopes of a lasting truce that would remove one of the darkest clouds hanging over the world economy. China is facing added urgency to end the trade spat amid the weakest domestic growth since 2009. Divisions remain within Trump’s trade team, with hawks including Lighthizer and National Trade Council Director Peter Navarro seeking tougher terms from China, and Mnuchin and White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow prioritizing preserving U.S. growth. Mnuchin pushed back on speculation that the U.S.’s latest actions against Huawei Technologies Co. were tied to the trade talks. U.S. prosecutors on Monday filed criminal charges against Huawei, accusing the Chinese company of stealing trade secrets and committing bank fraud. But Mnuchin insisted the case was separate from trade negotiations, adding that he wasn’t aware in advance of Monday’s charges. In a sign of the importance the White House is placing on the talks, Trump is expected to meet China’s top trade negotiator at the end of the week. In addition to U.S. demands for structural changes to China’s economy, the latest round of talks will cover Beijing’s pledge to buy more American goods. While Mnuchin acknowledged that growth has slowed in Europe and in China, he does not expect that to impact U.S. growth. “We see no indication whatsoever of a recession on the horizon,” he said, adding that the trade dispute with China is not hurting the U.S. and that “there is still a very good case for 3 percent growth this year.” The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office on Monday painted a different picture of the U.S. economy. Budget deficits are seen widening and economic gains will be “muted,” slowing to 2.3 percent for this year and 1.7 percent in 2020, the CBO said, adding that the burst of economic growth in 2018 fueled by Republican tax cuts will fade in the coming years, while tariffs imposed by the Trump administration may dent the economy and hit business confidence.

china
trade war
donald trump
tariffs
robert lighthizer
xi jinping
larry kudlow
u.s .
steve mnuchin


Prince William and Kate laud Dundee for its team approach to challenges

Abstract: DUNDEE, SCOTLAND - Britain’s Prince William and his wife, Kate, visited a gleaming new design museum on Tuesday as well as a factory facing closure, and praised Dundee residents for pulling together in difficult times. They met staff at Dundee’s Michelin factory, an economic mainstay of the Scottish port for 40 years. Workers are trying to reinvent the factory after news late last year that tire production is to cease. “When a community faces uncertainty, people feel more optimistic when leaders such as yourselves work together,” William told a group of senior staff at the factory. William, second in line to the throne, and his younger brother, Harry, have been changing the once-staid approach of the royal family to public matters with a more candid approach on issues such as mental health and the environment. “Because of the collaborative approach adopted by the people in this room, I personally am optimistic that a good outcome is possible,” William said. “You have already reached agreement on developing the site into a manufacturing, recycling and low-carbon transport hub.” A source at the royal household said the couple wanted to make the important point that those who are facing uncertainty need to be included, not just those responsible for success. Earlier the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who met while studying at Scotland’s University of St. Andrews, officially opened the Victoria & Albert Dundee, an eye-catching design museum that looks like the bow of a ship, on the mouth of the River Tay. They drew a large crowd outside the building’s angled structure despite the chill of the riverside in winter. Kate, a patron of the V&A Museum, wore a green Alexander McQueen tartan coat dress while William wore a blue suit alongside her. Kate said she was “captivated by the breath-taking architecture and the sheer range of design on display” at the first offshoot of the Victoria and Albert Museum outside London. Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, currently designing Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic stadium, configured the building to resemble two hulls side by side, in a nod to the port’s shipbuilding history. The museum houses treasures such as a salvaged tearoom designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and a tiara of rose-cut diamonds with a pair of wings which tremble slightly when worn. “I hope that this museum will serve as an inspiration to others, by showing how great things can be achieved when different communities all pull together,” Kate said. The couple’s words about working together echoed those of William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, who urged divided lawmakers earlier this month to seek common ground over Britain’s impending exit from the European Union.

prince william
kate
dundee
scotland
michelin
kengo kuma
u.k .


Renewable energy surge in power-hungry Africa faces a short-out: Not enough trained workers

