News from across Asia

[AlbertC]

Coronavirus: Tokyo Olympic organizers, IOC clash over who pays for postponement

BY STEPHEN WADE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted April 21, 2020 6:37 am

An open conflict broke out Tuesday between Tokyo Olympic organizers and the IOC over who will pay for the unprecedented year-long postponement.

Tokyo spokesman Masa Takaya said the organizing committee has asked the Switzerland-based International Olympic Committee to remove a comment from its website suggesting that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had agreed that Japan would shoulder most of the postponement costs.

Media reports in Japan estimate the year-long delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic will cost $2 billion to $6 billion. Neither side has given an official estimate, but Tokyo CEO Toshiro Muto has called the postponement costs “massive.”

Coronavirus: Tokyo Olympic organizers, IOC clash over who pays for postponement - National | Globalnews.ca

Media reports in Japan estimate the year-long delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic will cost $2 billion to $6 billion.

globalnews.ca

 

[Admiral Beez]

Kim Jong Un has declared that "the world will witness a new strategic weapon" in the near future. The North Korean leader has said that Pyongyang will no longer abide by its earlier nuclear promises.

N. Korea Dictator Kim Jong-un dead.

TMZ (lol) breaks the story.

N. Korea Dictator Kim Jong-un Reportedly Dead After Botched Heart Surgery

Kim Jong-un is reportedly about to kick the bucket, or already has.

www.tmz.com

 

[AlbertC]

N. Korea Dictator Kim Jong-un dead.

TMZ (lol) breaks the story.

N. Korea Dictator Kim Jong-un Reportedly Dead After Botched Heart Surgery

Kim Jong-un is reportedly about to kick the bucket, or already has.

www.tmz.com

South Korea says they believe he's alive and supposedly doing well.

Amid mounting speculation, South Korea says Kim Jong Un is 'alive and well'

South Korea continued to pour water on mounting speculation about the health of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, telling CNN he is "alive and well."

www.cnn.com

 

[AlbertC]

Kim Jong-un appears in public, North Korean state media report

Kim Jong-un has appeared in public for the first time in 20 days, North Korean state media says.

KCNA news agency reports that the North Korean leader cut the ribbon at the opening of a fertiliser factory.

Kim Jong-un appears in public, North Korean state media report

The reported appearance comes amid speculation over the North Korean leader's health.

www.bbc.com

 

[AlbertC]

Japan to subsidise visitors' holidays in effort to revive tourism

Shop and restaurant discounts part of ¥1.35tn plan after 99% fall in numbers from overseas

Wed 27 May 2020

Japan to subsidise holidays in effort to revive tourism

Shop and restaurant discounts part of ¥1.35tn plan after 99% decrease in numbers from overseas

www.theguardian.com

 

[AlbertC]

North Korea says it will sever hotlines with South Korea: KCNA

June 8, 2020

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Tuesday it will sever hotlines with South Korea as the first step toward shutting down all means of contact with Seoul, state news agency KCNA reported.

For several days, North Korea has lashed out at South Korea, threatening to close an inter-Korean liaison office and other projects if the South does not stop defectors from sending leaflets and other material into the North.

Top government officials in North Korea, including leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, and Kim Yong Chol, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, determined “that the work towards the South should thoroughly turn into the one against an enemy,” KCNA said.

North Korea to sever hotlines with South Korea in first step to cut contact

North Korea said on Tuesday it would sever hotlines with South Korea as the first step toward shutting down all contact.

www.reuters.com

 

[AlbertC]

Philippines journalist Maria Ressa found guilty in high-profile libel case

A Manila court has found a veteran journalist and staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte guilty of cyber libel. Maria Ressa told DW "we must do all we can to protect press freedom, which protects our democracy."

15.06.2020

Philippines journalist convicted in high-profile libel case – DW – 06/15/2020

A Manila court has found a veteran journalist and staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte guilty of cyber libel. Maria Ressa told DW "we must do all we can to protect press freedom, which protects our democracy."

www.dw.com

 

[AlbertC]

North Korea to restart military exercises on border with South

North Korea has said it will send troops to demilitarized areas on the South Korean border. The move comes a day after the North destroyed an inter-Korean liaison center in the same territory.

N. Korea to restart military exercises on border with South – DW – 06/17/2020

North Korea has said it will send troops to demilitarized areas on the South Korean border. The move comes a day after the North destroyed an inter-Korean liaison center in the same territory.

m.dw.com

 

[AlbertC]

Chaos in the Koreas sees Kim Jong Un's sister emerge stronger than ever

Thu June 18, 2020

Chaos in the Koreas sees Kim Jong Un's sister emerge stronger than ever | CNN

On a crisp winter day two years ago, Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, took her first step to becoming the powerful politician her father thought she would be.

www.cnn.com

 

[Johnny Au]

Chaos in the Koreas sees Kim Jong Un's sister emerge stronger than ever

Thu June 18, 2020

Chaos in the Koreas sees Kim Jong Un's sister emerge stronger than ever | CNN

On a crisp winter day two years ago, Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, took her first step to becoming the powerful politician her father thought she would be.

www.cnn.com

Kim Yo Jong could become North Korea's first female supreme leader.

