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SCATTERED ALL OVER THE EARTHBy Yoko TawadaTranslated by Margaret Mitsutani

In the future imagined by Yoko Tawada, rising sea levels have swallowed Japan. The land of sushi, as it is now known, survives only in the kitschified traces its culture has left on the exoticizing imagination of Westerners, and in the memories of Hiruko, who was studying abroad in Sweden when disaster struck, and may be the last Japanese person on the planet. Now a stateless refugee, Hiruko migrates first to Norway, then to Denmark, where she finds a job teaching Panska (that is, Pan-Scandinavian), the homemade language she invented, to immigrant children from the Middle East.

The first volume of a trilogy, the mordantly funny Scattered All Over the Earth reunites Tawada with Margaret Mitsutani, the translator with whom she shared a National Book Award for The Emissary in 2018. Tawada, who has lived in Germany for 40 years, writes in both Japanese and German. More than simply international, her writing is translingual; she leaves the borders between languages open and allows them to cross-pollinate. To translate her into English is to excavate linguistic strata: Panska reads like a Japonic parody of Nordic syntax translated into a West Germanic language.

Wouldnt it be easier to communicate in English? Hiruko is asked during a reluctant appearance on a Danish TV show about people from countries that no longer exist. But in the future, Mexicos booming economy is attracting Spanish-speaking workers from California, China no longer exports products and no one in the United States remembers how to make anything. Europes welfare states are looking to cut costs, so english speaking migrants sometimes by force to america sent, Hiruko tells the interviewer, in Panska. Frightening. illness have, so in country with undeveloped healthcare system cannot live.

Through the TV show, Hiruko meets Knut, an amateur linguist. Together they crisscross Europe on a picaresque quest to find one of Hirukos compatriots. They travel to an umami festival in Germany, where they meet Akash, a transgender student from India, and Nora, a German with a highly developed sense of liberal guilt. Then theyre off to see Noras lover, Tenzo, at a cooking competition in Norway, before departing again for the south of France to meet with the enigmatic Susanoo, who is rumored to be from Japan, but may in fact be a robot.

Each character in Tawadas band of zigzag travelers is given chapters to narrate in the first person. These limited perspectives give rise to a comedy of intercultural misunderstandings that both move the plot forward and provide targets for Tawadas sharp satire. Tenzo, for example, turns out to be Nanook, a Greenlander who moves to study medicine in Copenhagen, where he is mistaken as a citizen of the land of sushi. Being singled out as an exotic was a lot more fun than being neutral, he concludes, so he decides to give himself a second identity. He adopts a Japanese name, learns the language and apprentices at a restaurant called Samurai. Nanook is shocked to discover that the head chef is from China, not Japan, and that he learned how to make dashi at a hotel in Paris, not Tokyo. When the original no longer exists, the chef tells him, theres nothing you can do except look for the best copy.

Wise words. Far from being offended by Nanooks imposture, Hiruko recognizes a kindred spirit. His Tenzo may be a lie but it is nevertheless a form of creative expression, not unlike her Panska. When she calls it her homemade language, she herself is the home she means. Panska was me, Hiruko says. A work of art Id poured my whole self into. What is true of Hiruko, Tawada suggests, is true of everyone from the harmless Nanook to an ultranationalist called Breivik: Our national identities are at bottom simulacra, copies of originals that no longer exist, if they ever did.

The apocalypse thats shrewdly forecast by Scattered All Over the Earth will be combined and uneven. How the global north handles the resulting refugee crisis will depend in part on the speed with which it gives up the view that nationalities are anything but virtualities. Judging by the recent migrant crises that informed Tawadas novel, it is a long-overdue lesson. By the time we are reading the trilogys final volume, the climate-fiction scenario Tawada drapes in the trappings of picaresque comedy will no longer seem speculative.

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When Nations Disappear, What Happens to Nationalities? - The New York Times

In November 2021, migrants from Syria, Iraq and other war-torn regions gathered on Belaruss border with Poland attempting to cross into the European Union. They were met with a chilling warning from Polish border guards, blasted over loudspeakers in English: Force may be used.

