Carlos Ghosn's lawyer asks for trial separate from Nissan's and Kelly's to ensure fair hearing

Abstract: The legal team representing ousted Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn asked the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday to hold trials separately for him, his former close associate Greg Kelly and Nissan Motor Co., saying that otherwise Ghosn won’t get a fair trial over his alleged financial misconduct. Also holding his first news conference since Ghosn’s release on bail last month, defense attorney Junichiro Hironaka argued that Nissan cooperated extensively with prosecutors by handing over its internal probe findings on the accused former executive and through plea-bargaining. Ghosn’s legal team also released the names of two Nissan officials who were involved in the plea-bargaining. Though the automaker has also been indicted for underreporting Ghosn’s income, Hironaka said Nissan has been cozying up to prosecutors, jeopardizing Ghosn’s right to “a fair trial.” “As the defense team, we believe that no matter how you look at this issue, having Mr. Ghosn together with Nissan on the same seat and going to trial proceedings together is a peculiar situation which goes against a fair trial,” Hironaka said. “No matter how you think of this, Nissan is not a defendant. They are prosecutors.” Currently, they are expected to stand trial in the 17th Criminal Court Division at the Tokyo District Court, presided over by Judges Kenji Shimozu, Kazunori Fukushima and Kenji Matsushita, Hironaka said. Under the Japanese legal system, separate proceedings are allowed, but in a majority of cases they are handled by the same panel of judges. For this trial, Hironaka said Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa, along with his legal team, will most likely appear in court proceedings as the company’s senior representative. Hironaka mentioned several new pieces of information during the news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo. He confirmed that senior Nissan administrator Toshiaki Onuma and Hari Nada, who worked closely with Kelly, were involved in plea-bargaining. They have provided a “significant amount of statements” and other materials to prosecutors, Hironaka said. Since Ghosn’s release March 6 after 108 days in detention, the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi Motors Corp. alliance has moved on to building a post-Ghosn structure, announcing a new joint management board and the abolishment of the chairman position to avoid a concentration of power. Ghosn wasn’t allowed to attend a board meeting in March and is expected to be removed from Nissan’s board during an extraordinary shareholders meeting next week. Hironaka said Ghosn remains proud of his contributions to Nissan, but he isn’t thinking of taking any specific action in response to these developments. Reuters reported Monday that Renault SA has notified French prosecutors regarding millions of euros in payments made from the French automaker to Ghosn’s business associate in Oman that was then transferred to a Lebanese company associated with Ghosn. Hironaka declined to comment, saying he had not spoken with Ghosn about the report. Asked when the trial would start, Hironaka said it would be difficult to have it take place in September, as reported in the media. “We cannot rule out the possibility that the prosecutors may add additional charges from now. And if this were the case, then the trial could also take a much longer period from now,” he said. Still, Hironaka stressed that he remains confident Ghosn is innocent based on the available evidence observed by the defense team. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office arrested Ghosn last Nov. 19 on suspicion of falsifying his reported income. The prosecutors subsequently arrested him again on two additional counts of financial misconduct, including aggravated breach of trust for the alleged transfer of private investment losses to Nissan during the global financial crisis of 2008. Hironaka said Ghosn can be expected to hold a news conference in “the near future” as he is contemplating what he will tell the public. Reflecting on the legal team’s role in securing their client’s release on bail, Hironaka acknowledged both public opinion and the attorneys’ ability to prove Ghosn did not pose a flight risk and was not at risk of tampering with evidence. “I believe it could be said that at the time the court was somewhat having difficulty in making its decision (over whether to grant him a bail), we were able to put this (request for bail) forward and shift it toward the direction of the release in a very definitive way,” he said.

carlos ghosn
nissan
courts
junichiro hironaka
renault
corruption
scandals
carmakers
mitsubishi motors


Made-in-China reactor gains favor at home as U.S. nuclear technology falters

Abstract: BEIJING - China’s homegrown nuclear technology is gaining ground in the battle for that nation’s next generation of reactors, according to a state-owned developer, as it seeks to move on after delays and cost blowouts from imported designs. China’s reactor, known as the Hualong One, will be faster and easier to repair and maintain than competing foreign designs because it will be made domestically, according to Chen Hua, chief executive officer of China National Nuclear Power Co., which builds and operates nuclear power projects in the country. “We prefer the Hualong One,” Chen said in an interview Monday on the sidelines of a nuclear conference in Beijing. The global nuclear industry has been awaiting a revival in China, after cost overruns and stricter regulation following the 2011 Fukushima disaster stalled approvals and construction of new units. China’s expanding energy demand and drive for cleaner sources have been a magnet for Western reactor makers, including Westinghouse Electric Co. from the U.S. and France’s Electricite de France SA. Their marquee third-generation reactors — the AP1000 and the EPR, respectively — started commercial operations in China in recent months. However they face competition domestically, as state-run China National Nuclear Corp., the parent of CNNP, and China General Nuclear Power Corp. promote the production and export of the Hualong One. CNNP operates the Sanmen project in Zhejiang province, which uses Westinghouse’s AP1000 design. After starting commercial operations at the No. 2 reactor in November, it has since been suspended after a problem with its coolant pump was detected near the end of last year. Westinghouse is currently examining the defect at Sanmen No. 2 and will be responsible for the cost of fixing it, as the unit is still under warranty, Chen said, adding that repairs may take as long as eight months. A China-based Westinghouse spokesman declined to comment, and representatives in the U.S. didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Curtiss-Wright Corp., the U.S. company that made the pump, is working with Westinghouse to determine the cause of the problem. Its liability, “if any, is limited to the cost of repairing a part,” up to the cost of replacing the entire pump, according to a statement Monday. There are 12 other pumps in operation at three other AP1000 reactors in China. The race to build more reactors in China may now intensify as it ended a three-year freeze on reactor approvals this year, clearing the construction of four Hualong One units. The decision was seen as an indication of China’s future preference, BloombergNEF analyst Hanyang Wei said. The nation may approve as many as 10 units this year, none of which will be AP1000s, according to the China Nuclear Energy Association, an industry group. “The AP1000 is dead in China, and it may very well be dead all over the world,” Chris Gadomski, lead nuclear analyst for BloombergNEF, said in an interview. “I don’t know who would place an order for a new AP1000.” Chen said third-generation designs are similar in costs, but ultimately the choice will boil down to which technology has a better support system and sees costs fall the fastest. That’s not to say the AP1000 is completely out of the race, according to Chen, who said the company may still use it in future reactors. He called the technology an “advanced idea” and forecast it may take another eight years for it to reach commercial scale. China is also developing an upgraded version, called the CAP1400. “It’s like a really good car, super advanced, but what happens if you don’t have enough spare parts,” Chen said. “So you might prefer something more mature. If there are any issues, you’re able to fix it.”


Three of Japan's top department store operators report March sales growth

Abstract: Three of the country’s four major department store operators posted year-on-year growth in same-store sales in March, backed by brisk sales of luxury goods to visitors from abroad. Sales at Takashimaya Co. grew 1.2 percent, while figures rose 0.9 percent at both Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. and J. Front Retailing Co., which runs the Daimaru and Matsuzakaya stores. Sogo & Seibu Co., a unit of Seven & I Holdings Co., saw its sales fall 0.7 percent. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings posted double-digit growth in sales of duty-free items for the first time in eight months. “Appetite is growing for spring clothing due to a rise in temperatures” after weak clothing sales during a mild winter, an official with the company said. Some chains launched sales of items linked to the country’s next era name, Reiwa, as soon as it was announced late Monday morning. “We expect that the celebratory mood will spark consumption,” a Takashimaya official said. Reiwa will replace the current era, Heisei, on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne.

department stores
takashimaya
isetan mitsukoshi
daimaru
matsuzakaya
j . front retailing


Trump declares U.S. census 'meaningless' without citizenship question

Abstract: WASHINGTON/NEW YORK - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday injected himself into one of the most consequential cases of the current Supreme Court term, saying the nation’s 2020 census would be “meaningless” without adding a citizenship question to the questionnaire. The comment on Twitter came ahead of an expected ruling from the Supreme Court on whether Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’ decision to add the citizenship question violated federal law. “Can you believe that the Radical Left Democrats want to do our new and very important Census Report without the all important Citizenship Question,” Trump tweeted. “Report would be meaningless and a waste of the $Billions (ridiculous) that it costs to put together!” The citizenship question is among a series of White House policies signaling tighter control over immigration. These include Trump’s declaration in February of a national emergency to obtain funds for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, and his threat to close the border as soon as this week, disrupting legal crossings as well as trade. The U.S. Constitution requires a census every 10 years, with results used to draw political boundaries, allocate seats in Congress and at the state and local level, and distribute roughly $800 billion of federal funds. Critics have accused Trump of encouraging an undercount by dissuading immigrants from participating in the census, more likely hurting Democrats than Republicans. When Ross announced the addition of a citizenship question in March 2018, he said it was in response to a Department of Justice request for data to help enforce the Voting Rights Act, which protects eligible voters from discrimination. Only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections. Noncitizens comprise about 7 percent of the 328.7 million people living in the United States. Census questionnaires have not included a citizenship question since 1950. “The census is the administration’s new front on its war on immigration and, sadly, the president’s tweet today bears out that concern,” said Terri Ann Lowenthal, a former staff director on the House census oversight committee who now advises groups seeking an accurate 2020 count. The Supreme Court is reviewing a Jan. 15 ruling by U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan, finding that the addition of the citizenship question was illegal, and that Ross’ decision to add it was “arbitrary and capricious.” Oral arguments are scheduled for April 23, with a decision expected by the end of June. Furman said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross broke a “veritable smorgasbord” of federal rules by including the question, and that enforcement of the Voting Rights Act was a “pretexual” rationale for adding it. The judge said adding the question would cause many states to lose federal funding, while Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas would lose Congressional seats. Furman, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, stopped short of a finding that Ross intended to discriminate against immigrants. The decision came in a lawsuit brought by 18 U.S. states, 15 cities and a variety of civil rights groups. In urging the Supreme Court to overturn Furman’s ruling, Solicitor General Noel Francisco said Ross had discretion to add the citizenship question, and that there was a “long pedigree” in the census for asking about citizenship or country of birth. He also said other democracies including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom ask about citizenship on their censuses. Another federal judge, Richard Seeborg in San Francisco, on March 6 also declared the citizenship question illegal. Following that ruling, the Supreme Court said it will also decide whether Ross’ actions violated the Constitution’s Enumeration Clause, which sets out terms for counting people. Adding the citizenship question could lead to an undercount of 4.2 million Hispanics alone, the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy estimated last month.

