Tokyo's benchmark stock index closed lower on Wednesday, after great volatility in reaction to the US midterm election results.
Japan's Diet has passed a supplementary budget for the current fiscal year to fund recovery from recent natural disasters.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20181107200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : United States midterm success
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Key words : Tokyo stock index closed lower
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181107_45/
Tokyo's benchmark stock index closed lower on Wednesday, after great volatility in reaction to the US midterm election results.
The Nikkei Average ended the day at 22,085, down 61 points, or 0.28 percent, from Tuesday's close.
The index traded higher in the morning, but lost steam after projections pointed to a divided Congress. Many investors are worried that the situation will make it difficult for the Trump administration to implement policies.
Key words : south expressed extreme
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181107_08/
South Korea's foreign ministry has expressed extreme regret over the reactions of Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono to a South Korean court ruling on wartime labor.
South Korea's Supreme Court last week ordered a Japanese steelmaker to compensate 4 Korean men who said they were forced to work for the company during World War Two.
Kono strongly denounced the ruling on Sunday, calling it a challenge to the international community, whose order is based on international law.
He said on Tuesday that the issue was resolved completely and irreversibly, and the ruling is an outrage.
Kono suggested that Japan may take the matter to an international court.
In a statement issued on Tuesday night, the South Korean foreign ministry said it is gravely concerned that Japan's leaders are continuously making comments that could provoke the feelings of South Koreans.
The ministry criticized them for ignoring the root of the problem.
It also said it's extremely regrettable that the Japanese leaders used immoderate language to assess the judicial decision.
It said countries should respect court rulings, and Japan is no exception.
The ministry stressed that the Japanese government should clearly understand that an excessive political focus on the matter will not help the future-oriented development of bilateral relations.
Observers say the ministry had to hit back at the Japanese foreign minister to avoid criticism from the media and politicians who support the top court's ruling.
Key words : Suga says
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181107_40/
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga says Japan will be watching how the government of South Korea responds to its Supreme Court's ruling last week on wartime compensation.
South Korea's foreign ministry on Tuesday hit back at Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono's criticism of the ruling.
It issued a statement saying the Japanese government should understand that excessive political focus on the matter will not help the future-oriented development of bilateral relations.
Suga on Wednesday said the ruling violates a bilateral agreement on the right to seek compensation.
He said the agreement binds the entire country, including its judiciary, so the ruling amounts to a violation of international law by South Korea.
Suga said Japan has been asking the South Korean government to correct the situation.
Key words : senior south indicated
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181107_36/
A senior South Korean government official has indicated that it would be difficult to schedule a summit with Japan on the sidelines of international meetings next week.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in plans to attend regional summits next week in Singapore led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He then plans to travel to Papua New Guinea for this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
On Wednesday, a senior official of South Korea's presidential office suggested Moon is unlikely to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the venues.
Last week, South Korea's Supreme Court ordered a Japanese steelmaker to compensate for wartime labor by Koreans.
Japan's government says the ruling violates international law. It asked South Korea to take corrective measures, and suggested it would take the matter to the International Court of Justice if Seoul does not act appropriately.
South Korea's government had maintained that the issue of conscripted workers was settled. It plans to have a panel of experts headed by its prime minister review the matter.
The senior official said it would take time to sort things out because the ruling contradicts the government's traditional stance.
Observers say South Korea's government is having trouble finding a way out of the dilemma, making it difficult to arrange a summit with Japan.
Key words : south discussion guarantee
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181107_43/
South Korea has agreed to take part in bilateral discussions with Japan over shipbuilding subsidies. Japan made the request on Tuesday as a formal step toward filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization.
The South Korean government has pumped over 10 billion dollars' worth of public funds into Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering to keep it afloat.
It has also set up a guarantee money system that benefits shipbuilders in the country.
Japanese officials say the funds have allowed South Korean shipbuilders to accept orders at lower prices.
They're demanding an end to the subsidies which they say distort the market.
In a meeting between the 2 sides last month, South Korea did not react favorably.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, South Korea's trade ministry said that its support does not violate WTO rules.
It says the assistance is provided based on commercial decisions and that it meets international rules.
Key words : Diet supplementary
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181107_52/
Japan's Diet has passed a supplementary budget for the current fiscal year to fund recovery from recent natural disasters.
Upper House lawmakers unanimously approved the roughly 935-billion-yen package, or about 8.3 billion dollars, on Wednesday.
The money will fund reconstruction programs in regions hit by a series of disasters this year, including heavy rain in western Japan and a powerful earthquake in Hokkaido.
The money will also pay for installing air conditioners at public schools and reinforcing public facilities against natural disasters.