Polands President Andrzej Duda claimed his border guards and police were staving off a migrant invasion orchestrated by Belarus - an apparent attack on the countrys sovereignty and an attempt to upend regional peace.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the other hand claimed that the migrants are just trying to find refuge in Germany and accused Poland of spraying them with chemicals and beating them.

Through interviews and state media, both world leaders positioned themselves as heroes and victims of a humanitarian crisis that saw thousands of desperate people enduring freezing temperatures at the border. Both leaders threatened to involve their partners in defence for Poland, NATO, and for Belarus, Russia.

The crisis began when the EU and U.S. sanctioned Belarus after its 2020 presidential election. Lukashenko won 80 percent of the vote, but there were widespread claims of electoral fraud.

In June 2021 Lukashenko retaliated by announcing that he would no longer police his countrys border with the EU. This, along with reduced visa restrictions, drew a surge of people hoping to use Belarus as a gateway to the EU. A migrant crisis along the borders between Belarus and Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland began to build, with Western heads of state accusing Lukashenko of manufacturing the crisis.

By November, the focal point of the crisis was along the Polish-Belarusian border, with an estimated 3-4,000 migrants living in encampments.

The situation quickly escalated.

The UN called for both sides to meet their obligations to refugees, while the EU condemned Lukashenko. Poland met with NATO leadership, asking for more forces to be deployed on its eastern flank. Russia sent strategic bombers to patrol Belarusian airspace. Referring to the aircraft Lukashenko said, Yes, these are bombers that are able to carry nuclear weapons. But we have no other choice. Polands Duda said he was considering using the backing of NATO if necessary.

As the situation at the Poland-Belarus border escalated, Russia simultaneously began a massive troop build-up along its border with Ukraine. Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine's Prime Minister, said the migrant crisis and the troop build-up were "absolutely connected". U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken alleged that the migrant crisis was being used to distract from the troop build-up, although the Kremlin repeatedly denied the allegations.

By December, at least ten migrants had died at the border. There were some signs of de-escalation - Belarus said it was relocating migrants to heated shelters - but Belarus continued to perform military exercises with Russia into 2022, and by February, Russia had 30,000 troops stationed in Belarus, according to NATO.

On the 18th of February 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden said Moscow had stationed as many as 190,000 troops in and around Ukraine. On Thursday, Russia invaded Ukraine and launched military attacks across the country.

In this episode of Source Material we see how in the lead-up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lukashenko and Duda used state media to frame the humanitarian crisis to their political advantage. Through cellphone and state propaganda we get a sense of the dire and terrifying reality on the ground for asylum-seekers. And finally, we see how the escalating tension between Belarus and Poland preceded a Russian troop build-up in Belarus in the months leading up to this weeks invasion of Ukraine.

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How Russias Invasion of Ukraine Started With Belarus - VICE

COVENTRY Refugee and Migrant Centre, along with its partners and friends, want to speak to citizens to ask for their warmth and generosity in donating spare accommodation they may have to support Ukrainian refugees.

The plea comes after the past year where the world has witnessed what will considered some of historys worst humanitarian crises, firstly Afghanistan and now Ukraine.

The charity said the situations saw some of the most deplorable, totalitarian regimes and leaders trying to rewrite world history through aggressive military tactics tactics that should be resigned to the past.

It added there was also one of the greatest displays of humanitarian unity the world had seen for a generation.

The worldwide condemnation has been echoed by more than just the worlds leading democracies, it has been shared by businesses, religious leaders, peacemakers, sporting giants and most importantly, compassionate human beings who understood peace, unity, and dialogue were the only ways forward.

Last week, the Bishop of Coventry, the Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth, urged the Government on several occasions in the House of Lords to rise to the challenge of the impending refugee crisis.

At the end of the week, speaking from the Cathedral ruins, he said: The Diocese of Coventry knows about the damage, destruction and death that war brings.

Therefore, the thought of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers dying at an early age, civilian populations caught up in the conflict and vast movements of refugees fleeing the violence breaks our hearts.

Let us be resolute in our commitment to a vision of peace and the blessings of reconciliation and let us be ceaseless in prayer.

The warm welcome Coventry and its residents have offered over the last few decades to those seeking sanctuary has earned the city an unrivalled international reputation for being the most generous, compassionate, and welcoming people anywhere in the world.

