at 18:30 (JST), February 21

Asian View

"Asian View" is a five-minute news segment broadcast by NHK WORLD-JAPAN. It features the latest news and deep analysis from Japan and the rest of Asia. Listen to "Asian View" and get the latest information from a region that's playing an increasingly important role in the world.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20220221183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : olympic no ticket
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220221_02/

The closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics concluded at the National Stadium on Sunday.

The Games saw competitors take part in a record 109 events.

The first Winter Olympics of the pandemic era required athletes to follow strict anti-virus measures. With no tickets on sale, crowds were limited to invited domestic spectators only.

The Olympic flag was passed on to the 2026 hosts, Milan and Cortina in Italy.

Key words : medal norway 16 gold
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Key words : australia military vessel
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220220_20/

Australia says a Chinese military vessel shone a laser at a flying Australian military surveillance aircraft, describing the act as intimidating.

Australia's Defense Department said on Saturday that the incident occurred on Thursday. It said the laser was detected as coming from one of two Chinese navy vessels sailing east on the Arafura Sea. The sea lies between northern Australia and eastern Indonesia.

The department condemned the conduct, saying it could have endangered the safety and lives of Australian defense force personnel.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on Sunday that he can see it "no other way than an act of intimidation" that was unwarranted. He said, "Australia will never accept such acts of intimidation."

He suggested that Australia will lodge a protest against China through diplomatic and defense channels.

Relations between Australia and China have soured since Canberra angered Beijing by insisting on an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus in 2020. China then implemented restrictions on Australian imports, including agricultural products.

Key words : delay election
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220219_05/

Hong Kong's upcoming leadership election has been postponed from March 27 until May 8 amid a surge of coronavirus infections.

Incumbent Chief Executive Carrie Lam told reporters on Friday that the government needs to focus on the pandemic.

She said the delay will be initiated under an emergency ordinance that allows the chief executive to set regulations without approval from the Legislative Council.

Hong Kong's healthcare system is under strain due to the coronavirus. Daily cases topped 6,000 for the first time on Thursday. The figure was around 100 earlier this month.

Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly instructed the Hong Kong government on Wednesday to take all possible measures to contain the outbreak.

Lam said on Friday that the government plans to provide COVID-19 tests for all 7.5 million residents.

The election to pick a chief executive takes place every five years. Lam is yet to say whether she will seek another term.

Key words : minimum age
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220220_01/

Officials with the International Skating Union have told NHK they will use its June general assembly to propose that the minimum age of figure skaters in senior competitions, including the Olympics, be raised from the current 15 to 17.

The Beijing skating program has been overshadowed by a doping scandal surrounding 15-year-old Kamila Valieva from the Russian Olympic Committee.

Valieva was suspended earlier in the Games after it was revealed a sample she submitted at an event in December had tested positive for a banned substance.

However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed her to continue competing. Her age makes her a so-called "protected person," which allowed her to compete despite failing a drugs test.

On Friday, the head of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach also said the IOC would look into adjusting the rules governing the participation of minors in senior competitions.

Key words : kim vegetable
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220219_15/

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a vegetable farm that will reportedly be the biggest in the country.

The Saturday edition of the ruling Workers' Party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, carried a report on the event in the eastern province of South Hamgyong on Friday.

In a speech at the ceremony, Kim said the production capacity of the farm will be twice that of North Korea's current biggest farm. He said the new site would inspire the people of the nation.

Kim instructed military personnel who will build the farm to finish construction by the anniversary of the party's foundation, October 10.

Kim Jong Un will mark 10 years as party leader this April. The project is seen as part of an effort to consolidate support for his leadership.

Key words : government shipping
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220221_04/

Japan's government will start shipping coronavirus vaccines this week to municipalities and medical facilities, for use by children aged between five and 11.

Vaccinations for that age group will be officially included in the public inoculation program on Monday.

The government plans to deliver a total of about 12 million doses of coronavirus vaccine nationwide through May. Inoculations are expected to begin in some areas as early as this month.

For children in this age group the vaccine will contain one-third of the dose for those aged 12 or above. Children will receive two jabs with a period of three weeks in between.

Unlike people aged 12 or older, children aged five to 11 are not required to try to receive a coronavirus vaccine as there is not yet enough data to verify its effectiveness against the Omicron variant.

Parental consent will also be required for children in the age group to be inoculated. The health ministry is calling on parents to have a thorough discussion with their children, as well as to consult with their home doctors before making a decision.

The ministry urges children with respiratory and other underlying health problems to be vaccinated as they have a higher risk of developing severe COVID symptoms.

The ministry does not recommend mass vaccinations at school. Children will be inoculated at vaccination sites in their municipalities, or at clinics on an individual basis.

There are concerns that some municipalities may find it difficult to secure doctors and staff to support vaccinations for children. The challenge is how to secure a system for children and their parents who wish to receive shots.

Key words : ukraine concert
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220219_09/

A Ukrainian musician living in Japan has held a concert in light of the tensions over her home country.

Kateryna Gudzii plays a 65-string Ukrainian folk instrument called the bandura. She performed at a restaurant in Tokyo on Friday.

Gudzii was born in a town about three kilometers away from the Chernobyl power plant, where a reactor exploded in 1986, resulting in one of the worst nuclear accidents in history.

It forced Gudzii's family to move to Kyiv shortly after she was born. Her mother still lives there in temporary housing.

Gudzii is worried about the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine. She fears for her mother, and also the cultures and traditions of her home country.

After the concert, Gudzii said she was able to convey her feelings through music.