Japan is considering a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, local media reported, as diplomatic efforts to engage Pyongyang ramp up.

The reports come after the surprise announcement that US President Donald Trump plans his own talks with the North Korean leader, part of fast-paced diplomatic developments following an Olympic detente.

However, there have been no public proposals of talks by either Pyongyang or Tokyo.&nbsp;

Japan&#39;s Kyodo news agency reported a potential Abe-Kim summit late Tuesday, citing unnamed government sources who said the talks could be part of a new approach by Tokyo to dealing with the North.

Hours later, Jiji Press reported a similar story, saying Tokyo fears being left behind in dealing with the North if talks proceed between the isolated nation and South Korea and Washington without Japan&#39;s involvement.

&nbsp;A&nbsp;foreign ministry spokeswoman said she could not confirm any concrete plans for a summit.

But she added &quot;we will be studying our policies from the viewpoint of what is most effective&quot; to resolve the issues of North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile programmes as well as the abduction of Japanese citizens by Pyongyang.

Earlier this week, South Korean envoy Suh Hoon visited Tokyo to brief Japan&#39;s leadership on the fast-moving diplomatic process that saw an announcement last week of a historic US-North Korea summit to discuss Pyongyang&#39;s denuclearisation.

Suh, the chief of South Korea&#39;s National Intelligence Service, on Tuesday met with Abe but it was unclear if he brought a message from the North Korean leader to propose a summit with Japan.

Media reports and experts say Tokyo fears it may be left out of developments around North Korea, and worries that the issue of abducted Japanese citizens is being sidelined.

But the possibility of an Abe-Kim summit also comes as the Japanese premier faces a growing scandal at home over the sale of government land to one of his supporters, and an apparent cover-up of the deal by the finance ministry.

Abe rose to political prominence on his calls for a tough line on North Korea, particularly over its abductions of Japanese citizens.

Japan, a close US ally in the region, is in the &nbsp;firing line of North Korean missiles and saw two fly over its territory in 2017, sparking outrage and lifting tensions to fever pitch.

The last Japanese prime minister to meet a North Korean leader was Junichiro Koizumi, who met Kim&#39;s father Kim Jung Il in Pyongyang in 2004.

Japan is considering a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

Japan is considering a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, local media reported, as diplomatic efforts to engage Pyongyang ramp up. The reports come after the surprise announcement that US President Donald Trump plans his own talks with the North Korean leader, part of fast-paced diplomatic developments following an Olympic detente. However, there have been no public proposals of talks by either Pyongyang or Tokyo. Japan's Kyodo news agency reported a potential Abe-Kim summit late Tuesday, citing unnamed government sources who said the talks could be part of a new approach by Tokyo to dealing with the North. Hours later, Jiji Press reported a similar story, saying Tokyo fears being left behind in dealing with the North if talks proceed between the isolated nation and South Korea and Washington without Japan's involvement. A foreign ministry spokeswoman said she could not confirm any concrete plans for a summit. But she added "we will be studying our policies from the viewpoint of what is most effective" to resolve the issues of North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes as well as the abduction of Japanese citizens by Pyongyang. Earlier this week, South Korean envoy Suh Hoon visited Tokyo to brief Japan's leadership on the fast-moving diplomatic process that saw an announcement last week of a historic US-North Korea summit to discuss Pyongyang's denuclearisation. Suh, the chief of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, on Tuesday met with Abe but it was unclear if he brought a message from the North Korean leader to propose a summit with Japan. Media reports and experts say Tokyo fears it may be left out of developments around North Korea, and worries that the issue of abducted Japanese citizens is being sidelined. But the possibility of an Abe-Kim summit also comes as the Japanese premier faces a growing scandal at home over the sale of government land to one of his supporters, and an apparent cover-up of the deal by the finance ministry. Abe rose to political prominence on his calls for a tough line on North Korea, particularly over its abductions of Japanese citizens. Japan, a close US ally in the region, is in the firing line of North Korean missiles and saw two fly over its territory in 2017, sparking outrage and lifting tensions to fever pitch. The last Japanese prime minister to meet a North Korean leader was Junichiro Koizumi, who met Kim's father Kim Jung Il in Pyongyang in 2004.

Japan's Abe weighing talks with North Korea's Kim: Reports

Japan&#39;s Finance Minister, Taro Aso, may skip the G20 meeting to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina next week. Finance leaders from 20 nations will gather at Argentina&#39;s capital city among leaders from across the world.&nbsp;

Aso&#39;s uncertainty on attending the meeting looms in the wake of a cronyism scandal that has paralysed the parliamentary undertakings in the country. Masatsugu Asakawa, Japan&#39;s top financial diplomat, would attend the G20 meeting instead.

Premier Shinzo Abe and Aso, who is his close ally, are under pressure after the finance ministry announced that it had altered records of a discounted sale of state-owned land to a school operator with ties to Abe&#39;s wife.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Masatsugu Asakawa, Japan's top financial diplomat, would attend the G20 meeting instead

Japan's Finance Minister, Taro Aso, may skip the G20 meeting to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina next week. Finance leaders from 20 nations will gather at Argentina's capital city among leaders from across the world. Aso's uncertainty on attending the meeting looms in the wake of a cronyism scandal that has paralysed the parliamentary undertakings in the country. Masatsugu Asakawa, Japan's top financial diplomat, would attend the G20 meeting instead. Premier Shinzo Abe and Aso, who is his close ally, are under pressure after the finance ministry announced that it had altered records of a discounted sale of state-owned land to a school operator with ties to Abe's wife. (With inputs from agencies)

Amid cronyism scandal, Japan's Finance Minister to skip G20 meeting

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended indefinitely till the judgement is pronounced the compulsory linking of Aadhaar numbers with bank accounts and mobile phones.

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US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that that CIA Director was taking over from Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.&nbsp;Trump added that Gina Haspel would lead the CIA.&nbsp;

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At least nine CRPF personnel were killed and three others injured when Maoists blew up an anti-landmine vehicle in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, said a senior police official.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-president-bidya-devi-bhandari-re-elected-to-second-term-in-office-35685" target="_blank">Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari re-elected to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-president-bidya-devi-bhandari-re-elected-to-second-term-in-office-35685" target="_blank">second</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-president-bidya-devi-bhandari-re-elected-to-second-term-in-office-35685" target="_blank"> term in office</a>

Nepal&#39;s first woman president Bidya Devi Bhandari was today re-elected for a second term in office.&nbsp;Incumbent President Bhandari defeated Nepali Congress leader Kumari Laxmi Rai with an overwhelming majority in the presidential election.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/japan-considers-seeking-summit-between-pm-abe-and-north-korea-leader-source-35690" target="_blank">Japan considers seeking summit between PM Abe and North Korea leader: Source</a>

Japan is considering seeking a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents decades ago, a government source who was briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.&#39;

&nbsp;

Supreme Court: Compulsory linking of Aadhaar with bank accounts, mobiles extended indefinitely The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended indefinitely till the judgement is pronounced the compulsory linking of Aadhaar numbers with bank accounts and mobile phones. Trump ousts Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, CIA director Mike Pompeo to take over from him US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that that CIA Director was taking over from Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. Trump added that Gina Haspel would lead the CIA. Nine CRPF jawans killed in Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district At least nine CRPF personnel were killed and three others injured when Maoists blew up an anti-landmine vehicle in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, said a senior police official. Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari re-elected to second term in office Nepal's first woman president Bidya Devi Bhandari was today re-elected for a second term in office. Incumbent President Bhandari defeated Nepali Congress leader Kumari Laxmi Rai with an overwhelming majority in the presidential election. Japan considers seeking summit between PM Abe and North Korea leader: Source Japan is considering seeking a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents decades ago, a government source who was briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.'

WION Evening News Brief, March 13, 2018

Japan is considering seeking a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents decades ago, a government source who was briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.&#39;

He declined to be identified because he is not authorised to speak to the media. A spokesman for the prime minister`s office had no immediate comment.

Abe has made the abductions a keystone of his political career and has said he would not rest until all 13 of the people North Korea admitted to kidnapping have returned and divulges information about the others Japan suspects were taken to train North Korean spies.

A spokesman for the prime minister`s office had no immediate comment.

Japan is considering seeking a summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents decades ago, a government source who was briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.' He declined to be identified because he is not authorised to speak to the media. A spokesman for the prime minister`s office had no immediate comment. Abe has made the abductions a keystone of his political career and has said he would not rest until all 13 of the people North Korea admitted to kidnapping have returned and divulges information about the others Japan suspects were taken to train North Korean spies.

Japan considers seeking summit between PM Abe and North Korea leader: Source

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ally, Finance Minister Taro Aso, face mounting pressure over a suspected cronyism scandal as the finance ministry prepares to report on Monday that documents in the case were doctored.

Abe, now in his sixth year in office, had hoped to put the issue of the sale of state-owned land at a huge discount to a school operator with ties to his wife, Akie, behind him. But it has gathered steam with a series of fresh revelations.

A source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Saturday the finance ministry planned to report to parliament on Monday that it had found instances where content was deleted from documents submitted to lawmakers. The source spoke on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

&quot;If this is true, isn&#39;t political responsibility unavoidable?&quot; Akira Nagatsuma, a senior lawmaker in the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, told reporters on Sunday.

Abe has repeatedly denied he or his wife did favours for school operator Moritomo Gakuen, which bought the land and has said he would resign if evidence were found that they had. The issue last year sharply eroded Abe&#39;s popularity.

Former Moritomo Gakuen head Yasunori Kagoike and his wife were arrested in July on suspicion of illegally receiving subsidies.

On Friday, National Tax Agency chief Nobuhisa Sagawa abruptly resigned over his remarks in parliament about the case.&nbsp;

Also on Friday, media said police were investigating as possible suicide the death of a finance ministry official whose local office had handled the land sale.&nbsp;

&quot;If Minister Aso signed off on National Tax Agency chief Sagawa&#39;s resignation knowing about the falsified documents, moves seeking his resignation are inevitable,&quot; Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, told reporters.

Suspicions of an attempted cover-up could slash Abe&#39;s ratings and dash his hopes of a third term as ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader. Victory in the LDP September leadership vote would put him on track to become Japan&#39;s longest-serving premier.

Critical blow

&quot;If Aso were forced out, it would be a critical blow to the prime minister, reinforcing the impression of a cover-up and depriving Abe of a key ally who has served as finance minister since December 2012,&quot; wrote Tobias Harris, vice president of consultancy Teneo Intelligence in an email report.

Sagawa headed the ministry division that submitted the documents before he was tapped as tax agency chief in July, appointment critics saw as a reward for his efforts to diffuse the issue with his statements to parliament last year.

Aso and Abe have both defended the appointment as &quot;appropriate&quot; and Aso has said he will not resign.

&quot;If these documents were falsified, the entire cabinet should resign,&quot; tweeted Mizuho Fukushima, a lawmaker with the tiny opposition Social Democratic Party. 
Abe, 63, swept back to power in December 2012 promising to revive the economy and bolster its defence.

It was a rare comeback for the conservative lawmaker, who quit abruptly in 2007 after a year in office marked by scandals in his cabinet, a deadlocked parliament and ill health.&nbsp;

His ruling bloc won a two-thirds &quot;super majority&quot; in an October lower house poll, helped by opposition disarray.&nbsp;

Former Moritomo Gakuen head Yasunori Kagoike and his wife were arrested in July on suspicion of illegally receiving subsidies

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ally, Finance Minister Taro Aso, face mounting pressure over a suspected cronyism scandal as the finance ministry prepares to report on Monday that documents in the case were doctored. Abe, now in his sixth year in office, had hoped to put the issue of the sale of state-owned land at a huge discount to a school operator with ties to his wife, Akie, behind him. But it has gathered steam with a series of fresh revelations. A source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Saturday the finance ministry planned to report to parliament on Monday that it had found instances where content was deleted from documents submitted to lawmakers. The source spoke on condition of anonymity. "If this is true, isn't political responsibility unavoidable?" Akira Nagatsuma, a senior lawmaker in the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, told reporters on Sunday. Abe has repeatedly denied he or his wife did favours for school operator Moritomo Gakuen, which bought the land and has said he would resign if evidence were found that they had. The issue last year sharply eroded Abe's popularity. Former Moritomo Gakuen head Yasunori Kagoike and his wife were arrested in July on suspicion of illegally receiving subsidies. On Friday, National Tax Agency chief Nobuhisa Sagawa abruptly resigned over his remarks in parliament about the case. Also on Friday, media said police were investigating as possible suicide the death of a finance ministry official whose local office had handled the land sale. "If Minister Aso signed off on National Tax Agency chief Sagawa's resignation knowing about the falsified documents, moves seeking his resignation are inevitable," Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, told reporters. Suspicions of an attempted cover-up could slash Abe's ratings and dash his hopes of a third term as ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader. Victory in the LDP September leadership vote would put him on track to become Japan's longest-serving premier. Critical blow "If Aso were forced out, it would be a critical blow to the prime minister, reinforcing the impression of a cover-up and depriving Abe of a key ally who has served as finance minister since December 2012," wrote Tobias Harris, vice president of consultancy Teneo Intelligence in an email report. Sagawa headed the ministry division that submitted the documents before he was tapped as tax agency chief in July, appointment critics saw as a reward for his efforts to diffuse the issue with his statements to parliament last year. Aso and Abe have both defended the appointment as "appropriate" and Aso has said he will not resign. "If these documents were falsified, the entire cabinet should resign," tweeted Mizuho Fukushima, a lawmaker with the tiny opposition Social Democratic Party. Abe, 63, swept back to power in December 2012 promising to revive the economy and bolster its defence. It was a rare comeback for the conservative lawmaker, who quit abruptly in 2007 after a year in office marked by scandals in his cabinet, a deadlocked parliament and ill health. His ruling bloc won a two-thirds "super majority" in an October lower house poll, helped by opposition disarray.

