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from Asia Times
LEAST BIASED, HIGH; News & Media Website based in Hong Kong
Japan ratifies free trade deal with United States
All Japanese hurdles for the implementation of a Japan-USA free-trade agreement have been cleared after the Diet’s Upper House approved it on Wednesday. The deal – officially the “US-Japan Trade Agreement and US-Japan Digital Trade Agreement” – was given the green light by Japan’s Upper House after the Lower House had passed it last month, Kyodo News reported from Tokyo. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party controls both houses, and Abe has made upgrading ties with Washington a key policy. The deal looks to be a result of US President Donald Trump’s oft-stated determination to cut into the trade deficits the US has with partners around the world. While the enhanced access to the Japanese market that US farmers win may grant Trump an electoral boost in agricultural states in 2020, every indication is that even if Washington follows Tokyo’s lead and ratifies the agreement speedily, much work remains ahead before a “gold-standard” free-trade agreement is agreed and signed.
All Japanese hurdles for the implementation of a Japan-USA free-trade agreement have been cleared after the Diet’s Upper House approved it on Wednesday. The deal – officially the “US-Japan Trade Agreement and US-Japan Digital Trade Agreement” – was given the green light by Japan’s Upper House after the Lower House had passed it last month, Kyodo News reported from Tokyo. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party controls both houses, and Abe has made upgrading ties with Washington a key policy. The deal looks to be a result of US President Donald Trump’s oft-stated determination to cut into the trade deficits the US has with partners around the world. While the enhanced access to the Japanese market that US farmers win may grant Trump an electoral boost in agricultural states in 2020, every indication is that even if Washington follows Tokyo’s lead and ratifies the agreement speedily, much work remains ahead before a “gold-standard” free-trade agreement is agreed and signed.
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from BBC News (UK)
The elm tree can return to the British countryside, given a helping hand, according to a new report. More than 20 million trees died during the 1960s and 1970s from Dutch elm disease. In the aftermath, the elm was largely forgotten, except among a handful of enthusiasts who have been breeding elite elms that can withstand attack.
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from The Guardian (UK)
Nato leaders have agreed to undergo a review on the alliance’s future direction, attempting a show of unity at the end of a summit characterised by public spats and open divisions on policy. As the two-day summit in London drew to a close, the members vowed to stand together against threats from Russia and terrorism and the challenge of a rising China.
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from The Spokesman-Review
Newspaper in Spokane, Washington
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