at 20:00 (JST), March 21 (Autoscroll)

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in has suggested the 2 Koreas and the US could hold a trilateral summit.

The foreign ministers of Japan and Russia have agreed to hold security talks in Moscow next month.

Finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of 20 economies have released a statement to wrap up 2 days of talks in Argentina.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180321200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : south suggested
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180321_22/

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in has suggested the 2 Koreas and the US could hold a trilateral summit.

Moon raised the idea in a meeting to prepare for an inter-Korean summit planned for April.

He spoke about plans for a summit between North Korea and the US after the inter-Korean talks.

A source close to South Korea's presidential office said if the inter-Korean summit and the US-North Korea summit go well, Moon wants to meet with the other leaders to confirm what they have agreed.

Moon has said that issues relating to peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula should be completely resolved through dialogue.

But he has insisted that an agreement between the 2 Koreas is not enough.

He says it requires a US guarantee, as well as the normalization of ties between the North and the US.

Seoul plans to make a proposal on Thursday to hold inter-Korean ministerial talks later this month at the border village of Panmunjom.

Key words : north media change
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180321_14/

North Korea's state media says momentum toward change is emerging in the country's relations with the United States.

The Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday carried a commentary on the North's prospective talks with the US and South Korea.

It says measures led by North Korea have created an atmosphere of reconciliation between the 2 Koreas, as well as a momentum toward change in North Korea-US relations.

The commentary stresses that the North's relations with the South and the US are just beginning.

It criticizes the view that the North has made an effort to begin dialogue only after coming under pressure from Japan, the US and other countries.

Pyongyang has yet to officially comment on the possible summit with the US.

But the latest commentary suggests the North is maintaining a stance of dialogue with the administration of US President Donald Trump while watching moves by the US and other countries.

Key words : foreign minister russia security
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180321_21/

The foreign ministers of Japan and Russia have agreed to hold security talks in Moscow next month.

Japan's Taro Kono and Russia's Sergei Lavrov met in Tokyo on Wednesday.

The meeting came after Russian President Vladimir Putin was reelected by a landslide in Sunday's election.

The ministers agreed to continue working-level talks on joint economic activity on Russian-held islands claimed by Japan.

They also agreed to continue humanitarian measures, such as allowing former Japanese islanders to visit the graves of their ancestors on the islands.

Russia controls the 4 islands. Japan claims them.
The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory. It says the islands were illegally occupied after World War Two.

Kono and Lavrov said it's important for Tokyo and Moscow to continue dialogue on security to deepen mutual understanding and eventually conclude a peace treaty.

They agreed to hold what they call a bilateral strategic dialogue in Moscow on April 19th, with Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Akiba and Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov in attendance.

The 2 also agreed to arrange other bilateral talks over the next 12 months, including a meeting of Japanese and Russian officials who represent their countries over the long-suspended 6-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program.

Kono touched on the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in the United Kingdom. He called the use of chemical weapons "unacceptable" and said the most important thing is to get to the bottom of what happened.

Key words : finance minister central bank fundamental
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180321_09/

Finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of 20 economies have released a statement to wrap up 2 days of talks in Argentina.

In the communique published on Tuesday, they say the global economic outlook has continued to improve since they last met in October 2017.

They say recent market volatility despite the global economy's sound fundamentals is a reminder of risks and vulnerabilities.

On trade, they reaffirmed the conclusions of the G20 summit in Germany last July, in which they said they would "continue to fight protectionism, including all unfair trade practices."

The financial leaders, however, recognize the need for further dialogue and actions. They say they are working to strengthen the contribution of trade to the global economy.

They also called for international rules on cryptocurrencies. They say such currencies raise issues involving consumer and investor protection, money laundering and terrorist financing. They say, at some point, crypto assets "could have financial stability implications."

Speaking to reporters, Argentine Treasury Minister Nicolas Dujovne said the delegates spoke in general terms on trade, and expected US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports were not directly discussed.

Key words : tariff action
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180321_12/

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the planned US tariff actions are not about protectionism but about reciprocal trade.

Mnuchin spoke at a news conference on Tuesday at the end of the G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors in Argentina.

Mnuchin said the US is not looking to have protectionism. He said Washington needs to be prepared to act in the US interest to defend "free and fair, reciprocal trade."

He added that given the size of its economy, the US is not afraid of getting into a trade war.