Abstract: KIGALI/NAIROBI - In sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 600 million people still lack access to electricity, off-grid renewable power is seen as one of the fastest ways to get energy where it’s needed, particularly to remote and rural areas where many Africans live. But one big challenge stands in the way, experts say: too few trained workers able to plan, install and maintain solar, wind and other clean energy systems. In power-hungry Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, for instance, “we’ve had very significant challenges finding very capable talent, particularly at the senior management level,” said Kweku Yankson, head of human resources in Africa for BBOXX, a clean energy company working to expand off-grid systems in 12 countries from Rwanda to Pakistan. Rwanda, in turn, has what Yankson described as a big pool of job-ready young talent — but still relatively few people trained in clean-energy technology, Yankson said. Overall, only 16,000 people are recorded as working in renewable energy in sub-Saharan Africa, outside South Africa, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). That is just 0.1 percent of the global renewable energy workforce, and fewer than the number of people who work on wind power in the U.S. state of Illinois alone, IRENA noted. But with demand growing for renewable energy entrepreneurs and for workers in product assembly, sales, marketing, finance and intellectual property, efforts are now underway to provide the talent needed. A Powering Jobs campaign, launched in October at an international off-grid renewable energy conference in Singapore, aims to train up to a million people globally by 2025 to meet demand for renewable energy workers. The effort, led by Power for All — an organization that promotes more use of decentralized power — and backed by the Schneider Electric Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation, will focus on building skills in countries where electricity access is very low, said Gilles Vermot Desroches, director of sustainable development at Schneider. The push is part of a broader global campaign to fill an expected 4.5 million jobs related to expansion of off-grid renewable energy by 2030, according to IRENA estimates. That expansion is focused in part on achieving a global sustainable-development goal of providing universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy by 2030. In Africa, lessons are being drawn from India, which has trained more than 30,000 solar electric installers in the past two years as part of a government-backed effort. The country aims to train a total of 50,000 installers by 2022, according to India’s government. One of the biggest problems facing expansion of renewable off-grid power in Africa is that systems need to be built and operated in remote locations, where it can be harder to attract and retain staff, said Yankson of BBOXX. Also, even in countries such as Rwanda, where a growing number of multinational companies have trained large numbers of young workers, “the most pressing challenge has been around finding very capable and experienced managing directors and finding senior finance managers,” he said. In Kenya, Yankson said, the difficulty is cost: Skilled talent comes at high salaries, thanks to competition for the best people in Nairobi among companies and nonprofit groups. “The main limitation we’ve faced in Kenya has been the cost of talent,” he said. To provide a broader pool of potential hires, BBOXX has created the BBOXX Academy, an online learning platform that offers professional courses, said Emery Nzirabatinya, a former learning and development manager at the firm who now works in Nairobi for a U.S. hearing aid company BBOXX also has started a future leaders program in Kigali, he said. “The program seeks strong university graduates that are put through a rigorous, year-long development and exposure program at BBOXX,” Nzirabatinya said. Julienne Ayinkamiye, a recent civil engineering graduate from the University of Rwanda College of Science and Technology, is one of two inaugural participants in the leadership project in Kigali. As part of the program, she is responsible for running a BBOXX pilot solar lighting project being launched this year in Rwanda and then across Africa, and has worked in a range of different departments of the company. The work has included customer satisfaction research and analysis of competitors, she said. She said she believes the training, “will help me increase my analytical, project management and general management skills” — and give BBOXX a larger potential pool of talent to hire. “I am now working on real projects impacting the lives of thousands of rural households across Africa,” she said. The push for more trained renewable energy workers comes as an increasing number of countries around Africa try to ramp up use of off-grid renewable energy. Kenya in December launched a new national electrification strategy that includes stand-alone, off-grid renewable energy systems as a key part of the country’s goal of achieving 100 percent access to electricity by 2022. About three-quarters of Kenyans currently have access to electricity, according to the new plan. Part of Kenya’s push is an off-grid solar access project that aims to connect 1.3 million people in 14 particularly underserved counties, said Isaac Kiva, secretary of renewable energy in Kenya’s Ministry of Energy. “We are also now working with our education system to develop solar-specific curricula in order to build the necessary capacity,” he said. In Rwanda, the government is collaborating with U.S.-based universities, including Carnegie Mellon, and partnering with online learning efforts to provide better access to training for clean energy jobs, Nzirabatinya said. “This will have a positive impact on the job readiness of the talent pool in Rwanda,” he predicted.


China most active in cyberspying against U.S. and its ties with Russia growing: intel chief Dan Coats

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Russia and China pose the biggest espionage and cyberattack threats to the United States and are more aligned than they have been in decades, the leader of the U.S. intelligence community told U.S. senators on Tuesday. While the two countries seek to expand their global reach, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said, some American allies are pulling away from Washington in reaction to changing U.S. policies on security and trade. “China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea increasingly use cyberoperations to threaten both minds and machines in an expanding number of ways — to steal information, to influence our citizens, or to disrupt critical infrastructure,” Coats said. “Moscow’s relationship with Beijing is closer than it’s been in many decades,” Coats told the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual hearing on worldwide threats, where he testified with the director of the CIA, FBI and other top intelligence officials. He also said some U.S. allies are seeking more independence, responding to their perceptions of changing policies on security and trade and “are becoming more open” to new partnerships. “The post-World War II international system is coming under increasing strain amid continuing cyber and WMD proliferation threats, competition in space and regional conflicts,” Coats said, using the acronym for weapons of mass destruction. Coats also said U.S. adversaries likely are already looking to interfere in the 2020 U.S. election, refining their capabilities and adding new tactics. He said Russia’s social media efforts will continue to focus on aggravating social and racial tensions, undermining trust in authorities and criticizing politicians perceived to be anti-Russia. Sen. Mark Warner, the panel’s top Democrat, said in his opening statement that he was particularly concerned about Russia’s use of social media “to amplify divisions in our society and to influence our democratic processes” and the threat from China in the technology arena. The United States on Monday announced criminal charges against China’s Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., escalating a fight with the world’s biggest telecommunications equipment maker and coming days before trade talks between Washington and Beijing. “Especially concerning have been the efforts of big Chinese tech companies — which are beholden to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) — to acquire sensitive technology, replicate it, and undermine the market share of U.S. firms with the help of the Chinese state,” Warner said. The U.S. Justice Department on Monday charged Huawei and its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, with conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran by doing business with Tehran through a subsidiary it tried to hide and that was reported on by Reuters in 2012. “China is going to be a major competitor of ours in every way that there is,” said Republican Sen. Jim Risch, an intelligence committee member who is also chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

china
russia
dan coats
mark warner
u.s .
congress
cyberespionage
donald trump
2020 u.s. presidential election


