Emperor Akihito is set to abdicate, bringing the three-decade-long Heisei era to a close. A ceremony to mark the occasion was held at the Imperial Palace.
The Islamic State militant group has posted what it claims is a video of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
A Chinese court has sentenced a Canadian and a Chinese citizen to death for producing and trafficking illegal drugs.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20190411200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : Akihito bringing abe
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190430_34/
Emperor Akihito is set to abdicate, bringing the three-decade-long Heisei era to a close. A ceremony to mark the occasion was held at the Imperial Palace.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke on behalf of the people of Japan.
Abe said, "On this day of Your Majesty's abdication, we look back on the years during which Your Majesty has always stood by the people to share their joys and sorrows -- and we renew our deep respect and gratitude for Your Majesty."
The Prime Minister said, "We will keep in our minds the steps Your Majesty has taken to this point and continue to do our utmost to make Japan a country which is peaceful, full of hope, and one we can be proud of. We sincerely hope for the long and healthy lives of Your Majesties the Emperor and Empress."
Emperor Akihito then gave his last speech to the people in his current role.
The Emperor said, "Today, I am concluding my duties as the Emperor. I would like to offer my deep gratitude to the words just spoken by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on behalf of the people of Japan."
The Emperor said, "Since ascending the throne 30 years ago, I have performed my duties as the Emperor with a deep sense of trust in and respect for the people, and I consider myself most fortunate to have been able to do so. I sincerely thank the people who accepted and supported me in my role as the symbol of the State."
The Emperor said, "I sincerely wish, together with the Empress, that the Reiwa era, which begins tomorrow, will be a stable and fruitful one, and I pray, with all my heart, for peace and happiness for all the people in Japan and around the world."
This is the first time in over 200 years that a living Emperor will abdicate. As the ceremony ended, the Emperor turned back to the audience and bowed.
Three years ago, Emperor Akihito expressed concern his advanced age could make it difficult to continue carrying out his duties. The Diet enacted a law to specifically allow him to step down.
He was the first to be enthroned under the post-war Constitution that defines the Emperor's role as a "symbol of the State."
His son, Crown Prince Naruhito will ascend the throne at the start of Wednesday. He'll be the 126th Emperor of Japan.
Key words : Akihito official duties
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Key words : Akihito frequently
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190430_11/
Emperor Akihito is Japan's 125th Emperor.
This is the first time in over 200 years that a living Emperor will abdicate. But looking back at Japan's history, the practice wasn't so rare.
In fact, about half of the Emperors or Empresses have done the same. The first is believed to have been Empress Kogyoku in the year 645.
These types of abdications occurred frequently from the late 8th century... until some point in the Edo period... which ended in the late 19th century.
The Imperial Household Agency says Emperor Akihito will hold the title "Joko" after abdication, an abbreviated title meaning "grand emperor." His English title will be "Emperor Emeritus."
Key words : Japanese government statistics
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190430_03/
Japanese government statistics from the 30 years of the Heisei era highlight the country's population getting smaller and greyer, and the rapid spread of the Internet. The Heisei era, which started in 1989, will end on Tuesday with the abdication of Emperor Akihito.
Statistics from the internal affairs ministry show Japan's population has been shrinking since 2011, after peaking at 128 million in 2008. In 2015, the number of people 75 years old and above exceeded that of people 14 years and younger for the first time.
An increasing number of both men and women opted not to marry. The tendency is most conspicuous among women aged between 25 and 29.
The percentage of single women in that age bracket shot up from 40.4 percent in 1990 to 61.3 percent in 2015.
Japanese people's lifestyles have transformed in the Heisei era. The Internet and mobile phones became widespread, meaning higher telecom bills for families. The average monthly expense per household last year was nearly 120 dollars, or more than twice as much as the figure 30 years ago.
The labor participation rate among women has increased. In 2016, the number of women working for railway companies reached 10 percent of the total of that industry. That's 3.4 times what it was in 1991. Railway jobs were traditionally considered men's domain. The percentage of female researchers has grown by 3.9 fold over the past three decades.
Hours that mothers of children under six years of age spent on house chores dropped by about one hour per week, to a little over 4 hours between 1996 and 2016.
Time their husbands spent on house work increased from 18 minutes to 49 minutes in the same period.
