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☆ Japan to toughen border control for travellers from China, PM says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Japan will toughen its COVID-19 border control measures for travellers from China effective Jan. 8, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday. Additional measures will require pre-boarding negative coronavirus test results for passengers on direct flights from China, Kishida said, strengthening the existing emergency measures Japan started on Dec. 30. Japan will continue to ask airlines to limit additional flights from China, Kishida also told a nationally televised New Year news conference. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The U.S. Government’s Woke Training
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Department of Veterans Affairs has a gender gingerbread person. And if U.S. Army servicewomen express “discomfort showering with a female who has male genitalia,” what’s the brass’s reply? Talk to your commanding officer, but toughen up. These are details from hundreds of pages of diversity and inclusion training materials used by the federal government in 2021 and obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Everyone in corporate life knows such training, lampooned in the second episode of the TV show “The Office.” Yet taxpayers might be curious how their money is being spent to instruct the federal workforce these days.

So yeah, I’m proud of it,” McConnell said, hailing it as an “extremely important” win for conservatives. He said it’ll mean they no longer “pay a ransom on the domestic side” in order to secure hefty military spending. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill.. said he’s “disappointed” in the unequal spending levels but argued that the Kentucky Republican was using his leverage. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks alongside Sens. Democrats say McConnell was pushing for deals due to the rising support in the Democratic Party in recent years to end the filibuster.

☆ Omnibus Bill Expands TikTok Ban on Government Smartphones
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( John D. Mckinnon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—The omnibus spending bill unveiled by lawmakers Tuesday expands a ban on Chinese-owned TikTok on federal smartphones, but tough new measures targeting the tech industry didn’t make the cut. The tech industry lobbied heavily to head off measures to establish online privacy protections, impose legal liability on social-media companies for their content and toughen antitrust rules. The industry also spent more than $100 million since the beginning of 2021 on ads opposing the legislation, much of that targeted in congressional districts.

☆ Four dead after migrant boat capsizes off English coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Peter Nicholls | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"At 0305 (GMT) today, authorities were alerted to an incident in the Channel concerning a migrant small boat in distress," a government spokesperson said in a statement. Some British politicians say migrants from Albania - a European Union candidate - have not suffered persecution but are moving for economic reasons. "I'm sure the whole House will share my sorrow at the capsizing of a small boat in the Channel in the early hours of this morning and the tragic loss of human life," Sunak said. The refugee charity Care4Calais accused the government of doing nothing to prevent migrant deaths, which it said were "wholly unnecessary and preventable". Data compiled by the Missing Migrants Project showed 205 migrants had been recorded dead or missing in the English Channel since 2014.

☆ Mall of America settles lawsuit over 5-year-old boy thrown from balcony
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Additional details of the settlement were not released by the boy’s family or the mall. The boy, identified only as Landen, was 5 when Emmanuel Aranda threw him nearly 40 feet to the ground. The lawsuit alleged that the mall and its security detail knew about previous “violent, aggressive, and erratic” behavior that Aranda had displayed at the shopping center. In a joint statement announcing the settlement, the mall and the family said they will work together on policy changes to prevent similar incidents. “The Mall and the family will ask that any resulting change be named in honor of the young boy.”

☆ Macron reforms in the balance as French conservatives choose leader
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Elizabeth Pineau | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The 56-year-old LR veteran Ciotti, whose home-base is the right-wing Nice region, says he wants to stop what he calls a "migratory invasion." "We are together so that France remains France," Ciotti told a rally last month, saying that authority, identity and liberty were the pillars of his policy, with the fight against Islamism a key issue. LR has lost veteran figures to Macron's camp, including Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and former prime minister Edouard Philippe. Nearly three quarters of LR voters consider LR cannot fly solo, an Odoxa poll for LCP showed last month. The favoured option for LR supporters would be an alliance with Macron's camp, but not far ahead of a deal with the RN.

