Banna, Banpo, Eiko, Koshi and Kyuka: The Japan eras that could have been, beaten out by Reiwa

Abstract: Five of the potential names for Japan’s next era that were unsuccessful at the final stage came to light Tuesday, a day after the government selected Reiwa from the six finalists. The five other candidates were Eiko, Kyuka, Koshi, Banna and Banpo, sources with knowledge of the matter said. Three of the six shortlisted candidates were derived from Japanese classical literature and the rest from Chinese classics. Reiwa was taken from “Manyoshu,” the oldest existing collection of Japanese poems. Reiwa will succeed the current era name of Heisei on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito accedes the throne, following the abdication of his father, Emperor Akihito, set for April 30. Meanwhile, there is speculation that the creator of Reiwa is Susumu Nakanishi, 89, professor emeritus at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies, according to sources. Nakanishi is known for his research on “Manyoshu,” and received the Order of Culture from the government in 2013. He is believed to have been among scholars asked by the government on March 14 to come up with proposals for the country’s next era name. When asked by reporters in Kyoto on Tuesday, Nakanishi declined to confirm whether he is the creator of Reiwa. “There is nothing I would say. I don’t know anything,” Nakanishi said. But he added that it was “very good” that the era name came from “Manyoshu.” “I hope it will be a good era, but there is nothing more I can say.” The government has no plans to disclose unsuccessful candidate names for the forthcoming era or their creators.

reiwa
literature
manyoshu
abdication
susumu nakanishi
shinzo abe
kanji
nihongo
emperor naruhito


For Tokyo calendar maker, announcement of Reiwa era name was cue to get printers rolling

Abstract: At the Tokyo offices of a major calendar maker on Monday, executives and employees crowded around a television broke into applause as Reiwa, the country’s next Imperial era name, was announced. While the Gregorian calendar is in common use in Japan, the country’s Imperial era system is also widely used and the announcement was closely watched. And for Kunio Kowaguchi, president of calendar and diary manufacturer Todan Co., the announcement was more than just symbolic; It was set to kick-start a frantic period of producing new products that bear the new era’s name. About 30 members of the company had gathered at the TV at the firm’s Tokyo offices on Monday when Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga held up the traditional calligraphy revealing the new name. “I like it — it’s very good,” Kowaguchi said, pointing out that not many Japanese words begin with an “r” sound. “Reiwa sounds modern but when you see the characters, it’s solemn,” he added. The name combines the characters “ rei ” which can have meanings related to “order” but also “auspicious” and “beautiful,” and “ wa ” meaning “peace” or “harmony.” As soon as the two-character name was announced, a Todan designer rushed to her computer to start preparing new layouts for products bearing the new gengō, or Imperial era name. Another employee started consulting digital dictionaries to determine the order in which the strokes of the two characters should be written. That information was then passed on to a calligrapher who began carefully painting the two characters as Kowaguchi and others looked on. The wet ink was hurriedly dried, first with a traditional fan and then with a hair dryer, to allow the characters to be scanned as quickly as possible. The new era name has arrived too late for Todan’s rollout of 2019 calendars but the company will now start work on 2020 products, as well as a special production of 800 desktop calendars that will run from this May until March next year. For the year 2020, “we are talking about production plans for 50 kinds of calendars with gengō,” Kowaguchi said. “Plus the special edition for the first year of the new era.” Japan is the only country in the world still using Chinese-style Imperial calendars, and many people still remember historic events by the era year in which they occurred rather than the corresponding Gregorian date. So it wasn’t just calendar makers firing up the printing presses Monday; Japanese newspapers quickly issued special editions that prompted stampedes in parts of central Tokyo. At Todan’s factory in the town of Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture, 70 workers had their own excited gathering at the firm’s canteen to watch the era announcement. “We have all been working together during the past two years (since the abdication was announced) and I was filled with a sense of relief when I heard the name being announced,” factory chief Junichi Ishii said. “At the moment of the announcement, we all applauded,” he added. There wasn’t much time to savor the moment though, with the factory springing straight into action to begin producing the special edition desktop calendars. Workers manned machines in rooms for printing, cutting and assembling the new calendars that feature the name Reiwa prominently on their cover page. The large machines responsible for printing the calendars roared, churning out large sheets printed with multiple months, each of which was cut out and then assembled by hand into a calendar. The calendars will be shipped immediately, and Kowaguchi, the company president, said the initial plans for a run of 800 copies might prove insufficient. “We planned this as something that customers would keep as a commemorative product. We thought this wouldn’t be something that should be produced in a large volume,” he said. But, he added, “We are receiving a flood of inquiries. Now I’m concerned that printing just 800 may leave some customers disappointed.”

reiwa todan ibaraki abdication kanji nihongo


15 Japanese arrested in Thailand raid accused of scamming more than ¥225 million

Abstract: BANGKOK - A group of 15 suspected Japanese scammers arrested last week in Thailand acquired more than ¥225 million ($2 million) in illegal proceeds in February and March alone, Thai police and other sources said Tuesday. Records seized in a March 30 police raid on a rented upscale house in the seaside resort town of Pattaya show that the suspects scammed victims in Japan of some ¥136.86 million between Feb. 1 and 24, and another ¥89 million during March. The records show the highest value of what was described as “sales” in any one day in February was ¥14.04 million and the lowest was ¥2.74 million. Thai and Japanese police continue to examine the records in an attempt to grasp the extent of fraudulent activities and to clarify details regarding the gang, whose members have been charged with working illegally in the kingdom. At a news conference in Bangkok, the police also released a “fraud manual” seized during the raid, in which they also seized 52 internet protocol phones, 19 notebook computers, routers and other equipment as well as a list of victims and bank accounts. In the printed A4 sheets it is clearly stated that in one scam, victims were to be told that “(as) the charges for the paid site are unpaid, the civil trial is progressing.” Earlier, police had said that the scammers particularly targeted people in Japan who are retired and living alone, falsely claiming that their phone use exceeded a limit and that they would need to pay an excess charge to continue using their phones. After being arrested, the 15 suspects, all men aged between 22 and 54, were transferred to an Immigration Bureau holding center in Bangkok. They were interrogated earlier Tuesday. At the news conference, they were all were dressed in orange T-shirts and remained silent, wearing masks and facing away from the press to avoid the cameras. Besides those in detention, the police suspect that as many as four more Japanese and Thais were involved in fraud scheme. Japan’s National Police Agency personnel are expected to go to Bangkok later this month to proceed with investigations. According to the police, it is the first time such a scam victimizing people in Japan has been uncovered in Thailand. The gang is believed to have used the country as a base because Japanese nationals can enter without a visa and it offers easy, high-speed internet access.

thailand
scams
fraud
yakuza
organized crime
elderly


Emperor cancels attendance at rituals and other events due to cough

Abstract: Emperor Akihito canceled his attendance at the rituals and other events scheduled for Wednesday after developing a cough the previous night, the Imperial Household Agency has said. The agency said the move was a precautionary measure. The rituals are unrelated to a series of ceremonies being held before the 85-year-old Emperor becomes the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in about 200 years. The Emperor has been taking part in a series of ceremonies ahead of the enthronement of his elder son, Crown Prince Naruhito, on May 1 when the new Imperial era Reiwa, announced by the government Monday, is set to begin. On Wednesday morning, the Emperor was scheduled to attend a planned ritual but an Imperial household Agency official attended as a proxy. The Emperor was also scheduled, in the afternoon, to greet volunteers who clean the Imperial Palace. Empress Michiko attended the event alone and conveyed gratitude on the Emperor’s behalf, the agency said. On Tuesday afternoon the Imperial Couple, joined by the Crown Prince and his wife Crown Princess Masako, attended a concert celebrating the Imperial Couple’s 60 years of marriage and 30 years of the Emperor’s reign.


Special celebrations planned for newlyweds on auspicious first day of Japan's new Reiwa era

Abstract: Local governments are planning something special for those who register their marriage on the first day of the new era, including gifts and commemorative photos, as they prepare for a spike in the number of couples tying the knot on May 1. The start of the new Reiwa Era upon the enthronement of Crown Prince Naruhito will fall on an auspicious day for marriage according to a traditional Japanese calendar, likely prompting many couples to file their marriage papers that day. Some local governments plan to set up temporary counters for marriage registrations, instead of accepting the documents at the security guards’ room — usual practice on a public holiday. Japan has designated May 1 this year as a one-off holiday to celebrate the Imperial succession, as part of a 10-day Golden Week vacation period. Other local authorities plan to celebrate the “new-era marriages” by taking photos of couples and offering them presents. In the city of Kaga in Ishikawa Prefecture, marriage registration counters will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 1. Staff will take commemorative photos of couples standing in front of a cardboard background illustrated with hearts while their registration is processed. The photos will then be framed and presented to the newlyweds. “We want to celebrate marriages on the first day of the new era, which will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” an official for the project said. The city of Okayama will mark the day by setting up a counter for accepting marriage registrations at the Akazu gate of Okayama Castle. From May 1 the city government will use special marriage papers with illustrations of the castle and Momotaro (Peach Boy), a popular hero of Japanese folklore originating from Okayama Prefecture and said to have been born from a giant peach. Those registering their marriage will also receive pairs of celebratory local pottery cups with the date engraved on them. On average the city of Okayama receives 20 marriage registration requests a day, but it expects the number will jump to 100 on May 1. “We hope (couples) will memorialize their (personal) event at the historic (castle),” a city official said. In Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, five or six workers will be ready to offer potted geraniums and colored paper as gifts to the first 100 couples registering their marriage. In the Tokyo suburb of Komae, Mayor Toshio Matsubara will be on hand to congratulate couples as they get married, deviating from the usual bureaucratic process. “He has a strong desire to celebrate that day,” explained a city official. The Komae city office expects to receive around 30 to 40 registration requests for marriage on May 1 — as high as Nov. 11, 2011, when many couples chose the date because it contained six ones.

