Key words : highway 48
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240502_20/
Highway collapse in southern China mountain area kills at least 48, injures 30
A section of a highway in southern China has collapsed, causing more than a dozen vehicles to tumble down a slope. At least 48 people were killed and 30 others injured.
China Central Television says one section of the expressway of about 18 meters, which winds through a mountainous part of Meizhou city in Guangdong Province, gave way early on Wednesday. It says 23 vehicles went off the edge of the road.
Video posted on social media shows the collapse site engulfed in flames and smoke.
Wednesday is the beginning of a five-day holiday in China marking May Day, and the country's roads and expressways are jam-packed with traffic.
President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out efforts to search and rescue for people who are still missing and to treat the injured.
A series of floods and landslides have occurred in Guangdong Province since early April, caused by record rainfall. Heavy rain was reported at the time of the accident.
Key words : 153
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240502_08/
Yen surges to 153 against dollar prompting speculation of intervention
The Japanese yen briefly strengthened to 153 against the dollar on the New York market on Wednesday, prompting speculation of market intervention by the Japanese government and the Bank of Japan.
The Japanese currency's surge of more than 4 yen from the 157-yen range followed a news conference by US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Currency traders say it is highly likely that Japan's central bank intervened, but Japan's Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs Kanda Masato said he had no comment on the yen's move.
Helen Given, a foreign-exchange trader at Washington-based Monex USA, told NHK that traders typically expect to see a swing of two whole yen in the case of intervention, and Wednesday's move far exceeded that threshold.
She said it was ''a very smart time'' for the Bank of Japan to step in since markets in Europe and Mexico were closed for May Day and the Fed had been ''rather dovish" in the news conference after its policy meeting. That meant any moves in currency markets would have an outsize impact.
Given added that the fundamentals of the Japanese economy are still fairly weak: GDP is not very strong and production continues to decline.
She said she does not think the BOJ will raise interest rates until at least the fall, and even then the wide interest rate differential between Japan and the United States will remain.
Given also said that while intervention can be effective in the short term, it will not necessarily stop the yen from being weaker a year from now than it is today.
Regarding the Fed's monetary policy, Given said that Powell placed emphasis on inflation, but he would not go so far as to say it is resurgent, so she still expects two rate cuts this year.
Key words : police decided
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240502_12/
Tokyo police to ask ex-counselor at Singapore's Japan embassy to turn himself in
Investigative sources say Tokyo police have decided to ask a former counselor at the Embassy of Singapore in Japan to turn himself in on suspicion of secretly filming a naked male junior high school student at a public bath in the Japanese capital in February this year.
The sources say the 55-year-old former counselor is suspected of covertly filming the 13-year-old with a smartphone in the changing room.
An employee of the bathhouse thought the man was acting suspiciously and called the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Officers who rushed to the scene checked the man's smartphone and found footage of the student and other naked images.
Sources say that during questioning by officers, the former counselor admitted that he filmed the video to watch it later by himself.
But he refused officers' requests to voluntarily accompany them to the police station, or submit his smartphone.
He reportedly deleted all the images on the spot at the request of the student's parent.
Sources say the former counselor told the police he had taken images about five times at the bathhouse.
The man has reportedly been removed from his post. The website of the Embassy of Singapore says that a counselor is a senior diplomat.
Tokyo police are investigating the case on suspicion of violations of laws banning child pornography and others.
They have reportedly decided to ask the man to turn himself in through Japan's foreign ministry, as he has diplomatic immunity from arrest until he leaves the country.
The police are also considering sending papers on the case to Japanese prosecutors.
Key words : administrator
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240502_N02/
Police crack down on US campus protests
Universities across the US have seen protests against the conflict in Gaza grow more violent. Police in New York made about 300 arrests from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.
Columbia University is trying to restore order to the campus after a night of chaos. Dozens of people had holed up inside a building before police moved in. Other protestors clashed with officers a few blocks away at the City College of New York.
New York Mayor Eric Adams held a news conference after the arrests. He said, "We cannot allow what should be a lawful protest to turn into a violent spectacle that saves and serves no purpose."
Police were also called in at the University of California, Los Angeles, where pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protestors faced off. It took them hours to subdue the violence.
One student said people were beating others with bats and sticks and throwing "whatever they could." She said it took a while for law enforcement officers to get to the scene.
UCLA administrators said the tactics of some demonstrators have been "shocking and shameful." They have canceled classes.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden is "monitoring the situation closely." She added that Americans have the right to protest peacefully but that forcibly taking over buildings is "just not."
