US President Donald Trump has said he is willing to start disarmament talks in the future with his Chinese and Russian counterparts.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said China offered additional commitments on trade worth 1.2 trillion dollars.
French media reports say Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has decided to suspend fuel tax increases which had been planned for next month.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20181204200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : Trump has said
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_07/
US President Donald Trump has said he is willing to start disarmament talks in the future with his Chinese and Russian counterparts.
Trump tweeted on Monday that he is certain he and Xi Jinping, together with Vladimir Putin, will start talking about a meaningful halt to what has become a major and uncontrollable arms race.
This came after he emphasized that US-China relations have taken a big leap forward, referring to his meeting with President Xi in Argentina.
In October, Trump announced that the United States will leave the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, citing violations by Russia.
Russia had said it was ready to discuss nuclear disarmament at a planned meeting between Putin and Trump on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Argentina.
But Trump cancelled the meeting, reacting to Russia's recent seizure of Ukrainian naval ships and crewmembers off the coast of Crimea.
It remains to be seen whether the recent apparent thaw in the US-China relations will lead to a full-fledged easing of trade friction between the 2 countries.
The prospects for the US, China and Russia agreeing to discuss disarmament seem far from certain.
Key words : US treasury
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_12/
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said China offered additional commitments on trade worth 1.2 trillion dollars. He said the offer was made at the US-China summit over the weekend.
Mnuchin was speaking with CNBC Television on Monday. Beijing's commitments, aimed at reducing the bilateral trade imbalance, reportedly include the purchase of US farm produce.
Mnuchin called the agreement "a breakthrough," although details still need to be negotiated. He described it as a step toward opening markets to US companies and protecting their technologies.
The 2 countries' leaders also agreed on a 90-day truce on new US tariffs while the 2 sides negotiate pending issues. A White House official says the clock has been running since December 1st.
Trump's economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will head the US side in the negotiations.
Key words : Tokyo stocks plunged
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_28/
Tokyo stocks plunged on Tuesday, with the benchmark Nikkei ending over 500 points lower. Investors sold stocks to book profits after an extended rally.
The Nikkei closed Tuesday's session at 22,036.
That was 538 points, or nearly 2.4 percent, down from Monday's close.
The index had gained more than 1,000 points, or nearly 5 percent, during the previous 7 trading days.
Some investors grew pessimistic about prospects for US-China trade negotiations. They doubt whether the world's 2 biggest economies will be able to agree on intellectual-property protection and other sticking points by the deadline at the end of February.
Key words : French media reports
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_37/
French media reports say Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has decided to suspend fuel tax increases which had been planned for next month.
The move comes after nationwide protests against the plan.
President Emmanuel Macron planned to raise the fuel tax as part of measures to tackle global warming, which is one of his key policies.
Key words : mass protest
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_17/
Mass protests that have turned violent in France are seriously affecting stores, restaurants and hotels in central Paris.
French economy minister Bruno Le Maire met local business leaders on Monday and later explained the severe economic impact of the unrest at a press conference.
He said sales have declined by 20 to 40 percent for retailers and by 20 to 50 percent for restaurants in central Paris.
Le Maire added that 15 to 20 percent of hotel reservations in the areas affected by the violence have been cancelled due to security concerns.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on local TV that damage to bus stops and other road facilities are likely to reach up to 4 million euros, or about 4.5 million dollars.
The weekly demonstrations began in mid-November against a plan to raise fuel taxes. Some of the protestors turned violent, smashing stores and cars, and clashed with security forces.
Graffiti was sprayed on the Arc de Triomphe and artworks inside it were also damaged.
Key words : NASA
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_09/
US space agency NASA says its spacecraft OSIRIS-REx has arrived at its destination -- an asteroid called Bennu.
OSIRIS-REx was launched in 2016 with a mission to survey the asteroid and bring back samples to Earth.
NASA says the probe arrived within 19 kilometers of Bennu by Monday local time after a 2-year journey.
The asteroid, which measures roughly 500 meters in length, is 120 million kilometers from Earth. It orbits the sun every 14 months.
Early images taken by OSIRIS-REx show the asteroid is shaped like a tilted cube with a rocky surface.
Bennu is believed to contain organic matter dating back to when the Solar System was thought to have been created 4.6 billion years ago.
OSIRIS-REx will shadow the asteroid for more than 18 months before obtaining sand and rock samples from its surface in July 2020. These will be returned to Earth in 2023.
By analyzing these materials, scientists hope to gain unprecedented insight into the origin of life and the history of the solar system.
A NASA scientist says the team was excited to be able to see the surface of Bennu at such close quarters, with craters and large rocks already observed.
Earlier this year, Japan's Hayabusa2 probe reached Ryugu, an asteroid about twice the size of Bennu.
Key words : UN agency
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_15/
A UN agency has reported that China accounted for more than 40 percent of world patent filings last year. The country has been at the head of the world rankings for 7 straight years.
The World Intellectual Property Organization, or WIPO, released on Monday its latest report on patent applications in 2017.
WIPO says China's intellectual property office received a total of 1.38 million applications. The United States was second at slightly more than 600,000 and Japan third at nearly 320,000.
Innovators around the globe filed 3.17 million patent applications last year -- the highest total on record.
The report comes as US criticism of China's alleged violations of intellectual property rights is playing a key role in the ongoing trade row.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry says that in just a few decades China has constructed an intellectual property system and encouraged homegrown innovation. He says the country is driving worldwide growth in intellectual property applications.