reiwa
local government
marriage
okayama
abdication


Truckers and stores on U.S.-Mexico border struggle as Trump closure threat looms

Abstract: SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA/EL PASO - Trucks inched through traffic and some stores reported fewer customers in U.S.-Mexico border towns on Wednesday as staffing shortages tied to a surge in asylum seekers slowed checkpoints and threats of the border closing scared away shoppers. U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his threat to close the border, or parts of it, saying Congress could avert such a shutdown by changing laws to fix what he called immigration “loopholes.” Business leaders on both sides of the border have lashed out against the threat, saying a shutdown would hurt supply chains and $1.7 billion in daily trade at some of the world’s busiest land crossings. “Words have meaning, especially when they come from the White House. The mere threat of a border closure does create uncertainty, and uncertainty is the enemy of jobs, economic development and commerce,” said Jon Barela, who runs Borderplex Alliance, a U.S.-Mexico trade and economic development group. Already, Washington’s decision to move some 750 border agents from commercial to immigration duties has triggered long delays for legitimate cross-border traffic. Petra Gomez, 63, who owns the discount store Buy 4 Less near the Otay Mesa crossing in California, opposite Tijuana, said Trump’s threats were taking a toll. “Many people are not crossing for fear that if they close the border, they will be trapped,” she said, referring to the tens of thousands of people who cross every day from the Tijuana area into California. “If they close the border, I will have to close because I will not have clients.” In El Paso, Texas, small business owners also spoke of a sharp drop in sales. “We’ve seen our customers go down by about 30 percent. I also have some co-workers who live in Juarez and say they have to get into the pedestrian lane an hour and a half before their shift starts just to cross the border,” said David Canales, supervisor at UTEA Duty Free, at the base of El Paso’s downtown international bridge, which connects the Texas city with Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez. However, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday there were no “serious problems” at the border, and that the government was in constant communication with U.S. authorities to keep it open. “It’s not in anyone’s interest to close the border,” he told reporters at his regular morning news conference. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has estimated that some 100,000 migrants were apprehended or encountered at the border in March, the highest level in a decade. Most are Central American families seeking asylum. Trump has made stemming the flow of migrants across the southern border a centerpiece of his administration, likening the situation to a crisis and using that argument to justify his demand to build a wall along the frontier. “This is one of, if not the biggest crisis this country has faced in a decade, truly, the security aspects of this, the humanitarian aspects of this have got to be addressed,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, told Fox News in an interview on Tuesday. But critics of Trump’s immigration policy, like Ruben Garcia, executive director of El Paso migrant shelter Annunciation House, said he saw “a lot of truth” to criticism that CBP recently held migrants in a detention enclosure under a city bridge to create a sense of chaos for media. The CBP said it would suspend cargo operations every Saturday at one of its El Paso crossing points until it had enough staff to operate fully. On Wednesday, some, but not all, lanes were open to commercial traffic at El Paso and Laredo, Texas, and Otay Mesa in California. The longest wait stretched up to seven hours at a section of the El Paso crossing where only one of six lanes was open at a major bridge, according to the CBP. In Ciudad Juarez, lines of trucks were longer than usual, according to a Reuters witness. Mexico is the United States’ third-largest trading partner and its largest supplier for agricultural products, including vegetables and avocados. “Avocados in particular have the potential to become the new green gold in terms of prices” if a shutdown caused shortages, Moody’s said in a report on Wednesday. Americans would run out of avocados in three weeks if imports from Mexico were stopped, Steve Barnard, president and chief executive of Mission Produce, the largest distributor and grower of avocados in the world, said this week. The Business Roundtable, a powerful private sector lobby, said in a letter to White House officials on Wednesday that shutting the border would severely damage U.S. businesses, particularly those that depend on employees who commute daily to work from Mexico. Luis Ventura, 23, crosses from Tijuana every day to work at a customs agency in San Diego. More than just concern over his job, he fears a shutdown would take him away from his son. “If you close the border, either I stay in Tijuana without work or I stay here without family,” he said.

u.s.-mexico border
mexico
donald trump
trade
cbp


Trump signs memorandum to stem 'Wild West' of online counterfeit goods trafficking

Abstract: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Wednesday to rein in what the administration calls the “Wild West” of online trafficking in counterfeit goods. The memorandum is aimed at stopping the sale of counterfeit products on sites like Amazon, eBay and China’s e-commerce leader, Alibaba. “This president has decided that it’s time to clean up this Wild West of counterfeiting and trafficking,” said Peter Navarro, director of the White House National Trade Council. “The central core of the problem is that right now, third-party online marketplaces … have zero liability when it comes to trafficking in these counterfeit goods. That simply has to stop. We are going to attack that on numerous fronts.” In a statement released on Wednesday, Amazon said that it “strictly prohibits” the sale of counterfeit products and welcomes more coordinated support from law enforcement to stem the problem. Amazon said that last year it spent more than $400 million fighting counterfeits, fraud and other forms of abuse. “We have built industry-leading tools like Brand Registry, Transparency and our newly launched Project Zero to protect our customers and help rights owners drive counterfeits to zero,” the company said. “With these and other tools, we ensure that over 99% of the products that customers view on Amazon never receive a complaint about counterfeits.” Navarro said discussion of possible actions the administration will take to deter online trafficking in counterfeit merchandise is premature. He says the directive orders the Department of Homeland Security to work with other agencies on a report identifying the scope of the problem. The report also is to identify the origin of the fake goods and recommend administrative, regulatory, legislative or policy changes to stem the problem. Alibaba also released a statement saying it would welcome the administration’s work to combat counterfeiting. The company said it has developed systems to protect intellectual property and has worked with brand name companies, law enforcement, consumers and trade associations to battle the problem. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimates that the value of trade in counterfeit and pirated goods is about a half trillion dollars a year, with roughly 20% infringing on U.S. intellectual property, according to the directive. The U.S. is engaged in a trade dispute with China after the Trump administration made several complaints, including that China was stealing U.S. trade secrets and was forcing companies to give them technology to access its market. Trump imposed tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese imports, about half what the United States buys from that country. China retaliated with tariffs on about $110 billion of U.S. items. Trade talks are ongoing. Navarro told reporters in a conference call, however, that the new memorandum has nothing to do with the U.S.-China trade talks or Trump’s criticism of Amazon owner, Jeff Bezos. Trump has accused Amazon of not paying its fair share of taxes, harming the U.S. Postal Service and putting brick-and-mortar stores out of business. A recent Government Accountability Office report examined four categories of frequently counterfeited goods, and, based on a small sample of these goods purchased through various online third-party marketplaces, investigators found that more than 40% were counterfeit, Navarro said.

donald trump
ebay
alibaba
peter navarro
trade
fraud
internet
computers
amazon.com


Honda's N-Box is top-selling vehicle in Japan for second year in a row

Abstract: Honda Motor Co.’s N-Box minivehicle topped Japan’s sales rankings for new vehicles for the second consecutive year in fiscal 2018, taking a huge lead over runner-up Suzuki, industry data showed Thursday. Sales of the N-Box totaled 239,706 units. Seven of the top 10 models were minivehicles with engine displacements of up to 660 cubic centimeters. They were also same seven that made the top 10 list the previous year, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association. Demand continued to be brisk for minivehicles partly because an increasing number are equipped with advanced driving support systems. Ranked second was Suzuki Motor Corp.’s Spacia, with sales of 158,397 units, followed by Daihatsu Motor Co.’s Tanto, with sales of 142,550 units. Other than minivehicles, Nissan’s Note subcompact came sixth, with 131,760 units. A hybrid version of the Note also continued to fare well. Toyota Motor Corp.’s Aqua hybrid compact ranked seventh, with 127,889 units, while its Prius hybrid was placed eighth, with 115,123 units. Support for models with high fuel efficiency, including minivehicles, grew. For March alone, the N-Box stayed at the top for the 19th straight month, with sales of 26,418 units.

honda n-box minivehicles suzuki daihatsu nissan toyota carmakers


U.S. plans to pump dollars into Venezuela if Maduro falls, as it talks with Guaido on rescue strategy

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The Trump administration is considering pumping dollars into Venezuela through banks, smartphones and apps if the regime of Nicolas Maduro fails, President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser said. The U.S. is already in talks with Juan Guaido — the Venezuelan opposition chief the U.S. has recognized as the nation’s leader — to develop an economic rescue and restructuring plan for the country that could begin immediately, should Maduro step down or be deposed, National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said Wednesday at an event in Washington hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. The U.S. is planning to employ “banks, iPhones, apps and many clever ways to get cash in there,” Kudlow said. “And the cash will not be bolivars, it will be dollars. At least in the beginning so there’s no demand for bolivars.” The U.S. Treasury, the National Security Council, NEC and International Monetary Fund are all working on the plan, he said, adding that the White House “will move rapidly” with if leadership changes. Oil-rich Venezuela is reeling from hyperinflation, hunger and rolling blackouts that make daily life miserable for residents in rural towns and major cities alike. Maduro, however, insists that the country’s woes are not the result of poor governance but sabotage orchestrated by his opponents at home and abroad. The U.S. has explicitly warned against harming the opposition leader and has stepped up sanctions on Venezuela and the regime’s officials.

venezuela
nicolas maduro
donald trump
juan guaido
larry kudlow
u.s .


