at 20:00 (JST), April 17

Japan and the United States have wrapped up their first round of talks in Washington aimed at reaching a new trade deal.

Donations have been flowing in from around the world to rebuild the fire-damaged Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are in the city of Ise in central Japan on their last trip to a local region before the Emperor's abdication on April 30.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20190417200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Japan and the United wrapped up new trade
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190417_09/

Japan and the United States have wrapped up their first round of talks aimed at reaching a new trade deal.
Japanese officials have been eager to limit the negotiations to trade of goods.
But the US has pressured the country to expand the scope of talks to include services and other areas not related to goods.

Japan's minister in charge of the talks now says negotiations will eventually include so-called digital trade.

Toshimitsu Motegi says the talks are off to a good start.
He says the two sides exchanged frank opinions on each other's stance over trade in various industries, including farm products and vehicles.

Motegi added that both sides want to speed up negotiations to try to reach an agreement as soon as possible.

Key words : Macron damage cathedral in Paris
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190417_14/

Donations have been flowing in from around the world to rebuild the fire-damaged Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. French media say about 800 million dollars have already been pledged.

Monday's blaze devastated the historic structure, destroying its 90-meter spire and about two-thirds of its roof.

French businesses are leading contributors to the fundraising effort. A luxury brands conglomerate, a founder of a major cosmetic maker, an oil company and others have vowed to provide substantial donations.

Universities and a US IT giant have also offered donations.
About 1,500 people in 50 countries have made donations worth about 80,000 dollars so far to a fund-raising website approved by French authorities.

French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to rebuild the cathedral by the time Paris hosts the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in five years.

Macron estimated about 850 million dollars would be needed for the reconstruction.

But it is yet not clear how long it will take to rebuild the cathedral. Experts say the work could take several decades.

Key words : a town in western
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190417_25/

A town in western Japan that is the site of a historic Buddhist temple has launched a fundraising drive to help the restoration of the fire-damaged Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Kongobuji Temple, which is more than 1,200 years old, is located in the town of Koya in Wakayama Prefecture. It is the center of the Shingon Buddhist sect. The temple and the pilgrimage route leading to it are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

People in Koya said they launched the campaign because Notre-Dame is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A collection box was installed at a local tourist center on Wednesday. A plea for donations was written in Japanese, English and French.

A woman from neighboring Nara Prefecture who made a contribution said she was astonished that the World Heritage site had been devastated by a catastrophic fire. She added that she hopes the cathedral will be restored.

Key words : Akihito
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190417_33/

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are in the city of Ise in central Japan on their last trip to a local region before the Emperor's abdication on April 30.

The couple left Tokyo Station on Wednesday afternoon. They were seen off by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The couple arrived in Ise about three hours later.

They were greeted at the station by local officials and crowds of well-wishers.

As the couple were driven to their lodgings on the grounds of Ise Shrine, crowds along the route waved and cheered. The Emperor and Empress waved back from open windows, despite the rain.

The Emperor and Empress are traveling with a sacred sword and a jewel. The items are two of the three sacred treasures that symbolize the imperial throne.

The visit to Ise Shrine, which is dedicated to a legendary ancestress of the imperial family, is part of a series of rituals for the Emperor's abdication.

The couple will worship at the Outer Shrine and the Inner Shrine on Thursday.

Key words : US think tank
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190417_15/

A US think tank says its latest satellite imagery of North Korea's Nyongbyon nuclear complex shows specialized railcars, associated with nuclear fuel reprocessing.

On Tuesday, the Center for Strategic and International Studies released its analysis of the footage taken last Friday.

One photo shows four specialized railcars in the rail yard which services an uranium enrichment facility. CSIS says it's unusual to see the railcars. It adds that two large trucks appear to be nearby.

Another photo shows a railcar carrying large casks near a radiochemistry plant.

CSIS says that in the past the railcars have been associated with the movement of radioactive material and reprocessing campaigns.

Another US research group said earlier this month that satellite imagery from March showed a mobile crane near the complex's experimental light water reactor. The group said it may have been used to load equipment or materials into the area.

