at 20:00 (JST), May 31 AS

エラー 2042

US Defense Secretary says the US military's Pacific Command has been renamed the Indo-Pacific Command.

エラー 2042

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180531200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Russia interfax media
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Key words : head of maintain monitoring
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180531_15/

The head of a UN Security Council panel has stressed the importance of maintaining sanctions against North Korea.

The panel tasked with monitoring the implementation of sanctions on the North held a closed-door regular meeting on Wednesday.

The panel's chair, Dutch Ambassador Karel van Oosterom, told reporters after the meeting that there are no calls at present for an easing of sanctions.

He indicated that maintaining them will be essential for improving relations between the United States and North Korea.

He also said he has been briefed by the US mission to the UN about the aim of the meeting in New York between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korea's ruling Workers' Party vice chairman, Kim Yong Chol.

Van Oosterom added that maintaining the pressure on North Korea will be crucial in keeping the country moving towards the desired political process.

Key words : Pacific command has been renamed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180531_17/

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says the US military's Pacific Command has been renamed the Indo-Pacific Command in recognition of the increasing connectivity between the Indian and Pacific Ocean countries.

Speaking at a change of leadership ceremony in Hawaii on Wednesday, Mattis stressed that the sovereignty of every state in the region should be respected, regardless of its size.

He also said the region should be open to investment and free, fair and reciprocal trade, and not bound by any nation's predatory economics or threat of coercion.

He said this US vision is shared by most countries in the region.

Mattis was apparently referring to the growing military and economic assertiveness of China.

He also stressed that the US relationships with its Pacific and Indian Ocean allies and partners have proven critical to maintaining regional stability.

Admiral Philip Davidson took over the command from Admiral Harry Harris at the ceremony. Davidson is a former head of the US Fleet Forces Command.

Key words : onodera says positive move
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180531_13/

Japan's Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera says it is a positive move by the US military to have renamed the Pacific Command the US Indo-Pacific Command.

Onodera attended a ceremony on Wednesday to mark a change of commander of the Pacific Command at the US base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

During the ceremony, US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis revealed the name change of the Pacific Command to the US Indo-Pacific Command.

Onodera told reporters that both the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean should be considered one as the US Defense Secretary suggested.

He says the US move could support Japan's strategy to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Onodera went on to say that the renaming shows the United States takes great interest in security in the region that includes China.

He also referred to a meeting between Abe and US President Donald Trump on June 7th, ahead of a possible summit between US and North Korea.

Onodera said he hopes that they will share issues concerning Japan such as scrapping all the North's ballistic missiles including short-range missiles and repatriation of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang.

Key words : prosecutor not to indict
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Key words : lower house approved
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180531_26/

Japan's Lower House has approved a bill on work-style reforms, a key priority for the government and the ruling parties.

A modified version of the bill was passed on Thursday with a majority vote of the ruling coalition and some opposition parties and was sent to the Upper House.

The government and the ruling coalition say the legislation would improve working conditions.

But critics argue that some of the provisions would actually worsen the problem of excessive working hours.

The bill would place a cap on overtime work with penalties for violations. Annual overtime would be capped at 720 hours, with the monthly limit set at less than 100.

One of its most controversial provisions would exempt highly skilled, highly paid workers from work-hour regulations. Salaries for these professionals would be based on results, rather than hours worked.

The bill aims to realize the concept of equal pay for equal work by prohibiting unfair treatment of non-regular workers.

The coalition parties are pushing for swift deliberations of the bill in the Upper House so that it can be enacted during the current Diet session.

But many opposition lawmakers are determined to block the legislation.

They say the exemption of highly skilled workers from work-hour regulations would expose more people to the risk of death from overwork.

A group of people whose loved ones died or committed suicide because of overwork visited the chamber on Thursday. They held photos of the deceased as the voting took place.

Key words : Insight appointtmen business federation
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Key words : canon
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180531_25/

Japanese camera maker Canon says it will end sales of its one and only remaining model of film camera.

Terminating sales of the "EOS-1v" single-lens reflex camera would bring to a close Canon's film camera history which has spanned more than 80 years.

Canon explained that demand for film cameras fell drastically with the popularization of digital ones. It says this has made it difficult to continue selling the film camera.

Japanese camera makers have been shrinking their film camera-related businesses.

Although Nikon continues to sell film cameras, photographic film supplier Fujifilm has said it would end sales of black-and-white film with the last shipments set for October.

Key words : fifa
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180531_28/

With just 2 weeks to go before the start of the FIFA World Cup finals in Russia, Japan's national soccer coach has revealed his 23-member squad for the event.

Coach Akira Nishino announced his picks at a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday afternoon.

Fifteen of them play for overseas clubs, while the others belong to J-League teams at home.

They include Makoto Hasebe of the German club Eintracht Frankfurt, Keisuke Honda of the Mexican club Pachuca, and Yuto Nagatomo of Turkey's Galatasaray. Hasebe will be the team's captain.

Three of the 26 candidates did not make the list.

Nishino said choosing 23 players in such a short time was a really tough and arduous task. He replaced Vahid Halilhodzic as coach in April.

Nishino said the players tried some new tactics in Wednesday's friendly game with Ghana. He said it was regrettable that they failed to achieve a good result, but he is sure they will be fully prepared for the World Cup finals.

The players are scheduled to leave Japan on Saturday for a 10-day training camp in Innsbruck, Austria, before flying to Russia.

The event kicks off on June 14th. Japan will face Colombia, Senegal and Poland in the group stage.

Japan has appeared in the finals of the World Cup 5 times, and qualified twice for the knockout stage of the best 16 teams.

Key words : olympic reserve
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180530_34/

The organizing committee of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics plans to keep around 1 million tickets for school children.

The committee met on Wednesday to discuss prices and types of Games tickets with outside experts.

Officials say lower-priced tickets will be reserved for children across Japan. They will be available for students at elementary to high schools as well as schools for children with disabilities.

The tickets will be sold through municipalities and schools. Municipal authorities will consider whether the students should pay for them.

The tickets for children will account for nearly 10 percent of the total of 10.1 million tickets for the Tokyo Games. This compares with 110,000 such tickets in the 2012 London Games and 300,000 in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

at 20:00 (JST), May 30 AS

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump will meet on Thursday next week in Washington.

Defense ministers from Japan and the US have agreed to maintain pressure on North Korea to force it completely abandon its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.

A close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is heading for New York to prepare for the possible summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180530200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Trump and will meet next
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180530_04/

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump will meet on Thursday next week in Washington.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted on Tuesday that the 2 leaders will meet on June 7th at the White House.

She also wrote that the United States continues to actively prepare for the expected summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore.

Abe and Trump are expected to reaffirm they will work together to resolve the issues of North Korea's nuclear and missile development and its abductions of Japanese nationals.

After their meeting in the US capital, they will attend the G7 summit in Canada, which begins on June 8th.

Abe and Trump held talks in April in Florida. They agreed to urge North Korea to abandon all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

Trump pledged to ask Kim to resolve the abduction issue at the US-North Korea summit.

