CHINA
Online censorship hits VPNs
Tech specialists and companies are reporting that the nation is blocking virtual private network (VPN) services that let users skirt online censorship of popular Web sites such as Google and Facebook. The virtual private network provider Golden Frog wrote on its blog that the controls have hit a wide swath of VPN services. Another provider, Astrill, informed its users that the controls have started hitting iPhone access to services such as Gmail this year.
AUSTRALIA
Exercise causes bomb scare
A bomb scare on a ferry that caused major disruptions in downtown Sydney was a training exercise gone wrong, an official said yesterday. The transport hub of Circular Quay, between the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, was shut for two hours on Thursday afternoon after the crew of a moored ferry found a suspicious package. Bomb squad police were called to examine the package, which was described by the Australian Broadcasting Corp as two bottles containing liquid and nails with protruding wires. Harbour City Ferries chief executive Steffen Faurby yesterday described the package as “a training device, which was not recognized as a typical training device by staff.” He said in a statement that there had been “no intentional hoax.” An employee brought the device on board for training, but staff did not know what it was and called police, the statement said.
JAPAN
KFC stops fries sales
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in Japan has stopped selling fries, as industrial disputes that have crimped potato exports from the US took another bite out of the nation’s fast food market. The chain became the latest casualty of the potato shortage that has already forced McDonald’s Japan to ration its servings. “Due to the prolonged dockworkers’ disputes on the United States West Coast, it has become difficult to secure stable supplies of potatoes,” the firm said in a statement on Thursday. “The company will halt the sales of potatoes temporarily until a stable supply becomes available.” Fries troubles for “The Colonel” came after McDonald’s in Japan said last month it had airlifted in more than 1,000 tonnes of potatoes and had put in place emergency shipment via an unusual sea route. The airlift eased the shortage that had forced the chain to limit customers to small servings of fries. That came after the operator of the Gusto restaurant chain also said it planned to airlift in about 200 tonnes of french fries to avoid running short. Dockworkers in the US are reportedly on a go-slow and have not been providing full crews for months in a bid to gain bargaining leverage in labor negotiations with employers.
The pledge by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to “work, work, work, work and work” for her country has been named the catchphrase of the year, recognizing the effort Japan’s first female leader had to make to reach the top. Takaichi uttered the phrase in October when she was elected as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Many were initially as worried about her work ethic as supportive of her enthusiasm. In a country notorious for long working hours, especially for working women who are also burdened with homemaking and caregiving, overwork is a sensitive topic. The recognition triggered a
A plan by Switzerland’s right-wing People’s Party to cap the population at 10 million has the backing of almost half the country, according to a poll before an expected vote next year. The party, which has long campaigned against immigration, argues that too-fast population growth is overwhelming housing, transport and public services. The level of support comes despite the government urging voters to reject it, warning that strict curbs would damage the economy and prosperity, as Swiss companies depend on foreign workers. The poll by newspaper group Tamedia/20 Minuten and released yesterday showed that 48 percent of the population plan to vote
A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook Japan’s northeast region late on Monday, prompting tsunami warnings and orders for residents to evacuate. A tsunami as high as three metres (10 feet) could hit Japan’s northeastern coast after an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.6 occurred offshore at 11:15 p.m. (1415 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. Tsunami warnings were issued for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, and a tsunami of 40cm had been observed at Aomori’s Mutsu Ogawara and Hokkaido’s Urakawa ports before midnight, JMA said. The epicentre of the quake was 80 km (50 miles) off the coast of
RELAXED: After talks on Ukraine and trade, the French president met with students while his wife visited pandas, after the pair parted ways with their Chinese counterparts French President Emmanuel Macron concluded his fourth state visit to China yesterday in Chengdu, striking a more relaxed note after tough discussions on Ukraine and trade with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) a day earlier. Far from the imposing Great Hall of the People in Beijing where the two leaders held talks, Xi and China’s first lady, Peng Liyuan (彭麗媛), showed Macron and his wife Brigitte around the centuries-old Dujiangyan Dam, a World Heritage Site set against the mountainous landscape of Sichuan Province. Macron was told through an interpreter about the ancient irrigation system, which dates back to the third century
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