Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors and Renault announced they are setting up a new oversight body.
Japan's Emperor Akihito has begun a series of rituals leading to his abdication on April 30.
Three former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Company have pleaded not guilty to professional negligence in connection with the 2011 nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20190312200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : Mitsubishi taking a major new structure
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190312_32/
Automakers Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors and Renault are taking a major step on the road to rebuilding their troubled alliance. The three firms have announced they are setting up a new oversight body.
Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa and Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko, along with Renault's Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard and CEO Thierry Bollore, held a joint news conference at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama on Tuesday.
The four will work together to oversee the alliance's operations and governance with Senard as chair.
They say the new structure will address the situation where power is concentrated in the hands of just one individual.
Key words : Akihito
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190312_17/
Japan's Emperor Akihito has begun a series of rituals leading to his abdication on April 30.
The first ceremonies were held at the three Imperial sanctuaries on the palace grounds in Tokyo on Tuesday.
The Emperor, dressed in an ancient court costume, first visited the main sanctuary, called Kashikodokoro.
The Emperor bowed and read out an ancient-worded script to report his abdication and its date to Imperial ancestor Amaterasu-omikami, the sun goddess, who is enshrined there.
He later staged similar rites at the two other sanctuaries, Koreiden and Shinden, which are dedicated to the souls of Imperial ancestors and various Japanese deities.
The Imperial Household Agency says it plans to stage the series of abdication rituals in a solemn and quiet manner.
Unlike the rites for enthronement, the prime minister and the heads of the legislative and judicial branches did not attend Tuesday's rituals.
Emperor Akihito is due to report his abdication at the Mausoleum of Emperor Jinmu in Nara Prefecture, who is Japan's first emperor, according to legend.
He will also visit the Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture and the Mausoleum of his father, the late Emperor Showa, in suburban Tokyo.
Rituals by the outgoing Emperor at the three sanctuaries in the Imperial Palace are due to take place again on the day of his abdication on April 30.
Key words : Power company not guilty
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190312_28/
Three former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Company have pleaded not guilty to professional negligence in connection with the 2011 nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.
Former TEPCO Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata and two former vice presidents were indicted on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury. All three have denied the charges.
Lawyers for the executives gave their closing argument at the Tokyo District Court on Tuesday.
The lawyers referred to an in-house report that management received three years before the accident. It said massive tsunami waves could hit Fukushima Daiichi, according to calculations based on the government's long-term assessment.
They said the basis for the calculations was unreliable and that it was standard procedure to hand the matter over to the Japan Society of Civil Engineers for further consideration. The defense team denied the executives put off countermeasures, adding that it was impossible for them to foresee and prevent the accident.
The trial, which began in June 2017, ended on Tuesday. The court is expected to deliver its sentence on September 19.
Key words : Trump seeking
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190312_19/
US President Donald Trump is seeking more military spending in his budget requests for fiscal 2020. He is also proposing cutbacks in foreign aid and some domestic programs.
The White House released the administration's budgetary proposals on Monday.
750 billion dollars is requested for national defense. That's five percent more than last year and includes funds for the creation of a new Space Force to address threats from China and Russia.
The military expenditures include plans to deploy space-based sensors to respond to missiles developed with hypersonic technology.
Meanwhile, funds for the State Department and the US Agency for International Development have been slashed 23 percent to 12.3 billion dollars.
Requests for the Environmental Protection Agency have been reduced by 31 percent to 6.1 billion dollars.
A high ranking official said the budget cannot be spent on wasteful and inefficient programs and indicated that funds for food and housing for low-income people would see steep cuts.
Trump's plans are focused on his public pledge to build up the military. The proposal has drawn protests from the Democratic Party. The political battle in Washington is expected to intensify in the run up to the presidential election next year.
Key words : UN experts
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190312_27/
UN experts say North Korea's nuclear and missile programs remain intact, and it is continuing to illegally raise funds in violation of UN sanctions.
A panel of experts investigating possible violations of UN sanctions by North Korea on Monday released their report, compiled last month.
The UN Security Council adopted sanctions to prevent Pyongyang from raising funds to finance its nuclear and missile programs.
The report says the Nyongbyon nuclear complex remains active. It says that satellite images show drainage channels being excavated, and a new building near a light-water reactor.
It says an uranium enrichment plant appears to exist in the suburbs of Pyongyang, and that uranium is being excavated near the facility.
The report also says the panel is investigating 50 vessels and 160 shipping companies around the world including Panama and Singapore for their possible involvement in North Korea's ship-to-ship transfer of goods.
It says North Korea carried out at least five cyber-attacks on cryptocurrency markets in Asia between January 2017 and September 2018 and stole a total of 570 million dollars. The report says most of the money was taken from a Japanese cryptocurrency exchange in January 2018.
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Key words : Unicef
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190312_02/
UNICEF says more than 1,000 children were killed in the war in Syria last year, making it the deadliest on record.
The UN agency says in a statement that 1,106 children lost their lives as the conflict drags into its ninth year.
That's the highest number in a single year since UNICEF began confirming the deaths in 2014. .
UNICEF says children mostly fall victim to mines and unexploded ordnance. It says the death toll covers confirmed fatalities only and the number is likely much higher.
The Syrian war broke out after massive demonstrations against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011. The protests were part of the Arab Spring pro-democracy movement that spread across the Middle East and North Africa.
