President Donald Trumps new national security strategy seeks to refocus the United

States relationship with China, Russia and the rest of the world, transforming his
America First mantra into a set of policies and plans for protecting the homeland
and advancing its economy.

The following items were outlined in his administrations strategic document

released Monday:

Combating China: The strategy deems China, like Russia, to be a revisionist

power, determined to reshape the world according to its own ideals. Chinese
dominance risks diminishing the sovereignty of many states in its region and
beyond, it says. The strategy calls for stronger traditional alliances and new
partnerships in Asia amid a geopolitical competition between free and repressive
visions of world order. One new policy proposed: Restricting visas to prevent
intellectual property theft by foreigners, particularly Chinese, who travel to the
United States to study science, engineering, math and technology.

Countering Russia: The strategy is harsher on Russia than the president has been in
public comments. It says Russia uses subversive measures to weaken Americas
credibility and European governments, specifically calling out Moscow for its
invasions of Georgia and Ukraine. The document doesnt specifically mention
Russian meddling in last years U.S. presidential election. It does warn that
Russia and China are more effectively using cyber-attacks and online propaganda,
saying the United States and allies must counter the misinformation.

Fighting global threats: Trump says the United States must re-establish control of
its borders to block jihadist terrorists and international criminal groups,
familiar themes from his campaign and first 11 months in the White House. North
Korea and Iran are singled out as the leading threats to U.S. security, followed by
what Trump used to call radical Islamic terrorist organizations like the Islamic
State group and Al-Qaida. The strategy emphasizes cyberthreats and says the
administration will assess such risks to security, energy, banking and
transportation.

Tough on trade: Whereas past administrations argued a prosperous global economy

would benefit all countries, Trumps strategy describes nations in fierce
competition. It calls for fighting U.S. trade deficits by ensuring commercial
relationships are fair, reciprocal and rules-based. It champions bilateral trade
deals between the United States and individual countries, not the larger,
multicountry deals President Barack Obama pursued.

Chicken a la Diable

In this column, chefs and cooking experts share recipes that are easy to prepare at
home.

The increasing number of illuminations appearing on the streets are a clear

reminder that Christmas is approaching. And in Japan, Christmas is a time to enjoy
eating roast chicken.

Here, chef Katsuo Omiya, who works at a restaurant in Asakusa, Tokyo, suggests
cooking Chicken a la Diable a simple dish to prepare that looks delightful.

La diable means devil in French. Some say the name of the dish came from the
appearance of a whole chicken cut in half and spread open resembling an image of a
devil in a cloak. Others say it references the devilishly spicy sauce that is
typically served with the dish.

Omiya recommends using a whole young chicken as the meat is softer than that of
older chickens. The smaller size also makes it easier to cook.

SLIDE 1 OF 2PREVNEXT

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Cut a chicken with kitchen scissors.

If your local supermarket doesnt sell young chickens, you may be able to buy one
at a shop specialized in chicken or online.

To cook the dish, simply cut a chicken in half with kitchen scissors, and fry it in
a skillet. It requires neither the use of a knife nor an oven.

After cutting open a whole chicken, season it on both sides with salt and coarsely
ground pepper. Fry the meat in salad oil skin-side down over high heat until it
turns golden brown.

Drizzle oil from the pan over the meat repeatedly to ensure the chicken is evenly
cooked.

When the skin browns, turn the meat over, and cover the pan.

To check if the meat is cooked, stick a bamboo skewer in the chicken. If the juice
that runs out is transparent, it is ready.

The chickens delicately pink, juicy flesh is so tender that it melts in your
mouth.

The sauce recipe is an original one created by Omiya that combines sweet, sour and
spicy notes with the distinctive flavor of cumin.

The sauce tastes great, he said proudly. And I have to agree it goes perfectly
with chicken.

Recipe for Chicken a la Diable

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1 whole young chicken (about 1.2 kilograms)

4 tbsp of salad oil

Salt, coarsely ground pepper

Sauce

1 gram each cayenne pepper, cumin powder, ginger powder

2 grams each paprika powder, garlic powder, black pepper

10 grams each Worcestershire sauce, sugar, honey

20 grams each white wine vinegar, ketchup

30 grams marmalade

Directions:
1. Spatchcock the chicken. That is, place it breast-side down and cut along a side
of the spine from its tail to its neck with scissors and remove the neck bone.
Next, cut out the wishbone so the chicken opens like a book and lies flat. Turn the
chicken over so it is skin-side up, open it up and sprinkle evenly with salt and
coarsely-ground pepper.

