Companies in Japan are busy making last-minute preparations for a consumption tax hike. The rate is effect to increase a variety of goods on October 1.
Protests in Hong Kong have intensified in the run-up to the 70th anniversary on Tuesday of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has blamed Iran for a recent attack on oil facilities in his country, while stressing the need for a peaceful solution to the tensions.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20190930200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : companies busy
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190930_14/
Companies in Japan are busy making last-minute preparations for a consumption tax hike that is set to go into effect on a variety of goods on October 1.
Consumption tax rates will go from 8 to 10 percent on Tuesday. The government says the increase is needed to help cover ballooning social security costs and pay down massive public debt.
Shoppers rushed to make purchases during the weekend leading up to the increase. Many bought luxury goods and stocked up on household items.
The levy will remain at 8 percent for daily necessities like food and drinks. Alcoholic beverages and items eaten out will be subject to the higher tax. It's the first time in Japan that different rates will apply to different goods.
The uneven tax is requiring retailers to take extra steps. Some supermarkets and restaurants will temporarily close to update cash registers and other systems.
A points-based incentive program is meant to soften the blow of the change and promote cashless transactions. Customers using credit cards or electronic payment methods will get points for future discounts until next June.
Key words : protesters intensified
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190930_06/
Protests in Hong Kong have intensified in the run-up to the 70th anniversary on Tuesday of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
People who gathered for a rally on Sunday folded paper cranes. They marched with foreign flags in the hope of gaining support from other countries such as the United States and Japan.
Some violent protesters threw petrol bombs and burned congratulatory signs of the 70th national day. Others defaced the automatic cash dispensers of a Chinese bank.
Police responded with tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. They also detained a number of protesters.
It was reported that 25 protesters had been brought to hospital as of Sunday night.
Local media reported that several men who are believed to be plain clothed police were surrounded by protesters and one of them fired a warning shot.
Rallies are planned again on Monday and activists are calling for walk-outs from schools and workplaces. A human chain is also planned.
Democracy activists are planning a mass demonstration for Tuesday despite objections by police. More clashes are likely to occur.
The rallies started in June to protest a bill that would have allowed suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial.
Demonstrations continued even after the Hong Kong government announced the formal withdrawal of the controversial bill earlier this month.
Key words : support US capital
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190930_08/
People supporting protesters in Hong Kong have rallied in the US capital.
Nearly 100 people gathered in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington on Sunday. The organizers of the event included US-based activists calling for democracy in China.
The participants chanted and held up placards that read: "Stand with Hong Kong." They demanded that China continue to respect the territory's democracy.
A student wearing a mask and helmet like protestors in Hong Kong said she supported them because of what she had seen in the news. She said that what China is doing is wrong.
Support for the Hong Kong demonstrators appears to be growing in the United States.
A US Congressional committee has passed a bill seeking a government verification on whether China is violating the "one country, two systems" principle which grants Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy.
Key words : Trump warned
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190930_13/
US President Donald Trump has warned of "big consequences" as Democrats are poised to accelerate an impeachment inquiry over his dealings with Ukraine.
The Democratic chairman of the US House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff told an ABC news show on Sunday that the committee expects to hear from an anonymous whistleblower very soon.
The whistleblower alleges that in a phone call in July, Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to obtain incriminating information about former US vice president Joe Biden.
Biden is a leading contender in the race to win the Democratic Party nomination for next year's US presidential election, and Trump's possible rival.
Trump took to Twitter on Sunday, lashing out at Schiff.
He also wrote that he wants to meet the accuser, as well as the person who he says illegally gave incorrect information to the whistleblower. He said that there would be "big consequences" for spying on a US president.
Trump also released a video message lashing out at the Democrats, calling their impeachment inquiry "the greatest scam in the history of American politics."
Key words : former Ukrainian
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190930_17/
A former Ukrainian prosecutor general says former US Vice President Joe Biden and his son did not break any Ukrainian laws and he saw no evidence of wrongdoing.