Key words : defense maintain completely
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180530_13/

Defense ministers from Japan and the United States have agreed to maintain pressure on North Korea in order to make the country completely abandon its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera met US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Hawaii on Tuesday, ahead of a possible US-North Korea summit.

Their meeting at a US Pacific Command base lasted for about an hour.

Onodera told Mattis that a US-North Korean summit should serve as an opportunity to move ahead in resolving issues concerning North Korea's nuclear and missile development, as well as its abduction of Japanese nationals.
They agreed on the need to have North Korea get rid of its weapons of mass destruction and all kinds of ballistic missiles, not only intercontinental ballistic missiles but also those with shorter ranges. The North's ICBMs are supposed to be able to reach the US mainland and shorter-range ones can hit Japan.

The two also agreed that it is vital to make North Korea change its policies by maintaining international pressure, such as cooperation on strict vigilance for smuggling of goods on the high seas by North Korean vessels.

Onodera and Mattis reconfirmed their stance regarding US forces in South Korea as an important deterrent in the region, though North Korea is demanding their withdrawal.

Onodera told reporters after the meeting that he and Mattis shared views on the abduction issue, and the need to make Pyongyang give up ballistic missiles of all ranges.

Key words : close heading
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180530_24/

A close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is heading for New York to prepare for the possible summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

The Vice Chairman of the Korean Workers' Party's Central Committee, Kim Yong Chol, left Beijing, China on Wednesday.

He is expected to meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later this week.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said on Tuesday that Kim is on his way to New York and will hold talks with Pompeo.

Kim is widely seen as a key figure in coordinating the possible US-North Korea summit. He arrived in Beijing from Pyongyang on Tuesday.

Kim made no comments to reporters on the plane.

Kim will be the first top ranking North Korean official to visit the United States since 2000. Jo Myong Rok, an envoy of former leader Kim Jong Il and the first vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, visited at that time.

Kim Yong Chol is under an asset freeze by the US government. But State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said on Tuesday that he has been granted special permission to enter the country.

Key words : Russian visit gears up
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180530_26/

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit North Korea on Thursday, as the country gears up for its proposed summit with the United States.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that Lavrov will meet his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong Ho.

It said the 2 ministers will exchange opinions on bilateral relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Lavrov met Ri last month in Moscow. He last visited North Korea in April 2009.

Diplomatic observers say Lavrov is likely to meet Kim Jong Un, and may try to arrange a summit meeting between the North Korean leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

They say Moscow apparently wants to show it intends to remain involved in issues on the Korean Peninsula, amid prospects for the first-ever summit between the US and North Korea. They say that as a country bordering North Korea, Russia is sensitive to potential changes in the geopolitical balance of power in East Asia.

Key words : Insight Venezuela situation following election
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Key words : ceremony imperial
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180530_25/

A ceremony has been held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo to welcome Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and his wife to Japan.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko greeted Quang and his wife at the palace on Wednesday morning. The presidential couple arrived in Japan on Tuesday as state guests.

Japan and Vietnam are marking the 45th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties.

The ceremony began with the 2 countries' anthems. Quang was then saluted by the honor guard of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force.

About 140 schoolchildren waved flags to welcome the Vietnamese couple.

Later, the president and his wife had an audience with the emperor and empress.

Quang described the imperial couple's visit to Vietnam last year as a historic event in bilateral relations.

The emperor said he fondly recalls how warmly they were received by the people of Vietnam.

Quang noted that many Vietnamese work and study in Japan, helping to strengthen bilateral ties. He said he attaches importance to such exchanges.

The emperor agreed that such exchanges are extremely important.

Quang and his wife were scheduled to attend a banquet hosted by the emperor at the Imperial Palace on Wednesday evening.

Key words : gasoline
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Key words : government decided new visa
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180530_02/

The Japanese government has decided to create a new visa that will allow foreign nationals with certain skills to work in Japan for up to 5 years. Technical trainees would be able to extend their stay for a maximum of 5 years.

Government officials are working to compile an economic and fiscal reform policy that is expected to be approved by a Cabinet meeting next month.

The officials say applicants for the new visa will need to pass an exam to assess their knowledge, skills and Japanese language proficiency.

But those who have completed a government-backed technical internship program will not be required to take the test.

Foreign trainees are currently eligible to stay in Japan for up to 5 years.

The new visa will allow them to stay in Japan for a maximum of 10 years, but they will have to return to their home country once after completing the technical internship program.

The government says it will not allow, in principle, the holders of the new visa to bring their families, but there may be exceptions if they can prove they have advanced professional skills.

The officials will submit a draft of the basic policy to next week's meeting of the government's Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy.

at 20:00 (JST), May 29 AS

Japan's Prime Minister says he and US President Donald Trump have agreed to meet before a possible US-North Korea summit.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has reiterated that the government will seek swift return of all Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea.

A North Korean official who has a key role in preparing for a possible US-North Korea summit has arrived in Beijing, and it's supposed to be on his way to the US.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180529200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : prime to meet before resolved
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180529_90/

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he and US President Donald Trump have agreed to meet before a possible US-North Korea summit.

Abe spoke with Trump over the phone for about 30 minutes on Monday evening.

Abe later told reporters that he was briefed on what is going on, regarding the expected talks between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Abe said he and Trump agreed that their countries will work together to make the Trump-Kim summit meaningful.

Abe also referred to the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korean agents decades ago.
Abe noted that Trump has promised to bring up the abduction issue during his meetings with Kim.

The prime minister said he relayed the feelings of the abductees' relatives he met on Monday to Trump. He also said he told the US president that the issue must be resolved.

A White House statement later confirmed the 2 leaders' decision to meet before a possible US-North Korea summit.

The statement said they "affirmed the shared imperative of achieving the complete and permanent dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and ballistic missile programs."

Key words : swift return
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180529_21/

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has reiterated that the government will seek swift return of all Japanese nationals recognized as abducted by North Korea, and other missing people suspected of having been abducted.

North Korean agents repeatedly kidnapped Japanese nationals, mainly in the 1970s and 80s. The Japanese government officially recognizes 17 as abductees. Five of them have returned to Japan.

Suga made the remark to reporters after a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. He said the government will do its utmost to ensure the safety and immediate return of all the missing Japanese including the recognized abductees.

He said the government will also work hard to get details about the abduction cases and to demand the extradition of the abductors.

Suga said Japan will urge the North to return all the missing Japanese based on a bilateral agreement reached in 2014 in Stockholm.

In the Stockholm agreement, the North promised to conduct a full investigation into the whereabouts of the missing Japanese.

Key words : officials from now in
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180529_19/

Officials from both the United States and North Korea are now in Singapore to prepare for a potential bilateral summit.

US President Donald Trump, who last week called off the summit scheduled for June 12th, expressed his intention to hold the summit as scheduled in Singapore.

A "pre-advance" team of US officials arrived in Singapore on Monday.

The White House deputy chief of staff for operations, Joe Hagin, was seen at a local hotel on Tuesday morning. Asked by reporters whether he will meet North Korean officials, Hagin only replied that there would be many meetings.