2. Put salad oil into a skillet, place the chicken skin-side down and cook it over
a high heat. Drizzle oil from the pan over the meat repeatedly.

3. When the skin turns golden brown, turn the meat over. Put the lid on the pan and
lower the heat slightly. Lift the lid from time to time to drizzle oil from the pan
over the meat and check if it is cooked. Turn the heat to low and continue cooking
for 30-40 minutes.

4. Prepare the sauce by simply mixing the ingredients together.

5. Serve the chicken on a plate with the sauce. If desired, serve with vegetables,
lemon with minced parsley, and dress with rosemary.

Chestnut skillet

Chef Katsuo Omiya loves to collect kitchen utensils. Of about 20 cast iron skillets
he frequently uses, he showed me an unusual one with round indentations. He bought
the skillet in France, where they use it to roast chestnuts by shaking them in the
pan, he said. Roasted chestnuts are commonly eaten in autumn in France, he added.

LONDON (Reuters) Manchester Citys stellar season gathered yet more momentum as
the runaway Premier League leaders reached the League Cup semifinals with a penalty
shootout victory at Leicester City after a 1-1 draw following extra time on
Tuesday.

Pep Guardiolas City, even with a second-string team, maintained their 21-match
unbeaten record in domestic matches this season, thanks once again in this
competition to their reserve goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

The visitors looked to have booked a semifinal place with a first-half Bernardo
Silva goal until Leicester were awarded a soft-looking penalty seven minutes into
stoppage time, which Jamie Vardy converted.

But after extra time produced no further goals, Bravo, their hero with two saves in
a penalty shootout win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the previous round, again
delivered.

With City leading 4-3 in the shootout, Leicesters two big guns, second-half
substitutes Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, who both helped change the games momentum,
surprisingly misfired.

Vardys spot kick clipped the outside of the right-hand post before Mahrezs poor
effort was saved by Chilean Bravo to clinch a City victory that utterly delighted
Guardiola.

Im so happy, the Spaniard told Sky Sports after he had bounced on to the King
Power Stadium pitch to congratulate his mixed bag of promising stars and
international heavyweights.

A lot of young players played for us. They played real good, he said. The way we
had to react was not easy [after Leicesters penalty].
We were tired, we had a lot of young players, and its not easy because Jamie
Vardy and Riyad Mahrez were there.

What I liked the most is how we reacted and overcame that situation. Its a good
indication for the future.

Young blood shine

Guardiola had brought in some young blood, including Phil Foden, the teenager voted
the Under-17 World Cups best player in Englands triumph, yet it was two of his
big name recruits who dovetailed to put City ahead.

Ilkay Gundogan sliced through Leicesters midfield in the 26th minute before
putting in Portuguese international Silva, who toe-poked home confidently.

The Foxes, who had also kept their luminaries on the bench, unleashed Vardy and
Mahrez and started to look a match for City.

However, Guardiola was left complaining of an unfair finale when, with eight
minutes added on, Demarai Gray tumbled in the box having barely been touched by
fullback Kyle Walker.

Vardy put away the penalty with aplomb but when asked to do the same in the
shootout both he and Mahrez were found wanting.

With Arsenal and City progressing, there is the prospect of two mouthwatering last-
four clashes because on Wednesday holders Manchester United visit high-flying
Championship side Bristol City and Chelsea host struggling Bournemouth.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was elected
leader of the African National Congress on Monday in a close-run vote that will set
the direction for the country and the scandal-plagued party that has ruled since
the end of apartheid.

As ANC leader, Ramaphosa, a 65-year-old union leader who became a businessman and
is now one of South Africas richest people, is likely to become the countrys next
president after elections in 2019.

He has promised to fight rampant corruption and revitalize the economy, a message
hailed by foreign investors.