donald trump
wilbur ross
democrats
immigration
congress
u.s .
u.s. census


Trump camp looks to shift 2,000 U.S. port-of-entry inspectors to Mexico border to deal with migrant crush

Abstract: EL PASO, TEXAS - As many as 2,000 U.S. inspectors who screen cargo and vehicles at ports of entry along the Mexican border may be reassigned to help handle the surge of Central American families coming across, the Trump administration said Monday. The temporary reassignments, up from the current 750 inspectors, threaten to slow the movement of trucks bringing TVs, medical devices and other goods into the U.S. and cause delays for cross-border commuters who come for work or school. The inspectors are instead being put to work processing migrants, taking their applications for asylum and transporting them to holding centers. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the reassignments are necessary to help manage a huge influx of migrants that is straining the system and overflowing border facilities. “The crisis at our border is worsening, and DHS will do everything in its power to end it,” Nielsen said. The effects of pulling inspectors from ports of entry were on display in El Paso, where thousands of border crossers lined up Monday, waiting about an hour to cross into the U.S. They included vendors, U.S. citizens and students with visas. Sergio Amaya, 24, a student at the University of Texas-El Paso, is an American citizen who lives in Juarez. He said it normally takes him two minutes to cross the bridge. “The Border Patrol agent said it’s going to get worse,” Amaya said. Meanwhile, business owners and elected officials warned of the economic consequences if President Donald Trump makes good on his threat last week to shut down all ports of entry along the southern border to stem the wave of asylum seekers. The United States and Mexico trade about $1.7 billion in goods daily, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which said closing the border would be “an unmitigated economic debacle” that would threaten 5 million American jobs. Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz, chairman of the Texas Border Coalition, said a closure would be catastrophic. “Closing the border would cause an immediate depression in border state communities and, depending on the duration, a recession in the rest of the country,” he said. “Our business would end,” said Marta Salas, an employee at an El Paso shop near the border crossing that sells plastic flowers that are used on the Mexican side by families holding quinceaneras, the traditional coming-of-age celebrations. Salas said her whole family would be affected if the president closed the border. “There are Americans who live there. I have nephews who come to UTEP, to grade school, to high school every day,” Salas said. Apprehensions all along the southern border have soared in recent months, with border agents on track to make 100,000 arrests and denials of entry there this month, more than half of them families with children. In addition to reassigning hundreds of inspectors, Nielsen has asked for volunteers from non-immigration agencies within her department and sent a letter to Congress requesting resources and broader authority to deport families faster. The administration is also ramping up efforts to return asylum seekers to Mexico.

mexico
donald trump
u.s .
immigration
refugees
u.s.-mexico border


Trump team heightens effort to return asylum seekers to Mexico

Abstract: WASHINGTON/SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - The Trump administration is intensifying measures to curb the flow of Central American asylum seekers crossing into the United States from Mexico, officials said on Monday, including sending more people back to Mexico to wait for their asylum claims to be heard by U.S. courts. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency will speed up the reassignment of 750 officers to parts of the border dealing with the largest numbers of immigrants, a shift the administration first announced last week. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to close the border if Mexico does not stop a surge of people, often traveling as families from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Closing the border would potentially disrupt millions of legal border crossings and billions of dollars in trade. One policy put in place earlier this year to return asylum seekers to Mexico, dubbed the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), will be “immediately” expanded by “hundreds of additional migrants per day above current rates,” Nielsen said in a statement on Monday. The policy is already being challenged in court by civil rights groups. As of March 26, approximately 370 migrants had been returned to Mexico since the program began in late January, a Mexican official said last week. Asked about the numbers, a DHS spokeswoman declined to confirm them and said the policy “is still in the early stages of implementation.” Critics of the administration say the policy hampers asylum cases, by making it far more difficult for those immigrants to obtain legal assistance. People who have been returned to Mexico to wait are struggling to find attorneys and receive notice of their proceedings in U.S. courts, rights advocates said. Trump administration officials say the MPP is a way to address the failings of the current system, which they claim encourages illegal immigration. Families that claim asylum are often released into the United States because of limits on how long children can be held in detention, allowing them to stay for years while their cases move through a backlogged immigration court system even though many claims are ultimately denied. The administration is hoping policies of deterrence will reduce the number of people who turn themselves in to U.S. border agents, overwhelming the capacity of processing centers along the southern border. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday that Mexico will help to regulate the flow of Central Americans passing through its territory to the United States. He said the root causes behind the phenomenon, which include violence and poverty in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, must be tackled. In a move Democrats and Republicans in Congress have said would be counterproductive, the U.S. State Department cut aid to the three countries after Trump accused them of having “set up” migrant caravans and sending them north. Last week, a San Diego immigration judge heard from the first Central American families that were returned to Mexico under the MPP policy. The judge, Scott Simpson, had the previous week heard claims from single adults who had been returned, and both times expressed concerns over how the protocol is working. Of four families in court on Wednesday, just one had an attorney. But Yanira Esmeralda Chavez, a Salvadoran fruit seller, accompanied by her three boys did not have a lawyer as she made her case to Simpson. The family had been staying at a shelter in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, and asked to remain in the United States because they feared being sent back to Mexico. “I called the numbers on the attorney list that they provided me, but they said they cannot take my case because I am in Tijuana,” Chavez said in the hearing. “It would be better if I stay in the U.S., where I have family members.” Because she expressed fear of return, Simpson said Chavez and her children would be referred to a U.S. asylum officer, who would assess their claims. The outcome of that request was not known, but in prior cases, two people who had expressed similar fears were nevertheless returned to Mexico. Asylum seekers typically undergo what is known as an interview to assess their “credible fear” of returning to their home country. But the standard of proof for a “reasonable fear” of being returned to Mexico under the MPP is much stiffer. Simpson gave Chavez two more months to obtain an attorney, and said that her family in the United States could perhaps help her find a lawyer. Throughout the day, Simpson expressed his concerns about the policy, saying he was “skeptical” about migrants getting their notices to appear in court, given the court does not have proper addresses for those returned to Mexico. The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups sued the Trump administration over the policy, claiming it violates U.S. law. But following a March 22 hearing on whether to halt the program, U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco ordered both sides to submit further briefing on the question of whether or not the California court has jurisdiction over the case, likely prolonging any decision on the policy.

mexico
kirstjen nielsen
immigration
donald trump
refugees
u.s.-mexico border


Aid group says 31 died fleeing after Islamic State defeat in Syria's Baghouz

Abstract: DERIK, SYRIA - An international aid group says 31 deaths were recorded in the final week of March among people making their way out of the last sliver of territory held by the Islamic State group and toward a camp for the displaced. The International Rescue Committee says Monday the highest weekly death rate reflects the desperate conditions of the mostly women and children who left the village of Baghouz for al-Hol camp. The U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces announced the final defeat of IS on March 23. The IRC says a total of 217 people died while evacuating Baghouz in the final weeks of the battle. Most were toddlers suffering from malnutrition. The camp holds 70,000 people. The IRC figures could not be independently confirmed.

islamic state
syria
baghouz
international rescue committee
refugees


Congo Ebola outbreak spreading faster than ever and most deaths occurred outside treatment centers: WHO

Abstract: GENEVA - Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak is spreading at its fastest rate yet, eight months after it was first detected, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. Each of the past two weeks has registered a record number of new cases, marking a sharp setback for efforts to respond to the second biggest outbreak ever, as militia violence and community resistance have impeded access to affected areas. Less than three weeks ago, the WHO said the outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever was largely contained and could be stopped by September, noting that weekly case numbers had halved from earlier in the year to about 25. But the number of cases hit a record 57 the following week, and then jumped to 72 last week, said WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier. Previous spikes of around 50 cases per week were documented in late January and mid-November. More alarmingly, about three-quarters of Ebola deaths last week occurred outside of treatment centers, according to Congo health ministry data, meaning there is a much greater chance they transmitted the virus to those around them. “People are becoming infected without access to response measures,” Lindmeier told Reuters. The current outbreak is believed to have killed 676 people and infected 406 others. Another 331 patients have recovered. In the past two months, five Ebola centers have been attacked, some by armed militiamen. That led French medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) to suspend its activities in two of the most affected areas. Another challenge has been a mistrust of first responders. A survey conducted last September by medical journal The Lancet found that a quarter of people sampled in two Ebola hot-spots did not believe the disease was real. Lindmeier said new approaches to community outreach were showing signs of progress and that some previously hostile local residents had recently agreed to grant health workers access. One treatment center that closed in February after being torched by unknown assailants reopened last week. More than 11,000 people died in West Africa’s 2013-16 Ebola outbreak. Since then, health authorities have worked to speed up their responses and deployed an experimental vaccine and treatments, both of which have been considered effective.


