at 20:00 (JST), July 09

The UN's nuclear watchdog has confirmed that Iran has breached the uranium enrichment limit set by the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Japan's Prime Minister says the government will not appeal a court ruling ordering it to pay damages to families of suffered Hansen's disease or leprosy.

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https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20190709200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : nuclear watchdog
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190709_18/

The UN's nuclear watchdog has confirmed that Iran has breached the uranium enrichment limit set by the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Iran announced on Monday that it was enriching uranium above the limit of 3.67 percent set under the deal. It said it has raised its enrichment level to at least 4.5 percent.

Later on Monday, the International Atomic Energy Agency announced that its inspectors had verified the Iranian announcement.

The IAEA is due to hold an extraordinary board meeting on Wednesday to discuss a response.

Earlier, United Nations deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said that a breach by Iran would neither help preserve the nuclear deal nor secure tangible economic benefits for the Iranian people.

Tehran complains that it is not getting the economic benefits promised under the nuclear agreement, due to tough sanctions imposed by the United States, which has pulled out of the deal.

Key words : pence
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190709_08/

US Vice President Mike Pence has lashed out at Iran after its announcement that it has enriched uranium beyond the limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal.

Pence was speaking at a meeting of a pro-Israel Christian group in Washington on Monday.

His comments came after Iran revealed that it exceeded the 3.67-percent limit on uranium enrichment set in the nuclear agreement.

Pence said Iran has been increasing its malign activity and violence in the Middle East.

He said the US will continue to put pressure on Iran's economy, and will never allow the country to obtain a nuclear weapon.

The administration of President Donald Trump is apparently trying to portray Iran's nuclear activity as a threat in order to further isolate Iran from the international community.

At the meeting, Pence also warned Iran not to confuse American restraint with a lack of US resolve.

Pence added that the US hopes for the best, but its military is prepared to protect American interests, personnel and citizens in the region.

Key words : learned called off
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190709_34/

NHK has learned that the US government called off airstrikes on Iran last month because Washington found out that Iran's leaders had not approved the downing of a US surveillance drone.

US President Donald Trump has said he halted retaliatory strikes on Iran at the last minute because many people would have been killed.

NHK spoke with retired US Army General Jack Keane, who has been asked twice by Trump to serve as defense secretary, and advises the president on security matters.

Keane said Trump knew that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani, had not authorized a tactical commander to shoot down the drone. He said the information he got was that the leaders were upset that it actually took place.

Keane said when Trump had these two pieces of information, he changed his mind.

He also noted that if the US strikes had gone ahead, it could have prompted the Iranian side to "overreact." He said the US would then respond in turn, and "we start walking up the ladder," escalating the risk of conflict.

Key words : prime not appeal several
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190709_33/

Japan's Prime Minister says the government will not appeal a court ruling ordering it to pay damages to families of former leprosy patients.

The case centered on a policy which sent leprosy patients to isolation facilities over the course of several decades.

Last month, a court in southwestern Japan ruled in favor of 500 plaintiffs whose family members were sent to those institutions.

The presiding judge said the isolation policy was no longer necessary by 1960. But, the government did not do away with the rule until 1996.

The judge ordered the government to pay about 3.5 million dollars to the plaintiffs for the discrimination and pain their families faced.

On Tuesday, Shinzo Abe told reporters the government should reflect on its responsibility to patient families.

He said, "It is a fact that the ruling includes some points that are unacceptable, but the insufferable pains that plaintiffs experienced should not be prolonged any longer. And even though it is a rare case, I have decided not to appeal it."

Health Minister Takumi Nemoto said the government has grounds to appeal, adding he will look into possible remedies for the plaintiffs.

Their lawyers are content with Abe's decision and want to discuss compensation, as well as measures to eliminate future discrimination. One former patient welcomed the news.

Former patient Yasushi Shimura said, "Former patients and our families have had really distressing experiences. So I hope that society will treat us more considerately from now on and there will no longer be any stigma surrounding us."

The government previously provided compensation payments to leprosy patients, following a court ruling in 2001. That ruling found the policy unconstitutional.

Key words : Japanese government promoted
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190709_16/

The Japanese government promoted the forced isolation of leprosy patients under a 1953 leprosy prevention law. Leprosy is also known as Hansen's disease.

