JAPAN: Japan to decide on U.S. base plan Monday: report

(Reuters) - The Japanese government is set to decide on Monday on a proposal to relocate a controversial U.S. airbase, Kyodo News Agency reported on Sunday, but there was no sign Washington or local residents would agree to the plan.

The row over relocating the Futenma U.S. Marine base has upset bilateral ties and contributed to Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's falling support rates as he faces a midyear election his ruling Democratic Party must win to avoid policy deadlock.

The floundering premier faces grim prospects on settling the feud by his self-imposed deadline of end-May, as speculation simmers that he may have to resign if he cannot do so.

Hatoyama pledged to move the base off the southern island of Okinawa during last year's election campaign that led his party to power, but angered local residents last week by saying he now realized a marine presence was needed for deterrence in Okinawa, host to some half the 49,000 U.S. military personnel in Japan.

Meanwhile, local mayors of a tiny island northeast of Okinawa rejected Hatoyama's proposal last week to shift a part of Futenma's facility there.

The government plan to be decided on Monday will likely modify a 2006 Japan-U.S. deal to shift Futenma's facilities to a site off Camp Schwab, another Marine base in a more remote part of Okinawa, Kyodo said.

Washington's top official for East Asia, Kurt Campbell, said on Sunday he was certain a resolution on the base would be reached.

"I remain very confident that we will be able to arrive at an outcome that meets the operational needs of the United States but is also politically responsible," Campbell, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, told a news conference in Bangkok.

But Washington remains reluctant about the modification to the 2006 deal, the Sankei newspaper reported.

Facing opposition from Washington, Okinawa and a potential relocation site, the likelihood for Hatoyama to keep his deadline is dimming.

"A resolution by the end of May is impossible," Yukio Okamoto, a former diplomat now with think-tank Okamoto Associates, said on national broadcaster NHK.

Even a cabinet minister suggested the prime minister may need more time to sort things out.

"I think the prime minister's determination to set out a certain direction for the issue has not changed, but that does not mean everything will be over," Kyodo news agency quoted transport minister Seiji Maehara as saying on Sunday.

Some analysts say the next target date to resolve the feud could be in November, when U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to visit Japan to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

Japanese and U.S. officials are set to meet in Washington on Wednesday for working-level talks on the base issue, Kyodo said.

(Reporting by Yoko Kubota in TOKYO and Alex Richardson in BANGKOK; Editing by Sugita Katyal)

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RUSSIA: On this day: 9 May

The people of Prague greet the Russian troops on May 9, 1945

On May 9, 1945, the Soviet troops entered Prague, the capital of Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic and Slovakia), as the closing part of the Prague Offensive. This battle for the city is particularly noteworthy as it was fought concurrently with the Prague uprising, and ended after the Third Reich had already capitulated on May 8, 1945.

The last few days of the World War were very eventful. From 30 April to 1 May 1945, SS Senior Group Leader and General of Police Karl Hermann Frank voiced in Prague his intention to drown any uprising in a "sea of blood.” The rumors of the Allies' impending arrival reached Prague, causing general agitation among the population. Frank instructed the German army and police forces in Prague to fire at anyone who disobeyed, but it didn’t help to restore order in Prague.

The proximity of the Soviet and American troops lifted the spirits of the Czech resistance immensely and brought a major stir to the Czech capital. On May 5, a group of Czech policemen attempted to seize the radio building, resulting in a fight with an SS regiment already stationed there. While the fight was in progress, the station resumed broadcasting, triggering the revolt among the townspeople.

The rioters, poorly armed and very inexperienced warriors, sought assistance from a division of the Russian Liberation Army (ROA). The ROA was created by former Soviet General Andrey Vlasov as an anti-communist Russian force in the combat against Bolshevism. The 1st ROA Infantry Division, under the command of General Sergey Bunyachenko, was stationed near Prague at the outbreak of the uprising. They were better equipped professionals from the Eastern Front, and in possession of armed vehicles and artillery. They lent support to the Czech partisans, but the ultimate goal of the Vlasov Army, however, was not to fight hand in hand with the insurgents up to the German defeat; they were not entirely trusted by the Czechs, and pinned their hopes on the American Army, to whom they eventually wanted to surrender, thus avoiding being seized by the Soviets.

Thousands of townspeople came out in the streets; they built barricades, seized control over the central post office, bridges, and ammo storages.

The commander of the Army Group Center, deployed in Prague, General Schörner ordered the repression of the uprising, as it seriously impeded the German retreat to the West. On May 6, the German troops, using artillery, tanks, and aviation, entered Prague and occupied a significant part of the city. The rebels, suffering huge losses, made a radio appeal to the Allies, requesting help. This critical situation demanded that the Soviet command speed up the Prague Offensive, initially scheduled for May 7.