Ice sheet likely source of methane on Mars, scientists find

Abstract: PARIS - The mystery of methane on Mars may finally be solved as scientists Monday confirmed the presence of the life-indicating gas on the Red Planet as well as where it might have come from. In the 15 years since a European probe reported traces of the gas in the Martian atmosphere, debate has raged over the accuracy of the readings showing methane, which on Earth is produced by simple lifeforms. Because methane gas dissipates relatively quickly — within around 12 years on Earth — and due to the difficulty of observing Mars’ atmosphere, many scientists questioned previous studies that relied on a single data set. Now an international team of experts has compared observations from two separate spacecraft, taken just one day apart in 2013, to find independent proof of methane on our neighboring planet. They also conducted two parallel experiments to determine the most likely source of methane on Mars to be an ice sheet east of Gale Crater — itself long assumed to be a dried up lake. “This is very exciting and largely unexpected,” Marco Giuranna, from Rome’s National Astrophysics Institute, told AFP. “Two completely independent lines of investigation pointed to the same general area of the most likely source for the methane.” Europe’s Mars Express probe measured 15.5 parts per billion in the atmosphere above the Gale Crater on June 16, 2013. The presence of methane in the vicinity was confirmed by readings taken 24 hours earlier by NASA’s Curiosity rover. Using the data, Giuranna and the team divided the region around the crater into grids of 250 by 250 sq. km. One study then ran a million computer-modelled emissions scenarios for each section while another team studied images of the planet surface for features associated on Earth with the release of methane. The most likely source was a sheet of frozen methane beneath a rock formation, which the team believes periodically ejects the gas into the atmosphere. Giuranna said that while methane is a sign of life on Earth, its presence on Mars doesn’t necessarily constitute evidence of something similar on the Red Planet. “Methane is important because it could be an indicator of microbial life,” he said. “But life is not required to explain these detections because methane can be produced by abiotic processes.” “Though not a direct biosignature of life, methane can add to the habitability of martian settings, as certain types of microbes can use methane as a source of carbon and energy,” he added. Though there is no liquid water on Mars, the European Space Agency said in February its imaging equipment had shown further evidence of dried up river beds, suggesting the Red Planet may once have been home to simple organisms. Giuranna said that further research was needed to determine the extent of the methane ice sheet near Gale Crater. If founded to be extensive, the methane it contains “could support a sustained human presence” on Mars as a possible source of fuel for industrial processes and a propellant for returning manned missions to Earth, he said.


Whistleblower reveals 'grave breaches' in White House security clearances

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Some 25 White House officials including top advisers of President Donald Trump were given security clearances despite staff recommendations against it, a whistleblower has told Congress. House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings said in a letter Monday that White House security official Tricia Newbold detailed to his panel “grave breaches of national security at the highest levels of the Trump Administration.” None of the 25 were named, but in his letter, addressed to White House counsel Pat Cipollone, Cummings requested information relating to clearances for national security adviser John Bolton, former national security adviser Michael Flynn, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, and several other top security officials. He also said he would subpoena Carl Kline, Newbold’s former superior at the White House Personnel Security Office, to testify to the committee on the clearances, along with other officials. Newbold told the committee that the Personnel Security Office recommended against security clearances — which allow access to top secret materials — for the 25, Cummings said. Two of them were top-level officials in national security. Newbold told the committee that the recommendations for denial were for serious questions involving foreign influence, conflicts of interest, personal conduct issues, financial problems, drug use and criminal acts. But the 18-year veteran of the White House said they were pressured to change their recommendations and overruled by Kline and higher-ups. And when she pressed the issues, Kline and others retaliated against her, she said, including suspending her without pay for two weeks in early February. “I would not be doing a service to myself, my country, or my children if I sat back knowing that the issues that we have could impact national security,” Newbold told the committee. “I want it known that this is a systematic … issue,” she said. Questions about security clearances have been raised ever since Trump took office on January 20, 2017. Flynn was forced out of the White House within weeks after questions were raised about his private discussions with Russia’s U.S. ambassador, as well as other foreign business dealings. Kushner, who with his wife were made top presidential advisers, also raised warning lights due to his overseas business ties and a looming debt problem that was a potential conflict of interest. Asked about the clearance issue on Fox’s “The Ingraham Angle” on Monday night, Kushner declined to “comment for the White House’s process.” “But what I can say is that over the last few years that I’ve been here, I’ve been accused of all different types of things, and all of those things have turned out to be false,” he said. “I disclosed all of my holdings for the Office of Government Ethics, and what I did with them is they told me what to divest, what to keep, what rules to follow. We followed all that,” Kushner said. Last year the White House was also questioned about the security clearance granted to Trump aide Rob Porter despite domestic abuse allegations from two ex-wives. In testimony to the committee, Newbold described the Trump White House as far more lax on security issues that previous presidents she had worked for. An abnormally large number of staffers had interim security clearances for long periods, including several for the highest level of secrecy classification that granted them access to “sensitive compartmented information,” or SCI. Other government agencies, she said, questioned why the White House had so many individuals with interim SCI clearances. A number of those individuals, she told the committee, eventually were denied permanent clearances, including two high-level officials. But in the meantime they had gained access to some of the most restricted intelligence the government has.

donald trump
congress
tricia newbold
michael flynn
jared kushner


U.K. Parliament rejects four alternatives to May's Brexit deal

Abstract: LONDON - The British Parliament has spoken — and it has said no, again. Lawmakers seeking a way out of the U.K.’s Brexit morass on Monday rejected four alternatives to the government’s unpopular European Union divorce deal that would have softened or even halted the country’s departure. With just 12 days until the U.K. must come up with a new plan or crash out of the bloc in chaos, the House of Commons threw out four options designed to replace Prime Minister Theresa May’s thrice-rejected Brexit deal — though in some cases by just a whisker. The result leaves May’s Conservative government facing difficult and risky choices. It can gamble on a fourth attempt to push May’s unloved deal through Parliament, let the U.K. tumble out of the bloc without a deal, or roll the dice by seeking a snap election to shake up Parliament. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the government would continue to seek support for a “credible” plan for leaving the EU. “This House has continuously rejected leaving without a deal just as it has rejected not leaving at all,” he told lawmakers in the House of Commons after the votes. “Therefore the only option is to find a way through which allows the U.K. to leave with a deal.” May has summoned her Cabinet for a marathon meeting Tuesday to thrash out the options. The prime minister, who is renowned for her dogged determination, could try to bring her Brexit agreement back for a fourth time later this week. Monday’s votes revealed a preference among lawmakers for a softer form of Brexit — but not a majority to make it happen. The narrowest defeat — 276 votes to 273 — was for a plan to keep the U.K. in a customs union with the EU, guaranteeing smooth and tariff-free trade in goods. A motion that went further, calling for the country to stay in the EU’s borderless single market for both goods and services, was defeated 282-261. A third proposal calling for any Brexit deal struck with the EU to be put to a public referendum was defeated 292-280. The fourth, which would let the U.K. cancel Brexit if it came within two days of crashing out of the bloc without a deal, fell by a wider margin, 292-191. May had already ruled out all the ideas under consideration. But the divorce deal she negotiated with the EU has been rejected by Parliament three times, leaving Britain facing a no-deal Brexit that could cause turmoil for people and businesses on both sides of the Channel. Conservative lawmaker Nick Boles, architect of the single-market option, acknowledged he had failed in his attempt to break the deadlock. “I have failed chiefly because my party refuses to compromise,” Boles added, announcing that he was quitting the Conservatives to sit as an independent in Parliament. The April 12 deadline, imposed by the EU, gives British politicians less than two weeks to bridge the hostile divide that separates those who want to sever links with the EU and those who want to keep the ties that have bound the U.K. to the bloc for almost 50 years. Lawmakers have carved out more time on Wednesday for further votes on Brexit options. The impasse has raised expectations that lawmakers or the government could try to trigger a snap election in the hope a new configuration in Parliament would break the Brexit logjam. But the Conservatives are worried that could hand power to the opposition Labour Party. The lack of consensus reflects a Parliament and a government deeply divided over how — and whether — to leave the EU. Justice Secretary David Gauke said leaving the bloc without a deal was “not the responsible thing for a government to do.” But Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss said it would be better than a soft Brexit. “I don’t have any fear of no-deal,” she said. The Brexit impasse has alarmed businesses, who say the uncertainty has deterred investment and undermined economic growth. The chief executive of industrial manufacturer Siemens U.K. implored lawmakers to unite around a compromise deal, saying “Brexit is exhausting our business and wrecking the country’s tremendous reputation as an economic powerhouse.” Juergen Maier urged lawmakers to keep the U.K. in a customs union with the EU, saying that would allow frictionless trade to continue. In a letter published by the Politico website, Maier said “where the U.K. used to be beacon for stability, we are now becoming a laughing stock.” EU leaders have called a special summit on April 10 to consider any request from the U.K. for a delay to Brexit — or to make last-minute preparations for the country’s departure without a deal two days later. The European Parliament’s Brexit coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, warned that a no-deal Brexit was looming unless the U.K. changed course. “The House of Commons again votes against all options,” he tweeted. “A hard #Brexit becomes nearly inevitable. On Wednesday, the U.K. has a last chance to break the deadlock or face the abyss.”

