[Biography of the Day] from [Britannica]
Monday, May 25, 2009
Sir Ian McKellen
Sir Ian McKellen, a British actor of great versatility who earned acclaim for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and for such films as The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003), was born this day in 1939.
[On This Day] from [Britannica]
Monday, May 25, 2009
1787: U.S. Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia
On this day in 1787, the Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia, where 55 state delegates, initially charged with amending the Articles of Confederation, later drafted the Constitution of the United States.
[TODAY'S TOP STORIES] from [The Japan Times]
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Monday, May 25, 2009
Proposed foreigner card protested
Opponents of change to immigration law fear loss of privacy, other human rights violations
By KAZUAKI NAGATA
Staff writer
More than 200 people rallied in Tokyo's Shinbashi district Sunday to protest government-sponsored immigration bills they claim would violate the privacy of foreign residents and strengthen government control over them.
The protesters say the proposed system would allow the government to punish non-Japanese who fail to properly report their personal information, and could even make it possible for immigration authorities to arbitrarily revoke their visas.
The bills now before the Diet "would jeopardize the residency right and right of life (for foreign residents). Therefore, we strongly oppose the bills," said Nobuyuki Sato of Research-Action Institute for the Koreans in Japan, one of the organizers of the protest rally and a meeting on the proposed legal changes.
Under the bills as they are currently written, a new "zairyu" (residence) card would replace the current alien registration card. Under the current system, illegal immigrants can register their status with local governments and receive some public services. But they would not be able to get a zairyu card and would not be registered in the resident registration in their municipalities. This leaves some human right activists concerned that children of illegal immigrants might not be able to receive certain public services, including education.
Foreigners would be obliged to carry the new card at all times, just as with the current card. Failure to do so could result in a maximum fine of 200,000, the same as the current regulation.
Non-Japanese would also be required to report to the government in 14 days if they change employer or address. Otherwise they could lose their visas if they don't report in 90 days.
The bills, which were submitted in March, propose consolidating management of foreign residents' data under the Justice Ministry, rather than local governments as it is now.
Sato criticized the government for not bothering to solicit the opinions of foreign residents even though they are the people who would be directly affected.
During the meeting, various people, including foreign residents and representatives of labor unions, discussed the bills.
Opponents of the proposed revisions, including a number of human rights groups, say the proposed monitoring system is far too strict and could pose a violation of human rights.
Meanwhile, the LDP-New Komeito ruling coalition and the Democratic Party of Japan have reportedly agreed that Korean residents who came to Japan before or during World War II and their descendants would not be obliged to carry the new card all the time.
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Monday, May 25, 2009
Beef safety rating to be raised
Japan's measures against mad cow disease bear fruit
(Kyodo News) The World Organization for Animal Health is expected to upgrade its evaluation of Japan's safeguard measures against mad cow disease, government sources said Sunday.
The government will try to boost Japanese beef exports after the Paris-based international organization, known by its French acronym OIE, upgrades Japan's status, the sources said.
Tokyo is also expected to begin considering easing age regulations for testing meat for mad cow disease, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, they said.
The OIE is expected to grant the authorization to Japan during a general session that opened Sunday, the sources said.
If the government begins to consider relaxing the current testing rules, the U.S. will likely apply more pressure to lift Japan's beef import restrictions so it can sell more beef here.
Japan currently requires beef from cattle aged 21 months and older to be tested for mad cow disease.
The government will have to be careful about deciding when to revamp the testing rules because the public remains wary about U.S. beef, given that some cow parts banned by Japanese import regulations were found in beef shipments from the U.S. after the current restrictions were put in place, industry watchers said.
Under OIE regulations, there are three risk categories — negligible mad cow risk, controlled risk and undetermined risk. Ten countries are classified as posing a negligible risk.
Controlled risk recognition is granted to countries where adequate measures, including the removal of risk materials such as brains and spinal cords, are taken even though mad cow is not completely eradicated.
The U.S. and 30 other countries are in the controlled risk category. Japan applied for the status in December, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said.
Thirty-six infected cows have been found in Japan since the first case of mad cow disease here in 2001.
There were three cases in 2007, one last year and one so far this year.
Since the first case, the government has instituted various measures, such as banning the use of bone-meal cattle feed made with brains and spinal cords.
About 20 countries and territories banned imports of Japanese beef, and only five of them, including Singapore, have so far resumed beef purchases from Japan.
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Monday, May 25, 2009
Four new flu cases; schools to reopen
(Kyodo News) The tally of swine flu infections in Japan rose to 342 on Sunday, as four more people, including a 19-year-old man in Toyono, Osaka Prefecture, and an 18-year-old male high school student in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, were confirmed as having the new H1N1 virus.
Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, where more than 310 of the confirmed patients live, plan to allow elementary, junior high and high schools to resume classes Monday after they were shut down for about a week.
The prefectural governments said the worst is apparently over, with recent figures showing that the number of new infections has slowed down.
They made the decision after the central government relaxed its flu policy Friday, allowing local governments to decide on school closures based on the situation in each area.
There have been no deaths in Japan related to the new H1N1 virus.
In other developments, Russia on Saturday added Japan to its list of countries that the government is asking its citizens to avoid, according to the Interfax news agency.
Russia has also urged its citizens not to travel to the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Spain. On May 19 it urged Russians not go to Osaka and Hyogo.