The Soviet assault on Czechoslovakia and Prague in particular was carried out by the 1st (under Marshal Ivan Konev), the 2nd (under General Rodion Malinovsky) and the 4th Ukrainian Fronts (under General Andrey Yeremenko). These Fronts also included units of the Polish, Romanian, and Czech armies. The Soviet Fronts totaled more than two million troops. To advance the Prague Offensive, the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front had to make a forced march from the south of Berlin just after they had completed their mission in the Battle of Berlin.

In the meantime, the Czech partisans in collaboration with the Vlasov Army managed to clean up part of the city. Then, however, the partisans were forced to cease their cooperation with the Liberation Army, pressured by the Communists, and had to fight on their own. When Vlasov’s Army found out the Americans didn’t plan on entering the city, they just gave up fighting, and headed for the West toward the American lines. When Vlasov’s Infantry Division left the city, the insurgents couldn’t hold on to the repossessed territories, and they were reoccupied by the Germans.

On May 7, General Alfred Jodl, Chief-of-Staff of the German Armed Forces High Command, signed the surrender of all German forces to the Allied forces. Schörner did order his operational command to observe the surrender, but could not guarantee the order would be passed on. Later that day Schörner defected to Austria where on 18 May he was arrested by the Americans.

On May 9 the Soviet army entered Prague.

The Czech population was elated to see the liberators finally in their city. People greeted them with red banners and flowers, invited them to their homes. The Red Army and the Soviet Union was praised in both Czech and Russian.

The Soviet assault on Prague eradicated the last sizeable chunk of German military resistance in Europe, and relieved the Czech partisans fighting in the Prague Uprising. By May 8, the Germans fighting the Czech partisans in Prague agreed to withdraw.

General Bunyachenko and his 1st ROA Infantry Division sought refuge with the Americans. Bunyachenko, Vlasov, and the ROA forces were ,however, handed back to the Soviets. Later all of them were condemned to either death in show trials or to years of gulag death camps.

Parts of the Army Group Centre continued resistance until 11 May (some sources say 12 May). Parts of the 2nd Ukrainian Front met with troops of the US Army with George Patton, thus completing the encirclement and putting an ultimate end to World War Two. .

In the course of the Prague Offensive, the losses of the Red Army amounted to 50 thousand people, while over 140 thousand were lost in the battles for Czechoslovakia. Many units and regiments were awarded honors and medals for their performance in the operation. Many streets and squares in Prague bear names of the Soviet Soldiers. Marshal Ivan Konev, the commander of the First Ukrainian Front was named “Prague’s honored citizen." May 9 is celebrated in the Czech Republic as Liberation Day.

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RUSSIA: Anger as NATO prepares to join Red Square parade

Russian military personnel march along Red Square during a military parade dress rehearsal in Moscow May 6, 2010.   Credit: Reuters/Denis Sinyakov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - NATO troops will march across Red Square on Sunday as Russia marks the 65th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany, a gesture of friendship to the West which has won praise from President Barack Obama but enraged Communists.

Foreign leaders including President Hu Jintao of China and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will watch as over 11,000 troops from World War Two victors Russia, the United States, Britain and France parade to the sound of a huge military band.

Russia's Communists, still the country's biggest opposition party, pledged to hold a protest march in central Moscow after the parade. They will chant slogans against NATO forces for marching over a hallowed square which is also home to the embalmed body of their revolutionary hero, Vladimir Lenin.

"Foreign troops have never appeared on Red Square. It's a violation of tradition," said Sergei Obukhov, a member of the party's Central Committee.

"The presence of foreign troops with weapons in their hands is...an unnecessary reminder that we lost the Cold War."

Obama, unable to come to Moscow because of a scheduling clash, praised the invitation to NATO troops.

"President Medvedev has shown remarkable leadership in honoring the sacrifices of those who came before us, and in speaking so candidly about the Soviet Union's suppression of elementary rights and freedoms," he said in a statement.

BIGGEST EVER

Most Russians seem to back Medvedev's invitation to the NATO forces, which will include a detachment of Welsh Guards from Britain and around 70 U.S. troops from the 170th Infantry Brigade based in Germany.

A poll by the independent Levada Center last month showed that 55 percent viewed the presence of NATO troops at the parade as wholly or partly positive, with only 28 percent opposing it.