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


May grapples with Brexit deadlock as EU warns of no-deal

Abstract: LONDON - U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May held crisis talks with her ministers Tuesday to try to resolve a monthslong Brexit deadlock, as the EU warned of the growing risk of a disorderly departure from the bloc next week. May gathered her divided Cabinet to try to agree on the next steps after MPs failed for a second time on Monday night to agree on an alternative to her unpopular withdrawal deal. Brussels has given the U.K. an April 12 deadline to pass the divorce deal, settle on an alternative or crash out of the European Union, risking huge economic disruption. In reality, the deadline is nearer as the EU has called an emergency leaders summit for April 10. May’s deal has been rejected by the House of Commons three times but she says their failure to agree on anything else means it is the only option, and could bring it back for a fourth vote this week. The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said an orderly exit was still possible but was becoming less likely. “If the U.K. still wants to leave the EU in an orderly manner, this agreement, this treaty is and will be the only one,” he told a think tank in Brussels. He added: “No deal was never my intended scenario, but the EU 27 is now prepared. It becomes day after day more likely.” May’s deal aims to smooth the country’s EU exit by settling its financial affairs, guaranteeing the rights of expatriate citizens and setting up a transition period until 2022 at the latest in which new trading terms could be agreed upon by London and Brussels. But its proposals to maintain an open border with Ireland by keeping Britain temporarily in a customs union with the EU are strongly opposed by many MPs. Fearful that her refusal to change course is putting Britain at risk of a “no-deal” exit, pro-European MPs last week seized the initiative by holding a round of votes on eight alternative options. After failing to agree on any of them, they refined them down to four choices on Monday night — but once again, there was no majority for any of them. However, the architects of that strategy have refused to give up, and unveiled a fresh plan to introduce legislation on Thursday that could force May to delay Brexit. Conservative former minister Oliver Letwin conceded it would be difficult to get through both Houses of Parliament, but he and co-author Yvette Cooper, a Labour MP, said it was worth trying. “Whatever agreement the government or parliament does or doesn’t reach over the next few days, the U.K. will need more time after 12 April if it is to avoid no deal at that point,” they said in a statement. Britain voted by 52 percent to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum, but the process has been mired in divisions over the terms of the divorce and what kind of future ties to seek. The political chaos forced May to ask the EU to postpone Britain’s exit from the original date of March 29, but she is resisting delaying much longer. She says it would be “unacceptable” to ask British voters to take part in European elections in May, almost three years after they voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum. But Barnier warned: “If the U.K. parliament does not vote in favor of the withdrawal agreement in the coming days, then only two options would remain: leaving without an agreement or requesting a longer extension.” A government analysis leaked to the Daily Mail suggests a “no deal” scenario would undermine Britain’s security capabilities, cause a recession, and increase the cost of food by up to 10 percent. On Monday night, a demand for a permanent customs union with the EU after Brexit only fell short by three votes — but May’s office highlighted the failure of MPs to agree. “It is the second time the house has considered a wide variety of options for a way forward and once again failed to find a clear majority in favour of any of those options,” her spokesman said Tuesday. “The government continues to believe that it is in the best interests of the country to leave with a deal.”


Joe Biden aides blast 'right wing trolls' as another woman says he acted inappropriately

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Aides to Joe Biden struck a more aggressive tone on Monday as the former vice president faced scrutiny over his past behavior toward women. In a statement, Biden spokesman Bill Russo blasted “right wing trolls” from “the dark recesses of the internet” for conflating images of Biden embracing acquaintances, colleagues and friends in his official capacity during swearing-in ceremonies with uninvited touching. The move came on a day in which a second woman said Biden had acted inappropriately, touching her face with both hands and rubbing noses with her in 2009. The allegation by Amy Lappos, a former aide to Democratic Rep. Jim Hines of Connecticut, followed a magazine essay by former Nevada politician Lucy Flores, who wrote that Biden kissed her on the back of the head in 2014. The developments underscored the challenge facing Biden should he decide to seek the White House. Following historic wins in the 2018 midterms, Democratic politics is dominated by energy from women. The allegations could leave the 76-year-old Biden, long known for his affectionate mannerisms, appearing out of touch with the party as the Democratic presidential primary begins. Lappos told The Associated Press that she and other Himes aides were helping out at a fundraiser in a private home in Hartford, Connecticut, in October 2009 when Biden entered the kitchen to thank the group for pitching in. “After he finished speaking, he stopped to talk to us about how important a congressional staff is, which I thought was awesome,” Lappos said. She said she was stunned as Biden moved toward her. “He wrapped both his hands around my face and pulled me in,” said Lappos, who is now 43. “I thought, ‘Oh, God, he’s going to kiss me.’ Instead, he rubbed noses with me.” Biden said nothing, she said, then moved off. She said the experience left her feeling “weird and uncomfortable” and was “absolutely disrespectful of my personal boundaries.” The Hartford Courant first reported Lappos’ assertion. Russo didn’t directly respond to Lappos, instead referring to a Sunday statement in which Biden said he doesn’t believe he has acted inappropriately during his long public life. The former vice president said in that statement: “We have arrived at an important time when women feel they can and should relate their experiences, and men should pay attention. And I will.” Biden hasn’t made a final decision on whether to run for the White House. But aides who weren’t authorized to discuss internal conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity said there were no signs that his team was slowing its preparations for a campaign. Biden’s potential Democratic rivals haven’t rushed to back him up. Over the weekend, presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand came closest to calling out the former vice president. Warren said Biden “needs to give an answer” about what occurred. Gillibrand said, “If Vice President Biden becomes a candidate, this is a topic he’ll have to engage on further.” Ultraviolet, a women’s advocacy group, tweeted: “Joe Biden cannot paint himself as a champion of women and then refuse to listen and learn from a woman who says his actions demeaned her. Good intentions don’t matter if the actions are inappropriate. Do better, Joe. And thank you @LucyFlores for coming forward.”

joe biden
amy lappos
democrats
lucy flores
elizabeth warren
# metoo
2020 u.s. presidential election
beto o'rourke
berney sanders


Taking a closer look at the frenetic pace of U.S. Democratic candidates' campaign events

Abstract: WASHINGTON - How many ways can you measure the first quarter of the year? For American Democratic presidential candidates, it’s 300-plus events, 24 states and hundreds of voter questions. The Iowa caucus is still 10 months away, but the Democratic primary campaign is already an all-out sprint — passing eye-popping markers for campaign activity and voter engagement. Voters in Florida and Ohio may not see it, but weekends in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — not to mention a handful of select states — are a blitz of candidate rallies and local meet-and-greets. For some candidates the frenetic pace is the message, a way of casting themselves as tireless and willing to take every last question. Elizabeth Warren and Beto O’Rourke are trying to make an ambitious schedule and accessibility part of their brands, but Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand have done their parts to keep up with several dozen events each, most in early-voting states. It’s far from clear that the candidate who holds the most events, whether leaping onto tables or addressing big rallies, will emerge as the candidate with the most votes. Still, Democrats watching the display from a distance say the engagement, the activity and the enthusiasm bode well. “Broad picture: This is incredibly good for the Democratic Party,” said Jim Messina, who managed former President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. The Democrats’ contested 2008 primary and the GOP’s packed 2016 field showed “that enthusiasm in primaries becomes very important in a general election,” Messina said. That’s because engaged backers are “more likely to do two things you need them to do” in order to win, he said: donate money and help persuade their social networks to vote. For all the recent upheaval in politics, the 2020 campaign so far shows some things haven’t changed. Retail campaign stops are still essential to breaking through in early-voting states that will play a central role in choosing the nominee. They are, perhaps, even more important in the social media era. One live-streamed rally that goes viral on social media can reach more voters than dozens of smaller events. Even though no one metric can predict success, a look at the campaigns’ tallies of on-the-ground engagement shows how some of the busiest road warriors are faring at the end of the first quarter. Warren and O’Rourke are logging mileage in areas their party hasn’t always traveled to early on and underscoring their appetite for grassroots interaction, a style Pete Buttigieg is also cultivating. Warren took more than 200 questions from voters and O’Rourke answered more than 350, according to their campaigns’ first-quarter estimates. That’s a notable feat for O’Rourke, who only entered the race last month. The former Texas congressman has logged 55 first-quarter events in nine states where he publicly took voter questions, according to his campaign. Gillibrand held 59 public events in eight states since launching an exploratory committee in January, according to the New York senator’s campaign. Buttigieg has held 35 events in 11 states since the South Bend, Indiana, mayor started an exploratory committee that same month. California Sen. Kamala Harris has emerged as a top-tier contender despite fewer public events than some opponents, clocking in with 26 public first-quarter events in eight states since launching her campaign in January, according to an AP estimate. Harris’ campaign said Monday night that she took more than 100 voter questions during first-quarter events, where total estimated turnout has topped 37,000. Warren, a former law professor whose campaign is keeping detailed statistics, took questions at 48 events in 12 states over all three months, according to the Massachusetts senator’s campaign. Her aides measure her commitment to voter engagement partly in selfies — estimating that she’s taken more than 12,000 with voters so far. The tally of extra time after events is itself a strategic move, an argument that availability can win the day while other candidates spend time on the high-dollar fundraisers she’s sworn off. Other Democrats are consciously mixing up their number and types of public events. Booker is holding a bigger kickoff of a national tour soon after holding smaller events. The New Jersey senator’s campaign estimates that he has held more than 50 public events in seven states since he jumped into the race in February. A handful of other candidates have lagged behind in their total number of first-quarter events. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar logged 18 events in nine states since forming her campaign in February, according to an AP tally, with former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee each holding 12 events. Former housing secretary Julian Castro has held more than a dozen of his own over the first quarter. All of these candidates tend to fall behind Bernie Sanders in early polling of the Democratic field. Sanders, the runner-up in 2016, has held 17 major events in eight states and Washington, D.C., since declaring his candidacy in early March. Not all of Sanders’ events — nor those of other candidates — feature the sort of real-time voter questions that are a fixture of Warren’s and O’Rourke’s appearances. But Sanders’ crowds illustrate his formidable ability to engage voters on his own terms: The Vermont senator’s campaign projects a total turnout of 74,000 people for all of his events so far. President Donald Trump famously upended the traditional calculus of campaigning in 2016 by making fewer retail visits as he powered past more than a dozen GOP rivals. Whether anyone in the Democratic field can repeat that model remains to be seen. “We want to fall in love like we did with Barack Obama,” Messina said of Democratic voters, “and to do that, you need to do the retail part of this.” Several candidates have made a point of veering off the beaten track, hoping a stop outside the early states will earn them some extra media attention and voter good will. O’Rourke crossed six states in one week on his post-announcement road trip. Warren has made unexpected trips to Puerto Rico and the Deep South, eager to find a way to set herself apart from the pack. When the Massachusetts senator touted her “not traditional” choice to visit Alabama during a rally there last month, a voice from the audience chimed in to note that “Obama did it.”

