Page 2 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
ASIA / PACIFIC
June 5, 2017
Albino orangutan named “Alba” after worldwide appeal
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A conservation group says a rare albino
orangutan rescued in Indonesia was named “Alba” after thousands of
suggestions were sent from around the world. The Borneo Orangutan Survival
Foundation said the name means “white” in Latin and “dawn” in Spanish. It
hopes the animal will be an ambassador for the critically endangered species.
The five-year-old female was rescued after being captured by villagers in
Indonesia’s part of Borneo island April 29. It was the first albino orangutan to be
encountered by the foundation in its 25 years of conservation work. The founda-
tion is collecting information on albinism in great apes to help decide the pri-
mate’s future. Its CEO, Jamartin Sihite, said, “We can’t simply place Alba in a
forest area, nor in a sanctuary, without thoroughly examining all possibilities.”
China’s fondness for pirated software raises risks in attack
BEIJING (AP) — Security researchers say China’s fondness for pirated
software left it especially vulnerable to the latest global cyberattack. Beijing has
tolerated rampant use of unlicensed software copies despite repeated promises
to crack down and warnings by industry groups that China is leaving itself open
to being hurt by malicious code. BSA The Software Alliance, an industry group,
says some 70 percent of computers in China run unlicensed software, the
highest level among large countries. Rates for the United States, Japan,
Germany, and Britain range from 18 to 22 percent. Experts say that has left
millions of Chinese computers without security support and made China among
the countries most affected by the WannaCry ransomware that hit more than
150 countries.
Western Indian city launches air quality monitoring system
AHMADABAD, India (AP) — The western Indian city of Ahmadabad has
launched its first air quality monitoring system that will be used to send out
pollution alerts. The system, which started functioning in May, also informs city
residents of the health risks of high pollution. For the last few years, discussions
about India’s soaring air pollution levels have focused largely on the abysmal
quality of the air in the country’s capital, New Delhi. But experts have long
warned that other cities aren’t likely any better and just don’t have monitoring
mechanisms to measure how their pollution levels compare. The new air quality
index and pollution alert system in Ahmadabad was set up by the city’s
municipal corporation with help from several health and environmental
advocacy groups.
Dangal is China’s biggest non-Hollywood foreign film
BEIJING (AP) — The Aamir Khan film Dangal, about an Indian man training
his daughters to become wrestlers, has become China’s biggest-grossing
non-Hollywood foreign movie. The Indian film, whose name translates as Let’s
Wrestle, Dad, was released in China on May 5. The previous top-performing
non-Hollywood foreign film was the 2016 Your Name, a Japanese fantasy
drama. Media and online commentary say Dangal, which is based on a true
story, impressed audiences with its message of giving girls opportunities in a
male-centric society and has prompted discussions over how strict parents
should or should not be when raising their children. Actor and producer Khan
had already built up a following in China following the success of his previous
films, 3 Idiots and PK. The Bollywood star has garnered more than 650,000
followers on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo since opening an account in early April.
Hong Kong police arrest 21 Uber drivers in crackdown
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong police have launched a fresh crackdown on
Uber, arresting 21 drivers suspected of working for the ride-hailing giant in the
Asian financial center. Police said the drivers were arrested in an undercover
operation on suspicion of carrying passengers for hire and not having
third-party insurance for their cars. The police said the 20 men and one woman
were taken into custody and their vehicles impounded. They said they were
continuing their enforcement action and couldn’t rule out further arrests. Police
did not specifically mention Uber, but company representatives said they
planned to issue a statement. In March, five Uber drivers were convicted on
similar charges in a Hong Kong court. In 2015, police searched Uber’s offices and
confiscated computers and documents.
