at 20:00 (JST), July 27 AS

The remains of some American troops who died during the Korean War have been returned the United States from North Korea.

The leaders of the 5 major emerging economies known as BRICS have expressed concern about protectionist trade policies.

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Key words : remain troop died during
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180727_22/

The United States says the remains of some of its troops who died during the Korean War have been returned from North Korea.

The White House said in a statement that a US military plane containing the remains of fallen service members left an airport in Wonsan, North Korea, on Friday morning. The aircraft landed at Osan Air Base in South Korea.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed on the return of the remains at their summit in Singapore last month.

The White House also said the North Korean leader is fulfilling part of the commitment he made at the historic meeting, and the US is encouraged by the North's actions and the momentum for positive change.

Key words : Trump underscore
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180727_28/

US President Donald Trump has underscored his role in improving relations between his country and North Korea.

Trump released a statement on Thursday, the day before the 65th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War armistice.

The statement said relations between the countries have long been hostile but that last month's historic summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un helped create momentum for positive change. It pointed to the pledge to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The statement also referred to the repatriation of the remains of US troops killed during the Korean War, saying the Trump administration is seeking to have all of them returned.

The remains of 5,300 US troops are estimated to have not yet been repatriated.

Key words : United States blocked
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180727_36/

The United States has blocked an attempt by the International Olympic Committee to provide North Korea with sports equipment.

The IOC had asked the UN Security Council's North Korea sanctions committee to allow UN member states to transfer items to the North ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Sources related to the sanctions committee say the United States filed an objection on Thursday, on the grounds that the measure will not contribute to North Korea's denuclearization.

Exemptions to UN sanctions require unanimous approval by the Security Council.

Sports equipment is thought to fall under the category of luxury items, whose transfer to Pyongyang is banned.

Security Council sources say the North has yet to take concrete steps toward denuclearization, as it promised at summit talks with South Korea and the United States.

They say Washington could be trying to underscore its position of stepping up pressure until North Korea acts, while also warning South Korea against leaning too heavily on economic cooperation with the North.

Tension between the two Koreas eased earlier this year when the North took part in the Winter Games in the South. IOC president Thomas Bach met North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un during a visit to Pyongyang in March.

Key words : leaders of
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180727_05/

The leaders of the 5 major emerging economies known as BRICS have expressed concern about protectionist trade policies. This comes as US President Donald Trump's administration stirs trade disputes with other countries.

The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa adopted a declaration on Thursday, the second day of their 3-day summit in Johannesburg.

The declaration says the leaders recognize that the multilateral trading system is facing unprecedented challenges.

The declaration makes it clear that the 5 countries will work together to promote free trade.

It says the leaders reaffirm the centrality of the rules-based, transparent, non-discriminatory, open and inclusive multilateral trading system, as embodied in the World Trade Organization.

During the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on his fellow BRICS leaders to "reject protectionism outright."

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that escalation of trade friction will hurt developing nations, such as those in Africa.

Key words : US trade representative NAFTA
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180727_34/

The US Trade Representative has pledged to accelerate NAFTA trade pact talks with Canada and Mexico in a bid to reach a basic agreement by the end of August.

Robert Lighthizer spoke about the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, at a US Senate public hearing on Thursday.

The countries set out to revamp the pact in talks that began last August. They initially aimed to reach an agreement in May this year, but failed to meet the deadline. Conditions for exemptions on auto tariffs were a major sticking point.

The talks have since stalled, partly because of the presidential election in Mexico early this month.

Lighthizer said that if the US can reach a conclusion with Mexico soon, then hopefully Canada will begin to compromise.

The US raised tariffs on steel and other imports from Canada and Mexico last month. Both nations hit back with retaliatory measures.

Key words : Insight Cambodia general election
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Key words : powerful typhoon
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Key words : official Hiroshima populace
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180727_17/

Officials in Hiroshima Prefecture have found that only 0.3 percent of the populace took refuge despite official calls to evacuate during the record rainfalls earlier this month.

The prefectural government said on Thursday that around 200,000 people in Kure City and roughly 470,000 people in Fukuyama City had been ordered to evacuate at around 9 PM on July 6th, following the issuance of an emergency alert against heavy rains a few hours earlier.

The number of people ordered or advised to evacuate had reached 2.17 million by around 10:30 PM that day. But prefectural officials found that only about 6,000 of them, or 0.3 percent, actually moved to shelters.

At least 107 people have been confirmed dead in the prefecture due to floods and landslides triggered by the downpours.

Key words : Disney
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180727_33/

Disney has become the latest major US firm to stop the use of plastic straws amid environmental concerns.

The Walt Disney Company said on Thursday that by 2019, it will eliminate plastic straws and stirrers at all locations around the world.

The company says this will amount to a reduction of more than 180 million straws and stirrers annually.

Disney also says it will switch to refillable in-room amenities at its hotels and cruise ships and reduce the use of plastic shopping bags over the next few years.

The move comes amid rising public awareness about ocean pollution caused by plastic litter.

Leading US coffee chain Starbucks and several US airlines are among the companies to have adopted similar measures.

Disney's policy will be implemented at its theme parks in the US, France, and China. Tokyo Disneyland is run by a different entity that says it will also study reducing the use of plastic products.

Key words : Thousands of Fuji
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180727_35/

Thousands of people have run up Mount Fuji as part of an annual race to climb Japan's tallest mountain.

Nearly 4,000 competitors from around the world competed in the Fuji Mountain Race on Friday morning.

Participants set out from Fujiyoshida City hall in the direction of the iconic mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

They competed in 2 categories -- a run of 21 kilometers to an elevation of 3,000 meters on the 3,776-meter peak, and the other a race of 15 kilometers to an elevation of 1,480 meters.

Runners enjoyed perfectly clear conditions early on in the race, but looked down on a sea of clouds as they reached the finish lines.

Nearly half of the people in the run to the top completed the race, and almost everyone finished the second category event.

A first-time competitor in her 30s said it was fun to hear the cheers of supporters as she scaled the mountain.