Jacob Zumas presidency, tainted by corruption and scandal, has badly tarnished the
ANCs image both at home and abroad. The party once led by Nelson Mandela is now
deeply divided.

Ramaphosa narrowly beat Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, 68, a former cabinet minister and
Zumas former wife, in Mondays vote, marking a pivotal moment for the ANC, which
launched black-majority rule under Mandelas leadership 23 years ago.

He smiled and hugged other party officials as the results were read out. Zuma sat
stony-faced as Ramaphosas victory was announced.

Political instability, including questions over who would replace Zuma, has been
cited by credit rating agencies as a big factor behind their decision to cut South
Africa to junk.

Economic growth in Africas traditional powerhouse has been lethargic over the last
six years and the jobless rate stands near record levels.
Zuma has faced allegations of corruption since he became head of state in 2009 but
has denied any wrongdoing. The president has also faced allegations that his
friends, the wealthy Gupta businessmen, wielded undue influence over his
government.

Zuma and the Guptas have denied the accusations.

The 75-year-old president has survived several votes of no-confidence in parliament

over his performance as head of state.

Dlamini-Zuma, 68, the presidents preferred candidate, had campaigned on pledges to

tackle the racial inequality that has persisted since the end of white-minority
rule.

Business success seen as key

The rand currency had risen to a nine-month high of 12.5200 earlier, as the market
priced in a Ramaphosa victory. Government bonds also closed firmer before the
announcement that Ramaphosa had won the race.

Ramaphosa was seen as the more investor-friendly of the two main candidates vying
to lead the ruling party, Capital Economics Africa economist John Ashbourne said.
During the campaign, he promised to clean up corruption within the ruling party
and to work with businesses and labor to boost economic growth.

In a boost to Ramaphosa, courts ruled last week that officials from some provinces
seen as supporting Dlamini-Zuma had been elected illegally and were barred from the
conference.

Ramaphosa drew the majority of nominations from party branches scattered across the
country. But the delegates are not bound by their branches when they vote at the
conference.

Mmusi Maimane, the opposition leader, said in a statement: Ramaphosa cannot save
South Africa, only the voters can in 2019, in reference to the upcoming national
elections.

Analysts say the bitterness of the power struggle between Ramaphosa and Dlamini-
Zuma has increased the chances that the party will find it hard to set policy and
could possibly split before the 2019 national election.

After his victory, Ramaphosa will be ANCs flag-bearer in that election, but will
have to contend with Dlamini-Zumas allies in his leadership team, meaning that
their policies are divergent.

Dlamini-Zuma is a fierce campaigner against racial inequality whose hostility to

big business has rattled investors in South Africa. Backers of Ramaphosa say she is
peddling populist rhetoric and would rule in the mold of her former husband,
president Zuma.

To his supporters, Ramaphosas business success makes him well-suited to the task
of turning around an economy grappling with 28 percent unemployment and credit
rating downgrades.

The Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Devonta Freeman pounded away all night until he finally found a
way into the open field, helping the Atlanta Falcons remain in the thick of the
tight NFC South race.
With sidekick Tevin Coleman out with a concussion and Matt Ryan not particularly
sharp throwing the ball, Freeman rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown to key a 24-
21 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.

The fourth-year pro scored on a 32-yard run midway through the fourth quarter,
darting through a hole on the right side before cutting back to elude the only
defender with a shot at tackling him and restore a 10-point lead for the Falcons
(9-5), who barely hung on to win for the fifth time in six games.

We had a sense this would be a big night for him. We talked about that before the
game, Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. We thought he would have his opportunities.
If he could get to the next level and to a linebacker or safety or corner, make
sure he had a plan how he wanted to finish.

Freeman also caught five passes for a team-high 68 yards and had a first-half
fumble recovered in the end zone by teammate Levine Toilolo for a touchdown. Ryan
threw an early TD pass to Justin Hardy and finished 17 of 31 passing for 212 yards
and no interceptions.

The victory kept Atlanta within one game of New Orleans and Carolina in the
division standings with two to play. If the playoffs started now, the Falcons would
be the second NFC wild-card.

Atlanta plays at New Orleans next Sunday, then closes the regular season at home
against the Panthers.