Japan PM, finance minister face mounting pressure over suspected cronyism scandal

President Donald Trump predicted &quot;tremendous success&quot; today in upcoming groundbreaking talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, adding that the reclusive state had promised not to shoot missiles in the interim.

The comments came after the American leader said he has received encouragement from the leaders of China and Japan as he moves toward the high stakes summit, announced suddenly this week.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday North Korea had agreed to not conduct another missile test until after proposed meetings with its leader, Kim Jong Un, had taken place, as he sought to rally international support for a potential summit.

&ldquo;North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017, and has promised not to do so through our meetings. I believe they will honor that commitment!&rdquo; Trump wrote on Twitter.

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North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017 and has promised not to do so through our meetings. I believe they will honor that commitment!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/972542173030879233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Also, after speaking with his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-chinese-president-helpful-on-kim-jong-un-meeting-35334">Japanese counterpart</a>, the US President posted on Twitter, &quot;Spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan, who is very enthusiastic about talks with North Korea. Also discussing opening up Japan to much better trade with the US.&nbsp;Currently, have a massive $100 Billion Trade Deficit. Not fair or sustainable. It will all work out!&quot;

Trump also took to Twitter on Saturday to characterize the leaders of China and Japan as supportive of the potential dialogue, even as he did little to clear up confusion over the timing of any talks and what preconditions would be required.

&ldquo;President XI told me he appreciates that the US&nbsp;is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative,&rdquo; Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping. &ldquo;China continues to be helpful!&rdquo;

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Spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan, who is very enthusiastic about talks with North Korea. Also discussing opening up Japan to much better trade with the U.S. Currently have a massive $100 Billion Trade Deficit. Not fair or sustainable. It will all work out!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/972523294233710593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Following Trump&#39;s nod to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Abe announced that he will be visiting the US to discuss North Korea with the US President.

Trump&rsquo;s apparently impromptu decision to begin setting up talks contrasts with Kim&rsquo;s situation -- North Korea has prepared deliberately for decades for a meeting with the sitting US president as a major step toward gaining international legitimacy.

Late on Friday Trump wrote that a deal with North Korea &ldquo;is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined.&rdquo;

The Twitter posts followed a news briefing by White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Friday where she said Trump would not have a meeting &ldquo;without seeing concrete steps and concrete actions take place by North Korea, so the president will actually be getting something.&rdquo;

Kim had earlier invited Trump to join him for what would be unprecedented talks between leaders of the two nations.

The comments came after the American leader said he has received encouragement from the leaders of China and Japan as he moves toward the high stakes summit, announced suddenly this week

President Donald Trump predicted "tremendous success" today in upcoming groundbreaking talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, adding that the reclusive state had promised not to shoot missiles in the interim. The comments came after the American leader said he has received encouragement from the leaders of China and Japan as he moves toward the high stakes summit, announced suddenly this week. US President Donald Trump said on Saturday North Korea had agreed to not conduct another missile test until after proposed meetings with its leader, Kim Jong Un, had taken place, as he sought to rally international support for a potential summit. “North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017, and has promised not to do so through our meetings. I believe they will honor that commitment!” Trump wrote on Twitter. North Korea has not conducted a Missile Test since November 28, 2017 and has promised not to do so through our meetings. I believe they will honor that commitment! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 10, 2018 × Also, after speaking with his Japanese counterpart, the US President posted on Twitter, "Spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan, who is very enthusiastic about talks with North Korea. Also discussing opening up Japan to much better trade with the US. Currently, have a massive $100 Billion Trade Deficit. Not fair or sustainable. It will all work out!" Trump also took to Twitter on Saturday to characterize the leaders of China and Japan as supportive of the potential dialogue, even as he did little to clear up confusion over the timing of any talks and what preconditions would be required. “President XI told me he appreciates that the US is working to solve the problem diplomatically rather than going with the ominous alternative,” Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping. “China continues to be helpful!” Spoke to Prime Minister Abe of Japan, who is very enthusiastic about talks with North Korea. Also discussing opening up Japan to much better trade with the U.S. Currently have a massive $100 Billion Trade Deficit. Not fair or sustainable. It will all work out! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 10, 2018 × Following Trump's nod to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Abe announced that he will be visiting the US to discuss North Korea with the US President. Trump’s apparently impromptu decision to begin setting up talks contrasts with Kim’s situation -- North Korea has prepared deliberately for decades for a meeting with the sitting US president as a major step toward gaining international legitimacy. Late on Friday Trump wrote that a deal with North Korea “is very much in the making and will be, if completed, a very good one for the World. Time and place to be determined.” The Twitter posts followed a news briefing by White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Friday where she said Trump would not have a meeting “without seeing concrete steps and concrete actions take place by North Korea, so the president will actually be getting something.” Kim had earlier invited Trump to join him for what would be unprecedented talks between leaders of the two nations.

Trump optimistic about N Korea talks, says 'it'll work out'

Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe, on Friday, welcomed the announcement of the meet between US President Donald Trump and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un.

&quot;I highly appreciate North Korea`s change that it will begin talks on the premise of denuclearisation,&quot; Shinzo Abe said, adding that he planned to visit the United States to meet Trump &quot;as early as April&quot;.

Japan has been cautious about a recent Olympics-driven rapprochement on the Korean peninsula. The Japanese Prime Minister noted on Thursday that &quot;talks for the sake of talks are meaningless.&quot;

Abe sounded positive about the planned Trump-Kim summit. He also described the event as &quot;the achievement of cooperation between... Japan, the US, and South Korea to maintain great pressure&quot;.

&quot;We will keep putting maximum pressure (on North Korea) until North Korea takes concrete actions toward denuclearisation in a manner that is perfect, verifiable and irreversible.&quot;

According to Abe, there is no change in policy for Japan and the US.

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Japan has been cautious about a recent Olympics-driven rapprochement on the Korean peninsula

Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe, on Friday, welcomed the announcement of the meet between US President Donald Trump and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un. "I highly appreciate North Korea`s change that it will begin talks on the premise of denuclearisation," Shinzo Abe said, adding that he planned to visit the United States to meet Trump "as early as April". Japan has been cautious about a recent Olympics-driven rapprochement on the Korean peninsula. The Japanese Prime Minister noted on Thursday that "talks for the sake of talks are meaningless." Abe sounded positive about the planned Trump-Kim summit. He also described the event as "the achievement of cooperation between... Japan, the US, and South Korea to maintain great pressure". "We will keep putting maximum pressure (on North Korea) until North Korea takes concrete actions toward denuclearisation in a manner that is perfect, verifiable and irreversible." According to Abe, there is no change in policy for Japan and the US. (With inputs from ANI)

Japan's Prime Minister hails and welcomes Trump-Kim summit 

Japan`s financial regulator on Thursday punished seven cryptocurrency exchanges, suspending business at the two of them, in an effort to shore up consumer protection after the $530 million theft of digital money from Tokyo-based Coincheck.

A senior official at the Financial Services Agency told reporters at a briefing on Thursday it had confirmed Coincheck had funding to reimburse its customers for digital NEM coins stolen from its exchange. It said the company would announce details of its reimbursement plan later in the day.

The regulator issued business improvement orders to Coincheck and six other exchanges, saying the seven exchanges lacked the proper and required internal control systems.

It ordered the suspension of operations at two of them, Bit Station and FSHO, for one month starting Thursday.

FSA said a senior employee at Bit Station was found to have used customers` bitcoin for the person`s own purposes. The agency said the exchange, which has been allowed to operate on a provisional basis, dropped its application to become an authorised exchange.

Bit Station, FSHO and Coincheck did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

The FSA said Coincheck lacked a proper internal control system for risks such as money laundering and terrorism financing.

The FSA said Coincheck lacked a proper internal control system

Japan`s financial regulator on Thursday punished seven cryptocurrency exchanges, suspending business at the two of them, in an effort to shore up consumer protection after the $530 million theft of digital money from Tokyo-based Coincheck. A senior official at the Financial Services Agency told reporters at a briefing on Thursday it had confirmed Coincheck had funding to reimburse its customers for digital NEM coins stolen from its exchange. It said the company would announce details of its reimbursement plan later in the day. The regulator issued business improvement orders to Coincheck and six other exchanges, saying the seven exchanges lacked the proper and required internal control systems. It ordered the suspension of operations at two of them, Bit Station and FSHO, for one month starting Thursday. FSA said a senior employee at Bit Station was found to have used customers` bitcoin for the person`s own purposes. The agency said the exchange, which has been allowed to operate on a provisional basis, dropped its application to become an authorised exchange. Bit Station, FSHO and Coincheck did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment. The FSA said Coincheck lacked a proper internal control system for risks such as money laundering and terrorism financing.

Japan punishes seven cryptocurrency exchanges over lapses

Kobe Steel Ltd said on Tuesday its CEO will step down to take responsibility for a widespread data fraud scandal, although doubts remain over a corporate culture mired in malfeasance and the possibility of future fines.&nbsp;

Japan`s third-largest steelmaker, which supplies steel parts to manufacturers of cars, planes, and trains around the world, admitted last year to supplying products with falsified specifications to about 500 customers, throwing global supply chains into turmoil.&nbsp;

Kobe Steel, in announcing the results from a four-month-long investigation by an external committee, said it found a new case of impropriety affecting a total of more than 600 clients.&nbsp;

Hiroya Kawasaki will resign as CEO and Chairman on April 1, with his successor to be decided at a board meeting to be held soon, the company said.&nbsp;

&quot;We discovered that inappropriate actions were widespread, and were carried out with the knowledge and involvement of many, including management,&quot; it said.

&quot;Considering the multiple compliance issues that we`ve had in the past, we must say that there are deep-rooted problems, not only in terms of compliance but also in the corporate culture and mindset of employees and management.&quot;&nbsp;

It also announced the resignation of Executive Vice President Akira Kaneko and temporary pay cuts of up to 80 per cent for all internal executive officers.&nbsp;

The case was one of the country`s biggest industrial scandals in recent memory, which set off a rash of malfeasance revelations by other Japanese heavyweights, hitting the country`s reputation for manufacturing excellence.

In the past several months, Mitsubishi Materials Corp, Toray Industries, and Ube Industries have also admitted to product data fabrication while automakers Nissan Motor and Subaru Corp have revealed incorrect final inspection procedures.&nbsp;

Kobe Steel said the data cheating started in the 1970s, and those who know the 112-year-old company say its problems are entrenched.&nbsp;

&quot;What you see is a pattern, a culture,&quot; said Steven Bleistein, CEO of Tokyo-based consultancy Relansa. &quot;Company culture is something that a leader creates, so the very least you have to do is to remove the leader and the people who were complicit, from the CEO downwards.&quot;&nbsp;

Kobe Steel admitted earlier to taking part in bid-rigging for a bridge project in 2005 and failing to report income to tax authorities in 2008, 2011 and 2013.&nbsp;

In 2006, it also exceeded established limits for ground and water pollution and admitted to falsifying soot-emissions data from blast furnaces at Kobe Works and Kakogawa Works. Illegal political funding to candidates in local assembly elections in 2009 prompted the resignations of the then CEO and chairman.&nbsp;

For now, the data fraud scandal appears to have left Kobe Steel`s finances unscathed. In February, the company reinstated a forecast for its first annual profit in three years for the year ending March 31, backed by strong profits in steel and machinery.

But the company is also undergoing a US Justice Department probe, meaning it still faces legal and financial risk. A Japanese government-sanctioned seal of quality has been revoked on some of its product as well.&nbsp;

&quot;There is a pending risk for Kobe Steel as customers at home or abroad may cancel their contracts and they may take legal actions, and the US Justice Department may seek a penalty,&quot; said Makiko Yoshimura, director at S&amp;P Global Rating Japan.

It is unclear how much a Justice Department fine would be. Last year, Japan`s Takata Corp agreed to plead guilty to criminal wrongdoing and pay $1 billion to resolve a US Justice Department investigation into ruptures of its airbag inflators that were linked to more than 20 deaths worldwide.&nbsp;

($1 = 106.1500 yen)

Kobe Steel Ltd said on Tuesday its CEO will step down to take responsibility for a widespread data fraud scandal, although doubts remain over a corporate culture mired in malfeasance and the possibility of future fines

Kobe Steel Ltd said on Tuesday its CEO will step down to take responsibility for a widespread data fraud scandal, although doubts remain over a corporate culture mired in malfeasance and the possibility of future fines. Japan`s third-largest steelmaker, which supplies steel parts to manufacturers of cars, planes, and trains around the world, admitted last year to supplying products with falsified specifications to about 500 customers, throwing global supply chains into turmoil. Kobe Steel, in announcing the results from a four-month-long investigation by an external committee, said it found a new case of impropriety affecting a total of more than 600 clients. Hiroya Kawasaki will resign as CEO and Chairman on April 1, with his successor to be decided at a board meeting to be held soon, the company said. "We discovered that inappropriate actions were widespread, and were carried out with the knowledge and involvement of many, including management," it said. "Considering the multiple compliance issues that we`ve had in the past, we must say that there are deep-rooted problems, not only in terms of compliance but also in the corporate culture and mindset of employees and management." It also announced the resignation of Executive Vice President Akira Kaneko and temporary pay cuts of up to 80 per cent for all internal executive officers. The case was one of the country`s biggest industrial scandals in recent memory, which set off a rash of malfeasance revelations by other Japanese heavyweights, hitting the country`s reputation for manufacturing excellence. In the past several months, Mitsubishi Materials Corp, Toray Industries, and Ube Industries have also admitted to product data fabrication while automakers Nissan Motor and Subaru Corp have revealed incorrect final inspection procedures. Kobe Steel said the data cheating started in the 1970s, and those who know the 112-year-old company say its problems are entrenched. "What you see is a pattern, a culture," said Steven Bleistein, CEO of Tokyo-based consultancy Relansa. "Company culture is something that a leader creates, so the very least you have to do is to remove the leader and the people who were complicit, from the CEO downwards." Kobe Steel admitted earlier to taking part in bid-rigging for a bridge project in 2005 and failing to report income to tax authorities in 2008, 2011 and 2013. In 2006, it also exceeded established limits for ground and water pollution and admitted to falsifying soot-emissions data from blast furnaces at Kobe Works and Kakogawa Works. Illegal political funding to candidates in local assembly elections in 2009 prompted the resignations of the then CEO and chairman. For now, the data fraud scandal appears to have left Kobe Steel`s finances unscathed. In February, the company reinstated a forecast for its first annual profit in three years for the year ending March 31, backed by strong profits in steel and machinery. But the company is also undergoing a US Justice Department probe, meaning it still faces legal and financial risk. A Japanese government-sanctioned seal of quality has been revoked on some of its product as well. "There is a pending risk for Kobe Steel as customers at home or abroad may cancel their contracts and they may take legal actions, and the US Justice Department may seek a penalty," said Makiko Yoshimura, director at S&P Global Rating Japan. It is unclear how much a Justice Department fine would be. Last year, Japan`s Takata Corp agreed to plead guilty to criminal wrongdoing and pay $1 billion to resolve a US Justice Department investigation into ruptures of its airbag inflators that were linked to more than 20 deaths worldwide. ($1 = 106.1500 yen)

Kobe Steel CEO to quit over data fraud scandal

Japan&#39;s navy on Tuesday appointed the first woman to command a warship squadron, including the flagship Izumo helicopter carrier, as it tries to lure more females to make up for a dearth of male recruits in greying Japan.

