rpannier
rpannier's JournalFormer President Chun Doo-hwan dies at 90
Source: Yonhap
Former President Chun Doo-hwan, a general-turned strongman widely criticized for seizing power through a 1979 military coup and ruthlessly quelling a pro-democracy civil uprising in the southwestern city of Gwangju the following year, died Tuesday at the age of 90.
Chun died at his home in western Seoul around 8:40 a.m. after battling chronic ailments, aides said.
snip
The former Army general rose to power after staging a coup in the wake of the assassination of then President Park Chung-hee in 1979 and ruled the country until 1988.
One of his biggest and darkest political legacies is his deadly crackdown on the Gwangju pro-democracy civil uprising in 1980, which left more than 200 dead and 1,800 others wounded, according to conservative official data.
Read more: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20211123002452315?section=national/politics
May he rot. He was a horrible person all the way around
Best moment after he was out of office was, while being questioned by the National Assembly for his crimes, future Korean President Roh Moo-hyun threw a nameplate at him (still a great moment in Korean history) -- too bad he missed
Nov 20, 1982 - The Play Cal vs Stanford
I was at Wash State at the time and it was the same day the Cougars beat the fuskies for the 1st time in about ever
My parents were at the Cal-Stanford game -- my father graduated Law School at Cal.
So it was a great day for the family
Today in Korea is the KSAT. Dubbed the hardest test in the world. Good luck to you all
There is no test on this planet that is more difficult and more stressful than the KSAT.
Considered the most important test any student will take in Korea, the country celebrates and goes out of its way to help on this day.
Out in front of numerous high schools, 1st and 2nd year boys will stand shirtless cheering on those taking the tests
During the Korean and English listening portions of the test no planes will land or take off anywhere in the country
Afraid you may be late to the test? Don't worry. You call the local police department and they will provide you with a driver (police officer) to get you there on time
Traffic is curtailed, redirected and halted starting an hour before the test. (One year I was sitting on a bus, not moving for almost an hour because I had forgotten it was test day)
Elementary and middle schools start their days after 10, instead of at 9.
When we lived in Korea, our elementary school did not have the kids arrive until 10:30. The school was locked up so they didn't come early to keep noisy children off the street
The test is extremely difficult.
If you think it's an exaggeration, go to the Korean Englishman and watch the videos on British high school students, University students and adults trying to take the English portion of the test. And have fun watching native English speaking Brits look confused and feel stressed about a test that has no effect on them
Our oldest graduates in 2022-3. Fortunately, we're in Japan, so she's spared the test.
Again, best of luck to all the Korean 3rd year students (Seniors) taking their College Standardized Test. Hopefully you do well.
Jakucho Setouchi: A freewheeling nun who bucked conventional norms for women
Jakucho Setouchi used to say “To live is to love,” and that is exactly how the Buddhist nun and author lived her life to the fullest before she died last week at age 99.
Setouchi, known for her charm and flair for wit, spent the latter half of her life as a nun, delivering inspirational sermons and carving out a reputation as a popular orator and TV guest. But prior to beginning her religious journey in 1973, the Tokushima native established herself first and foremost as a writer — and a controversial one at that — who penned a number of biographical novels about feminist activists and women who fought the powers that be.
snip
As an author, though, she got off to a rocky start. In 1957, she published “Kashin” (“A Flower Aflame”), a novel noted for its unbridled depiction of love and sex that scandalized Japan’s literary world so much that she was essentially “ostracized,” as she put it later, from major literature magazines for the next five years.
snip
The obvious turning point for her was in 1973 when she, in the middle of her very successful career as an author, surprised the nation by suddenly committing herself to Buddhism. Not that this foray into religion stopped her from writing, producing more than 400 works in her lifetime.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/11/14/national/jakucho-setouchi-freewheeling-nun-bucked-conventional-norms-women-dies-age-99/
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(Tweet) The boy is amazing. The end is funny
https://twitter.com/i/status/1460143071174164482This is rather disturbing
From the Japan Times
snip
BB rated Agile did just that after crossing two of the red lines. Last June, Canford Mind Ltd., a shell company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, issued a $175 million one-year 6.75% dollar bond “unconditionally and irrevocably guaranteed by” Agile, according to the offering document seen by Bloomberg Opinion.
But that $175 million debt is unlikely to show up on Agile’s balance sheet, because the guarantee “shall be enforceable other than on June 30 and Dec. 31 of each year,” the semiannual dates on which the company is supposed to provide snapshots of its balance sheet positions.
This means that China’s regulators, as well as Agile’s bond and equity holders, don’t get to assess the full risks of the company. In November, Agile privately raised another $250 million offered by Better Hai Investment Ltd., a Cayman Island-incorporated firm. Like the first, it was underwritten by Haitong Securities Co., whose onshore unit is under regulatory probe over suspected market manipulation on bond sales. Agile did not and is not required to make any public disclosure on the deal. Phone calls to the company were not returned, nor were emails to its investor relations personnel.
