# data[].attributes.headline
D&G: China shopping sites pull products in ad backlash

# data[].attributes.subject
D&G: China shopping sites pull products in ad backlash

# data[].attributes.body
BBC News
November 23rd 2018

The infamous Italian brand Dolce & Gabbana has been pulled from quite a few retail outlets because of their racist commercial. The video shows a Chinese model attempting to eat pizza and pasta with chopsticks which promoted stereotypes and in general is entirely uncalled for. Dolce and Gabbana were one of the most popular high-end fashion lines when people started to comment question their choices; they simply responded that their Instagram was hacked. They did that in response to hateful and racist comments supposedly written by one of the co-founders but low and behold that was not true... the fact that they were hacked and not that the comments weren't made by that source, which is just repulsive. In response again, they tried to salvage what was left of their image and put out a PSA about how sorry they were but in actuality all they did was, "confuse and showed the public that they didn't understand the Chinese people at all." Sadly, this isn't the first time the company has offended other groups of people either.
- Gwen S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Dolce & Gabbana products have been pulled from Chinese e-commerce sites as the backlash against a controversial ad campaign grows.

The firm posted videos this week showing a Chinese model struggling to eat pasta and pizza with chopsticks.

The campaign was accused of trivialising Chinese culture and promoting unflattering stereotypes.

The controversy risks alienating Dolce & Gabbana from one of the world's biggest luxury markets.

Local celebrities have called for a boycott of the brand.

The brand crisis deepened when messages allegedly written by co-founder Stefano Gabbana, which included offensive comments about Chinese people, went viral.

The firm apologised for any offence but said it and Gabbana's Instagram accounts had been hacked.

It offered a fresh apology on Friday, publishing a video showing Gabbana and co-founder Domenico Dolce appealing for their "misunderstanding of Chinese culture" to be forgiven.

A brand that 'knows China'

The Italian firm cancelled its fashion show in Shanghai earlier this week.

But the backlash has continued as retailers in China retreated from the brand.

On Friday, Dolce & Gabbana products were not available in China on major e-commerce sites Taobao and JD.com, as well as smaller platforms Kaola and Secoo.

Alina Ma, associate director of research at market insights firm Mintel, said the advert had left Chinese consumers confused and appeared to show the company did not understand them.

"They want a brand that knows them, that makes them feel that they are important," Ms Ma said.

It is a crucial market for luxury firms. A 2018 report by consultancy Bain & Company forecast the luxury goods market in mainland China will grow by up to 22% this year.

"Chinese consumers continue to stand out as a growth-driver for the industry," the report said.

While the controversy could hurt their business, the long-term impact will depend on how Dolce & Gabbana deal with the fallout.

"If they can show they sincerely want to know the Chinese consumer, want to know the Chinese market... their business may turn around," Ms Ma said.

Other controversies

It is not the first time Dolce & Gabbana has drawn controversy.

Last April, the brand posted a campaign on Weibo that showed impoverished people in run-down areas of Beijing pictured with Dolce & Gabbana models ahead of a catwalk show in the city.

The pictures were criticised for stereotyping Chinese history by showing old parts of the city, rather than more modern depictions of Beijing.

Dolce & Gabbana also caused controversy in 2016 when it called an item of footwear in its spring/summer collection a "slave sandal".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dolce & Gabbana products pulled in China

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dolce & Gabbana products have been pulled from Chinese e-commerce sites as the backlash against a controversial ad campaign grows. The firm posted videos this week showing a Chinese model struggling to eat pasta and pizza with chopsticks. The campaign was accused of trivialising Chinese culture and promoting unflattering stereotypes.

# data[].attributes.headline
 Japan Is Giving Away Vacant Houses all Across the Country 

# data[].attributes.subject
 Japan Is Giving Away Vacant Houses all Across the Country 

# data[].attributes.body
Thrillist
November 26

The Japanese government is forming a program that will help fill about 8 million abandoned homes across the country. They are selling these houses for little to no cost, in the hopes of having Japanese move out into the country and out of the smaller apartment buildings in the urban areas. These concerns seem to be legitimate; the   Nomura Research Institute (NRI) states that "by 2033, Japan could be looking at 21.7 million abandoned homes -- nearly a third of all the homes in the country." The only detraction is the rumor or fear of hauntings due to the circumstances (natural disaster, violent deaths) that these many homes were abandoned. It seems then, especially among the younger Japanese generation still tending towards the metropolitan cities, that these homes will be hard to sell. This has a relation to our course because of the urban flight movements in the 20th century in Japan that is continuing. The urbanization of Japan is also reflected by this article. I found this article to be interesting, as there are just so many houses with no one living in them, yet people are seriously deterred to living in these homes. The countryside does not seem to have attractions for settling families in Japan.
-Andrew M.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's likely that paying rent for your telephone booth-sized apartment feels like the financial equivalent to selling both your soul and your first born child to a faceless real estate company, month after month. But what if we told you someone wanted to offer you a full-fledged home, to own -- and you could hold onto your first-born?

Right now, the Japanese government is launching a program to help fill some 8 million abandoned homes throughout the country, and they're offering each at next to nothing, or for nothing at all, according to a report by Insider.

So what's the catch? Well, there's the obvious point that you'd be required to move to some remote region of Japan (though there are a handful of properties just beyond city limits). But in addition to that, there's the added fact that a number of violent or unnatural deaths took place within the confines of these homes, which isn't typically a good selling point for real estate agents. Because many of these homes were vacated as the result of natural disaster, they come along with horror stories. In short, the potential for serious haunting is rather high.

According to a report by the Japan Times, 70% of Tokyo's inhabitants live in apartment buildings. As a result of urban flight, folks aren't settling outside of major metropolitan areas, anymore. That said, a free home is a free home. And if you're willing to commit to a longer commute, you can escape the confines of city living and return home each day to a building you can actually fit inside of. Novel idea, huh?

Right now, the Nomura Research Institute (NRI) believes that by 2033, Japan could be looking at 21.7 million abandoned homes -- nearly a third of all the homes in the country. "If this continues, at some point it may be necessary to consider limiting new construction," NRI Senior Consultant Wataru Sakakibara told the Japan Times. "But that would have a substantial impact on the economy."

Apparently, the country is so desperate to pawn off some of this uninhabited real estate, the government is also looking to provide funds to buyers for the renovation of properties that are particularly dilapidated. So if you're a prospective home-buyer and you don't mind the occasional ghost, a once-abandoned Japanese property awaits you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Japan Is Giving Away Vacant Houses all Across the Country

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's likely that paying rent for your telephone booth-sized apartment feels like the financial equivalent to selling both your soul and your first born child to a faceless real estate company, month after month. But what if we told you someone wanted to offer you a full-fledged home, to own -- and you could hold onto your first-born?

# data[].attributes.body
November 26. BBC News.

Professor He of The Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen claimed to have edited the DNA of twin girls when they were embryos to make them immune to contracting HIV. His claims are not verified and have led to outrage in the scientific community. Gene editing is very controversial and strictly regulated in many countries, with most having laws that state gene editing cannot be used "in embryos for assisted reproduction in humans." Professor He claims that his work is designed to help prevent children from suffering from certain diseases, not create designer babies. Many organizations have denied any involvement with He, and the university he works at is opening an investigation. Many scientists came out against He, claiming what he did was unethical and risky. The long term effects of gene editing are still largely unknown.
-Sarah W.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Significant doubts have emerged about claims from a Chinese scientist that he has helped make the world's first genetically edited babies.

Prof He Jiankui says the twin girls, born a few weeks ago, had their DNA altered as embryos to prevent them from contracting HIV.

His claims, filmed by Associated Press, are unverified and have sparked outrage from other scientists, who have called the idea monstrous.

Such work is banned in most countries.

Future generations

Gene editing could potentially help avoid heritable diseases by deleting or changing troublesome coding in embryos.

But experts worry meddling with the genome of an embryo could cause harm not only to the individual but also future generations that inherit these same changes.

And many countries, including the UK, have laws that prevent the use of genome editing in embryos for assisted reproduction in humans.

Scientists can do gene editing research on discarded IVF embryos, as long as they are destroyed immediately afterwards and not used to make a baby.

'Designer babies'

But Prof He, who was educated at Stanford in the US and works from a lab in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, says he used gene-editing tools to make two twin baby girls, known as "Lulu" and "Nana".

In a video, he claims to have eliminated a gene called CCR5 to make the girls resistant to HIV should they ever come into contact with the virus.

He says his work is about creating children who would not suffer from diseases, rather than making designer babies with bespoke eye colour or a high IQ.

"I understand my work will be controversial - but I believe families need this technology and I'm willing to take the criticism for them," he says in the video.

'Highly treatable'

However, several organisations, including a hospital, linked to the claim have denied any involvement.

The Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen said it had been unaware of the research project and will now launch an investigation.

And other scientists say if the reports are true, Prof He has gone too far, experimenting on healthy embryos without justification.

Prof Robert Winston, Emeritus Professor of Fertility Studies and Professor of Science and Society at Imperial College London, said: "If this is a false report, it is scientific misconduct and deeply irresponsible.

"If true, it is still scientific misconduct."

Dr Dusko Ilic, an expert in stem cell science at King's College London, said: "If this can be called ethical, then their perception of ethics is very different to the rest of the world's."

He argues that HIV is highly treatable and that if the infection is kept under control with drugs, then there is almost no risk of the parents passing it on to the baby anyway.

Too risky

Prof Julian Savulescu, an expert in ethics at the University of Oxford, said: "If true, this experiment is monstrous. The embryos were healthy - no known diseases.

"Gene editing itself is experimental and is still associated with off-target mutations, capable of causing genetic problems early and later in life, including the development of cancer.

"This experiment exposes healthy normal children to risks of gene editing for no real necessary benefit."

Scientists say baby gene editing may one day be justifiable, but that more checks and measures are needed before allowing it.

Dr Yalda Jamshidi, an expert in human genetics at St George's, University of London, said: "We know very little about the long term effects, and most people would agree that experimentation on humans for an avoidable condition just to improve our knowledge is morally and ethically unacceptable.

"Whether the results stand up to scrutiny or not we need as a society to think hard and fast about when and where we are willing to take the risks that come with any new therapeutic treatment, particularly ones that could affect future generations."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Significant doubts have emerged about claims from a Chinese scientist that he has helped make the world's first genetically edited babies. Prof He Jiankui says the twin girls, born a few weeks ago, had their DNA altered as embryos to prevent them from contracting HIV.

# data[].attributes.headline
Hong Kong democrats fail to regain veto power in crucial by-election 

# data[].attributes.subject
Hong Kong democrats fail to regain veto power in crucial by-election 

# data[].attributes.body
uk.reuters.com
November 26

Pro-establishment candidate Chan Hoi-yan took control of the remaining seat in the Kowloon West constituency after winning in Hong Kong's by-election which was held on Sunday. This is a huge loss for the opposing democratic party which will now lose some of its veto power. The loss has been credited to the fact that another democrat, Fredrick Fung, who ran as an independent might have spilt the vote. The democrats are strongly supported by a public that is weary about China's encroaching control over Hong Kong, however they still were up against a far larger and better funded pro-Beijing camp. Also there were several moves by authorities to curb electoral freedoms. Pro-democracy activists in the past have been charged with nuisance charges while several other promising democracy activists were barred from various polls after being "deemed ideologically unsuitable for public office."
-Maddie A

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
(The story corrects to say Chan is backed by the DAB rather than is part of the alliance in paragraph 2)

By James Pomfret

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's democratic opposition failed to win back a crucial legislative council seat in an election on Sunday that would have restored some of its veto power at a time when the China-ruled city's freedoms are under strain.

The democratic camp's main candidate, Lee Cheuk-yan, lost to Rebecca Chan Hoi-yan, a pro-Beijing candidate backed by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), by around 13,000 votes, or about 6 percent of the total.

Another democrat, Frederick Fung, who ran as an independent after a row with the opposition camp, split the vote to the benefit of the pro-establishment DAB.

With this loss, Hong Kong's 70-seat legislature becomes further dominated by pro-Beijing allies.

The city's opposition had also squandered an earlier chance to regain their veto power, garnering only two of four seats in a March by-election and leaving them one seat short of blocking most bills in the 70-seat chamber.

After 156 years of British colonial rule, Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula guaranteeing it a high degree of autonomy and the promise of eventual universal suffrage.

While the Democrats have enjoyed strong public backing in the past from a public aggrieved by China's creeping control of the Asian financial hub, they have struggled against a far larger and better funded pro-Beijing camp and unprecedented moves by authorities to curb electoral freedoms.

A pro-independence political party was banned this year, while several promising democracy activists were barred from contesting various polls after being deemed ideologically unsuitable for public office.

Sunday's by-election, and that in March, were triggered when six pro-democracy lawmakers were ousted over invalid oaths of office. Critics said the move was politically motivated, raising fresh questions over Hong Kong's reputation as a relative haven for freedoms not allowed anywhere in mainland China.

Some democrats said they would regroup and look ahead to the next city-wide legislative polls in 2020.

"We may be disappointed but we must never give up," Lee told reporters afterwards. "Because in Hong Kong's future, there are many more battles that need to be fought."

The poll comes at a time of increasing international concern about a perceived deterioration in Hong Kong civil liberties.

Nine activists including lawmakers and university professors are now facing public nuisance charges stemming from the massive pro-democracy "Occupy Central" protests in 2014. Their landmark trial could see them jailed for up to seven years.

A senior editor for the Financial Times, Victor Mallet, was also effectively expelled from the city in recent months, soon after he helped host a speech by an independence activist at the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents' Club.

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission warned in a congressional report this month that China had "ramped up its interference" and had "closed down the political space for pro-democracy activists to express discontent".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hong Kong democrats fail to regain veto power in crucial by-election

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
(The story corrects to say Chan is backed by the DAB rather than is part of the alliance in paragraph 2) By James Pomfret HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's democratic opposition failed to win back a crucial legislative council seat in an election on Sunday that would have restored some of its veto power at a time when the China-ruled city's freedoms are under strain.

# data[].attributes.headline
North Korea's Secret Missile Bases Are Fake News

# data[].attributes.subject
North Korea's Secret Missile Bases Are Fake News

# data[].attributes.body
Politico. Nov. 14.
On Monday, the New York Times reported that various satellite images revealing 16 hidden ballistic missile bases in North Korea. President Trump stated that he and his administration knew about these bases and that the article is another example of "fake news" but if it proves true, then the disarmament talks between the USA and North Korea could face new problems. Though Pyongyang has still not made promises to fully denuclearize without serious concessions from the USA, North Korea has continued to make improvements at most of their missile sites. Trump and his administration, in turn, has said there will be no relief from sanctions against North Korea until the country is fully denuclearized. Whether not the news about hidden missile bases is fake, the idea of ulterior motives behind North Korean disarmament is very present in the minds of many Americans.

- Sarah A.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Trump says he knows about North Korea's hidden missile bases

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
President calls New York Times report "fake news."

# data[].attributes.headline
Japan PM faces backlash after trying to open doors to mass immigration for first time in country’s history

# data[].attributes.subject
Japan PM faces backlash after trying to open doors to mass immigration for first time in country’s history

# data[].attributes.body
The Sun
11/14/2018

Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, is about to drastically change Japan's immigration policy. The PM admitted that the country will allow up to 340,000 foreign workers in the next five years into the country. He hopes that the influx of immigrants will offset Japan's disastrous decline in population. The population decline has been atributed to the Japanese having too few children. Also, unskilled and low-income jobs tend to be unappealing to well-educated people creating a job gap. However, this announcement has been met with a lot of criticism, specifically from conservatives. They fear that the rise in population will create a spike in crime and increase pressure on social security. This dramatic shift in immigration policy is set to be introduced next April. If it is passed in parliament, an amendment is said to set in place that will allow visas for foreign workers with "specified skills," however those skills have not been described.
-Maddie A

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
JAPAN'S Prime Minister is facing a huge backlash after trying to open the doors to mass immigration for the first time in the country's history.

Shinzo Abe admitted the country will allow up to 340,000 foreign workers in the next five years in a desperate bid to offset its disastrous decline in population.

The right-wing politician is facing a battle within his own conservative supporters who fear the wave of immigration could spike a rise in crime and increase pressure on social security.

Mr Abe disclosed plans to combat the problem of the declining workforce with officials stating as many as 340,000 foreign workers would enter the country in the first five years.

The dramatic shift in immigration policy is set to be introduced next April and an amendment is planned to include visas for foreign workers with "specified skills".

Should the amendment be passed in Japanese parliament next month, it could mean up to 47,000 foreign workers arriving next year.

Mr Abe told the Japanese parliament: "Barring a significant change in circumstances we won't accept workers beyond these levels.

"Unless circumstances drastically change we won't accept more workers than shown by the estimated figure. In that sense, it's a cap."

According to government figures, the number of foreign workers reached a record high of 1.28 million in 2017, but, this is still only a little over 1% of the country's population.

Chinese workers make up the largest group at 370,000, followed by Vietnamese and Filipinos.

The disastrous decline in population has been attributed to the Japanese having too few children, with unskilled and low-income jobs unappealing to the well-educated.

The Japanese government is braced for a shortfall of more than 1.3million workers from 2019 to 2024, which wouldn't be covered by the proposed immigration regime.

Mr Abe's plan to expand foreign workers permitted to work for Japanese companies are particularly concerning the farming and construction industries.

But, he has faced staunch opposition from the opposition who cite the bill as hastily prepared and lacking necessary details.

Conservatives are also concerned about the increased pressure on Japan's social security, which offers subsidised healthcare to workers and their family, regardless of whether they live in the country.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Japan PM faces backlash after trying to open doors to mass immigration for first time in country's history

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
JAPAN'S Prime Minister is facing a huge backlash after trying to open the doors to mass immigration for the first time in the country's history. Shinzo Abe admitted the country will allow up to 340,000 foreign workers in the next five years in a desperate bid to offset its disastrous decline in population.

# data[].attributes.headline
Man arrested for stealing 868 pairs of women's shoes in northern Taiwan

# data[].attributes.subject
Man arrested for stealing 868 pairs of women's shoes in northern Taiwan

# data[].attributes.body
Taiwan News
11/12/2018

Over the course of 5 years, a 42-year-old man from the northern Taiwanese town of Keelung stole 868 pairs of women's shoes from more than 33 victims. When he would see new shoes he liked outside his neighbor's apartments he would steal them to fulfill his fetish with women's footwear. He claimed it was "' purely for viewing purposes.'" His own family thought he was selling the shoes and never even questioned it. The 42-year-old man confessed to the crimes, and was then sent to the psychiatric ward of the Chang Sung Memorial Hospital where doctors came to the conclusion that he was not right in the head. He was sent to 6 months in prison and fined the equivalent of $5,800 USD. Honestly when you think someone is strange, there's always someone stranger. That is the case with this article.

Molly Donegan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- A man has been arrested for stealing 868 pairs of women's shoes from more than 33 victims over the course of five years in the northern Taiwan city of Keelung, reported China Times.

A 42-year-old man surnamed Chen (陳) living in Keelung City has developed a strange predilection for women's shoes. When Chen would see women's shoes in the shoe rack outside of his neighbors' apartments that captured his fancy, he would steal them and add them to his bizarre menagerie of feminine footwear.

After receiving repeated reports of shoe thefts from female households in a residential community on Maijing Road in Keelung City's Anle District, police began an investigation and zeroed in on Chen as the main suspect. On the evening of April 24 this year, police obtained a search warrant and entered Chen's apartment, where they found the floor, wardrobe cabinet, desk, and even his bed covered with a total of 1,736 women's shoes.

Chen initially claimed that he had collected all of the shoes after they had been tossed out for recycling, but police did not buy his explanation. Later, Chen admitted that starting in 2013, he began stealing women's shoes that fit his foot fetish and took them home "purely for viewing purposes."

Shoes found in Chen's room. (Photo from Keelung Police Department)

Police said that Chen earned a living by doing odd jobs and did not have stable work. Previously, some households suspected that he was stealing women's shoes. However, he was able to avoid being caught for many years, because he would first scout out the surroundings before committing the crime, finding ways to avoid being spotted or filmed, such as taking the stairs late at night and exploiting the blind spots of security cameras.

Chen's family members told police that they thought he was selling shoes and did not question him. Chen's case was then transferred to the Keelung Prosecutor's Office for further investigation.

The Keelung District Court ruled that Chen's long-term theft in the community endangered the public order of the community and the safety of the property of its residents. Chen then confessed to the crime and went to the psychiatric ward of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, where doctors concluded that Chen had a morbid state of mind similar to mental illness.

Shoes hanging in Chen's room. (Photo by Keelung Police Department)

The judge sentenced him to six months in prison and fined him NT$180,000 (US$5,800) for 867 counts of theft. Thus far, 791 pairs of shoes have yet to be returned to their owners after having been confiscated, as the legal owners have yet to be identified.

More shoes found in Chen's room. (Photo by Keelung Police Department)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Man arrested for stealing 868 pairs of women&... | Taiwan News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Man arrested for stealing 868 pairs of women's shoes that fit his foot fetish in Keelung, Taiwan.Man with a bizarre foot fetish has been arrested for stealing 868 pairs of women's shoes over the course of five years in Keelung, Taiwan.

# data[].attributes.headline
S. Korea sends tangerines to North in return for mushrooms

# data[].attributes.subject
S. Korea sends tangerines to North in return for mushrooms

# data[].attributes.body
Associated Press News
Nov 12
In September, North Korea sent 2 tons of pine mushrooms to South Korea, as a gesture of good will and diplomacy during the Korean summit. Pine mushrooms are considered to be a delicacy across Asia, and have been sent as good will gestures in the past (notably 2000 and 2007 after summit talks). Now, South Korea is returning the favor by sending 200 tons of tangerines. This comes at a time of diplomatic stalemate in regard to North Korea's nuclear armament and shows a desire on South Korea's end to keep a strong diplomatic relationship with North Korea that will lead to an eventual peace. The article also talks about other peace keeping efforts between the two Koreas, including Kim Jong Un's gift of rare North Korean dogs to President Moon Jae-in, to taking away armed guards in the DMZ and removing mines near the border. It is interesting to see the conscious effort of both North and South Korea to keep this relationship strong and how rapidly their relationship has changed even over the last year. It will also be interesting to see where their relationship goes in the future, especially considering the United States' hand in the Korean conflict.

Lauren Gambino

# data[].attributes.headline
No-fly zone, military-drill ban near Korea border take effect

# data[].attributes.subject
No-fly zone, military-drill ban near Korea border take effect

# data[].attributes.body
Al Jazeera
Nov. 1

A no-fly zone and ban on all military drills near the border between North and South Korea took effect on Thursday. This demilitarization was part of the two nations' efforts to ease tensions between the two. The agreement to demilitarize this zone was part of a military accord signed at a summit in Pyongyang in October. The United States showed concern that this could leave South Korea vulnerable since progress on North Korea's denuclearization has been slow. Both North and South Korea have taken action to follow these accords, but since this article was written, the agreement has been broken. This story points to tensions that continue to be close to worked on but not quite successfully. I think it's interesting that nations other than North and South Korea continue to have influence in East Asia, just as the West has historically had strong influence in this region. While it remains largely autonomous, the views of the West are still considered relevant.
-Sara S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A no-fly zone and a ban on military drills near the heavily fortified border between North and South Korea came into effect on Thursday as the once uneasy neighbours push to further defuse tensions.

The measures were part of a military accord signed during last month's inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, which includes a halt in "all hostile acts" and a gradual removal of landmines and guard posts within the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).

The United States has raised concerns that the deal could undercut defence readiness amid tardy progress on North Korea's denuclearisation, though it displayed support at an annual security consultative meeting of defence ministers on Wednesday in Washington.

"The South and the North completely removed dangers of military clash through the military agreement," South Korea's President Moon Jae-in told the parliament on Thursday.

"The two Koreas and the United States will achieve complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and lasting peace based on firm trust."

Moon said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will "soon" visit Seoul as part of a flurry of high-profile diplomacy.

He added a second North Korea-US summit is "near at hand" and that Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit North Korea soon. Moon also said he expected Kim to visit Russia in the near future and North Korea's leader may meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

No-fly zone

North Korea has also taken steps such as covering artillery deployed along the skirmish-prone western shore, Seoul's defence ministry said.

The no-fly zone extends 40km north and south from the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the east and 20km in the west for fixed-wing aircraft.

The agreement also bars live-fire drills involving fixed-wing aircraft and air-to-ground guided weapons in the no-fly area. South Korea and the US had held such drills regularly until halting joint exercises in June.

There are different restrictions on helicopters, drones and balloons, with exemptions for commercial and non-military operations such as medical, disaster and agricultural uses.

"We will thoroughly verify the North side's implementation of the agreement, including its movement on military exercises around the MDL and whether it complies with the no-fly zone," the South's defence ministry said in a statement.

Kim vowed to work towards denuclearisation during his famous June summit with US President Donald Trump. But Pyongyang's actions have fallen short of US demands for irreversible steps to scrap its arsenal, including a full disclosure of nuclear facilities and materials.

South Korea's spy agency said North Korea was preparing for international inspections at some of its nuclear and missile test sites, the Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, meanwhile, said he planned to meet his North Korean counterpart next week.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
No-fly zone, military-drill ban near Korea border take effect

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Deal includes halt to 'all hostile acts' and gradual removal of landmines and guard posts in the Demilitarised Zone.

# data[].attributes.headline
Pilot Pleads Guilty to Being Drunk at Heathrow Minutes Before Flight

# data[].attributes.subject
Pilot Pleads Guilty to Being Drunk at Heathrow Minutes Before Flight

# data[].attributes.body
The New York Times
November 2nd

In London, a group of pilots and co-pilots were headed to board a flight and had to take a bus to get there.  On the way over the bus driver noticed one of the co-piolits was acting a bit off and when he confronted him, " he could smell the alcohol on his breath."  So, after the police were called, Katsutoshi was detained to keep him away from the flight he was supposed to be catching.  The legal blood alcohol limit for poilits is 20mg per 100 ml, and he blew a whole 189 mg which was close to 10x over what he should have been at.  He told the authorities that he had five beers and two bottles of wine.  Katsutoshi pleaded guilty and is now awating trial.  The government will hopefully create stricter laws about flying and alcohol consumption.  This has been a reoccurring incident on a couple of different flights but nothing as severe as this case.  Not only does this make me worry about flying but for the airlines mentioned in the article, it is bad publicity.  I definitely won't choose to fly those airlines knowing that my potential pilot could be drinking and putting everyone aboard in danger.

-Gwen Sajewski

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
LONDON - The crew of a Japan Airlines flight was traveling by bus to Heathrow Airport here when the bus driver had a suspicion that there was something wrong with the co-pilot.

He could smell it on his breath.

After the bus driver alerted the authorities, the co-pilot, Katsutoshi Jitsukawa, 42, was arrested at Heathrow - 50 minutes before his flight to Tokyo. A breath test showed that he was almost 10 times over Britain's legal alcohol limit for pilots.

Mr. Jitsukawa admitted that he had consumed two bottles of wine and five cans of beer hours before he was to help pilot Flight JL044 last Wednesday, the authorities said.

At the Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Thursday, the co-pilot pleaded guilty to exceeding the legal alcohol limit, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said. He was detained until his sentencing on Nov. 29.

Japan Airlines apologized for the pilot's actions and said it would take the violations seriously.

"Safety remains our utmost priority," the airline said in a statement. "We will implement immediate actions to prevent any future occurrence and to regain our customer's trust."

According to the Kyodo News agency, before the bus driver alerted the authorities at Heathrow, the pilot had passed the airline's own breath test.

Because of the pilot's drunkenness, the flight was delayed for more than an hour, but eventually took off with two pilots instead of the usual three.

Japan's transport minister has said he will tighten rules about alcohol consumption by flight crews after a series of incidents in the industry.

"We will use all possible means to ensure flight safety," the minister, Keiichi Ishii, told reporters on Friday.

In May, a Japan Airlines flight attendant was caught drinking a beer in a bathroom during a flight, Kyodo reported.

Other incidents of drunkenness among crew members have drawn scrutiny to the industry. In June, a British Airways pilot was jailed for eight months after a breath test found that he was more than three times over the alcohol limit before he was to fly a long-haul flight.

The pilot, Julian Monaghan, had consumed three double vodkas and a Diet Pepsi in his hotel room on an empty stomach before his flight, the BBC reported.

Passengers had already started to board the plane before he was escorted from the cockpit in handcuffs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pilot Pleads Guilty to Being Drunk at Heathrow Minutes Before Flight

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Japan Airlines pilot was arrested after a bus driver smelled alcohol on his breath. He admitted he had consumed two bottles of wine and five cans of beer hours before he was to fly to Tokyo.

# data[].attributes.headline
New Taiwan performing arts center billed as largest in the world 

# data[].attributes.subject
New Taiwan performing arts center billed as largest in the world 

# data[].attributes.body
NY Daily News
Nov 5

A complex consisting of four theaters has opened in Southern Taiwan and is being billed as the largest performing arts center in the world. The National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts houses a 1,981-seat concert hall, a 2,236-seat opera house, a play house and a recital hall under a single roof covering 8.2 acres. The opening season consists of a variety of performances including the opera "Paradise Interrupted" and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The center opened last month and took eight years to construct costing $350 million US dollars. It was built on the sight of  a former military barracks in Kaohsiung, a southern city of about 2.8 million people. The design by Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo reflects the port city's tropical location and maritime links. It includes an undulating white roof and a large public space with hoists and other cargo ship features.The concert hall hosts the biggest pipe organ in Asia with 9,085 pipes. The center also includes an outdoor amphitheater.
-Katie S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan - A sprawling complex of four theaters billed as the biggest performing arts center in the world has opened in southern Taiwan.

The National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts houses a 1,981-seat concert hall, a 2,236-seat opera house, a play house and a recital hall under a single roof covering 3.3 hectares (8.2 acres).

The opening season offers a range of artistic performances. The debut installation opera "Paradise Interrupted" is an international co-production with New York's Lincoln Center Festival, the Spoleto Festival USA and the Singapore International Festival of Arts. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Gustavo Dudamel, who conducts in Taiwan for the first time, will perform in the venue's vineyard-style concert hall.

The center, which opened last month, was built over eight years at a cost of NT$10.7 billion ($350 million) on the site of a former military barracks in Kaohsiung, a southern city of about 2.8 million people. Residents still call the new center by the name of the military camp, Weiwyuing.

Performers are seeing the new venue as an opportunity.

"Not many people can say that they have performed" at Weiwyuing, said Chloe Young, a member of the Sydney Dance Company. She said it was an honor to be dancing there. "And I think it's really gonna boost my career, saying I performed in Taiwan, in an amazing theater, amazing facility, and I feel super super lucky."

The design by Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo reflects the port city's tropical location and maritime links. It includes an undulating white roof and a large public space with hoists and other cargo ship features.

"I think what is really unique is this roof, what was inspired by the banyan trees with the crown," said Francine Houben, the creative director of Mecanoo. "I had to create a really new public space specifically for Taiwan, for Kaohsiung, that catches the wind of the ocean and the ventilation of the tropical space."

The concert hall has the biggest pipe organ in Asia with 9,085 pipes. Built by a German manufacturer, its asymmetric design recalls bamboo.

"I have played many organs both in Taiwan and abroad, but this one is the biggest and the best," said organist Liu Hsin-hung.

The center also includes an outdoor amphitheater.

He Wen-jhang, a 62-year-old retired physics and chemistry teacher who lives nearby, said he prefers to the art center to another real estate development.

"Coming here to exchange views greatly influences citizens' temperament," He said. "In the past, people only rushed to factories to make a living. But now, we have a place to relax and chat to each other. This has a big impact on Kaohsiung's cultural aspect. A positive impact."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
New Taiwan performing arts center billed as largest in world - NY Daily News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A sprawling complex of four theaters billed as the biggest performing arts center in the world has opened in southern Taiwan.

# data[].attributes.headline
U.S., North Korea Toughen Stance Ahead of Nuclear Talks

# data[].attributes.subject
U.S., North Korea Toughen Stance Ahead of Nuclear Talks

# data[].attributes.body
WSJ
November 6

The U.S. prepares to resume nuclear negotiations with North Korea, and both sides are hardening their positions. People are now saying that there is not hope for a compromise. North Korea wants the United States to reciprocate their demands. Last week, Pyongyang threatened to resume building up its nuclear forces if the U.S. doesn't remove sanctions or provide other ways to improve relations. The lack of progress in the talks worries not only United States Officials, but also North and South Korean diplomates. They are still talking about whether or not Kim Jong Un will keep his promise about denuclearization. Both sides are very eager to sit down for another meeting. They want to work things our and urge the two leaders to sit down again and hash things out.
-Megan P.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
U.S., North Korea Toughen Stance Ahead of Nuclear Talks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Pyongyang says it has made enough concessions on nuclear disarmament and has grown more strident in its demands for the U.S. to reciprocate, while Washington remains adamant about maintaining sanctions pressure.

# data[].attributes.headline
U.S. and South Korea Resume Military Drills Ahead of Denuclearization Talks With North Korea 

# data[].attributes.subject
U.S. and South Korea Resume Military Drills Ahead of Denuclearization Talks With North Korea 

# data[].attributes.body
TIME
November 5

This week, the United States and South Korean militaries began carrying out joint military exercises again. This comes after a hiatus amidst sensitive denuclearization talks with North Korea. Exercises like the ones this Monday have not occurred since serious talks between Kim and Trump at the summit in June. The exercises include 500 soldiers, including U.U. Marines. The North Korean government has accused the U.S. of having "double- dealing attitudes" and refusing to remove military pressure as they ask North Korea to get rid of its nuclear arsenal. Experts are concerned that these developments will compromise talks between the U.S. government's Mike Pompeo's talks with North Korean officials. North Korea has threatened to restart its nuclear weapons program if the U.S. does not remove economic sanctions. Some might wonder whether the U.S. and South Korea have restarted these joint military exercises in attempt to increase pressure on North Korea or if they are beginning to loose confidence in the effectiveness of ongoing denuclearization talks among the three nations.
-Megan Temple

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
U.S. and South Korea Hold First Military Drills Since June

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The U.S. and South Korea held combined military exercises on Monday for the first time since the drills were suspended earlier this year

# data[].attributes.headline
Hong Kong NGOs can apply for up to HK$60 million to transform vacant government sites, lawmaker says

# data[].attributes.subject
Hong Kong NGOs can apply for up to HK$60 million to transform vacant government sites, lawmaker says

# data[].attributes.body
South China Morning Post
November 6

In Hong Kong, the  Democratic Party’s Roy Kwong Chun-yu has disclosed information that the government will place a cap of US$7.7 million for each non-government organization to help revitalize initiatives to transform abandoned buildings and lots. The Department Bureau is discussing these caps as part of a total subsidy to make groups concerned with art, community recycling, the youth, and animal rights eligible to occupy and repair old government sites. The concern, however, is that this cap will only be enough to sponsor 17 projects completely, when there are 830 vacant sites in Hong Kong. Additionally, the monetary support may not be enough, since things like plumbing can cost tens of millions of dollars. The hope will be that the government will be flexible in "setting the cap on a case-by-case basis." I thought this article relates to our class because it offers an insight into social projects supported and encouraged by government in East Asia. Things like the arts and other cultural/social movements have been seen to gain their momentum (or suppression) in Japan, China, and Korea as each tried to find their place in the world of modernity. This action of the government to try to help with these projects also shows their willingness (or partially when we see the funding cap) to help their society and culture grow and maintain itself. I also found this article interesting because I am curious to see what will become of these abandoned government sites when they are given the repairs and transformation to sponsor new NGO projects.
-Andrew Morales

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NGOs can apply for up to HK$60 million to transform vacant sites

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Arts groups, youth centres, community recycling centres or animal rights groups will all be eligible to apply for the fundingThere are some 830 vacant government sites in the city

# data[].attributes.headline
AI technology eyed to ease tourists’ stress

# data[].attributes.subject
AI technology eyed to ease tourists’ stress

# data[].attributes.body
The Japan News
November 5

In Hiroshima, the government will be implementing an experiment using AI technology to help predict traffic jams and visitor congestion.  This project is supposed to help visitors have something to reference when planning their trip. A record high of about 4.56 million people visited the island in 2017 and this number is only expected to keep growing. Most people come to the island by car and the port Miyajimaguchi often has traffic jams. They hope this information will allow visitors to see estimated times of arrival using different transportation forms, and parking lot vacancies will be notified by sensors, when busy season is happening visitors will encouraged to take public transportation. On the island cameras will show how crowded certain areas are like the Itsukushima Shrine and then the AI technology will be able to predict what it is going to be like in 1-2 hours and share that information with tourists. They hope this will encourage visitors to see other parts of the island so that they are not wasting their time and it will cause their satisfaction with the trip to be increased.
-Elizabeth Tizzano

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Koichiro Hirai / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff WriterHIROSHIMA - An experiment will be held using AI and other new technologies to predict traffic jams and visitor congestion around Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site on Miyajima island in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture.