The result may reflect markedly better relations between Moscow and Washington since Obama's election and his "reset" of relations. This has already brought a new treaty cutting nuclear weapons and a deal on helping supply NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Victory Day is one of Russia's most important public holidays and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said that this year's commemorations would be among the biggest ever, with over 102,000 troops marching in cities across this vast country.

But contemporary concerns have also intruded. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi canceled their attendance at the last minute, citing the need to deal with the crisis surrounding the euro currency.

Continuing a tradition begun by Stalin, Soviet and then Russian troops have marched in Red Square every year on May 9 to mark the capitulation of Nazi forces in Berlin.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin revived two years ago a Soviet-era tradition of parading tanks, missiles and military vehicles across the square and flying helicopters, fighters and bombers low overhead.

While Medvedev greeted war veterans on Saturday, accompanied by Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovich and Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, Putin hosted a special meeting and dinner at his country retreat outside Moscow for China's Hu.

The Kremlin, which is eager to shore up its influence and tighten ties two decades after the Soviet breakup, is using this year's parade to stress bonds among the former republics, many of whose leaders will attend.

Among the weaponry on show this year will be Russia's latest S-400 air Defense system, which claims to be capable of shooting down up to six missiles or aircraft simultaneously at a distance of up to 400 km (250 miles).

China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates are said to be interested in buying the system.

(Additional reporting by Conor Humphries, Gleb Bryanski and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

JAPAN: Japan finds mercury, no illness, in dolphin-hunting town

(AFP) TOKYO — Japanese researchers said Friday they had found high mercury levels in residents of the dolphin-hunting town of Taiji, featured in the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove", but no cases of related illness.

The toxic heavy metal is concentrated in the food chain and can be absorbed by humans when they eat predator species such as dolphin, whose meat has been served in shops and, in the past, school lunches in Japan.

A survey of some 1,000 Taiji residents found high mercury levels in the hair of some, but found no-one who had fallen ill as a result, Koji Okamoto, the director of the National Institute for Minamata Disease, told AFP.

"Out of 1,000 people we surveyed, there were some people whose hair had high levels of methyl mercury," he said. "Then we examined some 200 people including these people. But we found no neurological cases of methyl mercury toxicity."

Detailed study results will be released in a town hall meeting in the southwestern fishing town on Sunday, he said.

Taiji hit the global spotlight with the release last year of the hard hitting eco-documentary "The Cove" on its annual dolphin hunt, which was shot in part using hidden cameras and highlighted the mercury threat.

The film, which featured graphic footage of the sea mammals being harpooned to death, angered local fishermen, who say dolphin hunting is part of their culture and who slammed the covert techniques of the film crew.

The film won the Academy Award for best documentary this year.

Methyl mercury was behind Japan's worst industrial pollution disaster, in which a factory dumped the toxin into the bay of Minamata in southwestern Japan from the 1950s, poisoning the marine habitat and the local population.

Victims suffered spasms, seizures and loss of sensation and motor control that impaired their ability to walk and speak. Babies were born with nervous system damage and other mental and physical deformities.

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CHINA & N. KOREA: Extraordinary Picture of the Day

A stamp depicting the 2005 Pyongyang meeting of Kim Jong Il and Chinese President Hu Jintao is on display at the North Korean pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo. PETER TREBITSCH / EPA

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TIBET: Joviality

Abhishek Madhukar / Reuters

The Dalai Lama (right) and Richard Moore, the founder of the charity "Children in Crossfire," laugh as they share a joke during a function at the Tibetan Children's Village School in Dharamsala, India

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HONG KONG: Sign Language: Massaaaaaaaarge!

Massaaaaaaaarge!

Location: massage therapy room in Hong Kong

Spotted by: Shahnaz Guivi

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N. KOREA & CHINA: North Korean leader in China seeking cash, clout

May 5, 2010

By Barbara Demick and John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times, Reporting from Beijing and South Korea

Kim Jong Il arrives by armored train to meet with Chinese leaders. His country needs an influx of funds for its faltering economy and help in fending off international sanctions.

When North Korea's reclusive leader, Kim Jong Il, ventures outside his hermit kingdom, he must be in need of something and for his current trip to China, the wish list is especially long. From his last real ally, the 68-year-old dictator is seeking protection from international sanctions and the nod to install his twentysomething son as his successor, as well as money to prop up a faltering economy.

Famously phobic about flying, Kim reportedly arrived in China on Monday, in a style befitting one of the world's last Cold War dictators: on an armored train and in what was supposed to be complete state secrecy. He and his retinue crossed the Yalu River separating North Korea and China and arrived at 5:20 a.m. in the border city of Dandong. From there, he was said to have traveled to the port city of Dalian, where he was believed to be ensconced in the luxury Furama Hotel, before heading in the early evening to Beijing.