democrats
campaigns
elections
2020 u.s. presidential campaign


Most trapped in upper deck, 17 perish in Lima bus inferno at illegal terminal

Abstract: LIMA - An inferno swept through a bus at an illegal transport terminal in Lima, killing 17 people trapped inside in one of Peru’s worst fire disasters in over a decade, the state prosecutor’s office said Monday. Most of the victims were trapped on the upper deck of the interprovincial bus in Lima as it prepared to depart the controversial Fiori bus terminal, fire chief Mario Casaretto said. “Everyone became trapped in the stairwell leading to the first level when they wanted to get down from the upper level,” Casaretto said. Onlookers described scenes of panic and cries of terror. Much of the vehicle was reduced to a skeleton and the corpses of some victims could still be seen in the seats. Others asphyxiated on the stairway connecting the upper and lower levels. The tragedy reflected the chaos of Peru’s public transport system, particularly in the capital of 10 million people where authorities are overwhelmed by transport problems. Initial reports said an electrical fault at the rear of the bus triggered the blaze just after 7:30 p.m. (0030 GMT). Initially the fire department said at least 20 people had perished in the fire, but the figure was revised downwards after firefighters had combed through the burnt-out bus. “At 4:00 am local time the team of prosecutors and six doctors concluded the removal of 17 bodies,” the prosecutor’s office said on Twitter. Among the dead were four children. Thirteen adults — five women and eight men — also died. Authorities did not say how many people were on board. One unidentified man, broken by grief, told local television that he had lost six family members, including his wife, children and grandchildren. An AFP photographer witnessed one woman weeping, her face buried in her hands, while paramedics checked her. Lima Mayor Jorge Munoz visited the injured in hospital and announced an investigation to punish those responsible. “I am totally outraged,” he said, recalling that insecurity and other problems had led to the closure of the Fiori terminal last year. The station is in Lima’s populous northern San Martin de Porres district, from where the bus was to depart for the northern city of Chiclayo. Fiori was operating illegally after local authorities closed it in January 2018 for the unauthorized sale of fuel to public buses. The fire was one of the worst in Lima since December 2001, when a fireworks blast caused a market blaze that killed about 300 people.


U.S. halts delivery of F-35 equipment to Turkey over its plans to buy missile defense system from Russia

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The United States has halted delivery of equipment related to the stealthy F-35 fighter aircraft to Turkey, marking the first concrete U.S. step to block delivery of the jet to the NATO ally in light of Ankara’s planned purchase of a Russian missile defense system. U.S. officials told their Turkish counterparts they will not receive further shipments of F-35 related equipment needed to prepare for the arrival of the stealthy jet, two sources familiar with the situation said Monday. The Pentagon confirmed the report that the equipment delivery had been stopped. “Pending an unequivocal Turkish decision to forgo delivery of the S-400, deliveries and activities associated with the stand-up of Turkey’s F-35 operational capability have been suspended,” Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Mike Andrews, a Defense Department spokesman, said in a statement. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has refused to back down from Ankara’s planned purchase of a Russian S-400 missile defense system that the United States has said would compromise the security of F-35 aircraft. The disagreement over the F-35 is the latest of a series of diplomatic disputes between the United States and Turkey including Turkish demands that the United States extradite Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, differences over Middle East policy and the war in Syria, and sanctions on Iran. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the next shipment of training equipment, and all subsequent shipments of F-35 related material, had been canceled. The aircraft is built by Lockheed Martin Corp. A Pentagon official told Reuters in March that the United States had a number of items it could withhold in order to send Turkey a signal that the United States was serious about Ankara dropping its ambition to own the S-400. Turkish officials in Ankara were not immediately available for comment. Turkey has said it will take delivery of the S-400s in July. The U.S. decision on the F-35s was expected to complicate Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s visit to Washington this week for a NATO summit. On Sunday, Erdogan suffered one of his biggest electoral losses in decades in local elections. “Certain Russian weapon systems are seen as inherently threatening to the United States regardless of who is operating them and for what purpose,” Andrew Hunter, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said. “Because Turkey is not just an F-35 purchaser, but an industrial partner, blocking delivery of these systems represents a major escalation by the United States as it threatens to impose serious costs on both sides,” Hunter said. Reuters reported last week that Washington was exploring whether it could remove Turkey from production of the F-35. Turkey makes parts of the fuselage, landing gear and cockpit displays. Sources familiar with the F-35’s intricate worldwide production process and U.S. thinking on the issue last week said Turkey’s role can be replaced. The United States and other NATO allies that own F-35s fear the radar on the Russian S-400 missile system will learn how to spot and track the jet, making it less able to evade Russian weapons. In an attempt to persuade Turkey to drop its plans to buy the S-400, the United States offered the pricier American-made Patriot anti-missile system in a discounted deal that expired at the end of March. Turkey has shown interest in the Patriot system, but not at the expense of abandoning the S-400. Turkey has engaged with U.S. negotiators in recent days about buying the Patriot system, a person familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. The system is made by Raytheon Co. Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar in March said that despite some issues, Turkish pilots were continuing their training at an air base in Arizona on the F-35, each of which costs $90 million, and that Ankara was expecting the aircraft to arrive in Turkey in November. By halting jet deliveries, the Pentagon could subsequently delay training of Turkish pilots. Two additional jets are scheduled to arrive in Arizona in April and a significant delay could impact Turkey’s November target date for operations. U.S. lawmakers also have expressed alarm over Turkey’s planned purchase of the Russian system. Four U.S. senators last week introduced a bipartisan bill that would prohibit the transfer of F-35s to Turkey until the U.S. government certifies that Ankara will not take delivery of the S-400 system. Following news of the halt, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, one of the bill sponsors, said she was glad to hear the administration was “to delay the transfer of F-35 equipment to Turkey to help ensure U.S. military technology and capabilities cannot fall into the hands of the Kremlin.”

turkey
russia
military
u.s .
recep tayyip erdogan


Facebook and rights groups hit out at Singapore's planned fake news bill

Abstract: SINGAPORE - Singapore submitted wide-ranging fake news legislation in Parliament on Monday, stoking fears from internet firms and human rights groups that it may give the government too much power and hinder freedom of speech. The law will require social media sites like Facebook to carry warnings on posts the government deems false and remove comments against “public interest.” The move came two days after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said governments should play a more active role in regulating the online platform. But Simon Milner, who works on Facebook’s public policy in Asia, said after the law was tabled, the firm was “concerned with aspects of the law that grant broad powers to the Singapore executive branch to compel us to remove content they deem to be false and proactively push a government notification to users.” “As the most far-reaching legislation of its kind to date, this level of overreach poses significant risks to freedom of expression and speech, and could have severe ramifications both in Singapore and around the world,” said Jeff Paine, managing director of the Asia Internet Coalition, an industry association of internet and technology companies in the region. Speaking to reporters Monday, Singapore’s Law Minister K. Shanmugam said the new legislation will not hinder free speech. “This legislation deals with false statements of facts. It doesn’t deal with opinions, it doesn’t deal with viewpoints. You can have whatever viewpoints however reasonable or unreasonable,” he said. Tech giants Facebook, Twitter and Google all have their Asia headquarters in the city-state, a low-tax finance hub seen as an island of stability in the middle of the fast-growing but often-turbulent Southeast Asia region. Singapore, which has been run by the same political party since independence from Britain more than 50 years ago, says it is vulnerable to fake news because of its position as a global financial hub, its mixed ethnic and religious population and widespread internet access. It is ranked 151 among 180 countries rated in the World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders, a nongovernment group that promotes freedom of information, below the likes of Russia and Myanmar. The new bill proposes that the government get online platforms to publish warnings or “corrections” alongside posts carrying false information, without removing them. This would be the “primary response” to counter falsehoods online, the Law Ministry said. “That way, in a sense, people can read whatever they want and make up their minds. That is our preference,” Shanmugam told reporters Monday. Under the proposals, which must be approved by Parliament, criminal sanctions including hefty fines and jail terms will be imposed if the falsehoods are spread by “malicious actors” who “undermine society,” the ministry said, without elaborating. It added that it will cut off an online site’s “ability to profit,” without shutting it down, if the site had published three falsehoods that were “against the public interest” over the previous six months. It did not say how it will block a site’s profit streams. The bill came amid talk of a possible general election this year. Shanmugam declined to comment when asked if the new legislation was related to a vote. “This draft law will be a disaster for human rights, particularly freedom of expression and media freedom,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s , Asia division. “The definitions in the law are broad and poorly defined, leaving maximum regulatory discretion to the government officers skewed to view as “misleading” or “false” the sorts of news that challenge Singapore’s preferred political narratives.”