Were right where we need to be at this point of the season ... and weve got to
find a way to get back to work this week, try to improve and make sure we play the
best were capable of playing this Sunday, Ryan said. Thats really all our focus
needs to be about. If were worried about anything else then youre not as locked
in as you need to be.

Jameis Winston threw for 299 yards and three TDs for the Bucs (4-10), including a
16-yarder to Adam Humphries that trimmed Atlantas lead to three points with 3:51
remaining.

Winston, who also threw TD passes of 30 yards to O.J. Howard and 42 yards to Mike
Evans, got the ball back with a minute left and nearly sent the game into overtime.

The third-year pro, a college teammate of Freemans at Florida State, completed

three straight passes to move the ball from his 29 to the Atlanta 36. Patrick
Murray came on to try a 54-yard field goal to tie it, but the kick sailed wide
right as time expired.Speech

By Ryowa Kashiwabara and Toru Asami / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

The alleged bid-rigging for contracts related to construction of the Linear Chuo
Shinkansen line is likely to be revealed as collusion involving four major general
contractors.

On Monday, the special investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors
Office and others raided the head offices of Kajima Corp. and Shimizu Corp. on
suspicion they violated the Antimonopoly Law through unfair restraint of trade. The
raid came only 10 days after the special investigation squad searched the offices
of Obayashi Corp. on Dec. 8.

Obayashis self-reporting of its violations apparently led to the rapid development

in the case.

The search of our offices was just a door to the case, and prosecutors probably
eyed the bid-rigging among the four companies from the beginning, a source related
to Obayashi said Monday, commenting on the search by public prosecutors and the
Fair Trade Commission of the head offices of Kajima and Shimizu.

Obayashi, Kajima, Shimizu and Taisei Corp. are collectively called super general
contractors, and they are said to have strong influence in the industry. Central
Japan Railway Co., or JR Tokai, and others have awarded orders to general
contractors for a total of 22 construction projects related to the magnetic
levitation train line. Each of the four companies won orders for three or four
projects, for a combination of 15, or about 70 percent of the total.

The special investigation squad searched the head office of Obayashi and other
entities on Dec. 8 and 9 over alleged fraudulent obstruction of business. The
company is suspected to have asked other companies participating in bidding for
maglev train-related projects to let it win orders in some projects.

However, the prosecutors searched the company only in relation to a construction

project for an emergency exit at a station in Nagoya. Officials related to general
contractors were bewildered because the special investigation squad focused on a
single construction project.

According to informed sources, the FTC gained information about possible bid-
rigging on projects related to the maglev train line in around March this year. The
FTC consulted with the special investigation squad over the information, but
prosecutors said there was little evidence, among other things. The FTC therefore
decided not to conduct a compulsory investigation at that time.

When investigating criminal responsibility for violation of the Antimonopoly Law,

the FTC generally conducts a compulsory investigation on its own at first, and
public prosecutors and the FTC jointly conduct a compulsory investigation and other
probes several months later. Finally, the FTC files a criminal complaint with
public prosecutors and then they bring criminal penalties against relevant
individuals or corporations.

After the search on Dec. 8 and 9, Obayashi privately reported its violations to the
FTC based on the leniency program provided in the Antimonopoly Law. Obayashis
self-reporting apparently led to the rapid development of the investigation.
Thanks to Obayashi, we could have the prospect of smoothly carrying out activities
to establish the case, such as information-gathering, an investigative source
said.

Since the introduction of compulsory investigations by the FTC in 2006, there has
been no case in which companies were charged with criminal responsibility for
violating the Antimonopoly Law in deals between private companies.

However, construction projects related to the maglev train have a highly public
nature, as they involve building a new piece of social infrastructure. If fair
competition is obstructed by bid-rigging, construction prices will remain high, and
users of the new train service will ultimately pay the price.

Misconduct shouldnt be allowed because its related to transactions between

private companies. Its even more important not to overlook it if a construction
project has a highly public nature, a senior prosecutor said.

Of estimated construction costs totaling 9 trillion, 3 trillion will be funded by

the governments fiscal investment and loan program, which gives borrowers
preferential interest rates.

The special investigation squad probably decided to conduct the investigation

because of the existence of the program, a former senior official of a major
general contractor said.

