2021年10月24日日曜日

at 20:00 (JST), October 24

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20211024200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : mako akasaka
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211024_16/

Komuro Kei visited the Imperial family's Akasaka Estate in central Tokyo on Sunday ahead of his planned marriage to Princess Mako this week. Princess Mako is the eldest daughter of Crown Prince and Princess Akishino.

Thirty-year-old Komuro was wearing a suit as he left his home in Yokohama by car at around 8 a.m. He visited the Akasaka Residence next to the home of the family of the Crown Prince.

Sources at the Imperial Household Agency say Komuro stayed for seven hours until around 3:30 p.m., a period that included lunch. They are believed to have prepared for the news conference to follow the couple's marriage on Tuesday.

The marriage of Princess Mako and Komuro is expected to be registered in the morning. The couple is scheduled to attend a news conference at a Tokyo hotel in the afternoon.


Key words : komuro new york
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211023_01/

Japan's Princess Mako turns 30 on Saturday, three days before she marries a commoner and leaves the Imperial family.

The princess is the eldest daughter of Crown Prince and Princess Akishino. This is the second consecutive year that no events have been planned for her birthday due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Over the past year, Princess Mako has engaged in a range of activities as a member of the Imperial family.

She has attended online lectures about the mental wellbeing of children who experienced the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, and others struggling amid the pandemic.

The princess will become a commoner after she marries her college classmate Komuro Kei.

Palace officials say she wants to express her heartfelt gratitude to all those who have met and supported her during her years of public service.

Princess Mako has visited seven countries to promote friendly ties.

She and Komuro are due to have their marriage registered on Tuesday. The pair will then speak to the media.

Komuro recently returned to Japan from the United States, where he was studying law.

The couple plan to settle in New York, where Komuro is set to work at a law firm.


Key words : china tax
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211024_12/

China's top legislative body, the National People's Congress Standing Committee, has decided to introduce a pilot property tax scheme.

The move follows President Xi Jinping's lead and is meant to rein in soaring housing prices.

The Standing Committee decided on Saturday to authorize the government to test the introduction of property tax in some cities.

Housing prices have kept rising for years in the country. Some analysts call that a bubble, which they say is widening a gap between the rich and the poor.

President Xi Jinping has vowed to narrow the wealth gap under the banner of "Common Prosperity."

The new scheme aims to restore health to the real estate market. The financially struggling real estate giant Evergrande Group is apparently on their mind. Many real estate companies in China rely heavily on borrowing for property development, assuming that the prices will go up.

The government will decide on the tax rate and new pilot cities. Such a program is already underway in Shanghai and Chongqing.

It will consider expanding the scheme to nationwide after assessing the results of this initial program, which will last up to five years.


Key words : singapore workplace
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211024_11/

The government of Singapore will make COVID-19 vaccination virtually mandatory for workplaces starting on January 1 next year.

About 84 percent of the population is fully vaccinated but cases are surging again after restrictions were relaxed in August. New daily infections have regularly exceeded 3,000 this month.

The government announced the measure on Saturday, saying its aim was "to keep the workplace safe."

Under the new rule, unvaccinated people are only allowed to return to work if they can produce negative tests valid for 24 hours or have recovered from the virus within the past 270 days.

Singapore has already banned unvaccinated people from entering shopping malls or dining inside restaurants.


Key words : tourist return kyoto
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211024_10/

In Japan, coronavirus restrictions are being lifted across the nation.

In Kyoto Prefecture in western Japan, restaurants and bars have been allowed to operate without restrictions on serving alcohol and operating hours for the first time in about six months.

This weekend, families and student groups on school excursions were seen strolling in the Arashiyama area, one of Kyoto's popular tourist spots.

A woman who came from Tokyo with her family said they decided to visit Kyoto after coronavirus cases started to decline. She said she is enjoying great food.

Local souvenir shops have seen a gradual return of tourists, especially young ones, but they say tourists are not spending as much as before.

A senior official of one such business says he has not seen sales rising to correspond with an increase in tourist traffic. He called on the government to take measures that help stimulate consumption.


Key words : overseas ballots
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211024_08/

Japanese nationals living overseas are casting their ballots in the Lower House election.

Ballot stations are set up at 226 locations around the world, including at embassies and consulates. But fifteen sites opted not to open for this election for various reasons, including those related to the coronavirus pandemic.

As of August this year, about 96,000 Japanese nationals were registered to vote overseas.

They can vote in the constituency where they last resided in Japan, as well as in the proportional representation segment.

The international ballot stations opened on Wednesday.

A 48-year-old man who went to vote at the embassy in Bangkok said his main concern was measures to support the economy amid the pandemic. He added he thought it was important he could still vote from outside the country.

The voting period varies by region but all ballot boxes close on Monday. The votes will be brought back to Japan and counted with the domestic tallies on October 31.


Key words : saudi interview
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211024_04/

Saudi Arabia's energy minister has expressed a cautious stance on a massive increase in crude oil production despite the recent surge in petroleum prices.

Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman spoke in an exclusive interview with NHK in the capital, Riyadh, on Saturday.

Oil prices have hit a seven-year high on the back of growing demand as economies around the world recover from a pandemic slump.

The Japanese government is urging major oil-producing countries to raise output, citing negative impacts on people's lives and economic activities.

Referring to the current situation in the crude oil market, the prince said demand is still growing.

But he maintained a cautious stance toward a huge increase in oil output, suggesting that uncertainty persists about the future course of demand. He said, "We are not out of COVID yet."

He went on to say that the real cause of the problem is not oil. He noted that concern centers on a potential energy crisis created by rising gas and coal prices, which could impact oil demand.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, led by Saudi Arabia, and non-OPEC nations including Russia are expected to hold a meeting soon to discuss output plans.

Attention is focused on whether they will decide to increase production further.


Key words : saudi zero by 2060
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211024_07/

Saudi Arabia has announced that it will aim for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060. The country is one of the world's largest oil producers.

The announcement was made at an international forum on climate change in the capital Riyadh on Saturday. Government and industry officials from other countries were participating.

In a video message, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said his country aims to reach net zero in the year 2060 through the carbon circular economy approach.

He also announced Saudi Arabia's intent to join an initiative led by Washington and others to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30 percent by 2030.
Scientists say methane has more than 20 times the global warming impact of carbon dioxide.

The departure from an oil-based economy would be challenging for Saudi Arabia, given the country's reliance on oil for 60 percent of its state revenue.

Even so, Saudi Arabia has shown its determination to squarely tackle global warming, ahead of the UN conference on climate, known as COP 26. The conference will open later this month.


Key words : russia drill afghanistan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211024_09/

Russian-led joint military drills have been held in the central Asian nation of Tajikistan near the Afghan border.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO, conducted a six-day joint military exercise that ended on Saturday. A total of 4,000 troops took part in the drills in southern Tajikistan.

CSTO is a Russian-led alliance, with six member nations that used to be part of Soviet Union.

The drills were based on a scenario of an extremist incursion from northern Afghanistan. Response to enemy drone attacks was also on the drill menu.

After the six-day drills, Tajik Defense Minister Sherali Mirzo pointed to the increasing Islamic extremist activities in Afghanistan.
He expressed strong concerns that Afghanistan is becoming a hotbed for global terrorist groups that pose serious threat to security and stability of the region.

Russia is worried about the possible destabilization of Central Asian nations, located around Afghanistan. Among Russian personnel who took part in the drills were those stationed in Tajikistan and its northern neighbor, Kyrgyzstan.

Observers say Russia's military support of these nations, demonstrated in the drills, is an assertion of its influence over the region after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.


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