The experiment aims to reduce tourists' stress and let them travel more comfortably by making it possible to use AI predictions as a reference when planning their sightseeing.

The Hiroshima prefectural government started a project named Hiroshima Sandbox this fiscal year, publicly choosing companies and research organizations at which to introduce advanced technology, including AI. The Itsukushima experiment is also part of Hiroshima Sandbox, with core participants including Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) West Co., the Hatsukaichi city government and the Miyajima Tourist Association.

A record high of about 4.56 million people visited the island in 2017. According to the prefectural government and others, most tourists come by car to Miyajimaguchi - a port for ferries between the area and Miyajima - making traffic jams and congestion on the island a problem during the busy season.

As the number of tourists from abroad grows, the number of visitors to Miyajima will likely increase further. The experiment will examine ways to help people travel more comfortably.

Information such as estimated time to a destination by different forms of transportation, and parking lot vacancies detected by sensors, will be distributed to tourists to facilitate smooth access. Visitors will be advised to use public transportation such as trains and buses during the busy season when traffic jams are predicted.

On the island, cameras will ascertain how crowded it is around Itsukushima Shrine, where many tourists converge. AI then will predict the situation one or two hours ahead and transmit that information, guiding tourists to other sightseeing spots that are not as crowded. The system will allow tourists to use their time effectively, hopefully increasing their satisfaction.

The experiment is expected to continue for three years. Sensors and cameras are currently being installed, and information distribution using AI will begin in fiscal 2019.

"There are many tourist spots facing the same issues as Miyajima, such as how to improve access by car. We want to suggest effective solutions," said an official at NTT West.Speech

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
AI technology eyed to ease tourists' stress

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
HIROSHIMA - An experiment will be held using AI and other new technologies to predict traffic jams and visitor congestion around Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site on Miyajima island in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture.

# data[].attributes.headline
North Korea's Kim Jong-un gets 'first official portrait'

# data[].attributes.subject
North Korea's Kim Jong-un gets 'first official portrait'

# data[].attributes.body
BBC
November 6

Kim Jong-un has unveiled his first official portrait. The extremely large painting was displayed during a visit by Cuba's president. The portrait is hoped to lift the Kim Jong-Un's status  who has long been viewed as a successor rather than a leader in his own right. The portrait is a strong hint that the regime could be beginning to take steps to develop the Kim Jong-un personality cult.  The portrait looks very similar to portraits of the past, with Kim smiling, looking towards the left and wearing a western style suit and tie. Since taking power in 2011, Kim's image has gradually changed from and inexperienced successor to a strong leader. His string of international visits of largely contributed to this image change.
-Maddie A

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
North Korea has unveiled what's thought to be the first official painting of Kim Jong-un, lifting the leader to a new level of personality cult.

While his predecessors' portraits are all across the country, Kim Jong-un has long been styled as a successor rather than a leader in his own right.

His role has seen a gradual change over time though, very much helped by a string of international visits in 2018.

The huge new picture was on display during a visit by Cuba's president.

There's not been an official portrait before?

Nope. If you remember seeing pictures of Mr Kim then those would have been photographs, not paintings, or unofficial fan art.

The new larger-than-life artwork shows him smiling, looking slightly to his left, while wearing a Western style suit and tie.

"That a painted portrait of Kim Jong-un has appeared in this style is a strong hint that the regime could be beginning to take steps to develop the Kim Jong-un personality cult," Oliver Hotham, analyst with NK News, told the BBC.

The style of the painting is so evocative of the ever-present portraits of the older Kims, that "North Koreans will certainly understand the symbolism of this move".

Symbolism and imagery are all-important in North Korea: portraits of Kim Jong-un's father and grandfather portraits hang in every building in the country.

Since assuming power in 2011, the current leader has been styled more like a successor and disciple of his two overbearing predecessors, rather than an equal yet.

The king of Pyongyang

North Korea's teen footballers and the road to peace

North Korea's sidelined human rights crisis

How is North Korea evading sanctions?

How has Kim Jong-un's image changed?

Kim Jong-un moved to the helm of the country rather abruptly when his father died unexpectedly in 2011.

He was relatively inexperienced and had not yet been built up as a future leader.

Over time though, his image has changed, explains Andray Abrahamian from the Griffith Asia Institute.

"The most important markers have included a raft of songs and cultural products celebrating Kim Jong-un and his family - referred to as the Paektu bloodline - reorganising the government so that a new institution is at its heart, and having a new strategic line, separate to his father's."

While his father pursued a military-first agenda, Kim Jong-un has pushed for a two-track policy to develop nuclear weapons as well as the economy.

"Everything that's happened in 2018 has also worked to solidify his image," says Mr Hotham.

"Eight summit with foreign heads of state have been a delight for Pyongyang's propagandists, helping them paint the leader as an internationally respected statesmen on par with Xi Jinping and Donald Trump."

Where can you see the portrait?

So far it's only been on shown on TV during the state visit to Pyongyang of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Cane.

It's not yet clear how Pyongyang will handle the display in the future or whether it will make a regular appearances.

For now, the painting will likely end up in tightly guarded storage, said Mr Abrahamian, to be rolled out only on special occasions.

Whether it will indeed become a propaganda staple like the portraits of the father and grandfather remains to be seen.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kim Jong-un gets 'first official portrait'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
After seven years as leader, Mr Kim appears to have moved a step up in North Korea's personality cult.

# data[].attributes.headline
US, Taiwan: Washington Ponders a Military Presence on a Taiwanese Island

# data[].attributes.subject
US, Taiwan: Washington Ponders a Military Presence on a Taiwanese Island

# data[].attributes.body
Stratfor
November 5

Enhanced security cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. could expand as they work to fight against China's increased military presence in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. On November 5th, the Defense Minister of Taiwan told legislators that his government would consider granting the U.S. Navy access to Taiping Island if the U.S. requested it. Giving the U.S. access to the Taiwanese island would further challenge the status quo while the U.S. Navy continues to increase its presence in the Taiwan Strait; U.S. warships have twice passed through the strait in a possible attempt to standardize patrols and pave the way for an aircraft carrier to pass through. If the Taiwanese government allowed the Navy to have access to this island, the presence of U.S. military in Taiwan would seriously provoke China, as they would view any U.S. presence in Taiwan as a threat to Chinese sovereignty. Access to Taiping would give the U.S. greater mobility in the South China Sea, and would provide ammunition for rivals to undermine China's territorial claims. Although the agreement is not finalized, this presumption would prompt China to increase its military presence in the region and increase pressure against Taiwan.

-Ashley Hovorka

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
U.S., Taiwan: Washington Ponders a Military Presence on a Taiwanese Island

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As Taipei searches for strategies to counter China's military might, it's entertaining strategies to establish closer ties with the United States.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why desperate Chinese mother offered her triplets for adoption on social media site

# data[].attributes.subject
Why desperate Chinese mother offered her triplets for adoption on social media site

# data[].attributes.body
SCMP. November 5

The 27 year-old woman from Eastern China, known as Li, married 36 year-old Zhao in 2013. She became pregnant with triplets in 2017 and then learned that her husband had stopped working and had made a $14,000 (US) gambling debt. When the babies were about four weeks old, the husband left. She did not think she could care for her children, so she "offered her sons for adoption on a live-streaming social media platform" called TikTok. The post went viral and many people donated baby supplies to help her out. She eventually took her sons to her aunt's house, and her aunt rented a room for Li, who is unemployed, and her sons. Li's in-laws, who have four houses, refused to help "as they had to take care of Zhao’s son from an earlier marriage." The in-laws had also sold one house and were in the process of selling another to "clear some of Zhao's debt." Li's husband eventually returned after the media got ahold of Li's story, and the posts were taken down.
-Sarah W.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chinese woman gives triplet boys up for adoption on social media site

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Mother appeals for help after family abandoned by gambling debt-laden husband'I feel so bad that I have to separate you' - message to babies goes viral

# data[].attributes.headline
Japan may loosen immigration rules for blue collar workers 

# data[].attributes.subject
Japan may loosen immigration rules for blue collar workers 

# data[].attributes.body
BBC
November 2
Due to a labor shortage in the country, Japan's cabinet is trying to loosen immigration laws for blue-collar workers. The proposed legislations would create two new visa categories for foreign workers to enter the country in sectors suffering from labor shortages. Workers in the first category are allowed to live in Japan for five years and bring their families, if they have a certain level of skill and proficiency in Japanese. The second category of visa would allow higher skilled workers to live in Japan and eventually apply for residency. The labor shortage in Japan is due to the imbalance of population. The birth rate in Japan is 1.4 (down from 2.1 in the 1970's) and the country has the world's highest life expectancy at 85.5 years. The labor force is older, and there are less people to replace these elderly workers. With this creates a lack of people doing farming and factory jobs, which are crucial to Japan's economy. The Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, however, reiterates that this legislation is not an overhaul of the stringent immigration system in Japan, and that it is only to aid the labor shortage in places that need extra help. It is interesting to hear about how desperate the situation is in Japan, considering they are so strict on letting foreigners immigrate into Japan.

Lauren Gambino

# data[].attributes.headline
Inside China’s training camps, where boys are learning how to be men

# data[].attributes.subject
Inside China’s training camps, where boys are learning how to be men

# data[].attributes.body
South China Morning Post
11/04/2018

In China, there is much outcry over the lack of masculinity in young boys. Many people think that the softness and female-like appearance of modern male celebrities has had a negative impact on the masculinity of young men in China. A former physical education teacher by the name of Tang Haiyan began a Boys' Club where parents send their sons on breaks or weekends to courses that aim to rescue them from their "day-to-day, all-female environment and prevent them from being 'oversensitive, vulnerable, whiny, petty or irresponsible.'" Within the course the children refer to each other as comrade, and learn competition and cooperation through various activities. Some of those activities being: American Football, trekking for a week across a desert, climbing mountains, and more. The article cites multiple success stories from the courses. Since her son has been attending the courses, one mother stated that “I am relieved of all the duties after so many years of attending to him. He is completely independent in life and in study. If he plans to play video games for 30 minutes every week, he will put away the game when the time is up. I don’t need to remind him at all.” That's crazy how in China gender is so structured and lacks the fluid that it has in America.

Molly Donegan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Inside China's training camps, where boys become men

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Former physical education teacher is helping soft sons find their lost masculinityMore than 20,000 children have taken part in the courses

# data[].attributes.headline
Fatal Chongqing Bus Plunge Caused by Fist Fight

# data[].attributes.subject
Fatal Chongqing Bus Plunge Caused by Fist Fight

# data[].attributes.body
BBC. Nov. 2
Security footage from a bus in China has revealed that the driver was fighting with a passenger moments before plunging into a river.  The bus fell 164ft off a bridge into the Yangtze River in Chongqing on Sunday killing at least 13 people. Early reports said the bus had swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle, but some new recovered footage shows the driver was being hit by a passenger and then struck her back. Police said the 48-year-old woman with the surname Liu, was angry that the bus had missed her stop. Apparently she hit the driver, named Ran, with her mobile phone when he refused to stop and let her off. The driver struck her back in retaliation. The bus then turned into the opposite lane and smashed through the bridge's safety barriers before falling. Chinese Police have said the fight was the cause of the crash. No survivors have been found, despite a massive search.

- Sarah A.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Security footage from a bus which crashed into a river in China has revealed that the driver was fighting with a passenger moments earlier.

The bus plunged 50m (164ft) off a bridge into the Yangtze River in Chongqing on Sunday - at least 13 people died and two more are missing.

Early reports said the bus had swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle.

But the new footage shows the driver was being hit by a passenger and then struck her back.

The bus, travelling at speed, then turns into the opposite lane and smashes through the safety barriers, before the footage cuts out.

Police have said the fight was the cause of the crash, state newspaper People's Daily reports.

Passengers can be heard screaming in the disturbing footage, shared by Chinese state media.

Police said the passenger, identified as a 48-year-old woman with the surname Liu, was angry that the bus had missed her stop.

They said she hit the driver, named Ran, with her mobile phone when he refused to stop and let her off.

Witnesses had said they saw the bus swerve across to the wrong side of the road before crashing through a safety barrier in Wanzhou district.

A huge rescue operation was mounted with teams of divers and dozens of boats and cranes deployed. But there have been no reports of survivors.

The wreckage of the bus was pulled out of the river from a depth of 71m on Wednesday night. Several of the passengers' bodies had to be retrieved by divers.

The crash, on a well-maintained and relatively quiet bridge, has shocked China.

Social media comments on Friday widely blamed the passenger for the crash, though some also criticised the driver for reacting.

One poster on Weibo, Wanten888, said: "If we see any passenger quarrelling with bus driver, we shouldn't stay quiet!"

Another said it was "heartbreaking" to hear the terrified passengers, while a Weibo user called Liza said there should be a law banning passengers from distracting bus drivers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fist fight caused fatal China bus plunge

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Security camera footage shows the driver fighting a passenger shortly before the deadly crash.

# data[].attributes.headline
Taiwan's Gay Pride Parade Draws Thousands, as Votes on Same-Sex Marriage Near

# data[].attributes.subject
Taiwan's Gay Pride Parade Draws Thousands, as Votes on Same-Sex Marriage Near

# data[].attributes.body
The New York Times
October 27

Taiwan is home to the largest annual gay pride event in East Asia. On Saturday, this year's parade took place with an estimated 137,000 people in attendance. Previously, Taiwan's constitutional court gave the government until May of 2019 to legalize same-sex marriage, and this year's parade had both optimism and disappointment in attendees because the deadline is now just over six months away. Gay rights activists are largely disappointed with the lack of action taken by President Tsai Ing-wen in the year that has passed since this ruling took place. The LBGT vote was important in electing her as president, but her support for this community seems to have wavered since her election. Local elections are to take place in November, and measures both for and against same-sex marriage will appear on ballots. If measures of each variety pass, the government will struggle with what to do next. Because the president is expected to seek reelection in 2020, people speculate she will continue to talk more about compromise than she did during her previous campaign.
-Sara S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The annual gay pride parade in Taipei, Taiwan, is the biggest event of its kind in East Asia. Organizers said about 137,000 people showed up on Saturday. Credit Credit Ashley Pon for The New York Times

TAIPEI, Taiwan - A year ago, participants in Taipei's annual gay pride parade - the biggest event of its kind in East Asia - had a lot to celebrate.

Taiwan's constitutional court had given the government until May 2019 to legalize same-sex marriage, ruling that the civil code's definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman was unconstitutional. If the government didn't meet the deadline, the court said, same-sex marriage would simply become legal automatically.

That deadline is now barely half a year away. But the democratic island will hold referendums on same-sex marriage on Nov. 24, and many of the estimated 137,000 marchers at the pride parade on Saturday expressed both frustration at the lack of progress and cautious optimism for their cause.

Many activists in Taiwan are bitterly disappointed with President Tsai Ing-wen, who has done little since last year's court ruling to push lawmakers to pass marriage equality legislation. And conservative groups have gotten two referendums opposing same-sex marriage onto the ballot for local elections on Nov. 24, which many activists fear could undo what, for some, had seemed like a clear victory. Two referendum items in support of same-sex marriage are also on the ballot.

Image

Many activists in Taiwan are bitterly disappointed with President Tsai Ing-wen, who has done little since last year's court ruling to push lawmakers to pass marriage equality legislation. Credit Tyrone Siu/Reuters

Chi Chia-wei, a pioneering Taiwanese gay rights campaigner whose lawsuit helped lead to the constitutional court ruling, said in an interview before the parade that he was "extremely disappointed" in the government's lack of movement on same-sex marriage.

"If you make a promise as a politician, you have to follow through on it," Mr. Chi said. "If you don't, you're just playing politics; you're a liar."

Ms. Tsai, who as a presidential candidate in 2015 courted the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender vote and called for legalizing same-sex marriage, welcomed the court's ruling in May 2017, saying on Twitter, "The law must protect the people's freedom of marriage and right to equality."

But her support since then has seemed more reserved. In a June interview with Agence France-Presse, rather than speaking of rights, she said that Taiwan was divided on the issue, while promising that the government would "bridge the differences" and "propose a comprehensive bill."

The constitutional court has given the government until May 2019 to legalize same-sex marriage. But the self-ruled island will hold a series of public votes on the issue next month. Credit Ashley Pon for The New York Times

Given the well-organized and well-funded opposition, many believe that Ms. Tsai and her governing Democratic Progressive Party have considered it too risky to put a bill forward before the local elections, which will be seen as a referendum on her first two years in office. (She is expected to seek re-election in 2020.)

Besides local races for mayors, city councilors and other posts, the ballot will include four referendum questions about same-sex marriage: two brought forward by conservative groups, and two by marriage-equality proponents. A referendum item seeking to repeal more than a decade of gender equity education in Taiwan's schools is also on the ballot.

An overwhelming response from voters on the same-sex marriage questions could determine whether the government pursues full marriage equality or a limited civil partnership, but how lawmakers would respond to mixed support with no clear consensus is less clear.

"If both sides pass, the government will struggle to deal with it," said Jennifer Lu, chief coordinator of Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan.

Some people marching on Saturday saw the coming referendums as less of an obstacle to their goals and more of a showcase for one of Asia's freest democracies. Credit Tyrone Siu/Reuters

She said she had seen "lots of worry and anxiety" over the referendum questions. "We're trying our best to be positive," she added.

Yu Chia-lin and Chen Chia-jui came to Taipei for the parade from Taiwan's second-largest city, Taichung. The couple, who have been together for five years, said that they planned to marry once they have the chance.

Mr. Yu said that regardless of the results on the referendum questions, he still had hope that Ms. Tsai would follow through on her previous pledge of support for full marriage equality.

"Two years ago, when she was campaigning, she said she hoped to see this bill pass," he said. "But she's only taken it halfway - I believe that in the coming two years she can push it through."

Chen Chia-jui, left, and Yu Chia-lin have been together for five years, said that they planned to marry once they have the chance. Credit Ashley Pon for The New York Times

Another marcher, Xan Wang, also tempered her optimism.

"I feel the politicians have not been very effective at getting this done," she said. "But I have maintained hope."

Some people marching on Saturday saw the coming referendums as less of an obstacle to their goals and more of a showcase for one of Asia's freest democracies. Marching with friends with rainbow flags painted on their faces, Chen Hung-ting welcomed the views of those opposed to same-sex marriage, including the conservative group Alliance for the Next Generation's Happiness, which sponsored one of the referendum items.

"Opposing voices show that here in Taiwan, we're a free and democratic country," Mr. Chen said. "I respect their views, and at the same time, am happy that Taiwan isn't somewhere where you can have only one viewpoint."

Mr. Chen added that he thought Taiwan's push for same-sex marriage would help move L.G.B.T. rights forward elsewhere in Asia. "I hope that if next year we're able to register same-sex marriages, that this will have some influence," he said.

Kinson Chong had traveled to Taipei from Hong Kong to join Saturday's parade. He called same-sex marriage a human rights issue, adding that if Taiwan were to legalize it, there would be a positive impact in the region.

Could developments in Taiwan improve the chances for marriage equality in Hong Kong?

"I don't know," he said, "But it's a start, isn't it?"

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A15 of the New York edition with the headline: Taiwan's Gay Pride Parade Swells as a Vote Nears. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Taiwan's Gay Pride Parade Draws Thousands, as Votes on Same-Sex Marriage Near

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The march through Taiwan's capital sought, in part, to press the government to deliver on its promise of marriage equality.

# data[].attributes.headline
How a World War II-Era Reparations Case Is Roiling Asia

# data[].attributes.subject
How a World War II-Era Reparations Case Is Roiling Asia

# data[].attributes.body
The New York Times
October 30, 2018

The South Korean Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a Japanese steel company pay reparations to its Korean workers from 1941 to 1943. The workers suing the company claim that they were forced into slave labor for the company during World War II and Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula. These workers raised this lawsuit originally in 1997, and the case has been passed between courts, seen appeals,  and been delayed (sometimes intentionally) for over two decades now.
This case is even more significant today because it raises memory of lasting pain from many decades ago. The Japanese company does not want to pay the reparations, and many argue that the diplomacy agreement made in 1965 between Japan and South Korea settled issues such as these. For two nations whose relations are often strained as a rule, this is particularly concerning for those in the international community involved in ongoing efforts to denuclearize North Korea. This ruling is expected to set a new precedent for cases involving Japanese exploitation of Korean workers.
-Megan Temple

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea's Supreme Court ordered a Japanese steelmaker on Tuesday to compensate Korean men forced to toil in its factory for Japan's World War II efforts, a landmark ruling that threatened to intensify friction between the two key American allies in Asia.

The judges upheld a lower-court ruling that Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal must pay 100 million won, or about $88,700, to each of four South Korean men who said they were subject to forced labor for the company between 1941 and 1943. Korea was a Japanese colony from 1910 until Japan's surrender in 1945.

The case has been closely followed in both South Korea and Japan, which have been locked in highly sensitive territorial and other disputes rooted in the colonial era. Japan insists that all matters concerning allegations of forced labor were settled under agreements that established bilateral diplomatic ties in 1965.

But on Tuesday, the South Korean court ruled that those deals should not impede individual victims' right to seek redress.

If the Japanese company refuses to pay the compensation, the plaintiffs and their families could ask local courts to seize its assets in South Korea. The verdict could also open the floodgates for other victims and their families to file class-action lawsuits against Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal and other Japanese companies accused of capitalizing on forced labor.

"I am the only one still alive to see this day come," Lee Chun-shik, 94, one of the plaintiffs, told reporters outside the courthouse on Tuesday.

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal called the court's decision "deeply regrettable" and said it contradicted the 1965 agreement not to raise claims that "arose during wartime."

The company "will carefully review the decision of the Supreme Court of Korea in considering its next steps, taking into account the Japanese government's responses on this matter and other factors," it said in a statement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
South Korea's Top Court Rules Japanese Company Must Pay Wartime Compensation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The ruling ordering compensation for Korean men forced to work for Japan's World War II efforts threatens to hurt relations between two close American allies.

# data[].attributes.headline
Gov't to resume U.S. base construction in setback for new Okinawan governor

# data[].attributes.subject
Gov't to resume U.S. base construction in setback for new Okinawan governor

# data[].attributes.body
Japan Today
October 30.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suggested that the government will resume landfill work for the transfer of a key U.S. military base within Okinawa after the land minister decided to suspend the recent effort to block the work. The defense ministry said that any further delays in moving the Marine Corps Air Station from a crowded area to a less populated coastal district would hurt the Japan and U.S. alliance. In August the Okinawa government suspended the work for the base transfer by taking back their approval, saying that the old governor made in 1996. They have entered into many legal battles, but now the U.S. military and the Japanese government have the right paperwork and once the paper work is handed in they can start.
-Megan P.

# data[].attributes.headline
Statutory paternity leave for Hong Kong fathers extended to five days after marathon 13-hour Legislative Council debate

# data[].attributes.subject
Statutory paternity leave for Hong Kong fathers extended to five days after marathon 13-hour Legislative Council debate

# data[].attributes.body
October 25
New fathers in Hong Kong can now have up to five days of statutory paternity leave from next year after a fierce debate in the city’s legislature. This change causes an increase in the time allowed from 3 to 5 days, their counterpart wanted to raise the leave to 7 days which was not passes. This new law will become legal after the lunar year in February. During the debate it took almost 13 hours for lawmakers Charles Mok said it was embarrassing for Hong Kong to keep discussing five days of paternity leave when Facebook offered their staff four months.Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-nor had earlier announced in her policy address she would extend the statutory maternity leave from 10 weeks to 14 weeks. This doesn't really surprise me that this is an issue in Hong Kong considering it is still an issue in the US. In the US California is the only state where men are offered 12 weeks of paid leave.
-Elizabeth Tizzano

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hong Kong paternity leave to be increased after marathon debate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Opposition lawmakers proposed giving new fathers seven days leaveLabour secretary threatened to withdraw bill if counterproposal succeeded

# data[].attributes.headline
Mental Health in Hong Kong at Worst in 7 years

# data[].attributes.subject
Mental Health in Hong Kong at Worst in 7 years

# data[].attributes.body
South China Morning Post
October 29th

Mental health in Hong Kong has been rated at the lowest level in seven years, according to an annual survey. The survey was conducted in June, where 1007 calls were placed to those 15 years of age and up in the evening hours. The survey used the WHO Well- Being index, which asks those being surveyed to rank various statements like “i have felt calm and relaxed in the past 2 weeks” on a scale of zero to five. After all the questions are asked, it is scored out of 100 and 52 points is considered to be “passing” the survey. The average score this year in Hong Kong was 50.2 points which dropped from 59.75 last year, and is the lowest score recorded since the beginning of the survey in 2012, which had the average score of 56.25. The article also mentions this is the first time the average score fell below the passing mark.  One error of this survey may be that the survey was conducted in the evening, and that people may have answered more positively during the day. This survey shows the deteriorating state of mental health in Hong Kong and the increasing working hours and stress of those that live in Hong Kong. The Government is using it to boost awareness of mental health across the public. I found it interesting that they only survey a certain amount of people are interviewed and that those with family and loved ones to take care of were happier overall. I also compared this to the articles we’ve seen about the increase in work hours in Japan and the toll that has taken on Japanese people.
-Lauren Gambino

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mental health in Hong Kong at worst level in seven years, survey finds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Work stress and poor social sentiment cited, but researchers note past methodology might have underestimated grimness of situationThis year's poll reveals those who were older, married, have a family or children to take care of tended to have better mental health

# data[].attributes.headline
South Korea’s Leader Vouches for Kim’s Sincerity, as Critics See Deception

# data[].attributes.subject
South Korea’s Leader Vouches for Kim’s Sincerity, as Critics See Deception

# data[].attributes.body
New York Times
October 30

President Moon Jae-in of South Korea has described Kim Jong-un as a "young and candid" strategist who's "ready to bargain away his nuclear arsenal to secure economic growth for his impoverished nation." President Moon has been a staunch advocate for Kim Jong un's negotiating abilities, successfully painting a new image of the North Korean dictator in ways that other South Korean leaders had failed to do in years past. However, skeptics have criticized the sincerity of this new characterization, referencing Kim Jong-un's dictatorial behavior as evidence of his unwillingness to actually denuclearize. However, President Moon's new characterizations of Kim Jong un legitimizes a shift in his image from a nuclear madman to a skilled negotiator. This isn't the first time President Moon has praised Kim; he previously endorsed him as a "leader of good faith." However, these comments demonstrate a concrete shift in perspective and signal definitive efforts towards denuclearization on the peninsula.

Ashley Hovorka

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Kim Jong-un, left, the North Korean leader, and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea during a visit to Samjiyon, North Korea, last month. Credit Credit Korean Central News Agency

SEOUL, South Korea - President Moon Jae-in of South Korea takes every opportunity to describe Kim Jong-un, North Korea's leader, as a "young and candid" strategist, one who is ready to bargain away his nuclear arsenal to secure economic growth for his impoverished nation.

In doing so, Mr. Moon is attempting something that his predecessors who favored dialogue with the North also tried to do, but failed: changing North Korea's global image as a regime that simply cannot be trusted.

For decades, it has been an article of faith among Washington's foreign policy establishment, as well Mr. Moon's conservative critics at home, that North Korea will renege on any agreement made. For that reason, they say, there can be no substantial concessions to the North in the talks over its nuclear weapons until it takes real steps toward disarming.

That view has contributed to a standoff in the talks between the North and the United States. As Mr. Moon has pushed to deepen ties with Pyongyang, the backlash from his critics has been swift. A major South Korean newspaper this month called him the " chief spokesman for Kim Jong-un," and an American commentator, quoting Creedence Clearwater Revival, recently referred to him as a " bad Moon on the rise."

"There is a bottom-line difference between President Moon and the skeptics," said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul. "He believes that Kim Jong-un was sincere when he told him that he was willing to denuclearize. The skeptics don't."

If Mr. Kim wanted to change his image from nuclear madman to mature negotiator, it's unlikely he could have found a better agent than Mr. Moon.

Image

Mr. Moon and his wife, Kim Jung-sook, right, met Pope Francis during a private audience at the Vatican this month. Credit Pool photo by Alessandro Di Meo

Mr. Moon, who has met with Mr. Kim three times this year, has repeatedly endorsed him as a leader of good faith. After their first meeting in April, Mr. Moon's office quoted Mr. Kim as saying, "I know that the Americans are viscerally repulsed by us North Koreans, but if they talk with us, they will find out that I am not the type of person who would shoot a nuclear missile to the South or toward the Pacific or at the United States."

Mr. Moon brokered the unprecedented summit talks between Mr. Kim and President Trump in Singapore in June and is helping to arrange a second meeting between the two. He is also lobbying for Pope Francis to visit the North, which would be another first.

A central message in Mr. Moon's diplomatic efforts is that Mr. Kim truly wants to be a great economic reformer for his country, as Deng Xiaoping was for China decades ago, and that the world must not miss the opportunity. Mr. Kim, he says, intends to negotiate away his nuclear weapons if Washington lifts sanctions and provides security guarantees, like a peace treaty ending the Korean War, so he can focus on economic development.

"Chairman Kim told me that besides the moratorium on testing nuclear weapons and missiles, he would dismantle the facilities that produce them, as well as all the nuclear weapons and fissile materials his country owns, if the United States takes corresponding measures," Mr. Moon said this month.

Even leaving aside the question of his true intentions, Mr. Kim is a difficult figure to vouch for.

He has indeed taken steps to reform his country's economy, allowing markets and private businesses to open, giving farmers more freedom to sell their crops and factory managers more autonomy to decide what to produce. Despite international sanctions, he engineered a building boom in Pyongyang, the capital, which Mr. Moon called "remarkable progress" when he addressed a cheering crowd of 150,000 there in September.

But Mr. Kim also had his uncle executed and his half brother assassinated in a foreign airport. And his country's record on human rights is among the world's worst.

Last year, Mr. Kim was following his father and predecessor Kim Jong-il's "military first" playbook as he accelerated nuclear and missile tests and threatened the United States, as well as the region, with nuclear war. But this year, he announced a " new strategic line " under which "all efforts" would be channeled toward "the socialist economic construction."

In less than a year, Mr. Kim has made more concessions on his nuclear weapons program than Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush ever extracted from his father - though critics say that in truth, he has given up little of substance. He imposed a voluntary moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests and shut down the North's underground nuclear test site. He also agreed to dismantle some missile-test facilities and - if Washington took "corresponding" steps - to dismantle the Yongbyon nuclear complex, a center for producing nuclear bomb fuel.

A North Korean soldier marching in the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, which separates North and South Korea. Credit Dita Alangkara/Associated Press

But he has yet to state in his own words whether, and when, he will scrap his nuclear arsenal.

Mr. Moon's critics say he is playing into the North Korean leader's hands. Mr. Kim's ultimate goal, they say, is to get the world accustomed to the reality of a nuclear-armed North, while using negotiations to stall for time and create a false sense of progress.

"We had tried this in past negotiations: offering North Korea a comprehensive package of incentives in the hopes that it would denuclearize," said Yun Duk-min, a former chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy who now teaches at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul. "It didn't work. I don't think it will this time, either."

But another South Korean analyst, Lee Seong-hyon, shared Mr. Moon's vision, saying "a great transformation" was unfolding on the Korean Peninsula.

"It's easy to make the same old argument about why North Korea can't be trusted," said Mr. Lee, of the Sejong Institute near Seoul. "But rather than being fixated on the old way of looking at North Korea, we should ask ourselves whether we can recognize Kim Jong-un as a new type of leader and find a solution there."

Even if Mr. Moon and Mr. Kim haven't convinced every analyst, they have made a far bigger score with Mr. Trump, whose attitude toward Mr. Kim and the North has changed drastically.

"I do trust him," Mr. Trump said this month, barely a year after threatening to " totally destroy North Korea." "I get along with him really well. I have a good energy with him."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also expressed a willingness to give Mr. Kim the benefit of the doubt, at least to some degree. Mr. Kim, he said recently, told the Americans that he had made the strategic decision that the North no longer needs its nuclear arsenal.

But that transition is "a very difficult challenge for a North Korean leader," Mr. Pompeo said, because the country has depended for decades on the nuclear program as the linchpin for its security. "To execute on that is complex and will take time," he said.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A9 of the New York edition with the headline: South Korea Leader Vouches for Kim's Sincerity, but Critics See a Ruse. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
South Korea's Leader Vouches for Kim's Sincerity, as Critics See Deception

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The South's president, Moon Jae-in, says Kim Jong-un truly wants to trade nuclear arms for prosperity. Critics say Mr. Moon is being duped by yet another deceitful dictator.

# data[].attributes.headline
Pick up poo or we take the dog: Chinese city rolls out 'social credit' system for pet owners

# data[].attributes.subject
Pick up poo or we take the dog: Chinese city rolls out 'social credit' system for pet owners

# data[].attributes.body
The Telegraph
October 29th

In Jinan China, they have already inforced a new way of controlling dog owners.  The owners are forced to get a license and when they do their dog starts with 12 points.  Typically there is a fine attached to each time that points are deducted from the original 12.  If they don't pick up after their dog, walk it without a leash, or even just being reported by someone for a disturbance, points will be deducted.  They are enforcing other strict laws like the leash has to be less than 1.5 meters long, the person walking the dog has to be 18 and up, and they are not allowed to enter many places with the dogs including public parks.  If the owners are reaching the max for the point deduction, then they can earn some back by working in the kennels.  But if those people lose all of their points, then they will have their dog taken away, and they won't get them back until they can prove they are ready with an exam.  Honestly, this seems entirely unnecessary to me personally, but there was one lady who thought that it led to fewer attacks since China came in second for the number of rabies cases.  So, maybe this is a good idea, but it seems too harsh especially taking someone's dog away.

-Gwen Sajewski

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Losing all 12 points means saying goodbye to the dog, the most severe punishment authorities can levy. Once a dog is confiscated, owners must pass an exam about responsible pet ownership before being reunited.

Since the programme was introduced last year, 1,430 dog owners had been fined, according to state media.

Of those, 122 lost the full dozen points, and subsequently their dogs; most, however, passed the exam and got their pets back. Local police say the number of complaints lodged about dogs has dropped significantly.

Other Chinese cities are now also beginning to roll out the dog owner social credit programme, reported state media.

"With proper implementation [of the system] and training, the overall quality of the dog owners will be raised," said Miss Hu, 35, a consultant in Beijing who owns a black Labrador retriever.

"It can reduce the risk of my dog being attacked by other dogs that are poorly kept," she said, declining to give her full name. The programme might also lower "the number of stray dogs and unleashed dogs, and eventually the number of people bitten by such dogs."

Dog bites have long been a concern in China, which has the world's second-highest number of reported rabies cases in the world, according to the World Health Organisation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pick up poo or we take the dog: Chinese city rolls out 'social credit' system for pet owners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Chinese cities are launching a scoring system for dog owners where anyone found failing to care for their pets could be forced to pay a fine - or even have their dog confiscated.

# data[].attributes.headline
South and North Korea complete removal of outposts and firearms from JSA

# data[].attributes.subject
South and North Korea complete removal of outposts and firearms from JSA

# data[].attributes.body
The Hankyoreh
October 29

North and South Korea have jointly verified to remove outposts and firearms in the Joint Security Area (JSA) has been completed. This process, which was signed in a joint effort from September with the UN Command, has now removed all firearms and military personnel in the JSA. By demilitarizing the JSA, there are now hopes and expectations for tourists and visitors to be able to enter the area freely and safely. The continuation of establishing "new guard posts and surveillance equipment" will help to ensure these safe travels, which are to hopefully begin in November or within the next year. This article relates to our class because it brings up the efforts of two East Asian countries (here, it is North and South Korea) to slowly make efforts together in resolving issues. While this demilitarization of the JSA is not the largest major breakthrough in the North/South Korea tensions, it does provide opportunities for growth or at least a more friendlier neutrality. I additionally thought this article interesting because of the opportunities it presents for tourists and travelers to live and encounter the changes occurring literally between North and South Korea.
-Andrew Morales

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
South and North Korea complete removal of outposts and firearms from JSA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Access to tourists may be granted as early as beginning of 2019

# data[].attributes.headline
A creepy video shows how China warns its citizens to behave or get punished by its nationwide social credit system

# data[].attributes.subject
A creepy video shows how China warns its citizens to behave or get punished by its nationwide social credit system

# data[].attributes.body
Business Insider
October 29

A recent announcement on a train traveling from Beijing to Shanghai shows how the future of China could be dominated by people living in fear of a nationwide social credit system. The social credit system will work as an extension of a person's financial credit score, which will be mandatory nationwide by 2020. Citizens will not only be ranked on their financial performance, but on things such as their trustworthiness as well.
In the video a female voice announced over the intercom that people who travel without a ticket or "behave disorderly" would be "punished according to regulations, and the behavior will be recorded in individual credit information system." It is not clear what the orders and regulations are. Past government notices have focused on transport-specific offenses such as loitering. The program is scheduled to begin in 2020 but various cities have already launched pilot programs. People have already been punished and rewarded based on this system. One college student was denied a parking spot because his dad was blacklisted for not paying off a bank loan. Other people have been  given perks for good scores such as having their dating profile boosted online.
The eastern Chinese city of Jinan also started enforcing a social credit system for dog owners last year where registered owners have to purchase a license, and have points on it deducted if they don't clean up after their dog or walk their pet without a leash. Those who lost all their points had their dogs confiscated and were required to pass a test on regulations required for pet ownership. The Chinese government has said that the goal of this system is to enforce the idea that "keeping trust is glorious and breaking trust is disgraceful".
-Katie S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A chilling announcement on a train from Beijing to Shanghai shows how the future of China could be dominated by people living in fear of a nationwide social credit system, which will rank all its 1.4 billion citizens based on their behavior.

