at 20:00 (JST), October 30

An IOC meeting is underway to discuss whether to move the 2020 Games' marathon and race walking events from Tokyo to Sapporo in northern Japan.

The Japanese government's top spokesperson has welcomed the decision by the EU to ease import restrictions on Japanese food products next month.

エラー 2042

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20191030200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : ioc
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191030_29/

An International Olympic Committee meeting is underway to discuss whether to move the 2020 Games' marathon and race walking events from Tokyo to Sapporo in northern Japan.

The 3-day meeting kicked off in Tokyo on Wednesday, with officials from the IOC, Tokyo Metropolitan and central governments and the 2020 Games' organizing committee in attendance.

A plan to move the events to Sapporo, which has a cooler climate than Tokyo, was put forth earlier this month by the IOC.

The IOC says it wants to avoid a repeat of what happened at the world track and field championship in Doha, Qatar, where many athletes failed to cross the finish line due to intense heat.

The head of the IOC coordination commission, John Coates, has affirmed that the IOC has already decided on the change and has no intention of reversing that decision. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike wants the events held in the capital.

With less than nine months to go until the Tokyo Olympics, the Games' organizing committee is studying how it would lay out the marathon route if the event were to be held in Sapporo.

Under an IOC plan, the course would start and finish at a domed baseball stadium in the city. But organizing committee officials say the stadium doesn't have enough space and that there would be some difficulties renting it next year.

The officials see locating the start and finish line in a park in the city center as more feasible.

Key words : top spokesperson
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191030_25/

The Japanese government's top spokesperson has welcomed a decision by the European Union to ease import restrictions on Japanese food products next month.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Wednesday that the European Commission will relax restrictions as of November 14.

The EU has required radiation tests and safety certificates for agricultural and fishery products from 12 prefectures since the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Such tests and certificates will be no longer required for some of those products.

Suga said the EU's decision comes as a result of a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in September.

He said the government will continue its effort so all restrictions on Japanese food imports imposed after the nuclear accident will be removed.

Key words : US has announced series of meeting
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Key words : US forces in Japan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191030_28/

US forces in Japan have defended their use of the Kadena Air Base in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Okinawa for parachute training that local governments say violates a bilateral agreement.

US paratroopers carried out their fourth exercise at the base this year on Tuesday evening.

Parachute training has never been done that many times in one year at the base since the Japanese and US governments agreed in 1996 to move such exercises to Iejima, off Okinawa's main island.

The prefecture's government and local municipalities are strongly protesting what they call a violation of the agreement.

Okinawa's Vice Governor Kiichiro Jahana on Wednesday summoned Japanese defense and foreign ministry officials and expressed anger that Kadena has been used continuously for parachute training. He said it is fueling local mistrust in US forces that could negatively impact the bilateral security arrangement.

US Forces Japan said on Twitter on Wednesday that they are "committed to agreements allowing parachute training at Kadena in exceptional circumstances."

They added, "Poor weather at Iejima required moving training to Kadena and met the requirements of the agreement. All Kadena training is conducted under this framework."

USFJ cited its commander, Lieutenant General Kevin Schneider, as saying the training is critical to sustaining readiness of the units involved. The forces also posted photos of the exercise on Twitter.

It has been learned that prior to the evening training, two US paratroopers landed off-target on Iejima shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

They landed on a privately owned field about 600 meters from a home. No injuries have been reported, but Ie Village plans to lodge a complaint.

Key words : a group of academic
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191030_22/

A group of Japanese academics are voicing concern over China's recent detention of one of their colleagues.

Japan's foreign ministry says a man in his 40s was taken into custody last month, while visiting Beijing.

The Hokkaido University professor is an expert on Chinese history and had been invited into the country by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The group, including professor emeritus at Waseda University Satoshi Amako and Hosei University professor Masaharu Hishida, released a statement on Tuesday.
It called news of the detention shocking beyond words.

The statement warned that the situation could undermine academic exchanges, saying news of cancelled trips to China is already spreading among scholars.

It also called on Chinese authorities to disclose details of what led to the detention.

So far, all that's known is that the man allegedly violated Chinese law -- but there's no word of any charges.

Over the past five years, 13 Japanese nationals have been detained in China.
Of those, nine were indicted on suspicion of spying.

Key words : Trump a man viewed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191030_23/

US President Donald Trump says a man viewed as the next leader of the Islamic State militant group is dead.

Trump tweeted on Tuesday that "Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's number one replacement has been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also Dead!"

Trump did not name the man. US media say it may have been Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir, Baghdadi 's close aide and spokesperson for the militant group.

On Sunday, Trump announced Baghdadi's death during an operation of US special forces in Syria.

Trump also posted on Twitter a declassified picture of a dog that took part in the operation against Baghdadi.

The US military says it will soon release video of the raid.

Experts say the threat of the Islamic State group will continue even after Baghdadi's death, citing possible retaliation by remaining fighters of the group and others.

Trump's tweet on Tuesday is seen as an effort to give the impression that military operations against Islamic State militants are succeeding.

Key words : swedish
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191030_26/

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has declined the Nordic Council's environmental award. The Council is a regional body for inter-parliamentary cooperation.

The 16-year old activist has rallied millions to her "Fridays for Future" movement. She conveyed her decision in a post on Instagram from the United States on Tuesday.

Thunberg says she needs politicians and people in power to start to listen to the best available science. She said the council's decision is a great honor, but the climate movement does not need any more awards.

Thunberg also commented that the Nordic countries have a great reputation when it comes to climate and environmental issues. She went on to say, "But when it comes to our actual emissions and our ecological footprints per capita, then it's a whole other story."

Thunberg started her solitary weekly protest outside Swedish parliament a year ago and millions of young people have followed her since then.

About her decision not to accept the prize, young people supported her on the web saying, "If the government is not changing their policy, she should not get the prize."

Key words : protests Kawasaki
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191030_11/

Protests are erupting over a decision by the organizer of a film festival in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, to cancel the screening of a documentary about those referred to as wartime comfort women.

The organizer of the Kawasaki Shinyuri Film Festival has called off showings of the film "Shusenjo: The Main Battleground of The Comfort Women Issue."

The non-profit organization Kawasaki Arts says it made the decision because it would not be able to ensure public safety if disruptive behavior and other problems were to occur.

The city of Kawasaki, which co-hosts the festival, had expressed concern about showing the film.
City officials say that some people interviewed in the film had filed lawsuits against its director and distributor, demanding that the release and public showing be banned.

The cancellation has touched off protests by some members of the film industry. They say the decision violates people's freedom of expression and shows excessive consideration for Kawasaki City.

A different production company taking part in the festival has withdrawn two of its works from the event in protest.

Film director Hirokazu Koreeda said at the festival venue on Tuesday that the organizer's decision is unthinkable and shows a lack of respect for the creators.

An actor who appears in one of the films withdrawn in protest said that banning a film for the sake of convenience is dangerous behavior that takes away the freedom of the audience and creators.

The festival organizer says it is planning a meeting to discuss the issue on Wednesday with members of the film industry, the public and staff. The event runs through November 4.