More delays for Boeing's new Starliner space capsule for astronauts

Abstract: FLORIDA - AP Boeing’s new space capsule for astronauts faces more launch delays. The Starliner capsule was supposed to make its debut this month, after a series of postponements. But the first test flight is now off until August. And the second test flight, with astronauts, won’t occur until late in the year. NASA announced the revised lineup Wednesday. At the same time, officials said the first Starliner crew will remain at the International Space Station longer than the few weeks originally anticipated. The mission length will be decided later. SpaceX, NASA’s other commercial crew provider, successfully flew its new Dragon capsule without a crew to the International Space Station last month. The first flight with astronauts could be as early as this summer, but the schedule is under review. Boeing said the last major milestones have been cleared and the capsule is almost finished. But scheduling conflicts with an early summer Air Force launch helped push the Starliner’s debut into August. The Starliner will fly on United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket, the same kind of rocket needed for the Air Force’s critical mission in late June, from the same pad. While the first SpaceX astronauts will visit the space station for a few weeks at most, the Starliner’s three-person crew will move into the orbiting complex for an extended period. The typical station stay is about six months. NASA wants to reduce its reliance on expensive Russian Soyuz capsules as soon as possible, and so the Boeing test flight will double as a taxi mission for station residents. NASA astronauts have been stuck riding Russian rockets since the end of the space shuttle program. SpaceX Dragons and Boeing Starliners will return human launches to Florida, following the eight-year hiatus. NASA contracted with the two companies to handle space station ferry flights, so it could focus on getting astronauts to the moon and, eventually, Mars.

boeing
starliner
nasa
spacex
united launch alliance
soyuz
iss
u.s. air force


Lego's hopes new programmable robotics kit will see use in classrooms

Abstract: NEW YORK - Danish toymaker Lego Group has unveiled a new robotics kit that encourages students to gain programming skills through collaborative, hands-on activities. Each set of the Spike Prime kit comes with over 500 pieces, for building a variety of creations, and is paired with lesson plans for both students and teachers. It also comes with an app that uses a drag-and-drop programming language. One of the models, called “Rain or Shine,” is programmed to get data from a weather service, which then instructs a Lego robot to move its umbrella or sunglasses based on whether it is raining or sunny in a particular city. “Our intention is that every child in middle school should be able to have a very solid and valuable STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) learning experience and ultimately to build that confidence,” said Esben Staerk Joergensen, president of Lego Education. In Japan, computer programming will become required material in all elementary schools starting in April 2020, with Sony Corp. and other companies developing relevant educational tools. “I think we are also seeing, globally, the recognition that students need to be equipped with a broader set of skills,” Staerk Joergensen said. “I think introducing coding … makes sense in the world that we are living in.” According to a new Confidence in Learning Poll by Harris Insights & Analytics, 84 percent of Japanese teachers agree that anxiety and lack of confidence impede learning and that Japanese students who are not eager to learn STEAM subjects tend to be more nervous about learning new things in school. Globally, 76 percent of teachers say anxiety and lack of confidence hinder learning among their students, while only 17 percent of students say they are “very confident” when it comes to learning STEAM subjects. Staerk Joergensen says he hopes to bring Spike Prime into all Japanese junior high schools and seeks to work with education authorities to fulfill that vision. The robotics kit will be available globally starting in August of this year and is priced at $329.95 (¥36,800) in the United States. It comes with 11 new elements like a caster wheel part for driving robots and wire clips.


Dollar falls below ¥111.40 in Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar eased below ¥111.40 in Tokyo trading Wednesday, hit by selling to lock in profits. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥111.35-35, down from ¥111.51-51 at the same time Wednesday. The euro was at $1.1240-1241, up from $1.1236-1237, and at ¥125.16-17, down from ¥125.30-31. The dollar temporarily topped ¥111.52 toward midmorning on purchases by Japanese importers and investors heartened by stock price rises in Tokyo and other parts of Asia. But the greenback bowed to selling by profit-takers in the wake of stock market downturns and a pause in the key U.S. long-term interest rate’s increase in off-hours trading, market sources said. In late trading, the dollar moved in a tight range amid a dearth of fresh trading incentives. The weak reading of the Institute for Supply Management nonmanufacturing index for March, released on Wednesday, put a damper on “risk-on” buying of the dollar vis-a-vis the yen, a currency broker said. However, the White House’s announcement that President Donald Trump will meet with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on Thursday boosted hopes for a U.S.-China trade agreement and supported the dollar, the broker also said. Meanwhile, an official at a foreign exchange margin trading service firm said investors cannot tilt their positions either way until it becomes certain whether or not Trump and Liu will be able to strike a deal.


Tokyo stocks mixed without strong incentives

Abstract: Stocks were mixed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday, as investors refrained from tilting their positions in the absence of powerful market-moving events. The 225-issue Nikkei average edged up 11.74 points, or 0.05 percent, to end at 21,724.95, after gaining 207.90 points Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Topix index of all first-section issues closed down 1.72 points, or 0.11 percent, at 1,620.05, following its 10.08-point rally the previous day. Both indexes moved around Wednesday’s closing levels for most of the session amid a dearth of strong trading incentives. Hopes for progress in the ongoing U.S.-China trade negotiations continued to underpin the market, but its topside was weighed on by selling to lock in profits, brokers said. “The recent market ascent was so fast that players found it advisable to take profits for now,” said Mitsuo Shimizu, chief strategist at Aizawa Securities Co. The Nikkei gained over 670 points in the four sessions through Wednesday. Buying sentiment receded, especially late in the morning, as the Nikkei came closer to a key technical resistance line around 21,900, Shimizu said. The United States and China resumed their ministerial trade talks in Washington on Wednesday. Before the restart, a U.K. media report let investors grow hopeful about a successful end to the talks, leading to the sharp rebound in Tokyo that day. On Thursday, however, the market reacted little to a Wall Street Journal report that U.S. President Donald Trump may announce plans for talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, later on the day, market sources said. Investors could not be fully confident that the leaders would strike a deal to end the trade dispute between the two economic superpowers, they pointed out. Falling issues outnumbered rising ones 1,158 to 873 in the TSE’s first section, while 109 issues were unchanged. Volume decreased to 1.220 billion shares from the previous day’s 1.292 billion shares. Electronic parts makers attracted purchases, with Taiyo Yuden Co. up 1.90 percent and TDK Corp. up 1.83 percent. Drug store chain operator Sugi Holdings Co. jumped 3.51 percent on a reported rise in its consolidated net profit for the year that ended in February. Other major winners included automaker Suzuki Motor Corp. and auto parts supplier Denso Corp. By contrast, drug makers met with selling, with Shionogi & Co. falling 2.26 percent and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. 1.18 percent. Yakult Honsha Co. plunged 3.26 percent after JP Morgan Securities Japan Co. lowered its investment rating and target stock price for the lactic beverage-maker. Also on the negative side were advertising agency Dentsu Inc. and technology giant Sony Corp. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key June contract on the Nikkei average dropped 20 points to end at 21,700.


Next Seven-Eleven Japan chief vows 'flexible response' as he replaces defender of 24-hour policy

Abstract: Seven-Eleven Japan Co. said Thursday the convenience store operator will replace its president after its longtime 24-hour operating policy caused controversy recently amid a labor crunch that is straining the retail industry. “When it comes to operating hours, I’d like to consider a flexible response that would suit each outlet,” given that the business environment for every store varies greatly, vice president Fumihiko Nagamatsu, who will be promoted to the top post, effective Monday, told a news conference in Tokyo. The revamp of Seven-Eleven’s management could lead to a major turning point for the country’s convenience store industry, which has been increasingly relying on foreign part-time workers to fill shifts as many franchise owners have been struggling to secure labor amid Japan’s graying population. At present, 96 stores, accounting for 0.5 percent of its franchise outlets nationwide, are hoping to reduce business hours, according to the company. Seven & I Holdings Co., the parent of Japan’s leading convenience store operator, said the current president, Kazuki Furuya, will become chairman without the right to represent the company. “We are aware of the phenomenon in which information from the workplace was not shared smoothly with upper sections (in the company),” said Ryuichi Isaka, president of the parent, who attended the same news conference. The reform comes with Seven-Eleven mired in controversy over its 24-hour operating policy after one of its franchise owners in Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture, cut the business hours at his store due to a labor shortage without approval from the franchise operator. The owner, Mitoshi Matsumoto, was accused by the chain operator of violating his contract after he started closing his store overnight from Feb. 1. Following the announcement of the management change, Matsumoto said that he does not have high expectations as the current president will stay on as chairman of the chain operator. Since late March, Seven-Eleven has started trials of shorter opening hours in 10 stores that are directly operated by the company, while the industry ministry also asked operators of major convenience store chains in Japan to come up with measures to address growing discontent. On Thursday, Seven & I Holdings reported a record group net profit of ¥203 billion ($1.8 billion) in the business year ending February, up 12.1 percent from the previous year, backed by robust sales of its overseas convenience stores.

seven-eleven japan
convenience stores
fumihiko nagamatsu


U.K. government and labor union officials plan trip to Japan in bid to save Honda's Swindon plant

Abstract: SWINDON, ENGLAND - British government officials and senior labor union members are set to visit Japan soon to urge Honda Motor Co. to review its plan to close its automobile plant in Swindon, in the south of the country. Late last month, thousands of people — including workers from the factory of the major automaker and parts suppliers for the Swindon facility — staged a rally to call for the cancellation of the decision to shut down the factory. Honda’s decision is “shocking” and “still unbelievable,” said 43-year-old Jos Fernandes, who has been working at the plant for eight and a half years. “I love Honda,” he continued, pointing to difficulties finding a different job in Swindon. In the demonstration, believed to the first of its kind in Swindon in some 40 years, Fernandes and other participants marched for about an hour, chanting slogans including “Save Honda.” Many placards calling on the U.K. government to nationalize the Swindon plant were also seen. The planned end of production at the plant in 2021 is expected to affect a total of around 15,000 jobs, including some 3,500 at the factory as well as workers at parts suppliers. “We will be traveling to Japan” with senior British government officials in order to meet with Honda executives and press them to review the decision, Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, the largest labor union in the U.K., told rally participants. “I strongly believe it was the wrong decision,” said Greg Clark, Britain’s secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy, in a statement. “Swindon is the ideal place” to manufacture next-generation automobiles, Clark also said, citing a “highly efficient and dedicated” workforce, and a supplier network “finely tuned” to meeting needs. Meanwhile, he stopped short of commenting on the ongoing turmoil over the U.K.’s planned exit from the European Union, which is casting a dark shadow over the country’s auto industry.