The social credit system is basically an extension of a person's financial credit score, which will be mandatory nationwide in 2020. But instead of just tracking financial performance, people will also be ranked on their "trustworthiness."

People with bad scores are punished, while those with good scores are rewarded - click here to find out why.

Freelance journalist James O'Malley on Monday posted a video taken inside a bullet train between Beijing and Shanghai.

In the video a female voice announced over the intercom in English that people who travel without a ticket or "behave disorderly" - like smoking in public places - would be "punished according to regulations, and the behavior will be recorded in individual credit information system."
Watch a video of the announcement here:
It's not clear what the "orders" and "regulations" are. But previous government notices have focused on transport-specific offences like loitering at airport check-in desks and boarding gates.

The social credit system is due to roll out in 2020, but various cities have launched pilot programs and a disparate collection of blacklists. It relies on information such as facial recognition software and getting citizens to report on each other to local authorities.

People have already either been punished and rewarded based on their social credit: Earlier this year a student was denied his spot at university because his father was blacklisted for failing to pay off a 200,000-yuan ($28,700/£22,400) bank loan. Others have been banned from taking trains because of their score.

On the other hand, those with good scores are given perks like not having to pay a cash deposit when booking hotels, or getting their profile boosted on a dating website.

The eastern Chinese city of Jinan also started enforcing a social credit system for dog owners last year, whereby registered owners have to purchase a license, and have points on it deducted if they don't clean up after their dog or walk their pet without a leash.

Those who lost all their points had their dogs confiscated and were required to pass a test on regulations required for pet ownership.

The ultimate goal of the system is to hammer into citizens the idea that "keeping trust is glorious and breaking trust is disgraceful," the Chinese government has said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A creepy video shows how China warns its citizens to behave or get punished by its nationwide social credit system

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A chilling announcement on a train from Beijing to Shanghai shows how the future of China could be dominated by people living in fear of a nationwide social credit system, which will rank all its 1.4 billion citizens based on their behavior.

# data[].attributes.headline
China to begin building first permanent airfield in Antarctica

# data[].attributes.subject
China to begin building first permanent airfield in Antarctica

# data[].attributes.body
SCMP. October 29th.

China is beginning to build it's first permanent air strip in Antarctica. It will be 1,500 meters on an ice cap 28 kilometers from Zhongshan Station. The airstrip will allow for "operating of large aircraft, creating multiplane services, and building an Antarctic air traffic network in the future." The new airstrip would also "connect scientific research to the country's Antarctic strategy." This project is scheduled to begin later this week. The airstrip, the facility, and the terminal are expected to take a few years to complete as the snow at the location "has to be compacted to form the airstrip." In the beginning, there will only be one plane using the facility. China has already built two temporary airfields, two permanent stations, and two seasonal stations, and are planning to build a fifth station. China will join 15 other countries who have already built over 50 permanent airfields or skyways in Antarctica, including the United States, Russia, and Britain.
Sarah W.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
China to begin building first permanent airfield in Antarctica

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Country has been using Russian facility as its home base in the frozen continentAirstrip is expected to be completed in a few years

# data[].attributes.headline
China-Japan ties at ‘historic turning point’ after Shinzo Abe’s visit, but can the goodwill hold?

# data[].attributes.subject
China-Japan ties at ‘historic turning point’ after Shinzo Abe’s visit, but can the goodwill hold?

# data[].attributes.body
South China Morning Post
October 28th

Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe's recent visit to China seems promosting for the relations between the two countries. China and Japan have a history of having a difficult relationship due to things such as territorial disputes and geopolitical rivalries. It marks the first official visit by a Japanese leader since 2011. Both sides agreed to set aside their political differences and vowed to boost economic ties and promote free trade amid growing global uncertainty. The visit changed the relationship between the two countries from competition to collaboration. Many speculate that this new relationship was fostered as a reaction to Trump's White house and the uncertainty that comes with it. It is also believed that Abe extended an invite to Xi to visit Japan, which would make it the first visit by a Chinese leader to Japan since 2008. The trip is believed to hold more symbolic significance since no actual breakthroughs on bilateral issues were made.
-Maddie A

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
China-Japan ties at 'historic turning point' after Abe's visit: can it hold?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Japanese prime minister's trip aimed to reset relations amid a history of bitter grievances, disputes and rivalrySides agreed to set aside political differences, boost economic ties and promote free trade

# data[].attributes.headline
Hybrids account for nearly 20% of cars in Japan

# data[].attributes.subject
Hybrids account for nearly 20% of cars in Japan

# data[].attributes.body
The Japan News.
October 28th

Amid the frightening United Nations climate change report, gasoline-electric hybrid cars are rapidly increasing in Japan. This stems from the growing environmental awareness that has grown throughout the world. The number of hybrid vehicles on the road has rose from 2.4 percentage points to 19 percent. This also stems from popularity of the Prius. The article also discusses how a number of other countries are strengthening their environmental regulations on automobiles. Britain and France have agreed to ban the sales of gasoline and diesel cars by 2040. Electric cars in general are already popular within the country, and Japan expects that the numbers will keep rising as more people become more environmentally aware.

Molly Donegan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Jiji Press TOKYO (Jiji Press) - Gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles are rapidly increasing their presence in the nation partly on the back of growing environmental awareness.

According to the Automobile Inspection & Registration Information Association, the number of hybrid cars registered as of the March 31 end of fiscal 2017, excluding minivehicles, grew 14.8 percent from a year before to 7,512,846 units, with their share in all passenger cars held in Japan rising 2.4 percentage points to 19 percent.

The popularity of hybrid vehicles has continued growing since Toyota Motor Corp. released the Prius, the first mass-produced hybrid model in Japan, in 1997, thanks to their high fuel economy and environmental friendliness.

The number of hybrid cars topped one million for the first time at the end of fiscal 2010 and nearly doubled in the past four years, according to the association.

Electric vehicles are also increasingly popular. The number of electric cars held in the country at the end of fiscal 2017, excluding minivehicles, jumped 24.5 percent to 91,359 units, supported by an increase in charging stations, although their market share is still low, at 0.2 percent as of March 31.

A number of countries are seen moving to tighten their environmental regulations on automobiles, with Britain and France planning to ban sales of gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2040.

As zero-emission electric vehicles are expected to become mainstream in the electrified vehicle markets abroad, attention is being paid to whether the use of such vehicles will increase further in Japan as well, observers said.Speech

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hybrids account for nearly 20% of cars in Japan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Jiji Press TOKYO (Jiji Press) - Gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles are rapidly increasing their presence in the nation partly on the back of growing environmental awareness.

# data[].attributes.headline
North Korea Hospital Director Denies Warmbier Torture Charges

# data[].attributes.subject
North Korea Hospital Director Denies Warmbier Torture Charges

# data[].attributes.body
Channel News Asia. Oct. 28.
US student Otto Warmbier was accused of theft and jailed in North Korea back in 2016. Shortly after he was released by North Korean officials in 2017 in a "comatose state," he died a due to unknown causes, though there is evidence of beatings and extensive brain damage.  His death is widely credited to have sparked Trump's first summit in North Korea and the beginning of the peace process.  Since Otto's death, however, the Warmer family has pursued various legal suits and accused North Korean officials and organizations of torturing their son.  The latest accusations are aimed towards the Director of the Pyongyang Friendship Hospital, which treated Otto Warmbier numerous times. North Korea claims that Otto left the country in decent health and that he died from a serious case of food poisoning. The fear in many international circles is that the new peace summits concerning North Korea will overshadow their innumerable human rights violations, and that justice for people like Otto and his family will never be obtained.

- Sarah A.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
(Updated: )

Share this content

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share via E-Mail

SEOUL: The director of the North Korean hospital that treated Otto Warmbier, the US student who died after being held in the country, rejected fresh allegations that he was tortured in custody.

The 22-year-old was jailed in the North for more than a year and was released in a comatose state in 2017 but died shortly after returning home.

The exact cause of his death remains unknown but a recent US media report claimed there was new evidence that he was beaten by the regime.

The director of the Pyongyang Friendship Hospital - which treated Warmbier - slammed the claims as a "total distortion of the truth" in a statement carried by the North's official KCNA news agency late Saturday.

"The American doctors who came to the DPRK to help Warmbier's repatriation acknowledged that his health indicators were all normal and submitted a letter of assurance to our hospital," it said, using North Korea's official acronym.

"Now the question is: What is the ulterior motive of those American doctors trying to make a different story at this point in time with regard to the cause of Warmbier's death," the statement added.

The KCNA statement came hours after the Voice of America carried a report on a lawsuit filed by Warmbier's parents accusing the North Korean regime of torturing and murdering their son.

The report cited Warmbier's former dentists saying there was evidence of trauma to his teeth and a neurologist who treated him after his return from detention and said the student suffered "extensive" brain damage.

North Korea has denied torturing Warmbier and claims he contracted botulism in detention.

Warmbier was arrested for stealing a propaganda poster from his hotel during a trip to North Korea and sentenced to 15 years of hard labour.

After lengthy negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang, he was released last year but died in less than a week.

US President Donald Trump accused Pyongyang of brutally abusing the student but later praised the North's leader Kim Jong Un as "very honourable" following a historic summit in Singapore in June.

Rights groups have criticised the rapid diplomatic thaw on the peninsula, saying it has overshadowed widespread human rights abuses rampant in North Korea.

The Kim family has ruled the impoverished, nuclear-armed nation with a pervasive personality cult and stands accused of a litany of state-sanctioned rights abuses including torture, rape, execution and brutal crackdowns on dissent.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North Korea hospital director rejects Warmbier torture charges

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
(Updated: ) Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via E-Mail SEOUL: The director of the North Korean hospital that treated Otto Warmbier, the US student who died after being held in the country, rejected fresh allegations that he was tortured in custody.

# data[].attributes.headline
Bong arm of the law: South Korea says it will arrest citizens who smoke weed in Canada 

# data[].attributes.subject
Bong arm of the law: South Korea says it will arrest citizens who smoke weed in Canada 

# data[].attributes.body
The Guardian
October 23, 2018

Canada recently became the second country in the world to legalize recreation marijuana. However, South Koreans have been warned by South Korean police not to partake in recreational drug use abroad. “Weed smokers will be punished according to the Korean law, even if they did so in countries where smoking marijuana is legal. There won’t be an exception,” said Yoon Se-jin, head of the narcotics crime investigation division at Gyeonggi Nambu provincial police agency. The South Korean law is based on the concept that laws made in Seoul still apply to their citizens anywhere in the world. Those caught smoking weed while abroad could face up to five years in prison. South Korea strictly enforces drug laws and officials work to project an image of a drug-free nation. Though police have threatened repercussions for smoking marijuana, how they would test those returning from Canada remain hazy. They cannot screen every person coming in from Canada. The idea is that they will focus more on drug traffickers rather than casual drug users. There are currently 23,000 South Korean students living in Canada.
-Katie S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bong arm of the law: South Korea says it will arrest citizens who smoke weed in Canada

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Seoul reminds 23,000 South Korean students in Canada that domestic law applies to them no matter where they are

# data[].attributes.headline
The world’s longest bridge-tunnel brings China even closer to Hong Kong. Not everyone is pleased.

# data[].attributes.subject
The world’s longest bridge-tunnel brings China even closer to Hong Kong. Not everyone is pleased.

# data[].attributes.body
The Washington Post
October 23, 2018

In Hong Kong today, they finally finished construction on a bridge that connects them to the mainland, China.  This was under construction for over seven years so when it was completed the President, Xi Jinping went to Hong Kong to celebrate with a ribbon cutting.  Not only does it span 34 miles but it also cost over $20 billion, though the video said it was all the way up to $120 billion.  There are other routes, but the new bridge cuts the travel time down by 30 minutites which makes many upset as they can not see the benefit after knowing how much time and money went into the projecrt. Mainly since it was the taxpayers, who had to throw in their money for over half of the bill.  I guess their primary goal is to bring more people in but also to connect up to 11 more cities throughout China.  With their 34-mile long bridge opening up today, they have also broken the world record.  I think the craziest part of this whole thing is that regular people, the ones who paid for it, can't even use it.  They have to get a permit to take a private car over into one of the cities, and best of all there are only 5,000 permits.  The main thing that people are thinking is that it was mostly a political move to show power and wealth.  Along with all of that, 19 or more people died in the process, and plenty was injured.

-Gwen Sajewski

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
October 23 at 9:44 AM
After delays, almost a decade of construction and swelling costs that reached $20 billion, the world's longest sea crossing - connecting Hong Kong to mainland China - opened to traffic Tuesday as the latest megaproject with Beijing's stamp.

The reviews for the 34-mile span?

China's president, Xi Jinping, led the cheerleading about the political symbolism and business benefits of the ribbon of steel and concrete linking the former British colony Hong Kong and the once Portugese-held Macau.

In bustling Hong Kong, however, many wondered why they shouldered so much of the cost with so few tangible benefits.

After all, it's only about a 30-minute faster trip to the mainland from Hong Kong on the new Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai span compared with crossing over the existing bridge routes. In Macau, the upgrade is clearer. A ferry was the only way to reach the mainland.

But that's not seeing the full picture, say Chinese officials.

The bridge-and-tunnel route is seen as a cornerstone of China's "Greater Bay Area" plan, which aims to connect the lucrative hubs of Hong Kong and Macau with 11 other southern Chinese cities. The idea is more to draw more tourists and workers from the mainland region - home to more than 60 million people - to the semiautonomous cities.

On Tuesday in the mainland city of Zhuhai, Xi declared the span officially open as digital fireworks exploded on a screen behind him and officials ticked off another made-in-Chinese world record. (The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, for example, is 23 miles long, and the Eurotunnel under the English Channel is 31.5 miles.)
[In China, investigations and purges become the new normal]
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive, lauded the "once in a lifetime" project as a connector that will tie Hong Kong closer to the mainland.

Few in Hong Kong see it that way.

Residents here have lamented the steady encroachment of mainland China into the city's affairs, including efforts seen by activists as trying to roll back the enclave's traditions of relatively open expression and freewheeling commerce.

Critics also balk against the rising number of tourists and workers from Chinese cities into dense Hong Kong and the even more crowded gambling hotspot, Macau.

Taxpayers in Hong Kong had to foot almost half the bill. But it's not easy for anyone just to pop on the new span.

Travelers need to go through a complicated system to get permits from all three cities - a process that may take nearly two weeks - and will also have to get insurance in all the cities.

Comments on a Hong Kong government video explaining the process mocks the supposedly simple process for being unduly bureaucratic, and notes that Hong Kong residents can simply take a ferry to Macau, for instance, without any such requirements. Permits for private cars allowed to cross the bridge will also be limited initially to just 5,000.

"It is very odd. It crosses that much of the sea, and yet ordinary people cannot use it. What's the point of that?" said Claudia Mo, a pro-democracy lawmaker in Hong Kong. "This project is so obviously a political symbol. I'm sure Beijing knew clearly that we didn't quite need it and that it was not necessary for the time being."

The bridge, she added, is a "permanent fixture and permanent reminder that Hong Kong is forever and ever connected to the vast hinterland" of mainland China.

The project has also come under fire for shoddy labor standards and for adverse environmental impacts. Over the construction period, 19 workers died and dozens were injured, falling into the sea below after a work platform collapsed.

Since construction sped up in recent years, the population of the iconic Chinese white dolphins who call these waters home has dropped from about 80 in 2012 to 47 in 2017, according to Taison Chang, chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society. Environmental mitigation efforts done before the construction of the bridge failed to keep the dolphins in the area, he said, but work on the project proceeded anyway.
[Hong Kong, in rare move, rejects visa renewal for Western journalist]
"We can clearly see that the dolphins in North Lantau area almost disappeared in the whole area, close to the bridge construction," he said. "No one can really stop the project after [its proponents] got the necessary environmental permits to go ahead with the bridge."

The bridge's completion comes as China under Xi is extending its grip over Hong Kong, a city of 7.4 million given a special status when it was handed over from the British back to China in 1997.

Under the "one country, two systems" policy, Hong Kong's economic and political systems are supposed to remain untouched for 50 years from the handover - until 2047 - and distinct from Beijing, with its own governments, judiciaries, currencies and so on.

A flurry of infrastructural development, however, has served to physically bind the regions in a more tangible way. In late September, a $11 billion high-speed rail link opened between Hong Kong and mainland China, cutting the time between Hong Kong and major Chinese cities.

Beijing hopes the links will spur development in these southern cities which have historically led economic growth in China - particularly amid a looming trade war with the United States.

Xi this week visited southern China to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the economic reform policy spearheaded by Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s. Speaking Monday at Gree Electric Appliances in Zhuhai, Xi emphasized the importance of "self-reliance" and the "real economy", rather than the "virtual economy."

"Manufacturing is a key to the real economy, and the core strength of manufacturing is innovation, the control of core technologies," he said. "We must seek innovation by relying on ourselves, and I hope all enterprises will work in this direction."

Hong Kong is at the center of that plan, with deeper infrastructural links that will ease travel particularly from the mainland into the city.

Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive, is also pushing for a land reclamation plan that will be the costliest infrastructure project yet there, creating an artificial island that will be home to more than 1 million people. That island will be created close to the new sea crossing.

"It is all connected, the reclamation, bridge, high speed rail," said Mo. "It is all telling Hong Kong that you are part of China, you are very much part of it, and you can't get out of it."

Luna Lin in Beijing contributed to this article.
Read more: Would-be city in Malaysia caught in rift between China and its neighbors Trump's business empire retains ties to China even as tariffs grow U.S. aiming at bigger target with North American trade deal: China Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The world's longest bridge-tunnel brings China even closer to Hong Kong. Not everyone is pleased.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
October 23 at 9:44 AM After delays, almost a decade of construction and swelling costs that reached $20 billion, the world's longest sea crossing - connecting Hong Kong to mainland China - opened to traffic Tuesday as the latest megaproject with Beijing's stamp. The reviews for the 34-mile span?

# data[].attributes.headline
Historical jury still out on Japan’s Meiji Restoration

# data[].attributes.subject
Historical jury still out on Japan’s Meiji Restoration

# data[].attributes.body
The Japan Times
October 23

This article summarizes the changes that occurred around the time of the Meiji Restoration, which is being celebrated for its 150th anniversary. The event was celebrated on Tuesday, remembering the moment when the samurai overthrew the shogunate, gave a more legitimate office of power to the Meiji emperor, and started the process of modernization and Westernization for Japan. This came from the pressures of the Western powers . The historic overthrowing of the shogunate is popularly depicted in novels, movies, and TV dramas, often with different interpretations and understandings of this event and its impacts. Historians have been wary in thinking that the general Japanese population does not fully understand the restoration because of political influences surrounding the Second World War. One professor emeritus of the University of Tokyo, Hiroshi Mitani, claims that "the removal of the hereditary class system" makes the restoration more of a revolution. And while there is still fascination to the events and figures that created the stories of the Meiji Restoration, other historians are concerned that an ignorant nationalism can glorify events that led to Japanese imperialist mistakes during the 1930s and 1940s. I found this article interesting because it directly connects with what we learned in class and in our readings. It also looks at the historical context and uses a retrospective lens to see the Restoration's long-lasting impact on Japans ince the 1860s. It also considers the historians' outlook on the event and on modern Japanese views on it as well. The 150th anniversary celebration is also just fascinating to consider, and how much has changed for Japan and East Asia since 1868.
-Andrew Morales

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On July 27, 1853, the Tokugawa shogunate was in crisis. Shogun Tokugawa Ieyoshi passed away from what today is believed to be heat exhaustion at Edo Castle in the heart of Edo, present-day Tokyo.

Abe Masahiro, the top samurai bureaucrat under the shogun, had an urgent mission to carry out that day. He asked Tanaka Zenemon, an official from Saga, a feudal provincial government seat in today's Saga Prefecture, to come to Edo Castle.

Abe's urgent question: Could Saga manufacture about 200 iron cannons for the shogunate?

By that time, the political turmoil that would eventually doom the shogunate and transform Japan's political and social systems had started.

Just 10 days before that, American Commodore Matthew Perry, who came to Japan on July 8, left Edo Bay after pledging to come back the next spring.

Perry led a fleet of four "black ships" armed with 63 powerful cannons. He vocally demanded that Japan end its national seclusion policy that had continued for more than 200 years.

Perry's arrival would soon split samurai lords and activists over how Japan should defend itself from Western powers. Some called for war to drive away the barbarians from the West, while others argued Japan should open up and adopt Western technologies to defend itself.

Ensuing power struggles and civil war eventually led to the collapse of the shogunate and establishment of a government centered on Emperor Meiji in 1868 that later modernized, industrialized and Westernized the entire country to compete with the rest of the world.

This reform process is now known as the Meiji Restoration, or Meiji Ishin in Japanese.

On Tuesday the government held a ceremony to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Meiji Era, when the 16-year-old Emperor officially chose the era name Meiji for his reign.

Through the Meiji reforms, Japan barely managed to emerge as one of a few non-Western countries that successfully modernized and thereby avoided being colonized by a Western power.

"Meiji Ishin was a holistic change of Japanese society from feudalism to modernistic capitalism under the global environment of the 19th century," said the late Toshihiko Mori at a symposium in 2010, when he was professor emeritus of Japanese history at Osaka City University.

"It was Japan's response to the challenge from the Industrial Revolution of Western Europe, which started in Britain in the 18th century," he said.

In fact, Abe the samurai bureaucrat knew how serious the challenge from the Western powers would be.

Long before Perry arrived, Abe and other Japanese leaders were precisely aware of what happened to China after it was defeated by the modern British military in the 1840-1842 Opium War. This was the very reason Abe reacted so quickly after Perry sailed out of Edo Bay.

Abe had no choice but to turn to Saga, however humiliating it might be for the shogunate.

Saga was the only provincial government that had succeeded in mass-producing iron cannons after carefully studying an imported Dutch book of gun production technologies.

The shogunate had tried but never succeeded in manufacturing its own iron cannons due to technological difficulties. It only owned bronze guns, which were weaker and used far less gunpowder.

Abe's request to Saga was one example that underlined the huge technological gaps between premodern Japan and the Western powers of the time.

To this day, Japanese people proudly embrace the success story of the Meiji Restoration.

Dramatic stories of numerous young middle- to lower-class samurai heroes who played key roles in overthrowing the shogunate are extremely popular and have been repeatedly made into novels, TV dramas and movies.

Such individuals include Saigo Takamori, a samurai leader who was featured in this year's NHK history drama series, and Sakamoto Ryoma, an activist who helped overthrow the shogunate and was assassinated in 1867 in Kyoto.

But historians say - despite the long-lasting popularity of these samurai heroes - that the Meiji Restoration has never been fully understood by the Japanese people in general.

Even among historians, key aspects of the restoration are often overlooked or ignored because of the ideological biases of the different political forces before and after World War II.

"In my view, what was most important about Meiji Ishin was the removal of the hereditary class system. Before Meiji Ishin, people all belonged to one of the classes for life," said Hiroshi Mitani, a professor emeritus of history at the University of Tokyo.

"In that sense, it was a revolution, not a mere restoration of the old Imperial system," Mitani said, adding that its revolutionary element has long been overlooked by historians.

In fact, one can find an odd paradox in the Meiji reforms.

It was samurai leaders who played key roles in building the modern Meiji government. But the Meiji government then abolished the class system that had separated samurai, farmers, artisans and merchants. It also deprived samurai of their hereditary privileges, including salaries paid in the form of bags of rice.

This reform was presumably carried out to mobilize people of all classes for various social reforms taking place at the time. But as a result, strangely enough, the biggest losers of the Meiji revolution turned out to be those belonging to the samurai class.

According to Mitani, about two-thirds of the samurai, who accounted for 6 percent of the nation's total population of 34 million, became jobless with the abolition of the class system. The remaining one-third were meanwhile re-hired as bureaucrats.

"So the elite class accounting for 4 percent of the total population vanished all at once. This is a real class revolution," Mitani said.

In the 1930s and '40s, Japan's militarism prevailed and the Imperial government started further glorifying stories of pro-Imperial players in the Meiji Restoration to propagate the legitimacy of the Imperial regime.

For example, from 1939 through 1941, the Education Ministry published a six-volume series of the official history of the Meiji Restoration.

The declared purpose of the publication was to "let the people learn about the dignity of the national polity." Thus the narratives of the set of volumes, called Ishin-shi (Restoration History), were centered on those of pro-Imperial activities and the Imperialists' struggles with their political enemies.

However, such stories oversimplified the actual history because various parties in the Meiji revolution had their own agenda, according to Mitani.

He said that because much of the historical facts in the books were accurate and their oversimplified stories were easy to understand, their interpretation of the Meiji reforms had a long-lingering influence on history education in schools even after the war.

After the war, many historians were influenced by Marxism. Left-leaning historians played down this revolutionary nature of the Meiji reforms because it did not match their Marxist view of history, said Fuji Takagi, a professor emeritus of history at Otsuma Women's University in Tokyo.

"They believed the old class system had merely been replaced with that of landowners and tenant farmers" because this was in line with the communist dogma of historical views, Takagi said.

Many postwar historians, like a majority of the Japanese, detested Japan's wartime militarism in the 1930s and '40s that was centered on people's worship of the Emperor.

They found that the origin of the modern Imperial system they criticized went back to the Meiji Restoration, another reason they attached less importance to the achievements of the reforms, Takagi said.

"Studies of history are not just about looking into the past but are closely related to how you see contemporary society. Historians look at the past to think about the present or to form a vision of the future," he said, explaining why so many Japanese historians were affected by Marxism after the war.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Marxism lost much of its appeal and Japanese historians finally shed its influence.

But young scholars nowadays instead tend to focus on precise, factual studies on the details of certain historical materials, such as newly found handwritten documents, and do not try to present a big picture of history, both Takagi and Mitani said.

"This is a backlash from Marxism. Marxism presented a too-big picture of history and it turned out to be totally wrong," said Mitani, who is also a professor of history at Atomi University in Tokyo.

But now that nearly 30 years have passed since the collapse of the communist sphere, it may be about time to review the meaning of the Meiji reforms, setting aside ideological biases, either prewar worship of the Emperor or postwar Marxist theories, Takagi said.

He said he has recently sensed a rise in nationalism in Japan, as in other countries, including the United States and Russia.

Nationalistic people often try to glorify the history of their country and play down their grave past mistakes, such as those conducted during World War II, he said.

"So I'm concerned. The 150th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration should not be made into something used just to glorify the state," he said.

On the other hand, most Japanese appear not to care very much about the lingering effects of the prewar Imperial education or Marxist influences on postwar historians.

Many history fans are still fascinated with the dramatic, and often fictional, stories of samurai heroes of the turbulent Meiji Era, as can be seen in the huge popularity of novels on the Meiji Restoration, such as those written by the late Ryotaro Shiba.

Shiba's novel "Ryoma ga Yuku" ("Ryoma Goes His Way"), first published in a daily newspaper from 1962 through 1966, sold more than 25 million copies. His novels on the Meiji Era made him one of the most popular writers in postwar Japan.

Critics, however, say his novels focus too much on the positive episodes of individual heroes and avoid the era's negative aspects.

"The biggest problem is his simple dichotomy of the 'positive Meiji Era' versus the 'negative Showa Era,' " wrote Masanori Nakamura, a professor emeritus of history at Hitotsubashi University in his book published in 2009.

Nakamura says the "negative Showa Era" is represented by the militarism of the 1930s and '40s. Deeply disillusioned with Japan's wartime militarism, Shiba never wrote a novel about the era of Japan's wartime militarism, devoting himself to writing only about individual heroes before that dark age.

Shiba is said to have conducted vast research into historical facts in his writing, which lends much credibility to the stories in his novels.

But readers can't tell which parts are fictional and which are based on historical evidence because his novels usually don't show the sources of their descriptions, unlike academic writings by historians.

"This may be natural for a novel, but sources of information are rarely shown. Most readers have no choice but to assume what is written is true," Nakamura wrote.

But reading Shiba's novels at least provides people with "a good opportunity" to become interested in the history of the Meiji Era, Takagi said.

"Every historian would say they can't beat Mr. Shiba because the number of copies printed is so large that it's no comparison with books written by historians," he said.

Shiba probably wrote his works to explore what an individual could do in times of upheaval. So his novel on samurai reformist Sakamoto Ryoma, for example, has entertained and encouraged millions of readers - something few historians could achieve, Takagi said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Historical jury still out on Japan's Meiji Restoration | The Japan Times

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On July 27, 1853, the Tokugawa shogunate was in crisis. Shogun Tokugawa Ieyoshi passed away from what today is believed to be heat exhaustion at Edo Castle in the heart of Edo, present-day Tokyo. Abe Masahiro, the top samurai bureaucrat under the shogun, had an urgent mission to carry out that day.

# data[].attributes.headline
Taiwan Seizing 'Strategic Window of Opportunity' Under Trump

# data[].attributes.subject
Taiwan Seizing 'Strategic Window of Opportunity' Under Trump

# data[].attributes.body
October 23
Asia Times

In the midst of long- existing Taiwanese and Chinese resentments, Taiwan leadership is looking to capitalize on the US- China trade war. As the United States Pentagon sent warships through the Taiwan Strait earlier this week, they sent a clear message of power to China. Because Taiwan is such a contested region, this was a particular smack in China's face, especially considering that most global powers refuse to offer support for Taiwanese sovereignty for fear of China's economic influence. Taiwan's defense ministry has expressed hope to use this moment to capitalize on US support. In past months, the US has increased its arms sales to the Taiwan. This has continued to upset Chinese authorities, who still claim ownership of the island.
Taiwan hopes to deepen this relationship with the United States by sharing Chinese hacking information. They also hope to continue defense trade by producing computer parts for F16, F15, and F18 for both the US and NATO.

-Megan Temple

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Taiwan seizing 'strategic window of opportunity' under Trump

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Friends in current US administration signal openness to deepen defense ties

# data[].attributes.headline
Guns and guards to be removed from Korean 'truce village' of Panmunjom

# data[].attributes.subject
Guns and guards to be removed from Korean 'truce village' of Panmunjom

# data[].attributes.body
October 22
The Guardian

North and South Korea and the US run United Nations Command agreed to demilitarize the border village of Panmunjom. Firearms and guard posts will be removed from the truce village, and there will be a “three way joint verification” which will take place over two days to ensure that it is free of weapons. This is the only place on the border where troops stand face to face, and also was the site of the North Korean soldier that defected last December, which made global news. It was a neutral zone until 1976 when North Korean soldiers attacked a work party trying to chop down a tree in the DMZ, which killed 2 American Army officers. This comes after the summit in September and an effort to remove landmines in the DMZ, and the reluctance of North Korea to denuclearize. It is interesting to see how rapidly this area has changed, considering it was the same place there was a gun battle and defecting North Korean soldier. It is also interesting to see how involved the US is in inter-Korean affairs.

-Lauren Gambino

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Guns and guards to be removed from Korean 'truce village' of Panmunjom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Demilitarisation will happen within days after talks between South Korea, North Korea and UN Command

# data[].attributes.headline
China to launch 'artificial moon' to illuminate city streets

# data[].attributes.subject
China to launch 'artificial moon' to illuminate city streets

# data[].attributes.body
October 19
Al Jazeera

China's media officials announced that the nation plans to launch a man-made moon in order to generate light in place of streetlamps. With this, electricity costs are expected to decrease. The plan is supposed to involve the first of these launching in 2020 and have three more to follow in 2022. The first launch will be experimental. According to China Daily, these artificial moons will shine in tandem with the actual moon but be as much as eight times brighter. They would reflect light from the sun and could save as much as $170 million each year in electricity costs by illuminating urban areas. These satellites could also help with rescues during disasters in case of blackouts. China is preparing to launch a lunar probe later this year in hopes of catching up with the space technology of the United States and Russia. I found this interesting because it is so unlike anything other countries have tried to do. As governments are facing more pressure to reduce energy use, innovation such as this could set an example for others to follow.
-Sara S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
China is planning to launch its own 'artificial moon' by 2020 to replace streetlamps and lower electricity costs in urban areas, state media reported on Friday.

Chengdu, a city in southwestern Sichuan province, is developing "illumination satellites" which will shine in tandem with the real moon but are eight times brighter, according to China Daily.

The first man-made moon will launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, with three more to follow in 2022 if the first test goes well, said Wu Chunfeng, head of Tian Fu New Area Science Society, the organisation responsible for the project.

Though the first launch will be experimental, the 2022 satellites "will be the real deal with great civic and commercial potential," he said in an interview with China Daily.

By reflecting light from the sun, the satellites could replace streetlamps in urban areas, saving an estimated 1.2bn yuan ($170m) a year in electricity costs for Chengdu, if the man-made moons illuminate an area of 50 square kilometres.

The extraterrestrial source of light could also help rescue efforts in disaster zones during blackouts, he added.

AFP was not able to contact Wu nor the Tian Fu New Area Science Society to confirm the reports.

As China's space programme races to catch up with that of the United States and Russia, a number of ambitious projects are in the pipeline, including the Chang'e-4 lunar probe - named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology - which aims to launch later this year.

If it succeeds, it will be the first rover to explore the "dark side" of the moon.

China is not the first country to try beaming sunlight back to Earth. In the 1990s, Russian scientists reportedly used giant mirrors to reflect light from space in an experimental project called Znamya or Banner.

Chengdu's artificial moon project was announced by Wu at an innovation and entrepreneurship conference in Chengdu on October 10.

In addition to Tian Fu New Area Science Society, other universities and institutes, including the Harbin Institute of Technology and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, are involved in developing Chengdu's illumination satellites.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
China to launch 'artificial moon' to illuminate city streets

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
China is planning to launch its own 'artificial moon' by 2020 to replace streetlamps and lower electricity costs in urban areas, state media reported on Friday. Chengdu, a city in southwestern Sichuan province, is developing "illumination satellites" which will shine in tandem with the real moon but are eight times brighter, according to China Daily.

# data[].attributes.body
October 24
The Japan News

The Japanese government reported that a man believed to be  Junpei Yasuda was freed. Yasuda is a Japanese freelance journalist who went missing in 2015 while in Syria. This information was given to the Japanese government by the Qatar government, and was told that he will be protected by Turkish authorities until the identity is confirmed. Yasuda was previously captured in  2004 when he was taken hostage in Iraq with other Japanese reporters. But in 2015, when he was captured he was taken hostage with his journalist friend Kenji Goto, killed by the Islamic State group. Yasuda has not been heard from since June of 2015, and he tweeted about how he would no longer share his location because his reporting was being stopped. It has been reported for a year now that Yasuda is possible freed but In one video released in July, the  man believed to be Yasuda said he was in a harsh environment and needed to be rescued immediately. There are currently seven other journalists missing in Syria. I think this shows how all developed nations are targeted in places like Syria not just the ones we hear about in our own country.
-Elizabeth Tizzano

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Associated Press TOKYO (AP) - The government said Tuesday that a man believed to be a Japanese freelance journalist who went missing three years ago while in Syria has been released and is now in Turkey.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a hastily arranged news conference late Tuesday that the government was informed by Qatar that the man, believed to be journalist Junpei Yasuda, has been released.

Yasuda was last heard from in Syria in 2015.

Suga said Qatar's government told Japanese officials that the man is being protected by the Turkish authorities and is being identified, and that he is most likely Yasuda.

Suga said he has notified Yasuda's family of the news.

Yasuda started reporting on the Middle East in early 2000s. He was taken hostage in Iraq in 2004 with three other Japanese, but was freed after Islamic clerics negotiated his release.

His most recent trip to Syria was in 2015 to report on his journalist friend Kenji Goto, who was taken hostage and killed by the Islamic State group.

