2020年9月18日金曜日

at 20:00 (JST), September 18


 

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20200918200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : topped 30 million world health
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200918_15/

Johns Hopkins University in the United States says the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world has topped 30 million. It says the total number of deaths is approaching one million.

The university reported that the number of cases around the world reached 30,003,378 at 21:30 UTC on Thursday. It also reported that a total of 942,989 people have died.

The World Health Organization says the number of new infections is decreasing in the Americas. But it says Asia and Europe are seeing an increase in new cases.

The WHO says the number of daily new cases in Indonesia has occasionally exceeded 3,500 recently.

Authorities in the capital Jakarta tightened some restrictions that had been eased in June. Most companies are now required to increase the number of staff members working from home. More than three-fourths of a company's workforce must work remotely. Gatherings of five or more people have also been banned.

In Israel, where new daily infections are increasing, a nationwide lockdown will be imposed again on Friday.


Key words : Brazil 18 percent
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200918_14/

Officials in Brazil's largest city of Sao Paulo say more than 18 percent of children there have been infected with the coronavirus.

The city conducted blood tests earlier this month on 2,000 children aged from four to 14 who attend public schools. It found 18.4 percent of those tested were infected or had been previously infected with the virus.

The city says 66 percent of the infected children showed no symptoms such as fever or coughing. It also says the infection rate is higher among children whose schools are in poverty-stricken areas.

The local authorities had been planning to reopen public schools next month after suspending classes since mid-May. However, they decided to postpone the reopening to November or later.

Brazil has the world's third highest number of coronavirus cases with an accumulated total exceeding 4.4 million.

Around 30,000 to 40,000 new cases are being confirmed every day although the daily tally has been going down recently.


Key words : report Catherine Kobayashi
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20200918142017466/

The mayor of New York hopes to do something no other big city is even attempting. Bill de Blasio wants to bring students back to classrooms closed by the coronavirus. But now he's delayed school, for a second time. NHK World's Catherine Kobayashi reports.


Key words : car sales
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200918_20/

New car sales in Europe fell sharply in August after several months of recovery.

A European automobile industry group says 884,394 cars rolled off dealers' lots in EU member countries plus Britain. That's down 17.6 percent from a year earlier.

By country, sales in Germany fell 20 percent, followed by 19.8 percent in France and 5.8 percent in Britain.

Looking at Japanese automakers, sales of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles dropped 34.1 percent, followed by Mazda Motor at 27.1 percent and Honda Motor at 21.7 percent.

Nissan Motor suffered a drop of 16.8 percent, and Toyota Motor 5.5 percent.

New car sales in the European market plunged nearly 80 percent year on year in April after coronavirus cases surged there. But sales then started to recover until July, with the rate of decline improving to minus 3.7 percent.

A recent spike in coronavirus cases across Europe is raising concern that it may have a serious effect on people's movement and economic activities. It remains unclear whether demand for cars will pick up anytime soon.


Key words : france tire maker
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200918_04/

France's finance minister has protested a plan by tire maker Bridgestone to close its plant in the north of the country.

Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday that the company had made a revolting decision that would have revolting consequences.

Le Maire said the government will talk with Bridgestone to explore ways to keep the factory open. He said that if the negotiations fail, the government will seek another firm to open a plant.

Labor unions and local officials are also criticizing the plan to close the plant, which makes tires for passenger vehicles.

Bridgestone said on Wednesday it had started talks with relevant parties on its plan to shut the factory. It said the market for the product "has seen its volumes stabilize over the last few years."

The plant has been in operation for nearly 60 years. It has about 860 workers on its payroll, and plays a significant role in the local economy.

Bridgestone's announcement came after the French government announced its largest-ever stimulus program earlier this month to help the economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic. The spending package is worth 100 billion euros, or roughly 118 billion dollars.


Key words : kitasato
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200917_36/

A university hospital in Tokyo says it will soon begin a clinical trial of an anti-parasite drug as a possible treatment for COVID-19.

Kitasato University Hospital on Thursday announced plans for testing ivermectin, which is widely used against parasite-borne infectious diseases.

The university's Distinguished Emeritus Professor, Omura Satoshi, won a Nobel prize for discovering a compound that led to the development of ivermectin.

The university hospital says the trial will involve 240 COVID-19 patients aged 20 or over with mild to moderate symptoms.

They will be divided into two groups. One will be given ivermectin, and the other will receive a placebo.

The hospital plans to compare changes in their symptoms to assess the drug's efficacy and safety. The trial will continue through the end of March.