honda
swindon
jobs
u.k .
carmakers
brexit


SoftBank to seek $15 billion more for huge Saudi-backed Vision Fund

Abstract: LONDON/SAN FRANCISCO - For SoftBank Group Corp., $100 billion (¥11 trillion) isn’t enough. The conglomerate, which has reshaped the technology startup landscape with its Saudi-backed Vision Fund, is in talks with investors to add as much as $15 billion more to its already massive fund, according to people familiar with the discussions. In about two years the Vision Fund has invested more than $70 billion in tech companies. SoftBank wants to continue its deal spree while leaving enough assets in reserve to continue buying shares in companies it currently backs. Later, it plans to undergo an even more ambitious effort to assemble a second Vision Fund, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private. SoftBank has weighed a variety of ways to pump more cash into the original Vision Fund. Proposals include raising more capital, persuading state-backed investors in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi to waive their rights to debt repayments or taking out more bank loans, said the people. Terms of the fundraising have yet to be finalized, and there’s no certainty a deal will come together, one of the people said. Spokesmen for the Vision Fund and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Co. declined to comment. Representatives for Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund didn’t respond to requests for comment. The Vision Fund has been writing huge checks at a rapid rate since raising the bulk of the fund in 2017. SoftBank has signed dozens of deals with startups involved in cancer detection, construction, dog walking, indoor farming, ride-hailing, satellites and window glass. SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has said he intends to raise a new $100 billion fund every two or three years. For a while, SoftBank appeared to have a long-term partner in Saudi Arabia. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the chairman of the nation’s sovereign wealth fund, said in October that he would pledge another $45 billion to the next Vision Fund. Then the crown prince came under fire over accusations that he ordered the assassination of a Washington Post journalist. He denied prior knowledge and blamed the killing on Saudi security operatives who had gone rogue. Amid the international scrutiny that followed, the relationship with SoftBank and its biggest Middle Eastern investors showed signs of fraying. The Wall Street Journal reported in February that representatives of the Saudi and Abu Dhabi funds had voiced concerns over the high prices the Vision Fund was paying for tech stocks. Son had been holding preliminary discussions with investors last year about backing a second fund that could be established as soon as this year. The new fund would likely draw a wider pool of financiers. SoftBank is seemingly in a more favorable negotiating position now. The stock is up about 50 percent this year. Although the debut of the second fund isn’t expected imminently, executives from SoftBank have been meeting over recent months with a range of investors — some of whom backed the original Vision Fund and others who didn’t — in attempts to nail down commitments, people familiar with the talks now say. One stopgap to keep the money flowing came last month, when the Vision Fund secured a $3 billion loan from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and other banks. SoftBank executives have since renewed talks with banks to potentially take on even more debt for the Vision Fund, said people familiar with the discussions. Another idea currently under consideration would enable the fund to reinvest some of the $5.6 billion profit it has made from investments in Nvidia Corp. and Flipkart, said the people. Or they might wait until Uber Technologies Inc. and Slack Technologies Inc. go public in the coming months and include a piece of those profits, one of the people said. Either scenario would require investors to approve changes to their contracts, which is no small feat. A third scenario relies predominantly on the fund’s backers in the Middle East. SoftBank is asking investors to consider giving up the $3 billion a year they demanded in exchange for $40.6 billion in a preferred equity loan to the fund, the people said. Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi hold the vast majority of that stock.

softbank
vision fund
tech
startups
investments
saudi arabia
abu dhabi
masayoshi son
uae


Yodobashi to buy outdoor goods shop operator ICI Ishii-Sports

Abstract: Major electronics retailer Yodobashi Holdings said Wednesday it will acquire outdoor goods shop operator ICI Ishii-Sports as early as the end of this month. The operator of Yodobashi Camera stores will buy all outstanding shares in ICI Ishii-Sports including those held by investment fund Advantage Partners, which is a significant shareholder in the target company. The value of the deal was not disclosed. Through the acquisition, Yodobashi Holdings, based in Tokyo, hopes to obtain ICI Ishii-Sports’ business expertise and customer base at a time when the popularity of mountaineering and camping is growing among women and young people. Tokyo-based ICI Ishii-Sports, established in 1964, has a strong position in sales of mountain climbing gear. “We highly rate the high-quality expertise” of ICI Ishii-Sports, Yodobashi Holdings said, adding that the move will allow the company to maintain its independence in store management and will guarantee the employment of its workers.


LCD maker Japan Display reaches bailout deal with China-Taiwan consortium

Abstract: Display panel maker Japan Display Inc. has reached a broad agreement to receive a capital injection of ¥60 billion ($538 million) to ¥80 billion from a Chinese-Taiwanese consortium, a source close to the matter said Wednesday. The company, known as JDI, is a key supplier for Apple Inc. and is set to sign the deal with China’s Silk Road Fund and Taiwan’s TPK Holding Co. early next week. The deal offers a lifeline the firm needs to rebuild its finances and continue investing in new panel technologies, at a time when it is expecting a net loss for the fifth straight year in fiscal 2018 ended March, the source said. Japan Display has been working to achieve a turnaround with the help of government-backed fund INCJ Ltd., its biggest shareholder, which owns 25.3 percent. The Chinese fund and TPK consortium will become JDI’s top shareholder, with a stake of less than 50 percent, according to the source. INCJ’s stake will be reduced to less than 20 percent as a result. JDI said Wednesday that it is in negotiations over a capital injection and is expecting to seal a deal early next week. It had previously said it was aiming to reach an agreement this week. INCJ is also expected to refinance JDI by tens of billions of yen, including through a conversion of debt to preferred shares, bringing the total capital injection to the display panel maker to over ¥110 billion, JDI has said. Japan Display, formed in 2012 through a merger of the LCD operations of Hitachi Ltd., Sony Corp. and Toshiba Corp., has attributed its expected net loss to slowing sales of display panels for Apple products. Japanese electronics makers have been fiercely competing with South Korean rivals such as Samsung Electronics Co. in developing advanced display panels.


Toshiba Memory to draw ¥1.3 trillion in bank loans before going public

Abstract: Toshiba Memory Holdings Corp. is set to draw a total of ¥1.3 trillion ($11.7 billion) in loans from four Japanese banks, sources familiar with the situation said late on Wednesday. With the additional funds, the former chip unit of Toshiba Corp. will step up preparations for an initial public offering after buying back preferred shares currently held by Apple Inc. and other business partners. The chipmaker will get a total of ¥1 trillion from its major creditors, MUFG Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and Mizuho Bank, and ¥300 billion from the state-backed Development Bank of Japan, the sources said. The company had sought to list on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange earlier, in September, but that is not likely to happen before November, according to the sources. The government-backed INCJ fund was considering investing in Toshiba Memory as well, but has decided not to do so, the sources said. Due to serious financial difficulties, Toshiba was forced to sell the chip unit last year to a consortium led by U.S. private equity fund Bain Capital for about ¥2 trillion. Toshiba reinvested about ¥350 billion in the Bain-led consortium, which includes Apple, Dell Inc. and South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix Inc. Bain holds 49.9 percent of the voting rights in the chip company, while Toshiba has 40.2 percent of the rights and optical glass maker Hoya Corp. has 9.9 percent. Hynix and Apple also own stakes without voting rights. Toshiba Memory adopted a holding company structure in March.