Japan's State Minister of Finance Minoru Kihara told reporters that the G20 statement stresses the importance of dialogue and action in stronger terms than the one issued at the summit in July last year.

Kihara said there were no direct references to the US during the meeting, but the participants were apparently aware of the planned US tariffs.

He also said they shared the understanding that protectionism will not benefit any country.

Key words : myanmar resign
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180321_23/

Myanmar's government says President Htin Kyaw has resigned. He is a long-time ally of the country's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

The government says Htin Kyaw stepped down on Wednesday to take a rest from his duties.

Htin Kyaw supported Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy movement when military leaders were in power. He assumed the presidency when the current government was inaugurated in 2016.

The 71-year-old is reported to have fallen ill recently and undergone surgery abroad.

Local media say Win Myint, who resigned as speaker of the lower house on Wednesday, is expected to become the next president.

Key words : student shot
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180321_10/

A student at a high school in the US state of Maryland has shot 2 other students, seriously injuring them.
The 17-year-old shooter was shot dead by a school security officer.

Great Mills High School in St. Mary's County was on lockdown following the incident. One of the shooter's targets -- a 16-year-old female student -- was in critical condition, while the other -- a 14-year-old boy -- was described as stable.

The county sheriff said there was an indication that a prior relationship existed between the shooter and the female student. But he said it was too early to determine if that was a motive for the shooting.

The US has experienced a long series of school shootings. In February, a gunman killed 17 students and faculty in Florida, re-energizing a national debate over firearms. A nationwide rally for tougher gun control is planned for Saturday.

Key words : package
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180321_18/

A package exploded on Tuesday at a delivery service center in the US state of Texas, injuring one person. Authorities are investigating whether the blast is linked to a series of bombings that killed 2 people in the state earlier this month.

Police say the package blew up on a conveyer belt at a FedEx facility near San Antonio. They say the injured worker was taken to hospital.

A suspicious package found at another FedEx facility in Austin was determined to be an explosive device.

The first 3 explosions in the state involved parcels left in front of homes near Austin. Those blasts killed 2 people.

A fourth went off on a roadside in the city on Sunday, wounding 2 people.

Separately on Tuesday, a man was injured by an incendiary device at a facility of a nonprofit organization in Austin.

The incident was initially reported as another bombing, causing fear among residents.

Key words : anti-government marketplace
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180321_17/

A rocket attack by Syrian anti-government forces has killed at least 38 civilians in a marketplace in Eastern Ghouta, near the capital city of Damascus.

Syria's state-run TV reported on Tuesday that a rocket fired by rebel forces hit the marketplace in an area controlled by the Syrian government. The attack also left many injured.

Opposition stronghold Eastern Ghouta has been under heavy bombardment by troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad's administration. More than 1,500 people, including 300 children, were killed by attacks by government troops in the last month alone.

The media have also reported that shelling by opposition forces of a residential area in Damascus has injured 5 children and one woman. Footage from the scene shows many burned-out vehicles.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is monitoring the situation in the conflict-ridden nation, says more than 180 people were killed by rebel attacks in the last 4 months.

The Assad administration has seized more than 80 percent of Eastern Ghouta and is demanding that opposition forces withdraw.

But the rebels continue to resist, raising concerns that the number of civilian victims will increase further.

Key words : Toyota
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180321_16/

Toyota Motor says it is suspending autonomous vehicle testing on US public roads in the wake of a fatal accident involving a test vehicle operated by the ride-hailing company Uber.

Toyota Research Institute, a Toyota US subsidiary, announced the suspension of its own tests.

Uber earlier decided to halt its self-driving tests on public roads in the US following the death of a pedestrian on Sunday in the state of Arizona.

Toyota says the accident may have an "emotional effect" on its test drivers.

Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident.

Key words : biggest power plant
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180321_05/

One of Japan's biggest solar power plants has gone into operation near Tokyo. What makes it different is that it is on the reservoir of a dam.

More than 50,000 solar panels cover about 18 hectares of a lake behind a dam in Chiba Prefecture.

The operator claims it's the biggest solar power plant on water in Japan.
Annual output is projected at more than 16 million kilowatt hours. That's equivalent to the power consumed by about 5,000 households in one year.

The plant began operating earlier this month. The electricity it generates is sold to Tokyo Electric Power Company.

Officials say the prefecture will earn more than 180,000 dollars a year by letting the reservoir be used this way.
They also hope the facility will help reduce plankton because the water is shaded by the panels.