at 20:00 (JST), April 10

Japan's Defense Ministry says Tuesday's crash of an F35A fighter jet marks the first ever confirmed crash of this type of aircraft.

An evacuation order for one of the towns hosting the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been partially lifted from Wednesday.

Japan's communications ministry on Wednesday allocated frequencies to four companies to operate ultra-high speed 5G services.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20190410200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : F35 confirmed crash
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190410_33/

Japan's Defense Ministry says Tuesday's crash of an F35A fighter jet marks the first ever confirmed crash of this type of aircraft.

An F35B aircraft of the US Marine Corps crashed in South Carolina during training last September. The aircraft can take off and land vertically.

The Japanese government regards a fleet of F35As and F35Bs as the core fighter jets of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. It plans to have a total of 147 such aircraft in about 10 years.

Some in the government and the ruling coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party fear that the latest crash may affect the future defense buildup plans.

Nine countries, led by the United States, were involved in the development of F35 planes.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force began deploying the F35A aircraft at its Misawa base in Aomori Prefecture, northern Japan, in January last year. In addition one that crashed on Tuesday, 12 other F35As are currently deployed. Some were imported from the United States, while others were assembled in Japan.

The aircraft that crashed was the first one assembled in Japan at a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plant in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.

Under the mid-term defense program based on National Defense Program Guidelines adopted last December, Japan plans to purchase 27 F35A fighters in five years. Each aircraft costs more than 100 million dollars.

The government plans to expand the F35A fleet to 105, with a total budget estimated at more than nine billion dollars.

Japan's destroyer, the Izumo, which will effectively function as an aircraft carrier, will carry 42 F35Bs in the future.

Key words : Tamaki
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190410_24/

Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki has urged the central government to suspend reclamation work on a US air station in Nago City, before holding talks about US bases with the prefecture.

The planned base will replace the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City. But the prefectural government is opposed to the relocation within the prefecture.

Tamaki and Ginowan Mayor Masanori Matsugawa met Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya at the prime minister's office on Wednesday.

They discussed reducing burdens caused by the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station.

Tamaki demanded the central government suspend the landfill work for three to six months before the two sides discuss the reduction of risks from the base.

He also asked the government to set a new time frame to end operations at the Futenma base. Its initial five-year target of February this year failed to materialize.

Wednesday's meeting with top government officials was held at Tamaki's request. High-level talks on the issue had not been held for three years due to the confrontation between the central and Okinawa governments over the base relocation plan.

Tamaki later told reporters that the central government insisted on working-level talks on the issue of reducing the burdens caused by Futenma.

Key words : evacuation order partially
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190410_01/

An evacuation order for one of the towns hosting the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been partially lifted from Wednesday.

Officials decided to lift the restrictions for two districts that cover 40 percent of Okuma town because radiation levels have fallen significantly. The districts are about seven kilometers southwest of the damaged nuclear plant.

Residents are no longer required to register to stay overnight in their own homes.

Officials say they hope the town's revival will begin with these two districts.

A new town hall will begin operations on May 7. Fifty households are expected to move into public housing in June.

As of March 31, 367 people, or about 3.5 percent of Okuma's population, were registered as residents of the two districts.

A survey of former residents in January last year found that only 12.5 percent wanted to return to the town.

Key words : Israel likely to retain
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190410_34/

Israeli media reports say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to retain his post as a result of Tuesday's general election.

Israel's election committee says that with almost all votes counted, Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party has 26.2 percent of the votes and the centrist Blue and White party, led by former military chief Benny Gantz, has 25.9 percent. The two parties are believed to have won about the same number of seats in the Knesset.

But local media reports say far-right and religious parties that have been Likud's coalition partners could give Netanyahu the majority of seats.

Netanyahu declared victory on Wednesday, saying he was moved that the nation of Israel has once again entrusted him with the role.
He revealed he has already begun negotiating a coalition with several parties.

If the negotiations proceed smoothly, Israel's president will formally ask Netanyahu as early as next week to form a government.

There are concerns that if Netanyahu begins his fifth term in office, he will use his close ties with US President Donald Trump to take an even harder line against Iran and the Palestinians.

Key words : foreign minister recognize
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190410_28/

Japan's foreign minister says his country does not recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights and has informed the US government of its position on the matter.

Taro Kono addressed the Lower House foreign affairs committee on Wednesday.

Kono said Japan does not recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights and that the United States' recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the plateau runs counter to UN Security Council resolutions.

Kono said he conveyed the view to US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan at the meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of Seven industrialized nations in France last week.

The US was criticized at an emergency UN Security Council meeting last month for its decision to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Israel seized the plateau from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war.

Key words : communications ministry
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190410_36/

Japan's communications ministry on Wednesday allocated frequencies to four companies to operate ultra-high speed 5G services.

The ministry panel approved the allocations to NTT Docomo, KDDI, Softbank and a newcomer, Rakuten.

5G telecoms are expected to become a pillar of infrastructure, fueling advances in self-driving, high-definition video streaming and the Internet of Things.

NTT Docomo, KDDI and Softbank plan to start testing their networks in some areas of Japan around this summer or autumn.

All four operators hope to offer 5G for smartphones from 2020 -- before expanding services nationwide.

Telecoms operators in the US and South Korea began offering 5G for smartphones earlier this month.

Key words : news key word segment today 5G
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Key words : visitor television
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190410_19/

Visitors to one of the world's largest television content showcases in Cannes, France on Tuesday showed great interest in the latest works filmed in 8K ultra-high definition.

NHK, which began the world's first 8K broadcasts in December, showed a two-hour program about the Palace of Versailles.

American and French producers also showed their 8K television content, including nature and travel programs, at the twice-in-a-year event.

Participants asked many questions about the costs and techniques of producing 8K content.

An official of the event's organizer says, "We hope 8K will be as well received as 4K, which has become extremely popular over the past seven or eight years."

Key words : survey children new home
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190410_26/

A survey by the Japanese government finds nearly 400 children abused by their parents are staying longer in hospitals, even after treatment. They also face challenges finding new homes.

The health ministry recently surveyed 935 medical institutions nationwide, and received responses from 395.

The results showed at least 1781 children were hospitalized last year after being allegedly abused by their parents.

399 of them could not leave hospitals, even after treatment finished. 285 had to stay for another few weeks. 65 remain there for a month to six months. 15 had to be there longer for more than one year.

The survey asked about causes of overstays of more than two weeks. Most cases resulted from a lack of rooms in care facilities. About 10 percent were due to delays in talks about aftercare with their parents or relatives.

Compared to previous surveys, the number of children who stayed in hospital for longer periods has increased more than six-fold in two years.

Ministry officials note such a prolonged hospitalization has negative effects on children's development.

One medical official points out that children who spend a longer time alone in hospitals can suffer psychological damage.

To combat the problem, ministry officials say they will begin finding homes for those children soon after they are hospitalized, and plan to increase the number of caretakers and facilities for them.