☆ Why most men don’t have enough close friends
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And those who do maintain friendships with other men say they tend to have lower levels of emotional intimacy than women report. Research has shown close friendships protect our mental and physical health, she added. Assumptions 27 years later might be different, but social pressures remain that make it difficult for men to express the vulnerability and intimacy needed for close friendships, Sileo said. Men who were more emotionally restricted, focused on power and who scored high on surveys measuring homophobia are less likely to have intimate and close friendships, he said. “If you can have a handful of friends that are quality, that’s better than having a slew of friends.”

☆ 'Golden era' for Britain and China’s relationship is over, UK PM Rishi Sunak says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sunak's comments come shortly after groups of people across China held public demonstrations to protest the country's stringent zero-Covid policy. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the so-called "golden era" of relations with China was over, warning that Beijing's move toward even greater authoritarianism posed a systemic challenge to Britain's values and interests. "Let's be clear, the so-called 'golden era' is over," Sunak said Monday in his first major foreign policy speech. His reference to the "golden era" for the U.K.-China relationship echoed comments made by former U.K. Finance Minister George Osborne in 2015, who had claimed Britain could be China's "best partner in the West." His comments come shortly after public demonstrations were held across China to protest the country's stringent zero-Covid policy.

☆ Kim Jong Un’s sister warns U.S. of ‘a more fatal security crisis’
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

After the meeting, Thomas-Greenfield also read a statement by 14 countries that supported action to limit North Korea’s advancement of its weapons programs. During the Security Council meeting, the United States and its allies strongly criticized the ICBM launch and called for action to limit North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. But Russia and China, both veto-wielding members of the Security Council, opposed any new pressure and sanctions on North Korea. The status of North Korea’s nuclear capability remains shrouded in secrecy. Some analysts say North Korea already has nuclear-armed missiles that can strike both the U.S. mainland and its allies South Korea and Japan, but others say the North is still years away from possessing such missiles.

☆ COP27-US targets methane in 'relentless' emissions focus
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Valerie Volcovici | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It would also force methane emissions reductions from flaring equipment and create a system to detect leaks from "super-emitter" sites quickly so operators can repair them faster and local community residents are aware. The EPA said the stronger rules would reduce methane from the oil and gas industry by 87% below 2005 levels and would help the United States to meet its commitment under the Global Methane Pledge to cut methane emissions economy-wide by 30% this decade. OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY LOBBYINGThe oil and gas industry had urged the agency to exclude hundreds of thousands of low-producing wells on the grounds frequent monitoring would be inefficient and costly. It dovetailed with a U.N. announcement on Friday that it will launch a global public database of methane leaks detected by space satellites to encourage companies and governments to plug them. The EPA will take public input on the methane rule until Feb. 13, 2023 and plans to finalize it by the end of that year.

☆ EU backs watering down of final Basel bank capital rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - European Union member states have backed a temporary watering down and two-year delay to 2025 for the final leg of the globally agreed Basel III bank capital rules, the Czech EU presidency said on Tuesday. EU states will now negotiate a final deal with the European Parliament in early 2023. Most of the Basel III rules, a set of tougher capital rules for banks after the global financial crisis more than a decade ago, have already been implemented. EU ministers backed a two-year delay to the start date for rolling out the final rules, pushing it back to January, 2025. Smaller banks would benefit from simpler disclosure, and EU states pushed back against attempts at stricter EU harmonisation in checking whether top bank staff are 'fit and proper'.

How Putin and Friends Stalled Climate Progress A handful of powerful world leaders rallied around Russia and undercut global cooperation. Mr. Putin has gained from this as the increasingly autocratic Mr. Xi finds common cause with the Kremlin. “Much depends on whether authoritarian leaders perceive climate action to be in their self-interest.”Though their actions help Mr. Putin, their track records on climate are mixed. Mr. Xi called Mr. Putin his “best friend.”He was returning the favor from a year earlier, when Mr. Putin hosted Mr. Xi at the Grand Kremlin Palace and awarded him one of Russia’s highest medals for foreign dignitaries. At a news conference with Mr. Putin, Mr. Bolsonaro thanked his “dear friend,” saying that Mr. Putin had offered him support when other world leaders were criticizing his Amazon policy.

