Not far from Mount Fuji is Japan's biggest British theme park; a park so large it has its own working railway! This week on Journey Across Japan we visit the most iconic viewing point of Mount Fuji, wander the streets of a British theme park and maybe - just maybe - get a view of Fuji once and for all.
Monday, November 30, 2020
I Spent a Day in Japan's Biggest British Theme Park
Not far from Mount Fuji is Japan's biggest British theme park; a park so large it has its own working railway! This week on Journey Across Japan we visit the most iconic viewing point of Mount Fuji, wander the streets of a British theme park and maybe - just maybe - get a view of Fuji once and for all.
Why has Australia and China’s relationship turned sour?
China imposes tariffs on Australian wine in latest escalation of trade and diplomatic dispute.
How did Venezuela end up with two presidents? | Start Here
Venezuela has two competing presidents — Juan Guaido and Nicolas Maduro.
Neither seems able to fix the mess that the country is in.
Will parliamentary elections only make things worse?
Political Expert Warns of Trump's Coup Tactics | NowThis
This political expert believes President Trump has one more play to overturn the 2020 election results.
Poorest twice as likely to die from coronavirus in UK - BBC News
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the poor, vulnerable and those living in deprived areas the hardest.
The overall death rate in England’s poorest areas was almost double that of the least deprived between April and June, according to official figures.
Why homeless people are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19
Homeless during a pandemic: Whether living on the streets or in close-knit communal shelters, homeless people are especially vulnerable to Covid-19. As cold weather bites in some parts of the world, they face a “double threat.”
Six In The Morning Monday 30 November 2020
Moderna Covid vaccine has 94% efficacy, final results confirm
US company submits data to start approval process with regulators around the world
Final results from the trials of Moderna’s vaccine against Covid-19 confirm it has 94% efficacy and nobody who was vaccinated with it developed severe disease, said the company, kickstarting the approval process with regulators around the world.
The US company is submitting the data to the regulators in the US, Europe and the UK for an emergency licence. It expects the Food and Drug Administration in the US to consider it at its meeting on 17 December, Moderna said.
The UK has bought 7m doses of the vaccine, 5m on the day Moderna announced its interim result of 94.5% efficacy, and a further 2m last week. But supplies of the vaccine to the UK are not expected until March. Moderna, based in Massachusetts, has received $2.48bn in US federal funds and was a key part of the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed.
Iran says weapon used to kill top nuclear scientist was ‘made in Israel’
The UAE has issued a statement calling it a ‘heinous assassination’
Iran has claimed that the weapon used to kill their top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who founded its military nuclear programme two decades ago, was made in Israel.
Ali Shamkhani, a member of Iran’s national security council, said the attack was “carried out using electronic devices”. He was speaking at a funeral service for Fakhrizadeh that took place outdoors at Iran's defence ministry in Tehran on Monday.
“No individual was present at the site” of the killing said Mr Shamkhani, according to Iran‘s state-controlled English-language Press TV. He also blamed an Iranian exile group, Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, of "having a role” in the incident but did not elaborate on the claim.
France: Police face charges over beating of Black music producer
Four officers are reported to have been charged in connection with the beating of music producer Michel Zecler. Fresh police brutality accusations arose after arrests were made at security law protests over the weekend.
Four officers were reported to have been charged on Monday over the arrest of Black music producer Michel Zecler, who was shown being beaten for several minutes in video footage.
An examining magistrate in Paris charged three officers with "willful violence by a person holding public authority" and "forgery," a judicial source told news agency AFP.
Video footage showed how music producer Zecler was repeatedly beaten by three officers and subjected to racial abuse as he tried to enter his music studio earlier this month.
Australia demands China apologise after 'repugnant' fake image posted on Twitter
Australia demanded an apology after a senior Chinese official posted a fake image of an Australian soldier holding a knife with blood on it to the throat of an Afghan child, calling it "truly repugnant" and demanding it be taken down.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison called a media briefing to condemn the posting of the image, marking another downturn in deteriorating relations between the two countries.
The Australian government has asked Twitter to remove the image, posted on Monday by China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on his official Twitter account, Morrison said.
Ethiopia: PM Abiy rejects claims army killed civilians in Tigray
Abiy Ahmed also told Parliament army would not destroy Tigrayan capital Mekelle after capturing it recently.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said federal troops had not killed a single civilian in their nearly month-long offensive against regional forces in Tigray.