facebook
rights
social media
media
press freedom
censorship


New Japanese era name a boon for Australian property website

Abstract: SYDNEY - What links the Japanese Imperial family and the property market in Western Australia? Until Monday’s announcement of the forthcoming Reiwa Era, not much. The Real Estate Institute of Western Australia said it had an unexpected surge in traffic to its website — Reiwa.com — after the era of the next emperor’s rule was named. Seventy percent of the day’s traffic to reiwa.com was from Japan, according to institute spokeswoman Sjanna Sandalova. In Japanese, Reiwa consists of two characters: “ rei ,” which can have meanings related to “order” but also “auspicious,” and “ wa ,” usually translated as “peace” or “harmony.” For the many residents of Perth, REIWA, is synonymous with the hunt for a two-bedroom apartment near the Swan River. Reiwa.com is hoping that Japan’s new era also brings a new era in a market that is shrinking after a decadelong mining-fueled boom. “We want to embrace all of this traction and use it as an opportunity to entice migration and foreign investment back into our state,” said REIWA Chief Executive Neville Pozzi.

era name
australia
real estate
new era
emperor akihito
abdication
offbeat
gengo
heisei


In 1988, Japan wanted Crown Prince Akihito to visit South Korea, records show

Abstract: SEOUL - A former senior Japanese government official informed the South Korean side in 1988 of hopes that Emperor Akihito, then the Crown Prince, would make a visit to South Korea as soon as possible, according to declassified diplomatic records. The documents were released by the South Korean Foreign Ministry on Sunday. Then-Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Ryohei Murata told former South Korea Ambassador to Japan I Won-gyon that the Japanese Foreign Ministry hoped that the Crown Prince would visit South Korea at an early date, the records show. At the same time, Murata said there were many issues that needed to be considered, such as the health condition of then-Emperor Hirohito, the father of the current Emperor and known posthumously as Emperor Showa, as well as the timing of a South Korea visit by the Crown Prince, according to the records. I reported Murata’s remarks to the South Korean government. Murata made the remarks at a meeting over lunch in September 1988, to which the South Korean envoy was invited, the records show. They exchanged views on the international situation at the time and a plan to visit Japan by Roh Tae-woo, who was the South Korean president at the time. Murata also presented the option of the Crown Prince’s possible South Korea visit being discussed at a Japan-South Korea summit, according to the records. But Murata was also quoted as saying that various approaches, such as making no official announcement, could be studied. He made the statement apparently in consideration of the feelings of South Korean people over the possible visit, experts said. Every March the South Korean Foreign Ministry discloses diplomatic records 30 years after their compilation.

south korea
emperor akihito
roh tae-woo
emperor hirohito
south korea-japan relations


Pachinko parlors in western Japan will hold back from installing new machines before G20 in Osaka

Abstract: OSAKA - About 800 pachinko parlors in western Japan have decided to refrain from replacing their game machines with new ones, a measure typically used to attract customers, ahead of the Group of 20 summit in Osaka in June, an industry group said Tuesday. The decision, made after the group discussed with police which pachinko parlors are required by law to apply for the changing or adding of machines, is intended to prevent an extra burden from being placed on police, who will be busy with security-related tasks before and during the summit. According to the national organization of pachinko halls, almost all parlors in the prefectures of Osaka and Ehime will not apply for the introduction of new game machines in the lead up to the summit. Osaka parlors will not make such applications in June, while Ehime establishments will refrain from applying for new machines from late May to late June. The G20 summit will be held in the city of Osaka from June 28 to 29. In addition, those in Ehime, whose capital, Matsuyama, is scheduled to host a G20 meeting of labor ministers from Sept. 1 to 2, will handle the matter the same way from late July through to the summit, the organization said. The group said its Osaka and Ehime chapters have already informed their local members of the policy. “Although some pachinko parlors may voice concern that (the self-restraint) will affect their business, we’d like to cooperate for the success of the G20 summit,” said an official of the national organization. Pachinko parlors have previously taken similar measures for big international events, such as the 2008 Group of Eight summit in Toyako, Hokkaido, and the 2002 FIFA World Cup jointly hosted by Japan and South Korea. The G20 consists of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the U.K., the United States and the European Union.


What's in a name? Reiwa reflects today's politics, Japan's cultural history and a social philosophy

Abstract: Media hype over Reiwa, the newly announced name for the upcoming era, continued unabated Tuesday. At the same time, a majority of people appeared to happily welcome the name, which means “auspicious” ( rei ) and “peace” or “harmony” ( wa ). However, the choice of the era name seems to reflect some important political considerations on the part of the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe: For the first time, the two kanji chosen for the name were taken from Japanese classical literature, not Chinese. A growing sense of rivalry with China has apparently prompted Abe and other key Cabinet members to distance themselves from Chinese literature, which has long been the traditional source when it comes to choosing a new era name. But ironically, the passage that inspired the new name was apparently influenced by a Chinese classical poem. According to Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya, Cabinet members “shared the feeling” that the new era name must be chosen from a Japanese classic book, not a Chinese one. “Japan was long under the influence of Chinese civilization, and it enjoyed great benefits from it,” Iwaya told a news briefing Tuesday at the Prime Minister’s Office. “But Japan has cultivated its own unique culture over thousands of years. So it was very meaningful that (kanji) were chosen from a Japanese book this time,” he said. The two kanji used for Reiwa came from the introduction to a set of 32 flower-themed poems included in “Manyoshu,” Japan’s oldest existing anthology of waka poems. Abe praised “Manyoshu,” pointing out that people from a variety of social classes — ranging from emperors, warriors and farmers — all contributed poems to the book. The era name will be a symbol of Japanese people’s love of culture and the country’s rich nature, he said. Tuesday’s editorial in the conservative daily Sankei Shimbun sounded much more upbeat than Abe, saying it welcomes the new era name. “Having its own gengō was a symbol of a state’s independence. Chinese dynasties forced countries under their wings to keep using their Chinese gengō over generations,” it read. “The history of Japanese gengō shows that Japan, whose figurehead is the Emperor , has maintained independence without any interruption.” However, the introduction in question was written only with Chinese grammar and Chinese characters, based on a Chinese classic poem. The sentence of the introduction in question reads: “In an auspicious (rei) month of early spring, winds breeze in a peaceful (wa) manner.” According to experts, this sentence was based on a classic Chinese poem by Zhang Heng (78-139), which was believed to have been widely read by Japanese intellectuals at that time. In fact, Zhang’s poem looks quite similar: “In an auspicious month of mid-spring, the air is pure in a peaceful time.” Many Japanese have the impression that “Manyoshu” is Japanese classic literature, but the introduction in question and some other parts were written only with Chinese characters using Chinese grammar, said Asao Kure, an associate professor at Kyoto Sangyo University. “(Japanese people) were trying to create something original while using Chinese culture as a reference,” said Kure, who specializes in legal history and is also an expert on Imperial era names. Originally Japanese people didn’t have a writing system at all and instead introduced Chinese characters, now called kanji, sometime during the 5th century. Later, Japanese people invented kana phonograms but many Japanese classic works were written only with Chinese characters using Chinese grammar. In some works, like most poems in “Manyoshu,” Chinese characters were used as a phonetic equivalent of Japanese words. Kenji Yamazaki, professor of Japanese literature at Meiji University in Tokyo, said it is probably difficult to find something that is purely Japanese and can be used for gengō given the hybrid nature of the Japanese writing system. Yamazaki also said he feels the hybrid nature of “Manyoshu” may suggest a continuing resonance for people in the upcoming new era: creating something new by absorbing something from the outside world. Meanwhile, Kure of Kyoto Sangyo University also said people shouldn’t focus too much on the meanings associated with one kanji that constitutes the gengō. “The new era name draws on a text about nature, which is unlike the previous era names,” he said. “Past era names have usually posited specific political principles, but Reiwa instead puts forth a new kind of social philosophy inspired by nature — one that aims to achieve harmony among individuals in the same way that harmony and balance is found in natural phenomena,” he explained. “I do feel that the new gengō is aligned with modern ways of thinking, in that it focuses more on harmonious relationships between individuals to create a diverse society, rather than putting forward a specific principle,” Kure said.

reiwa
history
shinzo abe
kanji
literature
china
manyoshu
nihongo
gengo


Japan's LDP to get record haul of state subsidies in 2019

Abstract: The ruling Liberal Democratic Party will receive a record ¥17.9 billion in state subsidies in 2019, up 2.3 percent from the previous year, the internal affairs ministry said Monday. The subsidies to the party, decided in accordance with the political party subsidies law, will be the largest since the current subsidy system started in 1995. Subsidies for all eligible political parties will total ¥31.8 billion. The amount to be granted to the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan will jump 16.9 percent to ¥3.2 billion, while that to the Democratic Party for the People will drop 3.0 percent to ¥5.4 billion. The ministry sets the amounts of subsidies to political parties based on the numbers of their lawmakers as of Jan. 1 and votes won in the last House of Representatives election and the last two House of Councilors elections. This year’s subsidies, which are distributed quarterly, will be recalculated based on the results of the upcoming Upper House election in the summer. The Japanese Communist Party did not apply to receive subsidies as it opposes the system. Subsidies for this year will stand at ¥3 billion for Komeito, the LDP’s partner in the ruling coalition, ¥1.3 billion for Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) and ¥275 million for the Liberal Party. Kibo no To (Party of Hope) and the Social Democratic Party will receive ¥219 million and ¥384 million, respectively.