 

[Northern Light]

433 rivers in China have passed the flood warning stage, 33 are at all-time record levels!

China says 33 rivers hit record levels as floods situation remains 'grim'

As many as 33 rivers in China have risen to their highest levels in history during the current wave of floods, a senior water ministry official said on Monday, as regions across the country brace for another "grim" week of torrential rain.

www.reuters.com

 

[AlbertC]

Olympics host Japan slammed by Human Rights Watch report in to athlete abuse

July 20, 2020

A year away from the start of the rearranged Tokyo Olympics, Human Rights Watch have claimed there is a culture of physical and verbal abuse aimed at Japan's young athletes. The country's response is not yet clear.

"I was hit so many times, I can’t count ... we were all called to the coach and I was hit in the face in front of everyone. I was bleeding, but he did not stop hitting me. I did say that my nose was bleeding, but he did not stop."

The words of 23-year-old 'Daiki A' are representative of a culture of sporting abuse sometimes known in Japan as "taibatsu", according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released on Monday to coincide closely with the rescheduled opening date of the Olympics.

The organization says it conducted over 50 interviews with current and former child athletes at various levels of competition, an online survey and spoke to sports organizations. They found that children in Japan still experience abuse in sport and identified institutional issues that make the country's response to such incidents less effective than it could be.

Olympic host Japan under fire after athlete abuse claims – DW – 07/20/2020

A year away from the start of the rearranged Tokyo Olympics, Human Rights Watch have claimed there is a culture of physical and verbal abuse aimed at Japan's young athletes. The country's response is not yet clear.

m.dw.com

 

[Johnny Au]

Olympics host Japan slammed by Human Rights Watch report in to athlete abuse

July 20, 2020

A year away from the start of the rearranged Tokyo Olympics, Human Rights Watch have claimed there is a culture of physical and verbal abuse aimed at Japan's young athletes. The country's response is not yet clear.

"I was hit so many times, I can’t count ... we were all called to the coach and I was hit in the face in front of everyone. I was bleeding, but he did not stop hitting me. I did say that my nose was bleeding, but he did not stop."

The words of 23-year-old 'Daiki A' are representative of a culture of sporting abuse sometimes known in Japan as "taibatsu", according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released on Monday to coincide closely with the rescheduled opening date of the Olympics.

The organization says it conducted over 50 interviews with current and former child athletes at various levels of competition, an online survey and spoke to sports organizations. They found that children in Japan still experience abuse in sport and identified institutional issues that make the country's response to such incidents less effective than it could be.

Olympic host Japan under fire after athlete abuse claims – DW – 07/20/2020

A year away from the start of the rearranged Tokyo Olympics, Human Rights Watch have claimed there is a culture of physical and verbal abuse aimed at Japan's young athletes. The country's response is not yet clear.

m.dw.com

Report alleges physical, sexual abuse faced by 800 Japanese child athletes

• The Human Rights Watch report interviewed former athletes who said they experienced corporal punishment, known as taibatsu, at the hands of coaches
• Japan has child abuse laws but the problem still persists, says the group, which is calling for tougher and new measures to protect children in sport

Report alleges physical, sexual abuse faced by 800 Japanese child athletes

The report interviewed former athletes who said they experienced corporal punishment, known as taibatsu, at the hands of coaches.

www.scmp.com

Apparently, Japanese coaches emulate China and the former Soviet Union for their harsh Spartan-style regimental training for Olympians.

 

[AlbertC]

Tokyo Olympics: Japanese excitement waning one year to Games

July 24, 2020

The vast majority of Japanese were enthusiastic about the Olympics returning to the capital. But the coronavirus crisis has raised concerns about a new surge in infections and triggered renewed questions about costs.

Tokyo excitement waning ahead of Olympics – DW – 07/24/2020

The vast majority of Japanese were enthusiastic about the Olympics returning to the capital. But the coronavirus crisis has raised concerns about a new surge in infections and triggered renewed questions about costs.

m.dw.com

 

[Northern Light]

Utterly massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.

Footage here, via Twitter:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290692689369935873

Shockwave felt over 100km away.

Won't be less than dozens dead, maybe orders of magnitude higher.

Cause not yet clear to me.

Gov't of Lebanon has said something to do w/fireworks (which looks plausible based on many smaller explosions embedded in the larger one); but may be insufficient as a total explanation.

Coverage from The Guardian:

Death toll in Lebanese capital rises to 135 as about 5,000 people are wounded – as it happened

Lebanese TV reports latest toll as government declares two-week state of emergency in Beirut after half the city damaged in blast

www.theguardian.com