A top aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also arrived in Singapore on Monday night. Kim Chang Son is called the North Korean leader's "butler" by South Korean media. He is likely to discuss the logistics and security arrangements with the US team.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, who is former US special envoy for North Korea policy, was seen in a hotel in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

The US State Department said a US delegation is in ongoing talks with North Korean officials in Panmunjom, a truce village on the military demarcation line. Some US media reported that Sung Kim will head the delegation.

Attention is focused on whether the 2 sides are discussing details about North Korea's denuclearization.

Key words : north has a key role
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180529_27/

A North Korean official who has a key role in preparing for a possible US-North Korea summit has arrived in Beijing. It's believed he is on his way to meet with American officials in the US.

A North Korean plane carrying ruling Workers' Party vice chairman Kim Yong Chol arrived in Beijing on Tuesday morning.

Also on the plane was the deputy chief of the North Korean Foreign Ministry's North American affairs bureau, Choe Kang Il. Before heading for the North Korean Embassy, Choe told reporters at the airport he had nothing to say.

Informed sources say Kim and Choe are among the names on the passenger list of a plane scheduled to leave for New York on Wednesday afternoon.

Kim accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his 2 meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He also met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Pyongyang.

Key words : major US newspaper
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180529_12/

A major US newspaper says the administration of President Donald Trump has decided to defer launching new sanctions against North Korea.

The Wall Street Journal reported on its website on Monday that the White House had been preparing to announce a ramped-up sanctions package on Tuesday following the cancellation of a summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

But the report says the US government decided to delay the measures targeting more than 30 companies, including Chinese and Russian entities with business ties to the North.

The move comes as both countries are stepping up efforts to revive the summit originally scheduled for June 12th in Singapore.

The US daily also says that talks between US and North Korean delegations were set to take place at the truce village of Panmunjom through Tuesday and could continue beyond that.

Key words : Hitachi UK
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180529_29/

Hitachi has decided to continue talks with the UK government to build a nuclear power plant in Britain.
Its executives had raised concerns about the profitability of the project.

They say construction costs are expected to rise to meet tougher safety standards.

They have also been asking UK authorities to boost financial assistance for the planned atomic power plant.

Hitachi Chairman Hiroaki Nakanishi met British Prime Minister Theresa May earlier this month to discuss the project.

Sources say UK officials have since shown Hitachi a proposal outlining their financial support. But that offer reportedly falls short of what Hitachi wants.

The sources say the executives have decided to continue talks with the British side.

In past negotiations, the UK government proposed about 18 billion dollars in loans. That would be roughly two-thirds of the expected cost.

Key words : Hitachi developed
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Key words : Insight Japan revised copy right law
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Key words : new subway line
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180529_25/

A new subway line has opened in the Indian capital of New Delhi. It was built with a financial support from Japan.

Officials from the 2 countries attended an opening ceremony on Monday.

The newly opened 25-kilometer line connects eastern and western parts of New Delhi.

India has been building a subway system in the capital city for 20 years at a total cost of about 12 billion dollars. Japan is extending nearly half of the construction cost.

India plans to complete the construction of 8 lines spanning some 350 kilometers by the end of this year.
New Delhi has been suffering from heavy traffic congestion and serious air pollution following the country's rapid economic growth.

India's Minister of State for the Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, delivered a speech at the ceremony, expressing his hope that the new line would ease traffic jams.

Takema Sakamoto of the Japan International Cooperation Agency's India Office said he hopes to provide Japan's knowhow of safe and accurate subway operation.

Connecting with 3 other major lines, the new route shortens travel time between southern suburbs of the capital where many IT and foreign firms are located and residential areas to the east. The new line also makes a stop at the domestic flight terminal of an airport.

Key words : Malaysia scrap
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180529_02/

Malaysia's newly installed Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, is scrapping his country's high-speed railway project that was to link Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Mahathir reportedly says his decision is final, and he will talk to Singapore about terminating the project.

Japan and China have been vying to win the contract for the project to connect the capital of Malaysia with its neighboring city-state.

The decision came after the government claimed last week that the national debt is 30 percent higher than the previous government had disclosed and accounts for nearly 65 percent of the country's GDP. Mahathir has pledged to review costly projects.

Key words : Japanese beef
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180529_35/

Japanese beef is set to return to the Australian market for the first time in nearly two decades.
Authorities there have decided to lift a ban imposed in 2001 after an outbreak of mad cow disease in Japan.

Japanese officials say exports may resume as early as July. They say the beef will have to be processed at facilities that meet Australian standards. Restrictions apply to the animals' brains and other internal organs.

Officials are planning to use promotional campaigns to boost the popularity of Japanese beef in Australia.

Key words : police arrested
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180529_23/

Police have arrested a 90-year-old motorist who ran down pedestrians in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, on Monday. One person was killed and 3 injured.

The driver, Kumiko Saito, is suspected of negligent driving resulting in death and injury.

Witnesses said the pedestrians had the green light.

Saito has been quoted as telling investigators that she knew her light was red, but thought she could make it through the intersection ahead of the pedestrians.

She reportedly said she became confused when she noticed the people crossing the street, and turned the steering wheel to the left, toward the sidewalk.

Saito's son told NHK that his mother drives about once a week to see her doctor, and that she had been involved in some minor, non-injury accidents over the past few years.

He said they had talked about her giving up her license, and that she told him she would no longer renew it. He said he should have pressed her harder to give up driving.

Saito passed a cognitive function test given to drivers 75 and older when she renewed her license in March.

at 20:00 (JST), May 28 AS

A special plane carrying a "pre-advance" team of US government officials has been dispatched to Singapore to prepare for the first-ever summit between the United States and North Korea.

Japanese lawmakers are moving to boost the country's infrastructure exports.

The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan has started preparation to retrieve fuel from one of the reactor buildings.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180528200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : special plane
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180528_25/

A special plane carrying a "pre-advance" team of US government officials has been dispatched to Singapore to prepare for the first-ever summit between the United States and North Korea.

The move comes after US President Donald Trump expressed a desire to hold the summit on June 12th as initially planned, despite abruptly announcing last week that he would cancel the meeting.

The government plane carrying the team made a stopover at US Yokota Air Base in Tokyo on Monday.

Multiple sources say those on board include the White House deputy chief of staff for operations, Joe Hagin. The sources say the team is mainly made up of officials from the White House and State Department.

The plane left the base for Singapore Monday at around 3PM Japan time. The team is believed to be coordinating the itinerary and venue for talks between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The Trump administration appears to have dispatched delegates to North Korea to discuss the issue of denuclearization, the focal point of the summit talks.

Both Trump and Kim have expressed their willingness to meet in Singapore on June 12th as initially planned.

Key words : Abe again denied
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180528_14/

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has again denied that he met a friend to discuss a plan to open a veterinary school at the center of an alleged favoritism scandal.

Abe spoke before an Upper House committee on Monday, one week after the governor of Ehime Prefecture submitted newly found documents to the Diet about the school that opened in Imabari City in April.
The operator, Kake Educational Institution, is headed by Abe's close friend, Kotaro Kake.