toshiba
toshiba memory
banks
mufg
mizuho
smbc
ipos


Fastest electric car chargers wait for batteries to catch up

Abstract: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - The viability of electric vehicles depends in part on one manufacturing plant in eastern Australia, where gleaming white cabinets the size of large refrigerators are loaded on shipping crates. They’re among the most advanced car chargers available, promising to deliver a full tank of juice in minutes. Automakers and energy companies are spearheading the global rollout of these ultrafast charging pumps to lure consumers away from gas guzzlers and toward vehicles powered by electricity. Thousands of souped-up stations are being installed along highways from China to Germany and the U.S., with the capacity to charge enough for 20 miles (32 kilometers) of driving range in one minute. Electric vehicles will comprise more than half of all new car sales in 2040, according to BloombergNEF, as prices come down and battery life and driving ranges get longer. To meet the power demand, about $50 billion of investment in charging equipment is needed through 2030, according to McKinsey & Co. Volkswagen AG, Tesla Inc. and Ford Motor Co. are among the automakers spending on high-speed chargers as they look toward that future. Current power packs aren’t compatible with the fastest chargers, and the first EVs able to fully utilize the new pumps won’t debut until later this year. Still, car companies are nudging battery-makers to catch up, to help allay nagging consumer concerns that EVs can’t take uninterrupted lengthy trips and that motorists face long, inconvenient waits to recharge on the go. “It’s about impacting that buying decision in the dealership,” said David Finn, chief executive officer of Tritium Pty, an Australian supplier of high-power chargers to more than 25 countries. “The main reason you own a car is for the freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you feel like it. That will always be playing on your mind if you have a slow charger.” The push is seeding unheralded companies in atypical manufacturing hubs, including Tritium in Brisbane and Innogy SE’s BTCPower, which has plants in California and the Philippines. It’s also enticing traditional energy and engineering companies such as Zurich’s ABB Ltd. and Portugal’s Efacec Power Solutions. A typical, slow-speed public EV charger offers about 20 miles of driving distance per hour at the plug. The next level up, called a fast charger, can add about 75 miles in 30 minutes, according to Los Angeles-based station operator EVgo Services LLC. Tritium, formed in 2001 by members of a solar-car racing team, makes pumps that add more than 215 miles of range in 10 minutes. Customers include Ionity GmbH — a consortium of carmakers, including Volkswagen and Ford, that’s partnering with energy giants such as Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Kuwait Petroleum International. Ionity is building about 400 stations — with as many as six ultrafast chargers each — on European highways to compete with networks backed by Renault SA, and Nissan Motor Co. ABB, with chargers deployed in 70 countries, is also supplying high-speed pumps. It’s “a real breakthrough in terms of convenience,” CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer told the CERAWeek conference in Houston in March. “We barbecued a couple of cars until we got there.” Electrify America, a Volkswagen unit created under a settlement in the automaker’s emissions scandal, is spending $2 billion on refueling stations in the U.S. over a decade, and installed its first ultrafast charger in Chicopee, Massachusetts, last May. “The charging capacities of electric vehicles have doubled in the space of a few years,” a Volkswagen representative wrote in an email. “We expect that fast-charging in public spaces will become the norm.” Tesla, which has more than 12,000 chargers globally, is boosting the speed of its own refueling units to cut time at the pump by as much as half. The upgrade promises to add as much as 75 miles of charge in five minutes — still lagging the ultrafast models. The speed at which current EVs can recharge is limited by factors such as the size of their battery, the voltage the pack can accept and the charger’s current. While it may be years before battery packs able to handle power from ultrafast chargers go mainstream, some new EVs — including Hyundai Motor Co.’s Kona Electric and Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc’s I-Pace — can already recharge faster than previous generations. Volkswagen’s Porsche brand will introduce its electric Taycan sports car later this year. It’s the first vehicle capable of taking full advantage of the fastest chargers, with a larger battery and the ability to operate at a higher voltage. “The cars are coming,” said Marty Andrews, CEO of Chargefox Pty, which installed ABB’s fastest units at some Australian charging stations. “The carmakers want ultrarapid chargers because they want this to be future-proof. This is not a six-month plan, it’s a 10-year plan.” Battery-makers are starting to follow that lead. China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. — better known as CATL — is working to improve charging speeds, according to its website. South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd., a supplier to Volkswagen, last year invested in Enevate Corp., a University of California spinoff that’s developing cells capable of ultrafast refueling. With annual EV sales reaching 2 million last year, more emphasis is being put on building a widely available public charging infrastructure, including the faster pumps. Customer experience for EV drivers is “inextricably linked to how refueling is experienced,” BNEF analyst Salim Morsy said in a September report. By the end of 2018 there were more than 630,000 public charging points installed globally, the bulk of which were in China, according to BNEF. By 2030, there may be demand for more than 20 million public EV charging pumps, the International Energy Agency forecasts. That’s good news for manufacturers such as Tritium, which added a production line in California and a discreet facility in Amsterdam for automakers to test future electric models, Chief Technology Officer James Kennedy said. “We are having to use air freight as customers just don’t want to wait six to eight weeks,” Kennedy said while inspecting completed high-speed units on the Brisbane assembly line. “They need them as fast as possible.”


'Too big to fail — until now': Warming seas wrecking Great Barrier Reef's regrowth

Abstract: PARIS - Rising sea temperatures have wrecked the Great Barrier Reef’s ability to regrow, researchers said Wednesday, highlighting for the first time a 90 percent fall in new corals since back-to-back heat waves bleached the World Heritage site. Following the unprecedented loss of swathes of the reef — the world’s largest living structure — in successive ocean heat waves in 2016 and 2017, the number of new corals measured a year later was found by a team of scientists to be 89 percent lower than historical levels. Coral reefs make up less than one percent of Earth’s marine environment, but are home to an estimated 25 percent of ocean life, acting as nurseries for many species of fish and a habitat for birds, sharks, dolphins and porpoises. The study measured how many adult corals survived along the 2,300-km (1,400-mile) reef, off the northeast coast of Australia, following consecutive summers of unusually warm seas that bleached and killed off numerous coral species. It discovered a “crash” in coral replacement compared to levels measured in years before a mass bleaching event. The population of one species — Acropora, a branching coral that supports thousands of marine species — tumbled by 93 percent. “We never thought we would see disturbance on a scale to affect recruitment to this extent,” said Andrew Baird, co-author of the study that appeared in the journal Nature. The team estimated that it would take between five and 10 years for the reef’s production of baby corals to fully recover — but only if there isn’t another bleaching event. Atmospheric temperatures have risen by around 1 degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit) since the middle of last century, and coral is uniquely sensitive to fluctuating heat levels. Last year an expert panel of international climate experts warned that coral structures — including the Great Barrier Reef — would most likely not survive a rise of 2 C. Bleaching occurs when warmer ambient temperatures cause coral to expel tiny photosynthetic algae, draining them of their color. The Great Barrier Reef has experienced four mass bleaching events in recorded history — all within the last two decades. “Dead corals don’t make babies,” said Terry Hughes, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at Australia’s James Cook University. “Fever babies means recovery will be slower, and the shift in species means the reefs will not recover to the same configuration as before,” he told AFP. “The question is, will that recovery be interrupted by another mass coral bleaching event due to escalating global warming?” Hughes said there may however be some hope, as evidence suggested that some coral species are more resilient to temperature fluctuations than others. The team found that while bleaching occurred in both 2016 and 2017, it took much greater heat exposure to cause the same level of bleaching the second time around — meaning the reef was naturally adapting to house more heat-tolerant coral varieties. “So the reef is now moving rapidly to a new configuration, with a greater proportion of the species that are resistant to bleaching, or that are capable of bouncing back the fastest,” Hughes said. The number of species, however, would likely be greatly reduced, earlier research has shown. Co-author Morgan Pratchett, however, warned that there is a limit to the amount of warming the reef can take. “It’s highly unlikely that we could escape a fifth or sixth (bleaching) event in the coming decade,” she said. “We used to think that the Great Barrier Reef was too big to fail — until now.”


1 in 5 deaths worldwide linked to unhealthy diet, study says

Abstract: LONDON - Eleven million deaths worldwide in 2017 were linked to people eating poor diets high in sugar, salt and processed meat that contributed to heart disease, cancer and diabetes, a global study found. The research, published in the Lancet medical journal, found that among 195 countries studied, the proportion of diet-related deaths was highest in Uzbekistan and lowest in Israel. The United States ranked 43rd, Britain 23rd, China 140th and India 118th. Among the 20 most populous countries, Japan had the lowest rate of diet-related deaths, with salt being the top risk factor. On average, consumption of healthier foods such as nuts and seeds, milk and whole grains was too low and people consumed too many sugary drinks and too much processed meat and salt. This led to 1 in 5 deaths in 2017 being linked to bad diets. The Global Burden of Disease study tracked trends from 1990 to 2017 of consumption of 15 dietary factors. Chris Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, which led the work, said it “affirms what many have thought for several years.” “Poor diet is responsible for more deaths than any other risk factor in the world,” he said. Our assessment suggests the leading dietary risk factors are high intake of sodium or low intake of healthy foods such as whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds and vegetables.” The study found people ate only 12 percent of the recommended amount of nuts and seeds — an average intake of 3 grams a day, compared with the recommended 21 grams — and drank more than 10 times the recommended amount of sugary drinks. Diets high in sugar, salt and bad fats are known risk factors for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and many types of cancer. The global diet also included less than a quarter of the recommended amount of whole grains — at 29 grams average intake a day, compared with the recommended 125 grams — and almost double the recommended amount of processed meat — at around 4 grams average intake per day, compared with the 2 grams recommended. A study in January suggested an “ideal diet” for health and for the planet would include a doubling of consumption of nuts, fruits, vegetables and legumes, and a halving of meat and sugar intake. The study found that of the 11 million diet-related deaths in 2017, 10 million were from cardiovascular diseases, 913,000 from cancer and 339,000 from type 2 diabetes. Annual deaths related to diet have increased from 8 million in 1990, but the researchers said this was largely due to larger and older populations.

deaths
diet
lancet
nuts
global burden of disease
sodium
fruit


Report: Pilots in doomed Ethiopian Airlines jetliner followed Boeing's emergency steps