Abiy also assured Parliament on Monday that the army would not destroy Mekelle, capital of Tigray, after announcing its capture yesterday.
The Ethiopian government has been trying to quell a rebellion by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a powerful ethnically based party that dominated the central government for nearly three decades until Abiy came to power in 2018.
'Firehose of falsehood:' How Trump is trying to confuse the public about the election outcome
Updated 1539 GMT (2339 HKT) November 30, 2020
Trump is Trump. There's nothing new to say about the outgoing president. But there is still lots to learn about his enablers. So many people, from GOP functionaries to Fox News hosts, are helping him to undermine democracy by denying the election and attacking reality. So many people are complicit.
People like Maria Bartiromo. Formerly an acclaimed journalist, known around the world for making CEOs tell the truth, she now tees up Trump to recite lie after lie. Her Sunday morning call with Trump on Fox News was his first "interview" since he lost the election, but it wasn't a real interview at all. He wasn't ready to acknowledge that he lost, and neither was she. He displayed delusional weakness. She was complicit. And she's far from the only one.
Sunday, November 29, 2020
SEOUL TRAVEL VLOG // Best Things To Do In Seoul, Korea
Hi guys!! Travel with me to Seoul, Korea in my first ever youtube video! This is the ultimate guide for all the best things to do in Seoul. It was an especially fun and special trip for me to film, felt incredible going back and reconnecting with the motherland
Is Murdoch media facing a reckoning in Australia?
Two former Australian prime ministers take on the Murdoch empire. Plus, Uttar Pradesh – one of the most dangerous places to report on in India.
Long Autumn Walk in Tokyo Tachikawa Showa Kinen Park 2020
40 minutes from central Tokyo, Showa Kinen Park, is a wonderful place to enjoy the autumn leaves. The park is so large that you can easily spend an entire day here and still not see the whole thing! I'd definitely recommend making a trip here if you get the chance, and rending a bicycle to explore on a sunny day.
UK government warns of “third wave” of coronavirus if rules relaxed
The British government has warned that a third wave of coronavirus is possible in the new year — if restrictions are relaxed too far.
Colin Kaepernick Is #StillReady to Play in the NFL | NowThis
Colin Kaepernick has not played in an NFL game since 2016. That year, he began a a protest against police brutality by kneeling during the U.S. national anthem before games. At the end of the season, Colin Kaepernick became a free agent and still remains unsigned to a team
Reunited after the Manchester Arena bombing
Usman was a teenage steward working at Manchester Arena. Sharon was a mum collecting her daughter from an Ariana Grande concert.
Paris police clash with protesters over new security bill | DW News
Authorities clashed with protesters in the French capital Paris over a new security bill that would restrict the right to publish images of police officers. The issue came into focus after footage emerged of police beating up and racially abusing Black music producer Michel Zecler.
Six In The Morning Sunday 29 November 2020
In Japan, more people died from suicide last month than from Covid in all of 2020. And women have been impacted most
Updated 1146 GMT (1946 HKT) November 29, 2020
Eriko Kobayashi has tried to kill herself four times.
The first time, she was just 22 years old with a full-time job in publishing that didn't pay enough to cover her rent and grocery bills in Tokyo. "I was really poor," said Kobayashi, who spent three days unconscious in hospital after the incident.
Now 43, Kobayashi has written books on her mental health struggles and has a steady job at an NGO. But the coronavirus is bringing back the stress she used to feel.
A year after Wuhan alarm, China seeks to change Covid origin story
Reports in state media signal an intensifying propaganda effort to place the birth of the virus in other countries
Sun 29 Nov 2020 07.15 GMT
Nearly a year after doctors identified the first cases of a worrying new disease in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the country appears to be stepping up a campaign to question the origins of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
State media has been reporting intensively on coronavirus discovered on packaging of frozen food imports, not considered a significant vector of infection elsewhere, and research into possible cases of the disease found outside China’s borders before December 2019.
The official People’s Daily newspaper claimed in a Facebook post last week that “all available evidence suggests that the coronavirus did not start in central China’s Wuhan”.
