A Japanese government probe has found that ministries and agencies have overstated the number of their employees with disabilities by more than 3,000.
Japan's annual defense report stresses the need to introduce a new ballistic missile defense system, citing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.
A major American newspaper is reporting that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip to North Korea was called off due to a confrontational letter from Pyongyang.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180828200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : Japanese government probe has found
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180828_80/
A Japanese government probe has found that ministries and agencies have overstated the number of their employees with disabilities by more than 3,000.
Government offices, along with private businesses, are required by law to include a certain percentage of disabled people in their workforces.
Labor minister Katsunobu Kato reported the results of the probe at a ministerial meeting on Tuesday.
The inquiry was launched after allegations emerged of padding by the central and local governments.
The probe covered 33 ministries, agencies and other entities. As of June of last year, 27 of them -- or 80 percent -- had inflated the number of disabled workers by a combined 3,460.
This was done by counting those without the necessary documentation and medical certificates as having disabilities.
Counted correctly, the percentage of government workers with disabilities fell from 2.49 percent to 1.19, below the legally required 2.3 percent.
The National Tax Agency had overstated the number the most, counting roughly 1,020 employees as disabled. It was followed by the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry with about 600, and the Justice Ministry with about 540.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told the meeting that the situation was inexcusable. He said the government will launch a ministerial liaison council and a team including third-party experts to study the problem.
Suga said local administrative authorities will also be asked to check their records. He said the government will compile by around October a comprehensive plan to strengthen internal checks and measures to achieve the legal percentages.
Labor minister Kato apologized for the padding on Tuesday.
Kato expressed regret that government ministries and agencies that should serve as models for private businesses in employing the disabled were involved in such practices.
He said he has confirmed that diabetics and others who should not be considered as disabled were counted as such.
He added that he will ask an investigative panel to determine whether this was intentional or the result of misunderstanding.
Kato urged all ministries and agencies to make sure that their workforces have the legally required percentage of disabled people this year. He said if they cannot, they should draw up a plan to do so next year.
Kato added that employees who were wrongly hired as disabled will keep their jobs.
Key words : annual defense
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180828_16/
Japan's annual defense report stresses the need to introduce a new ballistic missile defense system, citing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.
The white paper was reported to the Cabinet on Tuesday.
It notes that it was significant that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un clearly committed to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula in his June 12th summit with US President Donald Trump.
But it says the North remains an unprecedented, serious and immediate threat.
It refers to the country's deployment of ballistic missiles within range of Japan, and its nuclear and missile development that shows increasing operational capacity.
The report says Japan is set to strengthen its capabilities to counter ballistic missile attacks. It says introducing the new ground-based ballistic missile defense system Aegis Ashore will dramatically enhance the nation's defence.
The paper describes China as a security concern to the region and to the world, saying it is unilaterally escalating activities in areas around Japan.
China has been increasing its maritime activities in the South China Sea and other waters.
Key words : major American
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180828_27/
A major American newspaper is reporting that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip to North Korea was called off due to a confrontational letter from Pyongyang.
The Washington Post says it's not clear what the exact message was, but that it was sufficiently belligerent that the US government decided to call off Pompeo's journey.
The paper posted an article online on Monday based on the accounts of 2 senior administration officials.
It says Pompeo received a secret letter from Kim Yong Chol, the vice chairman of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party Central Committee, on Friday morning.
Pompeo reportedly showed the letter to President Donald Trump.
Trump tweeted on Friday that he cancelled the trip because he felt that the US government was not making sufficient progress with respect to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
State Department officials have told NHK that Trump made the decision after consulting with his security team, and that they have nothing more to add for the moment.
Key words : Japan host women
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180828_26/
Japan will host its annual international conference on empowering women next March along with Women 20, a conference launched by the Group of 20.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga revealed the plan to reporters on Tuesday.
Every year, the government holds World Assembly for Women. It invites top female leaders from around the world to exchange views on various topics related to empowering women.
Suga said the next meeting, the 5th, will be held simultaneously with the W20, a body aimed at boosting economic empowerment of women under the G20, on March 23rd and 24th.
The G20 summit is scheduled for June of next year in Osaka, western Japan.
Suga expressed hope that by hosting the 2 conferences at the same time, Japan's efforts to reach the goal will be made known worldwide and that the chances for women to play greater roles in society may improve.
Key words : Insight what does it need to boost paralympic
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Key words : Australia
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180828_32/
Australia's new prime minister Scott Morrison has launched his cabinet, replacing his predecessor and Liberal Party colleague Malcolm Turnbull.
Cabinet ministers were sworn in on Tuesday at a ceremony in the capital, Canberra.
