at 20:00 (JST), June 25 AS

North Korea has dropped its usual criticism of the United States as it marks the 68th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War on Monday.

Officials from 16 Asia-Pacific countries are in Tokyo for what are expected to be tough talks to forge a new free-trade agreement.

Japan's top government spokesperson says the country will take the initiative in the global efforts to address ocean pollution caused by plastic and other waste.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180625200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : north usual
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180625_16/

North Korea has dropped its usual criticism of the United States as it marks the 68th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War on Monday.

The North had designated June 25th as the Day of the Struggle against the US. Every year, anti-US rallies were held across the country on that date.

But on this year's anniversary, Pyongyang is not taking a hostile stance against US President Donald Trump's administration. The leaders of the 2 nations held their first summit on June 12th.

A commentary in Monday's edition of the ruling party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, stresses North Korea's policy of rebuilding its economy.

It cites as an example the reconstruction of urban areas destroyed by the war in the 1950s.

Based on the agreement reached at the summit in Singapore, the US is preparing for the return of the remains of soldiers who were held captive or went missing during the war.

The 2 Koreas are holding working-level military talks on Monday to discuss restoring bilateral communication channels that are not in use at the moment.

Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made his 3rd visit to China in less than 3 months for talks with President Xi Jinping.

The North is expected to try to stay in close contact with South Korea and China, 2 of the countries that were involved in the Korean War, before the start of full-fledged talks with the Trump administration.

Key words : Singapore spent
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180625_26/

Singapore's government says it spent about 12 million US dollars to host the June 12th summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The government did not offer a detailed breakdown, but said the largest part of the money went to security.

The government had earlier estimated the cost at about 15 million dollars.

The historic summit drew thousands of journalists from around the world. They also reported on Kim's tour of the city-state.

Reuters news agency says the publicity generated from hosting the summit could be worth more than what Singapore paid.

Key words : officials from Tokyo tough talk
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180625_25/

Officials from 16 Asia-Pacific countries are in Tokyo for what are expected to be tough talks to forge a new free-trade agreement.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, includes Japan, China, India and ASEAN states.

Minister-level meetings are scheduled for Sunday.
Topics up for discussion include cuts in tariffs and setting rules on intellectual property and e-commerce. The officials are reportedly still divided on 16 of 18 trade categories.

Analysts say the RCEP gathering is attracting extra attention because of the recent upsurge in trade disputes.

In particular, the US and China have dominated headlines the past week.

The world's two biggest economies have ramped up threats of retaliatory trade tariffs.

That's raising concern other nations could be dragged into the dispute, causing damage to the broader global economy.

Key words : top government
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180625_20/

Japan's top government spokesperson says the country will take the initiative in the global efforts to address ocean pollution caused by plastic and other waste.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga spoke to reporters on Monday about the outcome of a meeting of the environment ministers of Japan, China and South Korea.

The ministers met in the Chinese city of Suzhou on Sunday and agreed to cooperate in addressing the issue of marine debris, including microplastics.

Suga referred to a remark made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the G7 summit in Canada earlier this month.

Abe said that large amounts of plastic waste had been washed ashore on the Japanese coast.

The prime minister also said that the problem of marine pollution cannot be solved by one country acting alone or all the industrialized nations working together. He said the issue should be addressed as a global challenge facing all countries, including developing nations.

Suga said the Japanese government aims to achieve a reduction in the amount of plastic debris through reuse and recycling.

He said the government will draw up a recycling strategy for plastic waste before Japan hosts next year's summit of the Group of 20 nations.

Key words : foreign minister pledge support
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Key words : Insight children's cancer treatment in Cambodia
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Key words : new multi
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180625_21/

A new multipurpose terminal has opened in a key Cambodian port that is being developed with assistance from Japan.

The opening ceremony was held at Sihanoukville in southern Cambodia on Monday. Prime Minister Hun Sen was among the participants.

The Sihanoukville port has the country's sole terminal for large container vessels. Japan has been providing aid for the port's development since the late 1990s.

The new terminal will be used for handling coal and other cargo and for docking large container ships.

Hun Sen said the port will help Cambodia to achieve further economic growth.

China replaced Japan in 2010 as the largest provider of assistance for Cambodia, helping to develop hydroelectric dams and other infrastructure.

More than 100 Chinese companies are doing business in Sihanoukville.

The Japanese government also plans to loan up to 214 million dollars for a new container terminal at Sihanoukville.

Yuichi Sugano is the head of the Cambodian office of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is in charge of the project.

He said Sihanoukville is a key port that supports the country's economy and the agency will continue to help Cambodia boost its international competitiveness.

Key words : turkish
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180625_10/

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has led the country over the past 15 years, has been reelected.
The victory gives him more power than ever under new constitutional provisions.

Vote counting in Sunday's presidential election is almost complete, with Erdogan garnering more than 52 percent.

Erdogan said on Sunday night at a news conference that the Turkish people have shown the way the nation should take, and that he would move forward with them.

The constitution was amended in April last year to abolish the post of prime minister and concentrate power in the presidency. The new constitution will take effect now that the election is over.

Erdogan has been criticized in and out of the country for his increasingly heavy-handed style of governing.

He's known to be a vocal critic of Western countries.

On Syrian issues, he leaned toward Russia and Iran which hold different views from Western countries.

With his enhanced power, Erdogan is expected to have a significant influence on the region.

Key words : soccer fan surprise
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180625_24/

While soccer fans are glued to the World Cup finals in Russia, a kangaroo made a surprise appearance at a match in Australia, to the delight of spectators.

The incident happened during a Women's National Premier League match on Sunday in Canberra.

The kangaroo jumped a fence and reclined in the penalty area, like a goalkeeper.

The marsupial left but returned soon after, dashing to the goalpost past the stunned players.

It was eventually guided out of the field after forcing the game to be stopped briefly.

The sportscaster called the kangaroo the "hero of the day".