at 18:30 (JST), August 12

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/20220812183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : china keeping up pressure
#N/A


Key words : china large-scale 21
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220812_01/

Taiwan's defense ministry says 11 Chinese military aircraft crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait on Thursday. The line is an unofficial buffer to prevent unintended military clashes between Taiwan and China.

The ministry says it detected 21 planes and six vessels from the Chinese military in and around the Taiwan Strait by 5 p.m. on Thursday. It adds that 11 of the aircraft flew on the eastern side of the median line.

Chinese military aircraft have ventured across the line every day since August 3. Such flights had rarely been observed until last month.

The latest crossings came after China on Wednesday announced the end of large-scale military drills around Taiwan. The exercises began last week following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

Analysts say the daily crossings show China's intention to increase pressure on Taiwan by making such flights routine.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen visited the air force's command headquarters on Thursday.

Tsai said she is grateful to the air force for its commitment to protecting Taiwan's airspace and its people's safety day and night.

She said she wants the military to demonstrate to the whole world its determination never to yield even a tiny part of Taiwan's territory or to back down in its efforts to safeguard freedom and democracy.

Key words : sister
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220811_13/

The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for a strong retaliation against balloons flown from South Korea.

Kim Yo Jong gave a speech at a meeting on measures against the coronavirus on Wednesday.

North Korean defectors in South Korea have flown balloons carrying US one-dollar banknotes and leaflets criticizing Kim Jong Un into the North. Pyongyang sees these balloons as the source of coronavirus infections.

Kim Yo Jong said, "If the enemy persists in such dangerous deeds as fomenting the inroads of virus into our Republic, we will respond to it by not only exterminating the virus but also wiping out the south Korean authorities."

She also said Kim Jong Un developed a high fever during the country's fight against the coronavirus, but did not take a rest. She praised her brother for giving directions based on more than 20,000 pages of information to deal with the virus, and called for loyalty to him.

Key words : world health
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220811_15/

The World Health Organization says Japan reported the highest number of new COVID-19 cases of any country in the world during the week through Sunday. Japan had the highest number of new cases in the world for the third week in a row.

The WHO released its weekly update on coronavirus on Wednesday.

Globally, 6,980,516 new infections were confirmed during the week from August 1 to 7, up 3 percent from the previous week.

Japan reported 1,496,968 cases, up 9 percent from the previous week. Japan's weekly figure accounted for about 20 percent of the global total.

The country's weekly death toll during the same period was 1,002, up 53 percent from the previous week. The figure was the fourth-highest in the world, after the United States, Brazil and Italy.

The WHO says the actual numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths may be higher than the reported figures as several countries have changed their testing strategies, resulting in lower overall numbers of tests performed.

The WHO also says BA.5 Omicron descendent lineages continue to be dominant globally, accounting for about 70 percent of cases detected across the world as of the end of last month.

BA.5 is reported to be driving the current surge of infections in Japan.

Key words : running short energy
#N/A