Key words : factory osaka
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240330_10/
Authorities raid factory in Osaka over 'beni-koji' supplements health scare
Japanese authorities have raided a factory in Osaka City, western Japan, in an investigation into the widespread health concerns caused by supplements containing "beni-koji" fermented rice.
Sixteen officials from the health ministry and the city entered Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's Yodogawa factory under the Food Sanitation Act on Saturday morning.
The plant was already shut down due to aging degradation, but had produced beni-koji until last December.
The company says the ingredient was made in 2023 at the factory for the product that caused health complaints.
The ministry says the firm has confirmed in its investigation the presence of "puberulic acid," an unintended substance, in a batch of the products. The substance can be produced from blue mold.
The firm says it is not clear if the substance has any effect on human bodies. But the officials are apparently looking into how it was mixed in the products during the production process.
Tomiyama Yuko, chief of Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's investor relations, said the firm intends to sincerely deal with the matter and fully cooperate with the investigation.
The drugmaker said that as of Friday, there were five deaths and 114 reports of hospitalizations among users of the beni-koji supplements. Those affected are said to have developed kidney problems and other health issues.
The company is investigating the link between the supplement and the deaths.
Key words : Saturday marks hong kong
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240330_07/
Businesses in Hong Kong wary a week after implementation of security legislation
Saturday marks one week since Hong Kong's new national security legislation took effect. Some international businesses there are raising concerns about how the legislation will be applied.
The legislation came into effect on March 23 after the Legislative Council unanimously passed it. The legislation prohibits acts that endanger national security, including theft of state secrets, espionage and external interference.
The Hong Kong government maintains that the legislation creates a good business environment by safeguarding national security. But there are concerns that information acquired by businesses could be deemed state secrets.
The president of the German Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Johannes Hack, told NHK that the legislation has yet to have any significant impact.
He said the definition of state secrets can be broad, and that businesses will need to keep a close watch on how the legislation is implemented.
He also said it's important for Hong Kong to strike the right balance between openness and security to maintain its attractiveness as an international business hub.
He expressed hope for continued dialogue with the Hong Kong government over concerns and questions about the legislation's implementation.
Key words : radio free
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240330_11/
US-backed Radio Free Asia announces closure of Hong Kong bureau
The US government-backed Radio Free Asia says it has closed its Hong Kong bureau, citing concerns about the safety of its staff and reporters in the territory under the new national security legislation.
The Washington-based radio station made the announcement on Friday, a week after the legislation took effect in Hong Kong.
In a statement, the RFA president said the actions of Hong Kong authorities "raise serious questions about our ability to operate in safety with the enactment" of the national security legislation.
The legislation prohibits espionage, external interference and the theft of state secrets.
US, European and other critics say the law's definitions are broad and vague. They fear it could be used arbitrarily to harm business operations and media reporting.
The RFA had been airing unique reports on political and social affairs related to Hong Kong and mainland China. Authorities in Hong Kong had been accusing such reports of being slanderous.
The media outlet says it "will shift to using a different journalistic model reserved for closed media environments," and expressed its intention to continue to air reports in Hong Kong, mainland China and elsewhere.
Local media are reporting that RFA staff in Hong Kong will move to other places, such as Taiwan or Washington.
An increasing number of people believe it is a sign of tightened restrictions on free speech in the territory.
Key words : israel send hostage
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240330_08/
Israel approves renewed talks with Hamas
Israel says it will send a delegation for negotiations with Hamas in the days to come, as Israel's prime minister approves the resumption of ceasefire and hostage release talks.
The Israeli prime minister's office made the announcement in a statement issued on Friday.
It said Benjamin Netanyahu has "approved the next round of talks -- in the coming days -- in Doha and Cairo, with guidelines for moving forward in the negotiations."
Hamas has not objected to negotiations with Israel, increasing the likelihood that the talks will resume.
Qatar and others have been acting as mediators.
On Monday, Hamas effectively rejected proposals by Israel and mediators by reiterating its demand for a permanent ceasefire.
Israel dismissed the Palestinian group's demand, and negotiators suspended the talks.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued to carry out air raids across the Gaza Strip. Local media on Friday said at least 20 people, including women and children, were killed in intense Israeli bombings on Gaza City in the north as well as in the southern part of the enclave.
Gaza health authorities said on the same day that 71 people had been killed in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total death toll from the Israeli offensive to 32,623.
Key words : syria airstrike
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240330_02/
Over 30 people killed in airstrikes in Syria
Government officials in Syria say Israeli airstrikes have killed dozens of people in the northern province of Aleppo.
A defense ministry statement on Friday says civilians and military personnel are among the dead.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 36 soldiers were killed.
The Observatory says it's the largest ever death toll sustained by government forces in a single Israeli attack on Syrian territory.
The strikes targeted a weapons depot used by the Shia militant group Hezbollah, which has sought to support the Islamic group Hamas.
Reuters news agency quoted security sources as saying five Hezbollah fighters were killed.
Israeli forces refrained to comment when NHK asked if they were involved in the attacks.
Key words : giant huawei
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240330_03/
Huawei posts strong profits despite US trade restrictions
Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies has reported that its profits more than doubled last year, despite US trade restrictions.
The firm released its annual report for 2023 on Friday.
Revenue jumped 9.6 percent from a year earlier to 704.1 billion yuan, or 97.5 billion dollars. Net profit rose 2.4-fold to 86.9 billion yuan, or 12 billion dollars.
The US government tightly controls trade between American companies and Huawei, citing concerns about national security.
Export restrictions on semiconductors dealt a blow to the company's smartphone business. But last year, Huawei released new models powered by a Chinese chip.
Revenue at Huawei's consumer unit, which sells smartphones and other devices, surged more than 17 percent from the previous year.
Revenue at the firm's automotive solutions arm rose 2.3-fold.
Huawei Rotating Chairman Ken Hu says the company has managed to grow despite a challenging few years.
Key words : learned contest
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240330_09/
Japanese student book report contest flags, drops entries written with AI
NHK has learned that the organizer of a Japanese book report contest for students has excluded at least 10 entries for containing sentences generated with artificial intelligence.
The contest was started over half a century ago, with entries submitted through elementary to senior high schools nationwide.
The organizer, Japan School Library Association, said there were about 2.6 million entries this academic year.
Association officials said they identified multiple works that apparently had not been written by the entrants themselves. The officials said that among them were at least 10 that the entrants admitted using generative AI to write.
In dropping those entries, the association noted that its application guidelines stipulate that the works should not contain plagiarized material or other improper citations.
Generative AI is expected to have an impact on education. It can be used for proofreading, sharpening ideas, and other purposes.
The association said that it believes only a small number of people are improperly using the technology.
The association said it plans to consider how AI can be used in tandem with the principle that students write book reports in their own words.
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