The operator of the university, the Kitasato Institute, says experiments using cells have shown ivermectin works in inhibiting the proliferation of the coronavirus.

It says it will strictly examine the safety and efficacy of ivermectin to obtain approval for the drug as a treatment for COVID-19.


Key words : health ministry possible
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200918_03/

Japan's health ministry will study possible glitches in its coronavirus contact tracing app, as an increasing number of users have been complaining about it.

The ministry says the app, known as COCOA, had been downloaded more than 17 million times as of Thursday since its launch in June.

But the ministry says there have been thousands of complaints about possible problems with the system since August. Many people say the app informs them they had had no contact with virus carriers, even after it had alerted them otherwise in push notifications.

The ministry will start examining the complaints soon. It has previously said some users may be mistaken in thinking the software was working improperly.
The ministry says it will update the app as soon as next month so smartphones can send log files on events in the software. It promises the data will be sent only with users' consent, and will not contain any personal information.

The ministry says health officials in Tokyo are concerned their testing capacity could fail because of the growing number of complaints about the app.

Smartphones that have the software installed record encrypted data sent by other handsets if they come within a 1-meter radius for 15 minutes or more. Users who test positive for the coronavirus can anonymously notify others through the app that they have been in close contact.


Key words : G20
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200918_05/

The finance and health chiefs of the G20 economies have emphasized the need to ensure that all parties, including developing countries, have "equitable and affordable access" to COVID-19 diagnostics, therapies and vaccines.

They issued a joint statement after meeting via video link on Thursday.

Japan has been leading discussions on how to create a framework to achieve such access.

Finance Minister Aso Taro noted that private-sector companies are competing to develop coronavirus vaccines, and the prices of the resulting products will likely reflect the relevant patents. He said this could make the vaccines so expensive that some people will not be able to afford them.

Aso said Japan is proposing that the G20 must prevent a single pharmaceutical firm from acquiring excessive wealth by monopolizing the market.

He added that the G20 will continue talks on how to achieve its goals.

The meeting agenda also covered preparedness for another possible global spike in coronavirus cases.


Key words : prime minister signature policies
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200918_07/

Japan's new Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has discussed his key policies of regulatory reform and digitalization with related ministers. Suga wants to present his own ideas in such fields, while taking over some policies of the former government.

Suga's cabinet started working on Thursday. He said he was determined to work hard for the Japanese people and will try to live up to their expectations.

Suga met with Administrative Reform Minister Kono Taro and Digital Transformation Minister Hirai Takuya separately to discuss how to implement his signature policies.

Kono set up a page on his website where people can post their opinions about the demerits of bureaucratic red tape.

He told reporters later in the day that the page was almost overwhelmed with opinions, suggesting that useful information about reform has been gathered.

Hirai said Suga instructed him to speed up the process of creating a new government agency in charge of digitalization.

He said Suga is calling for a level of speed that has never been seen in the past.

Hirai says he will launch a working group on Saturday to discuss the issue. He plans to prepare related bills to be submitted to the Diet session starting in January, in a bid to create the new agency before March 2022.


Key words : Trump great life
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200918_10/

US President Donald Trump has congratulated Japan's new prime minister Suga Yoshihide on assuming office.

In a Twitter post on Thursday, Trump said, "You have a great life story! I know you will do a tremendous job for Japan and for the world."

He added that he looks forward to talking to Suga soon.

In a statement issued earlier, the White House said the relationship between the United States and Japan has never been stronger and that Trump looks forward to working with Suga to make it even stronger.


Key words : senkaku
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200918_08/

A group of lawmakers from Japan's main ruling Liberal Democratic Party says it will urge the government to step up the function of its control over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

Japan controls the islands. China and Taiwan claim them. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory, in terms of history and international law. It says there is no issue of sovereignty to be resolved over them.

The group, led by former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Sato Masahisa, decided at a meeting on Thursday to submit a proposal to the government.

It comes in response to China's increased activities in waters around the islands.

The proposal includes joint exercises of Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the US military on and around Japan's southwestern remote islands, including the Senkakus.

The lawmakers propose an arrangement that would allow the SDF to use airports and ports on the islands.

They also say the Japan Coast Guard needs to enhance its capabilities. They say it needs air-surveillance radars on its patrol ships and collaboration with the SDF against airspace violations. They request a higher budget for the coast guard in order to increase its personnel and patrol ships.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin commented on the proposal. He said the islands are China's inherent territory. He urged Japan to work with China "to safeguard the overall improvement and development of China-Japan relations with concrete actions."


Key words : weather Yoko Komagata
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