Contact was lost with Yasuda after he sent a message to another Japanese freelancer on June 23, 2015. In his last tweet two days earlier, Yasuda said his reporting was often obstructed and that he would stop tweeting his whereabouts and activities.

Several videos showing a man believed to be Yasuda have been released in the past year.

In one video released in July, the bearded man believed to be Yasuda said he was in a harsh environment and needed to be rescued immediately.

Syria has been one of the most dangerous places for journalists since the conflict there began in March 2011, with dozens killed or kidnapped.

Several journalists are still missing in Syria and their fate is unknown.

Those missing include Austin Tice of Houston, Texas, who disappeared in August 2012 while covering the conflict, which has killed some 400,000 people. A video released a month later showed him blindfolded and held by armed men, saying "Oh, Jesus." He has not been heard from since.

Tice is a former Marine who has reported for The Washington Post, McClatchy Newspapers, CBS and other outlets, and disappeared shortly after his 31st birthday.

Another is British photojournalist John Cantlie, who appeared in Islamic State group propaganda videos. Cantlie has worked for several publications, including The Sunday Times, The Sun and The Sunday Telegraph. He was kidnapped with American journalist James Foley in November 2012. The IS beheaded Foley in August 2014.

Lebanese journalist Samir Kassab, who worked for Sky News, was kidnapped on Oct. 14, 2013, along with a colleague from Mauritania Ishak Moctar and a Syrian driver while on a trip in northern Syria.

In March 2014, two Spanish journalists - correspondent Javier Espinosa and photographer Ricardo Garcia Vilanova - were released six months after being kidnapped by an Al-Qaida-linked group.

Speech

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Associated Press TOKYO (AP) - The government said Tuesday that a man believed to be a Japanese freelance journalist who went missing three years ago while in Syria has been released and is now in Turkey.

# data[].attributes.headline
Taiwan train derailment in Yilan County kills at least 18

# data[].attributes.subject
Taiwan train derailment in Yilan County kills at least 18

# data[].attributes.body
October 22
BBC

The Puyuma Express train derailed on Sunday, killing 18 people and injuring 187. There were 366 passengers onboard and all 8 carriages derailed.
The incident is Taiwan's worst rail accident in 27 years. At least three children were among the dead.Four of the carriages turned at a 90 degree angle and had the most casualties. A woman, Tung Xiao-ling, lost eight family members who had been returning from her sister's wedding celebration. It remains unclear what caused the train to derail.
Taiwan's leader, Tsai Ing-wen, arrived at the scene to meet relatives of passengers affected by the disaster.
- Maddie Alexander

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
At least 18 people have been killed and 187 injured after a passenger train derailed in north-east Taiwan.

Railway authorities say they are investigating the accident, which happened in Yilan County at about 16:50 local time (08:50 GMT) on Sunday.

A total of 366 passengers were on the train when all eight of its carriages derailed.

The incident is Taiwan's worst rail accident in 27 years. At least three children were among the dead.

"The train was going very fast. I hit a wall when the car started to flip. Around five to six people were thrown out of the carriage door," passenger Henry Tseng told Reuters news agency.

"There [was] no time to think what happened. Everyone was in a rush to get out."

It is not clear if any passengers remain unaccounted for - with reports providing conflicting details.

'Overturned at 90 degrees'

The Puyuma Express 6432 service came off the tracks close to Xinma station, near the town of Su'ao about 70km (43 miles) from Taipei.

It was travelling between Taipei and the eastern county of Taitung.

"There are four carriages that were overturned at 90 degrees and the worst casualties were in those carriages," said Jackson Lu, director-general of the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA).

He had earlier told a press conference that the train was only six years old and had been in "pretty good condition" before the accident.

It remains unclear what caused the train to derail, but witnesses told local media they heard a loud noise then sparks and smoke.

Train kills dozens at Indian festival

Dog dies after lead trapped in train doors at station

Children in cart killed in Dutch rail crash

Video footage on local television showed passengers breaking windows to escape the carriages.

"I smashed the safety glass and crawled out and I helped to pull a young man out," one passenger told reporters. "There was a person sitting behind me. I'm not sure she survived."

Another woman, Tung Xiao-ling, lost eight family members who had been returning from her sister's wedding celebration.

"No one can accept that one day you are a bride and the next day you are mourning a family member," Ms Tung, who was not onboard, told Reuters.

An AFP news agency reporter at the scene said more bodies were being removed from the damaged carriages at about 20:00 local time (12:00 GMT) on Sunday night.

Photographs from the scene show seats upended, with parts of the railway tracks twisted through carriage windows in places.

Taiwan's leader, Tsai Ing-wen, arrived in Xinma on Monday morning. She said she had "asked prosecutors to clarify the situation" and quickly determine what caused the derailment.

She also met relatives of passengers affected by the disaster.

"We are really sorry... you have to stay strong," Ms Tsai told the mother of a seventh-grade girl who was killed in the crash.

Taiwan has an extensive train network and more than half a million passengers travel on the system every day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Worst rail disaster in decades for Taiwan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At least 18 people have been killed and 187 injured after a passenger train derailed in north-east Taiwan. Railway authorities say they are investigating the accident, which happened in Yilan County at about 16:50 local time (08:50 GMT) on Sunday. A total of 366 passengers were on the train when all eight of its carriages derailed.

# data[].attributes.headline
'Spycam' epidemic seizes South Korea's women

# data[].attributes.subject
'Spycam' epidemic seizes South Korea's women

# data[].attributes.body
October 22nd

South Korea is in a "spycam" epidemic with covert footage of sex, nudity, and urination posted online without the females consent. The footage is being taken by boyfriends and later used against the girls if the relationship goes south (no pun intended). They can also be taken with tiny hidden camera. They have taken to hiring private firms to take down the videos since they're on the internet forever. The spy camera phenomenon has reached such epidemic proportions in tech-savvy South Korea that tens of thousands of women have taken to the streets to march for action. These videos of women having sex or simply trying on clothes in a store are being sold to porn sites. People are calling for action because the firms set up to help and counsel these people are becoming overwhelmed.
-Megan Peruski

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
South Korea is in the grip of a "spycam" epidemic with covert footage of sex, nudity, and urination posted online in what amounts to a "social death penalty" for thousands of female victims.

The footage may be taken surreptitiously by boyfriends or captured on covert devices as small as car keys. Daily camera checks are now part of life for cleaners in many public toilets.

The spy camera phenomenon has reached such epidemic proportions in tech-savvy South Korea that tens of thousands of women have taken to the streets to march for action.

Under fire for moving too slowly, the government enacted a slew of measures, including the formation of a taskforce to help victims and increased inspections in risky public places.

In April, the 16-member task force launched a free service to help victims remove illicitly filmed footage from the internet - the team has been inundated. So far, it has handled some 15,000 requests to remove footage and counselled 3,000-plus victims.

"The situation is getting out of hand," said Ryu Hye-jin from the government-backed Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea, which oversees the taskforce. "Since the establishment of the task force, many victims have called and reached out to us."

'Social death'

Perpetrators typically use tiny devices that can easily film women in public places, such as toilets or changing rooms, and later sell the footage to pornography sites for profit.

The footage shows women undressing or having sex and can be sold for up to 100,000 won ($90).

In many cases, the filming is done by partners - with or without consent - at homes or in hotels, and later used as a form of revenge if the relationship turns sour.

"It sends the victims into depression because there is no end to it. It is on the internet forever. It's a social death penalty," said Ryu.

Women who fall victims to the hidden camera have previously turned to "digital laundries", private firms that remove the videos for a fee, giving rise to a lucrative, new industry. However, the new task force now offers the same services for free, and has taken over the bulk of such work.

The number of spycam cases jumped to nearly 6,500 in 2017, from about 2,400 in 2012, according to Yonhap news agency.

Campaigner Park Soo-yeon said many victims were not even aware they were the subject of such videos, and were reluctant to speak out when they did find out, cowed by social stigma.

"These are the people who are trying to hide themselves as much as possible," Park, who always carries a hidden camera detector, said at her office in the suburbs of the capital Seoul.

A fierce government critic, the 22-year-old activist founded the group Digital Sexual Crime Out in 2015 and was credited with bringing down a notorious porn website, Soranet, in 2016.

The illicit website, set up in 1999 and which had claimed more than a million users, had hosted thousands of videos of women that were filmed without their consent.

"What we need to tell people is that this is a crime, this is sexual violence, this is not porn," said Park, who called for the sales of hidden cameras to be tightened and regulated.

Never gone

It is virtually impossible to wipe all online traces of illicit images.

"These websites are all over the world and every country has different laws. It is really hard to get to a point where we can punish all the perpetrators," said Song Eugene, a counsellor at the taskforce.

She said it has been difficult for victims to speak up about the issue in South Korea, where discussions about women's rights are still sometimes seen as taboo in a male-dominated society.

"It's important for women to speak up about the issue to create awareness about the pain that has been inflicted."

Ryu said there was no way to stop such crimes so long as women were routinely seen as sex objects. "What we need is to change the way our society treats our women," she said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Spycam' epidemic seizes South Korea's women

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
South Korea is in the grip of a "spycam" epidemic with covert footage of sex, nudity, and urination posted online in what amounts to a "social death penalty" for thousands of female victims. The footage may be taken surreptitiously by boyfriends or captured on covert devices as small as car keys.

# data[].attributes.headline
AI robots may lend hand in Japan's English classes

# data[].attributes.subject
AI robots may lend hand in Japan's English classes

# data[].attributes.body
Japan Today. October 22

English is already a mandatory subject at certain levels in Japanese schools. As of 2020, it will also be required in elementary schools across the country. AI robots are being used to help teach English. The Musio X robots can communicate with the students at different levels of English and even encourage them and let them know if they were correct. The robots were originally only used in homes. They "were first introduced at a private junior high school in Kyoto in 2016 and they have since been introduced at about 30 schools nationwide."  These robots can be very beneficial to both the students and the teachers. The article interviewed some students who said that interacting with the robots was more comfortable for them then talking with teachers, and "it was easier to practice speech." The robots are able to "supplement teachers' roles as conversation partners," ensuring students get enough time and practice with the language.

Sarah W.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
AI robots may lend hand in Japan's English classes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Schools in Japan are exploring ways to take advantage of robots equipped with artificial intelligence in the teaching of English as the country plans to make the language a formal subject to be taught at elementary schools from the spring of 2020. Inside an elementary school classroom in the city...

# data[].attributes.headline
North Korea's box of bones - A mythical king and the dream of Korean unification

# data[].attributes.subject
North Korea's box of bones - A mythical king and the dream of Korean unification

# data[].attributes.body
Channel NewsAsia October 21.

There is a myth amongst Koreans about the tale of King Dangun. He is said to be the first mythical founder of the Korean Kingdom more than 4,350 years ago. Essentially his story keeps the dream of unification between North and South Korea alive. This tale portrays Koreans as a homogenous group who are destined to live together in harmony.
This story became extremely popular during the Japanese occupation.
During However there is little evidence that this man actually exsisted but officials have gone to great lengths to capitalize on the myth and use it to their advantage. For example, North Korean claims to have found the tomb of Dragon and his wife in Mt. Paektu, and for 100 euros you can look inside a glass box containing what the North Koreans say to be the bones of Dangun and his wife. But his story has prominence in South Korea as well. On the holiday "Foundation Day" South Koreans gather at shrines to make offerings and wear masks with a bearded Dangun on it. Basically this article comes ar a time on increased talks and progress between North and South Korea.

Molly Donegan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's the stuff of an Indiana Jones movie: supernatural kings, ancient tombs, and government-backed archaeologists striving to harness the power of legend for a greater cause.

Share this content

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share via E-Mail

SEOUL: It's the stuff of an Indiana Jones movie: supernatural kings, ancient tombs, and government-backed archaeologists striving to harness the power of legend for a greater cause.

On a divided Korean peninsula, tales of King Dangun - the mythical founder of the first Korean kingdom more than 4,350 years ago - play a quiet but persistent role in keeping the dream of reunification alive.

This mythology made an appearance in September when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took South Korean President Moon Jae-in to the top of Mount Paektu, the supposed birthplace of Dangun.

Moon also invoked the legend in an unprecedented speech in Pyongyang, calling for Korea to be reunited.

"We had lived together for 5,000 years but apart for just 70 years," said Moon, whose parents came from what is now North Korea.

For many South Koreans, the idea of unification has become increasingly unrealistic amid a widening gulf between the two Koreas more than 70 years after they were partitioned in the wake of World War II.

The legend of Dangun, however, plays a lasting role in promoting unification because it portrays Koreans as a homogenous group destined to live together, said Jeong Young-Hun, a professor at Seoul's Academy of Korean Studies.

"Dangun is a basis for Koreans to feel the necessity for pursuing harmony and unification," he said. "Dangun is a basis for seeing unification as something possible."

There's little evidence for the glorious king or the thousands of years of Korean unity Dangun is said to have founded.

Still, that hasn't stopped North Korea from claiming to have found his tomb and South Korea from eulogizing the unity of a kingdom that once challenged the might of China's dynasties.

"In both Koreas, (Dangun) has been used to emphasise the uniqueness, the singularity, homogeneity and antiquity of the Korean people," said Michael Seth, a professor of Korean history at James Madison University in Virginia. "Whether a real person or not, he is used by both Koreas to emphasise the unity as well as the uniqueness of the Korean people."

For full multimedia coverage on North Korea, click https://www.reuters.com/north-korea/

NORTH KOREA'S BOX OF BONES

Scholars say the chances that Dangun actually existed are close to zero.

According to Korean legend, Dangun was the son of a god who wanted to be a man, and a bear who wanted to be a woman.

"Dangun is a myth," said Yeungnam University archaeologist Lee Chung Kyu.

North Korea's founders originally disdained the story of Dangun as superstition incompatible with their ostensibly socialist ideology.

However, officials have since gone to great lengths to capitalise on the mythology and cement the ruling Kim family's claim to Dangun's legacy.

Official North Korean narratives have claimed Mount Paektu as the "sacred mountain of revolution" and assert that Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, was born on its slopes. Many historians place his actual birthplace in the former Soviet Union.

In the mid-1990s, North Korean authorities announced they had discovered the tomb of Dangun and his wife just outside Pyongyang, going so far as to "reconstruct" a white stone pyramid flanked by rough-hewn obelisks and statues of ancient princes and snarling beasts.

At the time, North Korean leader Kim Il Sung said constructing the mausoleum was designed to demonstrate "that Korea has a history spanning 5,000 years, that the Koreans are a homogeneous nation of the same blood since their emergence," according to a state media article from 2015.

For 100 euros each, or about US$115, tourists can peek inside a glass box containing what the North Koreans say are the bones of Dangun and his wife.

The high price and a reputation as an underwhelming experience mean few visitors pay to see the bones, Western tour guides say.

Amid a previous temporary thaw in relations between the two Koreas in 2007, a delegation led by South Korea's defence minister visited Dangun's royal tomb, and Pyongyang gave permission for South Korean tourists to visit Mount Paektu.

"A COMMON DESTINY"

Unlike Dangun, there is more evidence for Gojoseon, the kingdom he purportedly founded.

Seoul's National Museum of Korea has a display of bronze daggers, ceramics, and other relics said to be from the period and credited as "the first state ever to emerge on the Korean Peninsula".

Signs at the museum say Gojoseon lasted from 2,333 BCE to 108 BCE and "was powerful enough to compete as equals" with major dynasties in China. However, historians say details are disputed and have often been manipulated for political purposes.

"The early part of Gojoseon cannot be recognised as a state, especially not as a homogenous ethnic nation-state," said Yeungnam University's Lee, who argues the period was more likely marked by chiefdoms or tribes that only much later formed a more unified kingdom.

The idea of Dangun became especially popular among Koreans suffering under Japanese colonial occupation from 1910 to 1945, leading to the establishment of a home-grown religious movement that continues today.

The myth has sometimes been misused, leading to "chauvinism and extreme nationalism," Lee said.

Still, Dangun makes his mark in both Koreas.

During the national Foundation Day holiday on October 3, hundreds of South Koreans gathered at shrines in Seoul to make offerings, wear masks depicting a bearded Dangun, and rally for a peaceful and united Korea.

On the same day in North Korea, senior unification officials visited the mausoleum to perform an "ancestral sacrifice for Dangun" and call for a unified Korea.

Jeong said the unifying themes of Dangun and Gojoseon are "imperative" as the two Koreas try to overcome their differences.

"The most important ground for justifying unification can be found in the idea that we are a homogeneous group bound together by a common destiny - that we have lived as one throughout history and we have to continue to do so in the future," he said.

(Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North Korea's box of bones - A mythical king and the dream of Korean unification

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's the stuff of an Indiana Jones movie: supernatural kings, ancient tombs, and government-backed archaeologists striving to harness the power of legend for a greater cause. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via E-Mail SEOUL: It's the stuff of an Indiana Jones movie: supernatural kings, ancient tombs, and government-backed archaeologists striving to harness the power of legend for a greater cause.

# data[].attributes.headline
Zheng Xiaosong Dead After Fall From Tall Building

# data[].attributes.subject
Zheng Xiaosong Dead After Fall From Tall Building

# data[].attributes.body
BBC. Oct. 21.
China's top governing official in the Chinese territory of Macau, Zheng Xiaosong, has died after falling from a tall building.  The Chinese Government released a statement shortly after Zheng's death, saying he suffered from depression and implying that he killed himself.  Many find the state's explanation unconvincing. In recent years, hundreds of "suicides" have been committed by mid-level Chinese officials accused of various forms of corruption.  Many wonder if China's strict new anti-corruption campaign could be behind the rising death rate among politicians. Many find the string of suicides suspicious.  As for Zheng, who was only 59 at the time of his death, there is evidence that he met with the head of a large think tank the day before his death.  This, combined with his age, history, and the fact that all his friends were "shocked" at his untimely death, has increased suspicion around his apparent suicide.

-Sarah A.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
China's top representative governing the Chinese territory of Macau has died after falling from a tall building.

Beijing released a brief statement saying that Zheng Xiaosong had been suffering from depression, implying he had killed himself.

Mr Zheng, who was 59, fell off the building where he lived, officials said.

He served as the liaison between the Chinese government and the casino hub of Macau, a former Portuguese colony.

There is no evidence that Mr Zheng had come under the watch of China's pervasive anti-corruption campaign.

However, hundreds of mid-level Chinese officials who had been accused of graft have died in recent years - reportedly by killing themselves, though observers have questioned these accounts.

A statement on the Macau liaison's office website showed that Zheng met with the head of a think tank the day before his death, Reuters reported.

'One country, two systems'

Mr Zhang was educated overseas and and was a member of the Communist Party's Central Committee, one of China's elite ruling bodies.

Find out more about Macau

Hong Kong's democracy debate

Like Hong Kong, Macau operates under China's "one country, two systems" policy.

This means it has a degree of self-government but the chief executive must be approved by Beijing after an election.

The head of the special administrative region, Fernando Chui, expressed his "shock" at Zheng's death.

Macau's economy revolves around tourism. It has a long history as a gambling centre, drawing many thousands of visitors every year from China and Hong Kong.

You may also be interested in:

US to leave nuclear treaty with Russia

Trump 'not satisfied' over Saudi's death

Former Interpol chief's wife 'not sure he's alive'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Macau official dies after fall from building

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
China's top representative governing the Chinese territory of Macau has died after falling from a tall building. Beijing released a brief statement saying that Zheng Xiaosong had been suffering from depression, implying he had killed himself. Mr Zheng, who was 59, fell off the building where he lived, officials said.

# data[].attributes.headline
Trump Embarks on Bilateral Trade Talks to Pressure China

# data[].attributes.subject
Trump Embarks on Bilateral Trade Talks to Pressure China

# data[].attributes.body
The New York Times
October 17, 2018

After securing trade agreements with Canada and Mexico and South Korea, President Trump is attempting to rebrand the TPP to his own liking through pursuing various bilateral trade deals. The TPP aimed at encouraging China to make structural overhauls so that it could join the trade pact, but President Trump views bilateral agreements as a way to constrain the Chinese government's increasing geopolitical, territorial, and economic ambitions. The President is pursuing talks with Japan, the UK, the EU, Vietnam, and the Philippines, all as a part of a strategic plan to limit Chinese influence with new agreements in neighboring and partnering territories. This effort comes from rising economic and national security tensions between the US and China and the cusp of a potential meeting between President Trump and President Xi Jinping in November. This increasing pressure from the Trump administration could increase the tensions between the two nations, as the administration's tariffs on Chinese industry has deepened the rift between the nations. This new method of pressuring the Chinese government can potentially cause more geopolitical tensions in the region between US allies and the aggressive Chinese government.

-Ashley Hovorka

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The United States is looking to strike bilateral trade agreements with Asian countries like Vietnam as it tries to pressure China. Credit Credit Quinn Ryan Mattingly for The New York Times

WASHINGTON - Fresh off securing trade agreements with South Korea, Canada and Mexico, President Trump is embarking on a new plan: refashioning the Trans-Pacific Partnership to his liking through a flurry of bilateral trade deals.

Mr. Trump, who pulled the United States out of the trade pact with 11 other countries that he has called a "rape of our country," is now looking to forge deeper trade ties with several of the nations in the alliance, as well as the European Union and the United Kingdom.

But while the Trans-Pacific Partnership was aimed at encouraging China to make the extensive economic and structural overhauls that would someday win it a place in the trade pact, Mr. Trump views these new bilateral agreements as a way to contain Beijing's growing economic, geopolitical and territorial ambitions.

The White House gave formal notification to Congress this week that it would begin trade talks with Japan, the European Union and the United Kingdom. And the administration also has its sights on free trade agreements with the Philippines and Vietnam, as part of its effort to fence in China with agreements in its backyard.

The effort comes amid rising economic and national security tension between the United States and China and before a potential meeting in November between Mr. Trump and President Xi Jinping of China. The administration has already imposed three rounds of tariffs on a total of $250 billion a year worth of Chinese goods in an intellectual property dispute; imposed additional tariffs on Chinese steel, aluminum and washing machines; tightened national security restrictions on Chinese investment in sensitive sectors of the American economy; and stepped up foreign aid with a goal of offsetting China's rising influence in the developing world.

China is racing ahead with its own plan for somewhat more free trade in Asia through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which would sharply reduce tariffs on trade within Asia, tying Asian markets more closely to China. The Chinese-backed pact is taking shape as a fairly narrow trade agreement, however. Unlike the Trans-Pacific Partnership or the bilateral free trade agreements envisioned by the Trump administration, it would not impose minimum labor standards or restrictions on state-owned enterprises.

The Trump administration views the labor, manufacturing and other concessions it won in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement, as a template for future trade deals, particularly with Asia.

Among the most important provisions the White House wants to replicate in future deals is imposing limits on the ability of trading partners to strike separate deals with China. The new pact with Mexico and Canada severely limits their ability to reach separate free-trade deals with a nonmarket economy - a provision clearly aimed at Beijing. Negotiating similar language in agreements with China's neighbors could pose a particular challenge to Beijing's efforts to more closely tie itself to other Asian nations.

Earlier this month, an official with the Chinese Embassy in Canada called the provision "dishonest behavior" that undermines national sovereignty.

Image

The Philippines is among the nations with which President Trump is looking to deepen trade relations as he embarks on bilateral deals. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times

The administration also wants to bake in the potential to renegotiate trade deals more frequently so the United States can ensure trade terms remain in its favor. The U.S.M.C.A. has a fixed term of 16 years, which means that the United States could ask for another round of trade concessions at its expiration. That emphasis on renegotiation partly comes out of the American experience with China, which entered the World Trade Organization on terms tailored for developing countries. It has since turned into the world's largest manufacturer but still keeps the provisions that allow it to maintain high barriers to imports.

The U.S.M.C.A. also excludes state-owned enterprises, of which China has many, from benefiting from lower tariffs. And it contains a prohibition on currency manipulation, which the administration wants to push for in other trade deals.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly accused several trading partners, including Europe and China, of artificially weakening their currency to make exports cheaper.

On Wednesday, the Treasury Department said China, Germany, India, Japan, Korea and Switzerland would remain on its "monitoring list" for potential currency manipulation but declined to officially label any nation a currency manipulator.

While Treasury determined that China's direct intervention to reduce the value of its currency has been "limited," it said Beijing's practices deserve ongoing scrutiny.

"Of particular concern are China's lack of currency transparency and recent weakness in the currency," Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, said in a statement. "These pose major challenges to achieving fairer and more balanced trade, and we will continue to monitor and review China's currency practices, including ongoing discussions with the People's Bank of China."

Last week, Mr. Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, signaled at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings that the United States would look to make the deal with Mexico and Canada a model for future agreements. Pointing to the currency provision in the deal during an interview with CNBC, he said, "That's going to be important going forward for trade negotiations."

Whether the Trump administration can secure such provisions in future trade deals remains to be seen. But Mr. Trump, emboldened by recent trade "wins" secured by the threat of automobile tariffs, is preparing to test with more formidable economies his strategy of pummeling trade partners into submission.

Over the summer, Mr. Trump threatened "tremendous retribution" against Europe in the form of car tariffs, before backing off ahead of negotiations. During the talks with Canada last month, Mr. Trump repeatedly threatened to tax Canadian cars, even suggesting that tariffs could be better than a deal.

On Wednesday, Wilbur Ross, the commerce secretary, expressed frustration with the pace of talks and suggested intransigence on the part of the European Union. "The president's patience is not unlimited," Mr. Ross told reporters in Brussels after a meeting with senior European officials.

A port in China, which is trying to strike its own trade deals with its Asian neighbors. Credit China Stringer Network/Reuters

Earlier on Wednesday, Cecilia Malmstrom, the European trade commissioner, said the United States "has not shown any big interest" in an offer by Brussels to begin discussing a limited agreement focused on industrial goods.

"The ball is in their court," she said.

The administration's preference for striking bilateral deals is prompting criticism from some former trade officials, who warn that such agreements are likely to be narrower and foster less investment and long-term cooperation than the broad trading bloc envisioned by the Obama administration with the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

"I think it is likely to be much more difficult to get the same strategic and architectural benefits out of a series of bilateral agreements as you might out of a major regional agreement, and certainly not in the same time frame," said Michael Froman, who was the United States trade representative in the second term of the Obama administration.

And the administration's desire to reach a trade deal with the Philippines could also prove to be contentious. Since winning election two years ago, President Rodrigo Duterte has emerged as a human rights pariah for allowing extrajudicial killings as part of a crackdown on his country's epidemic of methamphetamines and other drugs.

Opening negotiations with the Philippines could prove especially problematic as the United States grapples with maintaining its economic and diplomatic ties to Saudi Arabia after the disappearance of a Saudi dissident journalist in Turkey this month. The administration is already under fire for prioritizing financial ties above concern for the journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, who the Turks say was killed by the Saudis.

Democrats, who could win control of the House of Representatives in November's elections, are already gearing up for a trade fight with Mr. Trump and rejecting any United States embrace of Mr. Duterte on trade. Finalizing a major trade pact without bipartisan support would be impossible next year if Republicans lose either the House or the Senate.

"This is yet another example of President Trump admiring and rewarding authoritarians," said Representative Lloyd Doggett, Democrat of Texas, in reference to speculation that talks with the Philippines could soon begin.

The Philippines was excluded from the Obama-era Trans-Pacific Partnership because its high tariffs and other trade barriers for keeping out foreign competition appeared to be an insurmountable obstacle. Strong interest groups in the Philippines want to keep those trade barriers, including wealthy families that own companies that benefit from limiting foreign competition.

Instead, the United States turned its attention to Vietnam, which also has high trade barriers, but which the Obama administration viewed as a unified Communist government with the political will to force through market-opening measures.

"The work has already been done," said Chad Bown, an economist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, noting that a detailed outline of new trading terms had already been drawn for a developing country such as Vietnam. "It makes sense to go back to them."

Jack Ewing contributed reporting from Brussels.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Trump Embarks on Bilateral Trade Talks to Pressure China

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
WASHINGTON - Fresh off securing trade agreements with South Korea, Canada and Mexico, President Trump is embarking on a new plan: refashioning the Trans-Pacific Partnership to his liking through a flurry of bilateral trade deals.

# data[].attributes.headline
Referendum to scrap 'Chinese Taipei' officially approved for vote in November

# data[].attributes.subject
Referendum to scrap 'Chinese Taipei' officially approved for vote in November

# data[].attributes.body
Taiwan News
October 9, 2018

Taiwan’s Central Election Committee has approved a petition to scrap the term "Chinese Taipei" from further international sporting events, in consideration to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The petition for "Team Taiwan", now having reached the legal threshold for signatures, will now allow for a public vote in November. Disapproval for this possibility of a name change have been expressed from Beijing and the Olympic International Committee. Other officials are worried about the pressure this referendum can bring. Those who are wishing or hoping to remain independent from China's authoritarian government, this will be a nod for Taiwan's independence and for a rejection to Beijing's 'imperialist claim.' The motto for the Team Taiwan campaign is "Let Taiwan be Taiwan". This was interesting in relating to our class because this news story looks both at the functioning of the Taiwanese government and the movement for independence. These topics look to the wider scenario of foreign relations that often create tensions (and worse) between East Asian countries. I found this interesting because it will be interesting to see if this will pass, and if so, what will be the reactions and actions possibly taken towards or against this motion. It is made more interesting by the fact that an international lens is or will be brought in, with the coming of the Olympics in 2020.
-Andrew Morales

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - Taiwan's Central Election Committee (CEC) on Monday, Oct. 8, declared that the Team Taiwan petition for a referendum to scrap the use of "Chinese Taipei" in international sporting events ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, had reached the legal threshold of signatories necessary for a public vote with the Nov. 24 elections.

After a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 9, shortly after 3:00 p.m., the CEC officially announced that a public referendum in November on the use of "Chinese Taipei" will be put to a public vote.

If the referendum passes with more than 25 percent support of the eligible electorate, then the Taiwanese government will be obliged to heed public demand and address the issue in the coming year.

In accordance with legal procedure, the campaign for Team Taiwan submitted a petition with a total of 515,959 signatures on Sept. 3 for CEC review. The CEC was expected to make a formal declaration of acceptance or approval of the petition by Oct. 7.

On Oct. 8, the CEC finally announced that of the total signatures, 86,564 were rejected, while 429,395 were verified as valid, far exceeding the necessary number of signatures, 281,745.

The referendum question that will be put to voters in November is "Do you agree Taiwan should use the name 'Taiwan' to participate in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and all other international sporting events?" The question will be asked alongside six others that passed the threshold and were approved Tuesday by the CEC, reports CNA.

Team Taiwan campaign submitting the petition (CNA Image)

The announcement from the CEC today is likely to elicit a strong reaction from Beijing as well as the Olympic International Committee, which has previously said that it will not consider any name change, regardless of any referendum outcome, and the wishes of the Taiwanese people.

Hsu Hsiu-ling (許秀玲), the head of the international division of the Sports Administration under the Ministry of Education, told CNA that that if the referendum passes, the government will abide by the wishes of the people, and push the issue forward on the international stage, despite previous statements from the IOC.

Even if the referendum passes and the government accepts the result, there is still a possibility that the IOC, influenced by Beijing, will forbid Taiwan's participation in the Tokyo Olympics as "Team Taiwan."

Officials representing the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee in Taiwan have also voiced their disapproval of the referendum.

The Tsai administration, which is responsible for the amendments to the Referendum Act that drastically lowered the threshold of necessary signatures for a referendum, will be under a lot of pressure to respond affirmatively to the public's demands if the measure receives enough votes in November.

Given the current deterioration of cross-strait relations, something as seemingly benign as the name of a sports team could potentially come with enormous consequences, if the government in Beijing declares the referendum or its result to be evidence of a move towards Taiwan's international recognition as an independent nation.

For many Taiwanese who want to remain independent from Beijing's authoritarian government, the referendum to scrap the label "Chinese Taipei" is certain to be viewed as an affirmation of Taiwan's independence and its democratic government, as well as a rejection of the imperialist claim which Beijing has made over the country.

"Let Taiwan be Taiwan" is the campaign slogan for Team Taiwan. Campaigners are hopeful that the Taiwanese flag will fly alongside the flags of other nations in 2020 at the Tokyo Olympics.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Referendum to scrap 'Chinese Taipei' ... | Taiwan News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The campaign for the country to compete as Taiwan in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will proceed to a public vote.After a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 9, shortly after 3:00 p.m., the CEC officially announced that a public referendum in November on the use of "Chinese Taipei" will be put to a public vote.

# data[].attributes.headline
This Chinese man drove his son to school in a Ferrari, and all hell broke loose

# data[].attributes.subject
This Chinese man drove his son to school in a Ferrari, and all hell broke loose

# data[].attributes.body
South China Morning Post
Oct. 9

A father in eastern China dropped his son off at school in a Ferrari and is now facing social boycott. He is becoming an outcast for showing off his wealth, and after refusing to drive a less expensive car he was thrown off the parent WeChat group. The son is a junior in Hangzhou and the father is a senior executive of an unidentified property developing company and earns 4 million yuan a year ($578,000). Apparently, some of the parents complained to the teacher about the fancy car, and the teacher said it could lead to some unhealthy comparisons in class. The dad refuses to back down saying that he has worked had for his money and he deserves to show it off. He goes on to say that if seeing someone else driving a nice car hurts their feelings than they're too sensitive. People on social media voices their opinions and some said that the parents should've taken this as a teaching opportunity for their kids to show them hard work and the value of money. This is sparked by the huge wealth gap in China today.
-Megan P.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chinese man drives son to school in a Ferrari, all hell breaks loose

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A father in eastern China who dropped his son off at school in a Ferrari is facing a social boycott for showing off wealth and has been removed from the class WeChat group after refusing to use a...

# data[].attributes.headline
North Korean hacking group blamed for attempted cyber heists totaling US $1.1 billion

# data[].attributes.subject
North Korean hacking group blamed for attempted cyber heists totaling US $1.1 billion

# data[].attributes.body
South China Morning Post
Oct. 8
A cybersecurity firm called FireEye has discovered a North Korean hacking group has stolen from banks around the world in a series of ongoing attacks. The attempted cyber heists have totaled about $1.1 billion over the course of four years. The hacking group has infiltrated at least 16 different organizations in 11 countries. More than $100 million has been stolen. What makes this hacking group unique is that it waits an average of 155 days after getting through a bank or other organization's security systems before stealing the money, and, according to the cybersecurity firm, the organization has knowledge of banking networks and geopolitical factors of their attacks. North Korean diplomats and officials deny any involvement by the country in the cyber attacks. I found this series of attacks to be interesting because it demonstrates an advancement of technical skill and knowledge that other parts of the world do not appear to be able to outdo. While North Korea is largely isolated from the rest of the world, the nation manages to keep up with technology and innovations that allow them to be a world power, or at least worthy of consideration.

-Sara S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North Korean hacking group accused of trying to steal US$1.1 billion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cybersecurity firm says hackers from secretive regime have infiltrated 16 organisations in 11 countries

# data[].attributes.headline
Taiwan hosts Paraguayan leader at military drill amid rising tensions with mainland China

# data[].attributes.subject
Taiwan hosts Paraguayan leader at military drill amid rising tensions with mainland China

# data[].attributes.body
South China Morning Post
October 9, 2018
On Tuesday, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen hosted the Paraguayan President in running a joint military exercise. The exercise simulated a Chinese attempt to attack a Taiwanese airbase. This comes at the time of China slowly taking away Taiwan's allies. Taiwan only has 17 nations as allies, including Paraguay. A defense ministry spokesman says the exercise was done to strengthen and encourage a friendship between the nations of Taiwan and Paraguay. The rest of the article goes on to explain the strained relationship Taiwan has had with Beijing since 1949 and how China has repeatedly done training exercises to intimidate Taiwanese forces. It also shares information on how the United States does not have an official diplomatic relationship with Taiwan in order to please Beijing, but does keep a de facto embassy on the island and close relationship otherwise. I found it interesting that Paraguay and Taiwan were running military exercises together because I had no knowledge of the two nations having any sort of relationship.

Lauren Gambino

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Taiwan hosts Paraguay at military drill amid rising tensions with Beijing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen hosted her Paraguayan counterpart on Tuesday at a military exercise in a sign of the island's determination to withstand mainland China's diplomatic onslaught....

# data[].attributes.headline
Trump talks up second North Korea summit

# data[].attributes.subject
Trump talks up second North Korea summit

# data[].attributes.body
CNN
October 9, 2018
On Tuesday, President Trump offered new details about a potential second summit with Kim Jong Un following the leader's meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the weekend. According to President Trump, the second summit is "happening" and it "won't be too far away", and he added that this second summit will take place at a new location. Trump boasted of the improved relations between the US and North Korea since he took office, emphasizing the efficiency of his administration in negotiating with the North Korean leader since the historic summit in Singapore. Pompeo's meeting with Kim took place on Sunday and lasted for two hours. After this meeting, Pompeo reported that Kim is "ready to allow international inspectors into a key nuclear testing site", signaling Pyongyang's inching towards a commitment towards the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. This article demonstrates the continued improvement of relations between the two countries and the potential for a historic peace agreement between the Korean nations.

