Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has issued a virtual green light for the restart of 2 reactors operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company.
Japan's Supreme Court has upheld a lower court verdict of acquittal for a former member of the Aum Shinrikyo cult.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has announced an aid package worth 40 million dollars to help Palestinians become more economically independent.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20171227200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : nuclear regulation issued
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171227_09/
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has issued a virtual green light for the restart of 2 reactors operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO.
Regulators unanimously endorsed Wednesday safety measures for reactors 6 and 7 set forth by TEPCO at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast.
They say the measures meet new regulations introduced after the March 2011 accident at Fukushima Daiichi.
The regulators' decision marks the first time TEPCO is cleared to restart a reactor since the triple meltdown.
It's also the first time boiling-water reactors of the same type as those used at Fukushima Daiichi are approved to go back online.
The regulators adopted a draft assessment for the two units at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in October. They then invited the public to express their views.
On Wednesday, the regulators acknowledged that some people believe TEPCO shouldn't be allowed to operate nuclear reactors because it caused the accident of March 2011.
But the regulators said their approval is based on more stringent inspections than at other nuclear plants. They concluded that TEPCO is capable of operating the reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa.
The next step for TEPCO will be to obtain the consent of local authorities, but it's unclear when that will happen.
Niigata Governor Ryuichi Yoneyama has already indicated he will oppose the restart until his prefecture finishes investigating the 2011 nuclear accident. The probe is expected to last about 3 years.
Regulators unanimously endorsed Wednesday safety measures for reactors 6 and 7 set forth by TEPCO at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast.
They say the measures meet new regulations introduced after the March 2011 accident at Fukushima Daiichi.
The regulators' decision marks the first time TEPCO is cleared to restart a reactor since the triple meltdown.
It's also the first time boiling-water reactors of the same type as those used at Fukushima Daiichi are approved to go back online.
The regulators adopted a draft assessment for the two units at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa in October. They then invited the public to express their views.
On Wednesday, the regulators acknowledged that some people believe TEPCO shouldn't be allowed to operate nuclear reactors because it caused the accident of March 2011.
But the regulators said their approval is based on more stringent inspections than at other nuclear plants. They concluded that TEPCO is capable of operating the reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa.
The next step for TEPCO will be to obtain the consent of local authorities, but it's unclear when that will happen.
Niigata Governor Ryuichi Yoneyama has already indicated he will oppose the restart until his prefecture finishes investigating the 2011 nuclear accident. The probe is expected to last about 3 years.
Key words : supreme court
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171227_12/
Japan's Supreme Court has upheld a lower court verdict of acquittal for a former member of the Aum Shinrikyo cult.
A presiding justice as of Wednesday dismissed an appeal by prosecutors to reverse the verdict on former Aum member Naoko Kikuchi.
The 46-year-old was charged with assisting attempted murder in 1995 by transporting bomb-making materials for the cult. The cult sent a parcel bomb made from the materials to an office of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, seriously wounding an employee.
Kikuchi was arrested in 2012.
The district court found her guilty and sentenced her to 5 years in prison, but she was acquitted by the high court.
Points of contention included whether Kikuchi was aware of the motive of the cult's senior members, and how the materials would be used.
The Supreme Court questioned the district court's view that Kikuchi intended to assist with attempted murder. It said she was only abstractly aware that some form of dangerous chemical would be produced from the materials.
The Supreme Court also said the higher court decision was problematic, as it reached a different conclusion than the district court without clarifying the irrationality of that ruling.
An official at the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office expressed regret that the appeal was rejected, but that the office takes the Supreme Court decision seriously.
The decision by the Supreme Court means 59-year-old Katsuya Takahashi is the only former Aum member still on trial.
He has appealed to the Supreme Court after being sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system and other crimes.
A presiding justice as of Wednesday dismissed an appeal by prosecutors to reverse the verdict on former Aum member Naoko Kikuchi.
The 46-year-old was charged with assisting attempted murder in 1995 by transporting bomb-making materials for the cult. The cult sent a parcel bomb made from the materials to an office of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, seriously wounding an employee.
Kikuchi was arrested in 2012.
The district court found her guilty and sentenced her to 5 years in prison, but she was acquitted by the high court.
Points of contention included whether Kikuchi was aware of the motive of the cult's senior members, and how the materials would be used.
The Supreme Court questioned the district court's view that Kikuchi intended to assist with attempted murder. It said she was only abstractly aware that some form of dangerous chemical would be produced from the materials.