The files say that Kake met Abe in February 2015 and explained the project. This was before Imabari City applied to open the school under a special deregulation program.

But on Saturday, the institution released a comment, saying that Kake did not meet the prime minister in February 2015.

Abe told the committee that the accusation is "hearsay about hearsay," as no prefectural officials were present at the alleged meeting. He said Kake has also denied that it ever took place.

Abe added that the approval process for the school has nothing to do with whether he met Kake.

A lawmaker from the opposition Democratic Party For the People, Teruhiko Mashiko, referred to a remark Abe made last year about the sale of state-owned land to another school operator, Moritomo Gakuen.

Mashiko said there have been cover-ups, false testimonies, and documents have been tampered with and discarded since Abe said he would step down as prime minister and lawmaker if it can be proved that he or his wife were involved in the sale.

The Finance Ministry sold the plot of land in Osaka to Moritomo at a heavily discounted price. Abe's wife briefly served as the honorary principal of the elementary school that was supposed to open at the site.

Abe said he was clearly not involved in the transaction, and neither was his wife, nor his office, and his remark did not trigger these incidents.

Key words : finance admitted
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180528_24/

Japan's Finance Ministry has admitted that its local bureau asked to pad the waste removal cost in a land deal in an alleged favoritism scandal.

It revealed this at a Lower House committee meeting on Monday in connection with the sale of state-owned land to school operator Moritomo Gakuen at a fraction of market value.

An opposition lawmaker said the bureau in Osaka Prefecture discounted the cost by about 7.5 million dollars, although a local civil aviation office that owned the land estimated that the discount should have been around 5.5 million dollars.

The chief of the ministry's Financial Bureau, Mitsuru Ota, said the aviation office gave its estimate in April 2016, and said the cost only covers the area on which school facilities will be built.

Ota said the bureau had been told by Moritomo's side that there is buried waste elsewhere, so the bureau asked whether it would be all right to make the estimate on the assumption that there is no more waste.

He said no one at the bureau remembers mentioning the concrete figure, but they did tell the aviation office to expand the area to be covered by waste disposal work.
Ota acknowledged that it's tantamount to asking the aviation office to pad the cost.

A lawmaker from the ruling party referred to a photo of the then-head of the school operator with his wife and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's wife Akie.

The school operator reportedly showed the picture to the bureau on April 28th, 2014, and demanded that it swiftly proceed with land deal negotiations. But negotiation papers the ministry recently submitted to the Diet do not include any records from that day.

The lawmaker asked whether the ministry really submitted all records available.

Finance Minister Taro Aso said there may be more, but the submitted papers are all the ministry has at the moment.

The opposition bloc is requesting that Aso step down over the alleged scandal. But Aso refused, saying that he must oversee the ministry's efforts to look into how the allegation occurred and how to prevent a recurrence.

Prime Minister Abe reiterated his intention to keep Aso in his post.

Key words : Japanese lawmaker
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180528_18/

Japanese lawmakers are moving to boost the country's infrastructure exports. They've passed legislation that lets government agencies provide support to firms competing for projects overseas.

The law will allow agencies to take part in negotiations with foreign local governments and conduct feasibility surveys.

Japanese companies have had difficulties winning contracts on their own. Experts say the projects often require specialized technology and know-how that's possessed by government agencies.

Infrastructure exports are a key pillar of Japan's growth strategy.

The government is aiming to boost the total value of orders to 30 trillion yen, or about 275 billion dollars, by 2020. That's a 50-percent increase from 2015.

Key words : operator damaged
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180528_21/

The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has started laying the groundwork to retrieve fuel from one of the plant's reactor buildings. It's a crucial step toward scrapping the complex.

Tokyo Electric Power Company began the work on Monday to move 615 fuel rods from a storage pool on the top floor of the No. 2 reactor to a more secure location.

The No. 2 reactor is one of 3 at the plant that melted down in the 2011 accident. Radiation levels inside the reactor building remain high.

TEPCO will open a hole measuring 5 by 7 meters in the building's wall and send a robot through it to measure radiation levels inside.

A section of the wall will be divided into 29 blocks, each with a handle to facilitate its removal.

From a control room some distance from the reactor building, TEPCO officials will remotely operate a machine to remove the blocks.

The work is expected to continue until mid-June.

The plant operator will measure radiation levels before deciding how to retrieve the fuel rods. The company plans to start retrieving the fuel in fiscal 2023.

TEPCO official Hiroshi Noda says that although the decommissioning work for the No. 2 reactor has just started, it's a major step forward.

He says the company will make sure that the work will have no impact on the environment.

Key words : Georgian happy
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180528_16/

Georgian sumo wrestler Tochinoshin says he will be happy if he is promoted to the sport's second-highest rank of Ozeki.

The third-ranked Sekiwake wrestler spoke to reporters on Monday after he effectively secured his promotion in the summer tournament that ended the previous day.

Tochinoshin marked 13 wins and 2 losses, bringing his total number of wins in the past 3 tournaments to 37. That's well above the threshold of 33 considered necessary for promotion to Ozeki.

Tochinoshin said he didn't feel much pressure because he focused on one bout at a time.

The 30-year-old wrestler said he wanted to be promoted sooner, but he is still happy. He noted that he will train hard to give his best in the ring.

Tochinoshin's promotion is expected to become official at an emergency board meeting of the Japan Sumo Association on Wednesday.

Yokozuna grand champion Kakuryu won the summer tournament on Sunday by defeating his rival Yokozuna, Hakuho. This is the first back-to-back title for Kakuryu.
It's also the Mongolian wrestler's 5th career title.

Key words : Insight summer grand tournament
#N/A


Key words : Japan tax agency
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180528_17/

Japan's National Tax Agency believes that hundreds of people last year earned significant incomes from trading in digital currencies.

The data is based on 2017 tax returns.

At least 331 people reported making at least 100 million yen, or about 910,000 dollars, from cryptocurrencies.

The officials say the trend reflects the sharp rise in prices of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies last year.

An expert says the high-income investors are a tiny minority of all the traders in Japan. The expert says they managed to acquire the cryptocurrencies before prices started to take off.

at 20:00 (JST), May 27 AS

エラー 2042

The governor of Ehime Prefecture has criticized comments by a veterinary school operator that has denied its head met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe 3 years ago.

The Japan Sumo Association will call an emergency board meeting on Wednesday to discuss the promotion of Georgian sumo wrestler, Tochinoshin, to Ozeki champion.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180527200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : south realize necessary
#N/A


Key words : north is reporting
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180527_11/

North Korea's state-run media is reporting on a summit meeting between leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. It is the first such meeting since one on April 27th.

The Korean Central News Agency is carrying an article on Saturday's summit held in the truce village of Panmunjom. One of the photographs showed Kim smiling as he faced Moon across a table.

The two leaders exchanged views on the implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration, which was signed at their first meeting in April.

The media reported that they discussed issues that need to be overcome to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. They agreed to jointly work toward denuclearization.