Abstract: WASHINGTON/DALLAS - New details in the probe into the Ethiopian 737 jetliner crash indicate the pilots disabled a safety system driving down the nose yet still crashed, deepening the mystery of what happened. Ethiopian authorities were preparing to release a preliminary report on the accident Thursday. The flight crew on the Ethiopian Airlines flight followed a protocol set by plane-maker Boeing to manually disable an automated anti-stall system as they tried to save the 737 Max jet, a person familiar with the situation said. The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System engaged numerous times during the short flight, the person said. MCAS, which is programmed to push down a plane’s nose to help prevent stalls, is a focus of concern by regulators and lawmakers after 346 people died in crashes of Boeing’s newest version of the 737 flown by Ethiopian and Lion Air less than five months apart. The two disasters have rocked the credibility of Boeing as well as U.S. regulators who approved the new plane. Regulators around the world grounded the 737 Max, Boeing’s fastest-selling plane ever, before the U.S. FAA followed suit. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that the pilots on the deadly flight initially followed the emergency procedures laid out by Boeing, cutting power to electric motors driven by the automated system. The newspaper said pilots turned electric power back on after cranking a manual wheel that turned the same movable surfaces on the plane’s tail that MCAS had affected. “Hearing that the pilots executed the procedures, as stark as the story is, is good news,” said Dennis Tajer, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents pilots at American Airlines. “To get my trust and confidence in the new software, I have to have some trust issues revisited.” Boeing is working on a redesigned software package designed to limit MCAS’s movements and make it more reliable so that it won’t cause accidents in the future. The company needs several more weeks to finish, and the process is subject to approval by U.S. regulators. The American Airlines pilots who flew Boeing simulators last week were surprised at how fast the plane’s trim system tried to push the nose down when MCAS activated, Tajer said. “They were able to disconnect it and were able to use the manual trim, but they said it was a handful,” he said. “This is a complex emergency.” Boeing recommended against jumping to conclusions before the Ethiopian report is published. “We urge caution against speculating and drawing conclusions on the findings prior to the release of the flight data and the preliminary report,” it said Wednesday. The data leaking out from the investigation raise many questions and still don’t provide a clear sense of why the plane crashed, said Jeffrey Guzzetti, the former director of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Accident Investigation Division. Following part of the procedure by turning off power to the motor driving the plane’s trim system makes sense, Guzzetti said. But turning it back on — which wasn’t recommended by Boeing and aviation regulators — wasn’t appropriate, he said. “It just seems to me that the crew should have kept the thing off,” he said. At the same time, the fact that the system flummoxed two Lion Air crews in Indonesia in October, including one that crashed shortly after takeoff, and possibly the Ethiopian pilots suggests that investigators will need to review whether the processes were too complex, he said. “There may be additional distractions and issues that are preventing crews from doing what they need to be doing,” he said. Once the Ethiopian pilots disengaged the trim system — cutting power to its motor and preventing MCAS from acting — they would have had to adjust the trim manually using wheels on either side of the cockpit. Trim moves the horizontal wing at the rear of the plane, adjusting how high or low the nose is pointed. Those manual adjustments require coordination in the cockpit during a hectic time because one pilot may need to concentrate on flying the plane while the other moves the trim wheel by hand. There are a range of reasons why pilots might not feel comfortable making those manual adjustments, said a U.S. 737 Max pilot. They may not have been trained adequately on how the trim wheel works, may not have used an arm on the wheel to make large adjustments or may not have coordinated well between each other, said the pilot, who wasn’t authorized to speak and asked not to be identified.

ethiopian airlines
mcas
lion air
aircraft accidents
boeing 737 max


U.S. senators want stiff sanctions to deter Russia election meddling

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. Republican and Democratic senators introduced legislation on Wednesday seeking to deter Russia from meddling in U.S. elections by threatening stiff sanctions on its banking, energy and defense industries and sovereign debt. The Deter Act is the latest effort by U.S. lawmakers to increase pressure on Moscow over what they see as a range of bad behavior, from its aggression in Ukraine and involvement in Syria’s civil war to attempts to influence U.S. elections. The measure was introduced by Sens. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, and Marco Rubio, a Republican. They had offered a similar measure last year, when it also had bipartisan support but was never brought up for a vote by the Senate’s Republican leaders, who have close ties to President Donald Trump. Trump has gone along with some previous congressional efforts to increase sanctions on Russia, although sometimes reluctantly. Backers of stronger action against Russia believe such measures will have better prospects in 2019, given control of the House of Representatives by Democrats, who are less reluctant than Trump’s fellow Republicans to push back against the White House. The legislation would require the U.S. director of national intelligence (DNI) to determine, within 30 days of any federal election, whether Russia or another foreign government, or anyone acting as an agent of that government, had engaged in election interference. If the DNI found such interference occurred, the act would require, among other things, that mandatory sanctions be imposed within 10 days on, among others, Russian banks and energy companies. The act would mandate that sanctions be imposed on two or more of the following Russian banks: Sberbank, VTB Bank, Gazprombank, Vnesheconombank and Rosselkhozbank. It also would order the prohibition of all transactions subject to U.S. jurisdiction in Russian sovereign debt, Russian government bonds and the debt of any entity owned or controlled by Russia’s government. The sanctions would include blocking — freezing without seizing — any assets in the United States of those targeted for sanction, including senior Russian political figures and business leaders. Russia denies trying to influence U.S. elections. But U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies have found that Moscow sought to intervene in the 2016 vote to boost Trump’s chances of winning the White House. An investigation by U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller did not establish that members of Trump’s campaign conspired with Russia during the 2016 election, according to a summary released by U.S. Attorney General William Barr last month. The Deter Act is targeted at Russia but notes that U.S. intelligence has identified China, Iran and North Korea as other major foreign government cyberthreats. It also asks that Trump’s administration present Congress with a strategy on preventing interference in U.S. elections for each of those countries and other countries of significant concern. The senators timed the bill’s release to come after the end of Mueller’s investigation, which has cast a shadow over the first two years of Trump’s presidency, and just before an address to Congress by Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the NATO alliance, who has focused on the threat posed by Russia.

sanctions
russia
election meddling
banks
deter act
donald trump
congress
u.s. senate


American kidnapped on Ugandan safari, with $500,000 ransom demanded

Abstract: KAMPALA - An American woman and her driver have been kidnapped at Uganda’s most popular wildlife park by gunmen demanding a ransom of $500,000, police said on Wednesday. Kimberley Sue Endecott, 35, and Ugandan driver Jean Paul were on a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park when four gunmen ambushed their vehicle on Tuesday evening, a police statement said. Various illegal groups from Somali Islamists to Congolese-based rebels sometimes operate in Uganda, but the kidnappers’ identity was not known. An elderly couple also at the scene were not taken and raised the alarm. “I suspect the kidnappers left them because they were elderly. They took all their possessions,” said Ugandan government spokesman Ofwono Opondo. Califonia-based Endecott and the couple, whose relationship was unclear, entered Uganda on March 29 and flew the next day to the park in the country’s southwest, the spokesman added. The Somali Islamist militant group al-Shabab has carried out attacks in Uganda in the past, but has never been known to kidnap anyone for ransom there. The park, Uganda’s most visited, is located about 400 km (250 miles) southwest of the capital Kampala, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is home to many fragmented rebel groups. Police said the kidnapping appeared financially motivated, since the group quickly made a demand using Endecott’s mobile. “The joint security teams have cut off all exit areas on the border between Uganda and the DRC in search of the victims,” the statement added, warning the group may still be in the park. The U.S. embassy in Kampala said it would be issuing a statement later. In 1999, an American couple, four Britons and two New Zealanders were killed along with four Ugandan guides when their group was ambushed by gunmen in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Survivors said the killers appeared to be Congo-based Hutu rebels. Bwindi begins about 20 km (12 miles) south of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where tourists flock to see lions, hippos, crocodiles, chimpanzees and other African wildlife in an area of lakes, savanah, forests and swamps.

kidnapping
uganda
kimberley sue endecott
al-shabab
terrorism


Democrats formally seek six years of Trump's tax returns

Abstract: WASHINGTON - A House committee chairman formally asked the IRS to provide six years of President Donald Trump’s personal tax returns and the returns for some of his businesses as Democrats try to shed light on his complex financial dealings and potential conflicts of interest. The request by Massachusetts Rep. Richard Neal, who heads the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, is the first such demand for a sitting president’s tax information in 45 years. The unprecedented move is likely to set off a huge legal battle between Democrats controlling the House and the Trump administration. Neal made the request Wednesday in a letter to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig, asking for Trump’s personal and business returns for 2013 through 2018. He asked for the documents in seven days, setting an April 10 deadline. Trump told reporters Wednesday he “would not be inclined” to provide his tax returns to the committee. Democrats insist that obtaining Trump’s tax filings falls within their mandate of congressional oversight. Republicans have denounced it as a political witch hunt and invoked privacy concerns. “We have completed the necessary groundwork for a request of this magnitude, and I am certain we are within our legitimate legislative, legal and oversight rights,” Neal said in a statement Wednesday evening. Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the senior Republican on the Ways and Means panel, denounced the move as “an abuse of the tax-writing committees’ statutory authority.” “Weaponizing our nation’s tax code by targeting political foes sets a dangerous precedent and weakens Americans’ privacy rights,” Brady wrote in a letter Wednesday to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who oversees the IRS. “As you know, by law all Americans have a fundamental right to the privacy of the personal information found in their tax returns.” The legal battle set to ensue could take years to resolve, possibly stretching beyond the 2020 presidential election. Trump broke with decades of tradition for presidential candidates by refusing to release his income tax filings during his 2016 campaign. He has said he won’t release them because he is being audited, even though IRS officials have said taxpayers under audit are free to release their returns. Trump claimed at a news conference following the November election that the filings are too complex for people to understand. The IRS has a policy of auditing the tax returns of all sitting presidents and vice presidents, “yet little is known about the effectiveness of this program,” Neal said in the statement. “On behalf of the American people, the Ways and Means Committee must determine if that policy is being followed, and if so, whether these audits are conducted fully and appropriately.” Neal continued, “In order to fairly make that determination, we must obtain President Trump’s tax returns and review whether the IRS is carrying out its responsibilities.” Neal is one of only three congressional officials authorized under to make a written request to the Treasury secretary for anyone’s tax returns. The Internal Revenue Service is part of the Treasury Department. A rarely used 1924 law says the Treasury chief “shall furnish” the requested material to members of the Ways and Means Committee for them to examine behind closed doors. A spokesman for Mnuchin didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Mnuchin suggested in testimony to Congress last month that he would protect Trump’s privacy if the House Democrats requested his tax returns. “We will examine the request and we will follow the law … and we will protect the president as we would protect any taxpayer” regarding their right to privacy, Mnuchin said.

democrats
taxes
donald trump
congress
u.s .
corruption


'White power' graffiti defaces historic Tennessee civil rights site that was victim of fire

Abstract: ATLANTA - Racist graffiti was painted in the parking lot of a Tennessee social justice center that hosted giants of the 1960s U.S. civil rights movement, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, it said on Tuesday. The Highlander Research and Education Center, whose main office burned down last week, was home to innumerable documents, recorded speeches and artifacts from the movement that were lost in the fire, it said on its website. It described the graffiti only as a “white power” symbol painted on the parking lot. “While we do not know the names of the culprits, we know that the white power movement has been increasing and consolidating power across the south,” the center said in a statement on Tuesday. “Now is the time to be vigilant.” Friday’s fire was less than a week after another fire police say was race-driven arson at a Southern California mosque, where racist graffiti was left in the parking lot. No one was injured in either fire. The Jefferson county sheriff’s office is investigating the Highlander Center fire as a possible crime, broadcaster NBC and other media have said. A sheriff’s spokesperson was not immediately available to comment to Reuters early on Wednesday. The Highlander Center helped organize the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycotts of 1955 that were among the first major civil rights protests of the movement in the United States. Protesters, mostly black residents, refused to ride city buses in a bid to defy racial segregation, after Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person. The center also helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a youth movement that worked with Martin Luther King Jr.’s efforts to ensure voting rights and social justice for minorities, it said on its website.

graffiti
tennessee
arson
u.s .
racism
martin luther king jr .