-Ashley Hovorka

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
trump talks up second north korea summit - cnnpolitics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Trump talks up second North Korea summit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered up new details about a potential second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, following Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's meeting with Kim over the weekend.

# data[].attributes.headline
North Korea wants Pope Francis to visit, South Korea says

# data[].attributes.subject
North Korea wants Pope Francis to visit, South Korea says

# data[].attributes.body
NBC News
October 9,2018

South Korea is playing the middle man between North Korea and the Vatican. The South Korean presidential office says that North Korea wants to invite the Pope to highlight peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula. President Moon will visit the Vatican on Oct. 17 and 18 to reaffirm its blessing and support for peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and during this meeting he will relay Kim's message. Kim told Moon of his wishes to meet the Pope during last months summit of the two leaders. North Korea's constitution guarantees freedom of religion as long as it does not undermine the state but no open religious activity is allowed in North Korea. Although this article was very short I think it showcases the growing relationship between South and North Korea. I think right now South Korea is helping North Korea not be so feared. By them extending this olive branch to the pope I think it shows signs of future changes and possiblities for North Korea.
- Elizabeth Tizzano

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has invited Pope Francis to visit Pyongyang in a gesture designed to highlight peace efforts on the Korean peninsula, South Korea's presidential office said on Tuesday.

North Korea and the Vatican have no formal diplomatic relations. South Korean President Moon Jae-in will deliver Kim's invitation when he meets Francis next week during a trip to Europe, Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said.

"President Moon will visit the Vatican on Oct. 17 and 18 to reaffirm its blessing and support for peace and stability of the Korean peninsula," the spokesman told a news briefing.

"Especially when he meets with Pope Francis, he will convey Chairman Kim's message that he will ardently welcome him if he visits Pyongyang."

Kim told Moon of his wish to meet the pope during last month's summit of the two leaders, the spokesman added, without elaborating on the timing. The pope has said he wants to visit Japan next year.

North Korea's constitution guarantees freedom of religion as long as it does not undermine the state, but beyond a handful of state-controlled places of worship, no open religious activity is allowed.

The invitation to the pope is the first by a North Korean leader since 2000. Although that meeting, proposed by Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, never materialized, the plan for Francis to visit is the North's latest diplomatic initiative this year.

Kim held an unprecedented summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore in June, and pledged to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

While Kim's actions since have fallen short of Washington's demands, the Trump administration is preparing for a second summit.

Before they turned the page on decades of public acrimony, the leaders regularly traded threats and insults as North Korea pushed to develop a nuclear missile capable of hitting the United States.

The two Koreas held three summits this year, following years of confrontation marked by the North's nuclear and missile tests.

Moon's Europe tour, scheduled for Oct. 13 to 21, is primarily to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting in Belgium and includes stops in France, Italy and Denmark, his office said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North Korea wants to 'ardently welcome' Pope Francis, South Korea says

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has invited Pope Francis to visit Pyongyang in a gesture designed to highlight peace efforts on the Korean peninsula, South Korea's presidential office said on Tuesday. North Korea and the Vatican have no formal diplomatic relations.

# data[].attributes.headline
Japan space tourist says moon training 'shouldn't be too hard' 

# data[].attributes.subject
Japan space tourist says moon training 'shouldn't be too hard' 

# data[].attributes.body
Channel News Asia
October 9, 2018

Yusaku Maezawa paid an undisclosed sum for a ticket to board Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket that will be traveling around the moon as early as 2023. He plans to bring a dozen artists on the trip with him as he is a passionate art collector. It hasn't yet been decided when training will begin for the trip but Elon Musk has assured the training should not be too hard. Maezawa plans to fit the training in with his normal work day. His company has a six hour work day policy and he follows this policy. It is important for him to work, but also have time for personal endeavors. SpaceX has acknowledged that it may not be ready for human flight for at least another five years. When the Big Falcon Rocket was first announced in 2016 is was touted as the most powerful rocket in history, even more powerful than the Saturn V that launched the Apollo missions. Maezawa says he is extremely excited to see the Earth in full view and has acknowledged that this trip has boosted his profile. He is the 13th richest man in Japan and chief executive of Japan's largest online fashion store.

-Katie S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Share this content

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share via E-Mail

TOKYO: Billionaire Japanese tycoon and future space tourist Yusaku Maezawa's training to go the moon should not be too tricky, he joked Tuesday (Oct 9), adding that he planned to use free time from his six-hour work day to squeeze it in.

The 42-year-old Maezawa paid an undisclosed sum for a ticket on fellow tycoon Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket around the moon as early as 2023 and the passionate art collector also plans to take around half a dozen artists with him on the trip.

"It hasn't been decided yet what training I will need to undergo but Elon Musk has said it shouldn't be too hard," Maezawa jested, adding in Japanese, "I believe English will be a must."

Asked how he could fit astronaut training around his already hectic schedule, he said he adhered to his own company policy of working a six-hour day and devoting the rest of the time to personal projects.

"I don't go to work from morning to night. I'm there three or four times a week and I try to go home after six hours," Maezawa told a packed news conference in Tokyo.

Maezawa will hitch a ride aboard Musk's Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), which SpaceX has acknowledged may not be ready for human flight for at least five years.

First announced in 2016 and estimated to cost US$5 billion, the BFR was touted as the most powerful rocket in history, even more potent than the Saturn V moon rocket that launched the Apollo missions five decades ago.

Maezawa said he had received "safety guarantees" that allowed him to be able to invite the artists along on the trip, although he confirmed he had not yet begun negotiations with potential fellow-travellers.

He said he was most looking forward to seeing the entire Earth from space.

"I look forward to getting close to the moon. I would like to see the Earth in full view ... To see it with my own eyes, just thinking about it now makes tears well up in my own eyes," he said.

Maezawa is chief executive of Japan's largest online fashion store and is the 13th richest person in Japan, with an estimated fortune of US$2.8 billion, according to business magazine Forbes.

He did not deny there were some commercial interests behind his decision to pay for a ticket to the moon, as the exposure has hugely boosted his profile.

"I was formerly known as 'Maezawa the fashion guy' and now its been updated to 'Maezawa, who's going to the moon'," he said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Japan space tourist says moon training 'shouldn't be too hard'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via E-Mail TOKYO: Billionaire Japanese tycoon and future space tourist Yusaku Maezawa's training to go the moon should not be too tricky, he joked Tuesday (Oct 9), adding that he planned to use free time from his six-hour work day to squeeze it in.

# data[].attributes.headline
Former South Korean President Jailed for Corruption

# data[].attributes.subject
Former South Korean President Jailed for Corruption

# data[].attributes.body
BBC. Oct. 9.
On Friday October 5, former President Lee Myung-bak (76) was found guilty of bribery, embezzlement, and abuse of power. The South Koreans courts ordered him to pay a 13 billion won fine and 33 years in prison.  One of the major things under investigation was Lee's connection with Samsung and Hyundai officials, along with other industry leaders.  Many claim that pardons for industry leaders were given in exchange for money.  Lee claims these charges are false and politically motivated, but he was not present at his sentences due to his "poor health."  It should be noted, however, that Lee becomes the fourth South Korean leader to be jailed.  The four other former presidents jailed include Geun-hye, Doo-hwan and Tae-woo, who also served jail terms for corruption and treason after leaving office.

- Sarah A.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak has been jailed for 15 years for corruption.

Lee was sentenced in a Seoul court on Friday on charges of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power, and ordered to pay a 13 billion won ($11.5m; £8.8m) fine.

The former president claims the charges are politically motivated.

He becomes the fourth South Korean former leader to be jailed, following his successor's imprisonment in April.

Park Geun-hye was sentenced to 33 years in jail after being found guilty of abuse of power and coercion.

The poisoned chalice of South Korea's presidency

South Korea country profile

Lee was not present at the sentencing, blaming poor health.

The judge at Seoul Central District Court said "heavy punishment for the accused is inevitable" because of the serious nature of the crimes.

The court found the former leader accepted billions of won from major electronics firm Samsung in return for pardoning its chairman, Lee Kun-hee. The company denies having given the former president the money.

Links between political leaders and large family-owned conglomerates known as chaebols have often come under scrutiny, or been the focus of criminal allegations.

Is real reform possible at South Korea's chaebols?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
South Korea ex-leader jailed for 15 years

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak has been jailed for 15 years for corruption. Lee was sentenced in a Seoul court on Friday on charges of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power, and ordered to pay a 13 billion won ($11.5m; £8.8m) fine. The former president claims the charges are politically motivated.

# data[].attributes.headline
Journalist’s Expulsion From Hong Kong ‘Sends a Chilling Message’

# data[].attributes.subject
Journalist’s Expulsion From Hong Kong ‘Sends a Chilling Message’

# data[].attributes.body
New York Times
October 8, 2018

A prominent British journalist has been denied a renewal of his work visa in Hong Kong. Mr. Victor Mallet is an Asia correspondent for The Financial Times, a British newspaper. When he returned to Hong Kong last week, he was allowed to enter with a 7-day visitor's visa. This is doubly unusual because British citizens are usually allowed tourist visas that are good for up to 6 months. This seems to confirm the suspicions of many that this is a political move in retaliation for Mr. Mallet's involvement with the HKNP.
The Hong Kong government has refused to comment on an individual immigration case, but it is suspected that his banning has to do with his connection to a talk given last month by the leader of the now- banned Hong Kong Nationalist Party. Many fear that this points to an increase in the Chinese government's  involvement in Hong Kong affairs. Many in Hong Kong are wary of the authoritarian government's interference in Hong Kong's unique political situation.

- Megan Temple

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Victor Mallet, a Financial Times journalist and first vice president of the Foreign Correspondents' Club, Hong Kong, in August. Credit Credit Pool photo by Paul Yeung

HONG KONG - The Financial Times said in an editorial Sunday that the expulsion of one of its journalists from Hong Kong sends a chilling message about the steady erosion of basic rights in the semiautonomous Chinese city, as more than 15,000 people signed an online petition calling for an explanation from the government.

The newspaper said Friday that Victor Mallet, its Asia news editor, was told his work visa would not be renewed. It is believed to be the first such expulsion of a foreign journalist since Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese control in 1997.

Mr. Mallet returned to Hong Kong after an international trip on Sunday and was allowed to enter the territory on a seven-day visitor visa, The Financial Times said. As a British citizen he would typically be allowed to stay in the territory for up to six months under a tourist visa.

"Immigration officials did not provide an explanation for the shortened visitor visa, and we continue to seek clarification from the Hong Kong authorities about the rejection of his work visa renewal," the newspaper said in a statement.

Hong Kong's Immigration Department said Friday that it would not comment on an individual case.

Hong Kong, which is known for its independent judiciary and strong rule of law, has long been a bastion of basic rights in Asia. It has also been a haven for journalists, from when international news media outlets were forced from mainland China after the Communist Party's takeover in 1949 to recent years, when Beijing has kicked out journalists over coverage of delicate topics within China.

"Hong Kong was, ironically, the place foreign journalists expelled from China would usually end up," said Keith Richburg, director of the Journalism and Media Studies Center of The University of Hong Kong and a former longtime foreign correspondent for The Washington Post. "The idea China is going to control which foreign journalists can come into Hong Kong, based on whether or not the Chinese government feels offended by something, to me it's a definite turning point."

Pro-democracy politicians, free speech organizations and human rights advocates have warned of growing suppression in Hong Kong under the influence of mainland China's authoritarian system. Such worries were heightened after several people associated with a Hong Kong publisher of gossipy books on elite Chinese politics went missing in 2015, only to reappear in custody in mainland China.

While the Hong Kong authorities have not given any explanation of Mr. Mallet's case, it is widely seen to be connected to a talk in August at the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents' Club by the head of a pro-independence political party. The government said in July that it planned to ban the tiny organization, the Hong Kong National Party, under a colonial-era law that allows the prohibition of groups out of national security, public safety or public order concerns.

Image

Representatives from major media associations on Monday after handing Hong Kong's government a letter expressing alarm over its denial of a work visa for Mr. Mallet. Credit Vincent Yu/Associated Press

Mr. Mallet, as first vice president for the Foreign Correspondents' Club, was host of the event and the club's leading spokesman at the time, while its president was out of town. The event was condemned by Hong Kong and mainland officials.

Leung Chun-ying, who was Hong Kong's chief executive from 2012 to 2017, seized on the event in saying the government should reconsider the lease on the F.C.C.'s clubhouse in a publicly owned building.

Mr. Mallet said the club regularly hosted events featuring speakers representing a range of voices it neither supported nor opposed, and viewed the talk, by Andy Chan, as part of its normal program of discussions of important events in the city. A month after the talk the Hong Kong government outlawed Mr. Chan's party, the first such ban since the 1997 handover.

In its editorial, The Financial Times said that Hong Kong independence is an impractical idea without popular support and that it would violate the Basic Law, Hong Kong's local constitution, and the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which outlined the 1997 handover of sovereignty.

"This newspaper does not support the idea of Hong Kong independence, but it strongly supports the principle of free speech," the editorial said.

It noted that no criticism had been raised of Mr. Mallet's work as a journalist.

The expulsion "sends a chilling message to everyone in Hong Kong, highlighting Beijing's tightening grip on the territory and the steady erosion of basic rights that are guaranteed in Hong Kong's laws and international agreements," the editorial said.

Mr. Richburg said worries about how the government would wield immigration laws would reverberate beyond the media.

"People are talking about a chilling effect, but this is more like a deep freeze," he said. "People will be afraid to have not only a conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club that might offend China - what about academic meetings? Does this mean that the university can't have a meeting to discuss anything that might offend China? Does this mean that anybody here can't talk about something that China considers a red line?"

Representatives of Hong Kong journalist groups presented the petition calling for an explanation of the expulsion to the government on Monday.

"Refusing a visa in this case, to a bona fide journalist working for one of the world's leading newspapers, sets a terrible precedent for Hong Kong's reputation as a place where the rule of law applies and where freedom of speech is protected by law," the petition said.

A protest in Hong Kong on Saturday over the government's refusal to issue a work visa to Mr. Mallet. Credit Vincent Yu/Associated Press

The British government said it was "concerned" about the rejection of Mr. Mallet's visa renewal. "We have asked the Hong Kong government for an urgent explanation," the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement. "Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and its press freedoms are central to its way of life, and must be fully respected."

Harvey Sernovitz, United States consulate general spokesman in Hong Kong, said the decision was "deeply troubling."

"This decision is especially disturbing because it mirrors problems faced by international journalists in the mainland and appears inconsistent with the principles enshrined in the Basic Law," he wrote in an email.

Locally, questions over the expulsion could distract from Chief Executive Carrie Lam's annual policy address to Hong Kong lawmakers on Wednesday. Thus far she has not commented on the decision.

Some pro-Beijing politicians have endorsed the visa decision. Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong's representative on the standing committee of China's National People's Congress, said Monday on a radio show that the expulsion would not affect media freedom in Hong Kong, and warned that those who raise the issue of Hong Kong independence do so "at their own risk," the Hong Kong broadcaster RTHK reported.

The Communist Party-owned newspaper Global Times said that the expulsion, if it was related to the talk, was a sign that the event was a "political provocation that goes far beyond the scope of freedom of speech."

"Without Mallet, Hong Kong won't have any less freedom of speech," the newspaper said in an editorial. "The city's future doesn't need to be the concern of Mallet, the U.K. government or Western media."

China's Foreign Ministry office in Hong Kong said Saturday that visa questions "fall within a country's sovereignty" and that the central government firmly supports the Hong Kong government "in handling the related matters in accordance with law."

"No country has the right to interfere," the statement added.

Last month, after the United States ordered representatives for China's state-run news media to register as foreign agents, China accused the United States of obstructing and politicizing the media.

"Countries should perceive media's role in promoting international exchange and cooperation in an open and inclusive spirit," said the Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang. "They need to facilitate, rather than obstruct, media's normal work, still less politicalizing the relevant issue."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Journalist's Expulsion From Hong Kong 'Sends a Chilling Message'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
HONG KONG - The Financial Times said in an editorial Sunday that the expulsion of one of its journalists from Hong Kong sends a chilling message about the steady erosion of basic rights in the semiautonomous Chinese city, as more than 15,000 people signed an online petition calling for an explanation from the government.

# data[].attributes.headline
Brexit: Japan 'would welcome' UK to TPP says Abe

# data[].attributes.subject
Brexit: Japan 'would welcome' UK to TPP says Abe

# data[].attributes.body
BBC News. October 8

Prime Minister Abe said that Japan "would welcome" the United Kingdom to t he Trans-Pacific Partnership, "a trade agreement between 11 countries, including Japan, Canada, Australia and Malaysia." Abe said the UK would still have "global strength" without it's connection to Europe. Brexit supporters were encouraged by this news. The UK could only join the TPP if it "left the EU customs union and was able to set its own tariffs." Abe articulated his desire for the UK to avoid a no-deal scenario. He also stated that their would need to be a transition period for Japanese firms to help minimize the negative effects of Brexit. Currently, there are more than 800 Japanese businesses in the UK that employ over 100,000 people. However, leading up to Brexit, many Japanese financial firms and other corporations want to move their EU headquarters out of London and back into Europe. The terms of Brexit and what that means for the future will continue to be discussed at a summit next week.

Sarah W.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Britain would be welcomed into the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal with "open arms" after it leaves the EU, Japan's prime minister has said.

While the UK would lose its role as a gateway to Europe after Brexit, it would retain its "global strength", Shinzo Abe told the Financial Times.

He also urged the UK and EU to use "wisdom" to avoid a no-deal scenario.

The TPP is a trade agreement between 11 countries, including Japan, Canada, Australia and Malaysia.

US President Donald Trump withdrew his country from the agreement last year, soon after entering the White House.

What is the Trans-Pacific Partnership?

Could the UK really join TPP?

Brexit: All you need to know

Mr Abe's comments are likely to be welcomed by Brexit supporters, who argue Britain would be able to strike trade deals more easily outside the EU.

The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March 2019.

The UK would only be able to join the bloc if it left the EU customs union and was able to set its own tariffs.

In the interview Mr Abe also expressed concern about a no-deal scenario.

"I hope that both sides can contribute their wisdom and at least avoid a so-called disorderly Brexit," he said.

He argued a transition period was essential for Japanese firms, saying, "I truly hope that the negative impact of Brexit to the global economy, including Japanese businesses, will be minimised."

Please upgrade your browser

Japan is a major investor in the UK, where more than 800 Japanese businesses employ more than 100,000 people.

But in the run-up to Brexit several Japanese financial firms have said they intend to move their main EU bases away from London and electronics giant Panasonic has said it will move its European headquarters from the UK to Amsterdam.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Japan says UK could join trade pact post-Brexit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Britain would be welcomed into the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal with "open arms" after it leaves the EU, Japan's prime minister has said. While the UK would lose its role as a gateway to Europe after Brexit, it would retain its "global strength", Shinzo Abe told the Financial Times.

# data[].attributes.headline
Interpol Chief, Detained by China, Resigns Under ‘Supervision’ of Party Watchdog

# data[].attributes.subject
Interpol Chief, Detained by China, Resigns Under ‘Supervision’ of Party Watchdog

# data[].attributes.body
New York Times
October 7, 2018

After the president of Interpol, an international criminal police organization located in France, had gone missing on Tuesday, the organization pressed Chinese government for answers. The Chinese Communist Party announced that the missing president was under investigation and currently being detained. Shortly after this announcement, Meng  Hongwei resigned as president. Placing one of China's own citizens at the top post in a global organization was considered an achievement for China and a sign of its international presence. However, this "disappearance" without any notice will surely set back the country's efforts to expand its global presence. Meng's wife had reported him missing on Tuesday after her husband had sent her a knife emoji after arriving in China. His wife interpreted this to mean that he was in danger and has not seen her husband since. He is currently being detained by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection who has detained people for years in the past when conducting investigations. This is all part of President Xi anti-corruption drive.

-Maddie A

# data[].attributes.headline
China’s Small Farms Are Fading. The World May Benefit.

# data[].attributes.subject
China’s Small Farms Are Fading. The World May Benefit.

# data[].attributes.body
NYT
October 5th, 2018

In China, a lot of young people are moving to the cities, as is very common throughout history (rural-urban migration). But in the wake of this move the rural population has thus shrank and now farmers are leasing their land for others to work on. This is a shift from the traditional small family farms that have dominated the rural farming scene for centuries. The article says that this is a good thing for China and the entire Global economy. Mainly being that bigger farms are more efficient and therefore the owners can make more money, and more people can move to the cities thus creating more consumers for other industries.
Even though the Chinese are long ways away from the factory farms that we have in the U.S. this new development kind of lays the foundation for it. Some Chinese citizens feel this will break up their family and alter their culture by threatening their community spirit. But many understand that this is the future, and that if done right there is much many to capitalize onion the growing years. Small farmers bowing out and others will slide in to take their place.
Molly Donegan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Image

Shanhui village in China's northern province of Shanxi. Credit Credit Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times

Traditional plots of land are slowly becoming parts of bigger operations, eroding a way of life but enriching local residents and helping more Chinese people move into the modern world.

Shanhui village in China's northern province of Shanxi. Credit Credit Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times

SHANHUI, China - This village doesn't change quickly. The ebb and flow of the planting and harvesting seasons still govern the lives of its 3,000 residents. Some rise at 3 a.m. to cook homemade tofu, a Shanhui specialty, over a coal-burning stove. Most homes remain topped by traditional Chinese tiled roofs, here crowned by carved dragon's heads, as is local custom.

Zheng Nanda worked the fields that surround this village in the northern province of Shanxi for more than four decades, often behind a plow pulled by cows. He is now in his early 70s and too old for such arduous labor. His children long ago left for jobs in the city and have no interest in farming.

Image

So Mr. Zheng became an unlikely agent of change. He has rented almost all of his small plot to other farmers, who work it using modern equipment. The $500 a year he earns in rental income helps keep him comfortable in his neatly manicured courtyard home.

"I won't want to join my children in the city," he said. "There is a Chinese saying that 'fallen leaves return to the roots.'"

As young people leave for the cities, more small farmers like Mr. Zheng are leasing their land for others to work. That is a monumental shift for a country where small family farms have dominated the rural landscape for centuries.

Other wealthy countries, like the United States, saw farms grow as the rural population shrank. Only relatively recently has that begun to happen in China. In the 1980s, the government broke up the giant communes favored by Mao Zedong and redistributed the rights to farm individual plots to households. Further changes in government policy in the mid-1990s made those land rights secure enough for farmers and others to have the confidence to rent land on a wide scale. China's agriculture sector is far from being dominated by big commercial farms, as it is in the United States, but the process has begun.

It may sound tragic, as a traditional way of life gives way to modernization, much like the disappearance of the small American family farm. But the transformation is good for China and the entire global economy.

Bigger farms become more efficient. Those farmers can make more money. And more people are free to move to the city, creating even more consumers for Ford cars, Starbucks cappuccinos and Apple iPhones.

"If everybody farmed, then everybody wouldn't have that much land," said Zheng Yunshou, a 51-year-old Shanhui farmer. "But if one household out of 10 does all the farming, then they can make enough for themselves, and the other nine can also make enough by working elsewhere."

Mr. Zheng has already accepted that he may be the final farmer in his family. His plot of less than three acres is too small to generate sufficient income, so he spends half his time loading coal and iron ore at a local steel mill to earn extra cash.

His son still lives at home, but he prefers his job operating an excavator at construction sites to toiling at his father's cornfield. Mr. Zheng's daughter has left for a far-off city, where she "does something with computers," he said.

"I'm not sad about it," he added. "The farm will not be sufficient to support my son."

As these small farmers bow out, Zheng Chenggong, 27, is taking their place. (As in many rural villages in China, residents of Shanhui share a handful of surnames.) Twenty years ago, his father tilled a small plot of about two acres. Since then, Mr. Zheng and his parents have amassed more than 160 acres by renting plots from the local government and other villagers who have given up.

The result is a thriving business cultivating corn and carrots. Mr. Zheng invested in planters, pesticide sprayers and other equipment, including a new, shiny red harvester, parked in a lot behind his modest home. Piles of corn are stored in a warehouse next door. During autumn, he employs over 100 people from about 10 villages to harvest his carrots.

By farming on such scale, Mr. Zheng can make money smaller farmers can only dream about - roughly $80,000 a year. Much of it is reinvested in more land and equipment.

"In 10 years' time, a lot of land will be rented to big farmers like me," Mr. Zheng said.

That opportunity has drawn others. Over the past 10 years, Zhang Mianhuan, 59, has increased the size of his farm 10 times, to more than 30 acres, on which he grows corn and sorghum. On his old, small plot, he pocketed a measly $300 a year - barely enough to get by. Now, he earns about $9,000.

"Farmers think, 'The more land the better,'" Mr. Zhang said. "It means more income."

Traditional plots of land are slowly becoming parts of bigger operations, eroding a way of life but enriching locals and allowing more Chinese to move into the modern world. Published On Credit Credit Image by Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times

The seismic shifts in rural China could threaten community spirit. One afternoon in Shanhui, the farmers congregated in a central square, chatting under the shade cast by awnings and a traditional wooden pavilion. A few hours earlier, many had celebrated the wedding of a young local woman, feasting on roast lamb, fried chicken and local tofu, and toasting one another with plastic cups filled with baijiu, a favorite, sinus-clearing alcohol. (Typically, the bride will leave the village to join her new husband in a nearby town.)

The changes separate families. Zheng Chengsheng, 66, had to stop farming two years ago after he was badly injured in a motorbike accident. Now he rents out his family plot, allowing him to support himself and his wife. His three children all work in cities. His daughters make it back to Shanhui only during the Chinese New Year holiday, while his son lives in a nearby town.

"I would prefer my son to come back. Then he can be by my side," he said. "My wife and I are concerned that we'll be by ourselves when we're older. It is a common worry here."

In some villages, farms are getting larger and the population is dwindling at an even faster pace than in Shanhui. But that does not necessarily mean China's village will completely die out. China's population is so large that hundreds of millions of people will most likely remain in the countryside even as cities swell. That means many areas of China may not develop the sort of supersize industrial farming common to places like America's Midwest.

"China's situation is completely different and cannot follow the U.S. model," said Li Ping, a senior attorney at Landesa, a nongovernmental organization that helps secure land rights for the world's poor. "Village size will be somewhat shrunk, but the village will still be there."

The residents of Shanhui think so, too. Though they assume the population will shrink, they remain convinced the village will become wealthier.

"Everything will just get better," said Zheng Nanda, the retired farmer, a typical sentiment shared by the villagers. "We don't need to worry about anything."

Whatever the future holds for Shanhui, many villagers feel little nostalgia for their poorer past.

As the sun sets and the air cools, Wang Yulin, 61, tends to his fresh corn seedlings in a field on Shanhui's outskirts, as he has done for decades. But with his three children off working in cities, he realizes that one day, he will probably have to give up his farm.

He greets the prospect with a shrug. "You can't make much money farming," he said.

Zhang Tiantian contributed research.

Correction:

An earlier version of a picture caption with this article misidentified a man standing next to a pile of corn. It was a farmer, but not Zhang Mianhuan.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page B1 of the New York edition with the headline: China's Small Farms Are Fading. The World May Benefit.. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
China's Small Farms Are Fading. The World May Benefit.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Traditional plots of land are slowly becoming parts of bigger operations, eroding a way of life but enriching local residents and helping more Chinese people move into the modern world. Shanhui village in China's northern province of Shanxi. Credit Credit Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times SHANHUI, China - This village doesn't change quickly.

# data[].attributes.headline
A strain of hepatitis found only in rats infected a Hong Kong man

# data[].attributes.subject
A strain of hepatitis found only in rats infected a Hong Kong man

# data[].attributes.body
Quartz
October 2, 2018

For the first time a man was infected with a strain of hepatitis E that was previously only found in rats. This recent discovery has put researchers and health care officials on alert for improving the city's environmental hygiene. The man has since been cured of his infection, but it is still unclear how the infection was transmitted from the rat. He did have a liver transplant prior to contracting the infection, but it was ruled out that he could have received the infection from his donor's liver. The best guess for how the infection was transmitted is through rat droppings. It is believed that the man may have consumed food containing rat droppings, and due to his suppressed immune system from his transplant he was more susceptible to the infection. Scientists have noted that there is no imminent threat of an epidemic, but it is a wake up call for the city's officials to focus on cleaning up Hong Kong in order to avoid the risk of infection in the future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For the first time, a man was infected with a strain of hepatitis E that was previously found only in rats.

Researchers in Hong Kong on Friday (Sept. 28) announced that a 56-year-old man had been diagnosed with an infection of rat hepatitis B. Though the man has been cured, the news put the densely populated city, scarred by the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s, on edge.

Yuen Kwok-yung, a microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong who was the lead researcher on the case, called the case a "wake-up call" for authorities to improve the city's environmental hygiene since it's believed the virus had spread through rat droppings. However, the scientists noted there isn't an imminent threat of an epidemic.

"One is all it takes," added Siddharth Sridhar, a clinical assistant professor at the university who was also involved in the case (paywall). "For these kinds of rare infections, unusual infections, even one case is enough to make public health authorities and researchers very alert about the implications of the disease."

Rat hepatitis E is different from the variant of hepatitis E humans normally contract, which affects the liver and is transmitted largely through contaminated water. The World Health Organization estimated 20 million people are infected by the hepatitis E virus every year. Typically, the disease resolves itself within two to six weeks, but it has a mortality rate of 3.3%, according to the organization. In 2015, about 44,000 people died from the disease.

The man who was infected with the rat variant of hepatitis E had received a liver transplant in May 2017. In September that year, scientists identified the infection, and he was cured of the disease in March. Though it remains unclear how the disease had transmitted from rats to him, researchers had ruled out it passing from the donor organ. They suspect the patient might have consumed food contaminated with rat droppings. Some experts think the infection was able to transmit to the patient because of his suppressed immune system, a result of medication he took to prevent his body from rejecting the donor organ.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A strain of hepatitis found only in rats infected a Hong Kong man

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For the first time, a man was infected with a strain of hepatitis E that was previously found only in rats. Researchers in Hong Kong on Friday (Sept. 28) announced that a 56-year-old man had been diagnosed with an infection of rat hepatitis B.

# data[].attributes.headline
Air pollution is killing 1 million people and costing Chinese economy 267 billion yuan a year, research from CUHK shows

# data[].attributes.subject
Air pollution is killing 1 million people and costing Chinese economy 267 billion yuan a year, research from CUHK shows

# data[].attributes.body
South China Morning Post
October 2, 2018

A new study by researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong has calculated that a major reduction in public health and crop yields has resulted from air pollution. The two major pollutants studied, ground-level ozone and fine respirable particles, have caused an annual average of 1.1 million premature deaths, with an additional lose of 20 million tons of rice, wheat, maize, and soybean from exposures. One investigator stated that these effects have costed about .7 per cent of China's annual GDP. These pollutants have been coming from areas like transportation emissions, industry, and residences. China has been recently targeting places that are producing these pollutants in the cities, as part of their delayed three-year plan for a blue sky. Others have said that it is important that all aspects that are polluting are covered, with not just one single concentration of one pollutant. This article relates to our class because it brings in the social, industrial, economic, and environmental aspects to historical moments in East Asia. It shows the interwoven connections each of these aspects have on each other. This reminds me of Japan in the 16th and 17th centuries, with the issues of deforestation raising concerns for certain Japanese. This article also was interesting to me, and it should be for many, because of the unbelievable effects that air pollution is bringing in China. It shows the urgency of what needs to be done to help improve China as a whole.
-Andrew Morales

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
1 million dead and US$38 billion lost: the price of China's air pollution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Two pollutants were found to cause an average 1.1 million premature deaths in the country each year and are destroying 20 million tonnes of rice, wheat, maize and soybean.

# data[].attributes.headline
Seoul to let illegal Thai workers leave 

# data[].attributes.subject
Seoul to let illegal Thai workers leave 

# data[].attributes.body
Bangkok Post
October 3rd, 2018

Today in South Korea they issued a new pardon for illegal workers from other countries, including Thailand.  There are over 300,000 workers that will be allowed to leave without any trouble supposedly.  They won’t be blacklisted, prohibited to come back, or immediately deported if they go by March 31st of 2019.  Beyond this period, they will be forcefully removed and banned from the country.  They realized it became a problem when people, especially from Thailand, were coming to visit but staying past their welcome and getting jobs illegally.  The two countries are trying to work out a deal to expand the limit on how many Thai workers can come over to South Korea, it being 5,000.  They are also trying to raise the age limit, the number of times they can renew their license, and consecutive years that they can stay.  “The ministry said those who leave on the departure program can go back to work in South Korea through the government to government Employment Permit system.” I found this article interesting because of the issues the U.S. are having with people living here illegally and the way the government is attempting to handle it.

-Gwen Sajewski

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Won't sanction them if they exit voluntarily

Thais who have over-stayed their visa in South Korea get a six-month offer to leave voluntarily and avoid legal consequences. (Photo Korea Airport Railroad AREX)

South Korea has given permission to 300,000 illegal migrant workers including 120,000 Thais to leave the country without being blacklisted.

The so-called voluntary departure programme started on Monday and will last until March 31.

Those who agree to leave South Korea during this time will be pardoned for their "wrongdoing", Seoul officials said.

Furthermore, they will not be blacklisted by South Korea's immigration authorities, according to an announcement published on the website of the Korea Immigration Service.

The announcement came in six languages -- Korean, English, Thai, Russian, Chinese and Vietnamese.

After the given pardon period, those who remain in South Korea illegally, if arrested, will be immediately deported, blacklisted and prohibited from re-entering for 10 years, the announcement read.

The number of Thais travelling to South Korea as tourists who ended up overstaying as illegal labourers has increased by hundreds of thousands in recent years.

Only about 25,000 workers are currently hired to work legally in South Korea, according to Busadee Santipitaks, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The decision came last Friday, when Labour Minister Adul Sangsingkeo led a delegation of labour officials to South Korea for talks.

One of the topics on the table was the issue of illegal Thai migrant workers.

Thai delegates met South Korean Justice Minister Park Sang-gi and Korea Immigration Service commissioner Cha Gyu-geun to negotiate the return of the illegal workers.

The Thai delegation also submitted a request to South Korean officials to expand South Korea's quota for Thai workers to work in the country.

The quota is capped at 5,000 a year.

Other requests made at the meeting were to raise the maximum age limit from 39 and allow another round of work permit renewals.

Thai workers are now allowed to have their permits renewed up to two times, for four years and 10 months per renewal.

The officials reportedly agreed to consider the submitted requests.

The Thai delegation met Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRD Korea) President Dong Man Kim and Kim Dong-ho, deputy director of the Foreign Workforce Division.

The Labour Ministry will hold a meeting today with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Thai embassy in South Korea and other concerned agencies to discuss measures to encourage illegal Thai migrant workers to enter the voluntary departure programme being offered.

The ministry said those who leave on the departure programme can go back to work in South Korea through the government-to-government Employment Permit System.

Despite these promises, some illegal Thai migrants fear the South Korean government will not grant them re-entry if they leave, according to reports.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Won't sanction them if they exit voluntarily Thais who have over-stayed their visa in South Korea get a six-month offer to leave voluntarily and avoid legal consequences. (Photo Korea Airport Railroad AREX) South Korea has given permission to 300,000 illegal migrant workers including 120,000 Thais to leave the country without being blacklisted.

# data[].attributes.headline
China’s slick new game show aims to get millennials studying Xi Jinping

# data[].attributes.subject
China’s slick new game show aims to get millennials studying Xi Jinping

# data[].attributes.body
South China. Oct. 2.

There is a 5 episode quiz show dedicated to the political doctrine of President Xi Jinping. The show, titled “Studying Xi in the New Era”, is the parties newest effort to shape the minds of the country's millennials. The younger generation is thought to have grown up with too much influence from foreign pop culture and not enough orthodox socialist teachings. This show has taken the evening prime-time slot on Hunan TV, this is a popular channel among the younger generation. The show has a futuristic flare to it that draws people in. This comes after the president extended his term and added it to the constitution. The game show is just one of the ways that the party leader is promoting his ideologies. In the first round of the show the contestants, who are millennials, they were asked anything from basic facts about Marxism to something that Xi supports or said. The show also gives the presidents life story, talking about his journey as a youth. This show is the second season of Hunan TV's ideological education program, before this it was a talk show.
-Megan P.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
China's slick new game show aims to get millennials studying Xi Jinping

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When young Chinese workers and students returned home on the eve of the week-long National Day holiday, an unlikely prime-time entertainment was waiting for them on one of their favourite...

