Key words : tomioka
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230401_09/
The Japanese government has allowed residents of two more districts near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to return.
An evacuation order for two districts in Tomioka Town was lifted at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
About 8.5 square kilometers, or more than 10 percent of the town, had been designated as a difficult-to-return zone following the 2011 nuclear accident. The two districts together account for nearly half of the zone.
Evacuated residents may now return to live in the districts, including areas near a two-kilometer section of the street known for its cherry blossoms.
The town hopes to increase its population to 1,600 in five years.
As of March 1, about 2,600 people from more than 1,100 households were registered as Tomioka residents.
Key words : level 4
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230401_05/
Autonomous vehicles are on track to become a bigger part of daily life in Japan. Starting April 1, people will be allowed to use cars that run without a driver under certain conditions.
The change follows a revision to the Road Traffic Act that enables the use of Level 4 self-driving vehicles. That's one tier under full autonomy.
There are signs that both the public and private sectors are keen to get on board.
One company in the town of Eiheiji in central Japan has received government approval to operate four Level 4 cars for tourists.
They will run along a two-kilometer stretch of public roads at 12 kilometers per hour, and carry up to seven passengers.
The government plans to introduce self-driving transport services in about 50 locations nationwide within the next three years.
Some companies that are developing self-driving systems are working with local governments to put their technologies to the test.
Key words : electric car
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230401_03/
The US government has proposed a tax credit system for buying electric vehicles assembled in North America. It's likely to put Japanese makers at a disadvantage in one of the world's biggest auto markets.
The Treasury Department released the details on Friday.
The system offers a tax incentive of up to 7,500 dollars for electric cars that undergo final assembly in North America.
Eligible vehicles must also use minerals extracted or processed in the United States.
The minerals can also be extracted or processed in countries engaged in a free trade deal with Washington, or Japan and some others.
A certain percentage of the value of battery components must also be manufactured or assembled in North America.
The ratio will incrementally increase until reaching 100 percent in 2029.
Observers say the conditions intend to make US industries more competitive in light of China's dominance of EV supply chains.
But the rules are likely to have a negative impact on automakers elsewhere, including Japan and South Korea.
Japanese firms have been working to increase production in the US, but many of their electric cars will not be eligible for the incentive at this point.
Key words : macron meet xi
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230401_07/
The French government says President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet President Xi Jinping in China next week.
The French presidential office says Macron will stop in Beijing and the southern province of Guangdong on his three-day visit starting Wednesday.
It says Macron will meet with Xi on Thursday and will also speak with new Premier Li Qiang. He will be accompanied by von der Leyen.
The visit comes after a summit between Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in March.
Officials in Paris say if China decides to back Russia militarily in its invasion of Ukraine, it will have a significant effect on the conflict.
Several business leaders, including of the aerospace company Airbus, will accompany Macron.
Key words : belarus blackmail western diplomat
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230401_N02/
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has agreed to accept a deployment of tactical nuclear weapons from Russia. The situation prompted the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on Friday.
Lukashenko had already allowed Russian troops to use his territory as a staging ground for the war in Ukraine. On Friday, he announced to his people that, after "intensive" negotiation, he will allow the nuclear weapons.
His country had given up nuclear arms in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Lukashenko said, "I want to safeguard the state of Belarus and ensure peace for the Belarusian people. Through all their history and existence, my people have deserved that."
He added that the weapons would be for defensive purposes and that he has no intention to use them for intimidation or "blackmail."
Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's ambassador to the UN, told the emergency meeting of the Security Council that the deployment doesn't represent a new threat to peace.
Nebenzia said, "Ensuring the security of Russia and Belarus is exactly the direction of the measures announced by President Putin."
However, UN officials spoke out to highlight the danger.
Nakamitsu Izumi, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, said, "The risk of a nuclear weapon being used is currently higher than at any time since the depths of the cold war."
Western diplomats say Russia deploying the weapons outside its territory poses an increased threat to global security. They say leaders in Moscow are intentionally violating rules against nuclear proliferation.
Key words : zelenskyy liberation
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230401_06/
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has marked one year since the liberation of Bucha. The Russians withdrew, leaving the streets strewn with civilian bodies.
On Friday, Zelenskyy attended a memorial in the town just outside Kyiv. Leaders from Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Moldova also took part.
Soldiers who fought in the liberation were awarded for their efforts.
Zelenskyy said the world saw Russia's evil unmasked in Bucha.
He also renewed his pledge to win the conflict with the support of as many countries as possible. He cited China as an example.
More than 400 civilian bodies were found in Bucha.
Authorities in Ukraine are working with the International Criminal Court to investigate Russian troops for war crimes.
Key words : tomato sound
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230401_10/
A group of Israeli researchers say tomatoes and other plants emit clicking sounds when under stress, though the noises are too high-pitched for humans to hear.
The research group published the findings in the American science magazine Cell on Thursday.
The group placed potted tomato and tobacco plants inside a sound-proof box and exposed them to various types of stress such as water deprivation and stem snipping. The researchers recorded sounds from the plants with two ultrasonic microphones set up next to them.
They found the plants emit high-frequency sounds when under stress.
After processing the sounds into something humans can hear, the group heard staccato pops. Further analyses found the sounds have different characteristics, varying by type of stress and plant.
The group says it is unclear what leads to the sounds, but suspects they are created when water columns in dehydrated plant stems break down and generate air bubbles.
It also says some insects and small mammals can detect the sounds and that the noises might influence their behavior.
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