Yuri Lutsenko made the comment in an interview in Sunday's edition of the Los Angeles Times. He was fired as prosecutor general last month.
US President Donald Trump is facing allegations that he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a July phone call to obtain incriminating information about the former vice president.
Trump reportedly asked Zelenskyy to find out why the authorities had dropped an investigation into the corruption case involving a Ukrainian company where Biden's son had served as a board member.
Lutsenko told the US newspaper that he met Trump's personal lawyer Rudolph Giuliani multiple times and was asked why the case was closed.
Lutsenko reportedly said he was eager to cooperate with Giuliani and Trump but did not have sufficient evidence to act on his own.
He told Giuliani that he could not start an investigation just for the interests of an American official.
Senior officials of Ukraine's investigative authorities also say Biden's son was not the subject of any investigation.
They say they dropped the case due to a lack of evidence.
Key words : Saudi blamed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190930_24/
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has blamed Iran for a recent attack on oil facilities in his country, while stressing the need for a peaceful solution to the tensions.
Speaking in an interview with US TV network CBS aired on Sunday, the Crown Prince said the strikes prove Iran is stupid.
However, he ruled out the possibility of war, and called on Iran to enter dialogue with the United States.
He also said further escalations and threats to global interests can be expected, unless the international community takes firm measures to deter Iran.
He warned oil prices would jump to unimaginably high levels.
The Crown Prince denied being involved in the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi consulate in Turkey last October.
However, he said he takes full responsibility for the killing as a leader, and that he must take action to avoid a similar incident.
Key words : vote counting underway
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190930_19/
Vote counting is underway in Afghanistan, after millions of people braved the threat of terrorist attacks to cast ballots in Saturday's presidential election.
One official says the process has already been hit by delays, but preliminary results will be announced around October 19.
There were a series of attacks across the country on voting day, after the Taliban warned it would try to derail the election. The Interior Ministry says nine people were killed and more than 100 wounded.
Security was tight, with more than 70,000 military and police personnel deployed at polling stations. A spokesperson for the election commission told NHK the number of attacks was smaller than expected, and the election unfolded smoothly as a whole.
More than 10 candidates ran in the race. They include incumbent President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who is the number-two official in Ghani's administration.
If no candidate wins an outright majority of votes, the top two contenders will hold a run-off.
Key words : Britain
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190930_05/
Britain's Conservative Party has begun its annual conference as the end-of-October deadline for the country's departure from the European Union approaches.
The Conservative Party conference got underway in the central city of Manchester on Sunday. Outside the venue, some protesters shouted, "Liar" when Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived there.
Speaking on Sunday, the first day, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called on his fellow Conservatives to seize the historic opportunity under the leadership of Johnson for Britain to reach out to the world on its own terms. He said Britain will leave the EU at the end of October with no ifs and no buts.
In an interview with the BBC ahead of the party conference, Johnson said he has undertaken to lead the party and the country at a difficult time. He stressed he has no intention of resigning as prime minister even if his government fails to reach an agreement with the EU over Brexit.
In a speech scheduled for Wednesday, the final day of the conference, Johnson is expected to call on his party members to unite to deliver Brexit on October 31.
Britain's parliament will be in session during the Conservative Party conference.
A fierce showdown has continued between the ruling Conservatives and the opposition camp, which is demanding an extension of the deadline for Brexit.
Analysts say there may be a shift in Britain's political landscape as the opposition camp could present a non-confidence motion against Johnson and his Cabinet.
Key words : Monday marks
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190930_11/
Monday marks 20 years since a deadly nuclear criticality accident at a fuel processing plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo.
At the time, it was Japan's worst-ever nuclear accident, leaving two workers dead.
It took place at a plant of the JCO nuclear fuel processing company at Tokai Village on September 30, 1999.