Trump again threatens Mexico border closure and throws ball back to Congress, drawing business outcry

Abstract: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump again threatened on Wednesday to close the U.S. border with Mexico, this time calling on Congress to take steps immediately to deal with immigration and security loopholes that he says are creating a national emergency. “Congress must get together and immediately eliminate the loopholes at the Border!” Trump wrote in a Twitter post. “If no action, Border, or large sections of Border, will close. This is a National Emergency!” Trump has repeatedly threatened to close the border to stem what he calls a tide of illegal immigration. On Friday, he said he would close the border this week unless Mexico took steps to stop illegal migration. The threat drew an outcry from business leaders and others, who said the move could disrupt legal crossings and billions of dollars in trade. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the largest U.S. business lobbying group, said it contacted the White House to discuss the negative impact of a border closure. Trump took a step back on Tuesday, saying action by Mexico in recent days had eased pressure on U.S. ports of entry. But he revived the closure warning on Wednesday in a bid to pressure Congress to act. White House adviser Mercedes Schlapp said on Wednesday that progress is being made with Mexico on immigration issues but she declined comment on whether the border would be closed this week. “Our resources are being stretched thin. The system is overwhelmed,” she told reporters at the White House. “We are seeing our border patrol commissioner make it very clear that we are at a breaking point.” Trump has made fighting illegal immigration from Mexico a key part of his agenda but shutting down one of the world’s most used borders might be a step too far even for many of his fellow Republicans. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that closing the border could have devastating economic consequences, and joined his Democratic colleagues in warning Trump against such a move. The White House is looking closely at ways to lessen the economic impact of a border shutdown, Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Wednesday.

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


Joe Biden in Twitter video: I'll be more mindful of respecting personal space'

Abstract: NEW YORK - Former Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged Wednesday that his tendency toward physical displays of affection and encouragement have made some women uncomfortable, and he promised to be “much more mindful” of respecting personal space. In a cellphone video, Biden also teased an announcement of his political plans, promising to “be talking to you about a whole lot of issues,” before conceding that his behavior had offended some. “Social norms have begun to change. They’ve shifted,” the 76-year-old Biden said, looking into the camera in a suit and open-collared shirt. “And the boundaries of protecting personal space have been reset. And I get it. I get it. I hear what they are saying. I understand.” The video posted on Twitter was Biden’s first direct comment on what has tripped up his preparations to enter the 2020 Democratic presidential campaign. He did not directly apologize but seemed to be seeking to ease some people’s discomfort. On Friday, former Nevada politician Lucy Flores wrote in New York Magazine that Biden approached her from behind, touched her shoulders and kissed the back of her head in 2014. Since then, another woman has said Biden grabbed her face when he was thanking congressional staff at a 2009 event. Biden, a former longtime U.S. senator from Delaware, first said in a statement that he did not recall the episode that Flores initially described in the magazine piece and then in subsequent weekend interviews. In the video Wednesday, Biden insisted that what he described as the compassion from where the affection comes will not change and again nodded to the steps he’s taking toward running. “But I’ll always believe governing — life, for that matter — is about connecting, connecting with people,” he said. “That won’t change.” Biden also said that he would be more careful about his actions in the future. “And I’ll be much more mindful. That’s my responsibility, my responsibility, and I’ll meet it,” Biden said. And in so doing, Biden was tacitly acknowledging a nagging concern for some voters: that he cannot adapt. “The idea that I can’t adjust to the fact that personal space is important, more important than it’s ever been, is just not thinkable,” he said in closing. “I will. I will.”

joe biden
twitter
lucy flores
sexual harassment
# metoo
2020 u.s. presidential election


Putin and new Kazakh leader talk up military and nuclear cooperation

Abstract: MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakhstan’s new president discussed Wednesday boosting political and military cooperation as the two leaders met after the shock resignation of strongman Nursultan Nazarbayev. Kazakhstan’s new president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, paid his first foreign visit to Russia, describing the trip as a sign of “continuity” in the two countries’ close cooperation. “I will continue the strategic course to strengthen comprehensive dialogue between our countries,” Tokayev told Putin. Kazakhstan’s veteran leader, Nazarbayev, who had ruled the energy-rich Central Asian nation since before it gained independence with the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, announced his sudden resignation last month. Nazarbayev, 78, has been known for careful diplomacy that privileges key partners Russia and China while maintaining cordial ties with the West. “We propose moving to new forms of cooperation,” Putin told reporters after the talks. “I mean first and foremost building a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan using Russian technologies,” he added. Kazakhstan, the world’s biggest uranium producer, has been discussing the construction of its first nuclear power plant with foreign powers including Russia. Last year, Russia started building a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, the Central Asian country’s first. Putin said the two countries’ military cooperation was growing, adding that Russia trained Kazakh military experts. The 65-year-old Tokayev said the two leaders discussed assembling civil helicopters and establishing maintenance centers to repair military equipment. Nazarbayev has the constitutional status of “Leader of the Nation” as well as a lifetime position as chief of the security council and will retain a decisive role in decision-making. Tokayev was previously the leader of the senate, where he was succeeded by Nazarbayev’s daughter, Dariga Nazarbayeva, triggering talk of an eventual dynastic succession.

military
russia
vladimir putin
kazakhstan
nursultan nazarbayev
kassym-jomart tokayev
nuclear energy


First images of Saudi nuclear reactor show plant nearing finish

Abstract: VIENNA - Saudi Arabia is nearing completion of its first nuclear reactor, satellite images of the facility show, triggering warnings about the risks of the kingdom using the technology without signing up to the international rules governing the industry. The research facility is located in the southwest corner of the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh, according to images published by Google Earth. The satellite photos are the first in the public domain to confirm that the program is advancing, showing construction nearing its finish around a columnar vessel that will contain atomic fuel. The advancement is alarming to arms-control experts because Saudi Arabia has yet to sign up to the international framework of rules that other nuclear powers follow to ensure that civilian atomic programs aren’t used to build weapons. Nuclear fuel providers won’t move to supply the unit until new surveillance arrangements have been sealed with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. “There’s a very high probability these images show the country’s first nuclear facility,” said Robert Kelley, a former IAEA director who also led the U.S. Department of Energy’s remote sensing laboratory. “It means that Saudi Arabia has to get its safeguards in order.” Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said in a statement the facility’s purpose is to “engage in strictly peaceful scientific, research, educational and training activities in full compliance with international agreements.” The reactor is being built with transparency, and the kingdom has signed all international nonproliferation treaties, the ministry said, adding that the facility is open to visitors. Neither the IAEA nor Saudi Arabia’s mission to the agency responded to phone calls and emails seeking comment. An official at the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, a government entity that is managing Saudi Arabia’s nuclear program, declined to comment to a reporter. While Saudi Arabia has been open about its ambitions to acquire a nuclear plant, less is known about the kinds of monitoring the kingdom intends to put in place. More arms-control experts are now scrutinizing Saudi Arabia’s nuclear work because of official statements that the kingdom could try to acquire nuclear weapons. A little over a year ago, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom would develop a bomb if its regional rival Iran did so. Those statements raised a red flag within the nuclear monitoring community, which is uneasy that it has more ability to access nuclear sites in Iran than it does in Saudi Arabia. “The much louder debate in Washington is about whether Saudi Arabia acquires nuclear weapons,” said Sharon Squassoni, a researcher and former diplomat on non-proliferation issues at George Washington University. Focus on the program has increased since the U.S. Congress opened an investigation into the potentially illegal transfer of sensitive technologies to the kingdom. The U.S. Government Accountability Office joined the probe this week, adding its weight as the federal watchdog assigned to examine work that U.S. companies are seeking to do in Saudi Arabia. Argentina’s state-owned INVAP SE sold the unit to Saudi Arabia, which plans to start it later this year. The containment vessel is about 10 meters (33 feet) high with a 2.7 meter diameter, matching specifications of other research reactors, according to Kelley, who also used images published by Zamil Industrial Investment Co. to reach his conclusion. The steel vessel was made in Saudi Arabia. It will contain uranium fuel that as been enriched to a purity well short of levels used in weapons. Saudi Arabia is currently signed up to the IAEA’s so-called Small Quantities Protocol, a set of rules that will become obsolete once the nation needs atomic fuel. The government hasn’t adopted the rules and procedures that would allow nuclear inspectors to access potential sites of interest. In the rarefied world of nuclear monitoring, the IAEA is responsible for sending hundreds of inspectors around the world to look after and maintain a vast network of cameras, seals and sensors. Their job is to account for even gram-size levels of enriched uranium, ensuring that the key ingredient needed for nuclear power isn’t diverted to weapons instead. Without submitting to tighter IAEA monitoring, the kingdom would struggle to fuel its reactor. “Saudi Arabia will have to move to a full-scope comprehensive safeguards agreement with subsidiary arrangements before the unit is fueled,” said Rafael Mariano Grossi, who is Argentina’s envoy to the IAEA. His comment marks the second time in a month that officials at the Vienna institution have reminded Saudi Arabia that it needs to follow stricter international rules before delving deeper into its ambitious nuclear program. The aim of monitoring is to ensure that nuclear materials used in a civilian power plants don’t end up going into a weapons program. The U.S. is focusing on whether Saudi Arabia will adopt a so-called gold-standard agreement that would make authorities in Washington comfortable with signing off on deeper involvement by U.S. companies. While the kingdom’s deal with Argentina allowed some work on the research reactor to progress, it can’t fill the monitoring gaps that need to be filled before the Riyadh facility is fueled, Squassoni, the Georgetown academic, said in an interview. “The fuel isn’t going to be supplied until it has a strong safeguards agreement in place,” Squassoni said. “Once they cross that threshold of needing fuel, it has to be in place.” The ability of IAEA inspectors to gain access to facilities in Saudi Arabia is currently restricted because its program is developing “based on an old text” of safeguard rules, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said last month. His agency is encouraging the kingdom to rescind those old rules and adopt a so-called additional protocol — the most stringent inspection guidelines available. Amano is scheduled to hold meetings in Washington this week. The 2013 deal between INVAP and Saudi Arabia opened the door to potentially lucrative new business for the debt-strapped South American country, which has been exporting research reactors for decades while also developing new modular power units. Those so-called small modular reactors are a focal point of the kingdom’s nuclear ambitions, which aim for some 3.2 gigawatts of atomic power by 2030, according to an IAEA briefing given by Saudi regulators.