Ryoko Azuma, will command four ships with a combined crew of 1,000, of which only 30 are women, that make up the Maritime Self Defense Force&#39;s (MSDF) First Escort Division.

&quot;I don&#39;t think about being a woman. I will concentrate my energy on fulfilling my duties as commander,&quot; Azuma, 44, said at a change of command ceremony attended by 400 sailors aboard the Izumo, which was docked at a shipyard in Yokohama near Tokyo for repairs.&nbsp;

When she joined the MSDF in 1996 women were barred from serving on warships, a rule that the navy abolished ten years ago. Submarines, however, are still crewed only by men.

Japan&#39;s military, like the wider economy, is turning to women to make up a shortfall in personnel as the nation&#39;s working-age population shrinks amid a drop in birthrates. The number of people aged between 18 and 26 years old is forecast by the government to shrink to seven million people by 2065 from 11 million last year.

Unlike commercial companies, however, Japan&#39;s military is unable to relocate units overseas or hire foreigners to supplement to their Japanese staff.

By 2030, the SDF plans to increase the combined number of women serving in the air-sea and ground forces to 9 percent of the total from 6 percent, or 14,000 people now. In addition to Azuma, other senior female officers in the MSDF include four captains and a rear admiral in charge of logistics.

&quot;I want to devote myself to becoming a person that will inspire others,&quot; Azuma said when asked if she wanted to serve as a role model for other women.&nbsp;

Ryoko Azuma, will command four ships with a combined crew of 1,000, of which only 30 are women

Japan's navy on Tuesday appointed the first woman to command a warship squadron, including the flagship Izumo helicopter carrier, as it tries to lure more females to make up for a dearth of male recruits in greying Japan. Ryoko Azuma, will command four ships with a combined crew of 1,000, of which only 30 are women, that make up the Maritime Self Defense Force's (MSDF) First Escort Division. "I don't think about being a woman. I will concentrate my energy on fulfilling my duties as commander," Azuma, 44, said at a change of command ceremony attended by 400 sailors aboard the Izumo, which was docked at a shipyard in Yokohama near Tokyo for repairs. When she joined the MSDF in 1996 women were barred from serving on warships, a rule that the navy abolished ten years ago. Submarines, however, are still crewed only by men. Japan's military, like the wider economy, is turning to women to make up a shortfall in personnel as the nation's working-age population shrinks amid a drop in birthrates. The number of people aged between 18 and 26 years old is forecast by the government to shrink to seven million people by 2065 from 11 million last year. Unlike commercial companies, however, Japan's military is unable to relocate units overseas or hire foreigners to supplement to their Japanese staff. By 2030, the SDF plans to increase the combined number of women serving in the air-sea and ground forces to 9 percent of the total from 6 percent, or 14,000 people now. In addition to Azuma, other senior female officers in the MSDF include four captains and a rear admiral in charge of logistics. "I want to devote myself to becoming a person that will inspire others," Azuma said when asked if she wanted to serve as a role model for other women.

Japan's navy appoints first woman to command warship squadron

Japan&#39;s navy wants to buy its first oil tanker to carry fuel to Okinawa as it cranks up operations in the East China Sea to counter a growing Chinese naval presence, two sources familiar with plan said.

The Maritime Self Defence Forces (MSDF) needs a tanker able to carry 300,000 barrels of fuel to White Beach port on Okinawa where it stores fuel for warships that patrol the region.

The plan will be included in a defence review outlining equipment procurement for the five years beginning April 2019, the sources said.&nbsp;

&quot;It takes too long time for ships to return to their base in (mainland) Kyushu for refuelling so more are stopping in Okinawa instead,&quot; said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorised to talk to the media.&nbsp;

Operations in the East China Sea, where Japan and China are locked in a territorial dispute over the ownership of a group of islands claimed as the Senkaku in Tokyo and Diaoyu in Beijing, are intensifying as China&#39;s military strength there grows.

&quot;Activity at White Beach has increased by three to four times, but there isn&#39;t enough space to expand capacity,&quot; said the other source, who had just returned from a visit there.&nbsp;

The White Beach facility is currently supplied by commercial shippers who usually take two months to complete deliveries once a contract is agreed. Management of the fuel dump, however, has become difficult as the pace of naval operations increase, making it more difficult for the MSDF to forecast future demand.

The tanker is expected to cost &quot;several tens of billions of yen&quot; and will have a crew of up to 20 sailors, the sources said.

The plan will be included in a defence review outlining equipment procurement for the five years beginning April 2019

Japan's navy wants to buy its first oil tanker to carry fuel to Okinawa as it cranks up operations in the East China Sea to counter a growing Chinese naval presence, two sources familiar with plan said. The Maritime Self Defence Forces (MSDF) needs a tanker able to carry 300,000 barrels of fuel to White Beach port on Okinawa where it stores fuel for warships that patrol the region. The plan will be included in a defence review outlining equipment procurement for the five years beginning April 2019, the sources said. "It takes too long time for ships to return to their base in (mainland) Kyushu for refuelling so more are stopping in Okinawa instead," said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorised to talk to the media. Operations in the East China Sea, where Japan and China are locked in a territorial dispute over the ownership of a group of islands claimed as the Senkaku in Tokyo and Diaoyu in Beijing, are intensifying as China's military strength there grows. "Activity at White Beach has increased by three to four times, but there isn't enough space to expand capacity," said the other source, who had just returned from a visit there. The White Beach facility is currently supplied by commercial shippers who usually take two months to complete deliveries once a contract is agreed. Management of the fuel dump, however, has become difficult as the pace of naval operations increase, making it more difficult for the MSDF to forecast future demand. The tanker is expected to cost "several tens of billions of yen" and will have a crew of up to 20 sailors, the sources said.

Japan's navy to buy tanker to fuel ships patrolling East China Sea

According to the HR consultancy Aon Hewitt, the average salary hike of Indian employees this year is likely to be around 9.4%. As companies increase focus on performance and on hiring specialists, key talents may achieve as much as 15.4% increase in salary.

&ldquo;With critical skills shortage highlighted as a key concern, companies are becoming more cautious while recognising and remunerating their key talent,&rdquo; Anandorup Ghose, Partner at Aon India Consulting told reporters.

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Aon Hewitt&#39;s annual &#39;Salary Increase Survey&#39; studied more than 1,000 companies from over 20 industries and estimates the average pay hike in the country to remain between 9.4-9.6%.&nbsp;

According to the survey, Indian employees received an average hike of 9.3% during 2017 -- a departure from the double-digit increments that were registered when the study was still in its nascency.&nbsp;

A look at salary-hike trends across the Asian Pacific region puts India at the top as the best paymaster in the region. China is expected to give out an average raise of 6.7% to its employees followed by the Philippines at 5.8%, Malaysia 5.1%, Singapore 4%, Australia 3.2% and Japan at a meagre 2.5%.

Professional services, consumer internet companies, life sciences, automotive and consumer products are the sectors projected to dole out double-digit salary hike in 2018.

Meanwhile, the attrition rate in India continues to see a downward trend, now standing at 15.9% from an average of 20% registered in the previous decade.

Aon Hewitt's annual 'Salary Increase Survey' studied more than 1,000 companies from over 20 industries

According to the HR consultancy Aon Hewitt, the average salary hike of Indian employees this year is likely to be around 9.4%. As companies increase focus on performance and on hiring specialists, key talents may achieve as much as 15.4% increase in salary. “With critical skills shortage highlighted as a key concern, companies are becoming more cautious while recognising and remunerating their key talent,” Anandorup Ghose, Partner at Aon India Consulting told reporters. Aon Hewitt's annual 'Salary Increase Survey' studied more than 1,000 companies from over 20 industries and estimates the average pay hike in the country to remain between 9.4-9.6%. According to the survey, Indian employees received an average hike of 9.3% during 2017 -- a departure from the double-digit increments that were registered when the study was still in its nascency. A look at salary-hike trends across the Asian Pacific region puts India at the top as the best paymaster in the region. China is expected to give out an average raise of 6.7% to its employees followed by the Philippines at 5.8%, Malaysia 5.1%, Singapore 4%, Australia 3.2% and Japan at a meagre 2.5%. Professional services, consumer internet companies, life sciences, automotive and consumer products are the sectors projected to dole out double-digit salary hike in 2018. Meanwhile, the attrition rate in India continues to see a downward trend, now standing at 15.9% from an average of 20% registered in the previous decade.

India is the best paymaster in Asia Pacific ahead of Japan, Australia: Survey

The Trump administration and key Asian allies are preparing to expand interceptions of ships suspected of violating sanctions on North Korea, a plan that could include deploying U.S. Coast Guard forces to stop and search vessels in Asia-Pacific waters, senior U.S. officials said.

Washington has been talking to regional partners, including Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore, about coordinating a stepped-up crackdown that would go further than ever before in an attempt to squeeze Pyongyang&#39;s use of seagoing trade to feed its nuclear missile program, several officials told Reuters.

While suspect ships have been intercepted before, the emerging strategy would expand the scope of such operations but stop short of imposing a naval blockade on North Korea. Pyongyang has warned it would consider a blockade an act of war.

The strategy calls for closer tracking and possible seizure of ships suspected of carrying banned weapons components and other prohibited cargo to or from North Korea, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Depending on the scale of the campaign, the United States could consider beefing up the naval and air power of its Pacific Command, they said.

The U.S.-led initiative, which has not been previously reported, shows Washington&#39;s increasing urgency to force North Korea into negotiations over the abandonment of its weapons programs, the officials said.

North Korea may be only a few months away from completing development of a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland, despite existing international sanctions that, at times, have been sidestepped by smuggling and ship-to-ship transfers at sea of banned goods, according to officials.

&quot;There is no doubt we all have to do more, short of direct military action, to show (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un we mean business,&quot; said a senior administration official.

The White House declined official comment.

The effort could target vessels on the high seas or in the territorial waters of countries that choose to cooperate. It was unclear, however, to what extent the campaign might extend beyond Asia.

Washington on Friday slapped sanctions on dozens more companies and vessels linked to North Korean shipping trade and urged the United Nations to blacklist a list of entities, a move it said was aimed at shutting down North Korea&#39;s illicit maritime smuggling activities to obtain oil and sell coal.

Tighter sanctions plus a more assertive approach at sea could dial up tensions at a time when fragile diplomacy between North and South Korea has gained momentum. It would also stretch U.S. military resources needed elsewhere, possibly incur massive new costs and fuel misgivings among some countries in the region.

BOARDING SHIPS

The initiative, which is still being developed, would be fraught with challenges that could risk triggering North Korean retaliation and dividing the international community.

China and Russia, which have blocked U.S. efforts at the United Nations to win approval for use of force in North Korea interdiction operations, are likely to oppose new actions if they see the United States as overstepping. A Chinese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said such steps should only be taken under United Nations auspices.

But Washington is expected to start gradually ratcheting up such operations soon even if discussions with allies have not been completed, according to the senior U.S. official.

U.S. experts are developing legal arguments for doing more to stop sanctions-busting vessels, citing the last U.N. Security Council resolution which they say opened the door by calling on states to inspect suspect ships on the high seas or in their waters.

Washington is also drawing up rules of engagement aimed at avoiding armed confrontation at sea, the officials said.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told reporters in Washington on Friday the United States does not rule out boarding ships for inspections.

But U.S. officials said privately that such actions, especially the use of boarding crews, would be decided on a case-by-case and with utmost caution.

Some U.S. officials believe the risk could be minimized if Coast Guard cutters, which carry less firepower and technically engage in law-enforcement missions, are used in certain cases rather than warships.

The Coast Guard declined to address whether it might deploy ships to the Asia-Pacific region but acknowledged its ties to countries there. &quot;Future ship deployments would depend on U.S. foreign policy objectives and the operational availability of our assets,&quot; said spokesman Lieutenant Commander Dave French.

&#39;THE MORE PARTNERS WE HAVE&#39;

A senior South Korean government official said there had been discussions over &quot;intensified maritime interdictions,&quot; including at a foreign ministers&#39; meeting in Vancouver last month where U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pressed counterparts on the issue.

&quot;We are discussing with various countries including the U.S. and South Korea how to fully implement the sanctions but I have not heard talk of creating a framework or a coalition,&quot; said a Japanese defense ministry official involved in policy planning.

The Trump administration has also sought greater cooperation from Southeast Asian countries, which may have little military capability to assist but are seen as sources of intelligence on ship movements, U.S. officials said.

