Hong Kong issues arrest warrants for 19 overseas activists
HONG KONG (Reuters) -- Hong Kong's national security police announced arrest warrants for 19 activists based overseas, accusing them of subversion under a stringent national security law, marking the largest such tally yet.
They are accused of organizing or participating in the "Hong Kong Parliament," a group authorities in the Asian financial hub say aimed to subvert state power, under the law Beijing imposed in 2020 following months of pro-democracy protests in 2019.
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Nikkei Asia
29 minutes ago
- Nikkei Asia
Trump, EU's von der Leyen to meet on Sunday to clinch trade deal
GLASGOW, Scotland (Reuters) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday to clinch a trade deal for Europe that would likely see a 15% baseline tariff on most European Union goods but end months of uncertainty for EU companies. U.S. and EU negotiators huddled in final talks on tariffs facing crucial sectors like cars, steel, aluminum and pharmaceuticals before the meeting, which is expected at 15:30 GMT on Trump's golf course in Turnberry, western Scotland. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick flew to Scotland on Saturday, and EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic arrived on Sunday morning. Lutnick told "Fox News Sunday" that the EU needed to open its markets for more U.S. exports to convince Trump to reduce a threatened 30% tariff rate that is due to kick in on Aug. 1. "The question is, do they offer President Trump a good enough deal that is worth it for him to step off of the 30% tariffs that he set?" Lutnick said, adding that the EU clearly wanted -- and needed -- to reach an agreement. A separate U.S. administration official was upbeat that a deal was possible. "We're cautiously optimistic that there will be a deal reached," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "But it's not over till it's over." The EU deal would be a huge prize, given that the U.S. and EU are each other's largest trading partners by far and account for a third of global trade. Ambassadors of EU governments, on a weekend trip to Greenland organized by the Danish presidency of the EU, held a teleconference with European Commission officials on Sunday to agree on the amount of leeway von der Leyen would have. In case there is no deal and the U.S. imposes 30% tariffs from Aug. 1, the EU has prepared countertariffs on 93 billion euros ($109 billion) of U.S. goods. EU diplomats have said a deal would likely include a broad 15% tariff on EU goods imported into the U.S., mirroring the U.S.-Japan trade deal, along with a 50% tariff on European steel and aluminum for which there could be export quotas. EU officials are hopeful that a 15% baseline tariff would also apply to cars, replacing the current 27.5% auto tariff. Some expect the 27-nation bloc may be able to secure exemptions from the 15% baseline tariff for its aerospace industry and for spirits, though probably not for wine. The EU could also pledge to buy more liquefied natural gas from the U.S., a long-standing offer, and boost investment in the United States. Trump told reporters there was "not a lot" of wiggle room on the 50% tariffs that the U.S. has on steel and aluminum imports, adding, "because if I do it for one, I have to do it for all." The U.S. president, in Scotland for a few days of golfing and bilateral meetings, told reporters upon his arrival on Friday evening that von der Leyen was a highly respected leader and he was looking forward to meeting with her. He said there was a 50-50 chance that the two sides could reach a framework trade pact, adding that Brussels wanted to "make a deal very badly." The EU now faces U.S. tariffs on more than 70% of its exports, with 50% on steel and aluminum, an extra 25% on cars and car parts on top of the existing 2.5% and a 10% levy on most other EU goods. EU officials have said a "no-deal" tariff rate of 30% would wipe out whole chunks of transatlantic commerce. A 15% tariff on most EU goods would remove uncertainty but would be seen by many in Europe as a poor outcome compared to the initial European ambition of a zero-for-zero tariff deal on all industrial goods. Seeking to learn from Japan, which secured a 15% baseline tariff with the U.S. in a deal earlier this week, EU negotiators spoke to their Japanese counterparts in preparation for Sunday's meeting. For Trump, aiming to reorder the global economy and reduce decades-old U.S. trade deficits, a deal with the EU would be the biggest trade agreement, surpassing the $550 billion deal with Japan. So far, he has reeled in agreements with Britain, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam, although his administration has failed to deliver on a promise of "90 deals in 90 days."
