Iran has little to gain from Gulf of Oman tanker attacks

Abstract: Two oil tankers have been damaged in a suspected attack in the waters between the United Arab Emirates and Iran as they were leaving the Persian Gulf. This is the second incident in four weeks, and raises the question of who gains what from them. Fingers will certainly be pointed at Iran as the mastermind behind these events. But the potential benefits to the Persian Gulf nation are outweighed by the risks. And even if Tehran isn’t responsible, it will still suffer the consequences. The first tanker to report a problem was the Front Altair. It was reported to be carrying 75,000 tons of naphtha, loaded in Abu Dhabi, to Japan, although it was signaling a destination of Kaosiung in Taiwan when it was damaged. The second vessel was the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous, which was sailing from Saudi Arabia to Singapore with a cargo of methanol. A person who’s heard local radio transmissions between ships in the region said that a torpedo attack is suspected to have caused an explosion and fire on the Front Altair. The managers of the Kokuka Courageous said in a statement that “the 21 crew of the vessel abandoned ship after the incident on board which resulted in damage to the ship’s hull starboard side.” Who gains from these attacks? The obvious answer is Iran. If Tehran is attacking tankers leaving the Persian Gulf — either directly, or through proxies — it sends a message that transit through the world’s most important choke point for global oil flows is not safe without its consent. If Iran is pushed to the brink economically by sanctions, it will not go quietly. Other nations in the region will bear the cost of disruptions to their own oil exports, while America and its allies will have to cope with higher crude prices and disruptions to supplies. Not since 2005 have the world’s insurers considered shipping in the Persian Gulf so dangerous for oil tankers. Nevertheless, we are still far from the level of tension that existed during the so-called Tanker War of the 1980s, when 451 vessels (259 of them oil or refined petroleum product tankers) suffered some sort of attack in the region, according to a report from the U.S. Naval Institute. The incidents took place during the Iran-Iraq war, and the culprits were forces from both countries. Then, the U.S. Navy resorted to escorting vessels through the Persian Gulf. That would be an expensive operation to repeat and would tie up a large part of the U.S. and allied fleets in the region. It would also raise the cost of the U.S. drive against Iran, which began with President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018. Brent crude was up by as much as 4.45 percent Thursday, shortly after news of the attacks broke, although it has since lost some of those gains. The nation’s oil exports have been seriously curtailed by U.S. sanctions, and higher prices are its only route to increasing revenues. But the benefits are likely to be relatively small, given the dwindling volumes and steep discounts that the country probably has to offer to shift its oil. There is another group that will benefit from the incident — the people who want to see the U.S. step up its campaign against Iran and move from an economic war to a military one. There are plenty of those, both in the U.S. and among its allies in the Persian Gulf and wider Middle East regions. The timing of the attacks also raises questions. They come as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is visiting Tehran, with the blessing of President Trump. On Wednesday Abe urged Tehran to avoid conflict at all costs and pledged to do his utmost to ease tensions. The tankers damaged on Thursday were carrying cargoes related to Japan, Hiroshige Seko, minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, said on the ministry’s Twitter feed. A day earlier, Iran freed a U.S. resident imprisoned on espionage charges. This would seem very clumsy timing from a country seeing the first tangible signs of any easing of the crippling sanctions imposed by the Americans. But it is absolutely understandable if you’re someone whose ultimate goal is to derail any easing of tensions between the two nations, and to effect regime change in Tehran. Whoever is behind the attacks is no friend of Iran.

iran
oil
shipping
middle east
gas
hormuz tanker attack


Russia announces cease-fire in Syria's battered Idlib after hundreds of civilian deaths

Abstract: MOSCOW - Moscow has announced a cease-fire in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province after weeks of intensified rocket fire and airstrikes by regime and Russian forces. “At Russia’s initiative, with the mediation of Turkey and Russia, a cease-fire agreement was concluded in the Idlib de-escalation zone as of midnight on June 12,” the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria said in a statement late Wednesday. “As a result, a significant reduction has been observed in the number of bombardments by illegal groups,” said the center, which is operated by Russia’s armed forces. Idlib, the last major area of Syria outside government control, has faced intense regime bombardment in recent weeks, despite a months-old buffer zone deal. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said Monday that 25 civilians including seven children had been killed in recent strikes, with more than 360 civilians killed since the end of April. Syria’s war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests. Russia launched a military intervention in support of President Bashar Assad’s regime in 2015, helping his forces to reclaim large parts of the country from opposition fighters and jihadis.


Hong Kong shuts government offices; security tight after violent protests

Abstract: HONG KONG - Hong Kong authorities have shut government offices in the financial district for the rest of the week after a day of violence over an extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial. On Thursday a few hundred protesters milled around, with some sorting their supplies of face masks and food as a widespread cleanup around the legislature took place. Security remained tight, with scores of police with helmets and shields in the area. Plainclothes police officers checked identification of morning commuters. Police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray on Wednesday to clear demonstrators from the legislature. It was some of the worst violence in Hong Kong since Britain handed it back to Chinese rule in 1997. The Hong Kong Hospital Authority said 72 people had been hospitalized. The extradition bill, which will cover Hong Kong residents and foreign and Chinese nationals living in or traveling through the city, has sparked concerns it may threaten the rule of law that underpins Hong Kong’s international financial status. Wednesday night was the third night of violence since a protest on Sunday drew what organizers said was more than a million people in the biggest demonstration since the 1997 handover. Overnight, several thousand demonstrators remained near the legislature in the Admiralty district, and thousands more retreated to the Central business district. Most roads around Central were open for traffic on Thursday. Banks suspended branch services in the area. Banks based in the Central district — the financial heart of the city — emphasized it was “business as usual” but many offered staffers, where possible, the option of working from home. Hong Kong’s China-backed Chief Executive Carrie Lam condemned the violence late on Wednesday and urged a swift restoration of order. While acknowledging the controversy, Lam has refused to postpone or withdraw the bill, which she and her officials say is necessary to plug “loopholes” that are allowing the city to be a haven for criminals wanted on the mainland. Lam has said the courts would provide human rights safeguards in vetting case-by-case extraditions to mainland China. Opponents, including leading lawyers and rights groups, say China’s justice system is marked by torture and forced confessions, arbitrary detention and poor access to lawyers. Democratic lawmakers in an impromptu media stand-up in the legislature on Thursday strongly criticized Lam’s heavy-handed police response. “We are not a haven for criminals, but we have become a haven of violent police. Firing at our children? None of the former chief executives dared to do that,” said legislator Fernando Cheung. “But ‘mother Carrie Lam’ did it.”

hong kong
protests
extradition
china
rights
hong kong extradition protests


Hong Kong protesters plan weekend rally after violent clashes

Abstract: HONG KONG - Hong Kong protest leaders announced plans for another mass rally on Sunday, escalating their campaign against a China extradition bill a day after police cleared them from the streets using volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets. The move sets up a fresh confrontation with the city’s leaders who have refused to withdraw the proposed law and have the staunch backing of Beijing, which described the protests as “riots.” The international finance hub was rocked by the worst political violence since its 1997 handover to China on Wednesday as tens of thousands of protesters who had surrounded the city’s parliament were dispersed in chaotic scenes. A policeman fires with a pepper ball gun towards protesters Wednesday near the Legislative Council in Hong Kong. | AP Sporadic demonstrations broke out again on Thursday, with occasional scuffles with police, but crowds were much smaller and there was no repeat of the running battles of the day before. The government has indefinitely postponed a parliamentary debate on the bill which had been scheduled for Wednesday and was the trigger for Wednesday’s violence. But demonstrators have vowed no let up in their campaign until the law is abandoned entirely, calling for a rally Sunday and a city-wide strike Monday. “(We) will fight until the end with Hong Kong people,” said Jimmy Sham from the Civil Human Rights Front, the main protest group, adding that they had applied for permission to hold the weekend rally. “When facing ignorance, contempt and suppression, we will only be stronger, there will only be more Hong Kong people,” he told reporters. The CHRF organized a huge rally against the bill Sunday which they said drew more than a million people. But it has little control over groups of largely leaderless, young crowds of more hard-line demonstrators who have been at the vanguard of confrontations with police. The police response has drawn criticism from a range of influential bodies including lawmakers, journalists and legal groups, with calls for an independent inquiry into “excessive force” from a top legal body that helps elect the city’s leader. Riot police try to disperse protesters Wednesday by firing tear gas outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong. | AP The Hong Kong Bar Association also weighed in, saying the police force “may well have overstepped its lawful powers” with “wholly unnecessary force against largely unarmed protesters who did not appear to pose any immediate threat to the police or the public.” But Beijing said it fully supported the city authorities’ handling of the protests. “What happened in the Admiralty area was not a peaceful rally, but a riot organized by a group,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters, referencing the district where the worst violence took place. Police chief Stephen Lo defended his officers Thursday, saying they “had no choice but to escalate the use of force.” He said 11 arrests had been made so far and that 22 officers had been injured. At least 150 rounds of tear gas had been fired while 19 complaints of police violence had been reported and would be investigated. Throughout the day police and officials worked to open roads and remove barricades thrown up in the city’s commercial heart, a district that boasts many international companies. At a park next to parliament, much of the clean-up operation was done by young protesters who gathered piles of garbage, discarded protective gear and broken umbrellas — a symbol of the rallies. Police fire tear gas toward protesters Wednesday outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong. | AP The extradition bill has united an unusually wide cross section of Hong Kong against the proposal — from lawyers and influential business groups to students and activists and religious leaders. The plans were put forward by the city’s pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam, who has seen her approval ratings take a nosedive. The government says it is necessary to fix a loophole that prevents Hong Kong from sending criminal suspects back to jurisdictions they have fled — including to mainland China. Lam has shown no sign of backing down, even after the massive peaceful rally Sunday. Instead she has vowed to press ahead and called the protests “organized riots.” But opponents say the legislation would be abused by an increasingly assertive Beijing to pursue its political enemies and to ensnare dissidents in an opaque and politically motivated justice system. The international community has also voiced concern. The European Union called for the “fundamental right” of Hong Kongers to assemble and express themselves to be respected as it became the latest grouping to add its voice to a growing chorus of criticism of the bill. The EU “shares many of the concerns raised by citizens of Hong Kong,” it said, drawing an angry response from China which dismissed the comments as “irresponsible and erroneous.” A police officer sprays pepper spray at protesters using an umbrella for protection near the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on Wednesday. | AP British Prime Minister Theresa May said it was vital the proposed law did not breach the deal China agreed to allowing Hong Kong to retain its freedoms for at least 50 years. U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters in Washington he could “understand the reason for the demonstration” and that he hoped “it all works out for China and for Hong Kong.”