Infectious form of African swine fever virus detected for first time in Japan, in meat from China

Abstract: The African swine fever virus has been detected in a contagious state on Japanese soil for the first time, the government said Tuesday. The government has in the past detected genes of the African swine fever virus in food brought from overseas, but never before has the virus been confirmed as being at an infectious stage. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said the discovery of an infectious form of the virus has prompted a decision to strengthen measures against illegal imports of livestock products. The virus was discovered in sausages brought into the country from China in January, the farm ministry said Tuesday. The virus only affects domesticated and wild pigs and boars, not humans, but there is no vaccine or effective treatment for the highly lethal virus, the ministry said. The sausages were brought into Japan, apparently as souvenirs, by two passengers arriving separately at Chubu airport near Nagoya on planes from Shanghai and Qingdao on Jan. 12, according to the ministry. So far no African swine fever infections have been reported in Japan and it is unlikely that food infected with the virus would cause an outbreak unless pigs were fed with the infected food. Under the law on infectious disease control for domestic animals, people who bring unauthorized animal products into the country could face a fine of up to ¥1 million or imprisonment for up to three years. To date authorities have only penalized serious violations, such as when unauthorized products were imported for sale, but the government now plans to tighten controls and take action against those who repeatedly import unauthorized livestock products. African swine fever is more lethal than conventional swine fever, also known as hog cholera, with a number of outbreaks having been reported in parts of Japan since September — the first time the virus had been detected in the country for 26 years. An outbreak of African swine fever was reported in China last year and has since spread to Vietnam and Mongolia. As of February, dozens of countries in Africa and Europe have also reported outbreaks.

african swine fever
swine fever
virus
meat
china
disease
maff


Japan approves plan to send SDF officers to Sinai, on first non-U.N. peacekeeping mission

Abstract: The government on Tuesday approved sending two Self-Defense Forces officers to a multinational peacekeeping force on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula later this month, in what would be the first dispatch of SDF personnel to an overseas mission not under the command of the United Nations. Japan will dispatch two Ground Self-Defense Force officers to the command of the Multinational Force and Observers, which is tasked with monitoring the cease-fire between Israel and Egypt on the peninsula, between April 19 and Nov. 30 at the MFO’s request. The GSDF dispatch will be the first case of so-called international peace and security cooperation activity under Japan’s 2015 national security legislation. The dispatch will “expand the scope of our country’s international contributions,” said Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga separately told reporters that sending the GSDF officers to the peacekeeping force “will further contribute to peace and stability in the Middle East.” The MFO replaced a U.N. peacekeeping mission in 1982 to monitor the implementation of the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel after the Arab-Israeli War, with Japan providing financial support since 1988. The international body has a total of some 1,200 personnel from 12 countries including the United States and the U.K. The two GSDF members will be given liaison and coordination duties between the Israeli and Egyptian forces, and will be stationed at the MFO command in Sharm el-Sheikh on the southern tip of the peninsula in eastern Egypt. They will be equipped with guns and rifles at the MFO’s request. The government also plans to send a Cabinet Office official to the Japanese embassy in Cairo for support. Iwaya said the government has no plans to send an SDF unit there. The government gave the go-ahead after Kentaro Sonoura, a special adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Parliamentary Vice Defense Minister Takako Suzuki visited the site and judged that the plan meets Tokyo’s requirements for sending SDF members abroad on peacekeeping operations. Japan’s new security law, which came into effect in 2016, loosened the constraints under the postwar pacifist Constitution and allows SDF participation in some overseas peacekeeping operations even if they are not under the control of the United Nations. Five legal requirements, known as the five principles, govern participation by the SDF in peacekeeping operations overseas, whether or not the mission is under U.N. control. The principles include the existence of a cease-fire agreement among warring parties. Japan’s government sent Defense Ministry officials to assess the situation on the Sinai Peninsula in March. The officials determined that the dispatch would not run counter to the five principles.

sinai
peacekeeping
egypt
israel
mfo
self defense forces


International Olympic Committee chief Bach hosts 'reconstruction ambassadors' from disaster-hit Tohoku

Abstract: LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND - International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Monday hosted a group of students from the Tohoku region to discuss its recovery from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster, as well as preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Games. The five teenage “reconstruction ambassadors” from Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures told the IOC chief about the current situation in the area and the role of sports in its revitalization. One of the students, 14-year-old Keitaro Takano, has been campaigning to repair the image of agricultural products from Fukushima Prefecture. Their reputation has been affected by the nuclear crisis stemming from the earthquake and tsunami disaster. “The Olympics have attracted attention from all over the world. Mr. Bach has given us his backing, so hopefully we can gain even more support,” Takano said. As Fukushima is set to host baseball and softball at the Olympics, Bach invited the youngsters to attend one of the games with him. Bach said he was impressed by the work that the ambassadors had done in their communities and was extending the invitation as a sign of his appreciation.

tohoku
thomas bach
fukushima
ioc
3.11
2020 tokyo olympics
2020 tokyo paralympics


U.S. Osprey makes emergency landing at western Japan airport

Abstract: OSAKA - A U.S. military Osprey aircraft made an emergency landing Monday afternoon at a busy airport in western Japan, causing some commercial flight delays, the Defense Ministry said. An MV-22 Osprey belonging to U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa Prefecture landed at Itami airport, which straddles Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, at around 1:55 p.m. It landed safely and taxied to a parking apron with no injury or structural damage, the ministry added. The tilt-rotor aircraft, which was on its way to the U.S. Navy’s Atsugi base in Kanagawa Prefecture from the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, had sent an emergency message before landing, according to the ministry. It asked the U.S. side to report details of the incident. The emergency landing forced Itami airport, one of the primary airports in the country’s west, to temporarily close one of its two runways, causing a delay of around 20 minutes for several commercial flights, according to the transport ministry.

ospreys
military
defense ministry
u.s .
accidents
weapons


Japan won't grant new residency status to Iranians as Tehran won't take back deportees

Abstract: The Justice Ministry has decided not to grant a new type of residency status for foreign workers to people holding Iranian citizenship. The decision, announced Monday in a government gazette, was made because the Iranian government refuses to cooperate in receiving Iranian people deported from Japan for illegal stays and other reasons, officials said. The ministry fears that the number of illegal residents may rise if the new status, which was introduced at the start of the new fiscal year on Monday and is intended to shore up Japan’s workforce, is granted to Iranians. A ministry ordinance requires those subject to the status to have a passport of a country that is cooperative in accepting its own deported citizens. Iran does not receive its deported people if they are unwilling to return, as its constitution guarantees freedom of residence and movement. The ministry also considered leaving out Turkey, which had been uncooperative in accepting its citizens who did not possess valid passports. Turkey was not excluded because it agreed to cooperate in response to Japan’s prompting, officials said.

iran
justice ministry
turkey
immigration


Panel urges Japan to set more ambitious goal for cutting greenhouse gas emissions

Abstract: Japan should set a higher goal for cutting greenhouse gas emissions to fight global warming and bring them to effectively zero in the second half of the 21st century, a government panel said Tuesday. The government plans to draft a long-term climate change strategy based on the proposal before Japan hosts the Group of 20 summit in late June. The country has upheld a long-term goal of slashing emissions by 80 percent by 2050 from 2013 levels. But the panel of experts said the country needs to make a “new shift” in its efforts toward fighting global warming. The country should aim to achieve the “ultimate goal of a carbon-free society at the earliest possible time during the second half of this century,” the proposal said. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at the meeting of the panel, which included professors and corporate executives, “We hope to accelerate the virtuous cycle of taking environmental measures and promoting growth, and trigger a paradigm shift in the world.” In a set of proposals, the panel said Japan should “show contributions” to achieve the goal of the Paris agreement, which is to keep the rise in average global temperatures to less than 2 C compared to pre-industrial levels to mitigate the impact of climate change, which includes droughts, floods and rising sea levels. The panel also called for greater use of renewable energy and to reduce the country’s reliance on coal-fired thermal power generation as much as possible. But the panel stopped short of demanding the end of coal-fired power generation, with Japan building new plants despite international criticism. The proposal instead encouraged the development of technologies to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions. While Japan is striving to promote the use of hydrogen as an alternative energy source to fossil fuel, the panel pointed to the need to reduce production costs. Discussions on putting a price on carbon emissions through such means as carbon taxes have met resistance, mainly from business circles. The panel proposal declined to take sides on the issue, saying it needs further “professional and technical discussions.” Tackling climate change is one of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030. The goals range from reducing poverty to improving health care and education. Abe has said Japan will lead global discussions toward attaining the goals.

global warming
climate change
paris agreement


Foreign media focus on break in tradition after Reiwa is picked for Japan's new era name