# data[].attributes.headline
Taiwan vies to become Asian Silicon Valley

# data[].attributes.subject
Taiwan vies to become Asian Silicon Valley

# data[].attributes.body
Channel News Asia
Oct. 2, 2018

The Taiwanese company iStaging was named one of Taiwan's top 10 most promising tech startups by the government in March. iStaging gained national attention by creating an app that captures and creates a 360-degree virtual reality view of products and property that can be viewed on a mobile device. The general manager of iStaging, Rene Fang, said that virtual reality content has become effective in space communication at a much lower cost compared to hardware facilities. iStaging is one of the few Taiwan startups that have gone global and has reached more than 100 countries. The company's sales has tripled in the third quarter, partially due to the success of Alibaba, which is one of iStaging's top three investors. The Chinese company provides more than just financial assistance to startups-- it contain an ecosystem of various startups which allow the companies to collaborate. However, critics have voiced concern that Chinese capital can be used as a political tool, which would ultimately do more harm than good. Taiwan as a whole lags behind Hong Kong as a breeding ground for startups, as Hong Kong's companies have a wider reach. Taiwanese startups want less government red tape to make it easier for them to do business, and although they acknowledge the government's financial support, they want regulatory liberation so they can connect themselves to the global market. I found this article interesting because it demonstrates that although Taiwanese companies have great potential, they are looking for market liberalization policies so that they can be competitive on the global stage.
-Ashley Hovorka

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
(Updated: )

Share this content

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share via E-Mail

TAIWAN: iStaging was named one of Taiwan's top 10 coolest and most promising technology start-ups by the government in March.

Founded eight years ago, the software company is a developer of augmented and virtual reality technologies. iStaging made a name for itself with an app that captures and creates a 360-degree virtual reality view of property and products on a mobile phone.

iStaging Taiwan general manager Rene Fang told Channel NewsAsia that virtual reality content has become very effective in terms of space communication, and at a much lower cost compared to hardware facilities.

"Let's say if you are showing someone a room or property, there will be furniture inside. It makes you feel as if you're actually shopping at a furniture store. Sellers can put tags on their furniture that allow you to see the prices and materials," she said.

iStaging has come a long way. It is now one of the few Taiwan start-ups that have gone global, reaching more than 100 countries.

The company is expected to turn a profit for the first time this year after its sales tripled in the third quarter. It attributes part of its success to China's Alibaba, which is one of its top three investors.

"We get more than just financial support from Alibaba. Its ecosystem consists of various start-ups, which allowed us to collaborate. The different synergy from this brotherhood helps (to) establish effective collaboration and connectivity," said Ms Fang.

While critics voice concern that Chinese capital could be used as a political tool, others say capital from big markets do more good than harm.

PWC Taiwan Innovation and Entrepreneur Services Partner Ryan Huang said most of Taiwan's start-ups rely on domestic capital, which could limit their future growth and potential.

"I don't think capital from abroad would uproot start-ups from Taiwan. I'm more optimistic, I think such capital would help the start-ups to grow and bring them to the global market," he said.

LAGS BEHIND HONG KONG

As a breeding ground for start-ups, Taiwan currently lags behind Hong Kong, which has established itself as an innovation hub with its business-friendly policies. Hong Kong's start-up companies have a wider reach.

According to the 2018 Global Startup Ecosystem Report, 40 per cent of start-ups there have foreign clients, compared to 28 per cent of start-ups in Taiwan. The report also says Hong Kong's value as a start-up ecosystem is four times that of Taiwan's.

Mr Huang believes start-ups in Taiwan want less government red tape to make it easier for them to do business.

"Start-ups here generally acknowledge the government's financial support, but they hope for regulatory liberation. Taiwan is a small market, so they hope to connect themselves to the global market.

"So they hope the laws can be more internationalised. They also hope the application procedure for government funding can be more flexible," he said.

Not only are Taiwan's start-ups finding it hard to connect with the world, international investors also find little to attract them to the island.

According to the Global Start-up report, the island has attracted only 17 entrepreneurs and five start-ups from abroad so far - compared to Hong Kong's 73 entrepreneurs and 75 start-ups.

However, the government is trying to change that by improving its climate for start-ups.

The recent launch of Startup Terrace in New Taipei City is Taiwan's latest effort to develop the island into an "Asian Silicon Valley", covering nearly 60,000 sq m.

So far, Startup Terrace has already attracted 26 start-ups and six start-up accelerators to set up shop, including big names like Microsoft.

Taiwan Premier William Lai says the centre in New Taipei City is designed to provide one-stop service for local and foreign start-ups and accelerators.

"We provide up to 1 million dollars as subsidy. The rent for the first year is free and the second year is half. We also offer tax reduction. In the past, banks that invest in start-ups can only invest up to 10-15 per cent. Now the limit has been removed," he said.

Mr Lai hopes the incentives will attract more capital and start-ups to Taiwan and help connect it to the rest of the world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Taiwan vies to become Asian Silicon Valley

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
(Updated: ) Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via E-Mail TAIWAN: iStaging was named one of Taiwan's top 10 coolest and most promising technology start-ups by the government in March. Founded eight years ago, the software company is a developer of augmented and virtual reality technologies.

# data[].attributes.headline
North Korea Escalates Pressure on U.S. Ahead of Pompeo Visit

# data[].attributes.subject
North Korea Escalates Pressure on U.S. Ahead of Pompeo Visit

# data[].attributes.body
New York Times
10/1/18
North Korea has accused to U.S. of demanding too much for too little in denuclearization talks. After a meeting with the South Korean President last month, Kim Jong- Un offered to dismantle key missile testing cites and to invite foreign parties to watch. He has also stated that he will get rid of the country's main nuclear complex, which is about 60 miles north of Pyongyang. The US is demanding that North Korea submit a nuclear weapon inventory, as well as declared a clear plan to dismantling the nuclear weapons it possesses.
North Korea wants the troops that the US has stationed in and near South Korea removed, and the US has simply suspended joint training exercises with the South Koreans. The South's president, Moon Jae- in, has expressed hopes that the personal ties that Kim and Trump have together will help them to settle the differences and move forward with denuclearization and talks about the declaration of the end of the Korean War.
-Megan Temple

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When he met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang last month, Mr. Kim also offered to demolish key missile development facilities, including a missile engine test site, and invite outside experts to watch.

Mr. Kim also offered to take further steps, including the "permanent dismantlement" of his country's main nuclear complex, in Yongbyon, about 60 miles north of Pyongyang, if Washington took corresponding steps.

But such gestures have fallen short of American demands. North Korea has not offered a detailed commitment to dismantling its nuclear arsenal. Nor has it submitted its nuclear inventory, including the number and size of its nuclear weapons and amount of bomb fuel, so they can be verified by international inspectors.

But North Korea said Tuesday that the United States has not done enough. Other than suspending joint military exercises with South Korea this year, Washington has done little to encourage North Korea to take bolder steps toward denuclearization, the North said.

It said Washington should have made the end-of-war declaration a long time ago, instead of trying to use it as a bargaining chip.

Some analysts in Washington and Seoul, the South's capital, fear that the North would use an end-of-war declaration as a justification to step up its campaign for the withdrawal of 28,500 American troops based in the South.

Mr. Moon, the South's leader, supports an end-of-war declaration. But he says that he and Mr. Kim share an understanding that the declaration would not affect the status of American troops in South Korea, and would only serve as a prelude to negotiating a peace treaty to formally end the war.

Mr. Moon is banking on Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump to use their personal ties to create a breakthrough in the stalled nuclear talks. Over the weekend, Mr. Trump said that he and Mr. Kim " fell in love " after he received "beautiful" letters from the young North Korean dictator.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North Korea Escalates Pressure on U.S. Ahead of Pompeo Visit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When he met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang last month, Mr. Kim also offered to demolish key missile development facilities, including a missile engine test site, and invite outside experts to watch.

# data[].attributes.headline
Powerful typhoon kills two, snarls transport for thousands in Japan

# data[].attributes.subject
Powerful typhoon kills two, snarls transport for thousands in Japan

# data[].attributes.body
Reuters
Sept. 30
Typhoon Trami made landfall in Japan on Sunday evening. Since then, substantial damage to transportation means has occurred, as trees have fallen across train tracks. The storm was called a Category 1 tropical storm, the lowest on a five-point scale. Two people were killed, at least 130 were injured, and a few were unaccounted for as of Sunday. Close to 400,000 homes lost electricity due to the storm. More than 230 flights were cancelled, mostly in northern parts of Japan. Aerial images showed train stations with lines of people waiting outside. One airport in Osaka closed due to flooding but reopened Sunday morning. This particular airport had only fully reopened after damage from the last major storm, Typhoon Jebi, on Sept. 21. This news connects to the earlier mentions of geography in Japan but will also likely have economic effects as the country tries to recover from damage to infrastructure and the loss of lives.
-Sara S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TOKYO (Reuters) - A powerful typhoon brought down trees onto railroad tracks and kicked up debris across Tokyo as it brushed past the Japanese capital early on Monday, killing two people and stranding thousands as train lines were closed or severely delayed.

Typhoon Trami made landfall in western Japan on Sunday evening and threatened heavy rains, strong winds and landslides on the northern-most main island of Hokkaido, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The island was hit by a deadly earthquake last month.

The typhoon, rated by Tropical Storm Risk as a category 1, the lowest on a five-point scale, killed two people and injured almost 130, public broadcaster NHK said.

Another two people were missing, it said, and almost 400,000 households were without power.

Aerial footage on NHK showed hundreds of people waiting outside train stations, with several major commuter lines closed since Sunday. More than 230 flights were canceled, mainly in northern Japan, NHK said.

Kansai International Airport in Osaka in western Japan said it had opened its runways as scheduled at 6 a.m. (2100 GMT Sunday), after being closed since 11 a.m. on Sunday.

The airport had only fully reopened on Sept. 21 after being heavily flooded earlier that month by Typhoon Jebi, the most powerful storm to hit Japan in 25 years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
wind / hurricanes / typhoons / tornadoes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Powerful typhoon kills two, snarls transport for thousands in Japan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TOKYO (Reuters) - A powerful typhoon brought down trees onto railroad tracks and kicked up debris across Tokyo as it brushed past the Japanese capital early on Monday, killing two people and stranding thousands as train lines were closed or severely delayed.

# data[].attributes.headline
South Korea Declares War on ‘Fake News,’ Worrying Government Critics

# data[].attributes.subject
South Korea Declares War on ‘Fake News,’ Worrying Government Critics

# data[].attributes.body
New York Times
10/02/2018

South Korea announced a crack down on "fake news" saying it is a destroyer of democracy. There is much backlash towards this announcement from conservative groups who say the government is trying to limit free speech. Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said that fake news had spread so widely in South Korea that it was putting both the privacy of citizens at risk and their relationship with North Korea. Prime Minister Lee is currently built up with his own anger towards the media after last week when he attended a funeral the comments he wrote in the book were released and he was attacked for being a communist supporter. Some even falsely accused Prime Minister Lee made the tribute not to Ho but to Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea. Mr. Lee wants government agencies to report fake news to law enforcement and ordered the police to investigate and punish those who generate this fake news.  After reading the article I can  see why Prime Minister Lee is so upset and wants to crack down on media but at the same time it is just the day and age we live in unfortunately, this is an issue everywhere.
-Elizabeth Tizzano

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
President Moon, Mr. Lee's boss, took power last year after Park Geun-hye was impeached as president and ousted on corruption and other criminal charges. While in office, Ms. Park was also widely accused of plotting to silence her critics.

Now, Mr. Moon faces the same accusations.

After he took power, defectors from North Korea asserted that TV and cable channels feared hiring them as commentators because they tended to accuse Mr. Moon of ignoring human rights abuses in North Korea while eagerly negotiating with it. Lawmakers in his party have introduced a bill that would ban defectors and other anti-North Korean activists from sending negative leaflets via balloon into the North without government permission.

These balloons carry leaflets that contain Christian messages and bitter criticism of the North's leader, Mr. Kim, often calling him a "bloody pig." North Korea has lashed out, calling the sending of such fliers an act of hostility. When Mr. Moon met Mr. Kim in Pyongyang last month, they agreed to cease all hostilities along the border.

In an interview with Fox News last week, Mr. Moon vehemently denied that his government was muzzling North Korean defectors or undermining free speech.

"Probably South Koreans have never enjoyed the freedom of speech as much as they do now," said Mr. Moon, who argued that even "fake news" was overflowing "without restraint" in news and social media.

In the World Press Freedom Index compiled by the human rights group Reporters Without Borders, South Korea was ranked 43rd of 180 countries this year, rising 20 notches from last year.

"The election of Moon Jae-in, a human rights activist and former political prisoner, as president has been a breath of fresh air after a bad decade in which South Korea fell more than 30 places in RSF's World Press Freedom Index," the group said. "Nonetheless, structural problems remain. The system of appointing managers at the public broadcasters needs to be revised in order to guarantee their independence."

It also criticized the country's anti-defamation laws, under which statements deemed not in the public interest can result in imprisonment: up to three years for statements that are true and up to seven for those considered false.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
South Korea Declares War on 'Fake News,' Worrying Government Critics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
President Moon, Mr. Lee's boss, took power last year after Park Geun-hye was impeached as president and ousted on corruption and other criminal charges. While in office, Ms. Park was also widely accused of plotting to silence her critics. Now, Mr. Moon faces the same accusations.

# data[].attributes.headline
Kumamoto councilwoman who took baby to work kicked out of conference for using cough drop 

# data[].attributes.subject
Kumamoto councilwoman who took baby to work kicked out of conference for using cough drop 

# data[].attributes.body
Japan Today
October 1st

City councilwoman Yuka Ogata was at the center of controversy when last November she brought her baby to city assembly. Once again, she is stirring up controversy after using a cough drop during a municipal assembly hall. Ogata went up to a podium to speak when suddenly the assembly chairman asked if she had something in her mouth. When Ogata replied that it was in fact a cough drop in her mouth, the room was in uproar. Ogata had been experiencing cold symptoms and was using the cough drop to avoid coughing while speaking, but many of her colleagues saw this as extremely disrespectful. The meeting was convened and Ogata was to be removed from the meeting after she refused to read an apology statement that had been written by someone else.
-Maddie Alexander

# data[].attributes.headline
The Japanese Anime Tackling Workplace Bullying

# data[].attributes.subject
The Japanese Anime Tackling Workplace Bullying

# data[].attributes.body
BBC. Oct 1.
This article talks about how Sanrio, the Japanese company that created Hello Kitty has made a cartoon called Aggretsuko. It is about a red panda named Retsuko who works in an accounting firm. She experiences bullying, office politics, and gender discrimination and cools off after work by heading to a karaoke bar to sing death metal music. The cartoon is on Netflix, and a second season is currently in the works. Its creator was inspired by Tokyo office workers known as "salary men" and "salary women" who work incredibly long hours and then are obligated to attend after work functions with coworkers. This practice of increasingly long work weeks and post work drinks is on the rise, and it is common to see these "salary" people passed out in public places. This cartoon has gained popularity not only in Japan but in other countries as it portrays a relatable depiction of the modern workplace not only in Japan but other places as well. I thought it connected to our discussion of long work weeks in Japan last week and was interesting to see how people are responding to these increasingly long work weeks. It's also interesting to see how the work week has evolved over history.
Lauren Gambino

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Aggretsuko, a Japanese cartoon for adults on Netflix, is currently making waves around the world. But why is it so popular with millennials?

Aggretsuko is a cartoon character created by Sanrio, the company behind the popular character Hello Kitty.

The series focuses on a red panda called Retsuko, who works in the accounting department of a trading firm in Tokyo.

Through her job, Retsuko experiences office politics, workplace bullying and gender discrimination. To deal with it, at night after work she heads to a karaoke bar and releases her frustrations by singing death metal songs.

Aggretsuko, which is short for "Aggressive Retsuko", first appeared in a series of animated shorts produced by Japanese studio Fanworks in April 2016.

The shorts went viral after being shared on social media, and reaction to the character in the West was so positive that Netflix commissioned Fanworks to make a 10-episode season, which launched in April this year.

In August, Netflix announced that it had commissioned a second season.

Kawaii culture

Every year, Sanrio holds an internal competition for staff to come up with potential new characters, and in 2016, Aggretsuko was a finalist.

The designer who came up with the concept for Aggretsuko said she was inspired by office workers in Tokyo.

In Japanese culture, it is common for office workers, often called "salary men" or "salary women", to work incredibly long hours.

They are also required to attend after-work functions with their colleagues and superiors, which has led to a rise in drunken salary men seen on a regular basis sleeping on trains, park benches and pavements after passing out from over-imbibing.

"Aggretsuko reflects the stress and frustration that the designer observed in office workers," Sanrio tells the BBC. "She felt that they were 'screaming from the heart', which is characterised through Aggretsuko's favourite pastime: thrash metal karaoke."

Sanrio for grownups

Many Aggretsuko fans are millennials who grew up with Hello Kitty, and now, after entering the grownup world of work, they have graduated to Aggretsuko.

In Sanrio's 2018 Character Ranking competition, where people around the world vote for their favourite character, Aggretsuko came first in the UK.

"She showcases the 'kawaii' aesthetic that Sanrio are well known for, but unlike other characters who focus on constant sweetness and being a good example to people, Aggretsuko shows a wild side rarely shown, and that unexpected rage adds to her charm," Holly Brooks, 22, an illustration graduate in Telford, Shropshire, tells the BBC.

Sonia Leong, a leading UK manga artist, says the simplicity in the art style makes it easy for people to see themselves, and their colleagues, in the show.

"Even though there are a few things that are particularly Japanese, there's always someone who takes perfect selfies, or someone who stalks people on social media to find out who they're dating, and there's many a time that we've all had to bite our tongue at work," she says.

Jay, a marketer in London, agrees: "It's relatable because of the coping mechanisms that each individual has. Whilst I don't relate to Retsuko all the time, I find myself in the other characters and there are instances where I would agree with their advice or experiences."

The show has been popular in the rest of Europe and the US too.

Vinh, 28, an immuno-oncologist at the National Institute of Health in Washington DC, says he identifies with Aggretsuko because he has experienced workplace bullying.

"In the show, Retsuko has to bear with borderline harassment from Ton, her supervisor, and there's no recourse in a HR representative," he says.

"In my previous position, I had a HR [officer] to talk to but they were ultimately not helpful in resolving the situation with my supervisor, so they might as well have not existed at all."

Charlie Houlmont, 38, a web designer in France, says that millennials now have a rather bleak view of the world of work.

"Many young people I meet on social networks, Twitch and in real life feel it's a pipe dream to hope they can achieve their ideal job," he says.

"There have never been as many depressed young people as today, and work, which should be instrumental in giving them a good life, looks as if it's this huge obstacle getting in the way of happiness."

What can you do if you are experiencing bullying at work?

Michelle Ryan, professor of social and organisational psychology at Exeter University, has these tips:

Talk to the colleague who has made you feel bad

Share your experience with friends - you might realise it's not an isolated incident

Stand with your colleagues - amplify your voices to prevent being talked over

Talk to your line manager and HR

A survey of 2,000 people for Investors in People found that three in five workers in the UK believe their mental health has been negatively affected by their work, while only a third said their mental wellbeing was supported by their employer.

Its research showed that top workplace issues include bullying, gender discrimination, lack of job progression, pressure to respond to emails at all times, and being placed in roles where the individual's skills are not utilised.

"Work-life balance has got worse over time because of technology, but I think a lot of issues that were hidden before are now being highlighted - the internet has enabled more transparency on things," says Investor in People's chief executive Paul Devoy.

"The issue gets amplified through social media, and then politicians are asked what they will do about it. So in a way it helps set an agenda."

'I want to scream'

Michelle Ryan, professor of social and organisational psychology at Exeter University, says individuals can only do so much to cope with workplace bullying.

"Most bullying is less overt than it used to be - now it's subtle things like additional work, or including or excluding a colleague from a meeting," she tells the BBC.

"It would be good for the government to put in place stronger rules around bullying and harassment."

Gender discrimination has also emerged as a major issue worldwide, with gender pay gaps coming into focus, and the #MeToo movement highlighting sexual harassment.

Sanrio says while it did not set out to highlight gender discrimination, it is pleased that so many people experience catharsis from watching Aggretsuko.

"It really feels like women can't get angry. I'm constantly worried that I will be perceived as too pushy or bossy for speaking my mind, so I don't talk much," says Amanda Howell, a 29-year-old software automation engineer in Franklin, Tennessee.

"When Aggretsuko goes to sing death metal, that's basically the mask slipping. That's what I feel like when someone says something crappy to me at work or when I'm working late again when everybody else is gone.

"I just want to scream."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Japanese anime tackling workplace bullying

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Aggretsuko, a Japanese cartoon for adults on Netflix, is currently making waves around the world. But why is it so popular with millennials? Aggretsuko is a cartoon character created by Sanrio, the company behind the popular character Hello Kitty. The series focuses on a red panda called Retsuko, who works in the accounting department of a trading firm in Tokyo.

# data[].attributes.headline
53% of respondents support making English Taiwan's second official language

# data[].attributes.subject
53% of respondents support making English Taiwan's second official language

# data[].attributes.body
Taiwan News 10/01/2018

A survey on higher education was implemented and conducted in September. In this survey the question asked was "What methods would improve the English language ability of university students?"
53% of those polled favored designating it as the second official language, and 48.1% said that rewarding universities for setting up courses taught entirely in english. The taiwanese government is set to make Taiwan a bilingual country in 2019. They have given direct orders to the ministry of education to loosen many of the regulations restricting preschools from teaching English. From the article it seemed like in the past Taiwan practiced a sort of isolationist policy against the teaching of English in their schools, but it now looks like times are changing.
Molly Donegan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Over half of respondents of a survey implemented in September said that they support making English an official second language of Taiwan as a means to improve the English language proficiency of university students.

After Premier William Lai (賴清德) in August announced a proposal to make English an official second language in Taiwan next year, the Professor Huang Kun-huei Education Foundation on Saturday (Sept. 29) released the results of a survey on higher education which included a section asking respondents what methods would improve the English language ability of university students. Receiving the most votes at 53.1 percent was the option titled "designating English as the second official language."

The second-most popular option was "rewarding universities for setting up courses taught entirely in English" at 48.1 percent, and coming in third was "setting English proficiency requirements as the graduation threshold" at 44.9 percent.

Kuo Sheng-yu (郭生玉), convener of the poll committee, said that he was very happy to hear Lai's announcement in August of a plan to make Taiwan a bilingual country in 2019 and his directive given on Friday (Sept. 28) to the Ministry of Education to loosen regulations restricting preschools from teaching English, reported Liberty Times. He said that the foundation felt a great sense of accomplishment at the news, as it had advocated English-language classes at preschools last year.

The survey was carried out from Sept. 13 to Sept 16 by telephone and collected 1,068 valid samples with a confidence level of 95 percent and margin of error of plus or minus 3.0 percentage points.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
53% of respondents support making Englis... | Taiwan News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Over half of respondents of a survey implemented in September said that they support making English an official second language of Taiwan as a means to improve the English language proficiency of university students.

# data[].attributes.headline
North, South Korea begin removing landmines along fortified border

# data[].attributes.subject
North, South Korea begin removing landmines along fortified border

# data[].attributes.body
Reuters. Sept. 30
Both North and South Korea have begun removing landmines along the border. This was agreed upon during last month's summit in Pyongyang. Both North and South Korea agreed to remove all landmines in the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom within 20 days. North Korea did not immediately confirm that they had started. The agreement also promises the "removal of guard posts and weapons from the JSA to follow the removal of the mines, with the troops remaining there to be left unarmed." Propaganda loud speakers and some guard posts have already been taken down along the border. Other defining projects are also occurring in Gangwon province in South Korea to allow for "teams to search for the remains of soldiers killed during the war."
-Sarah W.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
SEOUL (Reuters) - Troops from North and South Korea began removing some landmines along their heavily fortified border on Monday, the South's defense ministry said, in a pact to reduce tension and build trust on the divided peninsula.

Project details were agreed during last month's summit in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

In a statement, the ministry said the two sides agreed to remove all landmines in the so-called Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjom within the next 20 days, with military engineers performing the hazardous task on the South Korean side.

There was no immediate confirmation from North Korea that its troops had begun the process.

The deal also provides for removal of guard posts and weapons from the JSA to follow the removal of the mines, with the troops remaining there to be left unarmed.

The JSA is the only spot along the 250-km (155-mile) -long "demilitarized zone" (DMZ) where troops from both Koreas are face to face.

South Korean troops have gradually taken over most operations along their side of the border but international forces under the U.S.-led United Nations Command retain major roles, especially at the JSA, where an American commander and a South Korean deputy lead the security battalion.

UNC spokesman Colonel Chad Carroll declined to confirm if the command would also withdraw any weapons from the JSA, but said American forces would provide support for the demining operation.

"United States Forces Korea will perform a support role - to include having air medical evacuation assets available to respond within minutes of any potential medical emergencies," he told Reuters in a statement.

Since fighting during the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in a stalemate, at least nine soldiers have been killed in incidents with North Korean troops, including the killing in 1976 of two U.S. soldiers by axe-wielding North Koreans, the UNC says.

In November 2017, North Korean troops at the JSA shot one of their soldiers defecting to the South five times.

More recently, it was the scene of the first dramatic April summit between Kim and Moon, as well as their second, more low-key meeting, in May.

In April, the neighbors announced their intention to turn the DMZ - long a symbol of tension and division - into a "peace zone".

They have already dismantled propaganda loudspeakers and some guard posts along the border.

Demining projects are also set to begin on Monday in Gangwon province in South Korea's east, to allow teams to search for the remains of soldiers killed in the war, the ministry added.

More than a million landmines were laid in border areas including the DMZ and the Civilian Control Zone in the South, say demining experts, and civilians and soldiers alike have been killed or injured by them.

In 2015, two South Korean soldiers were maimed by what Seoul said was a North Korean landmine, an accusation the North denied.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North, South Korea begin removing landmines along fortified border

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SEOUL (Reuters) - Troops from North and South Korea began removing some landmines along their heavily fortified border on Monday, the South's defense ministry said, in a pact to reduce tension and build trust on the divided peninsula.

# data[].attributes.headline
14% More Chinese Citizens are Living With HIV/Aids

# data[].attributes.subject
14% More Chinese Citizens are Living With HIV/Aids

# data[].attributes.body
BBC. Sept. 30.
Health officials in China say that more than 820,000 people are affected by AIDS, a number that has increased by about 40,000 in the second quarter of 2018 alone. In the past, the majority of HIV cases in China have transmitted through infected blood transfusions.  Officials now say the number of people contracting HIV through infected transfusion is incredibly low, so the rise in cases can be attributed to are transmitted through sex. HIV transmission through sex is an acute issue in China's LGBT community, which was decriminalized in 1997. The community though, still faces much discrimination in China due to the government's conservative values. It is unclear what action the government will take concerning the spread of AIDS in China, though they have discussed the issues since 2003.

- Sarah A.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The vast majority of new cases in China were transmitted through sexual activity.

China has announced a 14% jump in the number of its citizens who are living with HIV and Aids.

More than 820,000 people are affected in the country, health officials say. About 40,000 new cases were reported in the second quarter of 2018 alone.

The vast majority of new cases were transmitted through sex, marking a change from the past.

Traditionally, HIV spread rapidly through some parts of China as a result of infected blood transfusions.

But the number of people contracting HIV in this way had been reduced to almost zero, Chinese health officials said at a conference in Yunnan province.

Year-on-year, however, the number of those living with HIV and Aids in China has risen by 100,000 people.

HIV transmission through sex is an acute issue in China's LGBT community.

Homosexuality was decriminalised in China in 1997, but discrimination against LGBT people is said to be rife.

Because of the country's conservative values, studies have estimated that 70-90% of men who have sex with men will eventually marry women.

Many of the transmissions of the diseases come from inadequate sexual protections in these relationships.

Since 2003, China's government has promised universal access to HIV medication as part of an effort to tackle the issue.

You may also be interested in:

Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.

Beta Terms By using the Beta Site, you agree that such use is at your own risk and you know that the Beta Site may include known or unknown bugs or errors, that we have no obligation to make this Beta Site available with or without charge for any period of time, nor to make it available at all, and that nothing in these Beta Terms or your use of the Beta Site creates any employment relationship between you and us. The Beta Site is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis and we make no warranty to you of any kind, express or implied.

In case of conflict between these Beta Terms and the BBC Terms of Use these Beta Terms shall prevail.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
HIV/Aids: China reports 14% surge in new cases

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The vast majority of new cases were transmitted through sex. not blood transfusion as in the past.

# data[].attributes.headline
U.S. military confirms arms sale to Taiwan, China fumes

# data[].attributes.subject
U.S. military confirms arms sale to Taiwan, China fumes

# data[].attributes.body
Sierra Leone Times
September 25, 2018

The U.S. State Department has announced the approval of a $330 million arms trade deal made with Taiwan. The Pentagon has also announced that this financial request will cover spare parts to be used for air defense fighters, systems, and similar program support. China has responded with the expression of anger and urgency. China's Defense Ministry has stated that "the Chinese military had a 'firm and unshakable' resolve to protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity." This issue could jeopardize Sino-U.S. relations, with China and the United States already making tension with trade wars. This event relates to our class because it brings up again the situation of sovereignty of Taiwan and with China. Their foreign situation reflects on their past issues of finding a proper place for Taiwan in East Asia. U.S. involvement also appears to be a theme relevant to foreign affairs in East Asia's history. I found this new deal by the U.S. government to be concerning, as it seems that the U.S. had to make a decision in either re-affirming their alliance with Taiwan or working to mend areas in their relations with China.
-Andrew M.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of spare parts to Taiwan

Spare parts for F-16 fighter planes and other military aircraft worth up to $330 million are part of the deal

China has raised concerns over the sale as it claims the self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory

WASHINGTON, U.S. - In a move that has left China fuming, the U.S. State Department has approved a controversial deal involving the sale of arms to Taiwan.

Washington approved the sale despite repeated protests by China, which claims self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency issued a statement saying, "This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security and defensive capability of the recipient, which has been and continues to be an important force for political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region."

The Pentagon also pointed out in its statement that the $330 million request covers spare parts for "F-16, C-130, F-5, Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF), all other aircraft systems and subsystems, and other related elements of logistics and program support."

It said that the Congress had already been notified of the possible sale.

However, the announcement by the U.S. triggered a warning from China, which pointed out that the move jeopardizes Sino-U.S. cooperation.

Addressing a daily news briefing in Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, "U.S. arms sales to Taiwan were a serious breach of international law and harmed Chinese sovereignty and security interests."

Shuang added that China strongly opposes the planned arms sales and has already lodged "stern representations" with the U.S.

He added, "China urges the United States to withdraw the planned sale and stop military contacts with Taiwan, to avoid serious harm to both Sino-U.S. cooperation in major areas, and peace and stability in the Taiwan strait."

Meanwhile, America's planned arms sale was also condemned by China's Defense Ministry in a separate statement.

The ministry added in its statement that the Chinese military had a "firm and unshakable" resolve to protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

However, the Pentagon argued in its statement that the proposed sale is required to maintain Taiwan's "defensive and aerial fleet," and would not alter the military balance in the region.

The move adds to China's frustration since the world's two largest economies are already engaged in a spiralling trade war involving tariffs on several goods from both sides.

Amid China's protests, Taiwan, which would now have to finalize details of the sale with U.S. companies, issued a statement on Tuesday too.

Taiwan's Presidential Office thanked the U.S. for its support in its statement.

The statement further said that the island would continue to "stay in close communication and cooperation" with Washington for issues including security.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
U.S. military confirms arms sale to Taiwan, China fumes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of spare parts to Taiwan Spare parts for F-16 fighter planes and other military aircraft worth up to $330 million are part of the deal China has raised concerns over the sale as it claims the self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory WASHINGTON, U.S.

# data[].attributes.headline
Japan is developing supersonic glide bombs to defend remote islands

# data[].attributes.subject
Japan is developing supersonic glide bombs to defend remote islands

# data[].attributes.body
South China Morning Post
September 25, 2018

Japan's Defense Ministry has announced that it is working to develop a new type of missile. The weapon will allow the Japanese military to fire from a long range distance in the event that one of its islands were under attack or occupation by a foreign force. The weapon will be designed to quickly reach a height of 20km before the glide bomb separates and then steers itself toward the target with more precision. The Japanese government has invested well over 13.8 billion yen ($122 million USD) so far into the project, and hopes to have a functional prototype by 2025.
This news breaks in the midst of tense debates over island and water claims in the South China Sea. Japan has expressed concern over the Diaoyu islands, an archipelago that Japan controls in the East China Sea. China has also laid claim to this group of islands.

-Megan Temple

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Japan is developing supersonic glide bombs to defend remote islands

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Japan is to develop a new generation of supersonic gliding bombs designed to give its military the ability deliver a warhead from a safe distance if outlying islands it controls come under attack...

# data[].attributes.headline
China denies request for Hong Kong port call by American warship

# data[].attributes.subject
China denies request for Hong Kong port call by American warship

# data[].attributes.body
South China Morning Post
Sep. 25

China has rejected the United States request to dock the USS Wasp in Hong Kong. The Chinese Foreign Ministry commented saying only that they approving the docking on a case-by-case basis. The vessel is part of a group based in Sasebo in Japan and operating in the Indo-Pacific region. The people in Washington decided last week to impose sanctions on a unit of the Chinese defence ministry and its director for buying advanced weapons from Russia. In response, China recalled a navy commander from a visit to the US and postponed a military dialogue between the two countries. The Chinese ministry says that the United States has no right in their relationship with Russia, and this has led to strained military relationships between the U.S. and China.
-Megan P.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
China denies request for Hong Kong port call by American warship

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
'The Chinese government did not approve a request for a port visit to Hong Kong by the USS Wasp. We have a long track record of successful port visits to Hong Kong, and we expect that to continue,'...

# data[].attributes.headline
Where are all the women? 4 in 5 senior academics at Hong Kong’s publicly funded universities are men

# data[].attributes.subject
Where are all the women? 4 in 5 senior academics at Hong Kong’s publicly funded universities are men

# data[].attributes.body
SCMP. September 24, 2018

In Hong Kong's eight publicly funded universities, only 18.8% of senior academic staff, "professors, readers, principal and senior lecturers," are women. The percentages vary by university with The University of Science and Technology sitting at 12.2% and the Education University sitting at 27%. However, the lower you move in terms of academic rate, the more women there are. For example, women are 33.7% of the junior academic staff and over half of the academic support staff. One reason for this lack of women in high ranking positions is "a lack of flexibility in policies for female academic staff" who "often bore more family responsibilities than men." Basically, a women can't take the time away from her family to become a "full professor." To fix this problem, the University of Hong Kong took "joined the UN's HeforShe initiative to promote gender equality." They also introduced "family-friendly measures and more gender-balanced recruitment and promotion committees," as well as more benefits and support for pregnant staff.
-Sarah W.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Where are the women? 4 in 5 senior academics in Hong Kong are male

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Extra family workload and unconscious biases in hiring and promotion cited as key reasons for imbalance

# data[].attributes.headline
Prison Inside Me: Providing Koreans peace and solitude in a cell

# data[].attributes.subject
Prison Inside Me: Providing Koreans peace and solitude in a cell

# data[].attributes.body
Al Jazeera
Sept. 23
A South Korean woman who was searching for vacation destinations found herself drawn to a more unconventional choice. She found a meditation program called Prison Inside Me, where participants voluntarily spend a set amount of time in a facility designed to be like a prison. The building has 28 cells to host participants. Group activities take place outside the cells, but most of a person's time at Prison Inside Me is spent in solitary confinement. Even meals are served through a slot in the door. This was founded by a former prosecutor who was working 100 hours a week and did not know how to stop. South Korea is the "most overworked" nation in Asia, and people there work on average 300 more hours than Americans. This summer, the nation cut its working hours from 68 to 52 hours per week. This action has been met with criticism because it will supposedly cost South Korean businesses $11 billion if they are to maintain the same level of production. I found this feature interesting because it demonstrates a major cultural trend of strong emphasis on being productive in South Korea to the point where people think imprisoning themselves is actually a viable option.
-Sara S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The founders of Prison Inside Me are now happy at working less and enjoying life more [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera]

Hongcheon, South Korea - Jong Hwa-nam was looking up holiday destinations for her summer break when she came across a week-long meditation programme offered by Prison Inside Me.

Instead of going on a vacation, the 50-year-old signed up for a programme because she felt "it was for me".

"Strangely, I always had this animosity and distrust of people. They were unpleasant feelings," Jong told Al Jazeera at the centre in Hongcheon, about 100km from the capital Seoul.

"After self-reflection here, I came to the conclusion that animosity and distrust can easily be eradicated, and that we are the same people, pursuing the same values."