Agile is by no means an exception. Undisclosed, backroom private bond deals are becoming common. Since October, Yuzhou Group Holdings Co. and Ronshine China Holdings Ltd. have closed such deals, while Fantasia Holdings Group Co. and Logan Group Co. were marketing them to investors, reported Debtwire last month.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/11/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-distressed-developers/
I wonder how common a practice this is. Does this happen in the US?
U.S. diplomat flees after suspected hit-and-run accident in Seoul: police
SEOUL, Nov. 11 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. diplomat fled into the Yongsan Garrison after allegedly hitting a taxi from behind while driving in Seoul earlier this week and has since been refusing to cooperate with a police investigation, officials said Thursday.
The diplomat, whose identity is not known, was suspected of rear-ending the taxi's bumper while changing lanes near the Namsan No. 3 tunnel in central Seoul at 5:35 p.m. Wednesday but left the site without stopping to deal with the accident.
snip
Police also arrived at the gate and tried to identify the diplomat, but the diplomat and three other passengers refused to cooperate with all police requests, including a breathalyzer test, without even opening a window of the car and entered the base, officials said.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20211111005600315
Five Stories from Europe You May Have Missed
1. Russia's Kirov Region Culls Poultry After Avian-Flu OutbreakRussian authorities have ordered the mass culling of poultry in the western Kirov region after an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
The region’s governor, Igor Vasiliyev, declared an emergency in 10 districts after H5N1 avian influenza was detected last week at a poultry farm.
All poultry in the contaminated zones is being culled, including that held by villagers.
The Kirov region's veterinary department said about 230 tons of poultry were seized and incinerated.
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-kirov-bird-flu/31548091.html
2. Deserters: Spanish police end escaped camels’ night on the town
Eight camels and a llama were loose on the streets of Madrid overnight after escaping from a nearby circus, Spanish police have said.
The animals were spotted at about 5am wandering around the southern district of Carabranchel close to the circus’s current location. Quiros Circus, which owns them, blamed sabotage by animal rights activists.
“Several camels and a llama escaped from a circus in Madrid overnight this evening,” Spain’s national police wrote on Twitter, sharing images of eight two-humped camels and a llama hanging around at a street corner.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/05/got-the-hump-spanish-police-end-escaped-camels-night-on-the-town
3. Despite week-long 'holiday period', Russia reports record daily COVID-19 cases
Russia has recorded its record number of daily coronavirus cases, despite being in the midst of a week-long holiday period declared by the government to combat the spread of COVID-19.
According to figures published by the government on Saturday morning, 41,335 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the last 24 hours, a record since the beginning of the pandemic.
The country has also recorded 1,888 deaths during the same period, a figure slightly down on Friday’s stats.
Russia is Europe’s most heavily affected country, with more than 8.7 million cases since the start of the health crisis, and a death toll of nearly 450,000 by the end of September.
https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/06/despite-week-long-holiday-period-russia-reports-record-daily-covid-19-cases
4. France Urged To Grant Asylum To Russian Prisons Whistle-Blower
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is urging France to grant asylum to a Belarus-born man responsible for last month's massive leak of videos exposing mistreatment, torture, and sexual abuse in Russian prisons.
In a statement on November 5, the Paris-based media-freedom watchdog also called on Russia to drop all charges against Syarhey Savelyeu, who fled to France last month after he released graphic video evidence of hundreds of cases of inmate torture by other inmates at the direction of prison officials.
After placing Savelyeu on a wanted list on October 23 and announcing his "arrest in absentia," Russian authorities are reportedly planning to submit an international wanted notice for the IT specialist to Interpol.
"While such accusations are not new, this is the first time that videos of torture and sexual abuse carried out at the request of the very Russian prison administration have been brought to the public's attention," said Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk.
https://www.rferl.org/a/france-russia-asylum-whistle-blower/31548130.html
5. Greek firefighters clash with police at climate ministry
Police clashed in Athens Friday with protesting firefighters demanding job contracts in the wake of massive wildfires. One firefighter was hurt by a stun grenade and five others were detained after police fired teargas and water cannon to disperse the demonstrators.
The protesters, wearing their firefighting uniforms, blocked traffic outside the newly-created Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry north of the capital.
snip
In the wake of the fires, the government created the new climate crisis ministry, headed by the Cypriot-born former European Union Commissioner Christos Stylianides.
snip
“Contract firefighters put their heart and soul into the effort to battle the fires over the summer," Farandakis said. "They have repeatedly been promised proper jobs. But they have been deceived. I don’t know what kind of disaster has to happen — more fires? more floods? — for the message to get through.”
https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/05/greek-firefighters-clash-with-police-at-climate-ministry
NBC News Poll: 50 percent of Republicans doubt their vote will be counted accurately
Solution: Don't waste your time voting. Just stay home
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