In keeping with Kim's anachronistic style, the Chinese government maintained a media blackout on the visit (in contrast to the many photographs published of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and even more of his model wife, Carla Bruni, during a visit to China last week).

But it's impossible to keep under wraps a 17-carriage armored train, not to mention the accompanying limousines and a bus with Pyongyang license plates that was reportedly following along. Roads alongside Kim's route were closed for much of the day Monday for security.

South Korean and Japanese press were stalking Kim's delegation; once in Beijing, he is believed likely to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao and a succession of other Chinese officials. Kim has visited China four times since 2000, but not since 2006, several months before North Korea conducted its first nuclear test. He badly needs Chinese money and, just as important, China's clout in the international community, especially on the U.N. Security Council, to fend off crippling economic sanctions.

"To remain strong and withstand the pressure, the relationship with China is very important,'' said Kim Keun-sik, a professor at South Korea's Kyungnam University.

CALENDAR ALERT FOR MAY 5

Holidays that are being celebrated in NE Asia today:

• CHILDREN’S DAY in S. Korea and Japan
• GOLDEN WEEK in Japan

CALENDAR ALERT FOR MAY 4

Holidays celebrated in NE Asia today:

• YOUTH DAY in China
• GREENERY DAY (PART OF GOLDEN WEEK) in Japan
• LITERARY DAY in Taiwan

CALENDAR ALERT FOR MAY 3

Holidays celebrated in NE Asia today:

• CONSTITUTION MEMORIAL DAY (PART OF GOLDEN WEEK) in Japan

CALENDAR ALERT FOR MAY 2

Holidays that are being celebrated in NE Asia today:

• GOLDEN WEEK in Japan

CALENDAR ALERT FOR MAY 1

Holidays that are being celebrated in NE Asia today:

• LABOR DAY in Hong Kong and Taiwan
• SPRING & LABOR DAY in Russia
• 2010 WORLD EXPO opening in Shanghai, China
• INTERNATIONAL WORKER'S DAY in China
• GOLDEN WEEK in Japan

CALENDAR ALERT FOR APRIL 30

Holidays that are being celebrated in NE Asia today:

• GOLDEN WEEK in Japan

ARRIVAL IN BEIJING

I’ve arrived at the Beijing airport to clear immigration and customs.  It will nice to finally make it to the hotel and crash.  We’re supposed to have a view of the Forbidden City so, I am looking forward to awaking to a view something like this:

CALENDAR ALERT FOR APRIL 29

Holidays that are being celebrated in NE Asia today:

• SHOWA DAY (PART OF GOLDEN WEEK) in Japan

FLYING INTO BEIJING

After a 2.5-3 hour layover in Narita, I am finally on my way to Beijing!  I should be there in a little over 4 hours to arrive at the airport at 10:30 PM (local time) and get a taxi to the hotel.

I am looking forward to a good night’s sleep in a comfy bed!

HEADING TO ASIA

I’m departing San Francisco now for an 11.5 hour flight to Narita (Tokyo).  I’m scheduled to arrive there tomorrow (Wednesday, 4/28) at 4:30 PM (local time).  I’m hoping to meet up with my friend Karen again before she departs for Beijing.

DEPARTING LA

I’m leaving LAX for San Francisco now for the first part of my journey. Flight time (gate to gate) is only 1.5 hours. 

I hope to be able to say hello to my friend Karen before she boards her flight.

CHINA: Driving force

 

Chinese car-makers are keen to compete globally

Page last updated at 02:20 GMT, Tuesday, 27 April 2010 03:20 UK

By Michael Bristow
BBC News, Beijing

There were few private cars on China's road two decades ago.

Even in the capital Beijing, pedestrians were more likely to be knocked over by a bicycle than by someone behind the wheel of their own automobile.

But China is now the world's biggest car market, with 13.6m vehicles sold last year.

That is why this year's Beijing auto show is attracting such attention: from buyers as well as sellers.

The exhibition centre playing host to the show gives a hint of the developments in the car industry in China over recent years.

It was previously held at a cramped venue in the city centre.

It has now moved to a larger site on the outskirts of the capital: vast car parks have been marked out for the thousands of visitors.

Perhaps unwittingly, this new venue undermines the image propagated by manufacturers that cars bring the ultimate freedom to move around.

Visitors driving to the exhibition centre still have to leave their cars far away from the show, and take a bus for the final leg of the journey.

Big ambitions

There is huge interest in Chinese car makers at this exhibition because of their desire to compete with bigger, global brands across the world.

