at 18:30 (JST), May 04

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/20220504183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : navy
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220504_01/

China's navy says an aircraft carrier group led by the Liaoning has conducted realistic combat training in the Western Pacific.

People's Liberation Army Navy revealed on Tuesday that the navy carried out the drill in the open sea as part of a regular series of exercises based on an annual work schedule.

The navy said the training was aimed at improving the group's ability to fulfill its missions. They added it complied with relevant international law and practice, and had no party as a target.

The exercise came after the Japanese Defense Ministry on Monday confirmed that the Liaoning and seven other ships sailed through waters between two islands in Japan's southwestern Okinawa Prefecture to reach the Pacific.

In April, the US administration of President Joe Biden decided to sell to Taiwan defense equipment worth 95 million dollars. The administration has been clearly showing its intention to support Taiwan's defense capability.

Key words : south approved reduce
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220503_23/

South Korea's parliament has approved the second of two contentious bills to significantly reduce prosecutors' power to investigate.

The ruling Democratic Party forced the bill through the National Assembly on Tuesday to revise the criminal procedure act.

The party also bulldozed the first bill through the parliament on Saturday to limit prosecutors' investigative authority to cases of corruption and economic crimes.

President Moon Jae-in, whose term is due to end on Monday, decided to promulgate the bills at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday after the second bill was passed.

If the bills take effect in September, most of prosecutors' investigative powers will be transferred to police. A new investigative body is also under consideration.

Prosecutors have arrested former presidents, including Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, after they left office.

An editorial in The Chosunilbo, a major conservative newspaper, sharply criticized the legislation. It says scaling back prosecutors' investigative authority is intended to prevent probes into the Moon administration and the ruling party.

Key words : fisher salmon
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220503_09/

Japanese fishers have finally started this year's salmon season off the northern prefecture of Hokkaido. The start was delayed by more than three weeks due to fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

At the port of Habomai in Nemuro City, crewmembers were busy stocking their boats with food and other supplies on Monday night. Four vessels headed off at midnight.

Drift-net fishing for salmon and trout normally begins on April 10 within Japan's exclusive economic zone in the Pacific south of Hokkaido.

Ahead of each season, Japanese and Russian officials discuss catch quotas and other operational details, as most of the salmon and trout originate in Russian rivers.

The start of this year's talks was pushed back due to the war in Ukraine. Japan and Russia finally reached an agreement on April 25.

The chief deckhand of one of the Japanese boats that left on Tuesday said he thought fishing might be impossible this year. He said he's glad he can set sail, and he's hoping to return with a big catch.

A total of 19 boats are due to take part in the fishing operations, including eight from Habomai.

Key words : civilians myanmar fled
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20220405204222951/

Hundreds of thousands of civilians fled their homes in Myanmar after last year's coup, as fighting erupted between the military and pro-democracy fighters along with ethnic armed groups. Some evacuated to areas along the border with Thailand. Volunteers are struggling to support them.