Newsweek 04/13/2018

MORE THAN THREE DECADES AGO, THE M-19, a center-left Colombian guerrilla group, stormed the Palace of Justice, the country’s top court, to condemn then–President Belisario Betancur for allegedly violating a truce. A 28-hour siege ensued, as militants squared off against the armed forces, leaving dozens dead, the building burned and the country mired in chaos. A month before the siege, in October 1985, the national army detained a young militant named Gustavo Petro—who was not part of the raid—and tortured him for days at a cavalry school. After his release, Petro helped craft a peace treaty between the militants and the government. Now, he wants to be Colombia’s next president. As of publication, Petro, who is running for the progressive Colombia Humana Movement, was slightly trailing Iván Duque, his staunchest rival. (Duque…

IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE THE beginning of a joke. A British priest, an American student and a Scottish baroness, among others, were stuck at a border crossing. But the border in question is no joking matter; it’s the one that divides Lebanon from Syria. Skeptical of what they’d seen and heard in the Western media, these men and women had arrived here to learn the “truth” about the then-six-year-old Syrian Civil War. This was last year, and the group was one of hundreds of tourist delegations that have tried to come to Syria, many with permission from the regime. Its organizer? Andrew Ashdown, an Anglican vicar from Winchester, a small town in southern England. Since 2014, he’s visited Syria at least nine times on similar tours. His personal highlight came about…

At the beginning of its rapid industrialization following World War II, Japan imported many concepts from the United States and United Kingdom on factory management and statistical quality control. But over the proceeding decades, Japanese manufacturers left its competitors in the U.S. and U.K. behind, thanks to their ability to produce high-quality goods at a competitive cost. “Japanese people are perfectionists and as such their work ethic is to always strive for perfection” Shuhei Toyoda, President. Toyota Boshoku Corp. Noted for his quality management innovations, Japanese organizational theorist Kaoru Ishikawa (1915-1989) is considered a key figure in the development of quality initiatives in Japan. During the 80s he released four books on the topic of quality control. “To practice quality control is to develop, design, produce and service a quality product (...) To…

In the early 90s, some commentators tipped Japan to become the world superpower in software development, on the back of its success in high-tech manufacturing. But ultimately, Japan was left trailing far behind the U.S. in software innovation, as Silicon Valley churned out software patents at an incredibly faster rate than Tokyo. The reason for this is mainly attributed to Japan’s focus on Monozukuri – making things like semiconductors, televisions, hi-fis, computers and advanced machinery. Japanese companies viewed hardware as their strength and put little value or emphasis on software as a value creator. “A Samurai would never write software!” – so exclaimed a senior executive of one Japan’s largest electronics firm. But the attitudes towards software have changed with growing internet use and the increasing importance of software, as well as…

Japan is seen as a hub for high-performance, cutting-edge technologies, and this is also true in the stainless steel wire and metal fiber industry, where companies are now required to make thinner, stronger and more precise materials for a range of demanding hi-tech industries such as automotive, IT, energy and healthcare. A global leader in the manufacturing of stainless steel wires and metal fibers, Nippon Seisen is building on the technology it has developed over its 66-year history to supply high-quality, next-generation materials that support the high performance of its customer’s end products. The company’s product portfolio of what it calls ‘Micro & Fine Technology’ includes: the world’s thinnest stainless-steel super-fine wires (which the company boasts are finer than a strain of hair); high-strength, heat-resistant stainless-steel spring wires; and its ‘NALSON’ stainless…

For years, shale gas lay dormant in rocks deep underground. Energy companies knew it was there, but because of the high mining costs, nobody could find a way to make money from extracting it. That changed however when the U.S. developed the technology to turn hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, for shale gas into a profitable venture, and since then the industry has grown rapidly. The past few years for the shale industry have been difficult though, mainly due to restrictions placed upon it by the administration of former President Obama and the impact of the plummet in oil prices. But shale drillers are expecting to see somewhat of a resurgence, thanks to the pro-mining and deregulation policies of President Donald Trump. Advocates in the energy industry and political world like Mr. Trump…