The families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea have made a plea for their early return in Japan's Diet.
The South Korean military says a North Korean soldier fled to the South on Thursday morning by crossing the demilitarized zone dividing the 2 countries.
The Bank of Japan has kept its massive easing program unchanged, in a bid to hit a 2-percent inflation target.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20171221200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : families of
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171221_15/
The families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea have made a plea for their early return before lawmakers in Japan's Diet.
The families attended a Lower House special committee session on Thursday as unsworn witnesses.
Sakie Yokota, whose daughter Megumi was abducted in 1977 at age 13, urged lawmakers to remember that the abductees are waiting for help.
Shigeo Iizuka, the older brother of Yaeko Taguchi, now heads the group of abductees' families.
He said 40 years have passed since the abductions and 20 years have passed since efforts to rescue them began.
Iizuka said lawmakers should think seriously about the time wasted without a solution.
He also said families cannot wait any longer, and sought action with concrete results.
Fumiyo Saito, the older sister of Kaoru Matsuki, noted that their mother had died 3 years ago at age 92, without seeing her son again. She said her mother had shed tears until her last breath.
As families age, resolving the abductions issue has become a race against time.
The families attended a Lower House special committee session on Thursday as unsworn witnesses.
Sakie Yokota, whose daughter Megumi was abducted in 1977 at age 13, urged lawmakers to remember that the abductees are waiting for help.
Shigeo Iizuka, the older brother of Yaeko Taguchi, now heads the group of abductees' families.
He said 40 years have passed since the abductions and 20 years have passed since efforts to rescue them began.
Iizuka said lawmakers should think seriously about the time wasted without a solution.
He also said families cannot wait any longer, and sought action with concrete results.
Fumiyo Saito, the older sister of Kaoru Matsuki, noted that their mother had died 3 years ago at age 92, without seeing her son again. She said her mother had shed tears until her last breath.
As families age, resolving the abductions issue has become a race against time.
Key words : south soldier
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171221_17/
The South Korean military says a North Korean soldier fled to the South on Thursday morning by going over the border of the demilitarized zone dividing the 2 countries.
A spokesman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Roh Jae-cheon, made the announcement about the defection at a regular news conference later on Thursday.
Roh said that at around 8:04 AM a North Korean soldier reached the South Korean border post by crossing the mid-western section of the demarcation line and sought asylum.
The spokesman said there were no exchanges of fire between the 2 sides at that time.
South Korean military sources say amid thick fog, visibility was only 100 meters in the area. They say several North Korean border guards, apparently searching for the soldier, approached the demarcation line one and a half hours after the defection.
They say South Korean troops fired some 20 warning shots while airing warning messages, in response. They also say multiple gunshots were heard from the North Korean side a little past 10 AM.
The South Korean military is planning to question the North Korean soldier along with the National Intelligence Service and the Unification Ministry, to clarify his motives and how he managed to cross the border.
The latest case is the fourth defection of a North Korean soldier across the demarcation line this year.
Just last month, a soldier fled to the South on foot via the truce village of Panmunjom. He was fired at and was seriously wounded.
Meanwhile, officials of the Unification Ministry say an aircraft of the South Korean navy spotted a small wooden boat at around 11:30 AM on Wednesday in the Sea of Japan.
They say 2 persons onboard the vessel expressed their intention to defect and were taken into protective custody.
A spokesman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Roh Jae-cheon, made the announcement about the defection at a regular news conference later on Thursday.
Roh said that at around 8:04 AM a North Korean soldier reached the South Korean border post by crossing the mid-western section of the demarcation line and sought asylum.
The spokesman said there were no exchanges of fire between the 2 sides at that time.
South Korean military sources say amid thick fog, visibility was only 100 meters in the area. They say several North Korean border guards, apparently searching for the soldier, approached the demarcation line one and a half hours after the defection.
They say South Korean troops fired some 20 warning shots while airing warning messages, in response. They also say multiple gunshots were heard from the North Korean side a little past 10 AM.