hong kong
protests
china
rights
hong kong extradition protests


Pressure grows on Hong Kong over extradition bill that has prompted massive protests

Abstract: HONG KONG - Hong Kong is facing growing international pressure over its controversial extradition bill, with the European Union becoming the latest to add its voice to the chorus of criticism over the bill. The EU “shares many of the concerns raised by citizens of Hong Kong regarding the government’s proposed extradition reforms,” it said, calling for the rights of Hong Kongers to be respected. The economic bloc said the proposed law had “potentially far-reaching consequences for Hong Kong and its people, for EU and foreign citizens, as well as for business confidence in Hong Kong.” Demonstrators who surrounded the city’s Legislative Council — its government — on Wednesday forced a postponement of the reading of the bill. But Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing leader, Carrie Lam, has shown no signs of backing down, and said the protests were “organized riots.” Students, democracy campaigners, religious groups and business representatives in the semiautonomous territory have spoken out against the bill. The Hong Kong Bar Association said the police “may well have overstepped its lawful powers” with “wholly unnecessary force against largely unarmed protesters who did not appear to pose any immediate threat to the police or the public.” The government says the bill is necessary to fix a loophole that prevents Hong Kong from sending criminal suspects back to jurisdictions they have fled — including to mainland China. But opponents say it would be abused by an increasingly assertive Beijing to pursue its political enemies and to ensnare dissidents in an opaque and politically motivated justice system. The international community has also voiced concern. British Prime Minister Theresa May said it is vital that the proposed law does not breach the U.K.-Sino agreement signed at the time of the city’s return to China in 1997. Speaking in Parliament, she said her government was concerned about the “potential effects of these proposals — particularly, obviously, given the large number of British citizens there are in Hong Kong.” U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters in Washington he could “understand the reason for the demonstration” and said he hoped “it all works out for China and for Hong Kong.”

hong kong
extradition
protests
rights
china
hong kong extradition protests


Six combatants killed as rebels ambush Indian troops in Kashmir

Abstract: SRINAGAR, INDIA - Rebels fighting against Indian rule in disputed Kashmir launched an attack on paramilitary soldiers on Wednesday, killing five, officials said. One militant also died in the fighting. At least two militants in a car approached soldiers patrolling streets in the southern town of Anantnag and jumped out while firing at them, police said. The soldiers shot back and in the exchange of gunfire five soldiers and a militant were killed. A police officer and two out of three injured soldiers were reported to be in critical condition. Police and soldiers cordoned off the area and were looking for the second militant. Both India and Pakistan claim the divided territory of Kashmir in its entirety. Rebels have been fighting against Indian control since 1989. In February, a Kashmiri militant targeted a paramilitary convoy in a car bombing and killed 40 Indian soldiers. The attack brought India and Pakistan close to war. Most Kashmiris support the rebels’ demand that the territory be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country, while also participating in civilian street protests against Indian control. About 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian crackdown since 1989.

india kashmir anantnag pakistan conflict terrorism


The road of erosion: Hong Kong's autonomy has faced numerous tests since the 1997 handover

Abstract: BEIJING - On July 1, 1997, Tung Chee-Hwa, the first chief executive of Hong Kong, declared, “For the first time in history, we, the people of Hong Kong, will be master of our own destiny.” It was the moment when Hong Kong, previously a British colony, was returned to China under the framework of “one country, two systems.” The Basic Law constitution guaranteed to protect, for the next 50 years, the democratic institutions that make Hong Kong distinct from Communist Party-ruled mainland China. Despite that promise, Hong Kong’s agency has been tested, reinforced and challenged again in the succeeding years, most recently this week, which witnessed what may have been the largest protest since Hong Kong became Chinese territory again. Here is a look at key events in Hong Kong people’s fight to determine their future: 2003: National security The first major ripple came when Hong Kong’s leaders introduced legislation that would forbid acts of treason and subversion against the Chinese government. The bill resembled laws used to charge dissidents on the mainland, and it also banned foreign political entities from conducting political activities and establishing relationships with political groups in Hong Kong. It sparked one of the three largest protests of the post-1997 era. Organizers estimated that half a million people turned out against the bill, which they saw as an affront to Hong Kong’s autonomy and rule of law. As a result of the backlash, a member of the chief executive’s council resigned in protest and further action on the proposal was halted. 2010: Direct elections The Basic Law states that the ultimate aim is for Hong Kong voters to achieve a complete democracy. But 10 years after the handover, China decided in 2007 that universal suffrage in elections for the chief executive could not be implemented until 2017. Some lawmakers are chosen by business and trade groups, while others are elected by vote. In a bid to accelerate a decision on universal suffrage, five lawmakers resigned. But this act was followed by the adoption of Beijing-backed electoral changes that expanded the chief executive’s selection committee and added more seats for lawmakers elected by direct vote. The legislation divided Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp. Some supported the reforms, but others said the reforms would only delay full democracy while reinforcing a structure that favors Beijing. It nevertheless marked the first changes to the electoral system since the handover. 2014: ‘Umbrella Revolution’ Harking back to its promise to allow Hong Kong residents to vote for their leader in 2017, the Chinese government introduced a bill allowing that, but with one major caveat: the candidates must be approved by Beijing. “The chief executive shall be a person who loves the country (China) and loves Hong Kong,” read the decision by China’s National People’s Congress. Pro-democracy lawmakers were incensed by the bill, which they called an example of “fake universal suffrage” and “fake democracy.” The move triggered a massive protest of a different kind as crowds occupied some of Hong Kong’s most crowded districts for 70 days. The movement’s organizers called it “Occupy Central with Love and Peace” but it came to be known around the world as the “Umbrella Revolution” for the yellow umbrellas that protesters used as shields against police pepper spray. In June 2015, Hong Kong legislators formally rejected the bill, and electoral reform has been stalled since then. The current chief executive, Carrie Lam, widely seen as the Chinese Communist Party’s favored candidate, was chosen in 2017 by a 1,200-person committee dominated by pro-Beijing elites. 2019: The extradition bills Lam is pushing forward amendments to extradition laws that would allow crime suspects to be sent to mainland China to face trials. The proposed legislation triggered a huge protest on Sunday, with organizers putting the turnout at 1 million, followed on Wednesday by a standoff involving thousands that forced the legislature to postpone debate on the bills. Unease has been growing following a series of events that pointed to Beijing’s growing influence on the region, and some residents say this may be their last chance to speak out publicly without threat of arrest at the request of mainland authorities. Last year, a Hong Kong-based bookseller who had been released from prison in China was seized by Chinese agents while traveling on a train in January with Swedish diplomats. Gui Minhai, a Swedish citizen, sold gossipy books about Chinese leaders and was one of five Hong Kong booksellers who wound up in Chinese custody in 2015. Then in September, Hong Kong banned the Hong Kong National Party, which advocates independence for the territory, on national security grounds. Shortly after, it denied a visa renewal for Hong Kong-based Financial Times editor Victor Mallet, who had introduced the leader of the party at a Foreign Correspondents’ Club event in August. Lam says the bill will include safeguards to protect human rights, but opponents have decried its potential to erode Hong Kong’s rule of law and judicial independence.

hong kong
history
china
protests
extradition
rights
hong kong extradition protests


U.S. accuses North Korea of breaching U.N. fuel cap, citing illicit ship-to-ship transfers

Abstract: UNITED NATIONS - The United States is accusing North Korea of breaching a U.N.-imposed ceiling on fuel imports by carrying out dozens of ship-to-ship transfers this year, according to a report obtained by AFP on Wednesday. In the document, the United States asked a U.N. sanctions committee to rule that the annual cap of 500,000 barrels had been exceeded and demand that countries immediately halt fuel deliveries to North Korea. “The United States and its partners remain gravely concerned about the degree of UN Security Council resolution violations that are occurring in relation to North Korea’s import of refined petroleum products,” said the report sent to the committee on Tuesday. On that same day, President Donald Trump said he had received another “beautiful letter” from Kim Jong Un and indicated he was willing to hold a third summit with the North Korean leader. A summit in Vietnam in February collapsed over North Korea’s demands for a lifting of sanctions as a condition to enter into talks on scrapping its nuclear program. The cap on fuel imports is among a series of tough sanctions adopted by the Security Council in response to North Korea’s ballistic missile tests. The United States insists that “maximum pressure” from the sanctions must remain on North Korea until it agrees to dismantle its weapons program. The United States and Japan have documented at least eight illegal ship-to-ship transfers of fuel involving North Korea-flagged tankers, the report said. An additional 70 instances of fuel deliveries on the high seas were detected by the United States between January and April, although the volume of fuel unloaded from the ships was not known. Even if the tankers were only one-third laden, North Korea would still be in breach of the import quota for this year, said the report. The 11-page report was presented by the United States and backed by 23 countries including Australia, France, Germany and Japan. It also included images of North Korean tankers moored alongside ships for the transfer of fuel, which were then taken to North Korea’s port of Nampo. The countries are seeking the sanctions committee’s “immediate determination that the cap has been breached, and to subsequently notify U.N. member states of the breach and confirm that all subsequent transfers of refined petroleum to the DPRK must immediately halt.” The United States last year accused North Korea of exceeding the quota on fuel imports through illegal ship transfers, but Russia and China raised questions about the data. A report by a panel of experts in March found that North Korea was resorting to a “massive increase in illegal ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum products and coal” to circumvent sanctions. One of North Korea’s key weapons in battling sanctions is its fleet of vessels, which have been renamed, placed under foreign flags and disguised to avoid detection of illegal cargo.

