at 20:00 (JST), September 01 AS

The US government has announced it will stop funding a UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees.

Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono will co-chair a ministerial meeting to help secure funds for a UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

Japanese authorities have staged a drill based on the scenario of a mega earthquake striking the country on national Disaster Prevention Day.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20180901200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : US government announced
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180901_14/

The US government has announced it will stop funding a UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert issued a statement on Friday. It said the United States will not make additional contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA.

She said that the agency's "endlessly and exponentially expanding community of entitled beneficiaries is simply unsustainable."

The spokesperson said that the US will no longer commit further funding to what she called an "irredeemably flawed operation."

The US was the largest contributor to UNRWA, providing about 30 percent of its budget.

In January, the administration of President Donald Trump withheld funding for UNRWA.

The move was in retaliation for Palestinian protests against the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The US administration also announced last month that it would cut 200 million dollars in bilateral aid to the Palestinians.

Key words : washington post
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180901_12/

The US State Department says the country will stop funding the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees.

The department issued a statement on Friday about the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA.

The US was the largest contributor to the agency, providing about 30 percent of its budget. It now describes the agency as an "irredeemably flawed operation."

An article in The Washington Post says the US administration wants to revise the number of Palestinians officially recognized as refugees from the current more than 5 million to a few hundred thousand.

The paper says the administration is complaining about how the UN calculates their number. The current definition of Palestinian refugees includes their first-generation descendants.

The administration is also believed to be studying the possibility of removing from Mideast peace negotiations the so-called "right of return" by Palestinians to their homeland. Palestinians claim this right.

The US considerations are in line with demands by Israel. Analysts believe US President Donald Trump is acting to drum up support from pro-Israel conservatives ahead of mid-term elections this autumn.

Observers say if the US really acts on the definition of refugees and the right of Palestinians' return, it will provoke a fierce backlash from Palestinians and others.

Key words : Kono meeting
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180901_04/

NHK has learned that Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono will co-chair a ministerial meeting to help secure funds for a UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA, is short of more than 200 million dollars in funds after the administration of US President Donald Trump froze US contributions.

UNRWA has been providing food and education to 5.3 million Palestinian refugees. US funding accounted for 30 percent of the money needed for the agency's activities. If the shortage is left unresolved, it could be forced to suspend activities from October.

Sources say Kono will co-chair the emergency meeting, slated for September 27th in New York, along with ministers from Jordan and other countries. The Japanese government intends to support the UN agency from a humanitarian standpoint.

Participants at the meeting will discuss how to secure the necessary funds. They are also expected to talk about mid- to long-term measures.

Observers say Trump is demonstrating his hardline stance against Palestine to his pro-Israel supporters ahead of mid-term elections in November.

Key words : Japanese authorities
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180901_11/

Japanese authorities have staged a drill based on the scenario of a mega earthquake striking the country on Saturday, national Disaster Prevention Day.

The date September 1st commemorates the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, which left more than 100,000 people dead in and around Tokyo.

This year's exercise assumed a magnitude-9.1 quake striking the Nankai Trough off the coast of Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, at around 7 AM. Researchers have forecast the occurrence of such a huge quake with a focus along the Pacific trough.

The rehearsal involved violent jolts rocking wide areas from western to eastern Japan and the issuing of a major tsunami warning for areas along the Pacific Ocean.

Ministers walked to the prime minister's office to hold an emergency taskforce meeting at around 8 AM. They sought confirmation on the extent of damage and government responses.

The ministers also spoke by video with the governor of Miyazaki Prefecture. They assessed what kind of support was needed and how to coordinate responses.

The officials also formed basic principles, such as putting top priority on search-and-rescue operations.

They decided to send Self-Defense Force members, police officers, firefighters and other personnel to stricken areas and secure daily necessities and evacuation shelters for a large number of survivors.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began a news conference at 9 AM to call on people to stay updated, help each other, and act calmly.

Key words : Kawasaki prevent
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180901_13/

In Kawasaki City, near Tokyo, about 8,000 people took part in exercises organized by the governments of 4 prefectures and 5 major cities in and around Tokyo.

The drills were based on a hypothetical quake with an intensity of 7 on the Japanese scale of zero to 7.
One exercise involved a response to a possible fire at an oil refinery in a coastal area. Fire trucks and Japan Coast Guard boats sprayed water on oil tanks, while other participants practiced using special fences to prevent leaking oil from spreading into the sea.

At another site, residents simulated cardiac massages and sprayed water at a target.

An elementary school girl who tried cardiac massages said it was tiring but worth learning.

Key words : killed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180901_07/

The leader of pro-Russia separatists in east Ukraine has been killed in an explosion at a cafe, prompting Russia and Ukraine to trade accusations over the incident.

A Russian news agency and other media outlets are reporting that Alexander Zakharchenko died in the explosion on Friday at the cafe in Donetsk, a city controlled by the separatists.

Zakharchenko, a businessman from Donetsk, joined a militant group set up by pro-Russia separatists in east Ukraine, and later became leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic. The region unilaterally declared its independence from Ukraine.

The separatists suspect the explosion was an act of terrorism. They say they are hunting down the culprits.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a veiled criticism of Ukraine. He said in a statement that the killing of Zakharchenko is "further evidence that those who have chosen the path of terror, violence and spreading fear do not want to seek a peaceful political solution to the conflict."

The Ukrainian government suggested that Zakharchenko may have been killed due to separatist infighting, or by Russia's security agencies.

Key words : Trump notified
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180901_06/

US President Donald Trump has notified Congress that he intends to sign a bilateral trade agreement the US has struck with Mexico.

The Office of the US Trade Representative made the announcement on Friday. The deal, struck on Monday, is part of negotiations to revise the North American Free trade Agreement.

The announcement came as the US and Canada failed to reach a deal to revise NAFTA, with agriculture a sticking point. The August 31st deadline was imposed by the US.

The office said talks with Canada will continue, and that a meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland is scheduled for Wednesday next week.

Under the deal with Mexico, vehicles must be made with a higher proportion of parts procured in the US or Mexico to be rendered duty-free in those countries. The deal also includes a measure that effectively caps auto shipments to the US.

The deal could significantly impact Japanese automakers operating in Mexico. Attention is focused on whether it will actually go into force.

Key words : Australia first time began
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180901_03/

A multinational naval drill led by Australia began on Friday, with China taking part for the first time.

The exercise in Darwin, northern Australia, is held every other year. 24 ships, 21 airplanes and more than 3,000 military personnel from 27 countries are participating this year.

China has sent a Navy frigate. The vessel will take part in navigation and refueling drills, but not in live-fire exercises.

Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead said China can help create a mechanism for maritime collaboration when it unites with other countries.

He expressed hope that the exercise will help build trust among participating nations and enable them to cooperate for mutual benefit.

Australia has criticized Beijing for building and militarizing man-made islands in the South China Sea.
Australia invited China to join the drill, apparently in an effort to ease tensions over China's maritime assertiveness.