The Supreme Court also said the higher court decision was problematic, as it reached a different conclusion than the district court without clarifying the irrationality of that ruling.
An official at the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office expressed regret that the appeal was rejected, but that the office takes the Supreme Court decision seriously.
The decision by the Supreme Court means 59-year-old Katsuya Takahashi is the only former Aum member still on trial.
He has appealed to the Supreme Court after being sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system and other crimes.
Key words : Kono announced help
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171227_02/
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has announced an aid package worth 40 million dollars to help Palestinians become more economically independent.
Kono, who is on a Middle East tour, made the announcement on Tuesday at an industrial park in the West Bank town of Jericho. The park specializes in agricultural food processing and was built with Japanese assistance.
Kono told local officials that the projects in the Palestinian territories are the frontline of Japan's Middle East diplomacy.
Kono said achieving peace in the region is difficult, but Japan will do all it can to contribute to the peace process as a friend of the Palestinian people.
The aid package will be used to set up a center that will train workers for the information-technology sector and to build other facilities in the industrial park.
Some of the money will be earmarked for road construction to make it easier to deliver food products from the park.
Japanese officials say their government wants to help foster IT engineers who will be able to work anywhere with Internet access, as Palestinians have limited freedom of movement under the Israeli occupation.
Kono, who is on a Middle East tour, made the announcement on Tuesday at an industrial park in the West Bank town of Jericho. The park specializes in agricultural food processing and was built with Japanese assistance.
Kono told local officials that the projects in the Palestinian territories are the frontline of Japan's Middle East diplomacy.
Kono said achieving peace in the region is difficult, but Japan will do all it can to contribute to the peace process as a friend of the Palestinian people.
The aid package will be used to set up a center that will train workers for the information-technology sector and to build other facilities in the industrial park.
Some of the money will be earmarked for road construction to make it easier to deliver food products from the park.
Japanese officials say their government wants to help foster IT engineers who will be able to work anywhere with Internet access, as Palestinians have limited freedom of movement under the Israeli occupation.
Key words : foreign stressed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171227_04/
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has stressed that his country will continue to support Jordan, which has accepted about 1.3 million refugees from Syria.
Kono, who is visiting the Middle East, met Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Tuesday.
Kono expressed gratitude to the people of Jordan for accepting a large number of displaced Syrians.
He said it's Japan's duty to support Jordan, which has been affected by the conflict in the neighboring country.
Safadi said he wants to further strengthen Jordan's relations with Japan. He expressed hope for investment by Japanese companies.
The 2 ministers discussed US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Kono said Japan has no intention of relocating its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He also said Japan supports the 2-state solution that calls for coexistence between Israel and a future Palestinian state.
Safadi said that although Trump's decision on Jerusalem has complicated the situation, the United States has an important role to play in establishing peace in the Middle East. He added that Jordan will work with Japan and other countries to revive the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.
Kono, who is visiting the Middle East, met Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Tuesday.
Kono expressed gratitude to the people of Jordan for accepting a large number of displaced Syrians.
He said it's Japan's duty to support Jordan, which has been affected by the conflict in the neighboring country.
Safadi said he wants to further strengthen Jordan's relations with Japan. He expressed hope for investment by Japanese companies.
The 2 ministers discussed US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Kono said Japan has no intention of relocating its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He also said Japan supports the 2-state solution that calls for coexistence between Israel and a future Palestinian state.
Safadi said that although Trump's decision on Jerusalem has complicated the situation, the United States has an important role to play in establishing peace in the Middle East. He added that Jordan will work with Japan and other countries to revive the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.
Key words : peru medical gratitude
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171227_17/
Peru's former leader Alberto Fujimori has expressed gratitude to President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski for granting him a medical pardon. Fujimori indicated he is willing to cooperate with Kuczynski.
Fujimori posted a video message on his Facebook page on Tuesday from a hospital in the capital Lima, where he is being treated for low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.
Kuczynski granted the pardon on Sunday, citing Fujimori's health. Fujimori has served 10 out of a 25 year sentence for human rights violations and commanding security forces to kill people during his presidency.
The former president's video message lasted one minute and 40 seconds and was recorded while he was on a drip in an intensive care unit.
Referring to his 10 years as president, Fujimori admitted that his administration had left some people disappointed but that it had also produced some welcomed results. He asked for sincere forgiveness.