north korea
sanctions
donald trump
kim jong un
u.s .
u.n .
oil


Thailand charges crew of stranded Rohingya boat with aiding illegal immigration

Abstract: BANGKOK - Thai authorities have charged the captain and crew of a boat carrying 65 Rohingya Muslims with assisting illegal immigration after the group was found stranded on a southern Thai island, police said on Wednesday. The 29 men, 31 women and five children were discovered on Rawi island in Satun province where their boat had beached due to engine trouble, police said on Tuesday. The crew — five Myanmar nationals and the Thai captain — were charged with assisting foreign nationals to enter the country illegally, an offence that can carry a prison term of up to 10 years. “We have charged the Thai and Myanmar suspects with assisting illegal entry for migrants,” Police Gen. Suchart Thirasawat told Reuters. The Rohingya are being cared for while authorities try to determine if they are victims of human trafficking, he said. “We have not pressed charges against the Rohingya passengers and are still working to determine whether they are victims or not,” Suchart said. Many Rohingya Muslims have boarded boats in recent months to try to reach Malaysia, part of what authorities fear could be a new wave of people smuggling by sea after a 2015 crackdown on trafficking. “Based on what we know so far, these Rohingya are from the border area between Myanmar and Bangladesh and they were traveling to Malaysia,” said Jaruwat Kliangklao, governor of Satun province. Myanmar regards the Rohingya as illegal migrants from the Indian subcontinent and has confined tens of thousands to sprawling camps in Rakhine state segregated from the Buddhist Rakhine population since violence swept the area in 2012. The unrest prompted tens of thousands of Rohingya to flee Myanmar by sea, an exodus that peaked in 2015 when an estimated 25,000 people crossed the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, many drowning in unsafe and overloaded boats. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled into Bangladesh in 2017 after a crackdown by the Myanmar’s army, according to U.N. agencies.

thailand
rohingya
myanmar
human trafficking
malaysia
bangladesh
rakhine
refugees


Toilet manners and traffic jams are top concerns amid Japan tourism boom, say local governments

Abstract: Traffic jams and tourists’ manners are recognized by many of Japan’s tourist destinations as major issues that need to be addressed amid the sharp increase in foreign visitors in recent years, a government survey showed Wednesday. The Japan Tourism Agency survey, conducted in October and November on tourism issues faced by local governments, showed that while a shortage of accommodation and emergency preparedness are common problems, they are also struggling with the drawbacks of the inbound tourism boom. Of 138 municipalities in areas with popular tourism destinations, 38.4 percent said issues that need to be addressed include traffic jams caused by an increased number of sightseeing buses. Some 25.4 percent cited tourists’ restroom manners as a problem, while 20.3 percent listed littering in public places and residential areas. The agency said, however, that overtourism is not a severe problem in the country compared with other international tourist destinations. As for measures to deal with the surge in visitors, 44.2 percent of municipalities are cooperating with prefectural governments to spread the flow of tourists more evenly, and 42.8 percent are promoting the use of rental bicycles, according to the survey. In fiscal 2018, the estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan grew 6.2 percent to 31.62 million. The government has set a target of attracting 40 million foreign visitors annually by 2020, when Japan hosts the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

manners
tourism
local government
transportation
foreign tourists


Japan offers most paid leave for fathers worldwide but few take it, UNICEF report finds

Abstract: NEW YORK - Japan leads the world in offering paid leave for fathers, but few take advantage of it, according to a new report by UNICEF based on legal entitlements from 2016. The report — called “Are the world’s richest countries family-friendly?” — looks at the globe’s most family-friendly high- and middle-income countries, and among other factors ranks nations by the amount of paid leave that fathers and mothers are entitled to receive. “In Japan, the only country that offers at least six months at full pay for fathers, only 1 in 20 took paid leave in 2017,” a press release said. While still remaining at a low level, the percentage edged up to 6.16 percent in 2018, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said last week. According to a survey cited by the UNICEF report, 45 percent of male workers with children under 3 who are on regular contracts said they did not want to take paternity leave, while 35 percent said that while they did want to, they could not. Of those who did not take advantage of it, the third most common reason given was an “unfavorable atmosphere” in the workplace. The top reason was staff shortages and the second most common reason was that their company did not offer it. The report defined paternity leave as beginning shortly after childbirth and explained that it was not as widely available as it was to women in the form of maternity leave. Of the 41 countries that were surveyed, only 26 offered paternity leave, compared with 40 that supported maternity leave. One of the authors of the report, Yekaterina Chzhen, a social policy specialist at the UNICEF Office of Research, said that even in Nordic countries where it is much more acceptable for men to take leave to be with children, instituting such changes takes time. “It needs to become socially acceptable for fathers to stay home for at least several weeks when a child is born,” she said by email. “Sometimes policy changes precede cultural change, so perhaps in years to come the majority of fathers in Japan will make use of their paternity leave entitlements.” The United States stands out for being the only country on the list of nations, drawn from the members of the OECD and the European Union, not to offer paid leave for mothers or fathers. New Zealand, Canada and Switzerland are among countries on the list offering no paternity leave. Japan came 16th with regard to providing paid leave for mothers, offering 36 weeks. Estonia ranked No. 1 in the world for its generous maternity leave, offering 86 weeks, followed by Hungary with 72 weeks and Bulgaria with 66 weeks.

unicef
paternity leave
men
labor laws
jobs
parenthood


Two tankers targeted by unidentified attackers in Gulf of Oman

Abstract: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Two tankers were targeted by unidentified attackers near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, one operated by a Japanese company, industry minister Hiroshige Seko said. All 21 Filipino crew members of the Japan-operated Kokuka Courageous escaped uninjured in life rafts and were rescued by a ship heading to the United Arab Emirates, according to the ship’s operator, Kokuka Sangyo Co. The 19,349-ton tanker was carrying methanol from Saudi Arabia to Singapore when it was attacked in the Gulf of Oman, near the UAE emirate of Fujairah, according to Kokuka Sangyo. The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet said it received distress signals from the Kokuka Courageous and another tanker chartered by a Taiwanese firm at 6:12 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. A hole that appeared to have been caused by some kind of artillery shell was found on the ship, the company said, adding that a fire broke out in the ship’s engine room but was extinguished by the crew before they abandoned ship. “I don’t know why our ship was attacked,” said Kokuka Sangyo President Yutaka Katada. “I’m angry that the lives and safety (of the crew) were threatened.” The transport ministry said details of the attack and the extent of damage are not yet known, and the tanker is currently drifting without any crew aboard. The other ship, the 62,849-ton Front Altair, was chartered by Taiwanese oil refiner CPC Corp. to carry naphtha from the UAE to southern Taiwan, company Vice President Chen Ming-hui said. “The vessel was engulfed in flames but all crew members are safe,” Chen said. The incident unfolded during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s landmark visit to Iran for talks with the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani to help ease tensions between Tehran and Washington. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif suggested the attacks were somehow motivated by the visit, tweeting that “suspicious doesn’t begin to describe what likely transpired this morning” as Abe and Khamenei met “for extensive and friendly talks,” though it was unclear what he meant. The attacks near the Strait of Hormuz, a key corridor through which a third of all oil traded by sea passes, caused global oil prices to surge. West Texas Intermediate jumped 3.5 percent to $53 a barrel at one point, while Brent crude soared 4.5 percent to $62 a barrel.

oman
shipping
uae
oil
iran
middle east
gas
hormuz tanker attack


After spate of incidents, Japan increases punishments for pilots who drink and fly

Abstract: The Diet enacted a revised aviation law Thursday that increases punishments for pilots found to have flown under the influence of alcohol or drugs following a series of drinking-related incidents involving Japanese airlines. Under the legislation, which will take effect in stages within one year of its official announcement, the penalty for drinking and flying has been raised from a maximum one-year jail term or ¥300,000 fine to a sentence of up to three years or a ¥500,000 fine. Japanese airlines have already tightened drinking rules, introducing mandatory Breathalyzer tests and relieving pilots of their duties if even a very low level of alcohol is detected. Those flying private planes, however, are not subject to the same checks. The legislation also seeks to improve aviation safety ahead of the intended mid-2020 delivery of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, Japan’s first homegrown commercial passenger jet. The law requires aircraft manufacturers to notify the government of malfunctions, with the compulsory reporting seen as a way to ensure that repairs are carried out quickly. The legislation also outlined broad new requirements around preflight inspections of drones. Additionally, the law allows the government to conduct on-site inspections at residences or offices of drone operators who have caused accidents. Operating drones under the influence of alcohol will be banned under the revised law. A jail term of up to one year or a fine of up to ¥300,000 will be imposed on those who fly drones weighing 200 grams or more under the influence of alcohol or in other conditions in which normal operations of such unmanned aerial vehicles cannot be guaranteed. Failure to conduct proper preflight inspections, and dangerous drone operations such as making a sudden descent, will be subject to a fine of up to ¥500,000. Flight rules for drones have already been put in place by the transport ministry. They include restricting their operation to daytime and requiring pilots to maintain visual contact and ensure the drone flies at least 30 meters above structures, vehicles and people.