Police tear gas Parisian protesters after tens of thousands demonstrate against new law that bans filming police
Proposed law makes filming or photographing police a criminal offence punishable by jail
Protesters have been tear gassed by the police after tens of thousands took to the streets across France in protest against a controversial new law which makes filming or photographing the police a criminal offence.
Journalists and human rights groups have raised concerns the proposed legislation gravely breaches the media and general public’s ability to keep a record of police brutality.
The law that curbs sharing photos of officers, which gained the backing of the lower house of parliament last week but needs to be upheld by the senate, would punish transgressors with up to a year in jail and a hefty fine of €45,000 (£40,445).
The Search for a Coronavirus PillResearchers Explore Promising New Therapies for COVID-19
All eyes are on coronavirus vaccines at the moment. But efforts to find successful treatments against COVID-19 are rapidly moving along as well. Initial laboratory tests have been encouraging.
By Jörg Blech
Effective in 70 percent of cases, in 90 percent, even in 95 percent: The recent triumphant announcements from AstraZeneca, BioNTech and Moderna, rooted in preliminary results from ongoing clinical trials, make it look as though a vaccine against the coronavirus could soon be approved.
'Why now?' Dismay as US considers troop pullout from Somalia
CARA ANNA
No country has been involved in Somalia’s future as much as the United States. Now the Trump administration is thinking of withdrawing the several hundred U.S. military troops from the Horn of Africa nation at what some experts call the worst possible time.
Three decades of chaos, from warlords to al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab to the emergence of an Islamic State-linked group, have ripped apart the country that only in the past few years has begun to find its footing. The U.S. Embassy returned to Somalia just last year, 28 years after diplomats and staffers fled.
Sydney records hottest November night on record
Sydney has reported its hottest November night on record, with the official start of summer still days away.
The city recorded a minimum overnight temperature of 25.4C and then hit 40C during the daytime on Sunday.
Dozens of bush fires are already burning in New South Wales with hotter weather predicted on Tuesday.
The states of Victoria and South Australia also reported soaring heat over the weekend.
Saturday, November 28, 2020
Staying a Night in the World's Noisiest Hotel | Tokyo's Railway Hotel
In this video we are staying a very entertaining night in one of Tokyo's more peculiar hotels- The Under Railway Hotel. It may just be the noisiest hotel in the world! This stylish and newly-opened Tokyo hotel is built right under the JR Train tracks in Akihabara and as you can imagine it is NOT library quiet.
As China tightens its grip on Hong Kong, could Taiwan be next?
Beijing has held military drills near the Taiwan Straits and has deployed marines and missiles to its southern coast.
When food becomes scarce – high-tech farms of the future | DW Documentary
Agriculture will have to change drastically in the future if it is to meet global demand. Food production will become increasingly difficult in the face of growing challenges like rapid population growth, climate change and soil exhaustion.
PA Lt. Gov. John Fetterman Calls BS on Trump's Claims of Fraud | NowThis
‘At this point, it’s time to just hang it up’ — Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman continues to call BS on Trump’s baseless claims of fraud as a growing number of Republicans urge Trump to concede.
Macron: Images of French police beating a Black man 'shame us'
French President Emmanuel Macron has described the beating of a Black man by police officers as an "unacceptable attack" that shamed his country. Music producer Michel Zecler was trying to enter his Paris studio, when four police agents started punching him. The incident was caught on camera.
Nanmoku: Afterglow of the Silk Road - Journeys in Japan
Unravel the rich history of Nanmoku, a village in Gunma Prefecture which once prospered as a center of silk production during the modernization of Japan. Time seems to stand still as the echoes of the past fade away into the mountain air.
Inside America's Largest Right Wing Militia
In the backwoods of Georgia, a controversial, right-wing, "anti-terror" militia group gathers once a month to complete field training exercises under the command of Chris Hill—a.k.a Blood Agent. This militia group, called the Georgia III% Security Force, is part of the Three Percenter movement, which is inspired by the unfounded claim that only three percent of colonists fought against the British in the American Revolution.
Six In The Morning Saturday 28 November 2020
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh: Iran blames Israel for killing top scientist
Iran's president has blamed Israel for the killing of a top nuclear scientist on Friday, and said it would not slow down the country's nuclear programme.
Hassan Rouhani also said Iran would retaliate over Mohsen Fakhrizadeh's killing at a time of its choosing.
