at 18:30 (JST), January 26

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/20230126183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : north lockdown
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230126_03/

The Russian Embassy in North Korea says local authorities have imposed a five-day lockdown in Pyongyang, citing rising cases of a respiratory illness in the capital.

The embassy on Wednesday uploaded on its Facebook page what it called a notice from the North Korean Foreign Ministry.

Due to a rise in the number of people with influenza and those with a respiratory illness, North Korean authorities declared the five days starting Wednesday a period for special precautions against diseases.

During this time, authorities are requiring foreign diplomats to remain either within the embassy compound or their homes.

The diplomats are required to report to designated medical institutions the results of their temperature checks, which must be done four times a day.

Last May, North Korea announced that it confirmed the first case of the coronavirus in the country.

But three months later the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, declared that the country had successfully contained the virus and won the fight against the pandemic.

The country's state-run media is now calling on the public to stay alert and take preventive measures.

Key words : coast guard 13 rescued
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230125_24/

The Japan Coast Guard says at least 13 crewmembers have been rescued since a Hong Kong-registered cargo ship reportedly became flooded off the coast of Nagasaki Prefecture late on Tuesday.

Coast Guard officials received a distress call from the vessel "Jintian" past 11 p.m. on Tuesday. The vessel was traveling off the Danjo Islands in the East China Sea at the time. The officials said the crew told them the vessel tilted and became flooded with water.

The vessel has a crew of 22, with 14 Chinese and eight Myanmar nationals. A report from a ship sailing nearby said the crew had moved onto lifeboats by about 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The vessel reportedly sank shortly later.

The Japanese and South Korean coast guards, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and private ships have been engaged in search and rescue efforts. The 13 survivors were rescued before noon. Their conditions are not known.

The operation is continuing.

Key words : invasion insurer
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230124_20/

Japanese insurers are planning to hike premiums for coverage of war damage to ships in waters around Russia and Ukraine.

The move comes as Russia's drawn-out invasion of Ukraine prompts reinsurance companies to increase their rates.

Sources say three non-life insurers will raise their premiums by about 80 percent from late January.

The companies are Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, Sompo Japan Insurance and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance.

Last month the firms said they would stop offering war-risk insurance in waters around the conflict zone because reinsurers were withdrawing their coverage.
But they later backtracked, and said they would extend their protection until March.

Ship owners need war-risk insurance because standard insurance doesn't cover them for damage from military conflicts.

Japan uses ships to import liquefied natural gas from the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project in Russia's Far East.
The government is concerned that the suspension of war-risk insurance could impact the stable supply of LNG.

Key words : heavy snow disruption trapped
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230126_21/

People across much of Japan are bundling up, hunching their shoulders, doing whatever they can to stay warm. Heavy snow has caused widespread disruption, with trains and vehicles stranded.

In western Japan, more than a dozen trains stopped for hours. About 7,000 passengers were trapped on board overnight from Tuesday.

Sixteen people reported feeling unwell and were taken to hospitals.

Railway officials later said they had underestimated the amount of expected snowfall, leading to a snow-melting system on tracks not being activated.

On an expressway that links the western prefectures of Mie and Shiga, many trucks were stuck for nearly 24 hours. The jam at one point stretched for about 10 kilometers.

A driver said, "I knew a cold spell was coming, but I never imagined there'd be such heavy snow".

The expressway operator says the section was cleared early Thursday. It plans to fully reopen the road to traffic by the evening.

The harsh weather still continues. Weather officials warn heavy snow and blizzards may lead to more disruptions of public transport. They say subzero temperatures could freeze water pipes and damage crops.

Key words : health authorities peak
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230126_04/

China's health authorities say 6.94 million new coronavirus cases were confirmed late last month.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Wednesday that the number of new cases peaked on December 22, but fell to 15,000 this Monday.

But the data does not include the total number of infections or breakdown of the figures by province.

China saw the number of new cases soar across the country after it significantly eased anti-coronavirus measures in place on December 7.

A CDC expert last week expressed the view 80 percent of the country's population has already been infected.
He cited the possibility that more than 1.1 billion people in the country with a population of 1.4 billion have had the virus.

The CDC says the number of coronavirus-related deaths in hospitals peaked on January 4, when 4,273 cases were reported, and that the number of deaths confirmed on Monday was 896.

The CDC announced that 72,596 people with the virus died between December 8 and January 19.

But experts say since the figure does not include those who died at home, the actual number could be much higher.

Key words : japanese government downgrade april
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230125_15/

The Japanese government plans to downgrade COVID-19 to the same class of infectious diseases as seasonal flu in late April or early May. A decision on the matter is expected to be reached by the end of the week.

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said last week that he intends to have the disease reclassified in principle this spring to category five, the same grouping as seasonal flu. COVID-19 is currently classified as equivalent to category two -- the second-most severe tier on Japan's classification system for infectious disease. The level allows authorities to take strict measures to prevent spreading of the disease.

The plan so far is for the reclassification to take place in April or May after local governments and medical institutions have had enough time to prepare.

The government says it will narrow down the timing of the shift and convene a coronavirus task force meeting for a decision by the end of the week.

The government plans to continue funding medical treatment after the reclassification, citing concerns that people might be discouraged from seeing a doctor if they have to pay out of pocket.

Some government officials have proposed easing rules on mask usage at schools ahead of the classification change.

Key words : chiba disney
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230125_33/

The operator of Tokyo Disney Resort in Chiba Prefecture is planning parades to mark both the site's 40th anniversary and the 150th anniversary of the prefecture's founding this year.

Chiba Prefecture, which neighbors Tokyo, and Oriental Land Company signed a comprehensive partnership agreement for the celebratory parades.

They are to be held at several locations in the prefecture, including the resort's host city Urayasu, and feature Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters. The events have yet to be scheduled.

Related events are also in the works.

It is the first time for the company to sign such a comprehensive deal with a local government.

Chiba Governor Kumagai Toshihito said he wants to make the partnership an opportunity to bring together people working to promote culture and the arts.

Oriental Land Company President Yoshida Kenji said he hopes to forge closer ties with the people of Chiba Prefecture, and contribute further to regional revitalization.