Morrison assumed his post on Friday after Turnbull stepped down amid slumping public support for his ruling coalition.
The country expects parliamentary elections by next May.
The latest polls showed Morrison's approval rating at 33 percent, 6 percentage points lower than that of the leader of the main opposition party.
Morrison reappointed Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, apparently to maintain unity of his Liberal Party and regain public support. Dutton had quit the post in a challenge to the former prime minister.
Morrison's government faces diplomatic tests such as managing ties with Australia's biggest trade partner China. The 2 countries' relations soured after the previous administration adopted policies to prevent Chinese influence in Australian politics.
Key words : industry group
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180828_34/
Industry groups from Japan and China have agreed to create a unified standard for devices used to charge batteries in electric vehicles.
The 2 sides signed a memorandum in Beijing on Tuesday. They aim to combine their standards for so-called fast chargers, and put a new one into practical use by 2020.
They also plan to develop a charger with an output of more than 500 kilowatts. That's over 10 times as powerful as devices now used in Japan, and will allow large vehicles to be recharged in a short time.
CHAdeMO Association President Toshiyuki Shiga said, "China already has a vast number of charging stations. I think Japan can increase its global influence through this joint development."
There are now five types of fast-chargers. The unified standard would cover more than 90 percent of the global market.
China is the world's largest market for electric vehicles.
Observers say Japanese makers of battery chargers will find it easier to enter the market under a unified standard.
Key words : Toyota Uber
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180828_21/
Toyota Motor said it will invest 500 million dollars in US ride-hailing company Uber to help develop self-driving vehicles.
Toyota said the investment will advance the companies' partnership as competition intensifies in the race to commercialize self-driving vehicles.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the partnership is a natural fit and signals a commitment to developing world-class technologies.
In a related move, four auto-parts makers in the Toyota group will form a joint venture to develop software for self-driving vehicles.
Denso President & CEO Koji Arima says, "The 4 companies will combine know-how to help promote self-driving technology that allows safe and secure transportation for everyone."
The parts makers say the JV will supply its software to Toyota and other carmakers in Japan and overseas.
Toyota Motor has said it aims to commercialize auto-driving technology for expressways by 2020.
Key words : Indian
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180828_05/
The Indian government has succeeded in flying a passenger plane using biofuel. It was a test aimed at weaning the country off foreign oil imports.
Demand for crude oil is surging in India in tandem with its high economic growth.
The country relies on imports for about 80 percent of its oil needs, and the government aims to cut the rate by 10 percent by 2022.
The flight test on Monday was conducted jointly by the government and Indian budget airline SpiceJet.
The aircraft traveled about 250 kilometers in one hour and landed at an airport in New Delhi.
Plant-derived biofuel was mixed with conventional jet fuel so that it accounted for 25 percent of the total.
Indian science minister Harsh Vardhan told reporters that environment-friendly biofuel would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the country's oil imports.
The Indian government aims to counter surging oil demand with plans to promote the use of biofuel. The country's aviation market is forecast to become the world's 3rd largest in 2 years.
The development of new technologies to lower biofuel production costs will be a key issue.
Key words : Japanese police
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180828_29/
Japanese police are investigating the deaths of 4 elderly hospital patients who are thought to have died of heat stroke after air conditioners on their floors broke down.
The Gifu Prefectural Police Department says it is looking into the deaths after receiving a call on Monday night.
The caller said the patients died on Sunday and Monday of possible heat stroke.
Two men and 2 women aged between 83 and 85 died at Y&M Fujikake Daiichi Hospital in the city of Gifu.
Police say the patients were on the 3rd and 4th floors. The air conditioners on those floors had been out of order for about a week, during which time the hospital was using fans while awaiting repairs.
The hospital's director, Yosei Fujikake, said he didn't see any problem with the way he addressed the situation.
Fujikake told reporters that 9 fans were used after the air conditioners broke down on August 20th.
He said he requested repairs on that day and was told that it would take a month. No one has yet come to make repairs.
Patients in serious condition were reportedly relocated to rooms with air conditioning. But the 4 who died did not have air conditioning, although some of them had serious complications, such as from asthma.
Key words : Sakura middle east
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180828_28/
Fans in the Middle East are among those mourning the passing of manga artist Momoko Sakura.
Sakura's most popular animation Chibi Maruko-chan was broadcast in 60 countries and territories around the world.
In the Middle East it was translated into Arabic with the title Maruko Saghira, or Little Maruko. It was accompanied by a theme song from the region.
A twitter posting in Arabic on Monday announcing the news of Sakura's death has been retweeted more than 1,600 times.
A Palestinian fan on twitter said that Maruko was the best childhood animation.
Another fan from Egypt posted a message with a teary emoji, expressing gratitude to Sakura.
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