Environment chiefs from the Group of 7 nations have started their first meeting since US President Donald Trump announced that he will pull the country out of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Voters in France have begun casting ballots in the first round of a lower house election.
A proposed ban on indoor smoking is likely to be postponed, as the health ministry and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party could not work out their differences in time to submit a bill in the current Diet session.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/rj/podcast/mp3/20170611200100_1_english.mp3
Key words : environment first meeting
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170611_22/
Environment chiefs from the Group of 7 nations have started their first meeting since US President Donald Trump announced that he will pull the country out of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The 2-day meeting began on Sunday in the Italian city of Bologna.
Japanese Environment Minister Koichi Yamamoto gave a speech at the opening ceremony.
Yamamoto said extraordinary weather made governments realize that the Earth's environment is reaching its limit, and the shared sense of crisis united them for the historic Paris Agreement.
He called on his counterparts to lead the efforts in their own countries.
Earlier in the day, Yamamoto met the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, who is in favor of withdrawing from the Paris accord.
Yamamoto told Pruitt that he was disappointed by Trump's announcement but he added that Japan wants to continue its cooperation with the US to prevent backpedalling on measures against global warming.
Pruitt reportedly indicated that the US is willing to address global warming as the leader of the world.
The participants are expected to urgexx the United States to fight climate change under the Paris Agreement.
Attention is focused on whether a joint statement to be released on the final day will mention how the United States can join the international efforts to tackle global warming.
Key words : Russian met
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170611_10/
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with his Qatari counterpart and offered Russia's support in ending the standoff between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors.
Lavrov met with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Moscow on Saturday.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and other nations in the region have cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting militant groups and questioning its relationship with Iran.
Lavrov said terrorism is the major threat to the region and unity is needed to remove it. He added that Russia is ready to offer its full support to resolve differences between the countries.
The Qatari minister responded by saying his country will seek dialogue within the Gulf Cooperation Council. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and 4 other Gulf nations are members of the council.
Observers say by demonstrating its willingness to act as mediator, Russia is aiming to gain an upper hand in the talks to resolve the war in Syria. Russia supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Qatar and Saudi Arabia both back anti-government forces.
Key words : voter France
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170611_21/
Voters in France have begun casting ballots in the first round of a lower house election.
The focal point of the election is whether the new political party led by the country's new president, Emmanuel Macron, can win a majority to build a stable support base.
Voting began at 8 AM on Sunday at about 67,000 polling stations across France.
Five-hundred--and-seventy-seven seats in the National Assembly are up for grabs.
Run-off elections will be held one week later in constituencies where no-one wins a majority in the first round.
Macron, who took office last month, formed a new party, LREM, which is fielding candidates in more than 500 constituencies.
The ruling center-left Socialist Party and the center-right largest opposition Republican Party are contesting more than 400 constituencies.
The far-right National Front led by Marine Le Pen has more than 570 candidates.
The latest poll shows that Macron's new party has the highest support rate. According to some predictions, his party may win about 400 seats, or more than two-thirds of the total.
Key words : Sunday marks
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170611_12/
Sunday marks 6 years and 3 months since a major earthquake and tsunami struck Japan's northeastern region in March 2011.
The National Police Agency has confirmed 15,894 deaths in the disaster. 69 of them have yet to be identified. 2,550 people are still listed as missing across 6 prefectures.
The Reconstruction Agency says the number of evacuees who died in shelters or from disaster-related causes was at least 3,523, as of the end of last September.
Key words : proposed ban
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170611_19/
A proposed ban on indoor smoking is likely to be postponed, as the health ministry and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party could not work out their differences in time to submit a bill in the current Diet session.
The health ministry tried to submit the bill banning smoking in all restaurants, with small bars and similar establishments exempted. But the LDP demanded more relaxed rules. They argue that a ban would hurt small businesses.
The ministry wants to allow exceptions only during a transition period of a few years, after which time smoking would be banned everywhere in principle.
Meetings between health minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki and LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Toshimitsu Motegi failed to narrow the gap.
While the ministry continues to try to submit the bill in the current Diet session, it is expected to be postponed, as both sides are finding it difficult to compromise further with only one week left before the session ends.
Key words : wheelchair won crown
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170611_15/
Japanese wheelchair tennis player Yui Kamiji has won the women's doubles title at
the French Open.
She earlier took the singles crown as well.
Kamiji and her Dutch partner Marjolein Buis beat their opponents from the Netherlands 6-3, 7-5 in Saturday's final.
It's the third time that Kamiji has won both the singles and doubles titles at a major tournament. She previously claimed both titles with a different partner at the 2014 French and US Opens.
Key words : king of fruit
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170611_13/
One of Thailand's prized durians, also known as "the king of fruit", has fetched almost 9,000 dollars at a charity auction.
Around 100 people gathered outside Bangkok on Saturday to bid on the durians, which gave off their distinctive odor.
One of the creamy, pungent fruits usually fetches about 10 dollars at a market. The auction was organized to identify "the king of kings."
9 premium durians, produced locally and weighing between 2 and 5 kilos, were put on the auction block.
A restaurant owner made the winning bid of around 8,800 dollars. He said he wanted it no matter how much he had to pay.
He also said he plans to enjoy the world's number one smell for a few days before he shares the durian with colleagues.
The producer of the winning fruit said the event made her want to get even better at growing durians.
The organizer says the auction proceeds will go to local hospitals and facilities for the disabled.
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