Key words : thousands of lives 12 years ago
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230311_20/
Japan memorialized the thousands of lives lost when a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated the northern Pacific coast 12 years ago. The disaster triggered a nuclear catastrophe, which is still unresolved.
People across the country observed a moment of silence at 2:46 pm, the exact time the magnitude 9 earthquake struck. It generated tsunami waves more than ten meters tall.
In Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture, people gathered on the high ground overlooking the coast to remember what they lost that day.
A 73-year-old woman said, "The place where I walked with my grandchild on elementary school sports day, it was all swept away."
Authorities say the toll of those confirmed dead or missing has topped 22 thousand. This includes people who died in the years following the disaster, from health problems or causes related to it.
People also gathered in Futaba, where the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is located. Hangai Nami, a 25-year-old former resident who now lives in Tokyo, said, "My friend's house and my own house are gone, and the places I know have completely changed. I feel like I'm in a different place from the town I knew, probably because of the reconstruction."
Kono Hiroyuki, a 56-year-old former resident who now lives in another city in the prefecture, said, "I think Futaba is still far from recovered. It will take a long time before I can live here again."
The town remained fully cordoned-off until last year. It partly reopened in August, but only a few dozen residents have returned.
Key words : fisher struggling
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230311_18/
Fishers in Fukushima are still struggling to overcome reputational damage to their products. Some are concerned about the planned release of treated and diluted water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant, which is scheduled to begin this spring or summer.
Yotsuguri Hisamitsu lost his home to the tsunami and his livelihood to the nuclear crisis. He and his colleagues stopped shipping their catches after radioactive substances were detected in some of them.
He resumed fishing four years later, but the region's fishing industry has not yet recovered to its pre-disaster level. Yotsuguri is worried that the treated water release may worsen the reputational damage.
He said, "We fishers catch and sell fish. That's it. I just want them to be safe."
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, operates the nuclear plant. Water pumped in to cool the plant's molten fuel mixes with rain and groundwater. TEPCO has been treating it by filtering out most of the radioactive substances, but it can't remove the hydrogen isotope tritium.
The water will be diluted with seawater before it is discharged. The government says the level of radioactive tritium will be lowered to one-seventh of World Health Organization standards for drinking water.
Key words : hanyu
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230311_02/
Professional figure skater Hanyu Yuzuru is staging a three-day event in northeastern Japan to mark 12 years since the region was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami.
The show takes place in the two-time Olympic champion's home city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture.
The event, which kicked off on Friday, uses projection mapping to make the rink look like a starry sky.
Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Uchimura Kohei also made an appearance. The two athletes received a huge ovation from about 6,000 spectators.
Hanyu was practicing at a rink in the city when the massive quake struck 12 years ago.
He says the event is inspired by his memory of looking up at the sky on the night of the disaster.
Hanyu told the audience that he hopes his skating gives people hope, like the stars.
He later told reporters that he skates every March 11 with prayers and gratitude in mind.
Key words : national people elected new premier
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230311_12/
China's National People's Congress has elected Li Qiang, the Communist Party's No.2 official, as the country's new premier.
The vote was held at a plenary session on Saturday.
President Xi Jinping, who was reelected for a third term on Friday, nominated Li for the post.
A total of 2,936 Congress members voted in favor and three against, while eight abstained.
Li, who is 63 years old, is said to be close to Xi. Li served under Xi when he was head of Zhejiang Province.
When Li was the party chief of Shanghai, he attracted US electric vehicle maker Tesla to build a plant there.
He was chosen as a member of the Standing Committee of the party's Political Bureau at the National Congress of the party last October.
Li's election as premier is drawing attention because he did not go through the customary practice of serving as vice premier.
He is scheduled to hold his first news conference as premier after the Congress closes on Monday.
Key words : iran and saudi
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230311_04/
Representatives from Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to re-establish relations after a seven-year diplomatic rupture.
Iranian and Saudi state media say the agreement was reached after talks in Beijing between top security officials from the countries.
Iran's IRNA news agency said the two sides also agreed to re-open embassies within two months.
The Associated Press reports the deal represents a major diplomatic victory for Beijing as Gulf states perceive the United States as slowly withdrawing from the wider Middle East.
Key words : wang establish
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230311_05/
China's top diplomat has hailed his country for mediating a deal to reestablish diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Wang Yi was speaking on Friday after high-level officials from Tehran and Riyadh wrapped up talks that began on Monday in Beijing.
He described the outcome as "a victory for dialogue and peace" and "major good news at a time of much turbulence in the world."
Wang also said, "China has faithfully fulfilled its duties as the host."
He added that Beijing will continue to play a constructive role in "handling hotspot issues in the world and demonstrate its responsibility as a major nation."
Tehran and Riyadh cut diplomatic ties in 2016 after protesters in Iran attacked the Saudi Arabian embassy following the execution of a Shia Muslim cleric.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia in December for talks with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Xi also met Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Beijing in February.
Key words : national security welcome middle east
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230311_08/
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby has welcomed an agreement to reestablish diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
On Friday, Kirby said the United States welcomes any efforts to help de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.
At the same time, he said, "It really does remain to be seen whether the Iranians are going to honor their side of the deal."
Kirby said the Saudi Arabian side kept Washington informed about the talks, which were mediated by the Chinese government in Beijing.
Kirby also said it's unclear if the deal will affect or is designed to influence the possible normalization of Saudi Arabia's ties with Israel, adding that the US will continue to support the process.
US President Joe Biden said, "Better relations between Israel and their Arab neighbors are better for everybody."
Key words : British olympic
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230311_10/
The British government has urged top sponsors of the International Olympic Committee not to support the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competition, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The IOC announced in January that it was exploring ways for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete internationally as neutral athletes.
Britain's department of culture, media and sport said on Saturday that a letter had been sent to the UK-based chief executives of 13 of the 15 worldwide partners for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The partners include Japanese firms.
The letter asks them to urge the Olympic body to address the British government's concerns over the stance on Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Last month, more than 30 countries including Britain, the US and Japan issued a joint statement. They said they were strongly worried about the feasibility of allowing Russian and Belarusian Olympic athletes to compete as "neutrals" when they are directly funded and supported by their states.
Key words : okinawa
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230311_09/
The governor of Okinawa has lobbied lawmakers and officials in the United States to help reduce his prefecture's burden of hosting US military bases.
The southern prefecture of Okinawa hosts about 70 percent of US military facilities in Japan.
The US military and Japan's Self-Defense Forces are stepping up joint drills amid concerns over a possible contingency involving Taiwan.
Governor Tamaki Denny arrived in the US on Monday on a six-day visit. He met in Washington with officials of the US State Department and the Pentagon, as well as Congress members.
Tamaki reportedly described Okinawa's burden of hosting US military bases, and his opposition to the Japanese government's plan to relocate the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station within the prefecture.
He also reportedly called for diplomatic efforts to ease tensions, saying Okinawa should never again become a battlefield.
Tamaki held a news conference at the National Press Club on Thursday but only one US media outlet participated among others.
Ahead of his return to Japan, Tamaki said he scored a significant achievement in directly conveying his opinions on the issues facing his prefecture.
He said he will study future directions after he returns to Okinawa.
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