&quot;The more partners we have, the more resources we have to dedicate to the effort,&quot; said Chris Ford, assistant secretary of state for international security and nonproliferation. He declined to talk about discussions with specific countries.

Washington is especially interested in detecting of ship-to-ship transfers at sea of banned goods, something North Korea has increasingly resorted to as vessels have faced greater scrutiny of their cargo in Asian ports, the officials said.

Reuters reported in December that Russian tankers had supplied fuel to North Korea at sea in a violation of sanctions. Washington also said at the time it had evidence that vessels from several countries, including China, had engaged in shipping oil products and coal. China denied the allegation.

U.S. interception of ships close to Chinese waters is something likely to be avoided, in favor of informing Chinese authorities of banned cargo onboard and asking them do the inspection, one official said.

&quot;It&#39;s probably impossible to stop everything, but you can raise the cost to North Korea,&quot; said David Shear, former deputy secretary of defense for Asia under President Barack Obama.

Washington has been talking to regional partners, including Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore, about coordinating a stepped-up crackdown

The Trump administration and key Asian allies are preparing to expand interceptions of ships suspected of violating sanctions on North Korea, a plan that could include deploying U.S. Coast Guard forces to stop and search vessels in Asia-Pacific waters, senior U.S. officials said. Washington has been talking to regional partners, including Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore, about coordinating a stepped-up crackdown that would go further than ever before in an attempt to squeeze Pyongyang's use of seagoing trade to feed its nuclear missile program, several officials told Reuters. While suspect ships have been intercepted before, the emerging strategy would expand the scope of such operations but stop short of imposing a naval blockade on North Korea. Pyongyang has warned it would consider a blockade an act of war. The strategy calls for closer tracking and possible seizure of ships suspected of carrying banned weapons components and other prohibited cargo to or from North Korea, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Depending on the scale of the campaign, the United States could consider beefing up the naval and air power of its Pacific Command, they said. The U.S.-led initiative, which has not been previously reported, shows Washington's increasing urgency to force North Korea into negotiations over the abandonment of its weapons programs, the officials said. North Korea may be only a few months away from completing development of a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland, despite existing international sanctions that, at times, have been sidestepped by smuggling and ship-to-ship transfers at sea of banned goods, according to officials. "There is no doubt we all have to do more, short of direct military action, to show (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un we mean business," said a senior administration official. The White House declined official comment. The effort could target vessels on the high seas or in the territorial waters of countries that choose to cooperate. It was unclear, however, to what extent the campaign might extend beyond Asia. Washington on Friday slapped sanctions on dozens more companies and vessels linked to North Korean shipping trade and urged the United Nations to blacklist a list of entities, a move it said was aimed at shutting down North Korea's illicit maritime smuggling activities to obtain oil and sell coal. Tighter sanctions plus a more assertive approach at sea could dial up tensions at a time when fragile diplomacy between North and South Korea has gained momentum. It would also stretch U.S. military resources needed elsewhere, possibly incur massive new costs and fuel misgivings among some countries in the region. BOARDING SHIPS The initiative, which is still being developed, would be fraught with challenges that could risk triggering North Korean retaliation and dividing the international community. China and Russia, which have blocked U.S. efforts at the United Nations to win approval for use of force in North Korea interdiction operations, are likely to oppose new actions if they see the United States as overstepping. A Chinese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said such steps should only be taken under United Nations auspices. But Washington is expected to start gradually ratcheting up such operations soon even if discussions with allies have not been completed, according to the senior U.S. official. U.S. experts are developing legal arguments for doing more to stop sanctions-busting vessels, citing the last U.N. Security Council resolution which they say opened the door by calling on states to inspect suspect ships on the high seas or in their waters. Washington is also drawing up rules of engagement aimed at avoiding armed confrontation at sea, the officials said. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told reporters in Washington on Friday the United States does not rule out boarding ships for inspections. But U.S. officials said privately that such actions, especially the use of boarding crews, would be decided on a case-by-case and with utmost caution. Some U.S. officials believe the risk could be minimized if Coast Guard cutters, which carry less firepower and technically engage in law-enforcement missions, are used in certain cases rather than warships. The Coast Guard declined to address whether it might deploy ships to the Asia-Pacific region but acknowledged its ties to countries there. "Future ship deployments would depend on U.S. foreign policy objectives and the operational availability of our assets," said spokesman Lieutenant Commander Dave French. 'THE MORE PARTNERS WE HAVE' A senior South Korean government official said there had been discussions over "intensified maritime interdictions," including at a foreign ministers' meeting in Vancouver last month where U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pressed counterparts on the issue. "We are discussing with various countries including the U.S. and South Korea how to fully implement the sanctions but I have not heard talk of creating a framework or a coalition," said a Japanese defense ministry official involved in policy planning. The Trump administration has also sought greater cooperation from Southeast Asian countries, which may have little military capability to assist but are seen as sources of intelligence on ship movements, U.S. officials said. "The more partners we have, the more resources we have to dedicate to the effort," said Chris Ford, assistant secretary of state for international security and nonproliferation. He declined to talk about discussions with specific countries. Washington is especially interested in detecting of ship-to-ship transfers at sea of banned goods, something North Korea has increasingly resorted to as vessels have faced greater scrutiny of their cargo in Asian ports, the officials said. Reuters reported in December that Russian tankers had supplied fuel to North Korea at sea in a violation of sanctions. Washington also said at the time it had evidence that vessels from several countries, including China, had engaged in shipping oil products and coal. China denied the allegation. U.S. interception of ships close to Chinese waters is something likely to be avoided, in favor of informing Chinese authorities of banned cargo onboard and asking them do the inspection, one official said. "It's probably impossible to stop everything, but you can raise the cost to North Korea," said David Shear, former deputy secretary of defense for Asia under President Barack Obama.

US and its allies prepare high-seas crackdown on North Korea sanctions evaders: Sources

Nissan Motor Co is taking its first steps to becoming an operator of autonomous vehicle services, hoping to break into a segment set to be dominated by Uber and other technology firms.

While automakers for more than a century have based their business models on individual car ownership, Japan&#39;s No.2 automaker and its rivals are now preparing for a future in which self-driving cars are anticipated to curb vehicle ownership.

In partnership with Japanese mobile gaming platform operator DeNA Co, Nissan will begin public field tests of its Easy Ride service in Yokohama next month, becoming among the first major automakers anywhere to test ride-hailing software developed in-house, using its own fleet of self-driving electric cars.&nbsp;

Easy Ride, which Nissan plans to launch in Japan in the early 2020s, is meant to feel more like a concierge service on wheels, making - for example - restaurant recommendations while the car is on the move.

The announcement follows an agreement by Nissan and its automaking partners Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp earlier this month to explore future cooperation with Chinese transportation services conglomerate Didi Chuxing.

These moves mark a push by the automaker to avoid becoming the &quot;Foxconn of the auto industry&quot;: a mere vehicle supplier to ride- and car-sharing companies.&nbsp;

&quot;We realise that its going to take time to become a service operator, but we want to enter into this segment by partnering with companies which are experts in the field,&quot; Nissan&#39;s chief executive, Hiroto Saikawa, told Reuters in an interview this month.&nbsp;

A person close to the deal has said that the agreement is intended to explore opportunities for Nissan and others to supply battery-electric cars to Didi Chuxing for a new electric car-sharing service it is setting up in China.&nbsp;

He noted, however, that Nissan and its alliance partners could explore a broader agreement, which might possibly involve Nissan providing self-driving taxi technology to the dominant Chinese ride-hailing service.

&quot;We expect that the technology that we gain (from Easy Ride) will help all companies in the alliance to improve their capabilities,&quot; said Ogi Redzic, head of connected vehicles and mobility services at the automaking group.&nbsp;

&quot;When it comes to services, we will probably have different local partners who will help bring services to their respective markets.&quot;&nbsp;

Niche Market

Creating an upscale autonomous taxi service, rather than trying to beat other companies on price, could help Nissan against bigger competitors like Uber, market experts say.

&quot;By doing something with a more premium feel, it could allow Nissan to charge more for its service and potentially relieve some of that profitability pressure they could face if they were to try to race to the bottom in terms of pricing,&quot; said Jeremy Carlson, automotive analyst at IHS Markit.

Automakers are looking for ways to profit from the rise of car-sharing services, which along with self-driving cars, are likely to lead to a decrease vehicle ownership and chip away at future profits.

IHS Markit expects global sales of autonomous vehicles will soar to more than 33 million units in 2040 from 51,000 in 2021, while Goldman Sachs has predicted that the ride-hailing market will grow eightfold by 2030 to be five times the current size of the taxi market.

Nissan has embraced new technologies, launching the Leaf, the world&#39;s first mass-market electric car, in 2010. The company was an early proponent of self-driving cars, pledging in 2013 that it would market fully autonomous cars in 2020.

Although it has been rolling out automated highway driving functions and self-parking capabilities in a growing number of its models, rivals ranging from Tesla Inc to Subaru Corp have installed increasingly advanced self-driving features in their cars.&nbsp;

General Motors and Daimler AG are building and expanding car-sharing services, and GM has said it plans to launch a self-driving taxi service next year.&nbsp;

Nissan also has its own car-sharing service using its ultra-compact battery electric models, but after years of trials, the service is available only in Yokohama, where the company is headquartered.

After bringing in Redzic in early 2016 from Here Technologies, where he led the mapping data firm&#39;s automotive business group, Nissan in the past year or so has begun to crank up efforts to compete in the new transportation area.

Its partner DeNA is one of the world&#39;s biggest social gaming networks with 30 million users. The company&#39;s expertise in developing real-time user interfaces and payment systems will help give shape to the taxi service platform.&nbsp;

DeNA already operates a user-sourced car-sharing app and has been testing self-driving shuttle buses in Japan, and had been developing a self-driving taxi system with a Japanese robotics start-up before teaming up with Nissan. 
&nbsp;

Nissan's plans to launch Easy Ride in Japan in the early 2020s

Nissan Motor Co is taking its first steps to becoming an operator of autonomous vehicle services, hoping to break into a segment set to be dominated by Uber and other technology firms. While automakers for more than a century have based their business models on individual car ownership, Japan's No.2 automaker and its rivals are now preparing for a future in which self-driving cars are anticipated to curb vehicle ownership. In partnership with Japanese mobile gaming platform operator DeNA Co, Nissan will begin public field tests of its Easy Ride service in Yokohama next month, becoming among the first major automakers anywhere to test ride-hailing software developed in-house, using its own fleet of self-driving electric cars. Easy Ride, which Nissan plans to launch in Japan in the early 2020s, is meant to feel more like a concierge service on wheels, making - for example - restaurant recommendations while the car is on the move. The announcement follows an agreement by Nissan and its automaking partners Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp earlier this month to explore future cooperation with Chinese transportation services conglomerate Didi Chuxing. These moves mark a push by the automaker to avoid becoming the "Foxconn of the auto industry": a mere vehicle supplier to ride- and car-sharing companies. "We realise that its going to take time to become a service operator, but we want to enter into this segment by partnering with companies which are experts in the field," Nissan's chief executive, Hiroto Saikawa, told Reuters in an interview this month. A person close to the deal has said that the agreement is intended to explore opportunities for Nissan and others to supply battery-electric cars to Didi Chuxing for a new electric car-sharing service it is setting up in China. He noted, however, that Nissan and its alliance partners could explore a broader agreement, which might possibly involve Nissan providing self-driving taxi technology to the dominant Chinese ride-hailing service. "We expect that the technology that we gain (from Easy Ride) will help all companies in the alliance to improve their capabilities," said Ogi Redzic, head of connected vehicles and mobility services at the automaking group. "When it comes to services, we will probably have different local partners who will help bring services to their respective markets." Niche Market Creating an upscale autonomous taxi service, rather than trying to beat other companies on price, could help Nissan against bigger competitors like Uber, market experts say. "By doing something with a more premium feel, it could allow Nissan to charge more for its service and potentially relieve some of that profitability pressure they could face if they were to try to race to the bottom in terms of pricing," said Jeremy Carlson, automotive analyst at IHS Markit. Automakers are looking for ways to profit from the rise of car-sharing services, which along with self-driving cars, are likely to lead to a decrease vehicle ownership and chip away at future profits. IHS Markit expects global sales of autonomous vehicles will soar to more than 33 million units in 2040 from 51,000 in 2021, while Goldman Sachs has predicted that the ride-hailing market will grow eightfold by 2030 to be five times the current size of the taxi market. Nissan has embraced new technologies, launching the Leaf, the world's first mass-market electric car, in 2010. The company was an early proponent of self-driving cars, pledging in 2013 that it would market fully autonomous cars in 2020. Although it has been rolling out automated highway driving functions and self-parking capabilities in a growing number of its models, rivals ranging from Tesla Inc to Subaru Corp have installed increasingly advanced self-driving features in their cars. General Motors and Daimler AG are building and expanding car-sharing services, and GM has said it plans to launch a self-driving taxi service next year. Nissan also has its own car-sharing service using its ultra-compact battery electric models, but after years of trials, the service is available only in Yokohama, where the company is headquartered. After bringing in Redzic in early 2016 from Here Technologies, where he led the mapping data firm's automotive business group, Nissan in the past year or so has begun to crank up efforts to compete in the new transportation area. Its partner DeNA is one of the world's biggest social gaming networks with 30 million users. The company's expertise in developing real-time user interfaces and payment systems will help give shape to the taxi service platform. DeNA already operates a user-sourced car-sharing app and has been testing self-driving shuttle buses in Japan, and had been developing a self-driving taxi system with a Japanese robotics start-up before teaming up with Nissan.

Easy Ride trial to mark Nissan's first stop on road to taxi services

Japan is all set to build the tallest &#39;wooden&#39; skyscraper in the world by 2041.

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A Japanese wood products company, Sumitomo Forestry, is planning to build a 350-metre high wooden skyscraper in Tokyo.