Key words : nuclear regulator given permission
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181107_21/
Japan's nuclear regulator has given permission for the power plant closest to Tokyo to extend operations of its reactor for up to 20 years.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority unanimously decided on Wednesday to allow Japan Atomic Power Company to extend operations at the Tokai No.2 plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, located about 110 kilometers north of central Tokyo.
About 960,000 people live within a 30 kilometer radius of the facility, the highest population density among all nuclear plant vicinities across Japan.
Regulators say the Tokai No.2 plant meets government requirements introduced after the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Meeting the requirements is a precondition for reactors to go back online.
At Wednesday's meeting, the Nuclear Regulation Authority members were briefed on estimates that wear and tear involving the reactor, pipes and other equipment will pose no problems 20 years from now, which will mark 60 years since going online.
The reactor at the Tokai No.2 plant will be allowed to operate until November 2038 at a maximum.
The reactor is the 4th in Japan to be allowed to run beyond the 40-year limit and the first at a plant damaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Regulators have already approved extensions for 2 reactors at the Takahama nuclear power plant and the No.3 reactor at the Mihama plant, both in Fukui Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast.
The operator of the Tokai No.2 plant will still need more than 2 years of construction work for enhanced safety measures before it restarts the reactor. This includes building a tsunami breakwater.
It must also obtain prior consent from 6 municipalities in the area including the village of Tokai where the plant is located.
Key words : about 20 people
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181107_47/
About 20 people gathered outside the building in Tokyo where the Nuclear Regulation Authority met on Wednesday to protest its decision to allow the Tokai No.2 plant to resume operations.
The protesters carried banners saying they disagree with a 20-year extension of operations and shouted, "No restart!" and "Protect people's lives."
The group handed a petition with about 15,000 signatures from across Japan to an authority official. This brings the total number of anti-restart signatures submitted to the nuclear regulator to nearly 30,000.
Makoto Yanagida, who heads a citizens' group, said it's a very sad day. He said because the Tokai No.2 plant is close to Tokyo, many people will no longer be able to live in the city in the event of a major accident.
Key words : leaders of the association
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181107_03/
NHK has learned that the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will express concern about China's continued activities in the South China Sea.
NHK obtained the draft of the chairman's statement that will be issued after the ASEAN summit that will begin on November 13th in Singapore. A series of meetings that will involve Japan, China and other countries in the region will follow.
The draft says ASEAN takes note of "some concerns" about the land reclamation and activities in the South China Sea. It says they "have eroded trust and confidence and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region."
When the Philippines hosted the ASEAN summit last year, the chairman's statement did not include the word "concerns" because the host nation wanted to improve ties with Beijing.
The word is being used this year to reflect Singapore's stance of respecting international law.
The draft says the ASEAN members are encouraged by the progress of the substantive negotiations towards the early conclusion of a code of conduct with China.
The code is aimed at preventing disputes in the South China Sea.
Key words : Malaysia needs
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181107_42/
Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says Southeast Asia needs new initiatives to help fulfil the region's economic potential.
He said Malaysia is ready to help promote such policies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the benefits of the 600-million people in the region.
In a speech in Tokyo on Tuesday, Mahathir said he's focused on rebuilding Malaysia's economy and attracting investment.
Mahathir said companies now based in China can relocate to other countries, including Malaysia, to avoid US trade sanctions.
Mahathir said, "We are hoping they will move to Malaysia, at the same time of course, we see this trade war as a very negative thing."
He added that many leaders in ASEAN are focused on retaining local power, rather than broader concerns in the region.
However, he said the success of ASEAN policies will help countries in the bloc overcome local difficulties.
Mahathir said, "I do hope that ASEAN will soon stabilize itself and begin to work together again."
Key words : layer earth
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20181107_12/
Meteorologists say the Earth's ozone layer, which protects the planet from harmful ultraviolet rays, is healing thanks to global efforts to reduce emissions of chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs.
The World Meteorological Organization and other scientific groups released an assessment on Monday on ozone depletion based on observation data from the 1960s to 2016.
The report says the largest depletion occurred around the mid-1990s due to CFC emissions from refrigerator coolants and other sources.
But it says ozone levels excluding the polar regions have been recovering at a rate of up to 3 percent per decade since the year 2000.
Scientists say the Antarctic ozone hole is expected to gradually close, and that the entire ozone layer will return by the 2060s to levels last seen in the 1980s.
The report attributes the recovery to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, in which signatories agreed to reduce the use of ozone-depleting chemicals.
The report says, however, that emissions of certain types of CFCs are increasing in China.
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