Fakhrizadeh was killed in an ambush on his car by gunmen in the town of Absard, east of the capital Tehran.
Israel has not commented, but it has previously accused him of being behind a covert nuclear weapons programme.
Encrypted apps and false names: new Taiwan book club takes no chances
Amid Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong, publisher says joining clubs to discuss free speech and democracy has again become an act of resistance
Helen Davidson in Taipei
In the early 1950s in Taiwan, 19-year-old Tsai Kun-lin was arrested and jailed after joining a book club. The young man spent more than a decade on Green Island, building the prison that held him as a political enemy of the authoritarian rulers who would hold Taiwan under martial law until 1987.
Decades later, a 90-year-old Tsai is living in Taiwan’s thriving democracy, but says a book club has once again become an act of resistance.
This month the publisher and activist, alongside exiled Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee, will address the Katthveli book club, exploring political activism, free speech and democracy in Hong Kong and Taiwan, two places under extraordinary threat from an increasingly belligerent People’s Republic of China.
Coronavirus: How German protesters are trivializing Nazi-era persecution
This weekend will see fresh protests in Germany against measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic. The rallies have provided a backdrop for demonstrators to compare themselves to victims of Nazi persecution.
At one demonstration last weekend, a young woman, who introduced herself as "Jana from Kassel" drew a shocking parallel: "I feel," she said, "like Sophie Scholl because I've been active in the resistance movement for months." Sophie Scholl and her brother Hans founded the White Rose group in 1942. Together with other members of the group they were arrested and executed after being caught distributing anti-Nazi leaflets.
South Korean agency says North Korea executed people, shut capital
By Hyung-Jin Kim
Updated
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered at least two people executed, banned fishing at sea and locked down the capital, Pyongyang, as part of frantic efforts to guard against the coronavirus and its economic damage, South Korea's spy agency has told MPs.
Kim's government also ordered diplomats overseas to refrain from any acts that could provoke the United States because it is worried about President-elect Joe Biden's expected new approach towards North Korea, MPs told reporters on Friday, Seoul time, after attending a private briefing by the National Intelligence Service.
Ethiopian offensive on Tigray capital has begun: Regional leader
TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael says Makelle under ‘heavy bombardment’ as federal forces launch ‘final phase’ of the conflict.
The leader of rebellious forces in Tigray region says the Ethiopian government forces have begun an offensive to capture the regional capital, Makelle.
Debretsion Gebremichael, leader of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), told Reuters news agency in a text message on Saturday that the city was under “heavy bombardment”.
The QAnon conspiracy is fake. The harm it's doing to child welfare groups is real
Updated 1502 GMT (2302 HKT) November 28, 2020
Child welfare organizations for months have felt the full weight of the coronavirus pandemic, navigating concerns about unreported abuse and ensuring their resources are available to at-risk children.
But now, deeper into the outbreak, a new challenge is emerging that's complicating their critical outreach efforts: the QAnon conspiracy theory.
The most basic QAnon belief -- entirely divorced from reality -- casts President Donald Trump as the hero in a fight against the "deep state" and a sinister cabal of Democratic politicians and celebrities who abuse children. It features an anonymous government insider called "Q" who purportedly shares secret information about that fight via cryptic online posts.
Friday, November 27, 2020
Japanese Scenic Train Ride Experience in Kyoto ★ ONLY in JAPAN
Japanese trains are famous around the world for their style, comfort and speed. In the countryside of Kyoto though, you may not have speed, but you do comfort and style. The Eizan Electric Railway starting at Demachiyanagi Station is a 94 year old line that is evolving fast.
Poland’s abortion protests: A fight for democracy? | UpFront
We debate Poland’s controversial abortion ruling and discuss environmental rights with activist Winona LaDuke.
Coronavirus: When can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Excitement over this month’s COVID-19 vaccine announcements has turned into questions about when we can all access the vaccines.
What numbers are key in fighting the coronavirus pandemic?
Since the beginning of the pandemic numbers are playing an ever larger roll in our day to day lives and we have been encountering a number of statistics. Numbers inform our decision making. But which ones are actually useful?
Thursday, November 26, 2020
Romania: Rape of the Forest
Amid allegations of corruption and violence, Romania’s ancient forests are being devastated by illegal logging.