Morning lark? Night owl? Blame it on your genes, study says

Abstract: If you find you just can’t spring out of bed on time every morning, you may be able to blame it on your genes, a new scientific study has found. The research analyzed a wealth of genetic data gathered from the DNA-testing website 23andme and a British “biobank” to better understand what makes someone a “morning lark” or a “night owl.” “This study is important because it confirms that your morning or evening preference is, at least to some extent, determined by genetic factors,” said Michael Weedon, a professor at the University of Exeter Medical School, who led the research. The study is the largest of its kind — it looked at data from nearly 700,000 people — and found that significantly more genetic factors are tied to when people sleep and wake than previously known. Researchers knew of 24 genes linked to sleep timing, but the new study published Wednesday in the Nature Communications journal found an additional 327 play a role. The analysis also showed that those with a genetic tendency to sleep later have a higher risk of mental health problems such as schizophrenia, though the authors cautioned that more work was needed to understand the link. The initial phase of the research involved analyzing the genes of people who self-reported as either a “morning person” or an “evening person.” Because those terms can mean different things to different people, the researchers examined a smaller set of participants who were using activity trackers. They looked at information from the wrist-worn trackers of more than 85,000 participants in the U.K. biobank to find objective data about their sleep patterns. They found the genes they had identified could shift a person’s natural waking time by up to 25 minutes, but there were no apparent links between the genes and how long or how well people slept. The study also looked at why certain genes influence when people sleep and wake up, finding differences in the way the brain reacts to light and the functioning of internal clocks. To test long-standing theories about the links between sleep patterns and certain illnesses, the researchers also analyzed the correlation between “morning” and “evening” genes and various disorders. They found that a genetic inclination to sleep and wake earlier appears to be tied to a lower risk of depression and schizophrenia, and improved well-being. However, Weedon acknowledged it was not immediately clear if the link was the direct result of being a “morning person,” or caused by the fact that early risers have an easier time in the 9-5 work environment. The researchers plan to look at whether “genetically evening people have worse outcomes if they are active in the morning, compared to those whose genetics and activity are aligned,” he said. The study did not find evidence of a causal link between genes that affect sleep times and metabolic diseases, like Type 2 diabetes. But further research will look at the issue in individuals whose natural sleep inclinations are mismatched with their lifestyles. “For example, are individuals who are genetically evening people but have to wake up early because of work commitments particularly susceptible to obesity and diabetes?” the study asks.


Decompression sickness linked to naval sonar is behind whales' mass strandings, experts say

Abstract: PARIS - Scientists have long known that some beaked whales beach themselves and die in agony after exposure to naval sonar, and now they know why: the giant sea mammals suffer decompression sickness, just like scuba divers. At first blush, the explanation laid out Wednesday by 21 experts in the Royal Society journal Proceedings B seems implausible. Millions of years of evolution have turned whales into perfectly calibrated diving machines that plunge kilometers (miles) below the surface for hours at a stretch, foraging for food in the inky depths. The heart rate slows, blood flow is restricted, oxygen is conserved. So how could the ocean’s most accomplished deep-sea diver wind up with nitrogen bubbles poisoning its veins, like a scuba novice rising too quickly to the surface? Short answer: beaked whales — especially one species known as Cuvier’s — get really, really scared. “In the presence of sonar they are stressed and swim vigorously away from the sound source, changing their diving pattern,” lead author Yara Bernaldo de Quiros, a researcher at the Institute of Animal Health at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, said. “The stress response, in other words, overrides the diving response, which makes the animals accumulate nitrogen,” she added. “It’s like an adrenalin shot.” One type of sonar in particular throws these whales off balance. Developed in the 1950s to detect submarines, mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS) is used today in naval patrols and exercises, especially by the United States and its NATO allies. Starting around 1960, ships began emitting underwater signals in a range of about 5 kilohertz (kHz). That is when the mass beaching of beaked whales, especially in the Mediterranean, began. Between 1960 and 2004, 121 of these so-called “atypical” mass strandings took place, with at least 40 closely linked in time and place with naval activities. These were not individual strandings of old or sick animals, nor en masse strandings such the one last November in New Zealand, when more than 200 pilot whales beached themselves together. Rather, a handful or more beaked whales would wash ashore within a day or two, and no more than few dozen kilometers apart. The most deadly episode, in 2002, saw 14 stranded over a 36-hour period in the Canary Islands during a NATO naval exercise. “Within a few hours of the sonar being deployed, the animals started showing up on the beach,” Bernaldo de Quiros said. Outwardly, the whales showed no signs of disease or damage: they had normal body weight, and no skin lesions or infections. Internally, it was another story. Nitrogen gas bubbles filled the veins, and their brains were ravaged by hemorrhaging. Autopsies also revealed damage to other organs, as well as to the spinal cord and central nervous system. As with altitude sickness, reactions — in humans, and probably in whales — to nitrogen bubbles in the blood vary in type and intensity. A 2003 study in Nature on the possible link between sonar and whale deaths led to Spain banning such naval exercises around the Canary Islands in 2004. “Up until then, the Canaries were a hot spot for this kind of ‘atypical’ strandings,” said Bernaldo de Quiros. “Since the moratorium, none have occurred.” The authors called for similar bans to be extended to other regions where at-risk whales are known to congregate. The Cuvier’s grows up to seven meters (23 feet) and dines mainly on deep-water squid and fish. Its upwardly turned mouth gives the impression of a permanent smile. The whale is listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of endangered species, and is thought to have a global population of 5,000 to 7,000. Other threats include ship strikes, ocean pollution and shifting habitats caused by climate change.