Key words : defense chief local opposition
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_20/
Japan's defense chief says the Okinawa bureau of the defense ministry has temporarily suspended work related to a US base relocation plan after the local government pointed out the necessary steps hadn't been taken.
The Okinawa defense bureau ordered soil and sand to be loaded onto a vessel at a pier of a private company in Nago City on Monday.
This is in preparation for reclamation work to construct a replacement facility for the US Marines' Futenma Air Station in the city's Henoko coastal district.
The central government plans to start full-fledged reclamation work on Friday of next week despite local opposition.
Okinawa Prefecture called for a stop to the loading, calling it "illegal work," because the defense bureau failed to submit the necessary documents to local authorities.
Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters on Tuesday that the loading work has been suspended following the request.
He said he hopes the situation will be reviewed as quickly as possible, and if shortcomings are found, the bureau will correct them and proceed with the plan.
Asked whether the suspension could affect the planned start of the landfill work, Iwaya said he hopes there will be no impact.
Key words : Nissan choose
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_35/
Nissan Motor is working to choose a new leader after former chairman Carlos Ghosn was removed from his post late last month.
A November board meeting decided that the firm's 3 external directors will put forward their favored candidates.
The 3 directors, including one from alliance partner Renault, will then hold discussions.
Renault is a major shareholder in the Japanese company. The French carmaker says it already has the right to pick the new Nissan chairperson.
Renault points to an agreement reached by the 2 companies 19 years ago at a time when Nissan was in serious financial trouble.
It says one person from Renault should hold the position of chief operating officer or higher at Nissan.
Nissan aims to come to a decision at a board meeting on December 17th.
Key words : agriculture
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_22/
Japan's agriculture minister has revealed that the government plans to file a criminal complaint against a man who tried to illegally take fertilized eggs of premium wagyu beef cattle from Japan to China.
The export of such eggs is prohibited under the domestic animal infectious diseases control act.
Agriculture minister Takamori Yoshikawa spoke to reporters on Tuesday about the incident that occurred in July this year.
The man attempted to take a container filled with the eggs to China, but was unable to pass customs there and returned to Japan. The eggs were confiscated at Japanese customs.
Yoshikawa said the incident is regrettable, and added that he believes that the ministry must come up with measures to prevent a recurrence.
He said the ministry has informed airlines and customs of the incident.
According to the ministry, this is the first case anyone has illegally attempted to take wagyu fertilized eggs out of Japan into another country.
Key words : arrangement Hiroshima
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_38/
Arrangements are being made for a survivor of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima to meet Japan's deputy government spokesperson.
Setsuko Thurlow now lives in Canada. She has been working with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, or ICAN, and spoke at last year's ceremony in which the group was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Thurlow has been in Japan since last month. She is scheduled to meet Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura on Thursday at the prime minister's office in Tokyo.
Thurlow is reportedly hoping to appeal to the Japanese government to support the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons that was adopted last year.
Japan has not backed the treaty, claiming it would not lead to realistic nuclear disarmament.
Thurlow had sought a meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but the government denied her request citing Abe's busy schedule.
ICAN Executive Director Beatrice Fihn also requested, but was denied, a meeting with Abe when she visited Japan in January of this year.
Key words : US soften
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_26/
The American president seems to be softening his harsh attitude towards Pakistan. Government officials there say Donald Trump is asking for cooperation to end the long-running conflict in neighboring Afghanistan.
The officials say Trump made the request in a letter to Pakistan's new Prime Minister Imran Khan. He asked for his "support" in negotiating with the Afghan Taliban... and he called the relationship with Pakistan very important to end the 17-year-long war.
It's a significant change in tone for Trump. He's repeatedly accused Pakistan of harboring the insurgents and failing to crack down on their activities, despite billions of dollars in US aid.
Trump wants to end the war and bring thousands of American troops deployed there back home.
The Pakistani Information ministry welcomed his letter saying the country "has always advocated a political settlement."
Key words : new train station
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_29/
The new train station on Tokyo's Yamanote Line will be called "Takanawa Gateway."
The station is set to open between Shinagawa and Tamachi in the spring of 2020. It will be the first new stop on the Yamanote loop line since 1971.
East Japan Railway President Yuji Fukasawa announced the name of the new station on Tuesday.
The company invited the public to submit possible names. It got more than 13,000 names from over 64,000 applicants.
"Takanawa" topped the list, and "Takanawa Gateway" was ranked 130th.
But the company decided to adopt the latter because the area served for centuries as an entry point into Edo, the former name of Tokyo, for travelers on the Tokaido road from Kyoto.
The name also implies the opening of a hub for international exchange.
Fukasawa said the new station encompasses both the past and the future. He said construction is going as scheduled, so the company is likely to be able to open the station before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Key words : Kanda
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181204_36/
A ceremony to show appreciation for no-longer-used business cards has begun at a Shinto shrine in Tokyo.
The event at Kanda Shrine was organized by an IT firm whose services include business card management.
On Tuesday, workers from nearby offices visited the shrine, where a priest put their cards in a box and offered prayers. The cards are to be dissolved.
The firm says many people now store business card data in their mobile devices, but are reluctant to throw the cards away because they carry personal information.
A 30-year-old company employee who brought in more than 400 cards said he didn't have the heart to put them in a shredder. He said he now feels better.
Shrine official Masanori Kishikawa said people feel refreshed by purifying the cards, just as they burn good-luck charms rather than throw them away.
The event runs through Thursday.
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