The KCNA reported that Kim mentioned the anticipated summit with US President Donald Trump.

It reported that Kim thanked Moon for his efforts to bring about the summit that had been scheduled for June 12th and that he showed his 'fixed will' on the 'historic' summit.

The North Korean leader is reportedly urging his counterpart to cooperate to help improve North Korea-US relations and to establish a mechanism for permanent and durable peace on the peninsula.

High-level North-South talks were initially scheduled for May 16th but cancelled by the North. The two leaders agreed to hold the talks on June 1st.

Key words : Trump still looking
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180527_13/

US President Trump said on Saturday that he is still looking at a June 12 summit with North Korea.

Trump said talks on the summit are going "very well".

He said he's looking at June 12th.

He added that success on achieving denuclearization on the Korean peninsula would be a great thing for North Korea, South Korea, Japan, and China and the entire world.

Key words : governor
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180527_15/

The governor of Ehime Prefecture has criticized comments by a veterinary school operator that has denied its head met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe 3 years ago.

The approval of the opening of a vet school by the Kake Educational Institution in a national special strategic zone in Imabari City in the prefecture is under fire for alleged favoritism. Its head, Kotaro Kake, is a close friend of Prime Minister Abe. The vet school opened in April.

The prefecture submitted internal documents concerning the school to the Diet earlier this month. The documents say Kake met Abe and explained the vet school project on February 25th, 2015 before the city applied to open it under the government's deregulation program.

The school operator released a comment on Saturday, saying a staff member misinformed local officials about the meeting and that it did not take place. The prime minister has also denied he met with Kake on that day.

Ehime Governor Tokihiro Nakamura criticized the operator's handling of the matter on Sunday. Nakamura told reporters that he had yet to be briefed by the school. He also said it is commonly understood that the operator should apologize to the prefecture and the city for the misreporting and a responsible person should hold a news conference.

The governor has stressed that there are no doubts over the credibility of the documents since a prefectural government official created the documents based on a memo about what participants said in the meeting.

Key words : sumo
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180527_17/

The Japan Sumo Association will call an emergency board meeting on Wednesday to discuss the promotion of Georgian sumo wrestler, Tochinoshin, to Ozeki champion. Holding the meeting means his promotion has virtually been cemented.

Tochinoshin won his first title in the Grand Sumo Tournament in January with 14 wins and one loss.

He marked 10 wins in the following spring tournament as Sekiwake, one rank below Ozeki.

He marked 12 consecutive wins from the first day of the summer tournament, beating Yokozuna champion Hakuho on the 12th day.

He has amassed 36 wins in the 3 latest tournaments, exceeding the threshold considered necessary for promotion to Ozeki.

On Sunday, the association's judging department requested Chairman Hakkaku call an extraordinary meeting.

The department chief Ounomatsu says Tochinoshin has been very stable over the last few tournaments, and that he strongly feels he deserves to be promoted.

He added that his victory over Hakuho on the 12th day had a big impact.

Tochinoshin's promotion will become official after the association's board meeting on Wednesday.

Key words : Miyako
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180527_16/

A labyrinth created with sunflowers on Miyako Island, in the southern prefecture of Okinawa, is attracting many visitors.

Students studying farming at Miyako Sogo Jitsugyo Senior High School, plant the sunflowers at the school's farm every year.

They are planted in a way to create a 400-meter-long maze. The plants have grown to a height of about 2 meters.

The so-called "Labyrinth of Sunflowers" was opened to the public on Sunday.

One child said it was fun, although she got lost about 10 times. A mother said it provided a great change of mood, and that her children got carried away.

at 20:00 (JST), May 26 AS

US President Donald Trump says his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could still go ahead on June 12th as initially planned.

A UN Security Council panel has asked the world's major oil companies to help enforce sanctions that restrict oil exports to North Korea.

Trade ministers from member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum have closed their meeting with no pledge to fight against protectionism.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180526200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Trump could still go ahead
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180526_09/

US President Donald Trump says his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could still go ahead on June 12th as initially planned.

Trump made the claim in a tweet on Friday, one day after he canceled the planned summit.

Trump wrote that if the meeting does happen, it will likely take place in Singapore on the same day, June 12th.

He also wrote that "if necessary," the summit will be "extended beyond that date."

A spokesperson for South Korea's presidential office said it is fortunate that the possibility of the US-North Korea summit is "still alive without being terminated."

He added that the South is "carefully watching the progress" of the matter.

Key words : north inspected
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180526_11/

North Korea's state media says leader Kim Jong Un has inspected the construction site of a tourist zone in the country's east.

Saturday's edition of the Workers' Party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported Kim's visit to the coastal city of Wonsan.

A photo shows Kim smiling and inspecting buildings that are under construction along the coast.

Kim is said to have ordered the tourist complex to be completed by April 15th next year to mark the birthday of the country's late founder Kim Il Sung.

The airport adjacent to the zone was used by journalists from 5 countries, including the United States and South Korea, this week. They were in North Korea to cover what Pyongyang claimed was the dismantling of its nuclear test site.

The tourist zone can be seen from the hotel where the journalists stayed, suggesting the North may have been hoping to draw international attention to it.

Key words : UN security panel
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180526_04/

A UN Security Council panel has asked the world's major oil companies to help enforce sanctions that restrict oil exports to North Korea.

The panel of experts sent letters to 24 companies on May 10th, asking them to report within a month what they've done, and what more they plan to do, to implement the sanctions.

A UN Security Council resolution, adopted last year, put a cap on exports of crude oil, gasoline, and other refined oil products to the North.

The panel is asking the oil companies not to deal with shipping firms whose vessels switch off Automatic Identification Systems.

It also wants shipping contracts to stipulate that insurers will invalidate a policy, if a ship's Automatic Identification System is turned off.

The measures are aimed at preventing North Korean vessels from receiving oil through secret ship-to-ship transfers.

Key words : trade minister have closed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180526_16/

Trade ministers from member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum have closed their meeting but failed to issue a pledge to fight against protectionism.

The ministers from Japan, the United States, China and 18 other Pacific-Rim economies wrapped up the 2-day meeting in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, on Saturday.

In a statement, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to creating a giant free-trade bloc in the APEC region.

But there was no mention of steps to fight against protectionism. That message was instead mentioned in the statement of the chair.

The trade ministers are thought to have failed to reach an agreement on free trade at a time when US President Donald Trump is adopting protectionist measures and prefers bilateral trade deals to multilateral trade.

Papua New Guinea's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rimbink Pato, said issues cannot be resolved so easily as member countries face different circumstances. He said they need to continue making efforts to create a free-trade bloc in the region.

Key words : Trump allow ZTE to resume
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180526_12/

US President Donald Trump says his government will allow Chinese telecom equipment company ZTE to resume doing business with US manufacturers.

In April, ZTE was banned from buying US technology components for 7 years as punishment for concealing illegal sales to North Korea and Iran. The ban forced ZTE to virtually halt production.

Trump said in a tweet on Friday that he will let ZTE resume business with US firms after it makes management changes. He requested the Chinese company purchase US parts and pay a fine of 1.3 billion dollars.