Irish unmoved by British PM Theresa May's plan to renegotiate Brexit deal with Brussels

Abstract: DUBLIN - After a week of missteps, Irish nerves are steadying again, unmoved by British Prime Minister Theresa May’s promise to go back to Brussels to renegotiate the Brexit deal. The Irish government rejected any softening of the so-called backstop, immediately after Westminster on Tuesday backed May’s proposal to strip it from the divorce accord with the bloc. The backstop is designed to keep the border with Northern Ireland invisible after Britain leaves the European Union. Hints last week the EU might give ground to rescue the talks were wobbles rather than cracks in its united front, one Dublin official said. The gamble for Ireland, that sticking by the backstop risks derailing the entire negotiation, is underpinned by a number of forces. First, officials say, no one in Dublin is feeling the heat from the EU so far — the bloc instantly rejected May’s renegotiation plan. Second, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar could potentially end his political career if he gave in. Third, though the risks of a no-deal might be edging upward, there’s no sign of a majority in the British Parliament for that outcome. “Continued Tory Brexiteer dreams of the EU withdrawing its support from its member state Ireland still lack any foundation, especially if Dublin sticks to its pointed but pragmatic stance in the talks,” said Carsten Nickel, deputy director of research at Teneo Intelligence. “Instead, the eventual Westminster decision against no-deal remains likely to mean the acceptance of a version of May’s deal.” Officials from across Europe, speaking on condition of anonymity, said their backing for Ireland remains resolute, despite the fact that everybody loses if the U.K. crashes out of the bloc without a deal. Officials maintain it will be extraordinarily difficult for May to gain significant concessions on the backstop unless she offers other solutions for the border — and that would involve dropping her opposition to closer ties with the EU. All this has to be set against a domestic situation which means Varadkar’s own fate is bound tight to the backstop. His minority government is propped up by the biggest opposition party and so far, it has backed the prime minister’s strategy. Giving ground on the backstop could trigger an election. If he were to cave in completely, it’s probably game over, said one observer. Yet the Irish are aware that pressure could emerge as the cliff edge nears. “As the economic and political carnage of a no-deal looms closer, Ireland may come under pressure to relax its position in favor of an option that avoids such an outcome,” said Dermot O’Leary, chief economist at Goodbody Stockbrokers in Dublin. Brexit is “now a dangerous game of chicken.” The prospect of a no-deal Brexit creates pressure of its own, according to one European official. It would almost certainly mean the return of a hard frontier, and the European Commission’s comments last week on the need for border infrastructure in that case spooked some people in Ireland. Some interpreted the comments as a sign the EU is pushing for concessions, prompting Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to call Varadkar and express his regret, two people familiar with the conversation said. While Germany has been probing for areas of potential compromise, Berlin also remains supportive, the Irish say. For now, the Irish strategy is to keep the focus on London, betting that parliamentary maneuvers will steer the U.K. away from a no-deal Brexit. The House of Commons indicated a majority of lawmakers opposed a no-deal Brexit in January, and did so again Tuesday. The British could still pivot to a Norway-type deal, hold a second referendum or even a general election, which might neutralize the leverage of the Democratic Unionist Party, a group from Northern Ireland opposed to any differentiation with the rest of the U.K. There’s even still hope that the current deal will be passed, as it becomes apparent that no obvious alternatives are available. The deal was on life support, but it’s not dead yet, according to one official before Tuesday’s votes in London.