Experts say the quality of Chinese-made cars is improving rapidly

BYD, based in Guangdong province, is just one of the companies that wants to expand abroad, mainly by selling its advanced range of battery-powered cars.

Its electric E6 car, which can travel about 300km (186 miles) on one battery charge, is due to be launched in China and the United States later this year.

BYD wants to become the biggest Chinese car maker by 2015 - and the biggest in the world just 10 years after that.

It sounds like a tall order for a company that only began building cars five years ago, but spokeswoman Elva Zhai was unmoved when that was put to her.

"We should be able to do it. I believe we'll be able to completely meet these targets," said Ms Zhai, whose company's name stands for Build Your Dreams.

Across the hall, Roberto Holtheuer, a car importer from Chile, was admiring another Chinese-made vehicle, this one manufactured by Geely.

He said Chinese-made cars are getting better all the time, and believes they could one day soon compete with the likes of General Motors and Volkswagen.

"It took Japanese cars probably 25 years to reach a level where no-one doubted the quality," said Mr Holtheuer, of the firm Derco.

"Korean cars, such as Kia and Hyundai, are doing an excellent job. It probably took them 15 years. We think China is going to take 10 years."

Expensive tastes

There are many foreign car makers at the show, firms that are more interested in selling in China than anywhere else.

Luxury cars fit the fashion for extravagant purchases

China's economy has recovered from the global downturn and its car market gives them the chance of increasing sales that could prove elusive in other countries.

Rolls-Royce, the UK-based company at the luxury end of the market, says sales have jumped three-fold in the first three months of this year in China.

A jet-black Phantom - priced at 9m yuan ($1.3m: £860,000) - made especially for the Beijing show was bought even before the exhibition opened.

"The Chinese have taken to Western luxury brands in a very satisfactory fashion," said a tanned and relaxed Richard Carter, director of global communications.

"They understand the notion of luxury - and not just in motor cars: watches, yachts, aeroplanes and so on. We are doing very well here."

And it is not just the market as it is today that has foreign cars firms excited - it is also the possibility of a growing market for years to come.

Car analyst Michael Dunne said only one in 10 Chinese people currently owns a car. The figure is eight out of 10 in the US.

"That makes CEOs all over the world salivate when they think of China," said Mr Dunne.

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VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA: Army Parade Run-Through Starts in Vladivostok

Tuesday, April 27 2010, 11 AM

The Vladivostok garrison military units marched in the Vladivostok main square

VLADIVOSTOK, April 27, vladivostoktimes.com The first run-through of the military parade on the occasion of the Victory Day took place in the main square of the Primorye capital city. On April 26, Monday, the Vladivostok garrison military started marching at 6 in the morning; then they carried on the rehearsal at 3 in the afternoon; the correspondent of RIA PrimaMedia reports.

The Pacific Navy battalions and companies, the police and emergency forces units and the parade company of the Pacific Navy Maritime Institute as well as the rest participants of the Victory Parade are going to march three times a week: on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  The preparatory running of aviation and armored units is to take place on May 5. The dry run is to be held on May 7 at 11 a.m. 

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RUSSIA: Russian police crush blue bucket protests

A blue bucket has become the symbol for a popular revolt against Russian officials whose limousines use a flashing blue light to flout traffic traffic laws with impunity. Picture: WSJ Source: The Australian

April 27, 2010 10:56AM

By Tony Halpin

From: Times Online

THE flashing blue light is a symbol of all that ordinary Russians hate about the powerful elite whose cars break the law with impunity.

As Alexei Dozorov demonstrated to The Times yesterday, however, you can achieve roughly the same effect with a plastic bucket.

VIDEO: Moscow's blue bucket brigade

When Mr Dozorov, who heads the Moscow branch of the Committee to Protect Drivers' Rights, first put a blue child's bucket on the roof of his car he ignited a popular revolt against the arrogance of state officials whose limousines use a flashing blue light, or migalka, to force their way through traffic as they speed between the capital and their country mansions.

Cars with blue lights can ignore speed limits and traffic rules, police cannot stop them and they have been involved in several controversial traffic accidents.

Now the bucket, which resembles a migalka from a distance, has been adopted by other drivers as a mobile protest against the blue-light class. The action threatens to become an embarrassment for President Medvedev, who promised to end "legal nihilism" in Russia.

Mr Dozorov said: "People are fed up with these people getting away with everything while we have no protection either from migalka drivers or corrupt police. Why should we be second-class citizens on the road?"