Key words : media outlet netanyahu blinken
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240502_02/
Israeli media: Netanyahu tells Blinken he won't end war on Hamas
An Israeli media outlet has reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken he cannot accept an agreement to end the war in Gaza as part of a hostage deal.
Israel and the Islamic group Hamas continue their negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the remaining hostages seized by the group last year.
The two sides have been engaging in talks mediated by Egypt and other parties.
Against this backdrop, Blinken met with Netanyahu on Wednesday in Jerusalem.
A US State Department press release said, "The Secretary discussed ongoing efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as part of a hostage deal and emphasized that it is Hamas that is standing in the way of a ceasefire."
Meanwhile, The Times of Israel quoted an Israeli official who said Netanyahu told Blinken that he would not accept an end to the war in Gaza as part of a potential hostage deal.
The prime minister reportedly also told Blinken that a hostage deal with Hamas does not mean an invasion of Rafah would be avoided.
Media reported the ongoing negotiations would see 33 hostages released in the first stage of the ceasefire deal in exchange for the release of several hundred Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Netanyahu's latest remarks conflict with the stance of Hamas, which is seeking a complete ceasefire in response to the release of all Israeli hostages.
Key words : kishida east asia held talks
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240502_09/
Kishida and French PM Attal agree to enhance bilateral cooperation
Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has agreed with his French counterpart Gabriel Attal to further strengthen bilateral relations and work closely together on the situations in Ukraine and East Asia.
Kishida held talks with Attal in Paris on Wednesday. It was their first meeting since Attal took office.
Kishida said at the outset of the talks that France is an exceptional partner for Japan with shared values and principles, amid the tense international situation.
The two affirmed that their countries will further strengthen ties through a five-year roadmap agreed last December. It covers bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas including security and economy.
The leaders expressed hope that exchanges among people in both countries will be enhanced through events such as this summer's Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris and the Expo 2025 to be held in Osaka.
Attal reiterated his condolences for the passing of the late manga artist Toriyama Akira, known for such works as "Dragon Ball," noting that many French people are familiar with Japanese manga.
Key words : over 30
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240502_10/
Russia displays Western 'trophy' weapons captured in Ukraine
The Russian defense ministry is displaying Western tanks and other "trophy" weapons it says were captured by Russian forces in Ukraine.
Over 30 pieces of military equipment, including US and German tanks, are on public display at an exhibition that opened Wednesday in Moscow's Victory Park.
The show is apparently intended to highlight Russia's achievements in Ukraine and to lift the nation's spirits regarding the war.
Among the heavy equipment on display are a German Leopard 2 tank as well as a US-made Abrams tank and a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle.
Russia's defense ministry says the display also includes weapons provided to Ukraine by other NATO member states such as Britain and France.
Footage from the exhibit shows a tank with a damaged track and a vehicle riddled with bullet holes, indicating the fierce fighting that took place.
The exhibit comes as Russia prepares to hold President Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a fifth term in office on May 7 and Victory Day celebrations on May 9. Victory Day commemorates the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two and is one of Russia's most important holidays.
Key words : elemetary Randoseru backpack
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20240502112147916/
Randoseru backpacks made into mementos
Elementary school students in Japan carry their belongings in boxy backpacks called "randoseru." Once the kids have moved on to higher grades, the randoseru are put aside . . . but not necessarily thrown away. Some are being transformed.
Key words : pianist
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240502_07/
Classical pianist Fujiko Hemming dies at 92
Fujiko Hemming, a classical pianist who released her best-selling debut album in her late 60s, has died at the age of 92. She won many fans with her struggle to overcome adversity and performances that reflected her warm personality.
The Fujiko Hemming Foundation announced on Thursday that she died on April 21 after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March.
Hemming was born to a Swedish father and a Japanese mother. She began studying piano with her mother at the age of five.
Hemming made her debut as a pianist at 17. After graduating from the Tokyo University of the Arts, she moved to Germany when she was 28 to study music and based her activities in Europe.
Hemming fell ill before an important concert and temporarily lost her hearing, but she continued to play the piano.
In 1999, NHK aired a documentary about her turbulent life and attempts to make a comeback. Her debut album, "La Campanella," was released in the same year and sold more than 2 million copies, an unprecedented figure for a classical music album.
The late blooming musician was acclaimed for her interpretations of works by Liszt and Chopin. She performed with internationally renowned orchestras, and continued to play the piano energetically after she turned 90.
0 件のコメント:
コメントを投稿