U.N. finds at least 15 mass graves and hundreds of sets of remains in Congo after December violence

Abstract: KINSHASA - At least 15 mass graves have been found in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo in the wake of three days of ethnic bloodshed in December, a spokeswoman for the U.N.’s MONUSCO mission in Congo said on Tuesday. Earlier in January, the United Nations estimated that at least 890 were killed as a result of the violence, some of the worst in the area for years, which highlighted the precarious state of inter-ethnic relations even in the Central African country’s more peaceful regions. A MONUSCO special mission looking into the circumstances of the fighting found at least 11 mass graves and 43 individual graves around the town of Yumbi and at least four communal graves containing at least 170 bodies in nearby Bongende, spokeswoman Florence Marchal said. “While the conclusions of this mission are still being finalized, we are able to confirm that several hundred people including women and many children were killed in unbearable circumstances,” she said. “The speed, the modus operandi and the high death toll of this violence suggest that these events were planned and premeditated,” she said. A dispute linked to a tribal chief’s burial is seen as a catalyst for the fighting between the Banunu and Batende communities. It led the government to cancel voting in the area for last month’s presidential election. While the bloodshed was not directly related to the Dec. 30 vote, a local activist told Reuters at the time that tensions between the two ethnic groups had festered because Batende leaders were supporting the ruling coalition while Banunu leaders backed opposition candidates. Marchal said the area was now relatively calm, but warned: “Tensions between the two communities are still very evident and are at risk of worsening.” Safeguarding Congo’s fragile security situation will be one of the key tasks for President Felix Tshisekedi, who was sworn in on Jan. 24 in Congo’s first transfer of power via an election in 59 years of independence. The country remains deeply unstable years after the official end of the 1998-2003 regional war in the eastern borderlands with Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi that led to millions of deaths, mostly from hunger and disease. Dozens of militia continue to ravage those areas.


Huawei exec Meng Wanzhou attends Canada bail hearing as China hits U.S. 'unreasonable suppression'

Abstract: VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou appeared in a Canadian court on Tuesday for a hearing concerning her bail in a case that has strained Beijing’s ties with Canada and the United States. Meng, the daughter of Huawei’s founder, attended the hearing in British Columbia Supreme Court in which Justice William Ehrcke approved her request for a change in who is financially responsible for her bail. Ehrcke on Dec. 11 approved Meng’s release on 10 million Canadian dollars ($7.5 million) bail, and she has stayed at a family residence in Vancouver. Canada arrested Meng on Dec. 1 as she was changing planes in Vancouver, at the request of the United States, which on Monday brought sweeping charges against Huawei and Meng that paint the company as a threat to U.S. national security. Meng was charged with bank and wire fraud to violate American sanctions against Iran. The Canadian government agreed on Tuesday to her request concerning bail at the hearing, which the judge granted. Ercke also pushed back Meng’s next scheduled court appearance by a month, to March 6. Before the hearing, Meng spoke with her lawyer, David Martin, holding a notepad and wearing a black shirt and pants. She is fighting extradition to the United States. Following her arrest last month, China arrested two Canadians on national security grounds. Her arrest further aggravated U.S.-Chinese tensions at a time when the world’s two largest economies are locked in a trade war. U.S. President Donald Trump said in December that he could intervene in Meng’s case if it would serve national security interests or help close a trade deal with China. In Ottawa, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said the Canadian government’s decision on whether to ban Huawei from supplying equipment to 5G networks is “some ways off into the future.” Goodale’s comments were the most specific indication yet from Ottawa on the timing of a politically sensitive announcement. Officials are studying the security implications of 5G networks, the latest generation of cellular mobile communications. The United States and other Canadian allies have already imposed restrictions on Huawei equipment, citing the risk of espionage. Huawei is the world’s largest supplier of telecommunications network equipment and second-biggest maker of smartphones. It derives nearly half of its total revenue outside China. In her December bail hearing, Meng argued she should be released on bail, citing her longstanding ties to Canada, properties she owns in Vancouver and fears for her health while incarcerated. In a sworn affidavit, Meng said she is innocent and will contest the allegations at trial in the United States if she is extradited. Meng said she was taken to a hospital for treatment for high blood pressure after being detained. She cited that condition in a bail application seeking her release pending an extradition hearing. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Tuesday he expected significant progress in Washington trade talks with Chinese officials set for Wednesday and Thursday. Mnuchin said the U.S. security concerns raised by the Huawei case were separate from the trade issue. China’s foreign ministry has urged the United States to drop the arrest warrant and end “unreasonable suppression” of Chinese companies. China has demanded her immediate release. Huawei’s global reach has come under attack from the United States, which is trying to prevent U.S. companies from buying Huawei equipment and is pressing allies to do the same. U.S. security experts are worried the gear could be used by China’s government for espionage, a concern Huawei calls unfounded. U.S. intelligence and national security officials expressed fresh national security concerns about Huawei during a U.S. Senate committee hearing in Washington on Tuesday. FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers the lines between “the Chinese government and ostensibly private companies” are blurred if not totally erased and “especially the lines between lawful behavior and fair competition and lying and hacking and cheating and stealing.”

huawei
meng wanzhou
canada
china
5g
steve mnuchin
u.s .


