at 20:00 (JST), November 03 AS

The United States will allow Japan to temporarily continue importing crude oil from Iran, after the reinstatement of US sanctions.

Japan's government estimate that about 40,000 foreign workers will be accepted into the country in fiscal 2019, if a new immigration system goes into effect in April.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the international community and individual governments to make efforts to protect journalists.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20181103200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : united states will allow temporary
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181103_19/

Japanese government sources have told NHK the United States will allow Japan to temporarily continue importing crude oil from Iran, after the reinstatement of US sanctions.

Washington will reintroduce sanctions against Tehran on Monday.

The US has unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear deal signed between Iran and 6 world powers. It has also been urging other nations to stop importing Iranian oil.

But Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Friday that the US will issue temporary waivers to Japan and 7 other countries, so they can continue oil imports.

Iran accounts for about 5 percent of Japan's oil purchases. Oil wholesalers have halted imports from Iran to prepare for the US sanctions.

The Japanese government intends to notify the wholesalers of the waiver once the US makes it official.

Japanese officials had been requesting since June that the US exempt their country from the import ban.

In September, Foreign Minister Taro Kono told Pompeo the ban would deal a blow to Japanese businesses.

Key words : government estimate about 40,000
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181103_04/

Japanese ministries and agencies estimate that about 40,000 foreign workers will be accepted into the country in fiscal 2019, if a new immigration system goes into effect in April.

The government submitted to the Diet on Friday a bill to amend the immigration control law to bring in more foreign workers to address Japan's chronic labor shortage.

The government envisions accepting foreign workers in 14 sectors, including nursing care and construction. But the bill does not stipulate sectors, and says only that they will be decided by ministerial ordinances.

Ministry officials estimate the number of foreign workers in the 14 sectors will amount to around 40,000 in the first year.
The governing coalition will begin talks on the bill with opposition parties next week so that it can begin Diet deliberations on Thursday.

Key words : united nations has called on
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181103_13/

The United Nations chief has called on the international community and individual governments to make efforts to protect journalists.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres released a video message on Friday to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.

The UN designated the day one year after 2 French reporters were killed in the African country of Mali on November 2nd in 2013.

Guterres said that in just over a decade, more than 1,000 journalists have been killed while carrying out their work. He said 9 out of 10 cases remain unsolved, with no one held accountable.

He described the situation as "outrageous" and said it should not become the "new normal". Guterres added that when journalists are attacked, societies as a whole pay a price.

Also on Friday, diplomats and representatives of nongovernmental organizations held a panel discussion about media at the UN headquarters in New York.

The participants said those responsible for the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul should be brought to justice.

They called on the international community to unite in requesting Saudi authorities reveal what happened.

Key words : at least 7
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181103_10/

At least 7 people were killed and 12 others wounded when buses carrying Coptic Christians were ambushed in Egypt on Friday.

Security officials say that an armed group opened fire on the Christians in Minya Province about 200 kilometers south of the capital, Cairo.

Roads were closed as security personnel searched the area.

The Islamic State militant group's Amaq news agency reported that the group's members carried out the attack.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in a statement that the attack was designed to harm Egyptian society, and vowed to continue fighting terrorism.

Minority Christians in Egypt have often been targeted by Islamic extremists. Security and military authorities have beefed up operations to thwart such attacks.

Key words : UN official civilian
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Key words : Japan national tax
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181103_09/

Japan's National Tax Agency has obtained information on more than half a million accounts held by Japanese citizens and companies at overseas financial institutions.

The move comes amid heightened public interest in how the wealthy use offshore havens to evade paying taxes at home. The Japanese agency will analyze the data in an effort to crack down on tax evasion.

The agency says that as of October 31st, it collected data on about 550,000 accounts in 64 countries and regions.

About 290,000 of the accounts were in Asia and Oceania, followed by around 202,000 in Europe and some 42,000 in North, Central and South America.

The data was provided to Japan after an information sharing system among tax authorities in more than 80 countries and regions came into effect in September.

Participants in the exchange include the Cayman Islands, Panama and Singapore, which are considered to be tax havens. The United States is not taking part.

Key words : karuta
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181103_20/

Players of the Japanese card game karuta have gathered at a shrine in western Japan for the first international contest.

The game is based around a collection of "Tanka" short poems that were written by 100 people, including emperors and noblemen and women, from the 7th through 13th centuries. The anthology, called "Ogura Hyakunin Isshu," is still popular today.

Each match is fought by 2 players sitting face to face with 50 cards bearing the latter halves of the poems placed before them.

Once a reader begins reciting the first half of a poem, the players have to hit the corresponding card as fast as they can. The faster player wins.

Karuta has become popular overseas after the game was featured in a Japanese anime.

Saturday's event took place at Omi Shrine in Otsu City. The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Tenji, who wrote the first poem in the collection.

Japanese teams of school children and 7 international teams from Europe, Asia and South America competed for the world title. One team consists of 3 players.

A graduate school student from Italy said that he has been playing karuta for 4 years. He said that he hopes to win so he can be invited back to the contest again.

A local karuta association plans to continue hosting the event annually.