☆ U.S. cautioned Germany against a Chinese controlling stake in Hamburg port
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Cargo ship 'Cosco Shipping Gemini' of Chinese shipping company 'Cosco' is loaded at the container terminal 'Tollerort' in the port in Hamburg, Germany, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Fabian BimmerMUNSTER, Germany, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The United States cautioned Germany against allowing China to obtain a controlling stake in a Hamburg port terminal, a senior U.S. State Department official said on Wednesday, in a deal that has been seen as a gauge of how far Germany is willing to toughen its stance on its top trading partner. By pushing the stake under 25%, the deal no longer officially requires Cabinet approval, which would have been hard to muster from the Greens and liberal-run ministries. The document points to "considerable risks that arise when elements of the European transport infrastructure are influenced and controlled by China - while China itself does not allow Germany to participate in Chinese ports." Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Munster, Germany; writing by Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The US Army is reinventing basic training to appeal to Gen Z
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Steve Beynon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The revamp is driven partly by the Army's need to appeal to Gen Z, who are reaching enlistment age. Read Next: Airman Faked Racist Texts Claiming He Was Denied Special Duty, Investigation FindsThe shift follows substantial changes in the Army's physical training. And the revamp is driven partly by the Army's need to appeal to Gen Z, who are now reaching enlistment age. An Army drill instructor with new soldiers. A US Army drill sergeant walks through a formation of recruits at Fort Jackson in South Carolina in November 2019.

☆ EU leaders seek united front on China dependency
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Oct 21 (Reuters) - European Union leaders expressed increasing concern on Friday about economic reliance on China, mindful of the gas dependency built up with Russia that Moscow has exploited, and said they needed a united stance towards Beijing. The EU has regarded China since 2019 as a partner, economic competitor and systemic rival. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not speak to reporters before Friday's summit session, but the EU leaders that did agreed the 27 EU members needed to present a common front. "China is best dealt with when we are 27, not when we are one on one vis-à-vis China," he said. Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin stressed the EU needed to avoid building future dependencies and instead promote stronger cooperation between democratic countries.

☆ Wall Street sends regulators a poop emoji
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

For Wall Street brokerages, one answer is simply to flout it. At many of the firms, even managers whose job it was to enforce those rules were copiously breaking them. The regulators at least didn’t say they’d uncovered anything illegal, though disappearing-message apps and encryption make evidence easy to hide. But it’s still troubling to find widespread, frequent examples of bank employees, many with “global firm-wide leadership” roles, routinely doing something their companies forbid. The SEC fined the firms $1.1 billion, while the CFTC fined the same companies around $710 million.

☆ Australia flags privacy overhaul after huge cyber attack on Optus
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks at the Sydney Energy Forum in Sydney, Australia July 12, 2022. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterAlbanese called the incident "a huge wake-up call" for the corporate sector, saying there were some state actors and criminal groups who wanted to access people's data. Optus said it would offer the most affected customers free credit monitoring and identity protection with credit agency Equifax Inc (EFX.N) for a year. The telco has now alerted all customers whose driving licences or passport numbers were stolen, it said in an emailed statement. ($1=A$1.5309)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Lewis Jackson, Renju Jose and Byron Kaye; Editing by Stephen Coates, Clarence Fernandez and Sam HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. House Democrats release framework for bill to restrict members trading stocks
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzWASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - U.S. House Democrats on Thursday released a framework for legislation that would restrict lawmakers and other senior government officials, including the Supreme Court, from trading in stocks. "These stories undermine the American people's faith and trust in the integrity of public officials and our federal government. Members of the public may ask, are our public officials acting in the public interest or their private financial interest?" The House may consider the legislation next week, according to a schedule announced by the House Majority Leader on Thursday. The White House has said President Joe Biden would leave it to Congress to decide the rules on members trading stocks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the partial mobilization of his country’s military Wednesday, calling up military reservists in a significant escalation of his war in Ukraine after a series of setbacks that led to growing pressure on the Kremlin to act. Until now, Putin had resisted calls from nationalist supporters and pro-military bloggers for a general mobilization since launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. The Kremlin has insisted that what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine is going according to plan, but military observers have said Russian forces are depleted and increasingly dispirited. It wasn’t clear if the proposed annexation would cover the entire territory of the provinces or only the areas currently occupied by Russian forces. “We are aware of reports that President Putin may be preparing to enact mobilization measures.