Last year, Assad forces gained the upper hand after driving anti-government fighters out of eastern Ghouta near Damascus and other areas.
UNICEF says conditions are worsening in Idlib province, the last major stronghold of anti-government forces. The same is true in the town of Baghouz, where an offensive against Islamic State militants is in its final stage.
UNICEF appealed to the warring factions and the international community to prioritize the protection of all children in the country.
Key words : UN human rights myanmar
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190312_22/
A UN human rights envoy for Myanmar is worried about renewed violence in Rakhine state, and says the ongoing crisis should be referred to the International Criminal Court.
Yanghee Lee provided an update on Monday. She said that there are more negative than positive developments, describing negotiations with Myanmar's government as "fruitless."
Lee said clashes between the separatist Arakan Army and the Myanmar military has forced 10,000 people to flee from Rakhine State since November.
Lee also said it does not appear that the situation will improve in the immediate future. She called on all parties involved in conflicts around the country to protect civilians, take precautions and end hostilities.
The ongoing conflict is further complicating the Rohingya refugee crisis. The UN estimates 730,000 people have already fled to neighboring Bangladesh since violence erupted in August 2017. The UN had described the military campaign has been carried out with "genocidal intent". Myanmar's government denies the allegations.
Key words : US government impose
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190312_24/
The US government has imposed sanctions on a Moscow-based bank for its support for the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The Treasury Department announced on Monday that it was placing Evrofinance Mosnarbank on the US sanctions list. The bank is jointly owned by Russian and Venezuelan state companies.
The department said the bank provided support to Venezuela's state-owned oil company. The sanctions include the freezing of the bank's assets in the United States.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a news conference that Russian state-owned oil company continues to purchase crude oil from Veneuela.
He noted Russia has also provided the Maduro administration with large quantities of arms to protect a Moscow-friendly regime.
And he criticized Cuba for training Venezuelan secret police and sending intelligence services personnel to the country.
Monday's announcement came as tensions between the US and Russia worsen over issues such as Russia's annexation of Crimea and withdrawal from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
Key words : Mike announced US policy
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190312_26/
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that this week the government will withdraw all remaining personnel from its embassy in Venezuela.
Pompeo made the announcement Monday on social media.
He wrote the decision reflects the deteriorating situation in the country and the conclusion that the presence of US diplomatic staff at the embassy has become a constraint on US policy.
The move follows an earlier decision in January to pull non-emergency personnel and families from the embassy, citing safety concerns amid political turmoil in the country.
In Venezuela, massive power outages have caused harm to people, resulting in severe food shortages and even deaths in hospitals.
Pompeo blamed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday as responsible for the crisis.
Key words : airlines in multiple Japan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190312_13/
Airlines in multiple countries are grounding Boeing's 737 Max 8 passenger jet in the wake of a crash in Ethiopia on Sunday that killed 157 people. It was the second fatal incident involving the Max 8 in five months.
The 737 is the best-selling airliner in history and the Max 8, a more fuel-efficient version, is a central part of Boeing's strategy for competing with Airbus. But now its safety is in question.
Ethiopian Airlines has decided to ground all its 737 Max 8s until further notice as a safety precaution.
China's Civil Aviation Administration has ordered airlines to ground all their 737 Max 8 aircraft, citing "zero tolerance for safety risks."
Airlines in Indonesia, South Africa and elsewhere have also grounded their Max 8s.
Japan's transport ministry says no domestic carriers currently use the plane, although All Nippon Airways Group has plans to introduce 30 Max 8s in phases from April 2021. ANA officials say the company doesn't have any information to warrant a change of plans.
Safety experts are cautioning against jumping to conclusions and drawing too many comparisons between Sunday's accident and the crash of a Max 8 in Indonesia last year that left 189 people dead.
The US government says it will issue a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the international community for 737 MAX 8 operators. It says the plane is considered airworthy, adding that the Federal Aviation Administration is scrutinizing the two fatal crashes.
US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said on Monday that if the FAA identifies an issue that affects safety, the department will take immediate and appropriate action.
Boeing's stock initially plunged about 13 percent on Monday. Many investors saw the slide as an opportunity to buy back at a discount, leaving the stock down just over 5 percent.
Key words : habitation
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190312_30/
Japan is set to build a habitation module for astronauts in a new space station that will orbit the Moon.
US space agency NASA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, the European Space Agency, or ESA, and others plan to build the space station, called Gateway, by 2026.
NASA on Monday unveiled the assignments given to each participating country regarding the construction of the space station, which has 10 major components.
JAXA and ESA will build an international habitation module. JAXA will also work with NASA to develop cargo modules to deliver supplies to the lunar outpost.
NASA's draft budget for fiscal 2020 has allocated about 360 million dollars to developing new space craft and rockets.
Key words : summer olympic
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190312_03/
Tuesday marks exactly 500 days until the start of the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The opening ceremony will be held at the new National Stadium in Japan's capital on July 24 next year.
Outside of Tokyo, organizers plan to use the Fukushima J-Village soccer training facility for the start of the Olympic torch relay. J-Village was used as a disaster response site after the Fukushima nuclear meltdowns.
On Tuesday, organizers will unveil a set of pictograms designed to guide spectators at Olympic venues.
Organizers also need to consider ways to ease potential traffic congestion in the capital. Olympic venues are dotted around the central part of Tokyo so large numbers of athletes and spectators will move around the city.
The organizing committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan and central governments are looking at solutions to keep transportation running smoothly.
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