Key words : red cross
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190417_23/

The first shipment of aid supplies from the International Committee of the Red Cross has arrived in Venezuela.

People in Venezuela are struggling with severe shortages of medicine, food and other daily necessities. They welcomed the arrival of the supplies in the capital city of Caracas on Tuesday.

The aid, including power generators and 24 tons of medicine, will be distributed to medical institutions across the country.

Venezuela is mired in political confusion due to the confrontation between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has declared himself interim president.

The dire situation caused by the standoff and sanctions imposed by the United States has led to several deaths.

It's believed that the supplies from the Red Cross are the first humanitarian assistance Maduro has accepted since the crisis began, apart from aid from Russia, China and other countries that support his administration.

Maduro has rejected aid from the United States and other countries that back Guaido. He claims they are trying to interfere in Venezuela's internal affairs under the guise of humanitarian aid.

The Red Cross has stressed its neutral position in offering the aid, and the Maduro administration has welcomed this stance.

Key words : turkish
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190417_28/

A Turkish government official has expressed hope for an extension of a waiver from US-imposed sanctions against Iranian crude oil imports.

Japan, Turkey and six other importers were given a 180-day waiver from the sanctions that the United States imposed in November following its unilateral withdrawal from an international nuclear agreement with Iran.

Ibrahim Kalin, a senior aide to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spoke to reporters, including those from US media and NHK, in Washington on Tuesday.

Kalin said Turkey expects US President Donald Trump to extend the waiver to allow Turkey to continue importing oil from Iran.

He described Iran as one of Turkey's important oil suppliers and a neighbor with a long border.

He raised a question about the Trump administration's Iran policy, suggesting that sanctions are not effective in making Iran change course.

A senior US official said this month that there will be no waivers or exceptions to the May 2 deadline.

Attention is focused on the final US decision in response to calls for an extension that also came from Japan and other nations, amid rising oil prices.

Key words : Indonesia quick count
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Key words : 67-year-old Japanese
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190417_27/

A 67-year-old Japanese man was shot to death in Sao Paulo, Brazil, by burglars who were breaking into his house on Monday.

The Japanese consulate general in the city says Masaaki Hayama, an immigrant from the city of Yokohama, eastern Japan, was killed by a gunshot.

Local media report that Hayama noticed strange sounds outside of his home while eating dinner with his family. After he went out of the house, he bumped into two men who were about to break in after climbing over the wall. When he tried to close the door, they shot him.

Hayama immigrated to Brazil when he was very young, but he is said to have still held Japanese citizenship.

Sao Paulo is Brazil's largest city, and the number of burglaries targeting Japanese there has been on the rise in recent years.

The Japanese consulate general advises caution against burglaries.

Key words : Sumo
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190417_26/

Sumo grand champion yokozuna Hakuho has begun procedures to renounce his Mongolian nationality so that he can obtain Japanese citizenship.

Hakuho has won a record 42 grand sumo tournaments.

In the past two years, he has said repeatedly that after his retirement he hopes to become a stablemaster with the Japan Sumo Association and coach younger wrestlers. For that purpose, he must become a naturalized Japanese citizen.

Informed sources say Hakuho submitted documents to the Mongolian government this month.

Other former top sumo wrestlers who obtained Japanese citizenship and became stablemasters include former yokozuna Musashimaru, an American from Hawaii, and former sekiwake Kyokutenho, who is also Mongolian.

Hakuho told reporters on Wednesday it's too early to say anything, adding that he is simply waiting for the paperwork to be completed.

Key words : cherry tree Fukushima
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190417_29/

A thousand-year-old cherry tree is in full bloom in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan.

The 13-meter-tall weeping cherry tree in the town of Miharu has been a seasonal attraction for many locals and tourists. It has been designated a natural monument by the government.

The tree started blossoming last week, but cold, snowy days followed and delayed its peak bloom.

Visitors took pictures of blossoms cascading in the breeze and the tree's thick trunk on a sunny Wednesday.

A man in his 70s from Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo said he was touched by the rare beautiful sight.

Town officials say visitors can enjoy the blossoms through the weekend.