The W350 tower is expected to be at least 70 floors high and will be erected in central Tokyo. The tower will be 90 per cent wooden and 10 per cent steel. The estimated cost of building the giant building is close to 600 billion yen ($5 billion).&nbsp;

Experts at the company believe that technological advancements may reduce the total estimated cost of building the skyscraper by the year 2041. The company will mark its 350th anniversary in 2041.

Currently, the world&#39;s tallest wooden building rests in Canada and stands tall at 53 metres.&nbsp;

The W350 will have space for residential apartments, offices and shops.

A Japanese wood products company plans to build a 350-metre high wooden skyscraper in Tokyo

Japan is all set to build the tallest 'wooden' skyscraper in the world by 2041. × A Japanese wood products company, Sumitomo Forestry, is planning to build a 350-metre high wooden skyscraper in Tokyo. The W350 tower is expected to be at least 70 floors high and will be erected in central Tokyo. The tower will be 90 per cent wooden and 10 per cent steel. The estimated cost of building the giant building is close to 600 billion yen ($5 billion). Experts at the company believe that technological advancements may reduce the total estimated cost of building the skyscraper by the year 2041. The company will mark its 350th anniversary in 2041. Currently, the world's tallest wooden building rests in Canada and stands tall at 53 metres. The W350 will have space for residential apartments, offices and shops.

Japan plans to build world's tallest wooden skyscraper

Japanese short-track speed skater Kei Saito has tested positive for doping at the Pyeongchang Olympic Games, the first doping case of the Games, the Court of Arbitration for Sport&nbsp;said Tuesday.

Saito, 21, failed an out-of-competition test, the anti-doping authority said in a statement, adding that he tested positive for acetalozamide, a banned diuretic which is considered as a masking agent.

It said the Japanese Olympic Committee had scheduled a &nbsp;press conference Tuesday to address Saito&#39;s adverse finding.

The CAS statement said Saito had left the athletes&#39; Olympic Village voluntarily and would be provisionally suspended from the Olympics and other competitions pending a full investigation.

Saito, a human biology student whose sister Hitomi is also competing in Pyeongchang, was a member of Japan&#39;s 3,000m relay team that finished third at the 2013 and 2014 world junior championships.

&nbsp;

Saito, 21, failed an out-of-competition test in the lead-up to the Games, the agency said late Monday, citing unnamed sources

Japanese short-track speed skater Kei Saito has tested positive for doping at the Pyeongchang Olympic Games, the first doping case of the Games, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said Tuesday. Saito, 21, failed an out-of-competition test, the anti-doping authority said in a statement, adding that he tested positive for acetalozamide, a banned diuretic which is considered as a masking agent. It said the Japanese Olympic Committee had scheduled a press conference Tuesday to address Saito's adverse finding. The CAS statement said Saito had left the athletes' Olympic Village voluntarily and would be provisionally suspended from the Olympics and other competitions pending a full investigation. Saito, a human biology student whose sister Hitomi is also competing in Pyeongchang, was a member of Japan's 3,000m relay team that finished third at the 2013 and 2014 world junior championships.

Japanese Olympic speed skater tests positive for doping: CAS

A rare heavy blanket of snow in Tokyo on Tuesday left thousands of travellers stranded and scores injured, as frozen conditions snarled public transport in the Japanese capital.

Japan&#39;s weather agency recorded as much as 23 centimetres (9.2 inches) of snow in some parts of Tokyo, the biggest snowfall since February 2014.

The weather paralysed Monday evening&#39;s commute as millions of workers battled to get home in one of the world&#39;s most populous cities.

Notoriously hard-working Japanese employees were urged to knock off early but this did not prevent delays and crushes at major stations.

Public broadcaster NHK said at least 180 people had sustained minor injuries on the frozen streets and there had been around 700 traffic accidents, police said.&nbsp;

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Cars became trapped in a tunnel, sparking a 10-kilometre (6.2 mile)-long tailback from Monday evening through early Tuesday morning, broadcasters said.

And for the second day running, dozens of domestic and international flights departing from and arriving at the Japanese capital were scrapped due to the snow, with more than 9,000 people stranded overnight at Narita airport, officials said.

Airport officials and airline staff handed out water, snacks and sleeping bags to the unlucky passengers.

&quot;I had planned to visit the US after graduating from university but my flight was cancelled. Why today?&quot; an exasperated female student told NHK.

Heavy snowfall is common in northern areas of Japan but rare in the capital, which last saw this amount of snow in 2014.

The sun was shining brightly on Tuesday morning, but forecasters predict the mercury will stay well below zero this week, causing treacherous roads, and warned of more injuries.

The greater Tokyo area will see lows of minus six degrees Celsius (21.2 degree Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, the weather agency said.

&quot;It&#39;s rare to have sub-zero temperatures for a few days in the Tokyo area, and that would freeze the snow,&quot; agency official Kenji Okada told AFP.

&quot;In the past, we have seen a lot of injuries caused by slipping and falling. Simply walking can be dangerous,&quot; he said.

Japan's weather agency recorded as much as 9.2 inches of snow in some parts of Tokyo, the biggest snowfall since February 2014

A rare heavy blanket of snow in Tokyo on Tuesday left thousands of travellers stranded and scores injured, as frozen conditions snarled public transport in the Japanese capital. Japan's weather agency recorded as much as 23 centimetres (9.2 inches) of snow in some parts of Tokyo, the biggest snowfall since February 2014. The weather paralysed Monday evening's commute as millions of workers battled to get home in one of the world's most populous cities. Notoriously hard-working Japanese employees were urged to knock off early but this did not prevent delays and crushes at major stations. Public broadcaster NHK said at least 180 people had sustained minor injuries on the frozen streets and there had been around 700 traffic accidents, police said. Notoriously hard-working Japanese employees were urged to knock off early but this did not prevent delays and crushes at major stations × Cars became trapped in a tunnel, sparking a 10-kilometre (6.2 mile)-long tailback from Monday evening through early Tuesday morning, broadcasters said. And for the second day running, dozens of domestic and international flights departing from and arriving at the Japanese capital were scrapped due to the snow, with more than 9,000 people stranded overnight at Narita airport, officials said. Airport officials and airline staff handed out water, snacks and sleeping bags to the unlucky passengers. "I had planned to visit the US after graduating from university but my flight was cancelled. Why today?" an exasperated female student told NHK. Heavy snowfall is common in northern areas of Japan but rare in the capital, which last saw this amount of snow in 2014. The sun was shining brightly on Tuesday morning, but forecasters predict the mercury will stay well below zero this week, causing treacherous roads, and warned of more injuries. The greater Tokyo area will see lows of minus six degrees Celsius (21.2 degree Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, the weather agency said. "It's rare to have sub-zero temperatures for a few days in the Tokyo area, and that would freeze the snow," agency official Kenji Okada told AFP. "In the past, we have seen a lot of injuries caused by slipping and falling. Simply walking can be dangerous," he said.

Thousands stranded, scores injured in snowbound Tokyo

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Wednesday pledged to attend the&nbsp;Winter Olympics in South Korea, ending speculation he would snub the event after an emotional war of words with Seoul over a deal on wartime sex slavery.

&quot;I would like to attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics to cheer on Japanese athletes if conditions allow me to do so,&quot; Abe told the conservative Sankei Shimbun newspaper.

&quot;The Olympic Games is a festival for peace and sports and Japan is poised to host Tokyo 2020,&quot; he was quoted as saying, referring to the Summer Games in the Japanese capital.

Jiji Press and the Yomiuri Shimbun daily also reported Abe is set to attend the opening gala of the Winter Olympics hosted by the South Korean city on February 9.

Abe had previously hinted he might skip the event to concentrate on passing a national budget bill, in a move widely seen as posturing after a spat with Seoul over the decades-old row.

The issue of women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops in World War II has roiled relations between the neighbours -- both US allies and both threatened by nuclear-armed North Korea.

The issue is a highly emotional one in Seoul while a majority of Japanese feel they have atoned enough for the country&#39;s wartime aggression including the comfort women issue, after numerous apologies and statements on the war.

But South Korea sparked anger in Japan by hinting at a review of a landmark 2015 deal that Tokyo believes buried the issue once and for all.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;d like to meet with President Moon (Jae-In),&quot; Abe was quoted as saying, adding: &quot;I would like to tell him directly that we can by no means accept South Korea&#39;s unilateral request for additional measures concerning the deal over the comfort women issue.&quot;

Moon recently urged Japan to offer a &quot;heartfelt apology&quot; to the victims.

Ousted president Park Geun-Hye&#39;s government struck the deal with Japan under Abe, under which both countries said the issue was resolved &quot;finally and irreversibly&quot;.

Under the deal -- that included a fresh Japanese apology -- South Korea promised not to raise the issue again and Japan transferred 1 billion yen (now $9 million) to a foundation dedicated to supporting the victims.

&nbsp;

Media reports claim that Abe is set to attend the opening gala of the Winter Olympics hosted by the South Korean city on February 9

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Wednesday pledged to attend the Winter Olympics in South Korea, ending speculation he would snub the event after an emotional war of words with Seoul over a deal on wartime sex slavery. "I would like to attend the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Olympics to cheer on Japanese athletes if conditions allow me to do so," Abe told the conservative Sankei Shimbun newspaper. "The Olympic Games is a festival for peace and sports and Japan is poised to host Tokyo 2020," he was quoted as saying, referring to the Summer Games in the Japanese capital. Jiji Press and the Yomiuri Shimbun daily also reported Abe is set to attend the opening gala of the Winter Olympics hosted by the South Korean city on February 9. Abe had previously hinted he might skip the event to concentrate on passing a national budget bill, in a move widely seen as posturing after a spat with Seoul over the decades-old row. The issue of women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops in World War II has roiled relations between the neighbours -- both US allies and both threatened by nuclear-armed North Korea. The issue is a highly emotional one in Seoul while a majority of Japanese feel they have atoned enough for the country's wartime aggression including the comfort women issue, after numerous apologies and statements on the war. But South Korea sparked anger in Japan by hinting at a review of a landmark 2015 deal that Tokyo believes buried the issue once and for all. "I'd like to meet with President Moon (Jae-In)," Abe was quoted as saying, adding: "I would like to tell him directly that we can by no means accept South Korea's unilateral request for additional measures concerning the deal over the comfort women issue." Moon recently urged Japan to offer a "heartfelt apology" to the victims. Ousted president Park Geun-Hye's government struck the deal with Japan under Abe, under which both countries said the issue was resolved "finally and irreversibly". Under the deal -- that included a fresh Japanese apology -- South Korea promised not to raise the issue again and Japan transferred 1 billion yen (now $9 million) to a foundation dedicated to supporting the victims.

Japan PM Abe 'to attend Olympics' despite sex slave spat

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India&nbsp;honours Subhas Chandra Bose on Tuesday on his 121st birth anniversary, one of the phalanx of India&#39;s pre-independence leaders who continue to inspire the country&#39;s young.

Subhas Chandra Bose was among the key figures who laid the foundations of modern-day India.

He established the Indian National Army to take on the British. Controversially though -- following the principle of &#39;my enemy&#39;s enemy is my friend&#39; -- he also entered into an alliance with Nazi Germany, hoping it would help overthrow British rule in India.

Here are some lesser-known facts about the patriot of patriots:

Mahatma Gandhi always opposed Bose&#39;s ideology, as he was a believer of non-violence, Bose was opposite of that he believed that Gandhi&#39;s ideology&nbsp;would never be sufficient to secure India&#39;s independence, however, Bose was still admired by Gandhi and was to called&nbsp;&quot;patriot of patriots by Gandhi.&#39;

Subhas Chandra Bose was expelled from Calcutta&#39;s Presidency College for assaulting Professor Oaten for his anti-India comments.

He was influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna after reading their works at the age of 16. He felt that his religion was more important than his studies.

Subhas Chandra Bose was elected president of the Indian National Congress twice but he resigned after conflicting ideas of independent India as Bose wanted complete independence while Gandhi and other INC members were trying for dominion status.

Bose was married to an Austrian woman Emille Shinken and his daughter Anita Bose was a popular economist in Germany.

Bose was the editor in Chief of &#39;The Forward&#39;&nbsp;formerly known as &#39;The Jewish Daily Forward&#39;,&nbsp;American magazine published monthly for a Jewish-American audience in New York, but later he left to open his own newspaper called &quot;Swaraj in India.&quot;

Bose, a bright and hard-working student, appeared in the ICS exam and came 4th on the merit list. But he was not happy about the result as he did not wanted to work for the government he grown to hate.

Bose was trying every effort to get freedom for the nation. He sought help from enemy&#39;s enemy, Japan, With Japan&#39;s help Bose formed an Indian National Congress and along with Japanese army, both brought independence to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

To this day there is no certain explanation of how Bose died, the general belief is that he died in a plane crash Formosa now Taiwan. There are still conspiracy theories surrounding his death such as he lived in Russia and later came back to India and lived anonymously in UP.

Bose was called 'patriot of patriots' by Gandhi

× India honours Subhas Chandra Bose on Tuesday on his 121st birth anniversary, one of the phalanx of India's pre-independence leaders who continue to inspire the country's young. Subhas Chandra Bose was among the key figures who laid the foundations of modern-day India. He established the Indian National Army to take on the British. Controversially though -- following the principle of 'my enemy's enemy is my friend' -- he also entered into an alliance with Nazi Germany, hoping it would help overthrow British rule in India. Here are some lesser-known facts about the patriot of patriots: Mahatma Gandhi always opposed Bose's ideology, as he was a believer of non-violence, Bose was opposite of that he believed that Gandhi's ideology would never be sufficient to secure India's independence, however, Bose was still admired by Gandhi and was to called "patriot of patriots by Gandhi.' Subhas Chandra Bose was expelled from Calcutta's Presidency College for assaulting Professor Oaten for his anti-India comments. He was influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna after reading their works at the age of 16. He felt that his religion was more important than his studies. Subhas Chandra Bose was elected president of the Indian National Congress twice but he resigned after conflicting ideas of independent India as Bose wanted complete independence while Gandhi and other INC members were trying for dominion status. Bose was married to an Austrian woman Emille Shinken and his daughter Anita Bose was a popular economist in Germany. Bose was the editor in Chief of 'The Forward' formerly known as 'The Jewish Daily Forward', American magazine published monthly for a Jewish-American audience in New York, but later he left to open his own newspaper called "Swaraj in India." Bose, a bright and hard-working student, appeared in the ICS exam and came 4th on the merit list. But he was not happy about the result as he did not wanted to work for the government he grown to hate. Bose was trying every effort to get freedom for the nation. He sought help from enemy's enemy, Japan, With Japan's help Bose formed an Indian National Congress and along with Japanese army, both brought independence to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. To this day there is no certain explanation of how Bose died, the general belief is that he died in a plane crash Formosa now Taiwan. There are still conspiracy theories surrounding his death such as he lived in Russia and later came back to India and lived anonymously in UP.