U.S. Democrats want details of deal to ease sanctions on Rusal oligarch Oleg Deripaska

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. congressional Democrats said on Tuesday they are not satisfied with the Trump administration’s decision to ease sanctions on companies linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, demanding briefings and planning legislation. The leaders of four House of Representatives committees said they were considering legislation to ensure Russian aluminum giant Rusal and its parent En+ comply with the agreement that allowed them to be removed from a U.S. sanctions list. “We are considering additional legislative actions to ensure that (the U.S.) Treasury and these companies comply with the agreement in letter and in spirit,” the four Democratic chairs of the House Ways and Means, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Financial Services committees said in a joint statement. And Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to request ongoing briefings from the administration on the deal it reached to ease sanctions on the companies. Warner said he was concerned that the administration had not disclosed every detail of its agreement with Deripaska, and that Deripaska will continue to control the companies. The U.S. Treasury Department said on Sunday that it was lifting sanctions imposed on aluminum firm US Rusal PLC, En+ Group PLC and JSC EuroSibEnergo, three companies linked to the billionaire Deripaska, an influential businessman close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Treasury had announced on Dec. 20 that the sanctions would be lifted, watering down the toughest penalties imposed since Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. But the Democratic lawmakers complained that the sanctions were lifted before a congressional review could be completed. “Mr. Deripaska has a history of involvement with Moscow for malign purposes, and we have serious questions about whether the agreement reached between Treasury and Mr. Deripaska,” the lawmakers said in a statement. The House statement was released by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, and House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters. All are Democrats. Separately, Republican Sen. Susan Collins asked CIA Director Gina Haspel during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday whether the CIA had expressed concern about the decision to lift the sanctions. Haspel said it had not. Collins was one of about a dozen Senate Republicans who broke from party leaders and Trump to support a failed Democratic-led resolution that sought to keep the sanctions in place.

sanctions
rusal
oleg deripaska
congress
russia
donald trump
steve mnuchin


U.S. Midwest braces for dangerous Arctic chill tied to polar vortex

Abstract: CHICAGO - Millions of Americans braced Tuesday for a dangerous polar vortex that began to settle over a large swath of the United States, threatening to set new records as schools and businesses closed and authorities warned of frostbite. Temperatures in almost a dozen states stretching over 1,200 miles from the Dakotas to Ohio were forecast to be the coldest in a generation, if not on record. The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast temperatures between minus 10 to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 23 to minus 40 Celsius) by Wednesday, with wind chill making it seem as cold as minus 65 degrees Fahrenheit in one area of Minnesota. The culprit was a lobe of Arctic air broken away from the polar vortex that usually encircles the North Pole. “A record cold air mass will continue into the central and northern US, spreading to the east coast on Tuesday,” the NWS said. “Wind chills of -30 to -60 (Fahrenheit) can be expected over portions of the northern Plains and Great Lakes region.” Michigan and Wisconsin declared statewide emergencies in advance of the frigid temperatures. Americans were heeding warnings to stay home if possible on Wednesday, when temperatures were expected to be at their coldest. Scores of schools, businesses and government agencies announced closures in multiple states. “People exposed to extreme cold are susceptible to frostbite in a matter of minutes,” warned the NWS. “Areas most prone to frostbite are uncovered skin and the extremities, such as hands and feet.” More than 70 warming centers were opened in Chicago, America’s third city, where temperatures were forecast to potentially rival or overcome the all-time record of -27 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind chill would make the air feel closer to minus 40 to minus 50 degrees in the windy city, officials said. Meanwhile the northeast and parts of the south were contending with a snow storm, which had previously dumped up to a foot of snow (30 cm) in the Midwest over the weekend. “Not only is brutal cold invading the central parts of the country, accumulating snow and freezing roadways all the way into the deep south could make travel dangerous,” the NWS said. The snow was expected to make the Arctic air feel even colder, the effects of which had already arrived in Canada. The frigid cold blanketing much of the U.S.’s northern neighbor, from Manitoba in the western Prairies region to Atlantic Canada, prompted a rare “hazardous” cold warning from Environment Canada.

polar vortex
chicago
weather
nws
canada
u.s. midwest


U.K.'s 'zombie' leader Theresa May buys some time on Brexit, but EU won't budge on deal

