JAPAN
Second ship survivor found
Authorities racing to find dozens of missing sailors from a cargo ship that sank in a typhoon found a second survivor yesterday, as a more powerful storm drew near. The Gulf Livestock 1, which was carrying 6,000 cows, issued a distress call early on Wednesday as Typhoon Maysak passed through the area, setting off a search for the 43 crew. A first survivor was found on Wednesday evening and the body of another crew member was recovered early yesterday, as Typhoon Haishen barreled toward the area, but the coast guard said that they found a second survivor yesterday afternoon, a 30-year-old Filipino found in a life raft several kilometers from a remote island in the southwest of the country.
CHINA
Writer to ‘fight to the end’
Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun (楊恆均), 55, detained for espionage by authorities for 18 months, has told family that he has refused to make a false confession, as his case appears to move closer to trial. Yang’s lawyer was on Thursday allowed access to the Beijing detention facility for the first time since Yang was detained in January last year, friends said. “I am innocent and will fight to the end,” Yang said in a message to his family, according to a friend, University of Technology Sydney academic Feng Chongyi (馮崇義). “I will never confess to something I haven’t done.”
GERMANY
Biggest brothel goes bust
One of Europe’s biggest brothels has filed for bankruptcy after being unable to operate for months due to COVID-19 restrictions. The daily Express on Thursday reported that the Pascha brothel in Cologne had used up all of its financial reserves paying for the upkeep of its 10-story building and staff of 60. As part of a wide range of efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, prostitution was banned five months ago. Organizations representing sex workers have warned that the closure of brothels would likely force prostitution underground.
MEXICO
Most virus-slain health staff
The country has had more health workers die of COVID-19 than any other country, Amnesty International said on Thursday. At least 7,000 health workers worldwide have died from COVID-19 infections, including 1,320 in Mexico, Amnesty said. Other countries with high mortality rates include the US (1,077), Brazil (634) and India (573). “Many months into the pandemic, health workers are still dying at horrific rates in countries such as Mexico,” Amnesty’s Economic and Social Justice head Steve Cockburn said. “There must be global cooperation to ensure all health workers are provided with adequate protective equipment, so they can continue their vital work without risking their own lives.”
REBUILDING: A researcher said that it might seem counterintuitive to start talking about reconstruction amid the war with Russia, but it is ‘actually an urgent priority’ Italy is hosting the fourth annual conference on rebuilding Ukraine even as Russia escalates its war, inviting political and business leaders to Rome to promote public-private partnerships on defense, mining, energy and other projects as uncertainty grows about the US’ commitment to Kyiv’s defense. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy were opening the meeting yesterday, which gets under way as Russia accelerated its aerial and ground attacks against Ukraine with another night of pounding missile and drone attacks on Kyiv. Italian organizers said that 100 official delegations were attending, as were 40 international organizations and development banks. There are
TARIFF ACTION: The US embassy said that the ‘political persecution’ against former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro disrespects the democratic traditions of the nation The US and Brazil on Wednesday escalated their row over US President Donald Trump’s support for former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, with Washington slapping a 50 percent tariff on one of its main steel suppliers. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva threatened to reciprocate. Trump has criticized the prosecution of Bolsonaro, who is on trial for allegedly plotting to cling on to power after losing 2022 elections to Lula. Brasilia on Wednesday summoned Washington’s top envoy to the country to explain an embassy statement describing Bolsonaro as a victim of “political persecution” — echoing Trump’s description of the treatment of Bolsonaro as
The tale of a middle-aged Chinese man, or “uncle,” who disguised himself as a woman to secretly film and share videos of his hookups with more than 1,000 men shook China’s social media, spurring fears for public health, privacy and marital fidelity. The hashtag “red uncle” was the top trending item on China’s popular microblog Sina Weibo yesterday, drawing at least 200 million views as users expressed incredulity and shock. The online posts told of how the man in the eastern city of Nanjing had lured 1,691 heterosexual men into sexual encounters at his home that he then recorded and distributed online. The
Hundreds of protesters marched through the Mexican capital on Friday denouncing gentrification caused by foreigners, with some vandalizing businesses and shouting “gringos out!” The demonstration in the capital’s central area turned violent when hooded individuals smashed windows, damaged restaurant furniture and looted a clothing store. Mexico City Government Secretary Cesar Cravioto said 15 businesses and public facilities were damaged in what he called “xenophobic expressions” similar to what Mexican migrants have suffered in other countries. “We are a city of open arms... there are always ways to negotiate, to sit at the table,” Cravioto told Milenio television. Neighborhoods like Roma-Condesa
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