The South Korean military is planning to question the North Korean soldier along with the National Intelligence Service and the Unification Ministry, to clarify his motives and how he managed to cross the border.
The latest case is the fourth defection of a North Korean soldier across the demarcation line this year.
Just last month, a soldier fled to the South on foot via the truce village of Panmunjom. He was fired at and was seriously wounded.
Meanwhile, officials of the Unification Ministry say an aircraft of the South Korean navy spotted a small wooden boat at around 11:30 AM on Wednesday in the Sea of Japan.
They say 2 persons onboard the vessel expressed their intention to defect and were taken into protective custody.
Key words : north denied
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171221_19/
North Korea's foreign ministry has denied involvement in a massive cyberattack that the United States publicly blamed on the country.
The WannaCry virus infected computers in May around the world, including Japan. A senior White House official said this week that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's government was responsible.
The North's foreign ministry spokesperson said through the country's state-run media on Thursday that the country had nothing to do with the attack.
The ministry said the US felt threatened by the completion of North Korea's nuclear arms program and was trying to set the international community against the country.
The North kept its firm stance against US President Donald Trump's administration, calling the allegation a serious political provocation to damage the country's image.
North Korea denied involvement when links between the country and the attack were first brought up in May. The North was also suspected of involvement in a cyberattack on Sony's US subsidiary 3 years ago. The North dismissed those allegations as well.
The WannaCry virus infected computers in May around the world, including Japan. A senior White House official said this week that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's government was responsible.
The North's foreign ministry spokesperson said through the country's state-run media on Thursday that the country had nothing to do with the attack.
The ministry said the US felt threatened by the completion of North Korea's nuclear arms program and was trying to set the international community against the country.
The North kept its firm stance against US President Donald Trump's administration, calling the allegation a serious political provocation to damage the country's image.
North Korea denied involvement when links between the country and the attack were first brought up in May. The North was also suspected of involvement in a cyberattack on Sony's US subsidiary 3 years ago. The North dismissed those allegations as well.
Key words : university china
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171221_20/
A university in China has punished a deputy dean after allegations that he sexually abused a female student spread online.
Officials of Nanchang University in Jiangxi province say they removed him from his post after interviewing those involved. The officials reported the case to police.
The university's action comes as accusations against the professor appeared on a popular social media site this month.
The online messages say he sexually abused his student over half a year through May. She was studying at the school during that time.
The woman spoke about the alleged misconduct anonymously on the web-based media outlet Pengpai.
She said the professor suddenly hugged her in his office and summoned her to his lodgings late at night.
She said she did not have enough courage to openly accuse him while she was still in the university, but decided to speak out so there will be no more victims.
Online postings in China praised her for her courage. Some say the "Me Too" movement is now starting in the country.
Many women around the world are coming out with their experiences of sexual assault and accusing perpetrators on social networking services with the "Me Too" hashtag.
Officials of Nanchang University in Jiangxi province say they removed him from his post after interviewing those involved. The officials reported the case to police.
The university's action comes as accusations against the professor appeared on a popular social media site this month.
The online messages say he sexually abused his student over half a year through May. She was studying at the school during that time.
The woman spoke about the alleged misconduct anonymously on the web-based media outlet Pengpai.
She said the professor suddenly hugged her in his office and summoned her to his lodgings late at night.
She said she did not have enough courage to openly accuse him while she was still in the university, but decided to speak out so there will be no more victims.
Online postings in China praised her for her courage. Some say the "Me Too" movement is now starting in the country.
Many women around the world are coming out with their experiences of sexual assault and accusing perpetrators on social networking services with the "Me Too" hashtag.
Key words : Insight Kenya
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Key words : bank Japan program
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171221_16/
The Bank of Japan has kept its massive easing program unchanged, in a bid to hit a 2-percent inflation target.
The central bank's policymakers wrapped up their 2-day meeting on Thursday.
The bank says it will keep its focus on managing short- and long-term interest rates.
There will be no change to its negative-rate policy for commercial banks - the rate on deposits held by the banks at the BOJ will stay at minus 0.1 percent.
And the target yield for the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond will be kept at around zero percent.