Expressing gratitude to Kuczynski, Fujimori said he supports the President's call for national reconciliation.
In Peru's single-chamber parliament, the ruling party led by Kuczynski remains a minority while the opposition party led by Fujimori's daughter Keiko holds more than half of the chamber's seats. Observers are watching to see if the pardon leads to any change in her party's relation with Kuczynski.
Fujimori posted a video message on his Facebook page on Tuesday from a hospital in the capital Lima, where he is being treated for low blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat.
Kuczynski granted the pardon on Sunday, citing Fujimori's health. Fujimori has served 10 out of a 25 year sentence for human rights violations and commanding security forces to kill people during his presidency.
The former president's video message lasted one minute and 40 seconds and was recorded while he was on a drip in an intensive care unit.
Referring to his 10 years as president, Fujimori admitted that his administration had left some people disappointed but that it had also produced some welcomed results. He asked for sincere forgiveness.
Expressing gratitude to Kuczynski, Fujimori said he supports the President's call for national reconciliation.
In Peru's single-chamber parliament, the ruling party led by Kuczynski remains a minority while the opposition party led by Fujimori's daughter Keiko holds more than half of the chamber's seats. Observers are watching to see if the pardon leads to any change in her party's relation with Kuczynski.
Key words : US government sanction
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171227_06/
The US government has sanctioned 2 North Korean officials who it says are key leaders of the country's ballistic missile programs.
The Treasury Department announced on Tuesday that the 2 members of North Korea's Workers' Party will be subject to its sanctions, including the freezing of assets in the US. They are the Deputy Director of the Munitions Industry Department, Kim Jong Sik, and the First Vice Director of the same department, Ri Pyong Chol.
US officials say Kim is reportedly a key figure in the efforts to switch from liquid to solid fuel. Ri is reported to be a key official in North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile development.
The 2 officials were included in the sanctions list of the resolution that the UN Security Council adopted last Friday in response to Pyongyang's ballistic missile launch in November.
The Treasury Department announced on Tuesday that the 2 members of North Korea's Workers' Party will be subject to its sanctions, including the freezing of assets in the US. They are the Deputy Director of the Munitions Industry Department, Kim Jong Sik, and the First Vice Director of the same department, Ri Pyong Chol.
US officials say Kim is reportedly a key figure in the efforts to switch from liquid to solid fuel. Ri is reported to be a key official in North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile development.
The 2 officials were included in the sanctions list of the resolution that the UN Security Council adopted last Friday in response to Pyongyang's ballistic missile launch in November.
Key words : industry cyber
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171227_14/
Japan's industry ministry has launched a panel to consider responses to cyber threats known as supply-chain attacks.
Business executives and experts from economic organizations and universities took part in an inaugural meeting on Wednesday.
Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko said the expansion of networks has resulted in new, and more sophisticated, cyber-attacks.
He said his ministry aims to quickly come up with policies.
The attacks under discussion target a certain company through vulnerabilities in its supply-chain network, including its group firms and suppliers.
In May, Japanese businesses were among those worldwide that fell victim to such attacks.
Participants at Wednesday's meeting were told foreign companies are increasingly demanding their suppliers implement preventive measures.
The ministry plans to decide by next March what measures Japanese companies should require their contractors to take.
It will also study how to support small and medium-size businesses that need help to deal with cyber-threats.
Business executives and experts from economic organizations and universities took part in an inaugural meeting on Wednesday.
Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko said the expansion of networks has resulted in new, and more sophisticated, cyber-attacks.
He said his ministry aims to quickly come up with policies.
The attacks under discussion target a certain company through vulnerabilities in its supply-chain network, including its group firms and suppliers.
In May, Japanese businesses were among those worldwide that fell victim to such attacks.
Participants at Wednesday's meeting were told foreign companies are increasingly demanding their suppliers implement preventive measures.
The ministry plans to decide by next March what measures Japanese companies should require their contractors to take.
It will also study how to support small and medium-size businesses that need help to deal with cyber-threats.
Key words : supply chain
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171227_15/
Supply chains around the world are increasingly becoming targets of cyber-attacks.
In 2011, US aircraft maker Lockheed Martin's network was compromised via a partner company, putting its design data for fighter jets at risk.
Last year, a probe by a cybersecurity company found that malware embedded in smartphone parts in the US sent messages to China.
In September, nearly 2 million computers around the world were infected with a virus through popular software provided by a British firm.