Key words : militant posted
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190430_05/
The Islamic State militant group has posted what it claims is a video of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The video shows a person the group says is Baghdadi. He is talking while sitting cross-legged on the floor with a gun by his side.
NHK cannot independently verify where and when the video was shot.
The leader refers to the simultaneous explosions in Sri Lanka. He says they were carried out in retaliation for what happened in Syria. The group recently lost Baghouz, its last stronghold in the country.
But part of the footage that appears while he is referring to Sri Lanka does not show his face. This suggests that the voice may have been recorded and added to the video later.
The militant group has often posted audio statements made by a person it claims is Baghdadi. But this is the first time he has appeared in a video in five years.
Key words : chinese sentenced
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190430_31/
A Chinese court has sentenced a Canadian and a Chinese citizen to death for producing and trafficking illegal drugs in the southern province of Guangdong.
A court in the city of Jiangmen announced the sentences for the two men on its web page on Tuesday, along with sentences for nine other people.
The defendants were all charged with setting up a secret operation in Guangdong in 2012, where they produced and sold 63 kilograms of methamphetamines and other drugs.
The nine were given varying sentences, including the death penalty with a two-year suspension, and life in prison.
The court has not released the nationalities of all those sentenced. It did say there is an American and Mexicans among them. The full details of their sentences are not yet known.
The presiding judge reportedly told the defendants they have the right to appeal.
Relations between China and Canada have recently been under strain.
In January, another Canadian was sentenced to death in a retrial for smuggling drugs in China. He had previously been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Last December, Canadian authorities arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States. China has since detained several Canadians.
Some international observers regard such actions as Chinese retaliation for Meng's arrest.
Key words : nuclear-armed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190430_07/
Nuclear-armed countries and non-nuclear states were divided at a United Nations meeting over how to achieve nuclear disarmament.
Representatives from about 190 signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty gathered at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday.
The NPT meeting opened after little progress has been made in global nuclear disarmament, due to a deepening rift between the United States and Russia. Countries that do not have nuclear weapons are increasingly frustrated with the stagnation.
The US delegation proposed the establishment of a new forum for countries to voluntarily discuss how to achieve nuclear disarmament with the aim of narrowing the gap between countries that have nuclear weapons and those that do not.
Officials from non-nuclear nations urged the US and other nuclear-armed countries to reduce their nuclear arsenals and fulfill their obligations under the non-proliferation treaty.
The NPT commits nuclear weapons states to eventual disarmament, while it bans others from developing or possessing nuclear arms.
A Japanese delegate stressed the importance for both sides to work together for maintaining the goals of the NPT.
Key words : over 1,000
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190430_06/
Over 1,000 experts are openly opposing the French President's plan to rebuild Notre-Dame cathedral within five years. A fire left extensive damage to the iconic building in Paris earlier this month.
A total of 1,170 curators, architects and scholars in and outside France signed an open letter urging President Emmanuel Macron to drop the plan. The French newspaper Le Figaro published the letter on Monday.
The experts wrote that they know the political calendar requires quick action, but that the challenge of the work goes far beyond political terms of office, and they will be judged by how they respond. They demanded that they be given time for an assessment before Macron makes a decision on the future of the monument.
The blaze on April 15 destroyed the cathedral's spire and two-thirds of its roof. Macron pledged that the restoration will complete by 2024, when Paris hosts Olympics and Paralympics.
Some experts and people in Paris raised concerns after Macron made this announcement and asked him to go slow. Observers say a chorus of over 1,000 experts has raised a red flag concerning the government's renovation plan.
Key words : former US
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190430_21/
A former US diplomat says he signed an agreement to pay North Korea 2 million dollars to secure the release of American college student Otto Warmbier and that he believes the government should honor its commitment.
Joseph Yun, the former US special envoy for North Korea, told CNN on Monday that he did so with the approval of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Yun negotiated in Pyongyang to bring the student home.
Yun's comments follow US media reports that the Trump administration approved the payment North Korea demanded for Warmbier's medical care. President Donald Trump denied in a tweet that any money was paid.
Yun said he contacted Tillerson immediately after Pyongyang made the demand. He said Tillerson told him to go ahead and sign the agreement.
Warmbier was released from North Korea after spending more than a year in detention. He was in a coma when he was flown out of the country and died days after returning to the US.
The media reports prompted strong criticism from the US public of both the North Korean demand and Washington's agreement to pay up.