The Times joined him as he drove around Moscow yesterday in his hatchback with the blue bucket attached to the roof by a magnet. Mr Dozorov exchanged beeps with a 4x4 whose owner had also stuck a blue bucket on the roof.

The authorities have failed to see the funny side, ordering traffic police to crush the bucket protest. But it is not illegal to drive with a bucket on the roof and officers have struggled to find a way to punish drivers.

Police initially accused them of breaching "cargo transportation regulations". Mr Dozorov, 45, carries with him however a court judgment revoking a fine he received after a judge ruled that no offence had been committed.

"Now there's a new trick," he said. "They ask you to remove the bucket and when you refuse they arrest you for disobeying a police order."

Officially, the number of blue-light vehicles on the road is restricted to 964 for Russia's most senior politicians and bureaucrats. The newspaper Vedomosti and a Moscow radio station counted 1,123 after asking readers and listeners to send in photographs.

Russia's traffic police chief has pledged to investigate illegal migalki amid rumours that businessmen have bought the lights from corrupt officers. Yuri Luzhkov, the Mayor of Moscow, recently proposed that only the President, the Prime Minister and the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church should have them.

"They are under police protection anyway so they never need one. Nobody should have a migalka except the emergency services," Mr Dozorov said. "We should all be equal on the road."

The Times

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JAPAN: City rejects man's request for allowance for 554 adopted children

Apr 24 02:24 AM US/Eastern

(AP) - AMAGASAKI, Japan, April 24 (Kyodo) A city government in Hyogo Prefecture has rejected a resident's application to obtain newly instituted benefits designed to aid families with children after the man, a South Korean national, attempted to apply for 554 children who he said were adopted in Thailand, a city official told Kyodo News Saturday.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry issued earlier this month a notice detailing some conditions for children residing abroad and others to be eligible for the benefit such as being in the same household and individually approved by the local municipal government.

In it, the ministry cites a case of a foreign national who has adopted 50 orphans in their home country as an example of being ineligible.

The monthly allowance, to be disbursed from June, is set at 13,000 yen per child, which would come to just over 86 million yen per year for the 554 children.

The ministry said this is the first time that someone has tried to file an application for several hundred children at one time. The child benefit law enacted in March does not require residency in Japan for eligible children, generating concerns in some quarters about abuse.

According to the Amagasaki municipal government, the man, who appeared to be in his 50s, visited the city office on Thursday and applied for the child benefit by showing documents that he said were certified by Thai authorities, along with translations, that showed the names of the children and their birthdates.

The man said the children he adopted include those in a monastery in Thailand, where his wife comes from, according to the city.

Aware of the ministry's earlier notice, the city immediately consulted the ministry and decided not to accept the application.

The applicant also carried records showing that he has been sending money to the children, the necessary documents by a foreign resident to make an application, and his passport to prove that he visited the children. The ministry requires at least two child visits per year, supported by passport records, for foreigners who have children abroad.

The city official said they do not know if all the documents were authentic as they did not accept the application.

After being briefed and rejected by staff, the man requested the name of the division at the ministry in charge of the allowance and its phone number before leaving the office, the city official said.

On March 26, the Democratic Party of Japan-led ruling bloc enacted the child benefit law, one of the party's key campaign pledges for last year's general election.

The law applies to children until they finish lower secondary school. The DPJ aims to provide 26,000 a month from fiscal 2011 per child.

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SHANGHAI, CHINA: South Korea's pavilion at the World Expo

A visitor walks past South Korea's pavilion at the World Expo site in Shanghai, China. The expo is likely to be the biggest world fair ever, with some 70 million people expected to attend.

CHINA: Monks 'asked to leave Qinghai quake zone'

Large numbers of monks travelled to Yushu to help with the relief efforts

The Chinese government has confirmed that it has asked Tibetan monks to leave Qinghai's earthquake-hit region so as not to hinder relief operations.

Hundreds of monks had rushed to Yushu County in the wake of the 14 April earthquake, which left more than 200 people dead and thousands homeless.

The population of Yushu - high on the Tibetan plateau - is 97% ethnic Tibetan.

China's State Council said the monks should return to their monasteries.

"The duties of rescue workers in the quake zone are basically over, and the focus has moved to disease prevention and reconstruction, which need specialised people," it said in a statement issued by its information office.

"While fully recognising the positive contributions of the monks that came from other areas, we suggested to them that they return to their monasteries to ensure the high effectiveness and order of quake relief work."

'Grateful'

The statement confirms earlier reports that the monks had been told to go home.

But the Yushu prefectural governor, Wang Yuhu, was later quoted by state news agency Xinhua as saying that no such orders had been given or received by him.