However, it is not easy to build a bid-rigging case for violation of the

Antimonopoly Law. To build such a case, it is necessary to prove that relevant
companies agreed on the sharing of construction projects in advance. However, if
such consultations are conducted behind closed doors, there is often little
objective evidence, such as documents and records.

Mitsuru Suzuki, a visiting professor at Toin University of Yokohama law school who
is familiar with the Antimonopoly Law, said: To build a criminal case over bid-
rigging, its necessary to identify individuals who actually conducted bid-rigging
and then prove that a company deliberately communicated with other companies and
reached an agreement with them.

I would like to keep an eye on the extent to which public prosecutors and the FTC
reveal the backgrounds of bids for maglev train-related projects in the future.

MILAN (AFP-Jiji) Serie A leader Inter Milan squeezed into the quarterfinals of
the Italian Cup on Tuesday, winning 5-4 on penalties after being held 0-0 after
extra time by third division Pordenone.

Japanese defender Yuto Nagatomo nailed the winner from the spot after 120 minutes
of frustration at the San Siro as home goalkeeper Daniele Padelli saved two
penalties to put seven-time winner Inter through to a showdown with either AC Milan
or Verona, who play on Wednesday.

Luciano Spallettis decision to overhaul his squad after last Saturdays goalless
draw against Juventus backfired against the spirited Serie C side from near Venice,
which eliminated top-flight Cagliari in the last round.

The players who have played less found it difficult tonight, because Pordenone had
quality in midfield, said Spalletti.

We couldnt take control of the ball to play, we felt challenged instead of

everyone dealing with their various roles, and then from a psychological point of
view everything became complicated because they became fired-up as the game went
on.

We were below our potential. At the end I was starting to lose confidence.

Spalletti left big guns including captain Mauro Icardi and Ivan Perisic on the
bench, bringing in defender Andrea Ranocchia, forward Yann Karamoh, and reserve
goalkeeper Padelli.

Karamoh, 19, let two chances slip by before being substituted by Perisic, with an
increasingly frustrated Spalletti sending in Serie A top-scorer Icardi late in
regular time.

But even the Argentine star couldnt break through as he headed over crosses from
Portuguese Joao Cancelo and Perisic, leading to the penalty shoot-out, in which
Nagatomo scored the final penalty to seal his sides passage to the next round.

Everyone had their heads down in the dressing room, and I understand that, said
Pordenone coach Leonardo Colucci.

They have to remember that we only lost on penalties to the Serie A leaders.
Taking Inter to penalties is like winning the Cup for us.
Chelsea moves level with Man U

HUDDERSFIELD, England (AFP-Jiji) Chelsea responded perfectly to head coach

Antonio Contes claim its Premier League title hopes are over with a convincing 3-1
win at Huddersfield on Tuesday.

Tiemoue Bakayoko opened the scoring midway through the first half with a deft
clipped finish, offering an answer to supporters who have criticized him for a
series of poor performances following his July move from Monaco.

Willian headed in a second goal shortly before halftime, and Pedro made it three to
leave Chelsea level on points with second-place Manchester United, which hosts
Bournemouth on Wednesday.

A good win, Conte told BT Sport. From the start we played good football.

Upwardly mobile Burnley are one place below Chelsea in fourth after edging Stoke
City 1-0, while Crystal Palace hauled itself off the foot of the table with two
late goals in a dramatic 2-1 defeat of Watford.

Conte, who has cut an increasingly grumpy figure this season, said after Chelseas
surprise 1-0 defeat at West Ham United that his side had no chance of catching
leaders Manchester City in the title race.

For Chelseas fourth game of nine in a packed December, Conte was without his 10-
goal top scorer Alvaro Morata because of a bad back.Speech

TOKYO (Reuters) Subaru Corp. said it was investigating whether its inspectors may
have falsified vehicle mileage readings during final inspections conducted on cars
sold in Japan, driving down the automakers shares more than 8 percent to a 1-year
low.

Subaru added that while mileage readings did not fall under vehicle safety
requirements, it was looking to see whether any possible fabrication could hurt its
official mileage readings and if any exported models may have been affected.