The bank says it will purchase JGBs more or less in line with its current annual pace. That's about 80 trillion yen, or 700 billion dollars.
The central bank's policymakers wrapped up their 2-day meeting on Thursday.
The bank says it will keep its focus on managing short- and long-term interest rates.
There will be no change to its negative-rate policy for commercial banks - the rate on deposits held by the banks at the BOJ will stay at minus 0.1 percent.
And the target yield for the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond will be kept at around zero percent.
The bank says it will purchase JGBs more or less in line with its current annual pace. That's about 80 trillion yen, or 700 billion dollars.
Key words : new research
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171221_22/
New research highlights a problem that has burdened Japanese firms for decades. It shows their workers produce fewer goods and services per hour than people in other major industrialized nations.
Researchers at the Japan Productivity Center analyzed labor output in 2016 for the 35 countries that belong to the OECD.
Japan ranked 20th overall. It came last out of the G7 countries. The most productive workers were in Ireland.
Officials say Japan's low ranking is connected to the long hours that employees put in.
They say firms invest a lot of time and effort to ensure they can offer quality products and services at affordable prices.
Japan has consistently had the poorest labor productivity among G7 nations for almost 40 years. The research center behind the analysis says Japanese firms should invest more in automated systems and artificial intelligence to boost output.
Researchers at the Japan Productivity Center analyzed labor output in 2016 for the 35 countries that belong to the OECD.
Japan ranked 20th overall. It came last out of the G7 countries. The most productive workers were in Ireland.
Officials say Japan's low ranking is connected to the long hours that employees put in.
They say firms invest a lot of time and effort to ensure they can offer quality products and services at affordable prices.
Japan has consistently had the poorest labor productivity among G7 nations for almost 40 years. The research center behind the analysis says Japanese firms should invest more in automated systems and artificial intelligence to boost output.
Key words : targeting Hino
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171221_13/
The Toyota Motor group is targeting record global sales for 2018 of about 10.5 million units. Its group includes Daihatsu and Hino. Sales targets have exceeded 10 million for 5 consecutive years.
The automaker aims to increase sales overseas, including China and Southeast Asia. Toyota expects its sales will decline by 113 thousand units in Japan, because of the diminishing novelty impact of new model releases.
Toyota alone is to produce about 3.1 million units at its domestic plants. The maker says keeping production at that level is essential to secure jobs and maintain its technological competitiveness.
The automaker aims to increase sales overseas, including China and Southeast Asia. Toyota expects its sales will decline by 113 thousand units in Japan, because of the diminishing novelty impact of new model releases.
Toyota alone is to produce about 3.1 million units at its domestic plants. The maker says keeping production at that level is essential to secure jobs and maintain its technological competitiveness.
Key words : Toshiba
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171221_24/
As Toshiba prepares to sell its flash memory unit in coming months, it says it will start building a new plant to meet growing demand for the chips.
The firm says construction of the factory in northern Japan will get underway in February.
The plant in Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, will produce a type of flash memory known as NAND. It's used in smartphones and data centers. Toshiba says the factory will likely cost more than 1 trillion yen, or about 9 billion dollars, and will go online in 2020.
It will be a key production base for Toshiba's semiconductor unit.
The struggling electronics maker reached an agreement to sell the unit as a part of its restructuring plans. It chose a Japan-US-South Korea consortium as the buyer. Officials hope to wrap up the deal by the end of March. The new owners will take over construction of the plant once the deal goes through.
The firm says construction of the factory in northern Japan will get underway in February.
The plant in Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, will produce a type of flash memory known as NAND. It's used in smartphones and data centers. Toshiba says the factory will likely cost more than 1 trillion yen, or about 9 billion dollars, and will go online in 2020.
It will be a key production base for Toshiba's semiconductor unit.
The struggling electronics maker reached an agreement to sell the unit as a part of its restructuring plans. It chose a Japan-US-South Korea consortium as the buyer. Officials hope to wrap up the deal by the end of March. The new owners will take over construction of the plant once the deal goes through.
Key words : Vietnam blind
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