at 20:00 (JST), December 05 AS

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says a tsunami threat from a massive earthquake off New Caledonia in the southern Pacific has now largely passed.

Japan's Defense Ministry has resumed preparations for reclamation work in Okinawa to move the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station.

A survey in Japan shows local governments are struggling to offer timely livelihood support to an increasing number of residents from abroad.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20181205200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Tsunami largely
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181205_40/

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says a tsunami threat from a massive earthquake off New Caledonia in the southern Pacific has now largely passed.

The quake hit at around 3:18 PM Wednesday local time, or 4:18 UTC. The US Geological Survey said it had a magnitude of 7.5 and a depth of 10 kilometers.

The center in Hawaii said tsunamis were observed on New Caledonia, Vanuatu and other islands, with waves up to 72 centimeters high observed on Lenakel, Vanuatu.

The center is calling for caution against changes in sea levels for the next few hours.

Key words : defense ministry resumed air station
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181205_37/

Japan's Defense Ministry has resumed preparations for reclamation work in Okinawa to move the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station.

The ministry's Okinawa bureau on Monday began loading soil and sand onto a vessel at a pier of a private company in Nago City to reclaim the coastal area of the city's Henoko district.

But the ministry suspended the work on Tuesday when the prefectural government pointed out that the necessary documents had not been submitted for temporarily storing soil and sand near the pier to load them onto the vessel.

Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters on Wednesday that the ministry has begun loading soil and sand brought from the quarry directly onto the vessel. He pointed out that the work is conducted in a way that's different from temporarily storing them at a place that requires paperwork.

Iwaya said the central and prefectural governments differ on whether documents need to be submitted, but that he did not want to delay the reclamation work.

The central government plans to begin landfill work at Henoko on Friday next week.

Key words : people oppose
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181205_43/

People opposed to the relocation of the US air base to Henoko protested as Japan's Defense Ministry resumed preparations for offshore landfill work.

In the city of Nago in Okinawa Prefecture, trucks carrying soil and sand began arriving at the pier in a privately owned site one after another on Wednesday afternoon. The loads were dumped onto a conveyor belt, which carried them onto a waiting vessel.

About 50 people staged a sit-in outside the gates to stop the trucks from getting into the pier compound. They temporarily jostled with riot police.

A man from Naha City in his 70s complained the central government is going ahead with illegal construction, even as it claims Japan is a country under the rule of law. He said the government cannot be allowed to do this.

Key words : survey local government
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181205_41/

A survey in Japan shows local governments are struggling to offer timely livelihood support to an increasing number of residents from abroad.

NHK sent questionnaires in November to 50 municipalities across the country that have a relatively high proportion of foreign residents.

More than 30 percent of the respondents said they cannot expand their services to deal with foreign residents from so many different countries.

When asked about the challenges with multiple answers allowed, 80 percent said the use of many different languages at service counters and on other occasions.

Some local governments said in addition to English and Portuguese, they now need to respond in Vietnamese, Nepalese and other languages.

Other problems cited include providing support in foreign people's daily lives, such as explaining about rules on sorting out garbage and responding to troubles with neighbors. Some also said educational support for foreign children and disaster prevention information.

When asked what they want from the state government to solve the problems, more than 70 percent answered financial support. Nearly 40 percent also said they need human support, such as interpreters and educational staff.

Key words : UN Maria
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181205_23/

UN General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa has appealed to member countries to take steps to deal with plastic pollution in the ocean. She also announced her intent to eliminate single-use plastics from UN offices.

In a news conference on Tuesday, Espinosa said 8 million tons of plastic are thrown away in the ocean annually and that "it is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea."

She called on the UN's 193 member countries to act on the issue.

She did not mention a target date to end the use of single-use plastics by UN offices, but stressed there are lots of things it can do towards that goal.

She said she will review the work the UN is doing with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The prime minister of the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, and Norway Deputy Permanent Representative Mari Skare also attended the news conference. They said, "It is a health problem for the oceans and for humans."

Key words : arrested Halloween damaged
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181205_26/

Police in Tokyo have arrested 4 men linked to an attack on a small truck in a crowded entertainment district on the weekend before Halloween.

The men are suspected of having been involved in surrounding, overturning and stepping on the truck near Shibuya station on October 28th. Many young people in costumes were gathered in the area at the time.

The truck was damaged, but the driver was unhurt.

Police identified the suspects from video shot by people at the scene.

Police say they have arrested them on charges of the collective destruction of property.

Papers will be sent to prosecutors on more than 10 other people over their possible involvement.

Some of the suspects have reportedly admitted to the allegations.

Key words : news key word for today Halloween in Japan
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Key words : a man charged over
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181205_34/

A man charged over a fatal road rage accident has apologized in court for the first time.

The accident on the Tomei Expressway in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, in June last year killed a married couple and injured their 2 daughters.

Prosecutors say Kazuho Ishibashi drove his car dangerously close to the couple's van, forcing it to stop on the highway. The van was then hit from behind by a truck.

At the Yokohama District Court on Wednesday, Ishibashi said he'd had his car parked in a service area when the driver of the van told him he was blocking the road.

Ishibashi said he got angry and chased the van to complain to the driver. He said he did not think that stopping the vehicle would lead to an accident.

Ishibashi then said he's truly sorry for what he did, and dabbed his eyes when a lawyer spoke about the victims' daughters.

Ishibashi's lawyer says the charge of reckless driving resulting in death does not apply, because the accident occurred after he stopped his car.

Key words : Mitsubishi scandal
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181205_19/

A subsidiary of Mitsubishi Electric has become the latest Japanese firm to be embroiled in a falsification scandal. Officials at rubber maker Tokan say they've found incorrect or missing inspection data for nearly 20 percent of their product lineup.

Tokan makes rubber parts for escalators, railway cars, and various appliances. The company said on Tuesday it had been shipping some products without the necessary tests on the rubber's firmness. The maker also supplied goods that did not meet customer requirements.

Tokan officials say the issue affects 250 kinds of products going back 10 years, and possibly longer. They say no records remain before 2008.

Executives say the affected goods have been shipped to 25 companies including Mitsubishi Electric.

An inspection by Mitsubishi has apparently uncovered no issues with product quality or performance.

Tokan President Tatsuo Matsuoka has apologized for the scandal. He said a lack of ownership and lax quality control contributed to the problem.

Company officials say they plan to resolve customer issues related to the products and then decide how to deal with the employees who were involved.

Key words : Honjo
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181205_25/

The co-winner of this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Tasuku Honjo from Japan, has left for Sweden for the award ceremony.

Honjo, a distinguished professor at Kyoto University, was recognized for his research on the immune system that led to a revolutionary cancer therapy.

He will attend the ceremony in Stockholm this coming Monday.

Honjo told reporters before leaving that he is looking forward to attending the ceremony, because it will be the biggest celebratory event he has ever taken part in, since he started receiving prizes.

The laureate also said he's heard that former colleagues and rivals from around the world will get together for his Nobel lecture that he will give on Friday. He added that although he's a bit worried about the cold weather, he wants to have a good time.