Nikkei Asia
an hour ago
- Nikkei Asia
Kim marks Korean War anniversary by vowing to prevail over US
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Fatherland Liberation War Martyrs Cemetery to mark the 72nd anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War in Pyongyang in this picture released by the Korean Central News Agency on July 27. (KCNA via Reuters) SEOUL (Reuters) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country would achieve victory in "anti-imperialist, anti-U.S." battles as the country marked the anniversary of the Korean War armistice, state media reported on Sunday. Kim "affirmed that our state and its people would surely achieve the great cause of building a rich country with a strong army and become honorable victors in the anti-imperialist, anti-U.S. showdown," the KCNA state news agency said, referring to his visit to a war museum on a previous day.
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Bear Encounters Increasing in Japan's Urban Areas; 2 Dead in Hokkaido, Iwate Prefectures in July
HAKODATE, Hokkaido / KITAKAMI, Iwate — Bears are increasingly entering human-inhabited areas and attacking people living there. In July, two people were killed each in Iwate and Hokkaido prefectures. Depopulation and expansion of abandoned farmland have brought bear habitats closer to urban areas, leading to an increase in 'urban bears,' unafraid of humans. Measures to prevent encounters between bears and residents are urgently needed. 'Obsessed with garbage' 'I'm afraid to go outside. I've been living here for 20 years, but this is the first time something like this has happened,' said a 70-year-old man in the town of Fukushima, Hokkaido, his voice trembling. In the early hours of July 12, a 52-year-old man delivering newspapers was attacked and killed by a brown bear. The incident occurred in a residential area about 700 meters from the town office; the victim was found dead after being dragged into the grass. Even after the incident was reported, the bear had damaged a nearby supermarket's garbage storage site and no children could be seen playing outdoors. This was Hokkaido's first fatal brown bear attack in an urban area since 2006, when the Environment Ministry began keeping statistics. The brown bear, estimated to be an 8- to 9-year-old male measuring 208 centimeters in length and weighing 218 kilograms, was culled by hunters on July 18. Even more shocking to residents and experts was the DNA analysis results revealing that the same bear had attacked and killed a woman (then 77) in a field about three kilometers away four years ago. 'There have been no cases of a bear repeatedly appearing in an urban area. The bear might have been obsessed with the garbage in urban areas,' said Yoshikazu Sato, professor of wildlife ecology at the Rakuno Gakuen University. Attacked inside a residence According to a survey conducted by the ministry from fiscal 2016 to 2018, over half of human injuries and deaths caused by bears nationwide occurred in forests. In fiscal 2023, however, more than 50% occurred in urban areas, places near residences or on farmland, and in fiscal 2024, nearly 40% occurred in such areas. This indicates that bears are increasingly entering human-inhabited areas. One of the factors is the expansion of bear habitats. Since the 1980s, regulations on bear hunting have been implemented across the country, while abandoned farmland has increased due to depopulation and aging of residents, creating more bushes where bears can hide. On July 4, an 81-year-old woman was attacked and killed by an Asian black bear that had entered her home in a village near forests and farmland in the Waga district of Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture. According to the ministry, 50 people have been killed by bears nationwide over the past two decades, but this is believed to be the first case in which a victim was killed inside a residence. Nearby, bears appeared to have eaten rice stored in sheds on residential properties and damaged warehouse walls. Koji Yamazaki, professor of animal ecology at the Tokyo University of Agriculture, pointed out, 'The environment where bears can thrive is changing. In order to prevent humans from being attacked, it is urgent to investigate the causes and implement countermeasures.' Acorn shortages One reason behind bears coming into urban areas is the poor acorn harvest in the autumn of 2023. Bears that scavenged through locations such as garbage collection sites might have learned that they can find food there and settled in human living areas. Traditionally, bears were more likely to appear in urban areas in autumn, but in recent years, they have been seen year-round. From April to June this year, a total of 37 people were killed or injured by bears across the nation — almost the same pace as fiscal 2023, which saw a record number of incidents. This autumn, a severe shortage of Japanese beech trees that bear acorns is expected in six prefectures in the Tohoku region, according to the Tohoku Regional Forest Office and others. This could cause more bears to enter urban areas. Kazuhiko Maita, director of the Institute for Asian Black Bear Research and Preservation based in Hiroshima Prefecture, warned, 'Bears no longer fear humans and the level of danger is increasing. If food shortages cause bear density in urban areas to increase, we must be more vigilant than ever about harm to humans.'