The company had engaged in illegal procedures, including the use of stainless buckets to mix uranium with nitric acid. This led to a state of criticality, a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. Three workers were exposed to a large amount of radiation and two died. More than 600 nearby residents were also exposed to radiation.
JCO's license to process nuclear fuel was revoked. Six company officials, including the then-head of the plant, were found guilty of negligence resulting in death and given suspended prison terms.
The accident also revealed flaws in Japan's nuclear disaster management system.
The central and local governments and the company failed to work together effectively and it took a whole day to stop the nuclear chain reaction. There was also confusion over who should issue evacuation orders.
The central government introduced new legislation allowing it to take the initiative in responding to a nuclear disaster. It also set up offsite emergency response centers across Japan.
Two decades on, the country faces a problem as to how to pass on the experience and lessons from the accident to future generations.
Fewer than 30 percent of village officials now serving experienced the accident and the number of residents with direct knowledge of the accident has also declined.
Village mayor Osamu Yamada says there have been recent cases of errors and accidents. He said it is the village's mission to keep the memory of the accident alive.
Key words : last remaining
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190930_18/
The last remaining pager service in Japan is being terminated on Monday.
The first pager service was launched in Japan in 1968. The number of subscribers peaked in 1996 at more than 10 million.
Young people liked to send messages using numbers. For example, "0840" could be read as "ohayo," or "good morning."
Tokyo Telemessage, the only pager service provider in Japan, says the number of users in the Tokyo metropolitan area had declined to less than 1,500.
The company says the frequencies allocated for pagers will be used by local governments for their disaster radio services.
Key words : famous kabuki
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190930_25/
A famous kabuki performer who will appear in a kabuki play based on an acclaimed anime film by director Hayao Miazaki said he wants to make the show something that can be appreciated by both Kabuki fans and Miyazaki's anime followers.
Miazaki's work, "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" will be made into a kabuki play.
At a news conference on Monday, Kabuki performers announced that the play will run from December 6 to 25 at Tokyo's Shimbashi Enbujo Theatre.
The original manga series started in 1982, and Miyazaki made it into a blockbuster film two years later. It tells the story of a girl named Nausicaa, who struggles to survive conflicts in a heavily polluted world after civilization is destroyed in a catastrophic war.
All seven series of the original books will be depicted in the kabuki play, including some parts that were not in the film.
Onoe Kikunosuke, who has been cast in the leading role, told reporters that he finds it thrilling to imagine what kind of chemical reaction will result through the combination of Miyazaki's world and kabuki.
Toshio Suzuki of Studio Ghibli, who was in charge of the manga series, revealed that Miyazaki willingly accepted the idea of adapting Nausicaa to kabuki, although he used to turn down offers to make his manga into live-action Hollywood films.
Suzuki asked the kabuki performers and staff to produce a successful play, saying Nausicaa is something to which Miyazaki devoted all he had.
Key words : organizer art festival
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190930_23/
Organizers of an international art festival in central Japan are planning to reopen a controversial exhibition about freedom of expression next week. Its cancellation sparked debate about the relationship between politics and art.
Aichi Triennale 2019 opened on August 1 in Aichi Prefecture. Three days later, one of the exhibitions was called off due to threats being made about some of the works on display, including a statue symbolizing those referred to as wartime comfort women.
The people involved in the exhibition filed an injunction at the Nagoya District Court to demand it be reopened by the festival's organizing committee.
Aichi Governor Hideaki Ohmura, who heads the committee, called for talks aimed at reopening it under certain conditions.
They include distributing numbered tickets to people who make reservations; maintaining the consistency of the exhibits before and after reopening; and providing education programs to explain the works, if necessary.
On Monday, the two sides reached a settlement on the matter at the court. The people behind the exhibition are said to have shown a willingness to accept the conditions.
The organizing committee wants to reopen the exhibition from October 6, or 8 at the latest.
Last week, the central government's Agency for Cultural Affairs decided not to provide subsidies to the festival. Officials said the organizing committee had failed to report possible safety risks when applying for financial assistance.
