at 18:30 (JST), December 29

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/20231229183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : south spy agency
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231229_02/

South Korea's spy agency says there is a high probability that North Korea will carry out military provocations in early 2024.

The National Intelligence Service gave the warning in a document released to media on Thursday.

The NIS says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered officials to prepare measures to cause major shockwaves in South Korea early next year. It does not specify when Kim issued the order.

The agency's assessment is that Pyongyang's provocations may come ahead of South Korea's general elections in April and the US presidential election in November.

The document points out that North Korea staged a series of provocations in the months before South Korea's parliamentary elections in 2016. They included Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test and the launch of a de-facto long-range ballistic missile.

The NIS adds that South Korea's relevant institutions are thoroughly on guard against possible provocations by North Korea.

It is unusual for the intelligence agency to publicize such an order by Kim. South Korean media say the NIS is aiming to deter Pyongyang from making serious provocations by showing its capability to follow moves within the North Korean leadership.

Key words : putin sanction modi
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231229_01/

Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated he hopes to boost economic ties with India amid tighter Western sanctions on Moscow. He also invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia.

Putin met Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Moscow on Wednesday.

Putin said trade between Russia and India "is growing for the second year running and at a confident pace." He primarily attributed the growth to energy resources -- namely, oil, petroleum products and coal. But he said "it's not just that."

Putin said "we will be happy to see our friend, Prime Minister Modi in Russia." He said, "We will have an opportunity to discuss the current issues and talk about the prospects for developing Russian-Indian relations."

Jaishankar said Prime Minister Modi "looks forward to visiting Russia next year."

Putin is apparently seeking to bolster relations with emerging and developing nations, collectively known as the Global South, as part of his strategy to counter Western nations amid Russia's protracted invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday released the transcript of an interview with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov by the country's state-run TASS news agency.

Lavrov said, "Despite the abortive offensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the West continues to send weapons to Kiev."

Lavrov was asked about New START, a nuclear arms control treaty with the United States. Russia unilaterally suspended its participation in the treaty in February. The treaty is due to expire in 2026.

Lavrov said Moscow sent "a clear signal that there will be no dialogue" with the United States on the treaty or reaching an agreement to its replacement "as long as Washington continues with its anti-Russia policies."

Lavrov said "the United States and its allies persist with their efforts to promote escalation in and around Ukraine without hiding their intention of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia."

Key words : railway
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231228_24/

Japan's transportation ministry has approved a plan by the Central Japan Railway Company to delay the start of its magnetically levitated train service from the initial scheduled of "2027" to "2027 or later."

The company decided on December 14 to make the change for the section between Tokyo's Shinagawa and Nagoya and filed for the change with the transportation ministry.

The ministry approved the change on Thursday. The head of the ministry's Railway Bureau, Murata Shigeki, handed over a permit to the railway company president, Niwa Shunsuke.

The delay is due to an objection from Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, which is along the train's route. The prefecture has not allowed the start of tunnel construction within its boundary, saying the project may cause a decline in water levels of a major river and have an adverse effect on the ecological system in the alpine area within the prefecture.

The railway company has had all plans necessary for tunnel construction approved by the ministry, but it has no way of knowing when the maglev train service will start due to the prefecture's objection.

Niwa told reporters that the permit does not make matters easier for his company, as it is still unable to provide a new schedule for the start of train service. He said the company will continue working hard toward an early launch of operation, while it engages in open communications with the prefecture.

Key words : hokkaido ukraine
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20231204093311916/

Volunteers in Japan send wheelchairs to Ukraine

Sapporo is a long way away from Ukraine. A non-profit organization in the Japanese city, though, is making life a bit better for people in the war-torn country. It's sending refurbished wheelchairs to those who need them.