As of early Sunday, the number of patients worldwide stood at 12,462.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Sir Ian McKellen
Sir Ian McKellen, a British actor of great versatility who earned acclaim for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and for such films as The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003), was born this day in 1939.
[On This Day] from [Britannica]
Monday, May 25, 2009
1787: U.S. Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia
On this day in 1787, the Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia, where 55 state delegates, initially charged with amending the Articles of Confederation, later drafted the Constitution of the United States.
[TODAY'S TOP STORIES] from [The Japan Times]
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Monday, May 25, 2009
Proposed foreigner card protested
Opponents of change to immigration law fear loss of privacy, other human rights violations
By KAZUAKI NAGATA
Staff writer
More than 200 people rallied in Tokyo's Shinbashi district Sunday to protest government-sponsored immigration bills they claim would violate the privacy of foreign residents and strengthen government control over them.
The protesters say the proposed system would allow the government to punish non-Japanese who fail to properly report their personal information, and could even make it possible for immigration authorities to arbitrarily revoke their visas.
The bills now before the Diet "would jeopardize the residency right and right of life (for foreign residents). Therefore, we strongly oppose the bills," said Nobuyuki Sato of Research-Action Institute for the Koreans in Japan, one of the organizers of the protest rally and a meeting on the proposed legal changes.
Under the bills as they are currently written, a new "zairyu" (residence) card would replace the current alien registration card. Under the current system, illegal immigrants can register their status with local governments and receive some public services. But they would not be able to get a zairyu card and would not be registered in the resident registration in their municipalities. This leaves some human right activists concerned that children of illegal immigrants might not be able to receive certain public services, including education.
Foreigners would be obliged to carry the new card at all times, just as with the current card. Failure to do so could result in a maximum fine of 200,000, the same as the current regulation.
Non-Japanese would also be required to report to the government in 14 days if they change employer or address. Otherwise they could lose their visas if they don't report in 90 days.
The bills, which were submitted in March, propose consolidating management of foreign residents' data under the Justice Ministry, rather than local governments as it is now.
Sato criticized the government for not bothering to solicit the opinions of foreign residents even though they are the people who would be directly affected.
During the meeting, various people, including foreign residents and representatives of labor unions, discussed the bills.
Opponents of the proposed revisions, including a number of human rights groups, say the proposed monitoring system is far too strict and could pose a violation of human rights.
Meanwhile, the LDP-New Komeito ruling coalition and the Democratic Party of Japan have reportedly agreed that Korean residents who came to Japan before or during World War II and their descendants would not be obliged to carry the new card all the time.
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Monday, May 25, 2009
Beef safety rating to be raised
Japan's measures against mad cow disease bear fruit
(Kyodo News) The World Organization for Animal Health is expected to upgrade its evaluation of Japan's safeguard measures against mad cow disease, government sources said Sunday.
The government will try to boost Japanese beef exports after the Paris-based international organization, known by its French acronym OIE, upgrades Japan's status, the sources said.
Tokyo is also expected to begin considering easing age regulations for testing meat for mad cow disease, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, they said.
The OIE is expected to grant the authorization to Japan during a general session that opened Sunday, the sources said.
If the government begins to consider relaxing the current testing rules, the U.S. will likely apply more pressure to lift Japan's beef import restrictions so it can sell more beef here.
Japan currently requires beef from cattle aged 21 months and older to be tested for mad cow disease.
The government will have to be careful about deciding when to revamp the testing rules because the public remains wary about U.S. beef, given that some cow parts banned by Japanese import regulations were found in beef shipments from the U.S. after the current restrictions were put in place, industry watchers said.
Under OIE regulations, there are three risk categories — negligible mad cow risk, controlled risk and undetermined risk. Ten countries are classified as posing a negligible risk.
Controlled risk recognition is granted to countries where adequate measures, including the removal of risk materials such as brains and spinal cords, are taken even though mad cow is not completely eradicated.
The U.S. and 30 other countries are in the controlled risk category. Japan applied for the status in December, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said.
Thirty-six infected cows have been found in Japan since the first case of mad cow disease here in 2001.
There were three cases in 2007, one last year and one so far this year.
Since the first case, the government has instituted various measures, such as banning the use of bone-meal cattle feed made with brains and spinal cords.
About 20 countries and territories banned imports of Japanese beef, and only five of them, including Singapore, have so far resumed beef purchases from Japan.
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Monday, May 25, 2009
Four new flu cases; schools to reopen
(Kyodo News) The tally of swine flu infections in Japan rose to 342 on Sunday, as four more people, including a 19-year-old man in Toyono, Osaka Prefecture, and an 18-year-old male high school student in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, were confirmed as having the new H1N1 virus.
Osaka and Hyogo prefectures, where more than 310 of the confirmed patients live, plan to allow elementary, junior high and high schools to resume classes Monday after they were shut down for about a week.
The prefectural governments said the worst is apparently over, with recent figures showing that the number of new infections has slowed down.
They made the decision after the central government relaxed its flu policy Friday, allowing local governments to decide on school closures based on the situation in each area.
There have been no deaths in Japan related to the new H1N1 virus.
In other developments, Russia on Saturday added Japan to its list of countries that the government is asking its citizens to avoid, according to the Interfax news agency.
Russia has also urged its citizens not to travel to the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Spain. On May 19 it urged Russians not go to Osaka and Hyogo.
As of early Sunday, the number of patients worldwide stood at 12,462.
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