at 20:00 (JST), June 20

Xi Jinping has begun a two-day visit to North Korea the first by Chinese President in ten years.

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has shot down a US spy drone in the country's airspace.

エラー 2042

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20190620200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : xi met airport
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190620_45/

China's President Xi Jinping met with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, on Thursday, marking a historic visit between the two neighbors.

Denuclearization and the North's struggling economy are expected to dominate the agenda.

Kim welcomed Xi at the airport, a rare gesture of honor from Kim.

It's the first time in more than a decade a Chinese president has visited North Korea.

He will spend two days in the country. Chinese state media report Xi will also attend a banquet and watch a mass-game, a North Korean synchronized propaganda performance involving gymnastics and dancing later on Thursday.

Xi's trip is also being seen as an opportunity for Kim to boost his profile. It took a hit after his second summit with the US president failed to produce any results.

The US wants the North to completely denuclearize in exchange for lifting crippling UN sanctions. But Kim wants a more phased approach. Talks have since stalled.

But Kim might find a more willing partner in Xi.

The two have met four times since March 2018. And in an op-ed this week, the Chinese president says he supports the North in resolving issues on the Korean Peninsula.

Xi's trip comes before another high-profile meeting.
He'll sit down with Donald Trump next week on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Japan.

Key words : relationship between china
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190620_25/

The relationship between China and North Korea began to cool in 2006. Starting in 2006, the North conducted six nuclear tests and also test-fired intercontinental ballistic missiles.

China criticized its neighbor for heightening tensions on the Korean Peninsula with its tests. China also supported the UN Security Council sanctions resolutions.

Relations began to improve after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited China for talks with President Xi Jinping in March 2018. This was Kim's first known overseas visit and summit with a foreign leader.

Kim and Xi have met three more times in China.

In June last year, Kim sent Xi a letter to congratulate the Chinese leader on his 65th birthday.

Kim wrote that it is the firm will of North Korea's ruling party and its people to cherish and develop the bilateral relationship that has been forged in blood.

North Korea aims to win an easing of international sanctions through its negotiations with the United States, and places hope in China's role in supporting its position.

China is apparently seeking to increase its presence over matters on the Korean Peninsula by showing its close ties with North Korea.

Key words : former high
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190620_43/

A former high-ranking North Korean diplomat says he thinks Pyongyang wants Chinese President Xi Jinping to be a mediator at next week's G20 summit.

Thae Yong Ho was speaking at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Tokyo on Thursday as Chinese President Xi Jinping began his first visit to North Korea.

Thae was a minister at the North Korean Embassy in London when he defected with his family to South Korea three years ago. He is visiting Japan for the first time.

Thae said that Pyongyang wants to use Xi as a mediator in its nuclear negotiations with the United States. The US and Chinese leaders are expected to meet at the G20 summit in Osaka next week.

Thae said that he believes North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is hoping Xi will convey his new approach to the US side.

He added that Kim may open for inspection or abandon the five uranium enrichment facilities that US President Donald Trump asked about at the Hanoi summit in February.

Thae also noted that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he is ready to meet Kim without preconditions.

The former diplomat said that if the Japanese government indicates any kind of economic or humanitarian aid in advance, then he thinks Kim will take up Abe's offer. But he added that Kim will not meet Abe if he thinks there will be no immediate benefit.

Key words : Iran revolutionary shot down
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190620_40/

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has shot down a US spy drone in the country's airspace.

The Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday that the drone was engaged in spying activity over Iran's southern province of Hormozgan, facing the Persian Gulf.

The force said the measure was needed to protect Iran's airspace.

Reuters quoted a US military official as saying a US military spy drone was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile. But the official said this took place over international waters, and not in Iranian airspace.

The incident happened as the United States increased pressure on Iran following attacks on two civilian tankers in the Gulf of Oman on June 13.

The United States blamed Iran for the attacks and decided to deploy a thousand extra troops to the Middle East.

The United States said last Sunday that Iran attempted to shoot down a US military drone flying over the Gulf of Oman with a surface-to-air missile on the day of the tanker attacks.

Heightened tensions between Iran and the United States are raising concerns about accidental military clashes between the two sides.

Key words : self-defense force scramble
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Key words : New zealand
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190620_41/

New Zealand has launched a firearms buy-back and amnesty scheme to remove semi-automatic weapons from circulation, in the wake of the deadly Christchurch mosque shootings.