Demonstrators in Tokyo show support for Hong Kong protests over extradition bill

Abstract: Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward on Thursday to show support for those in Hong Kong speaking out against a controversial extradition bill that has sparked street protests that have turned violent. The organizer said more than 300 people joined the rally in Tokyo. A massive protest took place in Hong Kong on Sunday over a bill introduced by pro-Beijing leaders that would allow extraditions to mainland China. Debate over the bill was postponed again after protesters surrounded the city’s Legislative Council on Thursday. In Tokyo, hundreds gathered in front of the Hong Kong government building, with signs in hand and the Japanese and Hong Kong flags blowing in the wind together, to support those fighting to stop the bill. “Many of my friends in Hong Kong have gotten hurt at the protests. It’s unbearable to watch. I had to do something about it,” said Mandy Tang, 19, an exchange student from Hong Kong who started studying at a Japanese-language school in Tokyo in September. “Everyone is fighting back home so I will, too.” The protests on Thursday resulted largely from collaboration between individuals on Instagram, Facebook and other social media networks. People in Hong Kong and abroad are communicating through Facebook groups, where photographs can be seen of people wearing white ribbons to show solidarity with the protesters. Tang herself spent most of the night on Wednesday cutting, folding and pinning 96 of these ribbons. She handed them to other protesters on Thursday. “Hong Kong is dangerous right now but I want to go home,” she said. “I want to fight with my friends.” The protest Thursday at the Hong Kong government building was followed by another demonstration in Tokyo’s Shibuya district. Both events, according to Mitsuhiro Hayashida, 27, were born on social media. “There are no organizers, more like a series of tweets and Instagram posts that eventually led to this protest,” Hayashida said. “People my age are spilling blood fighting against police for their freedom,” he said. “What we can do here in Japan is show them that they’re not alone.”


IOC partners with Procter and Gamble to build 2020 Olympic podiums using recycled plastic

Abstract: Olympic medalists will stand on podiums made of recycled plastic at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the International Olympic Committee said Thursday. The IOC said it will work with a Japanese arm of the Procter and Gamble group to collect and reuse plastic to build the podiums. P&G Japan K.K. is the world’s biggest producer of daily consumer goods and a sponsor of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. The Everybody’s Podium Project aims to reduce the prevalence of single-use plastic and lessen the environmental impact of the Tokyo Games amid growing concerns over marine plastic waste pollution. While podiums have traditionally been made using wood, the 2020 project involves collecting about 45 tons of plastic waste material to create 100 podiums. Plastic collected from the ocean by P&G will also be used for the project. Using aluminum sash window frames from temporary homes built in the disaster area of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake is being considered as well. Collection will begin on June 19 at 2,000 stores of the Japan-based Aeon retail group across the country, which are operated under the brand names of Aeon, Aeon Style and MaxValu. P&G plastic products including bottles and containers for laundry detergent, dish soap, hair products and deodorant will be accepted. Similar products from different companies will also be accepted, except for water bottles. “Triathlons are held in places of nature,” Yukako Hata, a Paralympic triathlete, told reporters during Thursday’s news conference. “We swim in the ocean, rivers and lakes, and ride our bicycles and run on roads built on land. It’s a sport where athletes are competing in natural environments that need protection.” The organizing committee launched a similar project in April in which 8 million tons of discarded smartphones will be collected and recycled to help manufacture 5,000 medals for the games.

recycling
plastic
2020 tokyo olympics
2020 tokyo paralympics
p & g


Niigata Prefecture city official admits killing her baby by repeatedly dropping her on floor, police say

Abstract: NIIGATA - A 31-year-old woman in Niigata Prefecture was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of killing her 3-month-old daughter by repeatedly dropping her on the floor, police said. Noriko Ito, a Nagaoka city official in charge of promoting gender equality, admitted the allegation to police after her daughter, Hikari, was confirmed dead in hospital from a brain contusion. People close to her said she appeared distressed over child-rearing, according to investigative sources. Married to a fellow Nagaoka city official, Ito also has a son. She went on maternity leave starting in April, according to the city. She was home alone with the newborn at the time of the incident. The case came to light when the baby’s grandmother called an ambulance after finding her bleeding on the floor when she visited their home on Wednesday. Ito accompanied Hikari when she was taken to hospital and appeared panic-stricken, according to police and medical staff. Police, who searched the home Thursday, said Hikari had no wounds that would make them suspect Ito had previously abused the child.

niigata
nagaoka
abuse
children
child abuse


Father held over suspected assault resulting in death of baby daughter in Shizuoka Prefecture

Abstract: SHIZUOKA - A man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of causing the death of his 20-month-old daughter after an alleged assault last December. Tetta Fujiwara, 21, from Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture, has denied inflicting injuries on his daughter Ema resulting in her death on Jan. 3, according to police. She died at a hospital in the city of Shizuoka from a wound to her head. The police said they found no evidence of regular abuse on the girl’s body. On Dec. 25, Fujiwara’s wife noticed something wrong with the baby and took her to the hospital with her husband. The medical institution alerted a child welfare center in Fuji about the daughter’s injury and the center reported the incident to the police the following day.

shizuoka
fuji
abuse
children
child abuse


University student arrested over murder of doctor in Yamagata

Abstract: YAMAGATA - A 23-year-old male university student was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of killing a doctor at her apartment in Higashine, Yamagata Prefecture, last month, local police said. Hiroki Kato, a fourth-year student at Yamagata University, is suspected of breaking into the apartment of ophthalmologist Chiemi Yaguchi, 50, and bludgeoning her to death early on May 19. The police declined to say at a news conference whether Kato has admitted to the allegations. They said that the two, living in different municipalities about 20 kilometers away from each other, appear to have had no connection before the incident. A bloodied golf club was discovered at the scene of the murder. According to investigative sources, security cameras captured images of a person in dark clothes — believed to be Kato — entering and leaving Yaguchi’s room a few times before she was found dead. On May 18, Yaguchi went to work at an eye clinic she headed in the prefecture and later attended an employee’s welcome party in the evening, an official of the clinic said. She went home after the event and talked on the phone with a staffer at around 10:45 p.m. She had the next day off. Yaguchi’s body was discovered by her younger brother, who visited her apartment on the afternoon of May 19. Kato, who is a student in Yamagata University’s faculty of humanities, was not listed as a patient at the doctor’s clinic, which closed late last month.


Two injured as 69-year-old driver plows into group of children in Hyogo Prefecture

Abstract: A 69-year-old driver drove her vehicle into a group of children in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on Thursday, police said, the latest in a string of crashes with older drivers at the wheel. Two children were injured when Rieko Ueda plowed her car into a group of kids from a nursery facility in Nishinomiya shortly before 10 a.m., a police spokesman said. A six-year-old girl was conscious when she was taken to a hospital, but the scale of her injury was not immediately available, the spokesman said. Local media said she had broken her shoulder bone. A five-year-old girl was also taken to a hospital for a minor injury, the spokesman added. “The cause of the accident is under investigation,” he said, adding that police had arrested the driver. The case is the latest in a string of accidents involving elderly drivers, as Japan continues to grapple with problems relating to its aging society.


Southwest joins American in extending Boeing 737 Max cancellations

Abstract: DALLAS - Southwest Airlines Co. pulled the Boeing Co. 737 Max from its schedule for an additional month, citing uncertainty over when regulators will allow the jet to resume service. Southwest, the narrow-body aircraft’s largest operator, will cancel about 100 daily flights as the Max is removed from schedules through Sept. 2, the Dallas-based carrier said in a statement Thursday. The airline previously had the Max returning to service Aug. 6. The delay comes as carriers wait for Boeing to complete fixes to Max software and for regulators to decide when the plane can resume flights. It was grounded worldwide on March 13, following two fatal crashes within five months. American Airlines Group Inc. recently took the Max out of its schedule through Sept. 3, the day after Labor Day. The two carriers’ moves ground the plane at least through the traditional summer travel season. United Continental Holdings Inc., the other U.S. carrier operating the plane, plans to resume flights Aug. 4. The Federal Aviation Administration has said there’s no time frame for signing off on Boeing’s proposed software fix and revised pilot training for the aircraft. An agency official said Wednesday that he expects the plane to be back in service this year.

boeing
737 max
southwest airlines
airlines
american airlines
aviation
faa
air accidents


Japan's May exports seen falling for sixth month as U.S.-China trade war escalates

Abstract: Japan’s exports likely fell at a faster pace in May, down for the sixth straight month, as the U.S.-China trade war takes a toll on the economy, a Reuters poll showed Friday. The Bank of Japan is expected to keep its targets for short-term interest rates and its long-term government bond yield unchanged next week, according to the poll. Consumer prices, another key gauge for market watchers on policy, likely edged down in May, putting pressure on the BOJ as it remains far from achieving its elusive 2 percent inflation target. “Exports likely dropped as factories halted during the 10-day national holidays and external demand is weakening,” said Koya Miyamae, senior economist at SMBC Nikko Securities, referring to the Golden Week holiday that was extended this year to mark the enthronement of a new emperor. “We need to see how exports data for June fared to examine its trend but the intensified U.S.-China trade war will have more of an effect on trade in June.” Exports in May are forecast to have dropped 7.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the poll of 16 economists, compared with a 2.4 percent contraction in April, in the biggest drop since January. May imports are seen up 0.2 percent from a year earlier after a revised 6.5 percent gain in April, resulting in a trade deficit of ¥979.2 billion ($9.04 billion), the poll showed. The Finance Ministry will release trade data at 8:50 a.m. on June 19. The BOJ is seen keeping its short-term interest rate target at minus 0.1 percent and its pledge to guide 10-year government bond yields around zero percent at its June 19-20 meeting. Over the weekend Group of 20 finance leaders said that trade and geopolitical tensions had “intensified,” raising risks to improving global growth, but they stopped short of calling for a resolution of a deepening U.S.-China trade conflict. The BOJ is among major central banks that could come under pressure to ramp up its already massive stimulus program, as the trade dispute raises concerns about a global recession. The poll also projected that Japan’s core consumer price index, which includes oil products but excludes volatile fresh food costs, would rise 0.8 percent in May from a year earlier, down from a 0.9 percent gain in April. “Prices of electricity and gas, which reflected falls in oil prices, likely contributed to lower prices,” said Takumi Tsunoda, senior economist at Shinkin Central Bank Research Institute. The Internal Affairs Ministry will publish data on consumer prices at 8:30 a.m. on June 21.