Soon after, it became known that the disease was not particularly contagious and effective treatments had been established. But the government continued with the forced segregation until 1996, when the law was finally repealed.

That led many former patients to file lawsuits demanding compensation, arguing that the government's forced isolation was wrong and violated their human rights.

In May 2001, Kumamoto District Court sided with the patients and ordered the government to pay compensation.

The court ruled that the government continued to forcibly isolate patients even after it became unnecessary, thus encouraging discrimination and prejudice against them.

Later in 2001, the government and parliament admitted their responsibility for the continued isolation and apologized for the former patients' suffering. Parliament also passed legislation to compensate former patients.

But the government did not offer compensation to the families of leprosy patients, who argued that they had also suffered under the government's policy.

In 2016, 561 family members of leprosy patients filed a lawsuit with Kumamoto District Court seeking damages.

They argued that they had suffered discrimination and their family ties were destroyed because of the policy.

On June 28 this year, the court upheld the plaintiffs' argument and ordered the government to pay compensation worth about 3.5 million dollars.

It said the families suffered serious damage, such as the loss of opportunities to get married or find work.

It was the first time for a Japanese court to recognize the government's responsibility for the suffering inflicted on the families of leprosy patients.

Attention turned to whether or not the government would appeal the ruling.

Key words : Hong Kong bill is dead suspending
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190709_26/

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam says the extradition bill that would have allowed suspects to be sent to mainland China to face trial is "dead."

She said, "There're still lingering doubts about the government sincerity or worries whether the government will restart the process in the legislative council. So I reiterate here, there's no such plan. The bill is dead."

The remarks come after weeks of mass protests against the controversial bill which critics said would curb freedoms.

Last month, she said the government was indefinitely suspending the bill -- but people continued to take to the streets, calling for the plan to be scrapped altogether.

The protests led to clashes between police and activists with some protesters occupying the legislature.

Key words : cooking robot
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Key words : news key word segment robot, an answer to the labor shortage
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Key words : team retracing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190709_27/

A team retracing possible human migration routes from around 30,000 years ago has successfully paddled a dugout canoe from Taiwan to Japan's Okinawa Prefecture.

The five people aboard the log boat made the trip of over 200 kilometers in around 45 hours.

The canoe left a beach on the east coast of Taiwan around 1:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, powered by four men and one woman, and using only the sun and stars for navigation.

The boat reached the western shore of Okinawa's Yonaguni Island around 11:50 a.m. on Tuesday.
On reaching the shore, the team hugged and shook hands with people who gathered to greet them. The five rowers were all able to walk on their own and appeared to be in good shape.

One of the team members, Michiko Tanaka, said she was very happy they were able to reach Yonaguni Island. She described the time they had together as wonderful.

The journey is part of a project led by Yousuke Kaifu of Japan's National Museum of Nature and Science.

Kaifu watched the voyage from a boat that escorted the canoe. He said he was very moved to see the five rowers overcome various hardships.

He said their ancestors must have cooperated in the same way. He added that he is very moved as the experiment ended so positively.

Over the past three years, Kaifu and others involved in the project have tried to prove a hypothesis that humans migrated from Taiwan to Okinawa about 30,000 years ago, during the Paleolithic period.

Previous attempts to make the crossing using a reed boat and a bamboo raft were unsuccessful.

Key words : Mako
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190709_22/

Princess Mako left Japan on Tuesday for Peru and Bolivia, where she will attend ceremonies marking the 120th anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants. It is the first time for the princess to visit the two South American countries.

Princess Mako is the eldest daughter of Crown Prince and Princess Akishino.

Imperial Household Agency officials gathered before noon at Narita airport near Tokyo to see Princess Mako depart for Peru on a commercial flight.

About 100,000 people of Japanese descent are reported to live in Peru. That's the third-largest such population in the world. Bolivia is estimated to be home to more than 10,000 people of Japanese origin.

During her two-week tour, Princess Mako will give speeches at ceremonies recognizing immigrants. She is also scheduled to visit President Martin Vizcarra of Peru and President Evo Morales of Bolivia.

In Peru, Princess Mako plans to visit the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu, a World Heritage site. She will hear from locals about the contributions made by Japanese immigrants to the area.

It will be the fifth official overseas visit for Princess Mako. Last year, she went to Brazil to attend a ceremony marking the 110th anniversary of Japanese immigration there.