Trump had indicated on Tuesday he would reconsider the ban. He said shutting down the firm had hurt many American companies.

With this latest measure, the Trump administration may be trying to extract concessions from China to help reduce the US trade deficit.

But the move has sparked a backlash among a growing number of US lawmakers. They say lifting the ban will threaten national security.

Key words : European begun tough new rule
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180526_06/

The European Union has begun enforcing tough new rules on personal data protection that will likely have far-reaching effects on global businesses.

The General Data Protection Regulation took effect on Friday among 31 countries, including non-EU members Norway and Iceland.

At the EU headquarters in Brussels, European commissioner for consumer protection Vera Jourova said data protection is crucial and a fundamental right for citizens in the regional bloc.

Names, home- and email-addresses, as well as location data are among the personal information to be protected under the new rules.

Companies and other groups seeking to collect such information in the EU must notify individuals how the data will be used, or obtain their approval.

Foreign companies doing business in the EU must also gain personal consent or sign contracts with their head offices before they can transfer private data back to their home countries.

Violators face heavy fines of up to 4 percent of annual revenue, or 20 million euros, or about 23 million dollars, whichever is higher.

The regulation will also apply to foreign businesses offering online goods and services to EU countries, even if they are not physically based in the bloc.

Key words : thousands of soccer
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180526_13/

Thousands of soccer fans in the Japanese city of Kobe have welcomed Spanish star player Andres Iniesta, who will soon play in Japan's professional soccer league, J-League.

About 8,200 supporters gathered at Noevir Stadium on Saturday to welcome Iniesta's joining the club, Vissel Kobe.

The Spanish midfielder, wearing the club's uniform, was cheered enthusiastically when he walked into the stadium.

Iniesta said he was grateful for the warm welcome. He said playing in Japan will be a big challenge for him, and that he hopes to contribute in bringing the club to a higher level so it will become the J-League and Asian champions.
Iniesta then demonstrated his ball-handling and kicking skills.

A woman in her 30s said it was a dream-like moment and that Iniesta was very cool. She said she wants him to add excitement to the J-League.

A man in his 50s said he was excited to see the legendary player he had only previously seen on TV. He said he looks forward to watching his passing skills.

Iniesta will leave for Spain on Saturday and play in the World Cup finals in Russia, which start in June, before joining Vissel Kobe.

Key words : a pair of Hokkaido
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180526_14/

A pair of premium melons from Hokkaido, northern Japan, has fetched a price of 3.2 million yen, or about 30,000 dollars, in this year's first auction.

They were among 507 Yubari brand melons auctioned at a wholesale market in the city of Sapporo on Saturday. The melons were grown by farmers in Yubari City.

The bids soared quickly to reach the record hammer price in about 10 seconds.

Shinya Noda, who operates a fruit and vegetable packing firm in Yubari, made the winning bid. He said he has long seen local famers struggling to grow the brand melons.

He said he is happy that he won the bid as he wants to support those farmers.
Noda also said the pair of melons will be shared for free among local people at a shop in the city.

Shipments of Yubari melons will peak in late June and continue until early September.

About 4,000 tons of the melons, which is about the yearly average, are expected to be shipped this year.

at 14:00 (JST), May 25 AS

The US government will analyze North Korea's reaction to the cancellation of the planned summit meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

North Korea's state-run media reports that the Punggye-ri nuclear test site has been completely dismantled.

Malaysia's newly inaugurated government has confirmed that the country's debt exceeds 250 billion dollars.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180525140000_english_2.mp3


Key words : US government analyze cancellation
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180525_19/

The US government will analyze North Korea's reaction to the cancellation of the planned summit meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

A high-ranking US government official attributed the cancellation to a series of broken promises on the part of North Korea.

On Thursday, the White House released a letter from Trump addressed to Kim, in which the president said he feels it is inappropriate at this time to hold the meeting, which is set for June 12th in Singapore.

The US official said North Korean officials failed to show up for a high-level meeting in Singapore last week to prepare for the summit and that there had been no contact on the matter.

The official also cited the North's failure to invite international experts to witness the closure on Thursday of a key nuclear test site, despite an earlier promise to do so. The United States claims this made it impossible to verify what actually happened there.

In the wake of these developments, Trump reportedly made the decision on Thursday morning to cancel the summit after consulting with Vice President Mike Pence and other senior officials.

Trump later told reporters that a summit with Kim could still take place.

An NHK reporter says the Trump administration will decide whether to seek a summit again or to ramp up pressure on North Korea after judging its response.

Key words : high-ranking called on
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180525_15/

A high-ranking North Korean official has called on US President Donald Trump to rethink his decision to cancel a planned summit with the North's leader Kim Jong Un. He says his country is willing to give the United States time and opportunities to reconsider the decision.

First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan on Friday issued a statement through the state-run Korean Central News Agency. He is a long-time negotiator with the US.

Kim said Trump's decision does not meet the desire of humankind for peace and stability, both on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the world.

Kim said the cancellation demonstrates the grave status of hostile North Korea-US relations and how urgently a summit should be realized to improve ties.

Kim said North Korea had high regard for President Trump's efforts, unprecedented by any other president, to create a historic summit.

He said the unilateral cancelation was "unexpected" and "very regrettable."

Kim said the North is willing to sit down face-to-face with the United States and resolve issues at any time and in any format.

Key words : Japan work closely
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180525_22/

Japan's top government spokesman said Japan will work closely with the United States and South Korea to persuade Pyongyang to change its policies and return the Japanese abductees as soon as possible.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga made the remark on Friday, following US President Donald Trump's abrupt cancellation of his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Suga said the most important point is not the meeting itself, but the opportunity to resolve the issues of North Korea's nuclear and missile development and the abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents.

He said Japan, the United States and South Korea as well as China and Russia must firmly implement the UN Security Council sanctions resolutions against the North.

Suga said the Japanese government is working closely with Washington and Seoul to gather and analyze intelligence on North Korea's nuclear and missile activities.

He stressed that the government will continue to keep a close watch on the North under the Japan-US alliance to ensure the safety of the Japanese people.

Key words : abducted
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180525_11/

The son of a Japanese woman abducted by North Korea decades ago has expressed regret that US President Donald Trump canceled his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Koichiro Iizuka spoke to NHK after Trump made the announcement. His mother is abductee Yaeko Taguchi. He and other relatives of abductees visited the United States in early May to solicit cooperation in resolving the abduction issue.

Iizuka said he had anticipated progress on the issue through the US-North Korea summit, and there's nothing that can be done to change the US government's decision.

Iizuka said he wants North Korea to respond sincerely on the issue.

He also expressed hope that the Japanese government will gather information quickly on the possible impact of the cancellation, and work to help the abductees return home as soon as possible.

The Japanese government says at least 17 of its citizens, including his mother, were abducted during the 1970s and 1980s.

Five were returned after a 2002 summit between the leaders of Japan and North Korea. But the other 12 remain unaccounted for.