Oil tanker attacks echo Persian Gulf's 1980s 'Tanker War'

Abstract: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Mysterious attacks on oil tankers near the strategic Strait of Hormuz this week show how one of the world’s crucial chokepoints for global energy supplies can be easily targeted, 30 years after the U.S. Navy and Iran were entangled in a similarly shadowy conflict called the “Tanker War.” While the current tensions are nowhere near the damage done then, it underscores how dangerous the situation is and how explosive it can become. The so-called Tanker War involved American naval ships escorting reflagged Kuwaiti oil tankers through the Persian Gulf and the strait after Iranian mines damaged vessels in the region. It culminated in a one-day naval battle between Washington and Tehran, and also saw America accidentally shoot down an Iranian passenger jet, killing 290 people. U.S. estimates suggest Iran attacked over 160 ships in the late 1980s confrontation. “We need to remember that some 30 percent of the world’s crude oil passes through the straits,” said Paolo d’Amico, the chairman of the oil tanker association Intertanko. “If the waters are becoming unsafe, the supply to the entire Western world could be at risk.” So far, six oil tankers have been damaged in suspected limpet mine attacks, explosives that can be magnetically stuck to the side of a ship. The first attack happened May 12 off the coast of the Emirati port city of Fujairah and targeted four tankers. Thursday’s apparent attack damaged two other tankers. The U.S. has blamed Iran for both incidents, offering a video on Friday it said showed Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces spirit away one mine stuck to a tanker that didn’t explode in Thursday’s assault. For its part, Iran denies being involved and calls the allegations part of America’s “Iranophobic campaign” against it. Meanwhile, the owner of the tanker Kokuka Courageous said its sailors saw “flying objects” before the attack, suggesting it wasn’t damaged by mines and contradicting the U.S. military. Confusion pervaded the start of the “Tanker War” as well. That conflict grew out of the bloody eight-year war between Iraq and Iran in the 1980s, which began when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Iran. The war killed 1 million people. The U.S. supported Saddam by providing intelligence, weaponry and other aid. Iraq first targeted Iran’s shipping and by 1984 attacked Kharg Island, a crucial oil-tanker-loading terminal for Iran. Its air force also attacked ships in the Persian Gulf. After the Kharg attack, Iran began a concerted campaign to attack shipping in the region. Iraq ultimately would attack over 280 vessels versus 168 for Iran, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. Iran’s mining campaign began in earnest in 1987. At night, the Revolutionary Guard would drop mines from vessels disguised as traditional dhows, which ferry cargo around the waters of the Persian Gulf. As attacks targeted Kuwaiti oil tankers, the U.S. ultimately stepped in to protect them. The Soviet Union also volunteered. While mines represented a small number of the attacks, their psychological impact grew. They also allowed Iran to attack its foes without having to take direct responsibility. The mines were described as “God’s angels that descend and do what is necessary,” by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who would later become president of Iran. Analysts say use of naval mines and bombs is a trend that continues today. “Iran’s strategy at sea particularly is based on disruption,” said Dave DesRoches, a professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington. “They know they can’t dominate. They have to disrupt.” Ultimately, the U.S. tied Iran to the mining when it captured the Ajr, an Iranian ship loaded with mines in 1987. When the USS Samuel B. Roberts struck a mine and nearly sank the next year, the Navy matched it to those seized from the Ajr. The attack on the Roberts sparked a daylong naval battle between Iran and the U.S., known as Operation Praying Mantis. American forces attacked two Iranian oil rigs and sank or damaged six Iranian vessels. Several months later, tragedy struck. The USS Vincennes, after chasing Guard vessels into Iranian territorial waters, mistook an Iran Air commercial jetliner for an Iranian F-14, shooting it down and killing all 290 people onboard. Thirty years later, events of the “Tanker War” still resonate in Iran. A recent billboard put up in Tehran’s Vali-e-Asr Square shows U.S. and Israeli ships afire and sinking, with captions in English, Farsi, Arabic and Hebrew reading: “We Drowned Them All.” While the billboard is meant to show support for the Palestinians — it prominently features Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque — it came just days after the Fujairah attack. Around this time as well, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave an address to university students, who gave him a portrait of Nader Mahdavi, a Revolutionary Guard soldier killed in a U.S. attack amid the “Tanker War.” “The supreme leader asked whose picture it was and I replied, ‘Mahdavi,'” the semi-official ANA news agency quoted the student who gave the portrait to Khamenei as saying. “The supreme leader smiled and said, ‘Excellent, very timely.'”

oil
iran
shipping
gas
hormuz tanker attack


Japan and U.S. aim to seal trade deal after Upper House election: Motegi

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Economic revitalization minister Toshimitsu Motegi suggested Thursday that Japan and the United States will aim to quickly conclude negotiations for a bilateral trade deal after a House of Councilors election in the summer. “We agreed to achieve early results after the Upper House election,” Motegi told reporters after meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington. The comment was the first time Motegi has referred to a specific timetable for striking a bilateral trade agreement. In a meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in late May in Tokyo, U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that he would not press Japan for a bilateral trade deal until after the election, apparently taking into consideration Abe’s desire to avoid pressure on farmers to accept tariff cuts. Motegi said he had demanded in Thursday’s talks that the United States remove tariffs on Japanese industrial products. He added that he and Lighthizer had discussed specific items for possible tariff cuts, but declined to provide details. “I think points of discussion that should be handled at the ministerial level have become increasingly clear,” Motegi said. “Japan and the United States have a deepened understanding of each other’s positions.” Japanese officials have expressed readiness to reduce tariffs on American agricultural products to levels agreed to under a revised Trans-Pacific Partnership if the United States agrees to remove levies on Japanese industrial goods, including automobiles. The Trump administration has expressed reluctance about removing the auto-related tariffs, although the president appears determined to appease American farmers with increased market access to Japan as part of his 2020 re-election bid. Japan plans to request that discussion around key farm products such as beef, pork, wheat, dairy products, rice and sugar, as well as industrial goods such as automobiles, be handled by the ministers, while leaving other items to officials, according to Japanese delegation sources. Motegi also said that Abe and Trump are expected to focus on bilateral trade and East Asian and international issues when they meet on the margins of a Group of 20 summit in Osaka in late June. To prepare for the Abe-Trump meeting, Motegi said he plans to hold another round of talks with Lighthizer in Osaka ahead of the June 28-29 summit. “I expect both leaders to have a frank exchange of views on not only trade issues but also East Asian and international issues,” Motegi said. “Prime Minister Abe and President Trump have briefings on how much progress the two sides have made in negotiations (toward a bilateral trade agreement), and I would expect the leaders to basically confirm such progress,” he said. The revised TPP, formally known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, is an 11-nation regional free-trade agreement. Its enforcement last December has made American farmers and ranchers less competitive in the Japanese market than their Australian and Canadian counterparts. Trump withdrew the United States from the TPP in 2017, citing his preference for bilateral trade deals. Japan has been calling for the elimination of U.S. tariffs on its vehicles, including a 2.5 percent levy on cars and a 25 percent duty on trucks, as had been agreed by former President Barack Obama’s administration during TPP negotiations.

trade
toshimitsu motegi
u.s.-japan relations


Piracy, collisions and missiles: Tankers in troubled waters

Abstract: NEW YORK - Tankers like those apparently attacked Thursday in the Gulf of Oman operate through increasingly treacherous waters, facing mounting dangers from piracy and collision as well as geopolitical hazards. Around 60 million barrels of petroleum product move each day on the seas globally, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. And around a third of this volume passes through the Straits of Hormuz, a critical shipping passage. This waterway is a principal route for crude exports from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq. It is also a key route for natural gas exports from Qatar. Other highly strategic waterways include the Strait of Malacca between Singapore and Indonesia, the Suez Canal in Egypt and the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. “Blocking a chokepoint, even temporarily, can lead to substantial increases in total energy costs and world energy prices,” said EIA in a 2017 report. “Chokepoints also leave oil tankers vulnerable to theft from pirates, terrorist attacks, political unrest in the form of wars or hostilities and shipping accidents that can lead to disastrous oil spills.” Alexander Booth, head of market analysis at Kpler, said tankers are accustomed to traveling with pirates in their midst, especially in areas like the Strait of Malacca and the Gulf of Aden near Somalia. “Historically, the biggest military or terrorist threat is piracy,” Booth said. “Off the coasts of Somalia for instance, whilst they are going through certain areas, they would often broadcast the fact they have guards on board.” Booth said attacks such as those suspected on Thursday are “very rare.” Thursday’s incidents come about a month after attacks on four ships, including three oil tankers, anchored off the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah. As with Thursday’s incidents, the May attacks inflamed tensions between the United States and Iran. Anthony Cordesman, a national security analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Iran could do damage. Iran “does not have to launch a major war,” Cordesman wrote in an commentary on CSIS’s website. “It can conduct sporadic, low-level attacks that do not necessarily provoke a major U.S. or Arab reaction but create sudden risk premiums in petroleum prices and the equivalent of a war of attrition.” Still another risk has been Iran’s move to shut off automatic identification systems to help tankers evade U.S. sanctions on Iranian crude, said Matt Smith of ClipperData. AIS is used by vessel traffic services and permits ships to know if other vessels are nearby. “One new danger is the increased risk of collisions due to vessels switching off their AIS,” Smith said. In January 2018, the Iranian-owned Sanchi tanker, carrying 136,000 tons of light crude oil, caught fire after colliding with a bulk freighter in a deadly crash. Shipping companies are aware of this and can change course as a result, according to Booth, who said routes can be shifted not just to shorten distances but also due to refinery activity, product specifications and economic factors. “A cargo of products could turn around in the middle of the Atlantic half a dozen times before it actually ends up into its final destination,” he said. In all, some 94,000 freighters are navigating across the globe, according to the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development. Ships carrying solid primary materials like coal or grains represent the largest share of global maritime merchandise by tonnage, at 42.5 percent. Those moving crude oil or processed product account for 30 percent. Another 5.6 percent of maritime traffic is made up of tankers containing liquefied natural gas and chemical products.