This news follows Subarus revelation in October that uncertified staff had for
decades been carrying out final checks on new cars sold in the domestic market. The
company this week vowed to improve oversight, but it did not mention any probe into
mileage readings at the time.

On Wednesday, Subaru said some inspectors had told external investigators that
mileage data had been altered on some sample models tested during the final
checking process. It added that it had not confirmed that any such fabrications had
taken place.

Shares of the automaker fell as much as 8.5 percent to their lowest since July
2016. They were the most heavily traded stock by turnover on the Tokyo Stock
Exchange.

Subarus announcement adds to a slew of scandals that have rocked Japans

manufacturing industry in recent months.Speech

During Russian President Vladimir Putins annual press conference on Dec. 14, a
friendly journalist asked Putin whether the escalating tension in relations with
the United States and the crumbling of arms control treaties would draw Russia into
an unsustainable arms race.

We will ensure our security without engaging in an arms race, the president
replied, citing widely diverging dollar numbers for the U.S. and Russian defense
budgets.

Thats a simplistic answer from a politician starting an election campaign (of

sorts: Putin is headed for re-election in March without giving anyone else a
chance).

The more pointed question that should be asked is this: How, with a relatively
small and decreasing military budget 2.77 trillion rubles ($42.3 billion) for
2018, down from some 3.05 trillion rubles this year is Russia still a formidable
military rival to the United States, with its enormous and increasing budget of
almost $692.1 billion in 2018, up from $583 billion this year?

The equalizing value of the two countries well-balanced nuclear deterrents is

enough of a reason to avoid direct confrontation.

But leaving that aside, Putin may well understand the nature of modern military
challenges better than U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. legislators and
Russias authoritarian system may be more efficient when it comes to military
allocations.

Note that Russia is now almost an equal to the United States as a power broker in
the Middle East, where the Russian military has just helped Syrian President Bashar
Assad effectively win a civil war in which the United States was helping the
other side.

At the same time, Russian defense spending numbers are deceptive. The country is
far more militarized than its defense spending suggests. That level of security
spending is only sustainable at the expense of Russias future.

Trumps military spending hike, which makes it necessary to remove the existing cap
on defense expenditure, is a dubious and likely outdated response to decreased
global security.

Quite aside from the cost of maintaining the worlds most powerful military, the
United States, according to the Washington think tank Center for Strategic and
International Studies, has spent at least $2 trillion on its wars since 2001.

But, considering the less transparent costs, such as those of caring for veterans,
war-related increases to the Department of Defense base budget and interest on the
debt taken on to cover defense spending, its closer to $4 trillion at the very
least.

The Afghan conflict has cost the United States at least $840 billion more than
four times Afghanistans cumulative GDP since 2001. Since the 2018 U.S. defense
budget contains additional funds for sending 3,500 more troops to Afghanistan, the
results of the massive outlay over the years are clearly suboptimal.

Todays wars arent fought with fat wads of money. The adversaries are mostly
small, agile forces that arent as well-resourced as nation states. Fighting them
requires a combination of local knowledge, brute force applied only at important
points in a conflict and ability to shift risks onto the shoulders of irregular
fighters.

Russia kept cutting its defense budget all through its participation in the Syrian
war.

Yabloko, an opposition party, earlier this year put the cost of the Syrian
operation for Russia at about 140.4 billion rubles ($2.4 billion at the current
exchange rate) since September 2015; thats about 4 percent of what the U.S.
allocated to overseas contingency operations in 2017 alone and the outcome is as
good as Russia could have expected.

The United States is pumping money into comparatively inefficient warfighting and
into preparing for the kind of large-scale war thats not likely to take place
because of existing nuclear arsenals and unauthorized nuclear proliferation. Even
North Korea, with its unknown but probably small nuclear capability, is dangerous
enough to deter the United States from attacking.

At his press conference, Putin made the point that the United States couldnt know
for sure where to strike in North Korea and if the Kim regime managed to get a
single long-range, nuclear-armed missile in the air, the results could be
catastrophic.

U.S. defense budgets, of course, feed a large, powerful domestic industry; even the
indirect U.S. involvement in a conflict lifts the stock prices of major defense
contractors, research has shown.

