Japan's Foreign Minister says Japanese embassy officials in Turkey have confirmed the man released by Syrian militants is freelance journalist Jumpei Yasuda.
Prime minister Shinzo Abe says he plans to focus on disaster reconstruction and social security reform in the new Diet session.
Officials at Japanese electronics maker NEC and South Korea's Samsung Electronics say they will jointly develop the next-generation 5G phone networks.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20181024200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : Japanese embassy in turkey have confirmed video
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181024_80/
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono says Japanese embassy officials in Turkey have confirmed the man released by Syrian militants is freelance journalist Jumpei Yasuda.
Yasuda went missing 3 years ago after he entered Syria and was detained by militants in the country.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced late Tuesday that he had been notified by the Qatari government that Yasuda had been released and was at an immigration facility in the Turkish city of Antakya.
Kono told reporters at the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday afternoon that embassy officials met and identified Yasuda.
Kono added the journalist appears to be in good health, and that the government will arrange for him to return to Japan as soon as possible.
The governor of Turkey's Hatay Province showed a video and photos of Yasuda at the immigration facility.
In the video, Yasuda thanks everyone who has helped him. He says in English, "my name is Jumpei Yasuda, Japanese journalist. I was being held in Syria for 40 months. Now, I am in Turkey. Now, I am in safe condition."
The governor said he hopes to hand Yasuda over to the Japanese Embassy in Turkey on Wednesday, if possible.
Key words : journalist freed 4 days ago
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181024_28/
A group monitoring Syria's civil war says a Japanese journalist held by militants since June 2015 was freed 4 days ago, following negotiations led by the Qatari and Turkish governments.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday that it had obtained information regarding the handover of Japanese freelance journalist Jumpei Yasuda.
The group says the kidnappers had been holding Yasuda in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.
It says they handed the journalist over to a military faction close to Turkish authorities 4 days ago, but that the announcement of his release was delayed for political purposes.
The group also says several people received "large sums of money in return for releasing him, despite Japan's rejection of making payments for fear of being considered a supporter of terrorist organizations."
The statement says the group obtained the information from a number of reliable sources. But it did not provide any information to back up the claims.
Japan has sent embassy officials to the location to verify his identity.
Key words : syria changing situation
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181024_44/
An expert on Syria says changing situations in the Middle Eastern country may be behind militants' release of Japanese journalist Jumpei Yasuda.
Professor Hiroyuki Aoyama of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies was speaking about the timing of information sent to Japan's government concerning Yasuda's release late on Tuesday.
Aoyama said Syria's government under President Bashar al-Assad has gained the upper hand in the country's civil war, and that an end to the conflict is now in sight.
Aoyama said that given this situation, holding Yasuda hostage may have become more of a burden for the militants.
He also referred to assistance from the Qatari government in securing Yasuda's release. He said Qatar, like Turkey, supports the opposition forces in the war and can exert influence.
Aoyama said Qatar had played an intermediary role in negotiations with opposition forces on releasing other foreign hostages.
Key words : Saudi crown speak in the
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181024_46/
Saudi Arabia's crown prince is expected to address an economic forum in Riyadh on Wednesday, amid calls for the kingdom to get to the bottom of the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Organizers of the forum that opened on Tuesday say arrangements are underway for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to speak in the afternoon.
Attention is focused on whether the crown prince will refer to the killing of Khashoggi earlier this month at a Saudi consulate in Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday described Khashoggi's death as a planned and "savage" murder.
US President Donald Trump called the kingdom's handling of his death the worst cover-up ever.
The incident prompted a number of prominent figures to cancel their plans to attend the forum, known as "Davos in the Desert."
The Saudis appear to be desperate to dispel the image of their country being isolated because of the case.
They emphasize that the leaders of friendly countries, including Jordanian King Abdullah, were invited to the forum.
State-run oil firm Saudi Aramco says it exchanged memorandums of understanding on investment cooperation worth about 35 billion dollars in total with Japanese and US companies.
Key words : Abe plans to focus
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181024_41/
Japan's prime minister says he plans to focus on disaster reconstruction and social security reform in the new Diet session.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began it with a policy speech to lawmakers.
He said, "I will make Japan a leader in a rapidly changing world. And I will spearhead this effort for the next 3 years."
Abe said the ruling coalition hopes to pass a bill that would free up more money to help areas hard hit by disasters this year.
A powerful earthquake struck Japan's northernmost prefecture last month, and torrential rains devastated parts of western Japan in July.