Key words : state-run media completely dismantle
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180525_12/

North Korea's state-run media reports that the Punggye-ri nuclear test site has been completely dismantled. It has released footage of the dismantling process observed by foreign journalists.

The media reported on Friday what Pyongyang calls the dismantling of the site. The facility in the country's northeast was used for 6 underground nuclear tests.

It says the dismantling process was opened to media crews from the United States, South Korea, Britain, China and Russia.

It describes the dismantling of the site as a "vivid manifestation" of the North Korean government's fixed stand to make positive contribution to building a nuclear-free world.
The released footage shows a North Korean official briefing international journalists near what appeared to be an entrance to a tunnel and a building being blown up and releasing a cloud of dust.

Key words : US government explain
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180525_25/

The US government is starting to explain why it decided to launch a probe on auto imports.

Commerce Department officials want to determine whether the rising number of foreign cars coming into the country poses a threat to national security.
The Commerce Secretary has been speaking with US TV channel CNBC.

Wilbur Ross stressed that the new investigation is to correct imbalances with the country's trading partners.
He was asked whether auto imports are an issue of national security.

Ross said "Without economic security, you can't have military security. National security is broadly defined to include the economy, to include the impact on employment."

Ross criticized trading partners for imposing high tariffs on US automobiles and also maintaining significant non-tariff barriers.

He said competition is not fair, as US duties on imported cars are relatively low.

Officials at the department are planning to hold public hearings and listen to opinions of others including foreign automakers.

US President Donald Trump is considering tariffs as high as 25 percent on foreign cars which would be 10 times the current duty on passenger vehicles.

Key words : Malaysian confirm
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180525_09/

Malaysia's newly inaugurated government has confirmed that the country's debt exceeds 1 trillion ringgit, or 250 billion US dollars.

The national debt is 30 percent higher than the amount the previous government had disclosed.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says his government will take another look at mega projects, such as a high-speed rail line to Singapore.

Malaysian Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng told reporters on Wednesday that the debt has been run up through borrowing by a state investment fund known as 1MDB.

Former prime minister Najib Razak has been mired in a multibillion-dollar scandal involving 1MDB, which he set up.

Najib's government said in 2017 that the debt stood at 685 billion ringgit.

Lim said it is clear that the previous government was regularly deceiving the public.

On Thursday, Najib arrived at the anti-graft agency in the administrative capital of Putrajaya for a second round of questioning on the corruption scandal this week.

Najib has been denying any wrongdoing at 1MDB. He said "I have answered all questions as best as I could, and Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission has done its duty well and professionally. The members said the statement session has been completed."

The investigation was reopened earlier this month following Najib's surprise election defeat that brought Mahathir back to office.

Key words : international team
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180525_05/

An international team of investigators says the Russian military was the source of the missile that downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014.

At a news conference in the Netherlands on Thursday, the team announced the findings of its investigation, showing photos of the wrecked plane.

The passenger aircraft was shot down while it was traveling over eastern Ukraine from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board were killed.

The team says the missile was brought into Ukraine by a Russian army unit based in the western Russian city of Kursk.

The team had previously said the missile was a Russian-made "Buk" that was fired from an eastern Ukrainian community under the control of pro-Russian rebels.

The team says it has yet to identify whether the missile was launched by the Russian military or pro-Russian insurgents in Ukraine. It plans to gather more accounts from eyewitnesses and other people.

The team consists of investigators from the Netherlands, Ukraine, and 3 other nations.

Russia's Defense Ministry issued a statement denying the involvement of the Russian military.

It says the investigation is focused on substantiating its conclusions by using only images from social networks that were skillfully edited by computer graphic software.

It adds the investigators have rejected the evidence of eyewitnesses testifying to the missile's launch from territory controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces.

Key words : chinese indicated
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180525_10/

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has indicated his country is willing to talk with the German government about the widow of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo.

The premier spoke at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing on Thursday.

The German government has been urging China to improve the situation surrounding Liu Xia, who remains under surveillance in China.

The premier said the Chinese government has to respect the actions taken by judicial bodies in accordance with the law, but at the same time it must respect humanitarianism.

It is rare for China to express willingness for talks on human rights issues, rather than dismissing calls for talks as an intervention in internal affairs.

Supporters of Liu Xia say she has expressed a wish to live overseas, although she cannot leave China due to restrictions by the authorities. They add that both her physical and mental conditions are deteriorating.

Liu Xiaobo was a symbol of China's pro-democracy movement and was openly critical of the country's one-party rule. He died of liver cancer in July last year while serving a prison sentence for inciting subversion of state power.

Key words : cut diplomatic
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180525_08/

Burkina Faso has cut diplomatic relations with Taiwan. It's the 2nd country to do so this month. The Dominican Republic in the Caribbean severed ties on May 1st.

Taiwanese authorities said on Thursday that Burkina Faso's government had notified them that it is ending bilateral relations, which began in 1994.

Taiwan responded that it is also severing ties with the West African country.

Burkina Faso's government issued a statement, noting that it was acting because of the need to review diplomatic ties under changing global conditions.

It is expected to establish relations with mainland China in the near future.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen said that China toys with dollar diplomacy and promises huge sums of money to entice many countries to build relations. She added that Taiwan will no longer tolerate or yield to Beijing's pressure.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said that Beijing appreciates Burkina Faso's decision.

Beijing has been intensifying pressure on the Tsai administration, claiming that it has not accepted the one-China principle.

Burkina Faso is the 4th country to have cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan since Tsai became president in 2016.

Taiwan now has formal relations with 18 nations, the least in its history.

Key words : a man in eastern Japan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180525_01/

A man in eastern Japan has been referred to prosecutors for allegedly sending discriminatory and threatening messages online to an ethnic Korean woman.

Investigative sources say the 44-year-old woman told police that she began receiving such Twitter messages after she took part in an anti-hate speech rally in January 2016.

Police determined that those messages were from a 50-year-old unemployed man living near Tokyo.

The sources say the suspect was referred to prosecutors on Friday of last week for alleged intimidation.

In the messages, the suspect called himself a racist. And he threatened her by writing "his patience has run out" and "he is planning to buy a hatchet."

A lawyer for the woman says she received hundreds of discriminatory postings for about 18 months.

The sources say the man admitted to the charge, saying he did not expect things to turn out like this.

Last month, another man was indicted on a charge of libel after livestreaming a discriminatory video online concerning a Korean school in Kyoto.

at 20:00 (JST), May 24 AS

Dismantling of Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea has reportedly been shown to foreign media representatives.

A high-ranking North Korean official has indicated that the North could reconsider its planned summit talks with the United States.

Japanese Prime Minister is heading for Russia to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180524200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : dismantling nuclear test site reportedly
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180524_46/

North Korea has reportedly carried out what it says is the dismantling of a nuclear test site in the presence of foreign media.

The Associated Press and other media say journalists were shown work to close the site at Punggye-ri in North Hamgyong Province on Thursday.

The work involved tunnel explosions.

Key words : north indicated reconsider
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180524_24/

A high-ranking North Korean official has indicated that the North could reconsider its planned summit talks with the United States.