In Russia, the biggest contractors are state-controlled; they have far less
lobbying clout, and the technocratic Russian government has kept them on a short
leash, though some of the militarys purchasing decisions have served regional
development rather than defense purposes.

Such an arrangement, which would have been inefficient in most other industries,
probably reduces wasteful spending in the budget-dependent military-industrial
complex.

That said, in relative terms, Russia is spending more on force-related functions

than the United States does.

Trumps budget proposal allocated $71.8 billion to the Department of Homeland

Security and the Justice Department. Add that up with the defense spending, and the
total security budget will stand at $764 billion, less than 19 percent of total
federal spending.

Russia will spend a combined 29 percent of its federal budget about 4.8 trillion
rubles on defense and domestic security. Thats probably not all of the security-
related outlay either, as Mark Galeotti pointed out earlier this year: Even some of
the education and development spending in Russia goes toward military goals.

In the United States, federal law enforcement outlay is a fraction of defense

spending. In Russia, the two areas of government expenditure are almost equal.

Thats the difference between a country with a relatively liberal domestic order
and a near-dictatorship, which relies heavily on the suppression of dissent and
must keep large law enforcement agencies under centralized control.

Russia could show the world how to spend efficiently on more than adequate defense
but instead it is engaged in an arms race against its own development.

For years, it has been underfunding areas such as education and health, undermining
what Putin told the press conference was his vision of the countrys future
flexible, technology-driven, highly productive.

Judging by Putins answers to reporters on Thursday, he still prefers not to notice

that.

Bershidsky is a Bloomberg View columnist.

Jiji Press
BEIJING (Jiji Press) Former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda called on Japan and China
to beef up efforts to improve their relations, at a two-day forum meeting that
started in Beijing on Saturday.

Addressing the 13th Tokyo-Beijing Forum, Fukuda noted that the political
foundations for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping have
been stable.

Now is a good time for the two major countries with stable political foundations to
discuss global challenges and act together, he said, adding that Japan and China
should move forward hand in hand.

Jiang Jianguo, director of Chinas State Council Information Office, stressed that
China is ready to work with Japan to accelerate Asias development.

The forum meeting, organized by Japanese private-sector organization Genron NPO and
China International Publishing Group, is participated in by experts from the two
countries

Jiji Press
TOKYO (Jiji Press) The government is considering granting the Peoples Honor
Award to 47-year-old shogi master Yoshiharu Habu and Yuta Iyama, a 28-year-old
champion of the board game Go, an official said Wednesday.

Last week, Habu became the first-ever shogi player to win eisei lifetime honors
for all seven major shogi titles. In October, Iyama accomplished the unprecedented
feat of holding all seven major Japanese Go titles simultaneously for the second
time.

They marked historic achievements that have given the public bright hope and
courage, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference. Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe has instructed us to consider whether to honor them.

The government is set to make formal decisions after hearing opinions from experts.

In a match held on Dec. 5 in Kagoshima Prefecture, Habu won the Ryuo title for the
seventh time, winning an eisei honor for the last remaining title.

Except for Iyama, no one in the Go or shogi world has managed to monopolize all
major titles twice.

Habu received the prime ministers award in 1996, followed by Iyama in 2016.

The government created the Peoples Honor Award in 1977 to recognize those who are
widely respected by the public and have achievements that give hope to society.

The Associated Press

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) Giancarlo Stanton eased his 1.98-meter frame into a
pinstriped No. 27 jersey, ready to join 2.01-meter Aaron Judge as the Towers of
Power on the resurgent New York Yankees.

Theyre winners, Stanton said after his trade from the Miami Marlins to New York
was finalized Monday. Theyre young, and theyre in a good position to win for a
long time, and I lost for a long time. So I want to change that dynamic and be a
winner.

New York sent second baseman Starlin Castro and a pair of minor leaguers to the
Marlins for the NL MVP, also giving up right-hander Jorge Guzman and infielder Jose
Devers. The Yankees became just the fourth team in big league history with the
reigning home run champions in each league, joining Hank Greenberg and Ralph Kiner
of the 1947 Pirates, Joe DiMaggio and Johnny Mize of the 1949 Yankees, and Mike
Schmidt and Dick Allen of the 1975 Phillies.

