Key words : clashes police
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200531_12/
Protests continue around the United States over the death of a black man while in custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and there are ongoing clashes between some protestors and police in the city.
The incident that sparked the protests took place on Monday. A white police officer was seen on video kneeling on the neck of George Floyd as he gasped for air. Floyd was later pronounced dead.
Protests have taken place in at least 20 cities, and have continued in some areas for five days.
A nighttime curfew was introduced again in Minneapolis on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. following the looting of grocery stores and a police building being set on fire. But some protestors are still out and clashing with police.
Demonstrators in Los Angeles, California, threw bottles at police and set police vehicles on fire. Police used rubber bullets to quell them.
Similar clashes took place in Houston, Texas, where local police say that eight officers were injured.
Demonstrations also took place in Washington D.C. and New York.
US media reported that at least six states, including Minnesota, have dispatched the National Guard.
Key words : Trump postpone
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200531_11/
US President Donald Trump has revealed that he wants to postpone the planned G7 summit to September. He has also expressed his intention to invite four non-G7 countries to discuss China.
Trump was speaking to reporters on Saturday onboard Air Force One, en route from Florida to Washington.
Trump had been working out a schedule to host the talks at the White House in late June, after he determined global infection curves had passed their peaks. At one point, he had given up on hosting the talks amid the raging pandemic.
Trump also told reporters that he wants to invite Russia, South Korea, Australia, and India, in addition to G7 members, to discuss China.
The representative of a media corps traveling with Trump said Trump does not regard the G7 as a relevant group to properly respond to global issues.
Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has been preparing to attend the summit in person, once the date is fixed.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron have also expressed their intention to visit Washington.
Key words : private launched
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200531_04/
A US spacecraft with two American astronauts on board has been launched on a flight to the International Space Station. The Crew Dragon is the first private spacecraft to undertake a manned mission to the ISS.
The spacecraft, developed by US firm SpaceX, lifted off from the state of Florida on Saturday, aboard the Falcon 9 rocket.
The spacecraft was detached from the rocket 12 minutes after lift-off.
The Crew Dragon is expected to use its engine to reach the ISS at an altitude of 400 kilometers on Sunday.
The launch had been originally scheduled to take place on Wednesday but was delayed due to bad weather.
NASA has been funding the development of private manned spacecraft.
Saturday's launch is the final test for the Crew Dragon, which is to dock with the ISS and return to Earth.
NASA says that if the final test was a success, it would seek to carry out the first launch in the operational phase on August 30, with Japanese astronaut Noguchi Soichi among the crew.
A successful journey would be the first time in nine years for the United States to send astronauts to the space station using the country's spacecraft since the retirement of the space shuttle fleet.
Currently, NASA relies on Russia's Soyuz vehicle to ferry astronauts to the ISS.
Key words : hong kong anniversary
#N/A
Key words : ruling group
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200531_10/
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party will urge the government to incorporate the promotion of new work styles and digitalization in the basic policies for this year, as the coronavirus affects society.
The LDP will set up a group, headed by Amari Akira, chairman of the Tax System Research Council, to identify vulnerabilities in Japanese society and possible countermeasures, so that the country will be ready the next time a crisis hits.
The group plans to look at promoting new working styles, accelerating digitalization, enhancing information infrastructure, and restructuring supply chains.
It plans to ask the government to incorporate suggestions resulting from its study in the basic policy.
The members will also look into the impact of the tense US-China relationship on the international order and Japan's role in the mid-to-long term.
Former education minister Shimomura Hakubun, Executive Acting Secretary-General of the LDP, Inada Tomomi, and others plan to form a group to promote remote working and the use of the national "My Number" identification system.
They say that the country needs to promote social reforms and find out what kind of country it wants to be.
They hope to propose to the government that their findings be implemented.
Key words : more than 16,800 tested positive
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200530_16/
People in Tokyo have been enjoying their first weekend since the Japanese capital ended a state of emergency that was declared due to the coronavirus.
Some cautiously made trips into shopping areas where many businesses have reopened for the first time in weeks.
Crowds were noticeably bigger in the popular district of Shibuya following the easing of restrictions.
Shoppers and staff were required to wear masks at all times in a department store. Floor markings reminded people to maintain distance.
Tokyo will allow gyms, theaters and shops selling non-essential goods to reopen on June 1. It will continue to request that restaurants and cafes stop serving food and drinks by 10 p.m.
It's a different story in the southwestern city of Kitakyushu, where authorities are calling on people to stay home amid a renewed surge in coronavirus cases.
Kitakyushu recorded new infections for seven straight days through Friday, reaching a total of 69.
More than 16,800 people have tested positive across the country and about 890 have died.
Key words : payment cash
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200531_15/
More people in Japan have been opting for cashless payments amid the coronavirus outbreak, as businesses try to accommodate their needs.
A restaurant in Tokyo's Shibuya ward says the ratio of cashless payments increased to 40 percent over the past week. It says the figure before the state of emergency over the coronavirus was around 10 to 20 percent.
Restaurant officials believe many customers are avoiding touching cash. One diner who uses smartphone payment said bills and coins could be contaminated with the virus.
They say they are making other cashless payment methods available, including e-money originally developed for train and bus fares.
One restaurant owner says cashless payments also help stem infection risks for her employees.
Money Forward, known for its household financial management app, surveyed people in May who made payments not using cash.
Of some 7,800 people who responded, 40 percent said the outbreak prompted them to start using new modes of payment.
Asked why, the largest proportion, or 44 percent, said to reducing the time they must face staff during the payment process. Twenty-seven percent said to avoid infection from touching money.
Japan's health ministry recommends cashless payments as one facet of a new way of life that helps prevent infections.
Key words : india easing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200531_05/
India will ease its coronavirus lockdown on Monday except for areas with a high number of infections. The measure has been imposed nationwide since late March.
The government on Saturday announced a plan to lift restrictions on operations in the retail and manufacturing sectors on Monday. It will also allow large commercial facilities, restaurants, and hotels to reopen on June 8.
But it said developments will determine when schools and movie theaters reopen and international flights resume.
The government noted it will extend its lockdown in high-risk zones until June 30.
Based on guidelines set by the central government, authorities in each state will decide which areas should remain under lockdown and which restrictions will be eased.
The Indian government has gradually been loosening restrictions since late April due to their serious impact on the economy.
The government on Saturday stressed its stance to further revitalize the country's businesses by a phased lifting of the lockdown.
India reported its highest single-day increase in coronavirus infections with over 7,900 cases on Saturday. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country has topped 170,000.
Concern is growing that the easing of restrictions could add to the number of new infections.
Key words : museum announced maximum safety
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200531_03/
The Louvre Museum in Paris will reopen on July 6 following a shutdown of more than three months linked to the coronavirus.
The government announced on Friday that it would allow the reopening of public institutions, including museums.
It said the Palace of Versailles will reopen on June 6 and the Orsay Museum on June 23.
The culture ministry says wearing a mask will be required for visiting those sites.
The Louvre says in a statement that the implementation of a reservation system as well as new signs will allow it to offer "maximum safety to our visitors in addition to respecting social distancing."