Abstract: LONDON - British Prime Minister Theresa May bought herself some time by securing the support of MPs to renegotiate her Brexit deal, but her position remains perilous — and she is running out of road. The Conservative leader has given herself a fortnight to try to salvage her withdrawal plan, before she asks the House of Commons to vote again. Since taking office after the 2016 referendum, May has made an art of balancing competing demands from her party and European Union leaders over Brexit. She has lurched from crisis to crisis but has often managed to broker a last-minute compromise that averts any immediate disaster. On Tuesday, she united her deeply divided Conservative party and their Northern Irish allies behind a plan to return to Brussels to try to salvage her Brexit deal. But the EU said it would not reopen the agreement, and her most hard-line euroskeptic MPs warned that without the changes, they would not support her. That she is still trying to save her plan is, to her supporters, a mark of the resilience that has kept her in office against all the odds. “She’s focused on delivering the Brexit that people voted for,” her aides repeatedly say. To her critics, it is proof of her inflexibility, and her inability to respond to changing circumstances, and she has been dubbed the “zombie” leader. She has certainly taken some knocks. There was the ignominy of losing her parliamentary majority following a disastrous snap election in 2017, for which many of her colleagues blamed her own poor performance on the campaign trail. Dozens of her ministers have since quit the government over Brexit, and her own MPs launched a leadership challenge against her late last year. Then on January 15 she lost a Commons vote on her Brexit deal by a historic margin, prompting another confidence vote in her government. But each time she has fought on, partly protected by the inability of any serious challengers to form alliances and depose her. Shortly before Christmas, May made a rare acknowledgement of weakness, telling Conservative colleagues she did not intend to lead them into the next scheduled election in 2022. The concession secured her victory in a party confidence vote, but only weeks later, one third of her party voted against her Brexit deal. May won the Conservative leadership by default when her predecessor David Cameron quit after the referendum, as her rivals fought among themselves or withdrew. But despite her insistence that “Brexit means Brexit,” her quiet support for staying in the EU during the campaign meant many Leave supporters have never quite trusted her. Pro-Europeans are also suspicious of what they see as the zeal of the convert, noting how quickly she set out red lines that would come to tie her hands in negotiations with the EU. Despite the near constant criticism, May has kept at it and compares herself to her cricketing hero, Geoffrey Boycott, who was a byword for doggedness as a batsman. The vicar’s daughter gleefully seized on a put-down by a party elder that she was a “bloody difficult woman.” May eschews gossip and networking, and spent six years in the tough job of interior minister before entering Downing Street. But her reserved nature often makes for stilted relations with world leaders and voters, while her tendency to repeat phrases and avoid direct questions earned her the media nickname “Maybot.” May, 62, said she knew she wanted to become a politician when she was just 12. She provoked mockery when she once admitted that the naughtiest thing she had done was running through a field of wheat. She studied geography at the University of Oxford, where she met her husband Philip, who became a banker, after reportedly being introduced by future Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The couple never had children and May devoted herself to a life of public service that saw her become Conservative Party chairwoman in 2002. She enjoys cooking and reading detective novels, and recently admitted she deals with stress by eating spoonfuls of peanut butter directly from the jar.


Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro is ready for talks with opposition, report says

Abstract: MOSCOW - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Wednesday he was ready to sit down for talks with the country’s opposition and is open to the possibility of third countries mediating, Russia’s RIA news agency reported. RIA released his comments as the struggle for control of Venezuela intensified, with the government preparing an investigation that could lead to the arrest of opposition leader and self-declared interim president Juan Guaido, who has called for new street protests. Venezuela was plunged into political turmoil last week after the United States recognized Guaido, 35, as acting president, while Russia has continued to back Maduro. “I am ready to sit at the negotiation table with the opposition for us to talk for the benefit of Venezuela, for the sake of peace and its future,” RIA quoted Maduro as saying. Maduro made the comments in an interview to Russia’s RIA news agency in Caracas released on Wednesday. Asked about the possibility of third countries mediating in the standoff, Maduro was quoted as saying: “There are several governments, organizations globally, which are demonstrating their sincere concern about what is happening in Venezuela, they have called for a dialogue.”


In era of Trump, U.S. intelligence report warns of weakening alliances as Sino-Russian ties grows stronger