Remembering 'patriot of patriots' Subhas Chandra Bose on his 121st birth anniversary

Japan today warned against being &quot;blinded&quot; by North Korea&#39;s diplomatic charm offensive at the Winter Olympics, saying the main goal remains ridding Pyongyang of nuclear weapons.

Japan&#39;s Foreign Minister Taro Kono used a visit to Singapore, the current chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, to call for unity in dealing with Pyongyang, a spokesman said.

&quot;We need to maximise pressure on North Korea, to corner North Korea to change its policy by fully implementing the UN Security Council Resolution,&quot; said Toshihide Ando, deputy press secretary at Japan&#39;s foreign affairs ministry.

&quot;We will continue to work with the United States and South Korea on this issue. But it&#39;s important that we should not be blinded by the charm offensive by North Korea,&quot; he told reporters at a briefing on Kono&#39;s visit.

He said Kono met Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan separately and discussed regional issues, including developments on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has used the Winter Games hosted by South Korea in Pyeongchang to unleash a diplomatic push for his isolated regime.

Kim sent his powerful sister Kim Yo Jong to the Games where she delivered a letter inviting South Korean President Moon Jae-in to a summit. She is the first member of the dynasty to set foot in the South since the Korean War.

North Korea&#39;s delegation to the Games also included the country&#39;s ceremonial head of state and hundreds of female cheerleaders.

Analysts have said the charm offensive aims to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington and weaken the world community&#39;s resolve to force the regime to abandon atomic weapons.

A day before the Winter Games, the North staged a military parade in Pyongyang to mark the 70th anniversary of its armed forces, putting its intercontinental ballistic missiles on show.&nbsp;

Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono used a visit to Singapore, the current chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, to call for unity in dealing with Pyongyang, a spokesman said

Japan today warned against being "blinded" by North Korea's diplomatic charm offensive at the Winter Olympics, saying the main goal remains ridding Pyongyang of nuclear weapons. Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono used a visit to Singapore, the current chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, to call for unity in dealing with Pyongyang, a spokesman said. "We need to maximise pressure on North Korea, to corner North Korea to change its policy by fully implementing the UN Security Council Resolution," said Toshihide Ando, deputy press secretary at Japan's foreign affairs ministry. "We will continue to work with the United States and South Korea on this issue. But it's important that we should not be blinded by the charm offensive by North Korea," he told reporters at a briefing on Kono's visit. He said Kono met Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan separately and discussed regional issues, including developments on the Korean Peninsula. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has used the Winter Games hosted by South Korea in Pyeongchang to unleash a diplomatic push for his isolated regime. Kim sent his powerful sister Kim Yo Jong to the Games where she delivered a letter inviting South Korean President Moon Jae-in to a summit. She is the first member of the dynasty to set foot in the South since the Korean War. North Korea's delegation to the Games also included the country's ceremonial head of state and hundreds of female cheerleaders. Analysts have said the charm offensive aims to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington and weaken the world community's resolve to force the regime to abandon atomic weapons. A day before the Winter Games, the North staged a military parade in Pyongyang to mark the 70th anniversary of its armed forces, putting its intercontinental ballistic missiles on show.

Don't be 'blinded' by North Korea charm offensive: Japan

Japan&#39;s space agency launched on Saturday (February 3) what it says is the smallest rocket ever to send a satellite into orbit.

A launch of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency&#39;s SS-520 in January 2017 failed when a communications problem was discovered after the first stage of the launch. The rocket was allowed to drop back to earth without sending its payload into orbit.

The SS-520 rocket was modified this time from a two-stage rocket to a three-stage rocket but the size remains as the previous rocket at about 10 metres (35 feet) long and 50 centimeters (20 inches) in diameter.

The 3kg (6.6 lb), 35-centimetre nano-satellite is carrying will take images of the earth and gather other data.

A launch of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's SS-520 in January 2017 failed when a communications problem was discovered after the first stage of the launch. The rocket was allowed to drop back to earth without sending its payload into orbit

Japan's space agency launched on Saturday (February 3) what it says is the smallest rocket ever to send a satellite into orbit. A launch of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's SS-520 in January 2017 failed when a communications problem was discovered after the first stage of the launch. The rocket was allowed to drop back to earth without sending its payload into orbit. The SS-520 rocket was modified this time from a two-stage rocket to a three-stage rocket but the size remains as the previous rocket at about 10 metres (35 feet) long and 50 centimeters (20 inches) in diameter. The 3kg (6.6 lb), 35-centimetre nano-satellite is carrying will take images of the earth and gather other data.

Japan successfully launches world's smallest rocket to send a satellite into orbit

Eleven people died after a fire broke out at a residence for elderly people with financial difficulties in northern Japan, police said on Thursday.

Television footage showed the three-story building engulfed in flames and dozens of firefighters battling the blaze in snowy conditions.

Pictures of the aftermath showed the blackened husk of the building, whose roof had apparently collapsed due to the fire.

The victims -- eight men and three women -- were among 16 residents of the facility in Sapporo, Hokkaido, run by a local organisation.

The other five residents escaped with minor injuries, a police spokesman told AFP, adding that authorities were investigating the victims&#39; identities.

Police said they had launched a probe into the cause of the fire first signalled at 11:42 pm (1442 GMT) Wednesday via an emergency call, the spokesman said.

The facility is aimed at supporting elderly people with financial difficulties by offering low-cost accommodation and helping them find work, public broadcaster NHK reported.

The facility is usually unstaffed overnight, according to local media.&nbsp;

Pictures of the aftermath showed the blackened husk of the building, whose roof had apparently collapsed due to the fire

Eleven people died after a fire broke out at a residence for elderly people with financial difficulties in northern Japan, police said on Thursday. Television footage showed the three-story building engulfed in flames and dozens of firefighters battling the blaze in snowy conditions. Pictures of the aftermath showed the blackened husk of the building, whose roof had apparently collapsed due to the fire. The victims -- eight men and three women -- were among 16 residents of the facility in Sapporo, Hokkaido, run by a local organisation. The other five residents escaped with minor injuries, a police spokesman told AFP, adding that authorities were investigating the victims' identities. Police said they had launched a probe into the cause of the fire first signalled at 11:42 pm (1442 GMT) Wednesday via an emergency call, the spokesman said. The facility is aimed at supporting elderly people with financial difficulties by offering low-cost accommodation and helping them find work, public broadcaster NHK reported. The facility is usually unstaffed overnight, according to local media.

Japan: Fire kills 11 at home for elderly people

Japan&#39;s businesses must realise Britain&#39;s membership of the European Union is &quot;over,&quot; French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said today, while touting France as an attractive post-Brexit alternative.

&quot;The message is clear for us: firstly, the presence of Britain in the European Union is over,&quot; he said describing his discussions with local business leaders during a four-day trip to Japan.

&quot;I felt that there were maybe some voices saying &#39;perhaps it...&#39; No! It&#39;s over,&quot; he added, encouraging Japanese companies to face the reality of Britain&#39;s departure from the EU.

&quot;In March 2019, it will be the end,&quot; he said at a conference on the last day of his trip.

Japanese banks were among the first to react to Britain&#39;s June 2016 referendum decision to leave the EU, with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group saying in 2017 it would create a subsidiary in Frankfurt in preparation for Brexit.

But Japanese companies present in Britain have been more cautious about publicly announcing similar Brexit plans, despite the efforts of other European countries to woo those looking for alternatives.

"The message is clear for us: firstly, the presence of Britain in the European Union is over," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said

Japan's businesses must realise Britain's membership of the European Union is "over," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said today, while touting France as an attractive post-Brexit alternative. "The message is clear for us: firstly, the presence of Britain in the European Union is over," he said describing his discussions with local business leaders during a four-day trip to Japan. "I felt that there were maybe some voices saying 'perhaps it...' No! It's over," he added, encouraging Japanese companies to face the reality of Britain's departure from the EU. "In March 2019, it will be the end," he said at a conference on the last day of his trip. Japanese banks were among the first to react to Britain's June 2016 referendum decision to leave the EU, with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group saying in 2017 it would create a subsidiary in Frankfurt in preparation for Brexit. But Japanese companies present in Britain have been more cautious about publicly announcing similar Brexit plans, despite the efforts of other European countries to woo those looking for alternatives.

Britain's EU days are 'over', French FM tells Japan firms

Japan&#39;s financial regulator on Monday ordered Coincheck to get its act together after hackers stole $530 million worth of digital money from its exchange, jolting the nation&#39;s cryptocurrency market in one of the biggest cyber heists.

The theft highlights the vulnerabilities in trading an asset that global policymakers are struggling to regulate and the broader risks for Japan as it aims to leverage the fintech industry to stimulate economic growth.

The Financial Services Agency (FSA) said on Monday it has ordered improvements to operations at Tokyo-based Coincheck, which on Friday suspended trading in all cryptocurrencies except bitcoin after hackers stole 58 billion yen ($534 million) of NEM coins, among the most popular digital currencies in the world.

Coincheck said on Sunday it would return about 90 percent with internal funds, though it has yet to figure out how or when.

The FSA is due to brief media on the matter at 2 p.m. (0500 GMT).

Japan started to require cryptocurrency exchange operators to register with the government only in April 2017, allowing pre-existing operators such as Coincheck to continue offering services ahead of formal registration.&nbsp;

The FSA has registered 16 cryptocurrency exchanges so far, and another 16 or so are still awaiting approval while continuing to operate.

Coincheck has said its NEM coins were stored in a &quot;hot wallet&quot; instead of the more secure &quot;cold wallet&quot;, outside the internet.&nbsp;

NEM fell to $0.78 from $1.01 on Friday, before recovering to around $0.97 on Monday, according to CoinMarketCap.&nbsp;

Singapore-based NEM Foundation said it had a tracing system on the NEM blockchain and that it had &quot;a full account&quot; of all of Coincheck&#39;s lost NEM coins.&nbsp;

It added that the hacker had not moved any of the funds to any exchange or personal accounts but that it had no way to independently return the stolen funds to its owners.

In 2014, Tokyo-based Mt. Gox, which once handled 80 percent of the world&#39;s bitcoin trades, filed for bankruptcy after losing around half a billion dollars worth of bitcoins. More recently, South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Youbit last month shut down and filed for bankruptcy after being hacked twice last year.

World leaders meeting in Davos last week issued fresh warnings about the dangers of cryptocurrencies, with US&nbsp;Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin relating

Washington&#39;s concern about the money being used for illicit activity.&nbsp;

Many countries have clamped down on exchanges.

South Korea will ban cryptocurrency traders from using anonymous bank accounts to crack down on the criminal use of virtual coins. China has ordered some exchanges to close, with the aim of containing financial risks.

But Japan has taken a different tack, becoming last year the first country to introduce national-level regulation of cryptocurrency exchanges.&nbsp; 
 
The move, intended to protect consumers and stymie money laundering, was praised by many traders and operators as progressive.

The theft highlights the vulnerabilities in trading an asset that global policymakers are struggling to regulate

Japan's financial regulator on Monday ordered Coincheck to get its act together after hackers stole $530 million worth of digital money from its exchange, jolting the nation's cryptocurrency market in one of the biggest cyber heists. The theft highlights the vulnerabilities in trading an asset that global policymakers are struggling to regulate and the broader risks for Japan as it aims to leverage the fintech industry to stimulate economic growth. The Financial Services Agency (FSA) said on Monday it has ordered improvements to operations at Tokyo-based Coincheck, which on Friday suspended trading in all cryptocurrencies except bitcoin after hackers stole 58 billion yen ($534 million) of NEM coins, among the most popular digital currencies in the world. Coincheck said on Sunday it would return about 90 percent with internal funds, though it has yet to figure out how or when. The FSA is due to brief media on the matter at 2 p.m. (0500 GMT). Japan started to require cryptocurrency exchange operators to register with the government only in April 2017, allowing pre-existing operators such as Coincheck to continue offering services ahead of formal registration. The FSA has registered 16 cryptocurrency exchanges so far, and another 16 or so are still awaiting approval while continuing to operate. Coincheck has said its NEM coins were stored in a "hot wallet" instead of the more secure "cold wallet", outside the internet. NEM fell to $0.78 from $1.01 on Friday, before recovering to around $0.97 on Monday, according to CoinMarketCap. Singapore-based NEM Foundation said it had a tracing system on the NEM blockchain and that it had "a full account" of all of Coincheck's lost NEM coins. It added that the hacker had not moved any of the funds to any exchange or personal accounts but that it had no way to independently return the stolen funds to its owners. In 2014, Tokyo-based Mt. Gox, which once handled 80 percent of the world's bitcoin trades, filed for bankruptcy after losing around half a billion dollars worth of bitcoins. More recently, South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Youbit last month shut down and filed for bankruptcy after being hacked twice last year. World leaders meeting in Davos last week issued fresh warnings about the dangers of cryptocurrencies, with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin relating Washington's concern about the money being used for illicit activity. Many countries have clamped down on exchanges. South Korea will ban cryptocurrency traders from using anonymous bank accounts to crack down on the criminal use of virtual coins. China has ordered some exchanges to close, with the aim of containing financial risks. But Japan has taken a different tack, becoming last year the first country to introduce national-level regulation of cryptocurrency exchanges. The move, intended to protect consumers and stymie money laundering, was praised by many traders and operators as progressive.