☆ Explainer: What does Vladimir Putin's 'partial' mobilisation mean for Russia's military machine?
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The exact number of mobilised reservists in Ukraine is classified but official pronouncements suggest it is at least 400,000. * The immediate call-up of 300,000 military reservists who have previously served in the Russian army and have combat experience or specialised military skills. Western military analysts forecast it will therefore be several months before they see action. According to a copy of the legislation, seen by Reuters, voluntary surrender would become a crime for Russian military personnel punishable by 10 years in prison. * Western military analysts are divided on whether partial mobilisation is too little too late to alter the course of the war in Moscow's favour.

☆ Occupied Ukrainian regions push votes to join Russia in wake of counteroffensives
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Yuliya-Talmazan-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Yuliya Talmazan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Kremlin-controlled areas of southern and eastern Ukraine announced Tuesday they would stage votes this week on formally joining Russia, moves that were cheered in Moscow and dismissed by Kyiv as a desperate attempt to stem the tide of a successful counteroffensive by Ukrainian troops. Its public backers delighted in the prospect of an “all-out war” and a new confrontation with the West, which has warned holding “sham” votes in those areas would represent an illegal escalation. It was unclear what impact holding such votes would have on the ground, with analysts suggesting the sudden moves may betray a growing concern over how much longer Russia’s struggling military can maintain control over the land it has occupied. Separatist officials in the eastern areas of Luhansk and Donetsk, as well as the southern Kherson region and partially occupied Zaporizhzhia, announced they would hold the votes over four days starting Friday, Russia’s state news agency Tass reported. It wasn't clear if the proposed annexation would cover the entire territory of the provinces or only the areas currently occupied by Russian forces.

☆ Russian parliament toughens punishment for crimes during military mobilisation
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin delivers a speech during a session of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in Moscow, Russia April 7, 2022. Sputnik/Alexander Astafyev/Pool via REUTERSMOSCOW, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Russia's parliament on Tuesday approved a bill to toughen punishments for a host of crimes such as desertion, damage to military property and insubordination if they are committed during military mobilisation or combat situations. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterAccording to a copy of the bill, seen by Reuters, voluntary surrender would become a crime for Russian military personnel, punishable by 10 years in prison. read moreBut some Russian politicians and some nationalists have called for a full mobilisation. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEditing by Guy FaulconbridgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Under the procedure, the two chambers approve each state's Electoral College count, which is based on the popular vote as well as a state's population. The law includes a mechanism for members of Congress to challenge any state's certification. At present, only one member from the House and one from the Senate are required. Under the bill, that would change to one-third of the 435-member House and 100-member Senate. The House bill would ensure that the states conduct presidential elections under state laws as they exist prior to Election Day.

The state’s restrictive abortion laws spotlight existing gender disparities within the VA medical system, according to former military women who shared their personal experiences during a listening tour held by Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., chairwoman of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health. The VA does not provide any abortion services, even initial consultations, to women seeking more information about terminating their pregnancies. And that doesn’t end when we get out,” veteran Amber Davila, 37, said outside of the session in Austin, Texas. “We will continue to make sure they have timely access to the full suite of reproductive care,” the VA said. “This is fuel to the fire,” said Plescher, lead outreach coordinator for Grace After Fire, a female veterans group based in Houston.

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