Kirin's Spring Valley Brewery to introduce beer-a-day subscription service at Ginza restaurant

Abstract: Tokyo-based Spring Valley Brewery Co. will start a monthly subscription service to allow customers to try one glass of a selected beer each weekday. Customers will be able to choose a 250-milliliter glass of beer from a lineup of up to 17 varieties each weekday for a monthly fee of ¥2,496, according to the Thursday announcement by the Kirin Brewery Co. subsidiary. To use the service, which will be available from Monday at the company’s Beer To Go restaurant in the Ginza district of Tokyo, it will be necessary to register for an online membership. Spring Valley Brewery aims to attract office workers around the district and young people by offering them opportunities to easily try various kinds of beers. The company forecasts a 20 percent increase in sales at the restaurant, anticipating that frequent visits by member customers will boost orders for additional glasses of beer and foods.

kirin
spring valley brewery
beer
ginza
restaurants
tokyo
beer to go
craft beer
drinking


Third of Japan's new graduate recruits thinking of changing jobs within five years

Abstract: In a break with Japan’s tradition of lifetime employment, at least 1 in 3 new graduate recruits are considering leaving their jobs within five years, and only 1 in 5 treat their employment as being a lifetime role, a recent study conducted by the operator of a recruitment website has shown. “We surveyed young people on the premise that many of them see switching jobs as a positive move in their lives, as this tendency has been seen in some other studies, and we can say the results of our survey have confirmed it,” a spokeswoman for Tokyo-based Mynavi Corp. said in a phone interview Friday. The results, released Thursday, showed that nearly half of the respondents were considering changing their jobs within 10 years, with 22.2 percent thinking about such a move within three years and another 14.9 percent planning a change within four or five years. Only 7.6 percent said they were planning to spend more than 10 years in their current workplaces before seeking a new opportunity. The proportion that said they are considering working at their current companies until retirement stood at 21.8 percent. The survey was conducted online in early May, and sought responses from 800 women and men aged 22 and 23 who started new jobs in April right after graduating from college. In a multiple-choice question about reasons for not planning to stay with their companies for longer periods, 44.4 percent said they were planning to adjust their work styles to different stages of their lives. Nearly 30 percent also said that different job experiences would help them build their careers, while another 29 percent stressed that they wanted to gain experience at different companies. “(The results show that) young people now think of job opportunities in a flexible way,” the spokeswoman said. She said many young people apparently see their first job as a step on their career ladder. “And then they want to decide how to use their knowledge and experience,” she said. The spokeswoman also said the findings showed that young people tend to make their career decisions with consideration of whether the workplace will allow them to balance their jobs with marriage and child-rearing. “Young people today seem to be carefully weighing (the pros and cons) of their job opportunities,” she said.


Europol highlights Russian money as top laundering threat and calls Baltic states 'front line'

Abstract: THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - Europe’s Baltic states are at risk from further Russian money laundering, a top European police official said after several big banks were hit by scandals centered on the region. Pedro Felicio, who is responsible for fighting money laundering at European police agency Europol, told Reuters that “huge inflows of criminal money” are mainly coming into Europe from Russia and China. Russian money is alleged to be at the heart of multibillion dollar laundering rackets that engulfed Danske Bank, Denmark’s largest lender, and Sweden’s Swedbank. “There are billions of criminal money that are being taken out of the Russian economy,” Felicio said as he warned of the dangers of a repeat of scandals involving tainted Russian money in the Baltics, a bloc of three countries, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which used to be ruled by Soviet Russia. The high burden of proof in Europe coupled with “zero cooperation from Russia in providing … evidence” were exacerbating the problem, Felicio added. Russia’s central bank, which has a hard line on money laundering in the past few years and shut dozens of banks it said were involved, did not respond to a request for comment. A recent report by the Financial Action Task Force, a global standard-setter in fighting money laundering, said a “large amount of illicit proceeds flows out of China annually. China’s central bank has also been taking action in recent years, bolstering supervision to combat money laundering as it opens up its financial sector. The recent scandals have helped prompt Europol, which coordinates cross-border investigations and was involved in a 2016 operation that broke up an international drugs and money laundering cartel, to invest more in fighting financial crime. But while things have got better, there are still gaps particularly in the Baltic states, which are now part of the European Union, Felicio said. “Some of the banks in the Baltic area are very vulnerable to money laundering activities especially coming in from Russia. It has improved but it is far from being solved.” “It is just a matter of time until we see another scandal coming in from the area and it will probably be very similar to the scandals we have seen in the past,” he added. Bill Browder, formerly an investor in Russia, has also highlighted movements of Russian money linked to a fraud uncovered by his lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who was later arrested and died in a Moscow prison after complaining of mistreatment. Danske Bank’s shares plummeted after saying that €200 billion ($226 billion) of suspicious money, including from Russia and former Soviet states, flowed through its Estonian branch. The Danish bank has since been ejected from Estonia and withdrawn from Russia and the other Baltic states. Swedbank is also being investigated after Swedish broadcaster SVT said that it had processed billions in payments from high-risk customers, mostly Russian, through Estonia. While the Baltic nations are in the “front line” for receiving dirty money, it ultimately gets invested elsewhere. “Investments in real estate would be one of the main final solutions,” Felicio said, singling out London and Rome. The scandals have prompted action in the Baltics, where Latvia’s new prime minister, Krisjanis Karins, is accelerating an overhaul of the banking sector and its supervisor. One of Latvia’s largest banks, ABLV, which had numerous Russian clients, closed last year after U.S. authorities accused it of money laundering. However, reforms in Estonia have been on hold while a new government was being formed. Lithuania has not played a significant role in the scandals.

europol
russia
baltic states
banks
china
danske bank
swedbank
corruption
money-laundering


Twitter deletes thousands of accounts tied to Iran as it seeks to end false info campaigns

Abstract: BANGALORE, INDIA - Twitter Inc. on Thursday said it removed thousands of accounts linked to coordinated, state-backed activities it believes were from the Iranian government and archived them to its public database launched last year. In the latest purge of information, the company said it believes 4,779 accounts were associated or backed by Iran. The micro-blogging site also said it had removed and archived four accounts affiliated with the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency, a Russian “troll farm” that has been indicted by U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller for attempts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election. It also removed and archived 130 accounts tied to the Catalan independence movement in Spain, and 33 accounts engaged in manipulative behavior related to Venezuela. Twitter first released the archive of data associated with known state-backed information operations last October to provide more transparency of information and to stem manipulation on its platform. “Thousands of researchers from across the globe have downloaded datasets, which contain more than 30 million Tweets and over 1 terabyte of media, using our archive to conduct their own investigations and to share their insights and independent analysis with the world,” Twitter said in a blog post blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2019/information-ops-on-twitter.html .

twitter
iran
robert mueller
venezuela
u.s .
russia
social media
russia probe


Japan to install 5G network relay devices on traffic signals

Abstract: The Cabinet on Friday approved a project to install 5G wireless relay devices, to support the provision of 5G services, on traffic signals across the country. 5G network technology requires more relay spots than current 4G services, as it uses short-length radio waves that cannot pass through buildings. But there is a lack of suitable locations for new base stations as existing ones already house equipment for current services. The government will, therefore, allow 208,000 traffic signals to be used to deploy the new 5G equipment, expecting to the network installation to be complete by the end of March 2026. The new wireless service is able to send and receive data about 100 times faster than the current 4G network. Smartphone users, for example, will be able to download a two-hour film in just three seconds. Four mobile phone service operators — NTT Docomo Inc., KDDI Corp., SoftBank Corp. and e-commerce giant Rakuten Inc. — are planning to launch 5G services across the nation in 2020, after the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications allocated them the relevant frequency bands in April. As well as using the traffic signals to deliver the 5G network, the government also plans to upgrade them with communication functions that allow them to collect and share more traffic data. Japan’s government is promoting the next-generation service amid growing competition with other nations such as the United States and China, and is hoping to take the lead in developing and utilizing 5G. The superfast networks are also expected to help develop technology for driverless cars and achieve other technological breakthroughs such as allowing construction machinery and robots to be operated remotely. The four mobile phone carriers have said they will not use equipment made by Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co., a leader in the field of the next-generation wireless service, or ZTE Corp, another Chinese telecommunications company. The government decided in December to effectively exclude the two firms from public procurement following U.S. concerns over the companies’ perceived close ties with the Chinese government.