Japan punishes Coincheck after $530 million cryptocurrency theft

Mauritius was the largest source of foreign investment in India, followed by the US and the UK, according to a census by the Reserve Bank.

Singapore and Japan were the next two sources of foreign direct investment (FDI), said the Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Companies 2016-17, released by RBI today.

Of the 18,667 companies that participated in the census, 17,020 had FDI/overseas direct investment in their balance sheets in March 2017, it said.

&quot;96 per cent of the responding companies were unlisted in March 2017 and most of them had received only inward FDI; unlisted companies had higher share of FDI equity capital vis-?-vis listed companies,&quot; it said.

Further, over 80 per cent of the 15,169 companies that reported inward FDI were subsidiaries of foreign companies (single foreign investor holding over 50 per cent of the total equity).

&quot;Mauritius was the largest source of FDI in India (21.8 per cent share at market value) followed by the USA, the UK, Singapore and Japan whereas Singapore (19.7 per cent) was the major ODI destination, followed by the Netherlands, Mauritius, and the USA,&quot; the census said.

The census yields comprehensive information on the market value of foreign liabilities and assets of Indian companies arising on account of FDI, ODI and other investments.

&quot;It is important to note that changes in outstanding asset/liabilities would be different from flows recorded in the balance of payments (BoP) during a year, as the former would also include valuation changes due to price and exchange rate movements,&quot; the central bank said.

The census data further said non-financial FDI companies had a much higher share in total foreign equity participation vis-a-vis financial FDI firms.

&quot;The ratio of market values of inward to outward direct investment, increased to 4.3 in March 2017 from 3.6 a year ago; equity participation accounted for 94 per cent and 79 per cent shares in inward and outward FDI, respectively,&quot; it said.

The manufacturing sector accounted for nearly half of the total FDI at market prices; information and communication services and financial and insurance activities were the other major sectors that attracted FDI.

Total sales, including exports, of foreign subsidiaries in India increased by 18.7 per cent during 2016-17 whereas their purchases, including imports, increased by 20.1 per cent.&nbsp;

Singapore and Japan were the next two sources of foreign direct investment (FDI), said the Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Companies 2016-17, released by RBI today

Mauritius was the largest source of foreign investment in India, followed by the US and the UK, according to a census by the Reserve Bank. Singapore and Japan were the next two sources of foreign direct investment (FDI), said the Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Companies 2016-17, released by RBI today. Of the 18,667 companies that participated in the census, 17,020 had FDI/overseas direct investment in their balance sheets in March 2017, it said. "96 per cent of the responding companies were unlisted in March 2017 and most of them had received only inward FDI; unlisted companies had higher share of FDI equity capital vis-?-vis listed companies," it said. Further, over 80 per cent of the 15,169 companies that reported inward FDI were subsidiaries of foreign companies (single foreign investor holding over 50 per cent of the total equity). "Mauritius was the largest source of FDI in India (21.8 per cent share at market value) followed by the USA, the UK, Singapore and Japan whereas Singapore (19.7 per cent) was the major ODI destination, followed by the Netherlands, Mauritius, and the USA," the census said. The census yields comprehensive information on the market value of foreign liabilities and assets of Indian companies arising on account of FDI, ODI and other investments. "It is important to note that changes in outstanding asset/liabilities would be different from flows recorded in the balance of payments (BoP) during a year, as the former would also include valuation changes due to price and exchange rate movements," the central bank said. The census data further said non-financial FDI companies had a much higher share in total foreign equity participation vis-a-vis financial FDI firms. "The ratio of market values of inward to outward direct investment, increased to 4.3 in March 2017 from 3.6 a year ago; equity participation accounted for 94 per cent and 79 per cent shares in inward and outward FDI, respectively," it said. The manufacturing sector accounted for nearly half of the total FDI at market prices; information and communication services and financial and insurance activities were the other major sectors that attracted FDI. Total sales, including exports, of foreign subsidiaries in India increased by 18.7 per cent during 2016-17 whereas their purchases, including imports, increased by 20.1 per cent.

Mauritius largest source of FDI in India, says RBI

It is predicted that 896 towns and villages across Japan will no longer be viable by 2040 (see map below or an interactive Japanese version <a href="https://www.nikkei.com/edit/interactive/population2014/map.html">here</a>). A former minister for internal affairs, Hiroya Masuda, describes this as &ldquo;local extinction&rdquo;.

Visiting some of these towns and villages today is reminiscent of Alfonso Cuar&oacute;n&rsquo;s brilliantly observant movie Children of Men. The film is set in 2027, two decades after humanity has lost the ability to reproduce. Schools are dilapidated and their playgrounds forever quiet. Houses are empty and in disrepair.

While the situation in Japan is not as bleak (yet), Masuda notes that birthrates have fallen since the 1970s and currently stand at 1.4 children per family. The most recent projections indicate that the population will shrink by 27 million between 2015 and 2053. That&rsquo;s equivalent to the entire population of Australia vanishing.

<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201448/original/file-20180110-36009-1sq50t2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201448/original/file-20180110-36009-1sq50t2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<figcaption>
In a simplified version of a map published by Hiroya Masuda in 2014, localities shown in red are predicted to become extinct by 2040. <a class="source" href="http://guzome.com/9679/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E5%9C%B0%E5%9B%B3-%E7%99%BD%E5%9C%B0%E5%9B%B3-%E3%83%95%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC-%E3%82%A8%E3%82%AF%E3%82%BB%E3%83%AB.html">guzome.com</a>, Author provided

&nbsp;

Masuda concluded that municipalities experiencing a 50% decline in their young female population (aged 20-39) are most likely to go extinct.

At the same time, Japan is ageing rapidly. The over-65s are estimated to rise from 26.6% of the population in 2015 to 38.4% in 2065. The population age imbalances are particularly acute in rural Japan, compounded by the young migrating to big cities.
</figcaption>
</figure>

What does decline look like?

Japan is viewed around the globe as a cool, vibrant and extraordinary place. It attracts <a href="https://www.tourism.jp/en/tourism-database/stats/">more than 24 million tourists each year</a>, many of whom visit Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto and then travel via bullet train to other major cities. This urban core is the centre of population, economic and cultural activity, and it is all that most tourists see.

Only when you travel to rural Japan do the impacts of population decline become apparent. Last year, I spent time in two rural prefectures.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201449/original/file-20180110-36040-fwxi4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201449/original/file-20180110-36040-fwxi4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>
An abandoned farm just outside Tsuwano in Shimane Prefecture. Brendan Barrett, Author provided

In July I visited the small town of Tsuwano in Shimane Prefecture. According to Masuda&rsquo;s projections, Tsuwano will experience a 75% drop in the number of young women and its population will more than halve to 3,451 in 2040 (down from 7,500 today). In October, I visited Tokushima Prefecture in Shikoku, where the picture is very similar for most towns and villages.

In both locations, I came across many abandoned farms and houses. Nationally, it is estimated that unclaimed land will reach 7.2 million hectares in 2040 (almost the size of Hokkaido and bigger than Tasmania), with a value of close to &yen;6 trillion (A$7 trillion).

Japan&rsquo;s inheritance laws are partly to blame for this situation and also explain why 8.2 million homes are vacant across the country. Fixed asset taxes on empty lots are six times higher, so it makes sense not to demolish old houses or farmsteads
</figcaption>
</figure>

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201450/original/file-20180110-36022-152hd4a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201450/original/file-20180110-36022-152hd4a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>A boarded-up house in Tokushima Prefecture. Brendan Barrett, Author provided</figcaption>
</figure>

<h2>&nbsp;</h2>

Dealing with decline

Everyone in Japan is aware of the challenges posed by a rapidly ageing, declining population with low birth rates. The media cover these concerns extensively.

&nbsp;

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201451/original/file-20180110-36043-ycmtnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201451/original/file-20180110-36043-ycmtnl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>TV presenters discuss the extinction of towns and cities. Brendan Barrett, Author provided</figcaption>
</figure>

&nbsp;

Local governments have been trying to encourage people to move back to rural areas by providing work opportunities and sharing details of vacant houses.

This internal migration is known as &ldquo;U-turn&rdquo; or &ldquo;I-turn&rdquo;. The former describes someone returning to their hometown, while the latter refers to a person who decides to quit big city life.

Relocating to a small rural community, however, can be challenging. Villages and towns are close-knit communities and the returnee is expected to comply with local norms.

The Japanese have an expression, Gō ni ireba gō ni shitagae, which is equivalent to &ldquo;When in Rome do as the Romans do&rdquo;. Failure to do so can result in the returnee being, to use an English idiom, &ldquo;sent to Coventry&rdquo;. The Japanese term is mura hachibu, and it means you will be ignored and excluded.

<figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201452/original/file-20180110-36037-kq0rvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/201452/original/file-20180110-36037-kq0rvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" /></a>

<figcaption>
A morning TV show provides examples of &lsquo;U-turners&rsquo; who have been &lsquo;sent to Coventry&rsquo; by their rural neighbours for not trying harder to fit in. Brendan Barrett, Author provided

&nbsp;
</figcaption>
</figure>

More radical responses needed

There are no simple answers to these challenges. The Japanese government has been very active but past policies have tended to focus on infrastructure development and construction of public facilities (roads, dams, town halls, libraries, museums, sports facilities), rather than on the economic needs and welfare of local people.

In this context, Masuda calls for a radical new approach with three core goals.

<ol>
	<li>Comprehensive measures are needed to help maintain existing populations in rural areas (through marriage, pregnancy, childbirth and childcare).</li>
	<li>Measures should be implemented to promote population redistribution and reduce migration to big cities.</li>
	<li>Policies should be introduced to enhance human resources and local skills. This includes immigration of highly trained individuals from overseas, which is controversial.</li>
</ol>

While lots of ongoing initiatives aim to attract young people back to rural areas, the biggest concern is one of livelihoods as long-term job prospects are limited. Yuusuke Kakei covers this topic in his 2015 book Population Decline x Design, presenting proposals for new local economic activity that puts women, creativity and community at the centre. To this we should add what Joseph Coughlin describes as &ldquo;The Longevity Economy&rdquo; to respond to the economic and technology needs of an aging population.

Interest in the notion of the universal basic income has also surged recently in Japan. Some commentators argue that it could play a significant role in revitalising Japan and in making rural life more attractive to young Japanese by providing them with long-term financial security.

One major challenge for local economies is access to finance, especially to support new businesses. While there are several innovative crowdfunding initiatives, Japanese municipalities should also look at the Transition Town movement for inspiration with its focus on &ldquo;reclaiming the economy, sparking entrepreneurship, reimagining work&rdquo;.

Specifically, it is worth exploring the potential of local entrepreneur forums. These bring together local investors from within the towns or villages with local entrepreneurs to support new, small business ventures.

The result is that communities pool their resources to support young people who have business ideas but lack financial resources. This is in line with both Masuda&rsquo;s and Kakei&rsquo;s recommendations to focus on local needs, rather than physical buildings and infrastructure.

While local communities search for a way forward, it is clear that Japan is leading the world in ageing, population decline and in how to respond. Many other countries are set to follow this path. We can all learn a great deal by closely examining Japan&rsquo;s experience.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-a-countrys-towns-and-villages-face-extinction-88398">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

Japan is facing challenges posed by a rapidly ageing, declining population with low birth rates