"Actually, we are very grateful for the role Tibetan monks played in the relief effort," the agency quoted him as saying.

The monks began arriving in Yushu shortly after the earthquake and played a major role digging people out of rubble and tending to survivors.

But correspondents say Beijing remains wary of their loyalty to the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Two years ago violent protests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa sparked anti-China demonstrations in ethnic Tibetan parts of surrounding provinces, including Qinghai.

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CHINA: Snow Snarls Recovery

Published: April 22, 2010

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Thousands of homeless earthquake survivors huddled in tents against strong winds Thursday as traffic slowed on snow-slicked roads, challenging recovery workers in far western China. Snow was to continue through Saturday in Yushu County, the disaster’s center, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The death toll was 2,183, with 84 missing.

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RUSSIA: Drills in Far East to involve warships of three Russian fleets

© Alexander Smirnov

05:2023/04/2010

Warships of three Russian fleets will meet in the Sea of Japan during large-scale military exercises in the Far East, a Pacific Fleet source told RIA Novosti on Friday.

The Russian Armed Forces will conduct large-scale Vostok-2010 military exercises in Siberia and Far East in June-July. The exact date of the drills is yet to be announced.

The flagships of the Northern Fleet and the Black Sea Fleet, the Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered missile cruiser and the Moskva missile cruiser, respectively, are expected to join warships of the Pacific Fleet during the exercise, the source said.

"During the Vostok exercise, warships of the three Russian fleets will conduct joint maneuvers with firing at naval and aerial targets. In addition, they will train elements of joint combat and repelling underwater and aerial attacks," the source said.

The upcoming land drills will involve units from the Far Eastern, the Siberian and the Volga-Urals military districts.

As part of the drills, the Armed Forces will practice the deployment of additional troops in Siberia and the Far East to strengthen the existing military contingent in the region in case of a potential military conflict.

Russia holds Vostok strategic command-and-staff exercises every two years. More than 8,000 troops took part in Vostok-2008.

The Russian military conducted the Caucasus 2009, Zapad 2009 and Ladoga 2009 strategic exercises, and 15 brigade-level and 161 battalion-level drills last year.

Related News

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• Russia, Greece to hold joint naval drills in 2010
• Russia conducts Navy anti-submarine drills in Sea of Japan
• Russian military gets ready for large-scale drills in Far East

VLADIVOSTOK, April 23 (RIA Novosti)

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RUSSIA: About 27 Thousand Employees Involved in Building Projects in Sochi and Vladivostok

Vladimir PUTIN, the head of RF Government, reported to the State Duma

VLADIVOSTOK, April 23, vladivostoktimes.com Currently about 27 thousand employees are involved in the building projects in the Olympic Sochi in 2014 and the APEC Summit in 2012 in Vladivostok. Last year about a thousand sport facilities were put into operation, the RF Prime Minister Vladimir PUTIN reports.   

“The preparation for the Sochi Olympic Games and the APEC Summit in Vladivostok in 2012 is carried on according to the schedule. Currently, about 27 thousand employees are involved in the building projects in these cities. Last year about a thousand sport facilities were put into operation; they were built at the expense of the Federal, regional and local budgets and privet investments,” Vladimir PUTIN reports to the State Duma on the Government work in 2009.

He also noted that the number of people who go in for sport regularly amounts to 24 million people.

“In comparison with the year 2008 there is a 1.5-million increase in this rate. It means that the new stadiums and ice centers will be full. Moreover, if we want more people to attend modern sport facilities, we should erect them everywhere. We intend to encourage the regions and municipalities to join us in doing this job,” the Prime Minister says. 

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JAPAN: Whaling plan draws greens' anger

 The proposal would secure a future for Japanese coastal whaling

Page last updated at 23:59 GMT, Thursday, 22 April 2010 00:59 UK

By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has published draft proposals for regulating whaling for the next decade.

Japan's Antarctic whale hunt would fall in stages to less than a quarter of its current size. But hunting would continue on the endangered fin whale.

The draft is the latest stage in a two-year process aiming to find compromise between pro- and anti-whaling camps.

It will be debated at the IWC's annual meeting in June. Some conservation groups have already condemned it.

Commercial whaling was banned globally in 1982, but Iceland, Japan and Norway continue to hunt under various exemptions, collectively targeting more than 2,000 whales each year.

"If an agreement is reached, this represents a great step forward in terms of the conservation of whales and the management of whaling," said IWC chairman Cristian Maquieira.

"For the first time since the adoption of the commercial whaling moratorium, we will have strict, enforceable limits on all whaling operations.

"As a result, several thousand less whales will be killed over the period of the agreement."