The prime minister also said he wants to introduce legislation that would allow people to keep working beyond the usual retirement age of 65.
Japan's demographics are aging and its birthrate is declining.
Abe added that he wants to change immigration laws to make it easier for foreigners to work in the country.
The prime minister also wants to put forward plans to amend the Constitution.
One proposal will seek to clearly define the existence of the Self-Defense Forces, an issue that continues to divide public opinion.
Abe would need to win over parties that remain against the plan.
Opposition parties say they plan to push for thorough debate on revising immigration law and the Constitutional amendment.
The current session runs until December 10th.
Key words : mayor
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181024_40/
The mayor of a city north of Tokyo adjacent to the host village of the Tokai No.2 nuclear power plant has voiced opposition to putting its reactor back online.
The facility, operated by Japan Atomic Power Company, has met government requirements introduced after the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
It is also expected to win approval next month for extended operation, though it is 40 years old.
Attention is focused on whether the operator can obtain consent from Tokai Village, where the plant is located, and 5 nearby cities before it can restart the reactor.
Naka City Mayor Toru Umino on Wednesday met citizens opposed to the restart.
He said he has no choice but to say no, as it's impossible to draw up a plan to evacuate 960,000 residents in the area.
Umino is the first mayor among those of the 6 municipalities to voice opposition to the restart.
He later said he will ask the company whether the restart will be put on hold if even one of the 6 opposes the plan.
Key words : panel entrance exam
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181024_24/
A panel investigating irregularities in entrance exams given by Tokyo Medical University says a total of 55 female applicants were made to fail the exams in 2017 and 2018 despite scoring marks above the passing level.
In an interim report issued on Tuesday, the panel said 11 of the female applicants suffered this discriminatory treatment last year and 44 others this year.
The third-party panel was set up by the university after revelations that it had for years manipulated entrance exam results by lowering the scores of female exam takers and repeat applicants.
The panel says admission decisions based on gender significantly run counter to the principle of impartiality and the requirement for fairness in entrance exams.
The panel urged the university to recognize that those female applicants should have passed the entrance exams.
The university says it will decide what to do on the matter by early November.
Key words : group of women
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181024_35/
A group of women who failed the entrance exam at Tokyo Medical University plans to demand that the school disclose the test results and pay back exam fees.
Lawyers for the women revealed on Wednesday that some 20 former applicants who took the entrance exam from 2006 through this year will press their demands on Monday. They will also seek about 900 dollars in compensation for each exam they took.
It is the first such action by former exam takers since it was found that the university discriminated against female applicants.
Lawyer Yumi Itakura expressed hope that the university will respond to their demands. She said the group will consider seeking damages in court.
Key words : electronics maker
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181024_38/
Officials at Japanese electronics maker NEC and South Korea's Samsung Electronics say they will jointly develop the next-generation 5G phone networks.
Experts say communications over 5G will be about 10 times faster than the current standard.
Officials at the 2 firms say they will develop base stations -- and also push sales. The move comes as major Japanese mobile carriers plan to start trials of the technology from next year.
Each firm has its own expertise. NEC is said to excel in compact base stations. Samsung Electronics has knowhow in high-frequency wave technology.
NEC hopes the deal will help it claw back domestic sales for base stations. That's a market in which shares by Japanese manufacturers have fallen to around 30-percent. Meanwhile Chinese and European competitors are increasing their dominance.
Samsung Electronics has indicated it wants the joint venture to help boost its presence in the US.
Key words : Japanese government extend yen
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181024_42/
The Japanese government has agreed to extend additional yen loan to Indonesia for a subway project in Jakarta, the capital of the Southeast Asian country.
The project to build a 15.7 kilometer subway line is underway by a consortium made up of Japanese and local companies, using a yen loan.
The projected line will connect the northern and southern areas of Jakarta, running through the center of the city. It will be Indonesia's first subway system, and is scheduled to be completed in March next year.
The Indonesian government has decided to extend the line by 7.8 kilometers to the north. The additional line is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
The governments of the 2 countries agreed on Wednesday that Japan's new loan of about 600 million dollars will be used to finance tunnel construction and procure subway cars.
The subway extension is expected to help ease traffic congestion in Jakarta, which is said to be one of the heaviest in the world. It causes serious air pollution and economic loss.
In a separate move, China, after a fierce bidding competition with Japan, won a contract in Indonesia in 2015 to build a high-speed railway. But the project has been behind schedule due to financial problems.
Japan hopes to get more contracts to improve infrastructure in Indonesia by successfully completing the subway extension project.
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