Prison Inside Me was launched in 2008 by Kwon Yong-seok, a former prosecutor who used to work 100 hours a week who could not stop working even though he was "very tired".

"I was exhausted physically and mentally but I wasn't brave enough to quit my job. I didn't know what to do with my life," said Kwon.

"Then I thought about being in solitary confinement for a week. Deciding where I should go next would become a bit clearer with no cigarettes, drinks, human relations, a boss and stressful work. And that's how I came up with the idea of Prison Inside Me."

More than 2,000 people have checked into Prison Inside Me over the years. Programmes range from 24-hour stays to week-long ones. Patrons have included office workers, students, corporate bosses and stay-at-home mothers.

They spend their time in one of the 28 cells. There are spiritual group activities and a guidebook. But most of the time spent at the centre is in confinement in a room with a diary, yoga mat and a panic button.

South Korea's working habit

In 2017, the average South Korean spent around 2,024 hours working, the third-highest among members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

It was the most overworked nation in Asia with 300 more hours on average than the US.

In order to improve work-life balance, South Korea cut its working hours from 68 to 52 a week in July this year.

The hours were "inhumanely long", according to the country's gender equality minister. President Moon Jae-in said the move to cut down working hours was to give Koreans a "right to rest".

Heavy workload and office stress are the biggest reasons why patrons pay to spend time at Prison Inside Me. Kwon himself founded it because he wanted a getaway from his hectic job and routine.

However, there are some who want a break from their daily lives and time to self-reflect.

"I didn't think I was growing in life and I was worried about my family's future," said 37-year-old Jong Hyup-lee, a computer programmer.

"I wanted to empty out such concerns from my system. I came here to get rid of these stuffy feelings. After spending a week here, I realised all these concerns were delusions and I was able to free myself from them and own my life."

The 'prison look'

At the centre, people have to turn in their mobile phones and other belongings before changing into a uniform. They are then assigned one of the 28 cells, which measure only 6sq metres, where they will spend most of their time.

The doors, with narrow glass panes, are painted grey to give them a "prison look" and are locked from the outside. But the clients are shown how to open them from the inside if they need to.

Meals are served through a slot in the doors.

"You are literally confined there which is the whole concept of the programme," said Noh Jihyang, Kwon's wife and cofounder of Prison Inside Me.

"But participants say they felt the greatest happiness and freedom here. Most of them were initially resistant because they were told it is jail. But after staying inside, they said it is not the small cell that is the prison, but rather the outside world."

Opposition to new law

The new regulation to reduce the number of working hours is set to cost Korean businesses an additional 12 trillion won ($11bn) if the same levels of production are to be maintained, according to the Korean Economic Research Institute.

While the change has been welcomed by the ruling party, it is facing stiff opposition from the business community with some analysts arguing it will not a make a difference.

"Only one in 10 workers will be able to enjoy the benefits of the change. For most small businesses, it means rising labour costs and worsening profitability while their workers will have to accept lower pay for reduced working hours," Kim Tae-gi, a professor of economics at Dankook University, was quoted as saying by the Financial Times.

Kwon reckons the change in law will help Korean society and is happy giving people the opportunity to experience solitude and meditation with experts nearby for help if needed.

He acknowledges, however, that the experiences gained in the short stay were something people needed to implement into their daily lives.

"I don't think 24 or 48 hours of staying here is enough time to change a person's life," said Kwon.

"However, I think it gives a chance and an opportunity to start that change. The value and experience of spending time alone affects their life afterwards. Some have even described it as the greatest gift they've given themselves."
With additional reporting by Kwon Moon

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Prison Inside Me: Providing Koreans peace and solitude in a cell

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hongcheon, South Korea - Jong Hwa-nam was looking up holiday destinations for her summer break when she came across a week-long meditation programme offered by Prison Inside Me. Instead of going on a vacation, the 50-year-old signed up for a programme because she felt "it was for me".

# data[].attributes.headline
North Korea Wants to Modernize and it's Looking to South for Help 

# data[].attributes.subject
North Korea Wants to Modernize and it's Looking to South for Help 

# data[].attributes.body
Bloomberg
September 24, 2018

North Korea has signaled that it wants help from South Korean companies to help modernize the secluded country. North Korea wants economic an technical assistance from South Korea in the form of investments to help set up industry. Many hurdles still remain in this endeavor including the fact that North and South Korea are still technically at war and conducting business with North Korea is heavily restricted by United Nations sanctions. Sohn Kyung-shik, the 79-year-old co-chairman of CJ Group and the head of the Korea Employers Federation and and South Korea’s Moon Jae-in were a part of a South Korean business delegation that included Samsung Group Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. They met with the North’s Vice Premier Ri Ryong Nam in hopes of building trust between the two countries. The CJ Group sees potential in North Korea for both food and logistics industries. The two countries will meet again soon to discuss denuclearization and the resumption of economic projects. I found this interesting because it is a good example of the tensions between North and South Korea beginning to ease.
-Katie S.

# data[].attributes.headline
Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in sign trade deal

# data[].attributes.subject
Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in sign trade deal

# data[].attributes.body
CNN
September 24, 2018

President Donald Trump just signed his first trade deal. At a meeting in New York on Monday, Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in signed a revised version of the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement, known as KORUS. KORUS has been around since 2012. But the new version removes a few regulatory burdens for US automakers to export cars, extends a 25 percent US tariff on imported Korean trucks, and lifts a cap on US car exports to South Korea that don’t need to meet Korean safety standards. The trade deal comes at a critical moment in US-Korea diplomacy. The South Korean president is trying to broker a denuclearization deal with North Korea, and met with Trump Monday to discuss during a bilateral meeting in New York City. Moon wants Trump to declare peace with North Korea, but Trump made no public commitment on the matter after his meeting with Moon. Instead, he promised to meet with Kim Jong Un and touted the new trade deal he and Moon were about to sign.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
trump and south korean president moon jae-in sign trade deal - cnnpolitics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in sign trade deal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in held a signing ceremony for a new United States-Korea trade deal following a bilateral meeting at the United Nations Monday afternoon.

# data[].attributes.headline
Not one brick will remain of communist shrine in Taiwan, says County Commissioner

# data[].attributes.subject
Not one brick will remain of communist shrine in Taiwan, says County Commissioner

# data[].attributes.body
Taiwan News Sep.25

Communists in Ershui, Changhua held their final flag raising ceremony Tuesday morning. And last week they all utilities cut off from the facility.
Come Wednesday all things that are related to the Chinese Communist Party will be removed from the shrine.The National Security Bureau said that a"Patriotic Education Base of Socialist National Thought in Taiwan Province of the People's Republic of China," represents a national security threat to Taiwan. People in the township do not like seeing all of the communist party allegiance goods, it makes them uncomfortable. After the demolition not one brick will be left. I think considering the background of Taiwan and China that this is a really big deal considering it shows that people inside Taiwan are in a allegiance with China. Taiwan is already not recognized by majority of the world as being independent, it must be hard when people inside the country also do not support the government.
-Elizabeth Tizzano

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - After utilities to the property were cut last week., the Changhua County Government is moving forward with plans to demolish the controversial shrine to Communism in Taiwan on Wednesday morning, Sept. 26. A final flag raising ceremony was held this morning.

Changhua County Commissioner Wei Ming-ku (魏明谷) was quoted over the weekend as saying that "not even a single brick" would remain of the condemned structure once demolition was complete.

This morning at 8:00 a.m., the communists who converted the former Buddhist temple into a shrine for their secular ideology and veneration of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held their final flag raising ceremony at the former Biyun Chan Temple (碧雲禪寺) in Changhua's Ershui (二水) Township.

LTN reports that when the local government declared the date for demolition, the shrine's founder, retired military officer and businessman, Wei Ming-jen (魏明仁) yelled "Who dares to remove the banner of the motherland! I dare you to try!"

However, on Sept. 25, after the final flag raising ceremony, Wei along with his comrades will be removing the CCP paraphernalia and taking down the five star flag of China themselves, with full knowledge that the flags and icons of their heroes will be destroyed in the rubble if they are not transferred to another location.

Moving out. Video still from Wei Ming-ren's FB page.

The temple property, which the county government has determined violates safety codes for buildings on mountainsides, was acquired by the communists around July 2017. Wei converted the structure into a shrine to CCP in Taiwan, replete with Chinese flags and portraits of past party chairmen.

According to reports, Wei tricked the previous nuns who occupied the temple into a debt trap , and then manipulated the legal system to come into possession of the Biyun Chan Temple and evicted the nuns who have been living in meager shipping containers nearby and protesting the conversion of the temple ever since.

Wei claims that the CCP supports his activities in Taiwan. He also previously claimed he was commissioning a statue of Mao Zedong, and that the day it was completed would be the day that Taiwan came under the control of China.

Wei Ming-ren (Image from FB)

Following last week's announcement that demolition would begin this week, it seems the plans of Wei and his comrades have been dashed.

A National Security Bureau official has said that the "Patriotic Education Base of Socialist National Thought in Taiwan Province of the People's Republic of China," represents a national security threat to Taiwan.

The local community is also reportedly fed up with the Communist decorations and the Chinese national anthem, which can be heard blaring from the temple across the mountain side as Wei and comrades perform flag raising ceremonies every morning.

LTN reports that after power was cut last week the founder of the "Communist Base," began using a power generator to continue blasting the Chinese anthem.

Commissioner Wei commented on the noise pollution, saying that while Wei remains within his rights to use the generator and play the anthem, if it is deemed a disturbance by the local community, the EPA could intervene.

That will likely be unnecessary with Wei and comrades are vacating the premise and destruction of the descerated temple will soon be underway. After demolition is complete, the mountainous Ershui Township will hopefully have a bit of peace and quiet.

Character for "tear down" over photo from Wei Ming-ren's FB page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Not one brick will remain of communist shrine... | Taiwan News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Communists in Ershui, Changhua held their final flag raising ceremony Tuesday morning, before clearing out CCP paraphernalia ahead of Wednesday's demolition.As stated last week, the Changhua County Government began to demolish the controversial shrine to Communism in Taiwan this morning at 10:00 a.m., after utilities to the property were cut last week.​

# data[].attributes.headline
Tokyo Marathon Could Increase By 50% Next Year

# data[].attributes.subject
Tokyo Marathon Could Increase By 50% Next Year

# data[].attributes.body
News On Japan. Sep. 24.
The Tokyo Marathon Foundation is discussing increasing entry fees in the next race, which takes place in March of 2020 with the Tokyo Olympics.  The Marathon Foundation faces a "sharp deterioration in its profitability" due to their increased security fees.  In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon Bombing in 2013, the Tokyo Foundation drastically increased their own security in order to protect runners and the crowds they draw every year.  The Marathon Committee, which also has connections with the Japanese government, expects threats to increase with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.  In order to combat these potential threats, the Foundation is increasing the number of security guards and installing more metal detectors and surveillance cameras around Tokyo. This increase in state security aligns with other recent international policies.

-Sarah A.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The organizer of the Tokyo Marathon is considering raising the fees paid by participants by 50 pct, from 10,000 yen to 15,000 yen, starting with the race in March 2020, it was learned Saturday.

The Tokyo Marathon Foundation, affiliated with the Tokyo metropolitan government, is mulling the move as it faces a sharp deterioration in its profitability reflecting higher costs for security measures for the annual race, informed sources said.

The organization is expected to decide the fee hike at an executive board meeting in December this year at the earliest, the sources said.

The foundation beefed up measures to protect participating runners in the wake of the deadly bombings of the Boston Marathon in April 2013. As a result, the Tokyo Marathon security costs ballooned 2.7 times over five years, having reached a record 482 million yen this year.

With terror threats expected to increase toward the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the foundation is considering taking further measures, such as increasing the number of security guards and installing more metal detectors and surveillance cameras.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tokyo Marathon Fees May Go Up by 50 Pct from 2020

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The organizer of the Tokyo Marathon is considering raising the fees paid by participants by 50 pct, from 10,000 yen to 15,000 yen, starting with the race in March 2020, it was learned Saturday.

# data[].attributes.headline
China accuses US of trade bullying as new tariffs imposed

# data[].attributes.subject
China accuses US of trade bullying as new tariffs imposed

# data[].attributes.body
BBC News
September 24, 2018.

The US has imposed 200 billion dollars worth of tariffs on China, which is the largest so far of the US-China trade war. China accuses the US of trade bullying, and has counteracted with 60 billion dollars worth of tariffs on the US. These duties apply to 6,000 items, including rice, handbags, and textiles. The tax will rise to 25% if the US and China fail to make an agreement by the beginning of 2019. China is placing a 5% tax on US products including smaller aircraft, computers, textiles, and an extra 10% on chemicals, meat, wheat and wine. Trump has encouraged American tariffs on China in order to stop the "unfair transfers of American technology and intellectual property" and to protect jobs in the United States. He also wants to encourage global markets to buy American and bolster the US economy. Other nations have also accused China of being unfair. After the raise in tariffs, it will be hard for China to match the scale of the tariffs put on the Chinese as the US buys more from China than it sells to them. I found it interesting that the US is kind of forcing China into a corner to make them act and stop stealing technology and intellectual property. It is also interesting to read about this after the readings on the Opium Wars and how much China's position in the world economy has changed.
-Lauren Gambino

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
China has accused the US of trade bullying after a new round of US tariffs on Chinese goods kicked in.

The US imposed tariffs on a further $200bn ($152bn) worth of Chinese products, the largest round yet in the escalating trade war between the economic superpowers.

The tariffs are in response to what the US says are unfair trading practices by China.

Beijing has retaliated with tariffs on $60bn of US goods.

In an official white paper, as reported by Xinhua news agency, China said the US was employing "trade bullyism practices", "intimidating other countries through economic measures", and hurting the global economy.

China has also accused the US of starting the "largest trade war in economic history".

The latest move takes the total amount of Chinese imports hit by US tariffs since July up to $250bn. This means about half of all Chinese imports to the US are now subject to new duties.

The latest escalation comes as China cancelled further trade talks with the US, according to media reports.

What happened on Monday?

The latest US duties apply to almost 6,000 items, making them the biggest round of trade tariffs yet from Washington.

They affect handbags, rice and textiles, although some items such as smart watches and high chairs have been exempted.

US companies importing the Chinese products in question will have to pay an additional 10% levy.

The tax will rise to 25% from the start of 2019, unless the two countries agree a deal.

In contrast, China is placing an additional 5% duty on US products including smaller aircraft, computers and textiles, and an extra 10% on goods such as chemicals, meat, wheat and wine.

US-China trade row: What has happened so far?

The early victims of Trump's trade war

Six ways China could retaliate in a trade war

US-China trade war: China fights back

What tariffs have we had so far?

In total, the US has imposed three rounds of tariffs on Chinese products this year, totalling $250bn worth of goods.

It placed 25% tariffs on $50bn worth of imports from China in two separate rounds.

In July, the White House increased charges on $34bn worth of Chinese products.

Then last month, the escalating trade war moved up a gear when the US brought in a 25% tax on a second wave of goods worth $16bn.

Beijing retaliated in kind.

In response to the first two rounds of US tariffs, China imposed duties on $50bn of US products, targeting key parts of the president's political base, such as farmers.

Why is the US doing this?

President Donald Trump says he wants to stop the "unfair transfers of American technology and intellectual property to China" and protect jobs.

Tariffs, in theory, will make US-made products cheaper than imported ones, thereby encouraging consumers to buy American. The idea is that this will boost local businesses and support the national economy.

But many US companies and industry groups have testified to the US Trade Representative's Office that their businesses are being harmed.

There are signs that companies are already being affected, and the IMF has warned major escalations will hit global growth.

Mr Trump's tariff policies are part of his protectionist trade agenda since taking office, which challenges decades of a global free trade system.

Analysis by Karishma Vaswani, Asia Business Correspondent

There is a long-held view China has cheated not just the US on trade, but other trading partners too.

While not all agree with Mr Trump's strategy, his tariff policy is giving others the confidence to be more vocal about their complaints.

Indeed, the European Chamber of Commerce in China has said the root cause of the US China trade war is "China's incomplete market opening".

In China, those criticisms are being met with rising nationalism, according to the Chinese businesses and academics I spoke to.

There is a sense the US is jealous of China's rise, and is using the trade war to contain it.

For China, backing down is not an option - it's preparing for a long battle.

Karishma Vaswani: How China is fighting back

What comes next?

Mr Trump recently said taxes on another $267bn of goods were "ready to go on short notice" - that would mean virtually all of China's exports to the US would be subject to new duties.

It is unclear how China can match the scale of US tariffs in the long term.

The US buys far more from China than it sells to them, so China only has limited room to retaliate through trade.

Analysts have said China could get creative when fighting back.

It could make life more difficult for American companies in China or force its currency lower to boost exports.

Mr Trump recently accused China of doing just that. But China has hit back at these accusations.

China "will never go down the path of stimulating exports by devaluating its currency", Premier Li Keqiang said last week.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
China accuses US of bullying over tariffs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
China has accused the US of trade bullying after a new round of US tariffs on Chinese goods kicked in. The US imposed tariffs on a further $200bn ($152bn) worth of Chinese products, the largest round yet in the escalating trade war between the economic superpowers.

# data[].attributes.headline
Fentanyl crisis: Is China a major source of illegal drugs?

# data[].attributes.subject
Fentanyl crisis: Is China a major source of illegal drugs?

# data[].attributes.body
BBC News
September 23, 2018

This article discusses the eve-growing opioid problem in the U.S., however now the U.S. government is claiming that China is to blame for the addiction of many Americans to the opioid "Fentanyl." Fentanyl is "50 to 100 times stronger than morphine" and its used for severe pain that comes from treatments for cancer. In addition to his trade war with China, Trump has also publicaly accused the Chinese of this high influx of synthetic drugs. More than 40% of U.S. drug overdose deaths are caused, not by heroin, but synthetic opioids like fentanyl. U.S. officials have tracked the drugs to China. However one expert weighs in and states "In the presence of demand, supply finds its way." Therefore, the U.S. should not be relying so heavily on these drugs, and address their own issues head on. I thought this was interesting because it sounds similar to what Great Britain did to China in the Opium Wars.
Molly Donegan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Amid tension between China and the US over trade, there's also friction over another issue - the illegal trade in synthetic drugs.

The US believes factory-produced opioids - powerful painkillers increasingly abused by US citizens - are being made in China and sold from there too.

One of the main ones is fentanyl - 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine - which is only approved in the US for severe pain arising in cases like treatment for cancer.

President Trump has called out China publicly.

China, while not denying there's a problem, has hit back at claims that most illegal fentanyl is from China.

A senior Chinese official, Yu Haibin of the National Narcotics Control Commission, said there was "no proof" of this, and described President Trump's comments and "unacceptable" and "irresponsible".

Mr Yu had earlier spoken about growing drug demand in the US as the real problem, and suggested there should be better intelligence sharing with China.

There's no doubt a lot of these chemicals are produced in China - although in exactly what quantities is impossible to tell.

And despite the rhetoric, China has been taking some steps to address the problem.

Dangerous chemicals

These synthetic drugs are cheap to make, are sold on the internet and supplied by post.

On arrival at their destination they can be mixed in very small amounts with other drugs, especially heroin, to increase their potency.

"Fentanyl is potentially lethal, even at very low levels. Ingestion of doses as small as 0.25mg can be fatal," states the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

It's also relatively easy to alter its chemical structure to produce similar substances - known as fentanyl analogues - to bypass legal controls.

"The countless possibilities to create new compounds by small changes in chemical structures pose a growing challenge to international control of the opioid trade," states the UN Office for Drugs and Crime.

Growing concerns - not just in US

The US authorities are increasingly worried about opioid abuse, and have now put all fentanyl-related products into the most dangerous class of drugs.

In testimony before Congress, Assistant Secretary of State Kirsten Madison described the situation as the most "severe drug crisis" the US has ever faced.

She said that in 2017, more than 40% of the 72,000 drug overdose deaths in the US involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

Health statistics from Canada show that last year, 72% of deaths related to opioid abuse were believed to involve fentanyl or related substances - up from 55% in 2016.

Europe's drug monitoring agency the EMCDDA, which covers the EU plus Turkey and Norway, said in a report this year that "the number of synthetic opioids has grown rapidly in Europe since the first substance was reported in 2009".

The China connection

US officials are unequivocal that China is the main source for fentanyl and similar drugs.

In October 2017, the US authorities announced the first ever indictments against two Chinese individuals for conspiracy "to distribute large quantities" of fentanyl as well as other opioids.

Katherine Pfaff, spokesperson for the US Drug Enforcement Agency, told the BBC that interceptions from the US postal system, information from people on the ground, and tracking cyber footprints, leads them to believe a "significant amount" comes from China.

The European drug monitoring agency report states: "It appears that most shipments of new fentanyls coming into Europe originate from companies based in China."

However, it added that there have also been some examples of illegal production by laboratories in Europe.

And, although the Chinese authorities don't officially accept that most fentanyl is produced in China, they have taken some action.

Martin Raithelhuber, an expert on synthetic drugs with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, says China now has restricted more than 150 chemicals that can be used to create synthetic drugs.

"They have been quite active in introducing national controls," he adds.

The DEA's Pfaff told Reality Check that China is "recognising the problem" and that there's an "on-going, strong working relationship" with the Chinese.

Regulation and corruption

But do the Chinese have a problem regulating their large and rapidly growing pharmaceutical industry?

Drugs policy expert at the Rand Corporation in the US, Bryce Pardo, describes their regulatory capacity as "limited".

"Gaps in regulatory design, the division of responsibility between provincial and central governments, and lack of oversight and government and corporate accountability, increase opportunities for corruption," he says.

"I think it is fair to say that a lack of regulatory capacity, perhaps regardless of the letter of the law, certainly limits their ability to control the industry," says John Collins, head of the International Drug Policy Institute at the London School of Economics (LSE).

The other problem is that as more controls are introduced, new chemical substances are produced to get around them.

"The lessons from other countries suggest that effective regulation and enforcement does not ensure the absence of an illicit market," adds Collins.

"In the presence of a demand, supply finds a way."

He believes a more comprehensive approach to managing the overdose crisis in the US is needed, not simply relying on control of supply from abroad.

And that is also part of China's argument - that the US needs to address its growing demand for such drugs, rather than just blaming Beijing.
Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fentanyl crisis: Is China a major source?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Amid tension between China and the US over trade, there's also friction over another issue - the illegal trade in synthetic drugs. The US believes factory-produced opioids - powerful painkillers increasingly abused by US citizens - are being made in China and sold from there too.

# data[].attributes.headline
Japan Just Became the First Country to Land a Probe on an Asteroid

# data[].attributes.subject
Japan Just Became the First Country to Land a Probe on an Asteroid

# data[].attributes.body
Fortune
September 23, 2018

On Saturday, Japan landed two unmanned rovers on a 1-km wide asteroid, the first time rovers have successfully landed on an asteroid surface. The two rovers are called MINERVA-II1; they came from the spacecraft Hayabusa2 and landed on the asteroid Ryugu. This asteroid is believed to be one of the earliest to exist, with water and organic material that will "shed light on the building blocks of Earth." Thanks to low gravity, rovers hop and float across the asteroid, and since landing, these rovers have sent back photos and data to the space company. JAXA, Japan's space agency, plans to launch a third rover in early October, and it plans to land the spacecraft on the asteroid to blow a small crater and reach samples that haven't ever before been exposed to space. This article demonstrates the advanced technological power of Japan and its space agency, as it has just become the first nation to land a rover on an asteroid - beating the United States to this accomplishment. East Asian powers, like Japan, have become giants in science and technology, and these accomplishments could bring a new perspective into scientific exploration and discovery.

-Ashley Hovorka

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Japan Just Became the First Country to Land a Probe on an Asteroid

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Japan landed two unmanned rovers on a 1-kilometer-wide asteroid, the first time robot rovers have successfully landed on asteroid surface.

# data[].attributes.headline
China and Vatican to Sign Landmark Deal Over Bishops

# data[].attributes.subject
China and Vatican to Sign Landmark Deal Over Bishops

# data[].attributes.body
Wall Street Journal
Sept. 14, 2018

Later this month, China and the Vatican are supposed to sign an agreement regarding the official leadership of the Catholic Church in China. The deal gives both the Chinese Communist Party and the Vatican some say in appointing bishops. If signed, this would be the first official recognition by China that the pope is the head of the Catholic Church, even within the nation. People expect criticism from both sides of the table, as China would become more like the West, and religious freedom would be lessened. Unforeseen events could still keep the agreement from being signed. It is unlikely that the deal would cause the Chinese Communist Party to actually give up control of the Catholic Church, which makes up a small part of China's population. Pursuit of this deal, which was originally planned for the spring, shows that Pope Francis wants to establish a good relationship between the Vatican and China.
-Sara S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
China and the Vatican are set to sign a landmark agreement later this month ending a long struggle between Beijing's Communist rulers and the pope over who chooses the leaders of Catholicism in the world's most populous country, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Reactions to the deal, which gives both sides a say in appointing the church's bishops in China, are likely to be sharply divided, with some hailing a diplomatic coup by the Vatican that draws China closer to the West and others warning of an important...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
China and Vatican to Sign Landmark Deal Over Bishops

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
China and the Vatican are set to sign a landmark agreement later this month ending a long struggle between Beijing's Communist rulers and the pope over who chooses the leaders of Catholicism in the world's most populous country, according to two people familiar with the matter.

# data[].attributes.headline
Breakthrough for LGBT rights as Hong Kong to recognise same-sex partnerships in spousal visa applications

# data[].attributes.subject
Breakthrough for LGBT rights as Hong Kong to recognise same-sex partnerships in spousal visa applications

# data[].attributes.body
South China Morning Post
September 18th, 2018

The government announced that they are changing their policy so that overseas same-sex partnerships are recognized when they are granting dependents visas. This move came from a major court and legal battle by a lesbian British couple that was originally denied a spousal visa. This ruling was made because the pair who applied argued that the Inmigratiob Department's decision "was discriminatory and breached the Basic Law and the Bill of Rights Ordinance." LGBT advocates are happy to see that the government is taking small but initial steps in recognizing forms of non-heterosexual relationships. In Hong Kong, the government does not legally recognize same-sex relationships. Pro-government groups are also worried about checking to see that the government will assure citizens that this move will not mean a complete reversal in Hong Kong.
I thought this article relates to our class because it again highlights government action made concerning foreigners wishing to move into their land or country. It looks to the past experiences of East Asian countries being open or closed to foreigners. In this case, it also considers how society and cultural is changing or being influenced by other nations and cultures, and how social changes continue to happen in East Asia. I found this interesting just because of how much same-sex marriage is slowly being recognized by countries around the globe in recent years. It makes me wonder how countries in Asia will continue to react to this social change.
-Andrew Morales

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hong Kong to recognise same-sex partnerships in visa applications

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In breakthrough for LGBT rights locally, government announces policy switch after review prompted by case of married British lesbian denied spousal status.

# data[].attributes.headline
North Korea’s Trump-Era Strategy: Keep Making A-Bombs, but Quietly

# data[].attributes.subject
North Korea’s Trump-Era Strategy: Keep Making A-Bombs, but Quietly

# data[].attributes.body
The New York Times
September 16th, 2018

According to the article Kim Jong-un has been publically building his stockpile of nuclear weapons for the last seven years.  The point was to show how powerful of a leader he is and how "his country's nuclear buildup is irreversible."  He has made it very clear with the public detonation of these weapons.  But, since, Trump and Kim got together to resolve these issues with the nuclear armaments, Kim has no longer been showing off what he has to the public.  The article suggests that Kim is playing Trump, so he will think that a treaty for denuclearization is still possible.  Trump is open for a second meeting to discuss the matter and has openly stated so via twitter.  When the President said back in June that, "there is no longer a nuclear threat" from North Korea, he gave China and Russia the impression that they could pick up where they left off trade wise.  If Kim is fooling Trump, there will be severe consequences.  Also, no one has a clear answer as to how many nuclear weapons they possess.  There could be a good chance that Kim is stockpiling his warheads and completely ignoring Trump.  As Trump often does, he took to Twitter to praise Kim for not parading weapons in the streets for their 70th anniversary of North Korea.  According to the article, it looks as if Trump thinks they are better friends than they are and Kim is playing him like a fool.

-Gwen Sajewski

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
News Analysis

Image

President Trump and Kim Jong-un at their summit meeting in June. They have exchanged warm words ever since. Credit Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times

WASHINGTON - For seven years, Kim Jong-un has pursued an in-your-face strategy for building his nuclear arsenal: detonating blasts underground and firing missiles into the sky, all to send the message that his country's nuclear buildup is irreversible.

Now he appears to be changing his approach, current and former American intelligence officials say, tailoring it to his reading of the man he met for a few hours three months ago in Singapore: President Trump.

North Korea is making nuclear fuel and building weapons as actively as ever, the publicly available evidence suggests. But he now appears to be borrowing a page from Israel, Pakistan and India: He is keeping quiet about it, conducting no public nuclear demonstrations and creating no crises, allowing Mr. Trump to portray a denuclearization effort as on track.

Mr. Kim's new forbearance has helped keep a stream of warm words coming from Mr. Trump. A week ago, the president praised Mr. Kim, with whom he says he has forged a special relationship, after the North Korean leader refrained from parading missiles down the streets of Pyongyang during a military celebration.

On Tuesday, President Moon Jae-in of South Korea will visit the North Korean leader in Pyongyang for their third meeting, and over three days the two men are expected to discuss a "peace declaration" that the North has said must precede any further discussion of disarmament.

Looming over the meeting is the post-Singapore stalemate on progress despite Mr. Trump's new tone of accommodation, including his openness to a second meeting with Mr. Kim. After declaring a year ago that Mr. Kim had to disarm quickly or face "fire and fury," Mr. Trump now says there is plenty of time.

But even some of the president's top national security officials privately concede that Mr. Trump's declaration in June that "there is no longer a nuclear threat" from North Korea was a huge error, because it was taken as a signal by China and Russia that the crisis was over and that they could resume trading with the country.

Current and former intelligence officials say new assessments suggest that Mr. Kim has carefully read Mr. Trump and concluded that as long as the optics are good, and the exchanges between the two leaders are warm, he can hold off demands for progress toward disarmament. If Mr. Kim does not conduct tests, Mr. Trump is unlikely to call out evidence of a continued nuclear buildup.

"I'm shocked at how superficial things have been," said Jung H. Pak, the C.I.A.'s mission leader for North Korea until she left last year for the Brookings Institution. "I think the North Koreans smell dysfunction and they see dysfunction in the president's tweets and his compliments and his willingness to meet again."

Even one of Mr. Trump's frequent defenders, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, indicated on Sunday he was worried that the president might have been manipulated.

"Are they playing us? I don't know," Mr. Graham said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "If they're playing Trump, we're going to be in a world of hurt, because he's going to have no options left. This is the last, best chance for peace right here."

The White House argues that significant progress has been made. Mr. Trump's press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, has cited the fact that Mr. Kim's last missile and nuclear tests were 10 months ago, and insisted that is a sign of Mr. Kim's willingness to deal.

It certainly is a constraint on his program: As long as the North conducts no tests, it cannot demonstrate that it has designed a warhead that can survive the huge stresses it would undergo in flight. That leaves ambiguity about whether it can actually strike American cities.

Still, nuclear production continues unabated, satellite photographs and other evidence suggest. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has not persuaded the North Koreans to turn over an inventory of their major nuclear facilities and materials, much less declare how many weapons they possess. While Mr. Kim has blown up entrances to a nuclear test site and appeared to start dismantling a test stand for missile engines, he has not allowed in any inspectors to determine whether the actions were simply for show.

Mr. Kim has said a peace "declaration" that formally ends the Korean War must be a first step, and Mr. Moon has privately urged the United States to provide that assurance. The North Korean leader believes that Mr. Trump committed to such a declaration on the way to a more formal peace treaty. But both Mr. Pompeo and John R. Bolton, the national security adviser, have said progress toward denuclearization must come first.

Mr. Kim's strategy now appears to be simple: Mimic Pakistan, which conducted a major nuclear test in 1998 and deflected demands for years that it give up its weapons. Pakistan has largely succeeded. It has a substantial arsenal, and when Mr. Pompeo visited Islamabad recently, there was little public discussion of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.

"Kim understands what has protected the Pakistanis," said R. Nicholas Burns, the under secretary of state for political affairs during the George W. Bush administration.

"As long as you have a circle of countries who will recognize you, and will trade with you, it is very difficult for the U.S. to succeed in getting the country to dismantle its nuclear weapons apparatus," he said, adding, "Trump had strong international sanctions leverage over Kim but squandered it at Singapore."

The appeal of the Pakistan model is clear. Pakistan suffers few sanctions for its nuclear program, or its refusal to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. It has not tested a weapon in 20 years; like North Korea, it has concluded that it has already proved its basic capabilities. The same is true for India and Israel, the other nonsignatories of the treaty.

North Korea has taken advantage of the situation to step up trade with China and Russia, in violation of United Nations resolutions. On Friday, the American ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki R. Haley, accused the Russians of trying to alter a draft United Nations report that documents the sanctions violations, and said the experts writing the report had "caved."

The United States has "called an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting for Monday at 10 a.m. to discuss the implementation and enforcement of U.N. sanctions on North Korea," according to a statement from Ms. Haley's office.

But she has little leverage. As long as Mr. Trump declares that the crisis is over, China and Russia will look to maintain the status quo.

A senior intelligence official said recently that the North Koreans are listening selectively: They focus on Mr. Trump's enthusiastic reassurances to Mr. Kim, like his tweet on Aug. 2: "Thank you for your nice letter - l look forward to seeing you soon!"

Whether they do see each other soon depends largely on the initiatives of Mr. Moon, the South Korean president, during his trip to Pyongyang. He has emerged as the most important actor in this nuclear dance, and he sees his role less as an American ally and more as a critical intermediary. He is concerned, one senior South Korean official said, that if Mr. Trump loses the House or feels more pressure from the special counsel investigation, he may veer toward resuming threats of military action.

So when Mr. Moon met with his cabinet on Tuesday, he did not talk of "complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization," which used to be how the Trump administration described the goal of talks with North Korea. Instead, he talked about greasing the diplomatic gears.

"What the South and North now needs is not just another joint declaration, but finding ways to substantially develop relations," he said. "We cannot cease our efforts to mediate and facilitate talks from the middle until dialogue and communication between North Korea and the United States flow smoothly."

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A5 of the New York edition with the headline: North Korea Works to Pacify Trump and Normalize Its Nuclear Presence. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North Korea's Trump-Era Strategy: Keep Making A-Bombs, but Quietly

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
News Analysis WASHINGTON - For seven years, Kim Jong-un has pursued an in-your-face strategy for building his nuclear arsenal: detonating blasts underground and firing missiles into the sky, all to send the message that his country's nuclear buildup is irreversible.

# data[].attributes.headline
Japan Conducts First Submarine Drill in Disputed South China Sea

# data[].attributes.subject
Japan Conducts First Submarine Drill in Disputed South China Sea

# data[].attributes.body
Japan Today. September 18.

Japan has carried out its first submarine drill in the South China Sea, a move that could provoke Beijing which claims most of the disputed waters. A submarine joined three Japanese warships in the waters just southwest of Scarborough Shoal which is China controlled. China claims most of the rich South China Sea, which see $5 trillion in shipping trades per year. These claims are often disputed by places like the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Japan carried out a Self-Defense Force "practical" anti-submarine drill, which included an exercise to spot enemy submarines with sonar devices. Earlier this month, Beijing lashed out at Britain for sending a warship close to the disputed islands.
-Megan P.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Japan conducts first submarine drill in disputed South China Sea

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Japan has carried out its first submarine drill in the South China Sea, a newspaper said Monday, a move that could provoke Beijing which claims most of the disputed waters. Submarine Kuroshio on Thursday joined three Japanese warships in waters just southwest of the China-controlled Scarborough Shoal, the Asahi Shimbun...

# data[].attributes.headline
Japan Drives Forward With Plans for Flying Cars

# data[].attributes.subject
Japan Drives Forward With Plans for Flying Cars

# data[].attributes.body
CBS News
September 18, 2018

The Japanese government has been looking into developing a drone transportation system to reduce traffic, air pollution, and parking shortage issues. The main idea behind this new innovation in travel involves travel from rooftop to rooftop, and main benefits will be the reduce in commute time for employees as well as a reduced need of licensed drivers/ pilots, as is necessary with a regular helicopter.
Various vehicle companies have invested in similar projects, perhaps most notably Uber.  The taxi company powerhouse plans to create a new flying drone program, likely to debut in Tokyo, hopefully by 2023. One product manager with the company was quick to stress that this was not meant to be an elitist mode of travel, but a more efficient way for the masses to commute. There were no estimates on what a single ride may cost.
The largest concerns skeptics have voiced are that of safety and what would happen if one crashed and fell on the city below. It remains to be seen how soon, if at all, these innovations will be implemented on a commercial scale.
-Megan Temple

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TOKYO, Japan -- Electric drones booked through smartphones pick people up from office rooftops, shortening travel time by hours, reducing the need for parking and clearing smog from the air. This vision of the future is driving the Japanese government's "" project. Major carrier All Nippon Airways, electronics company NEC Corp. and more than a dozen other companies and academic experts hope to have a road map for the plan ready by the year's end.