Stanton joined a team that reached Game 7 of the AL Championship Series against
Houston, led by Judge and fellow young sluggers Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird. The
Yankees expect top infield prospect Gleyber Torres to join the big league team next
season.

New Yorks a marquee town, and I think its important to have some marquee
players, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said. But more important than that, I
think its important to have veteran players that could be mentors for the young
kids.

Stanton, a 28-year-old who like Judge plays right field, is owed $295 million over
the final decade of his record $325 million, 13-year contract.

The payroll-slashing Marlins, with new CEO and former Yankees star Derek Jeter
presiding over the teams fourth roster purge in two decades, will send $30 million
to the Yankees if Stanton doesnt exercise his right to opt out of the deal after
the 2020 season in six future installments. Under a change in baseballs new labor
contract, that money will be prorated for the luxury tax and Stanton will count as
$22 million annually.

Its a win-win for both sides, Marlins president of baseball operations Michael
Hill said. Opportunity for him to start fresh, and an opportunity for us to gain
needed flexibility.

Stanton led the majors with 59 home runs and 132 RBIs last season, and Judge was
second in the majors with 52 homers. The daunting duo figures to create must-see
BP, and new Yankees manager Aaron Boone isnt sure yet who will play right or left,
figuring they also will see time at designated hitter.

A 10-year commitment to any player, any position, should be a concern for the
owner, without a doubt, Steinbrenner maintained, but having said that, hes 28
and in great shape, and I think theres going to be many, many years.

Stantons contract includes a no-trade provision, and last week he turned down
prospective deals to St. Louis and San Francisco. He told the Marlins he was
willing to accept trades only to the Yankees, his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers, the
Astros and Chicago Cubs.

New York hasnt had a losing record since 1992. The Marlins havent had a winning
season since Stanton made his big league debut in 2010.

He spends his Octobers in Europe, said Stantons agent, Joel Wolfe. It was
killing him.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman spoke briefly with Hill about Stanton at last
months GM meetings but didnt move forward, wanting to save DH at-bats in case New
York added Shohei Otani. But the Japanese pitcher/outfielder eliminated all East
Coast teams in early December and talks with Hill resumed.

I felt maybe Wednesday of last week I thought it was not going to happen, Cashman
said. And then he re-engaged me Thursday.

TOKYO (Jiji Press) The Japan Sumo Association at an extraordinary board meeting
on Wednesday put off its decision on its possible action against Takanohana,
stablemaster of Takanoiwa, over former yokozuna Harumafujis assault on the junior
wrestler.

Harumafujis stablemaster, Isegahama, resigned from the board to take

responsibility for the incident.

Some in the association have rapped Takanohana, chief of the professional sumo-
governing bodys local tours, for failing to fulfill his responsibility of
reporting to the group the assault case, which happened while wrestlers were on a
regional sumo tour in late October.

At an extraordinary meeting of the yokozuna promotion council, held earlier on

Wednesday, most of its members criticized Takanohana, saying that he failed to meet
his responsibility as a board member of the sumo association.

The board of the association has received a final report from its crisis management
committee on the investigation of the assault case. But it refrained from making a
decision on its action against Takanohana, because the committee has still been
unable to interview the stablemaster.

On Harumafujis violence against Takanoiwa, the committee said, Using violence can
never be tolerated for any reason.

Harumafujis use of violence by itself deserves strong condemnation, the committee

added. Harumafuji retired from the professional sumo world late last month to take
responsibility for his assault on Takanoiwa.

Both Harumafuji and Takanoiwa are from Mongolia. The incident happened over drinks
in Tottori during the sumo tour.

The yokozuna promotion council concluded that Harumafujis assault deserved

retirement from professional sumo.

At the meeting, the association decided to slash pay for yokozuna Hakuho and
Kakuryu, acting on the councils view that the two Mongolian grand champions, both
of whom took part in the drinking party, had a chance to stop Harumafuji.

For Hakuho, all of his pay for January and half of his February salary will be cut.
Kakuryu will have the whole of his January pay reduced.

Hakkaku, chief of the association, will receive no pay for the remaining three
months of his term