Liquefied natural gas is another fuel in Persian Gulf firing line

Abstract: News of more mysterious tanker attacks, this time in the Gulf of Oman, is having its predictable effect on oil prices. But there is another fuel at risk: liquefied natural gas. What might conflict, or the threat of it, mean for this fast-growing segment of the energy business? The Middle East produces 29 percent of global LNG exports. The producers are mainly Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Exports from Qatar and the UAE must transit the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint near where the two tankers were hit. Oman’s LNG facilities are farther south, close to where the Gulf of Oman opens into the Arabian Sea, so they are less exposed to attack. Exports from a fourth nation, Yemen, have already been targeted. In theory, an extended conflict similar to the so-called tanker war of the 1980s could have a serious impact on the LNG trade. Just over 26 percent of all LNG cargo passed through the Strait of Hormuz in 2018, according to data from BP PLC, close to the roughly 30 percent of the oil flows estimated by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Qatar accounts for the vast majority and a large proportion of the imports received by a number of countries outside the region. The presumably similar impact on oil tankers would also drive up LNG prices, as many supply contracts are indexed to oil. Outside of a broader war, Iran has little to gain from launching an all-out tanker war that would disrupt what is left of its sanctions-hit energy trade and put it at war with the U.S. Even so, the threat of conflict or more sporadic attacks could still affect the LNG market. Roughly 40 percent of global growth in gas production through 2040 will involve flows moving between regions, according to BP’s projections. Of that, LNG is expected to account for over two-thirds. China, India and the rest of Asia dominate. For China, increasing LNG imports offers a way to curb reliance on coal and thus pollution. Strategically, however, it also represents another leg of its rising dependence on energy imports. China already relies on imports to meet more than 70 percent of its oil demand — a higher proportion than the U.S. even at its peak dependency in 2005. China also used imports to satisfy about 44 percent of its gas demand in 2018, a trend that looks certain to rise. According to a recent report written for the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies, China’s dependency on oil imports is mitigated by the fact that oil is a more mutually interchangeable product and that Beijing has already stocked a large strategic reserve of it. The biggest contrast with gas, however, is timing. The difference between rising oil import dependency and rising gas import dependency may relate, above all, to a contrast between the global political environment when China’s oil imports were initially rising strongly 10 years ago and the current political environment, where the same has been true of gas. LNG has already been caught up in U.S.-China trade war, with Beijing having imposed a tariff on American LNG exports. This effectively closed off an important way of diversifying its LNG imports — the primary means of managing a rise in dependency. This changing environment could reduce China’s appetite for LNG and reshape the energy outlook in multiple ways. If Qatari and U.S. LNG is deemed less desirable, other suppliers will benefit. Apart from those in the region, such as Australia and Malaysia, development projects in eastern Africa could benefit, as would long-stalled plans on Canada’s Pacific coast. Argentina could also benefit through its shale-gas sector, with Scotland-based consultancy Wood Mackenzie pointing out that peak potential LNG production in the summer would coincide with strong winter demand from utilities in Asia. Bringing in more piped gas from Russia and Central Asia, as well as Russian LNG, is another potential option. The Power of Siberia pipeline is due to start deliveries to China soon, and strategic considerations could conceivably lead to a second pipeline. Chinese buyers have agreed to take a 20 percent stake in Novatek PJSC’s LNG project on Russia’s Arctic coast — a deal announced only a couple of months ago after the tariff war with the U.S. began. But China could well decide to deal with its exposure to potentially unreliable LNG deliveries by dialing back reliance on gas in general. That could lead to several changes. Renewable energy is one obvious potential beneficiary. Tempering such hopes, however, is the fact that, despite a jump in Chinese renewable-energy production last year, China also accounted for 30 percent of the growth in global consumption of coal, which it has in abundance. India, another fast-growing market reliant on Qatar for LNG, is in the same boat. Geopolitics might cause spikes in energy-trading prices in the near term but tends to depress consumption over the longer term. A scenario BP released earlier this year surmised a roll-back in globalization would actually hit growth in gas demand harder than one involving a more rapid transition to lower carbon energy sources. So even a simmering conflict can pose risks to the energy trade. That scenario is starting to play out. The trade war and America’s shift toward a more openly mercantile stance under the rubric of “energy dominance” represent a fundamental break with the past. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump threatened sanctions against Germany over the long-delayed Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which he and a sizable contingent in Congress believe would leave this nominal ally overly dependent on Russian gas. At the same time, Washington’s standoff with Tehran is threatening an important LNG source that mitigates Moscow’s power in Europe’s energy market.

gas
oil
iran
shipping
hormuz tanker attack


Tokyo stocks rebound on buybacks, rise in Dow futures

Abstract: Stocks bounced back on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Friday, supported by buybacks and a rise in Dow Jones industrial average futures in off-hours trading. The 225-issue Nikkei average rose 84.89 points, or 0.40 percent, to end at 21,116.89. On Thursday, the key market gauge dropped 97.72 points. The Topix index of all first-section issues closed up 5.21 points, or 0.34 percent, at 1,546.71, after losing 12.72 points the previous day. Both indices lost ground just after the opening bell, dragged down by news about attacks on two tankers, including one operated by a Japanese company, near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, brokers said. The strait is a strategic waterway through which large amounts of oil and gas are transported. They soon rebounded into positive territory, buoyed by buybacks and a climb in Dow futures, brokers said. In the afternoon, trading was lethargic amid a dearth of fresh trading incentives, but the market managed to stay on the sunny side for the rest of the day. Hiroaki Hiwada, strategist at Toyo Securities Co., said that the morning’s rebound was also due to “a sense of relief spreading among investors that the effects of the tanker attacks on the financial market were limited, as the incident had only a small impact on other Asian markets.” Regarding the Tokyo market’s firmness in slow afternoon trading, Ryuta Otsuka, strategist at the investment information department of Toyo Securities, said that “investors did not have a reason to sell” before the release of China’s industrial production and retail sales data for May, as well as fixed asset investment in January to May, during off-hours trading. Rising issues outnumbered falling ones 1,303 to 737 in the TSE’s first section, while 102 issues were unchanged. Volume fell to 1.07 billion shares from 1.17 billion shares on Thursday. Beauty Garage shot up 16.13 percent after the trading company, which specializes in products for hair salons and other businesses in the beauty industry, announced a rosy operating profit forecast for the year ending in April 2020 and a plan to buy back its own shares. Oil names, including JXTG and Inpex, were higher thanks to a rise in key New York crude oil futures on Thursday in the wake of the attacks near the Strait of Hormuz. Other major winners included technology giant Sony and Pan Pacific International Holdings, which runs discount store Don Quijote. On the other hand, semiconductor-related Tokyo Electron dropped 1.88 percent, hurt by a drop in the stock of major U.S. chipmaker Broadcom, which cut its sales outlook for the year ending in October 2019. Among other major losers were shipping firm Nippon Yusen and renewable energy developer Renova. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key September contract on the Nikkei average gained 90 points to end at 21,030.


Dollar softens to around ¥108.20 in Tokyo after drop in Chinese stocks

Abstract: The dollar was slightly weaker around ¥108.20 in Tokyo trading late Friday, driven down by lower Chinese stock prices. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥108.20-20, down from ¥108.34-35 at the same time on Thursday. The euro was at $1.1284-1284, down from $1.1294-1294, and at ¥122.10-10, down from ¥122.37-37. The dollar moved around ¥108.30 in early trading before firming to around ¥108.40 around midmorning due to real demand-backed purchases ahead of the weekend. In afternoon trading, the greenback traded around ¥108.20-30. The U.S. currency fell below ¥108.20 in late hours in line with falls in Chinese stock prices and U.S. long-term interest rates. A currency broker said the dollar’s topside was pressured by weak Chinese industrial production data for May, while noting that Chinese retail sales data for the month “was so bad.” In addition, the dollar was apparently dragged down by the top-heaviness of the benchmark 225-issue Nikkei stock average, traders said. But the U.S. currency attracted buying on dips after slipping below ¥108.20, traders said. On the attacks on two tankers, one them Japanese, near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, an official of a foreign-exchange margin trading firm said higher crude oil prices lifted U.S. stocks the same day. The attacks “can also serve as an incentive for risk aversion,” the official said, explaining the incidents currently are not a decisive market-moving factor. Market players are paying attention to U.S. retail sales data for May to be released later Friday, with a wait-and-see mood building up prior to the U.S. Federal Reserve’s two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting next week, traders said.

currencies
exchange rates
foreign exchange
forex
fx


Oil prices surge after apparent attacks on tankers in Gulf of Oman

Abstract: NEW YORK - World oil prices rose Thursday following apparent attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman, worsening frayed tensions in the crude-rich Middle East region. The rise in oil prices — jumping as much as 4.5 percent before pulling back somewhat — boosted share prices of energy companies, while global stock markets also won some support from the prospect of U.S. interest rate cuts this year. The Gulf of Oman lies at the other end of the strategic Strait of Hormuz from the Gulf, part of a vital shipping lane through which at least 15 million barrels of crude oil and hundreds of millions of dollars of non-oil imports pass each day. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of responsibility for the incidents and said the United States would raise the attacks at a U.N. Security Council meeting scheduled for later Thursday. Iran lablled the attacks “suspicious.” U.S. oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate for July delivery finished up 2.2 percent at $52.28. The advance marked a reversal from a sharp fall on Wednesday following a bearish U.S. oil inventory report. “Tension across the Middle East is high — and the attacks on two tankers has further exacerbated the situation, even though there does not appear to have been any damage to the cargoes,” said John Hall, chairman of British-based consultancy Alfa Energy. A note from Eurasia Group said the “incidents appear aimed at demonstrating the vulnerability of Gulf shipping while damaging confidence in the US ability to protect freedom of navigation.” Gains in oil prices have been “constrained by high inventories and concerns about the global economy,” it added. In equity markets, gains by petroleum-linked shares lifted Wall Street shares. The S&P 500 finished up 0.4 percent, snapping a two-day losing streak. “From a broader perspective, the stock market has traded sideways over the last four sessions as it waits for further policy guidance from the Fed and for any updates on the US-China trade front,” said Briefing.com Stocks elsewhere were mixed, with Frankfurt gaining, Tokyo retreating and London and Paris flat.