"This is such a totally new sector Japan has a good chance for not falling behind," said Fumiaki Ebihara, the government official in charge of the project.

For now, nobody believes people are going to be zipping around in flying cars any time soon. Many hurdles remain, such as battery life, the need for regulations and of course safety concerns. But dozens such projects are popping up around the world.

A flying car is defined as aircraft that's electric, or hybrid electric, with driverless capabilities, that can land and takeoff vertically, according to Ebihara.

They are often called EVtol, which stands for "electric vertical takeoff and landing" aircraft. All the flying car concepts, which are like drones big enough to hold humans, promise to be better than helicopters, which are expensive to maintain, noisy to fly and require trained pilots, Ebihara and other proponents say.

"You may think of 'Back to the Future,' 'Gundam,' or 'Doraemon,'" Ebihara said, referring to vehicles of flight in a Hollywood film and in Japanese cartoons featuring robots. "Up to now, it was just a dream, but with innovations in motors and batteries, it's time for it to become real," he said.

Google, drone company Ehang and car manufacturer Geely in China, and Volkswagen AG of Germany have invested in flying car technology.

Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. said they had nothing to say about flying cars, but Toyota Motor Corp. recently invested $500 million in working with Uber on self-driving technology for the ride-hailing service. Toyota group companies have also invested 42.5 million yen ($375,000) in a Japanese startup, Cartivator, that is working on a flying car.

The hope is to fly up and light the torch at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but it's unclear it will meet that goal: at a demonstration last year the device crashed after it rose to slightly higher than eye level. A video of a more recent demonstration suggests it's now flying more stably, though it's being tested indoors, unmanned and chained so it won't fly away.

There are plenty of skeptics.

Elon Musk, chief executive of electric car maker Tesla Inc., says even toy drones are noisy and blow a lot of air, which means anything that would be "1,000 times heavier" isn't practical.

"If you want a flying car, just put wheels on a helicopter," he said in a recent interview with podcast host and comedian Joe Rogan on YouTube. "Your neighbors are not going to be happy if you land a flying car in your backyard or on your rooftop."

Though the Japanese government has resisted Uber's efforts to offer ride-hailing services in Japan, limiting it to partnerships with taxi companies, it has eagerly embraced the U.S. company's work on EVtol machines.

Uber says it is considering Tokyo as its first launch city for affordable flights via its UberAir service. It says Los Angeles and Dallas, Texas, and locations in Australia, Brazil, France and India are other possible locations for its services.

Unlike regular airplanes, with their aerodynamic design and two wings, Uber's "Elevate" structures look like small jets with several propellers on top. The company says it plans flight demonstrations as soon as 2020 and a commercial service by 2023.

Uber's vision calls for using heliports on rooftops, but new multi-floored construction similar to parking lots for cars will likely be needed to accommodate so many more EVtol aircraft, once the service takes off.

Unmanned drones are legal in Japan, the U.S. and other countries, but there are restrictions on where they can be flown and requirements for getting approval in advance. In Japan, drone flyers can be licensed if they take classes. There is no requirement like drivers licenses for cars.

Flying passengers over populated areas would take a quantum leap in technology, overhauling aviation regulations and air traffic safety controls and major efforts both to ensure safety and convince people it's safe.

Uber said at a recent presentation in Tokyo that it envisions a route between the city's two international airports, among others. Savings in time would add up, it said.

"This is not a rich person's toy. This is a mass market solution," said Adam Warmoth, product manager at Uber Elevate.

Concepts for flying cars vary greatly. Some resemble vehicles with several propellers on top while others look more like a boat with a seat over the propellers.

Ebihara, the flying-car chief at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, says Japan is on board for "Blade Runner" style travel - despite its plentiful, efficient and well developed public transportation.

Japan's auto and electronics industries have the technology and ability to produce super-light materials that could give the nation an edge in the flying car business, he said. Such vehicles could be tested first in uncongested, remote areas or between islands, where public transport is less accessible and safety issues would be less of a problem.

Just as the automobile vanquished horse-drawn carriages, moving short-distance transport into the air could in theory bring a sea change in how people live, Ebihara said, pointing to the sky outside the ministry building to stress how empty it was compared to the streets below.

Flying also has the allure of a bird's eye view, the stuff of drone videos increasingly used in filmmaking, tourism promotion and journalism.

Atsushi Taguchi, a "drone grapher," as specialists in drone video are called, expects test flights can be carried out even if flying cars won't become a reality for years since the basic technology for stable flying already exists with recent advances in sensors, robotics and digital cameras.

A growing labor shortage in deliveries in Japan is adding to the pressures to realize such technology, though there are risks, said Taguchi, who teaches at the Tokyo film school Digital Hollywood.

The propellers on commercially sold drones today are dangerous, and some of his students have lost fingers with improper flying. The bigger propellers needed for vertical flight would increase the hazards and might need to be covered.

The devices might need parachutes to soften crash landings, or might have to explode into small bits to ensure pieces hitting the ground would be smaller.

"I think one of the biggest hurdles is safety," said Taguchi. "And anything that flies will by definition crash."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Japan drives forward with plans for flying cars

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TOKYO, Japan -- Electric drones booked through smartphones pick people up from office rooftops, shortening travel time by hours, reducing the need for parking and clearing smog from the air. This vision of the future is driving the Japanese government's "" project. Major carrier All Nippon Airways, electronics company NEC Corp.

# data[].attributes.headline
Chinese consumers’ crazy rich demand for rosewood propels drive toward its extinction

# data[].attributes.subject
Chinese consumers’ crazy rich demand for rosewood propels drive toward its extinction

# data[].attributes.body
South china Morning Post
September 17,2018

The movie crazy rich asians showcased an expensive Chinese commodity called Rosewood. Rosewood is one of the worlds most highly trafficked wild product and it is also one on the verge of extinction. The expensive taste for this wood comes from that it is used to replicate furniture from the Ming and Qing dynasty. In Chinese this wood is known as Hangmu. Chinese rosewood furniture has been meticulously carved by craftsman since the 10th century. Today this furniture is a status symbol. But with this high demand the Rosewood tree and close to becoming extinct. UN figures showed that seizures of illegally traded rosewood had reached 35 per cent of the global value of all wildlife seizures, more than elephant ivory and rhinoceros horns combined. China wants to be seen as an environmental leader. But yet no law is in place yet to protect the lumber going into China. In 2012 the president ran on an anti corruption campaign, the consumption of Fin soup decreased by 70%. This shows that if the government were to step in they could potentially create a difference in the trafficking of rosewood.
-Liz Tizzano

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Crazy rich Chinese demand for rosewood propels drive toward extinction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Stronger international regulations are doing little to stop traffickers from illegal trade of the tropical hardwood

# data[].attributes.headline
Hokkaido quake reveals Japan is woefully unprepared to help foreign tourists in times of disaster

# data[].attributes.subject
Hokkaido quake reveals Japan is woefully unprepared to help foreign tourists in times of disaster

# data[].attributes.body
Japan Times
September 18, 2018

A recent earthquake in Hokkaido shed light on how unprepared Japan is provide foreign visitors with information during a time of crisis. The number of foreign visitors in Japan is expected to grow ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In anticipation of this event the government is introducing multilingual emergency information apps and other tools. Complaints during the recent earthquake were that hotel staffs only spoke Japanese and the majority of street signs were posted in either Japanese or English. This was extremely frustrating for visitors from other Asian countries who did not speak one of those two languages. In order to mend this problem in the future the Hokkaido government has setup a phone hotline for English, Chinese, and Korean speakers in event of an emergency. Other measures being taken include guidelines created by tourism agencies on hoe to deal with foreign visitors. Cities all over Japan have begun holding drills to practice how to better assist foreign visitors. I found this article important because Japan will be hosting a global event in the near future. In the event of an emergency it will be crucial for the Japanese government to be able to assist both Japanese citizens and tourists. This is not only a practical measure, but shows that Japan is willing to put measures in place to be a more welcoming country to the entire world.
- Katie Shaffer

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The powerful earthquake that recently hit Hokkaido threw a strong spotlight on how unprepared Japan is to provide foreign visitors with information during a crisis.

With the number of foreign visitors expected to grow ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the government is introducing multilingual emergency information apps and other tools, but a lot more work is needed to train people who can provide direct assistance to non-Japanese during an emergency, experts say.

Hokkaido, a fairly popular tourist destination, gets close to 2.8 million foreign visitors a year.

"The hotel staff only responded in Japanese," complained a South Korean man who was among many such foreign visitors seeking information following the magnitude 6.7 quake Sept. 6 that caused a massive blackout and transportation disruptions in Hokkaido.

A Chinese man said most information posted on signs in stations and in other public areas was in Japanese and English. "I wish there had been information posted in Chinese, too," he said.

Many foreign tourists could be seen wandering aimlessly in parks in central Sapporo or stuck at airports, worried and frustrated because they were unable to obtain crucial information due to the language barrier.

The Sapporo Municipal Government set up a special evacuation center on the afternoon of the quake, dispatching staff there capable of speaking English and other languages. But an official in charge admitted that "we were so busy with the response effort at the evacuation center that we were unable to supply information in other languages."

The Hokkaido government started a phone hotline for foreign visitors in English, Chinese and Korean.

Last year, the number of visitors to Japan hit a record 28.69 million and is expected to surpass 30 million this year. The central government, which sees tourism as a pillar of its economic growth strategy, aims to get the number up to 40 million by 2020.

The large and growing presence of foreign visitors, however, means disaster-prone Japan faces an uphill battle as it tries to better serve non-Japanese speakers in an emergency situation.

As a part of this effort, the Japan Tourism Agency created a guideline on how to deal with foreign visitors in the initial stage of a disaster.

The guideline urges tourist and lodging facilities to respond swiftly and fully to foreign guests to prevent panic as many of them will be unable to communicate in Japanese and may have no prior experience of coping in a disaster.

An app called Safety Tips delivers earthquake information and other disaster alerts in a fairly timely manner to smartphones and other devices in English, Chinese and Korean. The agency has been calling on foreign visitors to download the app, putting up notices at tourist counters and embassies in Japan.

Other popular tourist destinations have been taking their own measures to assist non-Japanese in disasters.

The city of Kyoto, for example, has set up a 24-hour call center that provides an interpreting service in five languages for hotels and other facilities that have trouble communicating with foreign guests. There is also a website that provides non-Japanese speakers with information on evacuation centers.

The city has been holding drills involving locals and hotel workers to ensure they know the procedures on how to evacuate foreign visitors to temple grounds and other safe locations when public transportation is not functioning.

In Okinawa, which is often hit by typhoons, the Okinawa International Exchange & Human Resources Development Foundation is training local citizens to become "supporters," whose job will be to visit evacuation centers and gather information on foreign tourists during a disaster. So far, 135 people have signed up.

"Even if you cannot communicate by language, it is important to communicate what action people need to take in a simple manner using gestures," said Masanori Negoro of the foundation.

Still, Negoro said he thinks there are nowhere near enough supporters and worries "how things would be if there is a major earthquake or a massive blackout."

In Sapporo, still reeling from the impact of the quake and subsequent blackout, an official of the city said, "We need to consider the worst case scenario and act in cooperation with travel agencies and lodging facilities to jointly provide information (to foreign visitors)."

Shizuyo Yoshitomi, a professor at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, said administrative authorities and hotels must work together to determine the whereabouts of non-Japanese immediately after a disaster occurs.

"They must keep in mind that they should not exclude anyone and they should strengthen the ties with people who do not understand the same language," she said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hokkaido quake reveals Japan is woefully unprepared to help foreign tourists in times of disaster | The Japan Times

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The powerful earthquake that recently hit Hokkaido threw a strong spotlight on how unprepared Japan is to provide foreign visitors with information during a crisis. With the number of foreign visitors expected to grow ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the government is introducing multilingual emergency information apps and other tools, but a lot more work is needed to train people who can provide direct assistance to non-Japanese during an emergency, experts say.

# data[].attributes.body
Korea Times
September 17, 2018

A South Korean student named Esther Lee is heading to Pyongyang to serve as one of the 200 delegates at the third annual inter-Korean summit. She is the first student to do so. Lee was one of two students selected to attend the summit, along with a 15 year old Kim Kyu-yeon, who wrote a letter to her grandfather’s older brother who was separated from his brother in the Korean war. Last month Kim’s grandfather and his brother were reunited, where the letter was given to the brother.  She said in her letter, “I want to become an important figure when I grow up and work in a field that contributes to unifying the two Koreas." She is not attending because Pyongyang for undisclosed reasons cannot let Kim meet her grandfather’s brother. Esther Lee, who is actually attending, is a member of the Ministry of Unification’s press corps and wishes to understand inter-Korean relations what it is like to be a North Korean college student. I found it interesting to see the curiosity of what it is like on the other side from both Lee and Kim. I thought it was important that South Korea’s president felt it pertinent to bring youth to the summit rather than just politicians and CEOs, and I think including the youth on affairs like this helps drive a desire for peace. It also reminded me of when we discussed the process of Koreans being reunited with family members in class.
-Lauren Gambino

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It comes as no surprise that politicians and conglomerate CEOs are part of the 200 delegates heading to the third inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang from Sept. 18 to 20. However, students taking part in the historic event is a first.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Latest: South Korea president leaves for North Korea

# data[].attributes.subject
The Latest: South Korea president leaves for North Korea

# data[].attributes.body
The Washington Post
September 17th, 2018

This morning, South Korean President Moon Jae-in left Pyongyang for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year. President Moon headed towards the North Korean capital for the latest summit between the two nations, focusing the latest meeting on trying to set up talks between Pyongyang and Washington to salvage diplomatic relations. North Korea has stated this summit will provide an opportunity to "further accelerate the development" between the rival nations, and the summit will push for "irreversible, permanent peace" between the nations and for "heart-to-heart" talks between Kim Jong Un and Washington. This article demonstrates the historic nature of these summits as North and South Korea have been rivals throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. These summits could potentially end the Korean war and bring peace and stability to the region and further stabilize global geopolitics.
-Ashley H

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
SEOUL, South Korea - The Latest on summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in (all times local):

9 a.m.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has left for Pyongyang for his third summit of the year with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Moon's plane left a military airport near Seoul for Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, on Tuesday morning.

Moon is to meet Kim later Tuesday and again on Wednesday during a three-day trip.

The main focus is to see whether Moon can set up talks between Pyongyang and Washington to salvage stalled nuclear diplomacy.

Moon's trip makes him the third South Korean leader to visit Pyongyang for an inter-Korean summit.

Moon has met Kim twice this year, but each time at the Koreas' border village of Panmunjom.

A group of about 150 business, sports, entertainment and government leaders streamed onto the plane before Moon's departure.

___

8:00 a.m.

North Korea says the summit between leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will offer an important opportunity in "further accelerating the development" in relations between the rivals.

North Korea's Korean Central News Agency published the statement on Tuesday hours before the Korean leaders were expected to meet in Pyongyang for their third summit this year amid a global diplomatic push to resolve the nuclear standoff.

The summit will likely be a crucial indicator of how the larger nuclear negotiations with the United States will proceed. Talks between Washington and Pyongyang have sputtered in recent weeks, raising doubts about Kim's supposed willingness to relinquish his nuclear arsenal and putting the pressure on Moon to broker progress once again.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Monday that he will push for "irreversible, permanent peace" and for better dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington, during "heart-to-heart" talks with Kim.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Latest: South Korea president leaves for North Korea

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has left for Pyongyang for his third summit of the year with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Moon's plane left a military airport near Seoul for Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, on Tuesday morning

# data[].attributes.headline
North Korean Defector Protests Seoul’s Apparent Lack of Focus on Human-Rights Abuses

# data[].attributes.subject
North Korean Defector Protests Seoul’s Apparent Lack of Focus on Human-Rights Abuses

# data[].attributes.body
Wall Street Journal
September 17th

In 2006 Ji Seong-ho fled North Korea after he has lost his leg and hand in a train accident. He now lives in South Korea where he devotes his time to raising awareness about the human rights abuses of North Korea. Mr. Ji wants more attention to be drawn towards solving the North's gulag camps, but feels that diplomats are only focused on dismantling their nuclear weapons. Ji's protests also highlights the feelings of alienation that many deserters residing in the South are experiencing. They feel that in hoping to improve relations with the North, President Moon Jae-in has avoided open criticism of Kim's regime. The President will meet with Kim on Tuesday but there has been no mention of discussing the North's political prison camps at the summit. It is most likely because the South Korean government does not want to risk coming off as hostile and potentially hurting the denuclearization effort.
-Maddie A

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
SEOUL-In January, North Korean defector Ji Seong-ho stood in the U.S. Capitol and raised a pair of homemade crutches above his head as President Trump, in a State of the Union address, decried Pyongyang's human-rights abuses and praised the tenacity of those who escaped the Kim regime.

Eight months later, Mr. Ji said a diplomatic process aimed at persuading North Korea to dismantle its nuclear arsenal has neglected human-rights concerns.

On Monday, Mr. Ji led a handful of activists to South Korea's legislature and presidential office to protest what he says is Seoul's unwillingness to raise North Korea's human-rights violations with Kim Jong Un when the countries' leaders meet Tuesday in Pyongyang.

Mr. Ji fled North Korea in 2006, a decade after losing a leg and a hand in a train accident. Since coming to the South, Mr. Ji has been an activist raising awareness about the human-rights abuses of the North, where the regime runs gulags resembling concentration camps.

"Peace is important," Mr. Ji said Monday in front of Seoul's presidential palace. "But North Korean human rights is not an obstacle to peace. It must rather be a prerequisite to peace on the Korean Peninsula."

Mr. Ji's protests highlight the alienation that some of the 30,000 North Korean defectors residing in the South say they have felt under President Moon Jae-in, who has prioritized improving relations with the North and has avoided open criticism of the Kim regime as denuclearization talks with the U.S. take place.

On Monday, Seoul's presidential chief of staff, Im Jong-seok, said South Korean officials would raise inter-Korean engagement projects, denuclearization negotiations and ways to reunite families separated since the 1950-53 Korean War when officials from both sides meet for three days of talks.

There was no mention of the North's political prison camps, where the United Nations says tens of thousands of people are incarcerated.

A spokesman for Seoul's presidential Blue House declined to comment on whether Mr. Moon would raise the issue with Mr. Kim at this week's summit.

North Korea has denied any human-rights abuses, and its diplomats have reacted angrily in international meetings when previous Seoul administrations, Washington and other governments have broached the subject.

Although Mr. Moon last year acknowledged North Korean human rights as a problem, his government has been quiet on the issue since tensions on the Korean Peninsula died down this year, largely the result of Mr. Moon's engagement with North Korea.

Some of Mr. Moon's lieutenants, such as Moon Chung-in, a presidential adviser on foreign affairs, have said the issue of North Korean human rights must be sidelined until a concrete denuclearization deal with Pyongyang is reached.

"If we push too hard for human rights, then North Korea would regard us as taking a hostile act against North Korea. Then peace would be jeopardized," Moon Chung-in said at a conference in Seoul hosted by the British Broadcasting Corp. in June.

That same month, South Korea's government closed the physical office of a legally mandated foundation dedicated to helping resolve the human-rights problems in North Korea-an action criticized by South Korean conservatives as appeasement of Pyongyang.

"It's certainly true that the atmosphere has changed this year," Mr. Ji said in an interview Monday after his protest.

Many defectors concerned about human rights in North Korea are "living under pressure to be quiet" as the government pursues its engagement policy with the North, Mr. Ji said, though he has previously said there had been no overt pressure or wrongdoing by the Moon government to impede his activism.

Write to Andrew Jeong at andrew.jeong@wsj.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
North Korean Defector Protests Seoul's Apparent Lack of Focus on Human-Rights Abuses

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SEOUL-In January, North Korean defector Ji Seong-ho stood in the U.S. Capitol and raised a pair of homemade crutches above his head as President Trump, in a State of the Union address, decried Pyongyang's human-rights abuses and praised the tenacity of those who escaped the Kim regime.

# data[].attributes.headline
Northern Taiwan hair salon refuses to remove 'Nazi swastikas' from entrance

# data[].attributes.subject
Northern Taiwan hair salon refuses to remove 'Nazi swastikas' from entrance

# data[].attributes.body
Taiwan News. September 17.
Berlin Hair Salon in northern Taiwan has come under fire recently for the image on their entrance sign. The image on the sign looks like a Nazi swastika, and the German Institute of Taipei has requested, first privately and then publicly, that the owner of the salon remove the signs. The owner has refused to remove the signs which were "created by a designer hired by the shop." The owner claims that the "logo is composed of four razors rotating around and had nothing to do with the Nazis in Germany or other historical events." There were many complaints posted on the review section of the salon's Facebook page in response to the logo. This is not the first time Taiwan has had issues with Nazi symbols. Back in 2016, students at a high school dressed up in Nazi uniforms. They had to apologize and the school's president had to step down.
-Sarah W.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- The German Institute in Taipei (GIT), Germany's de facto embassy in Taiwan, has requested a Taiwanese hair salon remove symbols from its entrance that resemble Nazi swastikas, however, the owner has remained defiant and claims that they are merely "razor blades."

A hair salon, which lists itself on Facebook as "Berlin Hair Salon" has recently been discovered to have posted two logos on its front entrance which bear a strong resemblance to Nazi swastikas, including the fact that they are right-facing and are titled at a tell-tale 45 degree angle, unlike Buddhist swastikas which are left-facing. In response, the GIT issued a statement which described the commercial use of Nazi symbols as a "despicable act of offense against the victims of the Holocaust," and appealed the owner of the store to take them down immediately.

Before releasing the statement, the GIT had reportedly asked the owner of the salon in private on several occasions to take the logos down, but he stubbornly refused, reported Liberty Times. When asked to comment on the GIT's statement, the owner of the salon, Hsu Chen-yang (徐振洋) told Liberty Times that the logo on the signs were created by a designer hired by the shop.

He said that the whole logo is composed of four razors rotating around and had nothing to do with the Nazis in Germany or other historical events. He suggested that the controversy was malicious report by a person with bad intent.

Google Street View image of the logo.

In addition to having the name "Berlin Hair Salon," the swastika-like logo can be seen stamped on the images of some customers inside the shop's Facebook page. On the review section of the shop's Facebook page complaints in English and Chinese about the Nazi-like symbolism have started to flood in:

"Take your racist swastikas down and learn some history."

"Berlin is the name? Swastikas outside? Rethink that."

"Choosing the name Berlin, the sign is a sign 45 degree Nazi symbol. If it's not intentional, then ignorance really is a crime."

"The swastikas are offensive. And even though the owner has been informed, he doubled down. Just ignorant."

"F*** Nazi icons. Even when they are used by uneducated people who don't intend to insult anyone, they do. They are offensive."

Customer with strange swastika-like logo. (Photo from @hair1salon11 Facebook page)

The images hark back to a similar incident in which high school students dressed in Nazi uniforms, causing a massive uproar. On Dec. 24, 2016, the Presidential Office demanded a high school apologize to Israel after pictures emerged online of its students wearing Nazi uniforms and waving swastika flags, just two days before Christmas.

The photos were reportedly taken during a school celebration at the Kuang-fu High School in Hsinchu City. They showed at least a dozen students in black uniforms with swastika armbands, several of them holding Nazi flags and symbols. There was also one student who brought the stretched-armed Nazi salute from the top of a cardboard replica of a tank.

Google Street View image of store front, including two signs with "swastika" logo.

The backlash was enormous with the German Institute Taipei and the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei have expressing disappointment and condemnation over the Nazi, the teachers and students expressed remorse, the school's president has stepped down, and a student has written a letter defending his actions.

The owner of the salon has yet to respond to a request from Taiwan News for comment on its controversial logo.

Another Google Street View image of store front and signs with "swastika" logo.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Northern Taiwan hair salon refuses to re... | Taiwan News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Despite demand by German Institute in Taipei that it removes 'Nazi swastikas,' Hsinchu owners insists they are just 'razors'.German Institute in Taipei, Germany's de facto embassy in Taiwan demands that shop owner take down store front signs with "Nazi swastikas" on them, but the owner refuses saying they are just "razors."

# data[].attributes.headline
China tells Taiwan to halt all mainland spying, sabotage activities

# data[].attributes.subject
China tells Taiwan to halt all mainland spying, sabotage activities

# data[].attributes.body
Yahoo News. September 16th.

China and Taiwan do not get along (as seen from previous news articles), and this news story is no different. Basically on Sunday, China accused Taiwan's spy agencies of stepping up efforts to steal intelligence . This accusation comes at a time of change as China is stepping up its efforts to encourage some Taiwanese to settle in China permanently and further isolate Taiwan. However, China and Taiwan often accuse each other of spying. For example, in 2017 a Chinese student studying in Taiwan was sentenced to prison for collecting info from contacts through schools and government departments. Taiwan as recently as 2009 started to allow Chinese students to study at its universities.

Molly Donegan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Sunday accused Taiwan's spy agencies of stepping up efforts to steal intelligence with the aim of "infiltration" and "sabotage", and warned the island against further damaging already strained cross-strait ties.

The relevant agencies in Taiwan must end such activities immediately, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing An Fengshan, a spokesman of China's policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office.

On Saturday, state television kicked off the first in a series of programs detailing cases in which Chinese students studying in Taiwan are said to be targeted by domestic spies who lure them with money, love and friendship.

The allegations come as China ramps up efforts to encourage Taiwanese to settle in China permanently, with new identity cards and other inducements.

Taiwan has warned its people to be careful of the risks involved living in an autocratic country with internet censorship and other drawbacks.

China and Taiwan frequently trade accusations of spying.

In 2017, a Chinese student studying in Taiwan was sentenced to prison for collecting sensitive information through contacts in Taiwan schools and government departments, and for trying to build a spy network on the island.

Taiwan started to allow Chinese students to study at its universities in 2009.

China sees democratic Taiwan as a wayward province and has never renounced the use of force to bring it to heel, a prospect of which Taiwan is often reminded, with Chinese warships and fighter jets periodically pressing close to the island.

In recent months, China has also lured away some of the few nations with diplomatic ties to the self-ruled island.

But as Beijing further isolates Taiwan, Taipei is discreetly nurturing security ties with regional powers by sharing intelligence of Chinese military deployments, sources have told Reuters.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
China tells Taiwan to halt all mainland spying, sabotage activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
China on Sunday accused Taiwan's spy agencies of stepping up efforts to steal intelligence with the aim of "infiltration" and "sabotage", and warned the island against further damaging already strained cross-strait ties. The relevant agencies in Taiwan must end such activities

# data[].attributes.headline
Detainee Speaks About China's Muslim "Re-Education" Camps

# data[].attributes.subject
Detainee Speaks About China's Muslim "Re-Education" Camps

# data[].attributes.body
Independent. Sept. 16.
Since the spring of 2017, authorities in Xinjiang, China have imprisoned a huge number of Muslims in prison camps. Though the actual number is unknown, estimates put the figure at a million or more. These camps reportedly include Chinese citizens and foreigners, as well, which is technically illegal without due process. Amidst global accusations of ethnic cleansing and human rights violations, Chinese officials have largely avoided comment on the camps, but these camps are a part of China's new security policies meant to lower the risk of terrorist attacks within China. The lack of state communication, legal process, and public data surrounding these camps has caused many surrounding nations concern.  Stories coming from these camps say that punishments in the prison include starvation, solitary confinement, beatings, and prolonged standing and sleep deprivation.  Muslim detainees also are reportedly forced to eat pork and drink alcohol, stop praying, and lash out towards their fellow detainees.
- Sarah A.

# data[].attributes.body
CNNMoney
September 11th, 2018
The Hang Seng Index has been pushed into a bear market on Tuesday due to fears about the trade war, emerging markets, China's slowing economy, and individual stocks. The index ended the day 0.7% lower, meaning that it closed more than 20% below its recent peak in January. The Hong Kong market is one of the world's most traded, but it has been shaken up due to the escalating trade war between the United States and China. Because of the new tariffs, Hong Kong has taken a hit because many of it's biggest companies listed in the city are based in China. It has also been predicted that the market could fall another 5% and will likely be this way until at least the midterm election in November in the United States. Relations between China and the United States are not likely to improve before then.

-Emily Snyder

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Hong Kong's stock market is caught in a perfect storm.

Fears about the trade war, emerging markets, China's slowing economy, and individual stocks pushed the city's benchmark Hang Seng Index into a bear market on Tuesday.

The index ended the day 0.7% lower, closing more than 20% below its recent peak in January.

The Hong Kong market, one of the world's most heavily traded, has been rocked this year by the escalating trade war between China and the United States. The waves of new tariffs have hurt Hong Kong because many of the biggest companies listed in the city are based in China.

Dickie Wong, research director at Hong Kong-based stock broker Kingston Securities, predicts the market could potentially fall another 5% in the short term. The gloom is likely to last at least until the US midterm elections in November.

"Increasing tensions between the United States and China are not going to end before then," Wong said.

Mainland Chinese stocks entered a bear market in late June, and havefallen a further 6% since then.

The trade war is already beginning to take its toll on the Chinese economy, according to recent data. China's currency, the yuan, has also fallen in recent months.

That makes it more expensive for Chinese investors to buy Hong Kong stocks because they are priced in the Hong Kong dollar, which is pegged to the US dollar.

Tencent's tumble

One of the most notable casualties of recent declines in Hong Kong has been Tencent . The internet giant has lost about $200 billion in market value since January, weighed down by concerns about the Chinese government's moves to tighten restrictions on online gaming.

Tencent is one of the biggest components of the Hang Seng, so steep declines in its share price can drag down the index as a whole, Wong noted. Investors are also pessimistic about the prospects of other heavyweight stocks such as HSBC , he added.

The Hong Kong market, which hit an all-time closing high in January, is facing other problems.

After crises in Turkey and Argentina, nervous investors have yanked money out of other emerging markets. That has hit Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong, since China is considered to be the world's biggest emerging market.

Hong Kong is also feeling the heat from the US Federal Reserve, which is raising interest rates. Hong Kong follows the Fed when it comes to rate hikes, which make it more expensive for investors to borrow cash and buy shares.

CNNMoney (Hong Kong) First published September 11, 2018: 5:17 AM ET

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
China's troubles push Hong Kong stocks into a bear market

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Fears about the trade war, emerging markets, China's slowing economy, and individual stocks pushed the city's benchmark Hang Seng Index into a bear market on Tuesday. The index ended the day 0.7% lower, closing more than 20% below its recent peak in January.

# data[].attributes.headline
Taiwanese protest comfort woman statue kick in Taipei

# data[].attributes.subject
Taiwanese protest comfort woman statue kick in Taipei

# data[].attributes.body
Taiwan News
September 10, 2018
Dozens of Taiwanese men and women came out to protest in front of the Japanese representative office in Taipei. The response came from when a Japanese man, on September 6th, was caught on footage kicking a 'comfort woman' statue memorial. During World War II, groups of Taiwanese women were made to work in brothels for the present Japanese military (http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201809110022.aspx). By offending this statue remembering these women, tensions continue to be shown concerning the respect and dignity of Taiwanese comfort women. With some demanding an apology from Japan, this crowd wanted to see that the human dignity was still being respected by all of Japan, even if the vandalism came from just one man. This is important and relates to our class because it displays an aspect of societal and diplomatic relations between East Asian countries. The history of disrespect of one group of an East Asian country (Taiwan) by another country (Japan) still lingers. This shows how impactful history is to shaping foreign relations, even from more than half a century ago. I found this interesting simply because I had never heard of this group of comfort women before and it surprised me as to how the Japanese military had also treated Taiwanese civilians as subordinates during World War II.
-Andrew M.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - In response to a Japanese member of a comfort women denier group kicking a comfort women memorial statue in Tainan City on Sept. 6, dozens of Taiwanese protested outside the Japanese representative office in Taipei today, reported CNA.

Protestors called on the Japanese government to apologize and threw eggs at the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Foundation, amid light scuffles with police.

Tainan City Councilor Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) published footage on Sept. 9-10 showing Mitsuhiko Fujii (藤井実彦), a member of the so called "Alliance for Truth about Comfort Women" kicking a statue commemorating Taiwanese comfort women. Hsieh then announced that he would lead a protest to the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Foundation in Taipei at 10.30 a.m. today.

The Tainan statue was erected on Aug. 14, to commemorate Taiwanese comfort women on International Memorial Day for Comfort Women. On the same day, a protest was held in Taipei, which called for the Japanese government to apologize and compensate Taiwanese victims.

The Tainan City Women's Human Rights Equality Promotion Association (臺南市慰安婦人權平等促進協會) joined in the protest, amid a strong police presence. After some time, a representative of the Japanese government accepted a letter of protest from the group, reported CNA.

Protestors shouted slogans including "Japan's apology, Japan's compensation", and called on the Japanese government to apologize on behalf of Fujii.

Protestors also threw eggs at Japan's de facto embassy, and had light clashes with police, reported Apple Daily.

(CNA image)

Huang Shu-chen (黃淑貞), chair of the Tainan City Women's Human Rights Equality Promotion Association said the protest was not designed to provoke hatred, but to rather facilitate discussion from both sides, reported CNA.

MOFA Spokesperson Andrew Lee (李憲章) said Taiwan's position and attached importance to the issue of comfort women has not changed. He called for calm, and asked for all people to approach the incident rationally.

Lee called on Japan to also attach importance to the issue and dignity of Taiwanese comfort women.

Japan-Taiwan Exchange Foundation has so far declined to comment on the incident and protest.

(CNA image)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Taiwanese protest comfort woman statue kick i... | Taiwan News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - In response to a Japanese member of a comfort women denier group kicking a comfort women memorial statue in Tainan City on Sept. 6, dozens of Taiwanese protested outside the Japanese representative office in Taipei today, reported CNA.

# data[].attributes.headline
Gov't starts crafting contingency plans in event of Mt Fuji eruption

# data[].attributes.subject
Gov't starts crafting contingency plans in event of Mt Fuji eruption

# data[].attributes.body
Japan Today
September 11th, 2018
This past Tuesday the Japanese government has started to make plans for the possible eruption of Mount Fuji.  Since it is in such close proximity to Tokyo, they are taking extra precautions.  There is a team of people called The Central Disaster Management Council that is calculating every changing detail in this volcano in hopes of being able to evacuate before disaster strikes. The council is preparing a set plan for each local disaster management team so they can be ready if Mount Fuji decides to erupt . Since the volcano has not erupted since 1707, this might not be anything to be seriously concerned about at the moment, but considering how much damage it did in the past, it is better to be safe than sorry.

-Gwen Sajewski

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Mt Fuji is seen in the background beyond buildings in Tokyo, Photo: REUTERS file

A government panel started discussions Tuesday on how to address repercussions in the Tokyo metropolitan area in the event Mt Fuji erupts, with falling volcanic ash likely to push the capital into chaos.

Mt Fuji, Japan's tallest peak at 3,776 meters high and lying about 100 kilometers from central Tokyo, is an active volcano with a history of a number of major eruptions.

The Central Disaster Management Council will assess the speed and scope in which volcanic ash will fall, and its influence on transport infrastructure and electricity and water supplies, in the case of an eruption at Mt. Fuji, one of Japan's most popular tourist destinations.

The 14-member working group at the council, led by Toshitsugu Fujii, a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, aims to draw up a proposal within a year that will likely be reflected in disaster management plans of local municipalities.

The group will assume numerous scenarios, reflecting volume of volcanic ash, wind direction and length of eruption, using reference from the previous eruption of Mt Fuji dating back to 1707.

It will also assess whether a previous estimate made by another government panel that there would be up to 10 centimeters of volcanic ash in Tokyo in the event of an eruption is appropriate.

The working group will also discuss steps to discard and store fallen ash from the eruption.

According to historical records, Mt Fuji's eruption in 1707 lasted for 16 days, piling 4 centimeters of volcanic ash near present-day central Tokyo. The mountain has not erupted since then, with no signs of active volcanic activity observed since the 1960s.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Gov't starts crafting contingency plans in event of Mt Fuji eruption

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A government panel started discussions Tuesday on how to address repercussions in the Tokyo metropolitan area in the event Mt Fuji erupts, with falling volcanic ash likely to push the capital into chaos. Mt Fuji, Japan's tallest peak at 3,776 meters high and lying about 100 kilometers from central Tokyo,...