The government announced on Thursday that the public would have until December 20 to surrender firearms, parts, magazines and ammunition.

In a news conference, New Zealand Finance Minster Grant Robertson said, "We do not want the 15th of March and the events that happened that day to be repeated. We have made a commitment that we want these weapons out of circulation, and we believe that this buy-back process is a very important part of that."

Only those with valid firearms licenses will be eligible for compensation of up to 95 per cent for surrendering their weapons. The government-funded scheme will cost 208 million New Zealand dollars, or 136 million US dollars. Those who have unauthorized guns can submit them to police within the amnesty period.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a ban on semi-automatic firearms after the mass shootings in March that killed 51 people.

The approximately 14,300 military-style semi-automatic weapons registered with police are now all prohibited under the law.

The authorities plan large-scale community events for handing in firearms during the amnesty.

Key words : Authorities Murakami
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190620_30/

Authorities in the quake-hit city of Murakami, Niigata Prefecture, have begun an emergency assessment of the houses damaged by a tremor that struck Tuesday night.

The quake measured a 6-plus on the Japanese scale of zero to 7 in the city.

On Thursday, municipal government risk assessors began checking houses in the hard-hit Sanpoku district in the city's north.

Working in pairs, the 18 inspectors are checking for tilting and serious cracks in walls and foundation. They're also judging whether roof tiles are likely to fall off, among other things.

Homes deemed safe are marked with a green paper on the front door. Homes marked with a yellow paper are in danger of having roof tiles knocked off by another quake.

The city plans to finish inspecting the roughly 400 houses in the Sanpoku district by Saturday.

Key words : tourism association
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Key words : ruling coalition bill
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190620_38/

Japan's ruling coalition parties have introduced in the Diet a bill to help delay the onset of dementia or detect the disorder early.

The Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito presented the bill on Thursday.

As the country's population ages rapidly, around one in five people aged 65 or older is expected to have dementia in 2025.

The proposed legislation calls on the central and local governments to strengthen measures to deal with dementia.

The bill calls for school education to deepen understanding of the disorder.

It also calls for programs to help people with dementia live with a sense of security, by such means as securing access to transportation.

To promote early detection, the parties are pushing for information sharing among medical and nursing care providers and administrative entities.

The legislation also calls for programs to help provide dementia patients aged below 65 job opportunities in accordance with their wishes and abilities. Such people are said to have early onset dementia.

The current Diet session ends next week. The coalition parties plan to call on opposition parties to join them in getting the bill passed at the next Diet session.

Key words : executive Mitsubishi
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190620_18/

Executives at Mitsubishi Aircraft say they've signed a preliminary deal to negotiate the sale of 15 of their planes to a North American firm.

The Japanese company is developing Japan's first domestically-built passenger jet.

Mitsubishi Aircraft officials say it's the company's first memorandum of understanding for a 70-seat model. They aim to deliver the aircraft starting 2024.

The company has recently announced plans to overhaul its development program. That's after it had to delay the delivery date for its 90-seat aircraft five times.

The company also renamed its plane Mitsubishi SpaceJet to try to revamp its image. It was formerly called the Mitsubishi Regional Jet.

The company has received orders for more than 400 of the 90-seat version from airlines at home and abroad. The deliveries are planned for mid-2020.

Key words : number of foreign
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190620_20/

The number of foreign visitors to Japan in May marked a record high for the month. Tourism officials attribute the increase to more travelers from mainland China due to the easing of visa requirements.

The Japan National Tourism Organization estimates that more than 2.77 million travelers came to the country last month. That's up 3.7 percent from a year earlier.

The number of visitors from mainland China, which accounts for the largest share, increased by 13.1 percent to 756,400.

In January, Japan's government had eased visa requirements for university students and people who have visited the country multiple times from mainland China.

Meanwhile, the number of visitors from South Korea decreased by 5.8 percent, while those from Taiwan dropped by 3.1 percent.

Officials say expensive airfares and accommodation fees may have led to the decrease. Prices soared as many Japanese had leisure trips during the rare 10-day holiday from April 27 to May 6.

The head of Japan Tourism Agency, Hiroshi Tabata, says efforts must be made to achieve the government target of 40 million foreign visitors in 2020.

He also says the Rugby World Cup Japan, which starts in September, is likely to draw first-time visitors to Japan. He says the agency will work to make them feel like returning to the country by promoting its attractiveness.