Coventry and its residents have helped to resettle over 900 people in the city since 2014 alone a testament to the incredible collective spirit that this city has shown since the Second World War.

The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, has recently announced the governments support for those being displaced from their homes in Ukraine, with thousands now becoming eligible to start new lives in peace or join their loved ones here in the UK albeit on a temporary basis.

The Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre wants to hear from any Coventry residents who have the ability and capacity to accommodate Ukrainian nationals fleeing the war.

The influx of Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers leaves many now in the arms of peace and safety but without a temporary and secure location to sleep. A situation which can be increasingly perilous for young children and their families.

Toni Soni, Director at CRMC, said: During the Afghanistan crises, we witnessed Coventry residents generously donate clothes, food and money to support people theyd never even met before. These donations helped to save and support the lives of men, women, and children theyll likely never meet.

Now I am asking Coventry residents to meet Ukrainian refugees by opening their homes and temporarily accommodating anyone theyre able to help.

I would urge anyone who is able to do so, anyone who has spare capacity in their house or their flat, to open their homes for at least six-months and support those who are most vulnerable while they find their feet here in Coventry.

I want to reassure those who are considering opening their homes that they will not be left alone to do so. CRMC and partners Coventry City Council will be on hand to provide expert guidance and advice to all those who take in Ukrainian refugees.

The Home Secretary has announced that Ukrainian refugees will be able to work, gain an education and access public funds for the time they are here. Our request for Coventry residents to provide accommodation is to ensure these families have a secure, temporary location where they can begin to process and rebuild their lives.

He thanked people in advance and strongly urged anyone considering supporting the CRMCs appeal to email Caroline Higgins at carolineh@covrefugee.org

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Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre appeals to citizens who have room to provide Ukrainians with a temporary home - Coventry Observer

Players in Russia who want to move to another country because of the invasion of Ukraine should be granted an emergency reopening of the transfer window, according a new idea being proposed to Fifa.

The Polish Football Association, which has led opposition to continued Russian involvement in international competition since the outbreak of war, has written to Fifa making the suggestion, with hundreds of foreign players playing their club football in Russia.

The Ukrainian defender Yaroslav Rakitskyi has left Zenit Saint Petersburg and more players are expected to follow at other clubs, with Polands Grzegorz Krychowiak hoping to be allowed to leave Krasnodar. This week too the manager of Lokomotiv Moscow, Markus Gisdol, left his role, as did Daniel Farke, the former Norwich manager who had recently joined Krasnodar. Both managers expressed concerns over working in Russia during the invasion.

The imposition of global sanctions has seen a collapse in the value of the rouble, meaning that some clubs are struggling to pay players wages, with contracts commonly agreed in euros. Some high-profile players may see their contracts cancelled, but a plan to reopen the window would see all contracted players given the opportunity to negotiate deals elsewhere.

Fifa were approached by the Guardian for comment.

European football bodies have this week been concentrating on trying to help players in the Ukrainian league reach safety, one small part of the growing migrant crisis caused by the war. On Thursday the president of Uefa, Aleksander Ceferin, said the war was the most terrible situation and that the madness of the conflict must stop.

I was on the phone for 48 hours with clubs and coaches to get them out of the Ukraine, Ceferin told the Financial Times Business of Football Summit. Its hard for me to explain how sad those conversations were. One of the players who left Ukraine came to my home, another came today. They told me about their children and about the bombs exploding outside their home. I am proud of the football family that we stood together to do our part. The football part. Its really hard to say what will happen tomorrow but this war should stop, this madness should stop.

Ceferin said it was impossible to say under what circumstances the ban on Russian football might be reversed. For now it stays and we are waiting for peace to come, he said. Football will probably be the least important thing.

Uefa has moved the Champions League final from Russia and cancelled its longstanding sponsorship deal with Gazprom. It has previously sought to steer clear of making decisions that could be seen as political, including during the mens European Championship last summer when it refused a request to illuminate Munichs Allianz Arena in the colours of the rainbow flag.

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Also speaking at the Football Summit, the general secretary of the players union Fifpro, Jonas Baer-Hoffmann, said the current crisis meant that football could no longer claim to sit outside of politics. I think sport has to accept that the idea you make an institution apolitical is just a myth, Hoffman said. Because what people do with it makes it political. If Putin decides its not apolitical its not.