oil
stocks
shipping
iran
u.s .
gas
hormuz tanker attack


Activist investor Dan Loeb calls on Sony to spin off its semiconductor business

Abstract: Activist investor Dan Loeb has disclosed a $1.5 billion stake in Sony Corp. and pushed the company to make dramatic changes, including spinning off its semiconductor business and listing it in Japan. Sony’s shares rose 3.1 percent in Tokyo after Loeb’s Third Point published a letter and 102-page presentation pushing for changes at the Japanese media and electronics giant, including potential sales of its stakes in a financial affiliate and companies such as Spotify Technology SA. If Sony spins off the semiconductor business and executes on its long-term vision, the new entity could be worth $35 billion within five years, according to the New York-based hedge fund firm. A representative for Sony declined to comment. Friday’s move gives it a gain of about 3 percent for the year, roughly in line with the Japanese market. “We rarely find companies like Sony that have a depressed valuation, high-quality underlying businesses, numerous options for portfolio optimization, and a capable management team,” Third Point said on a website entitled “A Stronger Sony.” “As a standalone public company listed in Japan, Sony Technologies would be a showcase for Japan’s technology capabilities. Rather than just an uncut rough stone buried inside Sony’s portfolio.” Sony is the market leader for image sensors used in smartphones and digital cameras. The chip business generated ¥144 billion ($1.3 billion) in operating profit on ¥879 billion of revenue in the latest fiscal year. That’s similar in size to Analog Devices Inc. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.— two companies with market values of more than $30 billion. But some analysts questioned the proposal, saying the chip unit is better off as part of a larger group. The division has maintained profit growth, despite a slowdown in global phone sales, as newer models adopt more cameras per device. “I’m uncertain whether a spin-off would actually increase value,” said Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Ace Research Institute. “The semiconductor industry is notoriously volatile and requires constant, huge investments. That’s easier to manage if it’s done as a part of Sony’s bigger group.” Sony Chief Executive Officer Kenichiro Yoshida hasn’t shown interest in parting with the semiconductor business. He underscored his commitment last month by increasing investment in image sensors to about ¥700 billion in the three years ending March 2021, and unveiled plans for new chip designs outfitted with artificial intelligence. “By leveraging the superior technology we have developed in this business, we expect to maintain our industry leading position going forward,” he told investors last month. “We expect this business to generate high return on investment in the long term.” Third Point also suggests sales of the Japanese firm’s stakes in Sony Financial, M3 Inc., Olympus Corp. and Spotify, which it estimates currently account for about 20 percent of Sony’s market capitalization. Doing so would give the company cash to invest in its main entertainment business — gaming, music and movies — it said. Loeb was less concerned with Sony’s legacy electronics businesses, which make TVs, cameras and mobile phones. These assets are smaller than the entertainment operations and they’re “no longer the drag on profitability that they were six years ago,” Third Point said. Cash flow from electronics can be reinvested into entertainment, it added. This is the second time Loeb has agitated for changes at Sony. In 2013, Third Point bought a stake and proposed a partial spin off and initial public offering of the company’s entertainment business. He was unsuccessful. Loeb has been known for his aggressive tactics and so-called poison pen letters that criticize companies’ management teams. He has mellowed somewhat in recent years: A high-profile investment in Nestle SA since 2017 has been relatively cordial. Still, he can turn combative when he deems it necessary, as was evidenced by a proxy fight last year with Campbell Soup Co. Shareholder activism is still pretty rare in Japan, so Loeb is taking the less aggressive approach for now. Third Point credited Sony’s management, under former Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai and then Yoshida, for implementing dramatic changes at the company since 2014. “Despite these substantial improvements, Sony continues to be as undervalued today as it was in 2013, trading at its lowest forward multiple of earnings in the last decade,” Third Point said. Now that Sony is on a better path operationally, Yoshida can tackle this “by shifting his focus to unlocking the value of the company’s tremendous portfolio of assets,” Third Point said. “Today, Sony trades at roughly half our estimate of intrinsic value, with additional upside from optimizing capital allocation.” Although Loeb’s prior attempt with Sony was unsuccessful, it did result in changes including the replacement of executives at its film division. Yoshida was Sony’s chief financial officer at the time of the last campaign, and recently said he looked back fondly on his interaction with the activist investor. “I thought it was a good thing that we negotiated with Third Point at the time,” Yoshida said in a group interview last month. “It’s important to talk to investors. Whether you can convince them is part of running a business.”


JAL marks delivery of first new A350 passenger jet

Abstract: Japan Airlines received Friday its first delivery of a new Airbus A350 passenger jet at Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda airport. The delivery marks the first introduction in Japan of the cutting-edge jet manufactured by Airbus. The aircraft will be used for services connecting Tokyo and Fukuoka from September. The A350-900 passenger jet arrived at Haneda airport after departing from Toulouse, France, on Thursday. JAL has ordered 18 A350-900 jets, which each have 369 seats. It also plans to purchase 13 A350-1000 jets, which have more capacity. At a hangar at Haneda airport, JAL workers greeted the new aircraft with a banner that read, “Welcome! New wings for a new era.” “I am sure that these are excellent aircraft with low fuel consumption and noise levels but with a high level of safety,” JAL President Yuji Akasaka said.


Aeon plans to quadruple product sourcing from Vietnam by 2025

Abstract: HANOI - Retail giant Aeon Co. plans to purchase $1 billion worth of products from Vietnam in 2025, with the nation seen as having great potential as a supplier of quality food for Japanese consumers. The company will double the value of products it procures from Vietnam from the current level to $500 million in 2020, and expand that twofold over the following five-year period, a senior Aeon official told a meeting of its suppliers in Hanoi on Wednesday. The total value of Vietnamese goods imported for sale at Aeon outlets in Japan rose 7.6 percent in 2018 from the previous year to $245 million (¥26.5 billion), with clothing accounting for 55 percent of the total. “Food has room to grow further,” said Eiji Shibata, executive officer and chief merchandising and logistics officer at the Japanese retailer. He noted that Aeon group’s food sales make up about 70 percent of the total in Japan. “For example, we could ship organic vegetables from Vietnam with the help of cutting-edge refrigeration technology,” he said. Aeon, which is based in the city of Chiba, held the annual meeting for the second consecutive year in Vietnam after meeting previously in China, Japan and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, according to the company. About 240 suppliers to Aeon Vietnam Co., its local store operator, and Aeon Topvalu Vietnam Co., a product development and procurement arm established in 2016, gathered for the Hanoi meeting. Amid the escalating U.S.-China trade dispute, the Aeon group understands the value of Vietnam as a strategic base, Shibata said.


Honda ponders plan to let Indian companies test e-cycles amid state-backed EV push

Abstract: NEW DELHI - Honda Motor Co. might undertake a project to let businesses in India test ride its electric motorcycles on a trial basis next year as the government pushes eco-friendly mobility to address worsening air pollution. “We are planning to implement an electric two-wheeler trial program in the next fiscal year,” Minoru Kato, president of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. said in a recent interview. Fiscal 2020 will begin in April. Honda has already begun lease sales in Japan of the PCX EV scooter, an electric version of the PCX. Kato said it plans to use its China-made electric two-wheelers for the project envisioned in India. While the private use of electric motorcycles and scooters will take some time to develop on a mass scale, the vehicles could be initially used for commercial purposes in India, Kato said. Honda unveiled the plan after the National Institution for Transforming India, the government think tank known as NITI Aayog, proposed the full public use of electric three-wheelers by 2023 and two-wheelers with engines below 150cc by 2025. Kato regards the proposal as unrealistic, saying the industry needs a proper road map and infrastructure development to complete the transition to EVs. In the meantime, industry bodies such as the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers and the Confederation of Indian Industry have also joined the growing chorus of concerns over NITI Aayog’s proposal. “The ambition needs to be tempered with a practical approach and what is possible without needlessly disrupting the automotive industry,” Rajan Wadhera, president of the automakers’ association, said in a statement. Wadhera said the industry is facing the multiple challenges posed by leapfrogging from Bharat Stage IV to VI, the most advanced emission standard for automobiles. Bharat Stage VI is equivalent to the European Union’s Euro-VI norms. It is also trying to comply with many new safety requirements involving a huge investment ranging from 700 billion ($10 billion) to 800 billion rupees. EV sales in India more than doubled to 130,620 units in the year to last March, backed by government subsidies. But their penetration in the country remains less than 1 percent of the market, according to the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles.

india
motorcycles
air pollution
electric vehicles
honda motor co .


Tokyo Stock Exchange urges Nissan to submit improvement report by June 27

Abstract: The Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday urged Nissan Motor Co. to submit a report by June 27 on measures to improve its internal control system. The exchange sees the need to examine the measures, as it has judged that Nissan violated TSE listing rules by underreporting former Chairman Carlos Ghosn’s pay in annual securities reports. Nissan’s internal control system did not work properly due to a concentration of power over personnel and remuneration affairs in Ghosn, said the TSE, which is under the wing of Japan Exchange Group Inc. But Nissan will not be put on the “securities on alert” list for possible delisting, given that only a handful of officials were involved in the listing rule violation, said Takeshi Hirano, standing governor of Japan Exchange Regulation, Japan Exchange Group’s self-regulatory unit in charge of investor protection.