Seeking sanctuary

Key countries, including the US and Japan, have limited comments to saying they will consider the draft proposal carefully.

But some conservation and animal welfare groups have already indicated opposition.

"The fact that this proposal is even being discussed shows just how far out of touch the IWC is with modern values," said Claire Bass, manager of the Marine Mammal Programme at the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).

THE LEGALITIES OF WHALING

Objection - A country formally objects to the IWC moratorium, declaring itself exempt. Example: Norway

Scientific - A nation issues unilateral 'scientific permits'; any IWC member can do this. Example: Japan

Aboriginal - IWC grants permits to indigenous groups for subsistence food. Example: Alaskan Inupiat

"It is entirely missing the point that blasting conscious animals with exploding harpoons is grossly inhumane."

However, others argue that the aim of completely banning whaling is unrealistic, and that a major down-scaling, combined with bringing it under international oversight, is a worthwhile compromise.

But the inclusion of fin whales and the continuation of hunting in the Southern Ocean - which has been declared a whale sanctuary - are points of concern.

"There are some positive elements here, but there are some unacceptable provisions too," said Sue Lieberman, director of international policy with the Pew Environment Group.

"This allows whaling by Japan to continue in the Southern Ocean - and the Southern Ocean Sanctuary should be set in stone."

Quota cuts

Japan currently targets about 930 minke whales and 50 fins in each Antarctic season, though in recent years it has actually caught a lot fewer owing to skirmishes with ships of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and to a fire on the factory ship Nisshin Maru.

The draft envisages the annual Antarctic minke catch falling to 400 immediately, then to 200 in the 2015/16 season.

The fin whale quota would be set at 10 now, falling to five in 2013/4.

A demand that Japan has made regularly for several years - that it be allocated a commercial or quasi-commercial minke whale quota in the North Pacific waters around its coasts - would be granted, with 120 of the animals targeted each year.

Iceland - which last year mounted a major escalation in its fin whale hunt, catching 125 - would be allocated an annual quota of 80 fins and 80 minkes, which is considerably less than it has been demanding.

Norway's annual quota would be set at 600 minkes, and no other country would be permitted to start hunting - a clause that has aroused the ire of South Korea.

It is clear that the big players are still some way apart on key issues, including whether international trade should be permitted during the 10-year period.

Permitting it is a key demand of Iceland, which sees a potentially big export market in Japan. But conservation groups and anti-whaling nations are equally adamant that it must be stopped.

International trade in whalemeat is banned, but Iceland, Japan and Norway have registered exemptions to the UN wildlife trade convention for some whale species.

The endangered fin whale would continue to be a target

If adopted at the June IWC meeting, the "peace package" would set terms for the next 10 years, with a review after five.

Initial quotas could be amended downwards if scientific assessments indicated the necessity.

Governments would agree not to set quotas unilaterally, and to keep all hunting within the control of the IWC, effectively suspending the current measures of "scientific" whaling or hunting "under objection".

Whaling nations would have to agree to a monitoring regime involving observers on boats and a DNA register designed to keep illegal whalemeat out of the market.

Whaling by indigenous groups would not be affected.

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RUSSIA: Emerald brooch of Russian empress sold for over $1.6 mln

© PhotoChristie’s Images Limited 2010

03:1423/04/2010

A diamond and emerald brooch owned by Empress Catherine II the Great of Russia went under the hammer for more than $1.650 million at a Christie's auction, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported on Friday.

The imperial gem was bought by an anonymous phone bidder, for the price which exceeded the pre-sale estimate of $1-$1.5 million.

The unique item is made of silver-topped gold, and combines a hexagonal-cut Colombian emerald of exceptional quality weighing between 60 and 70 carats and three rows of rose and old mine cut diamonds.

The brooch was presumably made in Russia and is believed to originally belong to Catherine II the Great, who was enthroned in 1762. She was known for her fondness of jewelry.

In 1776, the brooch was given as a wedding gift to Sophie Dorothea, princess of Wurttemberg, who became the second wife of Catherine's son and successor, Emperor Paul I.

Another outstanding historic jewel, the Emperor Maximilian Diamond weighing almost 40 carat, was sold for $1.762 million.

Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph of Austria was proclaimed Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico in 1864 during the Second Mexican Empire, and ruled about three years before being captured and court-marshaled by republican forces.

According to a legend, the emperor wore the diamond ring in a small satchel tied around his neck when he was executed by a firing squad on 19 June 1867. After the execution the ring was returned to his consort, Princess Charlotte of Belgium.

NEW YORK, April 23 (RIA Novosti)

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