Football should stand for values of peace freedom sovereignty, human rights but also equality. The rainbow flag is a political decision.

On the day the UK culture minister held a meeting with international sports bodies to discuss tightening sanctions and heightening consequences for Russian sporting bodies, the chief executive of the Premier League, Richard Masters, said the competition was reviewing its deals with Russian broadcast companies.

Its clearly under review, he said. I would like the Russian people to see the strength of feeling. We will look at it very closely re suspension and termination. We are looking at it right now.

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Fifa urged to reopen transfer window and give players in Russia escape route - The Guardian

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FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., is calling for answers to a slew of questions regarding the Biden administrations handling of the crisis at the southern border and the release of migrants into the interior as Republican pressure grows on the administration and the crisis rolls into its second year.

Johnson, who sits on the Senate Homeland Security Committee and is the ranking member of the subcommittee on investigations, followed up on previous requests for information from the Department of Homeland Security on the crisis with a letter with additional requests.

MORE THAN 47,000 MIGRANTS RELEASED INTO US BY BIDEN ADMIN IN 2021 FAILED TO REPORT TO ICE

There were 178,840 migrant apprehensions at the border in December, after a FY 2021 that saw approximately 1.7 million encounters, overwhelming border authorities, after Trump-era policies were rolled back in favor of a growing practice of releasing migrants into the U.S. interior.

It has led to intense Republican criticism about the purported failure of the Biden administrations focus on "root causes" in Central America, with lawmakers pointing to the rapid rollback of Trump-era policies combined with a reduced interior enforcement and a push for mass amnesty for illegal immigrants already here.

Fox News recently reported on how single adults are being released into the interior just hours after arriving in the United States, and how a smaller percentage of migrants are being removed via the Trump-era Title 42 public health policy.

Jan. 23, 2022: Fox News footage shows migrants being released into the US.

While the Biden administration was forced by court order to re-implement the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) the Trump-era policy that quickly returns migrants to Mexico so far only a few hundred migrants have been enrolled in it.

Johnsons letter requests numbers about how many migrants were released into the interior without being detained, how many were released prior to the resolution of their immigration case, and the number returned to their home country.

BIDEN'S BORDER CRISIS GOES GLOBAL WITH MORE APPREHENSIONS FROM FARAWAY COUNTRIES

The letter also zeroes in on the practice of releasing migrants with a Notice to Report (NTR) -- which was used by Border Patrol at the height of the crisis to more quickly process migrants into the interior than issuing them with a Notice to Appear (NTA). Issuing a NTA involves giving migrants a time and date for their immigration hearing and can take hours. The NTR process, which tells migrants to check in with their local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, allows migrants to be processed into the interior in as little as 15 minutes.

In a letter to Johnson last month, DHS disclosed that out of 104,171 Notices to Report issued to migrants between the end of March and the end of August, 47,705 failed to report within the 60-day time frame.

An additional 6,607 had not checked in with ICE and were still within the 60-day period, while 49,859 did check in within the 60-day period. DHS also revealed that between March 21 and Dec. 5, ICE issued 50,683 NTAs to migrants who had initially been released with an NTR.

In his letter this week, Johnson requested the NTA numbers for the whole 2021 calendar year, as well as the number apprehended by ICE, the numbers deported for not checking in with ICE, the number paroled after checking in pursuant to an NTR, and the number of those placed in alternatives to detention (ATD).

The Wisconsin lawmaker also requested the numbers of known or suspected "gotaways" migrants who successfully got past Border Patrol, and the number of aliens with criminal records who were released or paroled into the U.S. interior.

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Johnson and a number of other senators will be holding a press conference on the border crisis on Wednesday.

Republicans have been calling for greater transparency from the administration on everything from the number of suspected terrorists encountered at the border to the practices related to how migrants are released into the interior. That pressure is likely to build if the crisis continues in 2022, ahead of what is already likely to be a difficult midterm election for congressional Democrats.

Fox News' Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

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Johnson grills DHS on migrant releases, as GOP pressure builds on border crisis - Fox News