In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency on Thursday, the North's vice foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, denounced remarks made by US Vice President Mike Pence in a media interview earlier this week. Pence said the US is not ruling out military options in dealing with Pyongyang.

Choe said North Korea will not beg the US for dialogue. She said whether the US will meet the North at a meeting room or encounter it in a nuclear-to-nuclear showdown is entirely up to the decision and behavior of the US.

Choe went on to say that if the US offends the North's goodwill and clings to unlawful and outrageous acts, she could suggest to the supreme leadership that North Korea reconsider the summit set for June 12th in Singapore.

Last week, North Korea's first vice minister of foreign affairs, Kim Kye Gwan, also hinted at calling off the summit.

Key words : Trump positive
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180524_13/

US President Donald Trump is positive about the prospect of a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. And he says people will know next week.

Trump spoke to reporters at the White House on Wednesday about the meeting that's expected to be held in Singapore in June.

He said it could very well happen, adding that it will be a great thing for North Korea if he goes.

At his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday, Trump referred to the possibility of delaying the summit with Kim. He said that the US wants "certain conditions" and without those conditions there won't be a meeting on June 12th.

The White House says government officials will visit Singapore this weekend to make preparations for the meeting.

Some media outlets report that the visit may involve discussions with North Korean officials on details of the schedule.

Pyongyang said last week it may cancel the talks if the US insists the North unilaterally abandon its nuclear weapons.

Key words : prime heading
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180524_25/

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is heading for Russia to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin.

Abe is scheduled to deliver a speech at an economic international forum to be hosted by Putin in St. Petersburg. He will meet Putin in Moscow on Saturday.

It will be the 21st meeting between the two leaders, and the first since Putin's re-election as president in March.

At the summit, Abe hopes to move forward negotiations on conducting joint economic activities on four Russian-held islands claimed by Japan.

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

Abe and Putin agreed in December 2016 to discuss the joint economic activities as a step toward resolving the territorial issue.

The 2 countries have already agreed to carry out 5 priority projects, including aquaculture and greenhouse farming. At the upcoming talks, Abe hopes to discuss promoting sea urchin farming and cultivation of strawberries as the first of the projects. Japan wants to reach an agreement on sending a research team to the islands in the summer for a feasibility study and then hold a meeting of high-ranking government officials on the project.

Abe and Putin are also expected to agree on letting former Japanese residents travel by air to the islands to visit their ancestors' graves again this year. The first air trip of this kind took place in September last year.
They will also likely agree to hold another meeting of their countries' foreign and defense ministers at an early date. The ministerial talks were held in 2013 and 2017.

Abe wants to discuss North Korea ahead of the first-ever US-North Korea summit planned for next month.
He wants to reconfirm close cooperation with Russia on the issue of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, including the need to fully implement sanction resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council.

Key words : senior Russian
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180524_27/

A senior Russian government official has stressed that the islands claimed by Japan have become Russian territory as a result of World War Two.

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are expected to discuss the issue of signing a bilateral peace treaty at their summit in Moscow on Saturday.

Ushakov added that a future treaty must be based on postwar realities. He suggested it should unambiguously state Japan's recognition of the result of World War Two and the legality of the South Kurils' transition to Russia in accordance with the agreements among allied powers.

What the Russians call the Kurils include 4 islands claimed by Japan. Russia controls the 4 islands. 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.

Japan is aiming to promote negotiations for a peace treaty through economic cooperation and joint economic activities on the islands.

Ushakov added that the conclusion of a peace treaty will require a proper climate of trust and cooperation, which cannot be brought about without extensive, comprehensive interaction between the 2 countries.

Key words : Trump administration making
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180524_28/

The Trump administration is making another move that may draw strong opposition from its trading partners. The Commerce Department says it has launched an investigation into whether auto imports pose a threat to the US economy and national security.

US media has already been reporting that President Donald Trump is considering tariffs as high as 25 percent on foreign cars. That would be a 10-fold hike from the current duty on passenger vehicles.

US government officials point out auto imports have increased significantly over the past 20 years -- and may have taken away jobs and R&D investment from the US car industry.

They say the investigation is based on Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.
Experts describe the move as another threat by Trump aimed at pushing other countries to open their markets further -- and help reduce his country's trade deficit.

The US government imposed steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in March, citing national security issues.

Key words : Seko
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180524_31/

Japan's trade minister Hiroshige Seko warns that the US move to impose tariffs on its auto imports could throw the global market into turmoil.

The remark comes as US Commerce Department launches a probe into whether auto imports into the country pose a threat to its economy and national security.

Seko said that given the size of the global auto industry, the measure would negatively impact the multilateral trade system based on the World Trade Organization.

He said he will tell US trade officials that any such measures must be consistent with the WTO's multilateral trade system.

Seko added that Japan will keep a close watch on how the US investigation that has just started will develop.

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association says in 2017 Japan shipped 1,736,000 cars to the US, which is the largest export destination for the Japanese auto industry.

Key words : China sharply
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180524_37/

China has sharply criticized a probe by the United States into the possible impact of vehicle imports on US national security.

At a news conference on Thursday, Commerce Ministry spokesperson Gao Feng said China opposes the abuse of national security clauses in US trade law.

Gao said the probe seriously damages multilateral trade systems and disrupts international trade order. He added that China will assess the probe's impact and protect the country's legitimate rights and interests.

Chinese automakers export buses and trucks to the United States. A state-run automaker in January announced a plan to start selling passenger vehicles in the US next year.

Key words : Insight what can be done to reduce the volcanic eruption.
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Key words : Italy
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180524_14/

EU-skeptic parties in Italy are set to form a coalition government more than 2-and-a-half months after a general election.

The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and right-wing League made significant gains in March's election. They reached a basic agreement on policies after weeks of negotiations and proposed law professor Giuseppe Conte as prime minister.

President Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday accepted the nomination and ordered Conte to select cabinet ministers.

Conte told reporters that he will defend the interests of all Italians.

The 5-Star Movement and League have agreed to introduce tax cuts and a basic income, which run counter to EU austerity measures.

The parties also plan to urge the European Union to review its immigration policy. They say Italy shoulders an unfair burden in accepting immigrants and refugees from Africa and the Middle East.

The new government may create worries for the EU, which has already been shaken by Britain's exit from the bloc.

Conte is expected to form a cabinet after passing a confidence vote in parliament.

Key words : defense ministry submarine
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180524_36/

Officials of Japan's Defense Ministry say a Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine mistakenly released an anti-torpedo decoy during training in the Pacific.

No damage has been reported.

The officials say the submarine, Sekiryu, was navigating underwater off the western island of Shikoku early Thursday, when the device was erroneously launched.

They say crew members were testing the submarine's anti-torpedo defense system. The error reportedly occurred while they were checking the release procedure.

The torpedo-shaped vehicle automatically navigates for a certain period of time. It does not carry any explosives.

The officials say the MSDF has been searching the area, but has not found the decoy. MSDF officials are investigating the cause of the mistake.

The submarine was deployed at an MSDF base in Hiroshima Prefecture in March last year.