saudi arabia
nuclear weapons
nuclear energy


Indonesia may close island of Komodo dragons to thwart smuggling

Abstract: JAKARTA - Indonesia may temporarily shut an island that is home to Komodo dragons in a bid to fix problems created by mass tourism and thwart attempts to smuggle the world’s biggest lizard, the local tourism agency said Thursday. The proposed closure, which is awaiting central government approval, would start from 2020 but does not apply to nearby islands where the giant, slavering carnivores are also found, the agency said. Thousands of tourists annually descend on the cluster of islands in the eastern part of the sprawling archipelago nation — the only place in the world where Komodo dragons can be seen in their natural habitat. Komodo Island is home to some 2,300 dragons, which can grow to around three meters (10 feet) in length. An adult typically weighs from 70 to 90 kilograms (150 to 200 pounds). “Mass tourism is already happening on Komodo Island and it’s really disturbing,” local tourism agency head Marius Ardu Jelamu told AFP. “When there are too many tourists in sensitive areas like Komodo National Park, the dragons can be adversely affected,” he added. Jakarta has agreed in principle to temporarily shutter the national park, Jelamu said. During the proposed closure, conservationists would work to rehabilitate endemic plants and boost the number of deer, boars and other natural prey. “We want Komodo Island to be like the Galapagos islands … so we need to rehabilitate the flora and fauna,” Jelamu said. The move would also include tighter visitor quotas and a new ticketing system that would require tourists to book online ahead of time rather than paying on the spot. Last year, the provincial governor sparked a controversy when he proposed charging visitors $500 to see the dragons, about 50 times the current entrance fee. Security would be tightened to prevent bids to smuggle the endangered lizard, Jelamu said Thursday. Last week, police in East Java foiled an attempt to smuggle five Komodo dragons, and arrested a group of traffickers linked to the case. Those dragons were not smuggled from the national park, however, according to the environment ministry.

indonesia
komodo dragons
nature
endangered
animals


U.N. slams Brunei's Sharia laws condemning gays and adulterers as violation of human rights

Abstract: UNITED NATIONS - Brunei is violating human rights by implementing Islamic laws that would allow death by stoning for adultery and homosexuality, the United Nations said on Wednesday. Brunei, a Muslim-majority former British protectorate with a population of around 400,000, on Wednesday began implementing Sharia laws, which punish sodomy, adultery and rape with the death penalty — including by stoning, and theft with amputation. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “believes that human rights are to be upheld in relation to every person everywhere without any kind of discrimination,” said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric. “The legislation approved is in clear violation with the principles expressed,” he said. “So long as people face criminalization, bias and violence based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics, we must redouble our efforts to end these violations. “Everyone is entitled to live free and equal in dignity and rights,” Dujarric said. Brunei has defended its right to implement the laws, elements of which were first adopted in 2014 and which have been rolled out in phases since then. Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, 72, is the world’s second-longest reigning monarch and is prime minister of the oil-rich country. He ranks as one of the world’s wealthiest people. Oscar-winning actor George Clooney has called for a boycott of luxury hotels owned by The Brunei Investment Company, such as the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Dorchester in London and the Plaza Athenee in Paris. The United States on Tuesday criticized Brunei’s decision to implement the laws and urged it to ratify and implement the United Nations Convention Against Torture.

brunei
sharia laws
gays
adultery
antonio guterres
sultan hassanal bolkiah
u.n .
marriage


Reiwa was only added to list of candidates for Japan's new era at final stage

Abstract: The name of the upcoming Imperial era, Reiwa, was added to the list of candidates after mid-March during the last stage of the government’s selection process, according to sources. The number of era name proposals stood between 20 and 30 as of late January before Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga started the process of narrowing down the list, the sources said Wednesday. As of early March, Reiwa was still not on the list, and it apparently emerged after Suga on March 14 officially asked experts of Japanese literature, Chinese literature, Japanese history and East Asian history to come up with more proposals, the sources said. In the end, the government had six proposals, including Reiwa. The choice of the next era name, or gengō , was a closely guarded secret and its announcement gripped the country. It will be used on things ranging from official documents and calendars to driver’s licenses. Still, details of the selection process remain mostly under wraps. An expert, Susumu Nakanishi, who is well-versed with “Manyoshu” — Japan’s oldest poetry anthology — from which Reiwa was derived, had prior to the announcement expressed a willingness to talk to the media once the name was officially revealed. But he reversed course Sunday and decided he wouldn’t speak to the press after the announcement. It has been revealed that the government secured near-unanimous approval for Reiwa from the panel that met on Monday to review the six proposals. The panel included experts handpicked by Suga from various fields such as academia, business and media to reflect diverse views. “The atmosphere in the room was that everyone thought Reiwa was the best fit,” one participant said. Cabinet ministers later endorsed the name after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed that it be selected, according to the sources. Abe has said “Manyoshu” symbolizes Japan’s rich culture and long tradition and that the new era name means “culture coming into being and flourishing when people bring their hearts and minds together in a beautiful manner.” The government unveiled the new name on Monday and has translated the name as “beautiful harmony.” Crown Prince Naruhito is set to ascend to the throne on May 1, taking over from his father Emperor Akihito. A gengō is used during an emperor’s reign. Reiwa became the first era name to break with tradition and be derived from a Japanese classic rather than a Chinese work.

reiwa
susumu nakanishi
manyoshu
abdication


Japanese study uncovers protein that keeps skin youthful, helping strong cells squeeze out the weak

Abstract: Beauty might only be skin deep, but for those wondering how to keep that skin young, Japanese scientists may have found an answer in the form of a protein that encourages cell competition. The prosaically named COL17A1 might not sound like a fountain of youth, but the new study suggests it does the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping skin intact and unimpaired. The protein works by encouraging cell competition, a key process to maintain tissue fitness. That effectively “drives out” weaker cells while encouraging replication of stronger ones. “Damaged or stressed stem cells can be selectively eliminated by intact stem cells every day in our skin,” said research leader Emi Nishimura, a professor at Tokyo Medical and Dental University’s Stem Cell Biology department. But aging results in a depletion of COL17A1, as do familiar enemies of youthful skin, like UV radiation and other stress factors. And when that happens, weaker cells replicate, leaving the skin thinner, more prone to damage and slower to heal. The research, published Thursday in the journal Nature, is based on investigations using mice tails, which share many of the same characteristics as human skin. After confirming the importance of COL17A1, the team decided to investigate whether they could stimulate the protein once it was depleted — effectively looking for compounds that could kick-start the anti-aging process in skin. They isolated two chemical compounds — Y27632 and apocynin — and tested both on skin cells, with positive results. “Application of these drugs to full-thickness skin wounds significantly promoted wound repair,” the study said. The two compounds point to ways of “facilitating skin regeneration and reducing skin aging,” the study added. In a review of the study commissioned by Nature, two professors from the University of Colorado said cell competition had previously only been studied extensively in fruit flies. The research “provides evidence that healthy cells in mammals can also efficiently repopulate adult tissues, replacing unfit or damaged cells,” wrote professors Ganna Bilousova and James DeGregori. And they said the research offered “proof-of-principle” that the two chemical compounds could combat aging. “Future studies are needed to determine the mechanisms of cell competition in other tissues, and to identify compounds capable of reversing aging in other organs,” they said. Nishimura said that the work could eventually lead to products like creams or tablets that could stop skin deterioration and promote repair. “We are going to collaborate with pharmaceutical or cosmetic companies for the clinical use of the chemicals,” she said. She said additional research would investigate whether the same process might also be at work in other parts of the body that have so-called epithelial cells like skin does. “We are working on other epithelial organs as well to find out (whether) similar competition may underlie long-term tissue maintenance as well as organ aging,” she said.

proteins
skin
research
emi nishimura
nature