Why so many suburbs look the same?
If you’ve visited a suburb, you’ve probably noticed a similar look: same curving streets; same cul de sacs. It’s not an accident. In fact, this appearance of the suburbs is part of the Federal Housing Administration’s plan.
Ethiopia declares assault on Tigray region capital
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says he is launching the "final phase" of the army's operation in the northern region of Tigray after weeks of fighting.
How forensic researchers track down the origins of SARS-CoV2
While parts of the medical community are on the hunt for a vaccine against the coronavirus, others are on the hunt for its origin. While the first confirmed case was in China, the exact steps of the virus's early progression are still unknown.
Six In The Morning Thursday 26 November 2020
Ethiopia's military to begin 'final offensive' against Tigray capital
PM Abiy Ahmed makes order after dissident local leaders reject ultimatum to surrender
Ethiopia’s prime minister has ordered federal military forces to launch a “final offensive” on the capital of the restive Tigray region after his 72-hour ultimatum for dissident local leaders to surrender expired.
In a statement posted on social media, Abiy Ahmed said great care would be taken to protect innocent civilians from harm and said efforts would be made by government troops to ensure the city of Mekelle, which has a population of 500,000, was not “severely damaged”.
The Latest: Germany passes over 15,000 virus deaths
Germany has passed the grim milestone of more than 15,000 deaths from the coronavirus
Germany has passed the grim milestone of more than 15,000 deaths from the coronavirus.
The Robert Koch Institute, the country’s disease control center, said Thursday that another 389 deaths were recorded overnight, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 15,160.
Germany has seen 983,588 total cases of the coronavirus after adding 22,368 overnight, the agency said.
Lion cheaper than a pedigree kitten in Japan
The nation's once-busy zoos face a shrinking customer base, rising costs and a surplus of an attraction that has the reputation of being the king of the jungle. Julian Ryall reports from Tokyo.
The trade in wild animals is strictly regulated in Japan, and a lion cannot simply be purchased by a member of the public. But there are about 300 members of The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) that sell or barter surplus animals. While some species are constantly in demand – polar bears and elephants are popular attractions, and a panda cub is guaranteed to bring in the visitors – others can struggle to find a home.
"Lions are so very cheap to obtain in Japan," said Tsuyoshi Shirawa, a veteran animal dealer and founder of Rep Japan, which specializes in buying and selling wild animals.
China will create its own technological future
The Huawei war
Huawei, backed by the Chinese state, developed and helped shape 5G, the next generation of mobile connectivity. Europe has its own potential suppliers but the US fears this and is restricting the use of Chinese technology in America. This has made Chinese tech firms ever more resilient.
by Evgeny Morozov
In 1994, when Huawei was still a minor domestic player selling switches for telephone networks, its founder Ren Zhengfei met China’s leader Jiang Zemin. Ren, a former engineer with the People’s Liberation Army who went into consumer electronics, played the patriotic card, cautioning Jiang that ‘switching equipment technology was related to national security, and that a nation that did not have its own switching equipment was like one that lacked its own military’ (1). A quarter of a century later, other countries, led by the US, have belatedly grasped the wisdom of Ren’s remarks; the technology in question today is 5G, and it is Huawei’s equipment that they regard as a danger to their national security.
Europe pushes to rescue Christmas despite sacrifice of other religions
Updated 1031 GMT (1831 HKT) November 26, 2020
2020 has been far from festive, but as the year comes to an end, many of Europe's governments are scrambling to avoid stringent lockdowns over the Christmas holidays.
The push to save the celebration comes despite the fact that other religious festivals -- including Christian ones -- have been marked in a muted fashion in recent months.
The UK government on Tuesday unveiled plans to temporarily relax coronavirus restrictions for five days, from December 23 to 27, allowing up to three households to celebrate together in "Christmas bubbles." This means small groups of family and friends will be able meet in person for what may be the first time in months.
Turkey court jails hundreds for life for 2016 coup plot against Erdogan
A court in Turkey has given life sentences to 337 military officers and others, in one of the biggest trials linked to the 2016 coup attempt.
Air force pilots and army commanders were among the nearly 500 defendants accused of trying to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
They allegedly directed the plot from the Akinci air base near Ankara.
Mr Erdogan says US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen masterminded the plot, which led to mass arrests.
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