News Headlines - 06 September 2020

▽Typhoon Haishen closes in as Japan braces for record wind and rain | The Japan Times

Powerful Typhoon Haishen roared toward southern Japan on Sunday, bringing violent winds and heavy rains, with officials warning it could be strong enough to snap power poles and flip vehicles.
Haishen, categorized as “large” and “extremely strong,” was expected to move through the Amami group of islands near Kyushu later in the afternoon.
Authorities had recommended evacuation and warned of potentially record rainfall, unprecedented wind, high tides and large ocean swells.

▽GM and Honda agree to partner up to save costs in North America

General Motors and Honda have a deal to share vehicle platforms and technology in North America starting next year.
On Thursday, the automakers said they signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding to establish a North American automotive alliance. The deal came together after extensive discussions.
The proposed alliance will include sharing a range of vehicles, to be sold under each company’s distinct brands, as well as cooperation in purchasing, research and development, and connected services.

▽Students in Inner Mongolia Protest Chinese Language Policy - The Diplomat

Ethnic Mongolians, including students and parents, in China’s Inner Mongolia region are demonstrating their anger in rare public protests against a new bilingual education policy that they say is endangering the Mongolian language.
A high school student in the city of Hulunbuir said students rushed out of their school on Tuesday and destroyed a fence before paramilitary police swarmed in and tried to return them to class.

▽Iran uranium stockpile ′10 times limit′ set in nuclear deal | DW

Iran continues to increase its stockpile of enriched uranium in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal, but has started allowing access to sites where Tehran was suspected of having stored or used undeclared nuclear material, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Friday.
According to the UN atomic watchdog, Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium now stands at more than ten times the limit set down in the nuclear deal.
The limit was set at 300 kilograms (661 pounds) of enriched uranium in a particular compound form, which is the equivalent of 202.8 kg of uranium.

▽Amazon Bans Foreign Plant Sales to U.S. Amid Global Seed Mystery - WSJ

Amazon.com Inc. is barring foreign sales of seeds into the U.S. after thousands of suspicious packets, many postmarked from China, arrived at households around the world this summer.
The move by Amazon comes as the mystery seeds led U.S. officials to raise alarms about the ease with which seed sales can occur on e-commerce sites, creating potential threats to U.S. agriculture.
Amazon informed foreign sellers that, effective Sept. 3, it would no longer allow the import of plant or seed products, according to an email viewed by The Wall Street Journal. The email said some overseas sellers would have their offers removed from Amazon the same day.