The virus was programmed to launch attacks against high-tech companies, including Sony, NEC, Intel and Samsung.
These cyber threats take advantage of vulnerabilities in supply chains -- including part suppliers and service contractors -- and it is difficult to predict where they will originate.
Suguru Ishimaru, a researcher at cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab, says supply chain attacks are becoming more sophisticated and will likely increase in Japan as well.
In 2011, US aircraft maker Lockheed Martin's network was compromised via a partner company, putting its design data for fighter jets at risk.
Last year, a probe by a cybersecurity company found that malware embedded in smartphone parts in the US sent messages to China.
In September, nearly 2 million computers around the world were infected with a virus through popular software provided by a British firm.
The virus was programmed to launch attacks against high-tech companies, including Sony, NEC, Intel and Samsung.
These cyber threats take advantage of vulnerabilities in supply chains -- including part suppliers and service contractors -- and it is difficult to predict where they will originate.
Suguru Ishimaru, a researcher at cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab, says supply chain attacks are becoming more sophisticated and will likely increase in Japan as well.
Key words : tsukiji
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171227_05/
The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to turn the Tsukiji wholesale market into the main vehicle depot for athletes and staff who take part in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020.
Metropolitan officials plan to start changing the aging market into a transport center for the Tokyo Games after October 11th next year, when it closes and a new market opens in nearby Toyosu.
Buildings in the Tsukiji market will be demolished after the relocation to create parking space, mainly for buses. An existing multistory car park will also be used.
The depot will have check-in counters where bus drivers receive instructions, gas stations and other facilities.
The officials hope to complete the work by the spring of 2020, several months before the Olympics is scheduled to open in late July of that year.
The Tokyo government estimates that 2,000 buses and 4,000 passenger cars will be required for athletes and sports officials.
The metropolitan officials plan to open more transportation bases and waiting areas in other places in Tokyo.
Metropolitan officials plan to start changing the aging market into a transport center for the Tokyo Games after October 11th next year, when it closes and a new market opens in nearby Toyosu.
Buildings in the Tsukiji market will be demolished after the relocation to create parking space, mainly for buses. An existing multistory car park will also be used.
The depot will have check-in counters where bus drivers receive instructions, gas stations and other facilities.
The officials hope to complete the work by the spring of 2020, several months before the Olympics is scheduled to open in late July of that year.
The Tokyo government estimates that 2,000 buses and 4,000 passenger cars will be required for athletes and sports officials.
The metropolitan officials plan to open more transportation bases and waiting areas in other places in Tokyo.
Key words : severe
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171227_07/
Severe winter weather is expected to continue in northern and central Japan through Thursday.
Weather officials are warning of heavy snow and strong winds. They say transportation systems will likely be affected.
The Meteorological Agency says the rough weather is due to a low pressure system over the Sea of Okhotsk.
A gust of more than 107 kilometers an hour was recorded early Wednesday in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture.
A cold air mass is bringing snow to northeastern Japan, Niigata, Nagano and other prefectures. Up to 70 centimeters of snow fell in the past 24 hours in some mountainous areas.
Some areas have seen more than double the normal amount of snow.
117 centimeters of snow fell in the town of Tsunan in Niigata Prefecture as of 11 AM, Wednesday.
Heavy snow is forecast for Sea of Japan coastal areas in northern and central Japan through Wednesday night.
Gusts of up to 126 kilometers per hour are expected in some parts through Thursday.
Waves could reach as high as 7 meters. The agency is also warning of the possibility of avalanches.
Weather officials are warning of heavy snow and strong winds. They say transportation systems will likely be affected.
The Meteorological Agency says the rough weather is due to a low pressure system over the Sea of Okhotsk.
A gust of more than 107 kilometers an hour was recorded early Wednesday in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture.
A cold air mass is bringing snow to northeastern Japan, Niigata, Nagano and other prefectures. Up to 70 centimeters of snow fell in the past 24 hours in some mountainous areas.
Some areas have seen more than double the normal amount of snow.
117 centimeters of snow fell in the town of Tsunan in Niigata Prefecture as of 11 AM, Wednesday.
Heavy snow is forecast for Sea of Japan coastal areas in northern and central Japan through Wednesday night.
Gusts of up to 126 kilometers per hour are expected in some parts through Thursday.
Waves could reach as high as 7 meters. The agency is also warning of the possibility of avalanches.
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