Abstract: The top U.S. intelligence official warned Tuesday that the United States is facing strengthening ties and a convergence of interests between China and Russia, just as policy changes on trade and defense by the Trump administration could cause allies to look beyond Washington — a stark admission amid growing fears of faltering alliances. “China and Russia are more aligned than at any point since the mid-1950s, and the relationship is likely to strengthen in the coming year,” according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment, which was presented by the intelligence community’s top brass at an annual hearing before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. “At the same time, some U.S. allies and partners are seeking greater independence from Washington in response to their perceptions of changing U.S. policies on security and trade,” the assessment warned. U.S. allies, including Japan, have long been concerned over President Donald Trump’s approach to these policies, and some experts say the assessment reiterates these concerns. “I think it states what we all know — the president has intensified concern in allied capitals about whether they can or should rely on the United States for their security. The sources of that concern are many, but … I don’t think DNI’s report is a message to allies,” said Sheila Smith, senior fellow for Japan studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington. “DNI is simply acknowledging the impact of the past two years on U.S. reliability.” Others, however, said Tuesday’s report points to something more ominous: That after an initial period of relatively successful attempts by officials to rein in the president’s more erratic stances, Trump’s worldview appears to have prevailed. “Allies have been worried about Trump’s approach to allies since the campaign,” said Nick Bisley, an Asia expert and a professor of international relations at La Trobe University in Australia. This has been especially the case for Japan, he noted. Bisley said that the president’s “first year or so” seemed to indicate that the conventional approach out of Washington would hold up in the face of a Trump White House that didn’t seem connected to the policy process. But he said that over the past year, elites with conventional policy approaches have departed, creating a kind of “functional Trumpism” coming out of the White House. “Trump’s instincts will get increasingly enabled by policy elites and the kind of transactional approach to alliances that is at the heart of his worldview is likely to become more dominant,” Bisley said, adding that allies were “genuinely worried and beginning to think seriously about ‘plan B.’ ” In Tokyo, this is likely to reinforce the sentiment that “a kind of ‘what have you done for me lately’ mentality” will dominate in Washington, he said, noting drawn-out negotiations over cost-sharing for U.S. troops stationed in South Korea and Trump’s insistence that Seoul accept as much as a 50 percent increase in what it pays for American military protection. “Given the frictions with ROK this is especially worrisome for Tokyo,” Bisley said, using the acronym for the South’s formal name, the Republic of Korea. These fears in allied capitals come as the DNI assessment said Moscow and Beijing are competing “more intensely with the United States and its traditional allies and partners” and “are more aligned than at any point since the mid-1950s.” This relationship — which saw the two powers defined as “strategic competitors” in the Pentagon’s 2018 National Defense Strategy — “is likely to strengthen in the coming year as some of their interests and threat perceptions converge, particularly regarding perceived U.S. unilateralism and interventionism and Western promotion of democratic values and human rights,” the report said. Their competition with the U.S. “cuts across all domains, involves a race for technological and military superiority, and is increasingly about values” as the two powers “seek to shape the international system and regional security dynamics and exert influence over the politics and economies of states in all regions of the world and especially in their respective backyards.” Beyond China and Russia, the threat assessment also appeared to directly contradict Trump in saying that nuclear-armed North Korea is unlikely to dismantle its arsenal, an idea that the White House has built the U.S. negotiating strategy around. “We currently assess that North Korea will seek to retain its WMD (weapons of mass destruction) capabilities and is unlikely to completely give up its nuclear weapons and production capability because its leaders ultimately view nuclear weapons as critical to regime survival,” DNI Director Dan Coats told the Senate committee. Coats did note that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expressed support for ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons and over the past year has not test-fired a nuclear-capable missile or conducted a nuclear test. The report said U.S. intelligence continues to “observe activity inconsistent with” full nuclear disarmament by the North. “In addition, North Korea has for years underscored its commitment to nuclear arms, including through an order in 2018 to mass-produce weapons and an earlier law — and constitutional change — affirming the country’s nuclear status,” it said. The assessment said that Kim’s support for the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” at his June Singapore summit with Trump is a formulation linked to a long-standing push by Pyongyang to boot the U.S. military from the peninsula and the surrounding region. Trump and Kim are both eager to hold a second summit, but no agenda, venue or date has been announced, though U.S. officials say the meeting is likely to be held in February. Trump asserted after the Singapore summit that North Korea no longer poses a nuclear threat, and has said that his efforts prevented a major war in Asia. However, Coats and other intelligence officials at the hearing made clear they see it differently. “The capabilities and threat that existed a year ago are still there,” Defense Intelligence Agency chief Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley said. The Council on Foreign Relations’ Smith said the assessment matched the thinking of many in the U.S. intelligence community. “It was good to hear it,” she said, adding that while “it is not a criticism of the Trump administration’s effort at diplomacy, it is a refutation of the president’s assertion that the threat is gone.”

russia
china
donald trump
military
north korea
nuclear weapons
u.s .
congress
espionage


GOP's Mitch McConnell bucks Trump, warning against 'precipitous withdrawal' from Syria and Afghanistan

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made a rare break with President Donald Trump and proposed a measure urging the U.S. to continue the fight against Islamic State and al-Qaida in Syria and Afghanistan and avoid any “precipitous withdrawal.” McConnell said an amendment he plans to offer to legislation that would impose new sanctions on Syria and that it would reassure U.S. allies in both countries. “It would recognize the danger of a precipitous withdrawal from either conflict, and highlight the need for diplomatic engagement and political solutions to the underlying conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan,’ he said on the Senate floor. “We have seen the costs of a precipitous withdrawal before in Iraq. And in Afghanistan, we have seen the downsides of telling the enemy they can just wait us out.” While Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters Tuesday that “99.5 percent-plus of the ISIS-controlled territory has been returned to the Syrians,” Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats warned that Islamic State still commands thousands of fighters in Iraq and Syria and thousands of supporters around the world. Any reduction in pressure will be used by Islamic State “to strengthen its clandestine presence and accelerate rebuilding key capabilities, such as media production and external operations,” Coats said Tuesday in the annual Worldwide Threat Assessment from intelligence agencies. “ISIS very likely will continue to pursue external attacks from Iraq and Syria against regional and Western adversaries, including the United States.” McConnell said his amendment would “urge continued commitment from the U.S. military and our partners until we have set the conditions for the enduring defeat of these vile terrorists.” “While it is tempting to retreat to the comfort and security of our own shores, there is still a great deal of work to be done,” he said. “And we know that left untended, these conflicts will reverberate in our own cities.” Trump’s announcement last year that he would remove troops from Syria led to the departure of Defense Secretary James Mattis and dismay from hawks in his own party in Congress. But the withdrawals have been cheered by Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who has pushed for pulling out of both countries and spending the money in the United States instead.

mitch mcconnell
syria
afghanistan
donald trump
islamic state
dan coats
republicans
terrorism
u.s. military