It is predicted that 896 towns and villages across Japan will no longer be viable by 2040 (see map below or an interactive Japanese version here). A former minister for internal affairs, Hiroya Masuda, describes this as “local extinction”. Visiting some of these towns and villages today is reminiscent of Alfonso Cuarón’s brilliantly observant movie Children of Men. The film is set in 2027, two decades after humanity has lost the ability to reproduce. Schools are dilapidated and their playgrounds forever quiet. Houses are empty and in disrepair. While the situation in Japan is not as bleak (yet), Masuda notes that birthrates have fallen since the 1970s and currently stand at 1.4 children per family. The most recent projections indicate that the population will shrink by 27 million between 2015 and 2053. That’s equivalent to the entire population of Australia vanishing. In a simplified version of a map published by Hiroya Masuda in 2014, localities shown in red are predicted to become extinct by 2040. guzome.com, Author provided Masuda concluded that municipalities experiencing a 50% decline in their young female population (aged 20-39) are most likely to go extinct. At the same time, Japan is ageing rapidly. The over-65s are estimated to rise from 26.6% of the population in 2015 to 38.4% in 2065. The population age imbalances are particularly acute in rural Japan, compounded by the young migrating to big cities. What does decline look like? Japan is viewed around the globe as a cool, vibrant and extraordinary place. It attracts more than 24 million tourists each year, many of whom visit Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto and then travel via bullet train to other major cities. This urban core is the centre of population, economic and cultural activity, and it is all that most tourists see. Only when you travel to rural Japan do the impacts of population decline become apparent. Last year, I spent time in two rural prefectures. An abandoned farm just outside Tsuwano in Shimane Prefecture. Brendan Barrett, Author provided In July I visited the small town of Tsuwano in Shimane Prefecture. According to Masuda’s projections, Tsuwano will experience a 75% drop in the number of young women and its population will more than halve to 3,451 in 2040 (down from 7,500 today). In October, I visited Tokushima Prefecture in Shikoku, where the picture is very similar for most towns and villages. In both locations, I came across many abandoned farms and houses. Nationally, it is estimated that unclaimed land will reach 7.2 million hectares in 2040 (almost the size of Hokkaido and bigger than Tasmania), with a value of close to ¥6 trillion (A$7 trillion). Japan’s inheritance laws are partly to blame for this situation and also explain why 8.2 million homes are vacant across the country. Fixed asset taxes on empty lots are six times higher, so it makes sense not to demolish old houses or farmsteads A boarded-up house in Tokushima Prefecture. Brendan Barrett, Author provided Dealing with decline Everyone in Japan is aware of the challenges posed by a rapidly ageing, declining population with low birth rates. The media cover these concerns extensively. TV presenters discuss the extinction of towns and cities. Brendan Barrett, Author provided Local governments have been trying to encourage people to move back to rural areas by providing work opportunities and sharing details of vacant houses. This internal migration is known as “U-turn” or “I-turn”. The former describes someone returning to their hometown, while the latter refers to a person who decides to quit big city life. Relocating to a small rural community, however, can be challenging. Villages and towns are close-knit communities and the returnee is expected to comply with local norms. The Japanese have an expression, Gō ni ireba gō ni shitagae, which is equivalent to “When in Rome do as the Romans do”. Failure to do so can result in the returnee being, to use an English idiom, “sent to Coventry”. The Japanese term is mura hachibu, and it means you will be ignored and excluded. A morning TV show provides examples of ‘U-turners’ who have been ‘sent to Coventry’ by their rural neighbours for not trying harder to fit in. Brendan Barrett, Author provided More radical responses needed There are no simple answers to these challenges. The Japanese government has been very active but past policies have tended to focus on infrastructure development and construction of public facilities (roads, dams, town halls, libraries, museums, sports facilities), rather than on the economic needs and welfare of local people. In this context, Masuda calls for a radical new approach with three core goals. Comprehensive measures are needed to help maintain existing populations in rural areas (through marriage, pregnancy, childbirth and childcare). Measures should be implemented to promote population redistribution and reduce migration to big cities. Policies should be introduced to enhance human resources and local skills. This includes immigration of highly trained individuals from overseas, which is controversial. While lots of ongoing initiatives aim to attract young people back to rural areas, the biggest concern is one of livelihoods as long-term job prospects are limited. Yuusuke Kakei covers this topic in his 2015 book Population Decline x Design, presenting proposals for new local economic activity that puts women, creativity and community at the centre. To this we should add what Joseph Coughlin describes as “The Longevity Economy” to respond to the economic and technology needs of an aging population. Interest in the notion of the universal basic income has also surged recently in Japan. Some commentators argue that it could play a significant role in revitalising Japan and in making rural life more attractive to young Japanese by providing them with long-term financial security. One major challenge for local economies is access to finance, especially to support new businesses. While there are several innovative crowdfunding initiatives, Japanese municipalities should also look at the Transition Town movement for inspiration with its focus on “reclaiming the economy, sparking entrepreneurship, reimagining work”. Specifically, it is worth exploring the potential of local entrepreneur forums. These bring together local investors from within the towns or villages with local entrepreneurs to support new, small business ventures. The result is that communities pool their resources to support young people who have business ideas but lack financial resources. This is in line with both Masuda’s and Kakei’s recommendations to focus on local needs, rather than physical buildings and infrastructure. While local communities search for a way forward, it is clear that Japan is leading the world in ageing, population decline and in how to respond. Many other countries are set to follow this path. We can all learn a great deal by closely examining Japan’s experience. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Opinion: By 2040, 896 towns will disappear in Japan. Here's why.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono conveyed serious concern over Myanmar&#39;s Rohingya Muslims to the country&#39;s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in a meeting on Friday in the capital Naypyidaw, Japan&#39;s Kyodo news agency reported.

Separately, the Japanese government announced emergency grant aid of 330 million yen ($2.97 million) to Myanmar to help members of the minority who return to Myanmar from Bangladesh.

Myanmar&#39;s army launched a sweeping offensive in the north of the western state of Rakhine in response to Rohingya militant attacks on Aug. 25, triggering an exodus of more than 650,000 Rohingya villagers to Bangladesh.

Separately, the Japanese government announced emergency grant aid of 330 million yen ($2.97 million) to Myanmar to help members of the minority.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono conveyed serious concern over Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims to the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in a meeting on Friday in the capital Naypyidaw, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported. Separately, the Japanese government announced emergency grant aid of 330 million yen ($2.97 million) to Myanmar to help members of the minority who return to Myanmar from Bangladesh. Myanmar's army launched a sweeping offensive in the north of the western state of Rakhine in response to Rohingya militant attacks on Aug. 25, triggering an exodus of more than 650,000 Rohingya villagers to Bangladesh.

Japan conveys concern over Rohingya to Myanmar's Suu Kyi

A stricken Iranian oil tanker drifted into Japan&#39;s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman for Japan&#39;s Coast Guard told Reuters on Friday, as strong winds pushed the burning ship away from the Chinese coast.

The ship, which has been burning for almost a week since it collided with another vessel on Saturday night, was about 300 kilometres (186 miles) northwest of Amami Oshima island as of Thursday afternoon, a spokesman from the Coast Guard&#39;s 10th region based in Kagoshima said.

The tanker Sanchi was carrying almost 1 million barrels of condensate, an ultra-light, highly flammable crude oil, to South Korea.

He said that Chinese authorities turned down an offer from the Japanese Coast Guard to help, saying it would ask for help when needed.

The tanker Sanchi was carrying almost 1 million barrels of condensate, an ultra-light, highly flammable crude oil, to South Korea.

A stricken Iranian oil tanker drifted into Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman for Japan's Coast Guard told Reuters on Friday, as strong winds pushed the burning ship away from the Chinese coast. The ship, which has been burning for almost a week since it collided with another vessel on Saturday night, was about 300 kilometres (186 miles) northwest of Amami Oshima island as of Thursday afternoon, a spokesman from the Coast Guard's 10th region based in Kagoshima said. The tanker Sanchi was carrying almost 1 million barrels of condensate, an ultra-light, highly flammable crude oil, to South Korea. He said that Chinese authorities turned down an offer from the Japanese Coast Guard to help, saying it would ask for help when needed.

Stricken Iranian oil tanker drifts into Japan's economic zone

A panel the size of a laptop computer fell off one of the Japanese prime minister&#39;s jumbo jets, the defence force said on Friday, a potentially embarrassing mishap amid concern over the dangers posed by parts falling off US military aircraft based in Japan.

Officials noticed the panel was missing from the Boeing 747, one of two jetliners used by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for foreign trips, after it flew from Tokyo to its base on the northern island of Hokkaido on Thursday, a spokesman for the Japan Air Self Defence Force (ASDF) said.

The part, measuring 38 cm (15 inches) by 20 cm, has not been found. It is an access panel near the pylon connecting one of the engines to the right wing. 
&quot;There was no sign of it on the runways so it&#39;s going to be very difficult to locate,&quot; the spokesman said.

A recent string of incidents involving US aircraft based on Japan&#39;s southern island of Okinawa prompted Japan&#39;s Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera on Tuesday to ask his US counterpart James Mattis to implement measures that would prevent any recurrences.

Those incidents, which included a window falling from a helicopter onto a school playground last month, have fuelled public opposition to the U.S. presence on the strategically located island at the edge of the East China Sea.

The air force would conduct an investigation to determine why the panel had fallen off Abe&#39;s plane, the ASDF spokesman said.

The two government jumbos left Tokyo on Friday carrying Abe, government officials and Japanese business representatives on a six-day trip to Eastern Europe, including stops in Estonia, Lithuania, Serbia and Romania.

Abe did not board the 747 that lost the panel.

Japan has ordered two Boeing 777 planes to replace the ageing jumbos after March 2019. It also plans to switch to ANA Holdings for maintenance work from rival Japan Airlines Co.

Officials noticed the panel was missing from the Boeing 747 after it flew from Tokyo to its base on the northern island of Hokkaido on Thursday.

A panel the size of a laptop computer fell off one of the Japanese prime minister's jumbo jets, the defence force said on Friday, a potentially embarrassing mishap amid concern over the dangers posed by parts falling off US military aircraft based in Japan. Officials noticed the panel was missing from the Boeing 747, one of two jetliners used by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for foreign trips, after it flew from Tokyo to its base on the northern island of Hokkaido on Thursday, a spokesman for the Japan Air Self Defence Force (ASDF) said. The part, measuring 38 cm (15 inches) by 20 cm, has not been found. It is an access panel near the pylon connecting one of the engines to the right wing. "There was no sign of it on the runways so it's going to be very difficult to locate," the spokesman said. A recent string of incidents involving US aircraft based on Japan's southern island of Okinawa prompted Japan's Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera on Tuesday to ask his US counterpart James Mattis to implement measures that would prevent any recurrences. Those incidents, which included a window falling from a helicopter onto a school playground last month, have fuelled public opposition to the U.S. presence on the strategically located island at the edge of the East China Sea. The air force would conduct an investigation to determine why the panel had fallen off Abe's plane, the ASDF spokesman said. The two government jumbos left Tokyo on Friday carrying Abe, government officials and Japanese business representatives on a six-day trip to Eastern Europe, including stops in Estonia, Lithuania, Serbia and Romania. Abe did not board the 747 that lost the panel. Japan has ordered two Boeing 777 planes to replace the ageing jumbos after March 2019. It also plans to switch to ANA Holdings for maintenance work from rival Japan Airlines Co.

Wing panel falls off Japanese prime minister's jumbo jet

Japan wants to raise the matter of two Reuters reporters detained in Myanmar with the Myanmar government at appropriate opportunities, including a visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono to that country this week, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday.

Myanmar prosecutors sought charges on Wednesday against the two reporters under the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, the reporters&#39; lawyer said.

&quot;The Japanese government has conveyed its concern about this matter to the government of Myanmar and going forward, wants to discuss and make appeals at appropriate opportunities, including Foreign Minister Kono`s visit to Myanmar,&quot; Suga said in response to a question about the issue.&nbsp;

He said it was important to guarantee freedom of expression and basic human rights in any country.&nbsp;

Myanmar prosecutors sought charges on Wednesday against the two reporters under the Official Secrets Act

Japan wants to raise the matter of two Reuters reporters detained in Myanmar with the Myanmar government at appropriate opportunities, including a visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono to that country this week, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday. Myanmar prosecutors sought charges on Wednesday against the two reporters under the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, the reporters' lawyer said. "The Japanese government has conveyed its concern about this matter to the government of Myanmar and going forward, wants to discuss and make appeals at appropriate opportunities, including Foreign Minister Kono`s visit to Myanmar," Suga said in response to a question about the issue. He said it was important to guarantee freedom of expression and basic human rights in any country.

Japan wants to raise issue of detained reporters with Myanmar

The security situation facing Japan is the most perilous since World War Two because of North Korea&#39;s &quot;unacceptable&quot; provocations, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday and he vowed to bolster defences to protect the Japanese people.

Tension in the region has been rising, particularly since North Korea conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test in September, and then in November, said it had successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach all of the US&nbsp;mainland.

&quot;It is not an exaggeration to say that the security environment surrounding Japan is at its severest since World War Two. I will protect the people&#39;s lives and peaceful living in any situation,&quot; Abe told a New Year news conference.

Abe said Japan would take new steps to strengthen its defence posture but he did not go to specifics.

The government approved a record military budget last month, with defence outlays due to rise for a sixth year, increasing by 1.3 per cent to 5.19 trillion yen ($46 billion), with the biggest item 137 billion yen in reinforcing defences against North Korean ballistic missiles.

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said this week the United States was hearing reports that North Korea might be preparing to fire another missile, and she warned it not to.

&quot;It is absolutely unacceptable that North Korea is trampling the strong desire of Japan and the rest of the international community for peaceful resolutions and continuing with its provocative behaviour,&quot; Abe said.

Abe has said he wants to amend Japan&#39;s pacifist constitution with the aim of loosening constraints on the military, although the public is divided over changes to the charter imposed after Japan&#39;s World War Two defeat.

War-renouncing Article 9 of the constitution, if read literally, bans the existence of standing armed forces, but has long been interpreted to allow a military for exclusively defensive purposes.

Abe said he wanted more debate on the issue. &quot;I would like this to be a year in which public debate over a constitutional revision will be deepened further,&quot; he said.

Abe&#39;s Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition retained its two-thirds &quot;super majority&quot; in parliament&#39;s lower house in an October 22 election, re-energising his push to revise the constitution.

Tension in the region has been rising, particularly since North Korea conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test in September, and then in November, said it had successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach all of the US?mainland

The security situation facing Japan is the most perilous since World War Two because of North Korea's "unacceptable" provocations, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday and he vowed to bolster defences to protect the Japanese people. Tension in the region has been rising, particularly since North Korea conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test in September, and then in November, said it had successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach all of the US mainland. "It is not an exaggeration to say that the security environment surrounding Japan is at its severest since World War Two. I will protect the people's lives and peaceful living in any situation," Abe told a New Year news conference. Abe said Japan would take new steps to strengthen its defence posture but he did not go to specifics. The government approved a record military budget last month, with defence outlays due to rise for a sixth year, increasing by 1.3 per cent to 5.19 trillion yen ($46 billion), with the biggest item 137 billion yen in reinforcing defences against North Korean ballistic missiles. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said this week the United States was hearing reports that North Korea might be preparing to fire another missile, and she warned it not to. "It is absolutely unacceptable that North Korea is trampling the strong desire of Japan and the rest of the international community for peaceful resolutions and continuing with its provocative behaviour," Abe said. Abe has said he wants to amend Japan's pacifist constitution with the aim of loosening constraints on the military, although the public is divided over changes to the charter imposed after Japan's World War Two defeat. War-renouncing Article 9 of the constitution, if read literally, bans the existence of standing armed forces, but has long been interpreted to allow a military for exclusively defensive purposes. Abe said he wanted more debate on the issue. "I would like this to be a year in which public debate over a constitutional revision will be deepened further," he said. Abe's Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition retained its two-thirds "super majority" in parliament's lower house in an October 22 election, re-energising his push to revise the constitution.

Japan faces greatest danger since World War due to North Korea: PM Shinzo Abe

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