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. and other Western media covering the announcement Monday of the new Imperial era name emphasized the decision by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government to break with tradition by selecting a name from a Japanese rather than a Chinese work of classical literature. “The break from 1,400 years of drawing era names from Chinese classics was expected from Abe’s conservative government, which is often hawkish toward China,” the Associated Press said in a dispatch from Tokyo. Under the headline, “Japan snubs China at dawn of new imperial era,” British newspaper The Times reported the selection of Reiwa for the new era “reflects the nationalist pride of its prime minister, Shinzo Abe, and its tense relations with China.” The Guardian, another British paper, said the move “represents a break with centuries of tradition as the first era name to have been inspired by a Japanese, rather than Chinese, work of classical literature.” The New York Times quoted Ken Ruoff, a professor of history at Portland State University, as saying Abe made an “unquestionably significant” choice by selecting an era name, or gengō , from Japanese literature. “He went out of his way to emphasize that this is Japanese tradition,” Ruoff, an expert on the Japanese Imperial system, was quoted as saying. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters Monday that it is a “matter of internal affairs of Japan.” “Recently, China-Japan relations have maintained a good momentum of improvement and development. We will continue to promote healthy and stable development of bilateral ties to benefit the two countries,” Geng said. In a Twitter post, U.S. Ambassador to Japan William Hagerty congratulated the country on the start of the new era. “We look forward to strengthening our partnership in the era of #Reiwa!” Hagerty wrote. Speaking at a news conference Monday in Tokyo, Abe said the 248th gengō derives from “Manyoshu,” which was compiled in the eighth century and is the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry. Reiwa, he said, means that culture is born and nurtured as the people’s hearts are drawn beautifully together. Japan is the only country in the world that uses the era name system, which has its roots in China, although the Gregorian calendar is also in common use. The current Heisei Era, which means “achieving peace,” will end when Emperor Akihito abdicates on April 30. His son, Crown Prince Naruhito, will accede to the throne the following day.

reiwa
shinzo abe
manyoshu
abdication
imperial family


74% happy with Reiwa as name for Japan's next era, with Abe Cabinet approval rate rising to 52.8%

Abstract: Nearly 74 percent of the public approve of the name Reiwa selected for the nation’s next era, which will be used for the next Emperor’s reign from May, a survey showed Tuesday. The survey, conducted by Kyodo News, also showed that the support rate for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet has risen 9.5 percentage points to 52.8 percent, since the previous survey was held in March. In a two-day nationwide emergency opinion poll, conducted after the new Imperial era name was unveiled on Monday, 73.7 percent said they liked the name while 15.7 percent did not. Nearly 85 percent, meanwhile, saw the government’s choice of a name from a Japanese classic, rather than a Chinese source, as a positive. The selection drew on Japanese literature for the first time in the history of Imperial era names, which are known as gengō and date back to the 7th century. Reiwa literally means “beautiful harmony,” according to the Japanese government. The new era name is composed of two Chinese characters — “ rei ” meaning “good” or “auspicious” but also denoting “command,” and “ wa ” meaning “harmony” or “peace.” Abe, who held a news conference and appeared on TV programs to explain the new era name, saw his Cabinet’s support rate rise from 43.3 percent in the previous survey, which was conducted in March. The disapproval rate stood at 32.4 percent, down from 40.9 percent. Around 54 percent of those surveyed, meanwhile, said that they opposed the Liberal Democratic Party changing its rules to allow Abe to serve another term as party president after his third term expires in September 2021. The issue came to light last month after some party heavyweights hinted at the possibility, but the prime minister said he would not seek another term.

reiwa
surveys
shinzo abe
abdication
gengo


Foreign Ministry may go Gregorian, dropping use of Japan era names in documents when it can

Abstract: With the upcoming Imperial era name change, the Foreign Ministry is considering scrapping the use of the era name for calendar years in some of its official documents and switching to the Gregorian calendar, according to informed sources. The new era name, Reiwa, will succeed the current Heisei when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1, after his father, Emperor Akihito, abdicates on April 30. While the ministry will keep using the Japanese era calendar in documents, including those that are budget-related, that require consistency with papers of other ministries, it plans to promote the use of the Gregorian calendar for documents without such restrictions. On Monday, a senior Foreign Ministry official said use of the Japanese era calendar may be confusing to other countries. The ministry has started sorting out types of documents that it seems would be acceptable to use with the Gregorian calendar, according to the sources. At a news conference Friday, Foreign Minister Taro Kono pointed to the complexity of calculations needed when converting years between the two era systems. “We’ll make efforts so that there’ll be no mistakes when we go back and forth between the Christian and Japanese era systems,” Kono added. Meanwhile, Koichi Hagiuda, the Liberal Democratic Party’s executive acting secretary-general, said Tuesday that ministries should use the era name in official documents, especially those used within the country.


To protect sellers, government working group eyes stricter regulations for tech giants

Abstract: A government working group is set to call for placing stricter regulations on technology giants such as Amazon.com and Google LLC to prevent them from taking advantage of vendors, sources with knowledge of the matter said Saturday. In a report to be submitted to the government, emphasizing the need to better protect small businesses who sell their products on online marketplaces, the group of experts suggests drafting a law to enable authorities to reprimand and fine platform operators if they make unreasonable demands and violate rules. The envisioned law will require tech firms to publicly disclose contracts with vendors and by so doing ensure sellers that are wronged have a means of recourse. A working group, formed by the industry ministry, the internal affairs ministry and the Japan Fair Trade Commission, will explain a set of proposals in the interim report to a government panel on Wednesday. The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is also seeking regulations for the protection of information privacy, and on mergers and acquisitions, by platform operators. Japanese officials are looking into whether an existing law can be used to penalize those operators who mishandle personal data collected from users. Firms such as Amazon.com and Google have thrived by using such data to tailor their services to individuals, but have fanned concerns over a loss of privacy. Also in the making are guidelines aimed at protecting the domestic tech industry by regulating corporate acquisitions by foreign tech firms.


Government coordinates response to potential market volatility during Japan's 10-day holiday period

Abstract: A meeting involving representatives of the Finance Ministry, the Financial Services Agency and the Bank of Japan was held Friday to discuss how to a respond if the upcoming 10-day holiday period linked to the Imperial succession leads to wild fluctuations in financial markets. The foreign exchange monitoring system will maintain operations, while departments responsible for overseeing banks and the Tokyo Stock Exchange will take steps to be prepared for swift communications. Many major overseas economic indicators, such as U.S. jobs data for April, are slated to be announced while Japan is in the holiday period from April 27. “We confirmed our responses in the event of financial market volatility,” Vice Finance Minister for International Affairs Masatsugu Asakawa told reporters after the meeting Friday. The FSA asked banks to put 30 percent more cash per day in their ATMs than during the normal Golden Week holiday period, which runs from late April to early May. Regulators will beef up surveillance against any questionable stock market activities during the period immediately before the holidays, when trading volume is expected to be low. The TSE will increase the number of personnel for monitoring market activities. Asakawa also said Finance Minister Taro Aso is planning to visit the Unites States next week to meet with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.


Japanese firms likely to expand year-round hiring of university graduates

Abstract: Keidanren, the nation’s top business lobby, and Japanese universities are expected to agree to let more companies introduce year-round hiring of new graduates, sources have said. Officials from the two sides, set to meet on Monday, are likely to agree to review the current practice of focusing graduate hiring in spring. Hiroaki Nakanishi, chairman of Keidanren — which is also known as the Japan Business Federation — was positive about the idea. “Diversity is important for global companies,” he said Friday. Year-round hiring enables companies to take in workers flexibly based on their needs while allowing students more freedom in their job-hunting process. Firms in Japan that currently use year-round hiring are mainly in the technology sector, including wireless operator Softbank Corp. and online flea market operator Mercari Inc. A survey by Recruit Works Institute of 3,596 firms showed that 10.7 percent plan to use year-round hiring for university students who are set to graduate in 2020.


CIA says spies fund Huawei: newspaper

Abstract: BANGALORE, INDIA - U.S. intelligence has accused Huawei Technologies of being funded by Chinese state security, The Times said on Saturday, adding to the list of allegations faced by the Chinese technology company in the West. The CIA accused Huawei of receiving funding from China’s National Security Commission, the People’s Liberation Army and a third branch of the Chinese state intelligence network, the British newspaper reported, citing a source. Earlier this year, U.S. intelligence shared its claims with other members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group, which includes Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, according to the report. Huawei dismissed the allegations in a statement cited by the newspaper. “Huawei does not comment on unsubstantiated allegations backed up by zero evidence from anonymous sources,” a representative from Huawei told The Times. The company, the CIA and Chinese state security agencies did not respond immediately to requests from a reporter for comment. The accusation comes at a time of trade tensions between Washington and Beijing and amid concerns in the United States that Huawei’s equipment could be used for espionage. The company has said that such concerns by governments are unfounded. Authorities in the United States are also probing Huawei for alleged violations of sanctions. Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer and daughter of its founder, Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Canada in December at the request of the United States on charges of bank and wire fraud in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran. She denies wrongdoing, and her father has previously said that the arrest was “politically motivated.” Amid such charges, top educational institutions in the West have recently severed ties with Huawei to avoid losing federal funding. Another leader Chinese technology company, ZTE Corp., has also been at the center of similar controversies in the United States. U.S. sanctions forced ZTE to stop most business between April and July last year after Commerce Department officials said it broke a pact and was caught illegally shipping U.S.-origin goods to Iran and North Korea. The sanctions were lifted after ZTE paid $1.4 billion in penalties. Reuters reported earlier in the week that the United States will push its allies at a meeting in Prague next month to adopt shared security and policy measures that will make it more difficult for Huawei to dominate next-generation 5G telecommunications networks.

cia
huawei
china
espionage
5g
u.s .
internet
smartphones
computers