at 18:00 (JST), September 08 (CC>Copilot)

 

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20240908180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome to NHK "Newsline." I’m Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has voiced his intention to ramp up the country’s naval power. State-run Korean Central Television reported on Sunday that Kim visited the site of a new naval base now under construction. Kim reportedly said the country will soon have big surface ships and submarines. He called the task of building a base for the latest big ships a pressing need. The broadcast said Kim described the base as an area of strategic importance. It said he emphasized the base is intended as an urgent response to the region’s security environment. A South Korean defense analysis describes the North’s naval force as currently consisting mainly of small high-speed vessels with limited capabilities.

One year has passed since a massive earthquake struck Morocco, but many survivors remain in poor living conditions as aid workers call for continued international support. Video taken earlier this month shows makeshift shelters. Officials say so far, only 1,000 residential buildings have been rebuilt. The mountainous area was struck by a magnitude 6.8 quake on September 8th of last year. The Moroccan government says more than 2,900 people were killed and over 55,000 buildings were damaged. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as well as people in the region, say reconstruction has been slow due to poor accessibility and funding shortages. They say the survivors are enduring both severe heat and heavy rain.

"Some of the people, with all that’s happening in the world, they feel it’s been forgotten."

The aid official asks the international community to remember the quake survivors as a lot of time is still needed before they can return to normal life.

As Saturday marked 11 months of intense fighting in the Gaza Strip, the head of a U.N. agency is calling for a cease-fire. Philip Lazzarini is the Commissioner General of UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. He posted a message on social media that reads, "11 months, enough, no one can take this any longer." The United States is set to present a new cease-fire proposal together with Egypt and Qatar, which have been serving as mediators, but talks for a cease-fire and hostage release deal have so far made little progress. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli troops must be allowed to remain in key strategic positions in Gaza, but Hamas has been demanding the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza. Now, across Israel, people have been taking to the streets almost daily, demanding a cease-fire. In the latest opinion poll released by Israeli media, 60% of respondents said it’s more important to reach an agreement to release hostages. That’s more than double the number of those who think it’s important for Israeli troops to continue their deployment in Gaza.

Now, the Ukrainian military says drones launched by Russia have killed four people in eastern Ukraine. It notes fragments from unmanned aircraft were found in the capital of Kyiv outside the parliamentary building. Ukrainian authorities say 67 drones were involved in the attacks. The governors of Donetsk and Dnipro Petrovsk reported four fatalities in total. Fragments from a downed unmanned aerial vehicle were found on the premises of the national parliament in Kyiv. Meanwhile, "The Wall Street Journal" quoted U.S. and European officials on Friday as saying Iran has sent Russia short-range ballistic missiles. But an Iranian state-run media outlet carried a response to the claim. It says Tehran has dismissed reports alleging it transferred ballistic missiles to Moscow for use in the Ukraine war. Russia is said to have received suicide drones from Iran. It has also been expanding domestic production of unmanned aerial vehicles modeled on Iranian versions.

Electronics manufacturer Sharp says it will enter the competitive market for electric vehicles. It is set to unveil a concept car later this month at a tech event in Tokyo. The company plans to develop a model with its parent company Hon Hai Precision Industry of Taiwan. It will be a minivan using technologies that Sharp developed while manufacturing LCD panels and home appliances. The vehicle will have a large rear display screen and devices assisted by A.I. Sharp plans to use Hon Hai’s EV platform to design new models and put them on the market in several years.

"Our goal is to offer more convenience to our customers based on our past experience manufacturing products that consumers use every day."

Sharp’s Chief Technical Officer says electric vehicles can further evolve as the world moves toward a carbon-free society.

Moving now to sports, Japan claimed two more gold medals on the 11th day of the Paris Paralympics. One apiece in cycling and wheelchair tennis. Sugiura Keiko came out on top in the women’s world cycling C1 through C3 physical disability class. She previously won gold at the Tokyo Games. At 53, she is Japan’s oldest Paralympian gold medalist. In wheelchair tennis, world number two Oda Tokito beat the top-ranked Alfie Hewitt of Britain in the men’s singles final. At age 18, Oda was making his Paralympic debut. He said he was born to be a champion and win gold. The games go into their final day on Sunday with China topping the medal count at 216. Britain comes next at 120. And the United States has 102. Japan has 39 medals, 14 gold, 10 silver, and 15 bronze. The closing ceremony of the 12-day games takes place at Stade de France, one of the country’s largest stadiums.

"And those are the top stories for this hour."

Now, one more story before we go. Flowers that herald the arrival of autumn when they bloom are attracting crowds to a temple north of Tokyo. The temple in the village of Kawaba is known for having flowers on its grounds for every season. Around the pond and waterfall are about 1,000 hardy begonia plants. Their light pink flowers began to appear in the middle of last month, one or two weeks earlier than average. They are now in full bloom.

"They are lovely. I don’t get a chance to see flowers like this where I live. They really make me feel like autumn is here."

Temple officials say the flowers will remain in bloom through mid-September. Gorgeous flowers.

"And that’s a wrap for this edition of NHK 'Newsline.' I’m Ramin Mellegard. Thank you very much for joining us."