>>> Welcome to NHK "Newsline." I’m Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.
>>> Four lawmakers are in a fight to take the helm of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Japan’s largest opposition group. The candidates are Noda Yoshihiko, a former prime minister, Edano Yukio, a former president of the party, current leader Izumi Kenta, and Yoshida Harumi, a rookie lawmaker. The four held a press conference and made their appeals. Noda spoke to reporters saying he feels a strong sense of crisis in the political situation. He will take the lead in working together with other opposition parties to tackle corruption. Edano thinks Japan is at a major crossroads, saying his party must present a clear path for political reform and offer a vision that meets the expectations of the people. Izumi stated that they have not just provided criticism but that they have worked constructively to develop policies and must build a new government together. Yoshida wants to create politics that are free from conventional practices. She will advocate for a positive cycle where combining education and the economy will raise the standard of living for all citizens. The 17-day campaign is expected to focus on how to lay out their strategies to challenge the ruling coalition. Topics will likely include the main governing Liberal Democratic Party’s issue of slush funds and how to reform the politics and boosting cooperation among members of the opposition bloc. Diet lawmakers, local assembly members, and general members of the party are eligible to vote. Counting will take place September 23rd after 17 days of campaigning.
>>> For more on the election, I spoke earlier with our senior political commentator, Masuda Tsuyoshi. Four people have announced their candidacy. Tell us about this election.
>> This marks the start of a 17-day campaign, so it’s impossible to predict the results now. Support for the four Diet members who announced their candidacy is as follows. Noda is supported by around 20 people. Including ten. Ed Dano is mainly supported by roughly 30 liberal lawmakers. Izumi is supported by a group of more than 20 people which he leads. Yoshida is serving her first term in the Diet. She managed to gain enough support to run from lawmakers who want a female candidate. Local assembly members and general party members will also vote. As a result, some observers say no other candidates will get a majority in the first round. So there may be a row between the top two.
>> So, what is exactly driving this election?
>> A lower house election is set to be approaching. I think the key is whether the party can sell its principles and policies to the people. This is especially true since the election for president of the Liberal Democratic Party will be held around the same time. Every candidate says they will lead the LDP on the issue of politics and money, and they see this race as a prelude to the next lower house election and want to use it to increase the party’s momentum. So how to work with other opposition parties ahead of the expected general election? Another issue is whether they will be able to expand public support by having active discussions on economic, foreign, and domestic policies.
>>> Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has returned to Earth after undocking from the International Space Station. But the crew members it was meant to be carrying remain on board the ISS. Starliner separated from the space station on Friday. About six hours later, the craft landed in the U.S. state of New Mexico. After entering the Earth’s atmosphere, parachutes were used to slow its descent. NASA and Boeing plan to collect the craft and carefully investigate its condition. Now, Starliner lifted off in June on a test flight to the ISS, carrying two NASA astronauts. It was initially scheduled to bring them back to Earth after about a week. But its thrusters malfunctioned, and it was forced to remain at the ISS. Last month, NASA decided to bring the craft back to Earth but without the two astronauts for safety reasons. Starliner was originally expected to be a new means to travel between Earth and the ISS if approval by NASA after the test flight, but the glitches and change in plans have cast doubts on the future. The two astronauts are now expected to return next February on board a different spacecraft.
>>> And the prospects for a cease-fire and the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip remains slim even as the conflict nears a year in length. More than 40,000 in the enclave have died since last October. Israel and Hamas have suspended fighting eight hours a day in the southern areas of Gaza, at least until Saturday. The move allows health workers to vaccinate children against polio. Israeli troops have continued their attacks outside of that time frame. NHK footage on Friday shows people, including a small child, being transported to a hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. The United States plans to present a new proposal for a cease fear with countries including Egypt and Qatar, which have been acting as mediators. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Israel on Friday. She called for more progress with the talks, adding that military pressure endangers the lives of the hostages. Calls for Israel to reach an agreement are growing inside the country. Large protests are a daily occurrence. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli troops must remain at key strategic positions in Gaza. Hamas has been demanding a complete withdrawal.
>>> Leaders in China are responding after Canada announced plans to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles. They have requested bilateral talks as a precondition for settling the dispute at the World Trade Organization. Canada announced the tariffs last month. They take effect in October and include a 25% levy on Chinese steel and aluminum products. Chinese Commerce Ministry officials said they’ve made a request for talks. Beijing accuses Canada of disrupting global supply chains and calls on the country to comply with the WTO’s rules. Earlier this month, the Chinese government said it would launch an anti-dumping investigation into rapeseed imports from Canada. China also plans to probe chemical imports from the North American country. The moves could be in retaliation to the upcoming tariffs.
>>> European Union climate experts said the global average last month equaled the record high for August, which was set in 2023. The Copernicus Climate Change Service made the announcement on Friday. Officials say the global average temperature last month was 16.82 degrees Celsius. That’s the same as August last year and the highest for the month since recordkeeping began in 1940. The 2015 Paris Agreement aims to limit the increase in global average temperatures to 1.5 degrees above preindustrial levels. The figure in August was 1.51 degrees. Copernicus says the string of record temperatures is increasing the likelihood of 2024 being the hottest year on record. And those are the top stories for this hour.
♪ >>> And that’s a wrap of this edition of NHK "Newsline." I’m Ramin Mellegard. Thank you so much for joining us.
0 件のコメント:
コメントを投稿