U.S delivers six coastal patrol boats to Vietnam coast guard
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The United States has delivered six coastal patrol
boats to Vietnam’s coast guard in a move that expands the two nation’s security
cooperation amid tension in the disputed South China Sea. The six 45-foot Metal
Shark patrol boats were officially handed over by U.S. ambassador Ted Osius to
the coast guard in the central province of Quang Nam. The embassy said in a
statement that the handover represented deepening cooperation in maritime
law enforcement and humanitarian assistance in Vietnam’s territorial waters
and exclusive economic zone. “Vietnam’s future prosperity depends upon a sta-
ble and peaceful maritime environment,” Osius was quoted in the statement as
saying at the handover ceremony. “The United States and the rest of the inter-
national community also benefit from regional stability, which is why we are
here today, and it is why we are very pleased to be working together with the
Vietnam Coast Guard.” The patrols boats will assist the coast guard in inter-
coastal patrols and law enforcement of smuggling, illicit trafficking, piracy, and
armed robbery against ships, as well as illegal fishing. Vietnam and China,
along with the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan, claim all or parts of
the Spratly islands in the South China Sea believed to sit on natural resources.
ROYAL ENGAGEMENT. Passersby watch a TV news report in Tokyo about Princess Mako, the granddaughter of
Japan’s emperor, who is getting married to Kei Komuro. Komuro, the man who won the heart of the princess, was a fellow
student at International Christian University in Tokyo, where Mako, 25, also graduated, according to public broadcaster
NHK TV. (Hitoshi Takano/Kyodo News via AP)
Japan’s Princess Mako
to get married, report says
By Yuri Kageyama
The Associated Press
OKYO — Princess Mako, the grand-
daughter of Japan’s emperor, is getting
married to an ocean lover who can ski,
play the violin, and cook, according to public
broadcaster NHK TV.
Kei Komuro, the man who won the heart of
the princess, was a fellow student at
International Christian University in Tokyo,
where Mako, 25, also graduated, NHK said.
They met at a restaurant in Tokyo’s Shibuya
about five years ago at a party to talk about
studying abroad, and they have been dating
several times a month recently, it said.
Komuro has worked as “Prince of the Sea” to
promote tourism to the beaches of Shonan in
Kanagawa prefecture, the report said.
Women can’t succeed to the Chrysanthe-
mum Throne in Japan. Mako’s father and her
younger brother are in line to succeed Emperor
Akihito, but after her uncle, Crown Prince
Naruhito, who is first in line.
Once she marries, Mako will no longer be a
princess and will become a commoner.
T
But the process building up to the wedding is
likely to take some time and be full of ritual, as
Japanese nuptials, especially royal ones, tend
to be.
First there will be an announcement, the
equivalent of an engagement, and then a date
for the wedding will be picked and the couple
will make a formal report to the emperor and
empress. NHK said Mako already introduced
Komuro to her parents and they approve.
Unlike royalty in Great Britain and other
European countries, the emperor and his
family tend to be cloistered, although they
travel abroad and appear at cultural events.
Akihito, 83, is the son of Hirohito, Japan’s
emperor during World War II.
Until Japan’s defeat at the end of World War
II, Hirohito was viewed as divine, and no one
had even heard his voice. But the times are
changing, and the Japanese public harbors a
feeling of openness and familiarity toward the
emperor and his family. People are likely to see
Mako’s marriage as a celebration, although
the rituals will continue to be tightly
orchestrated.
Japan’s cabinet approves bill to allow Emperor Akihito to abdicate
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s cabinet has
approved a bill to allow 83-year-old Emperor
Akihito to abdicate and allow his elder son,
Crown Prince Naruhito, to ascend the
Chrysanthemum Throne.
The abdication will be Japan’s first in 200
years.
Akihito indicated his desire to abdicate due
to his age and health concerns last August,
reviving a longstanding debate in Japan over
the issue of imperial succession in the
2,000-year-old monarchy.
Akihito was 56 years old when he ascended
the throne in January 1989 after the death of
his father, Emperor Hirohito. Naruhito is 57.
Women cannot succeed to the Chrysanthe-
mum Throne, and the government has avoided
divisive issues such as whether women should
be included in the current male-only
succession.
The only child of Naruhito is a girl. His
younger brother, Prince Akishino, has a young
son and two daughters.
Continued on page 4
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80.8
4027.8
6.81
2.0971
7.789
64.441
13315
32453
110.4
8294.3
4.2802
103.14
104.75
3.2785
49.511
56.635
3.7501
1.3807
1121.9
152.29
30.12
34.05
22888