at 20:00 (JST), September 11

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reshaffled his Cabinet, announced an appointmet to ministerial posts.

The World Trade Organization has ruled that South Korea's tariffs on Japanese industrial valves are in breach of international trade rules.

The South Korean government says it will file a complaint with the World Trade Organization over Japan's export controls.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20190911200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : Abe appointment
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190911_49/

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has shaken up his Cabinet, bringing in 13 first-timers, while keeping some of his top ministers in key posts.

This is the first shakeup since July's Upper House election. The vote saw the ruling coalition lose seats, but maintain a healthy majority.

Toshimitsu Motegi is Japan's new Foreign Minister.
He's already made a name for himself in international circles as the top negotiator for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and a Japan-US trade deal.

He has taken over from Taro Kono. In turn, Kono is the new Defense Minister.
Abe is keeping in place two Cabinet heavyweights. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, have retained the portfolios they've held since Abe returned to power in 2012.

The Emperor formally authorized the new ministers' appointments at a ceremony.
They include Shinjiro Koizumi, who has taken over as Environment Minister.
He's a rising star in the LDP and a son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. At age 38, he is the third youngest minister in post-war history.

The lineup also has two women -- including a veteran Cabinet member. Sanae Takaichi has returned to her past role as Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications.
Seiko Hashimoto is a former speed skater and Olympic medalist. She's the minister in charge of next year's Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Abe also reshuffled executives of his Liberal Democratic Party. He kept two top party influencers in key policy roles.
Toshihiro Nikai is staying on as Secretary-General, while Fumio Kishida is remaining as Policy Research Council chief. Kishida is seen as a prospective successor to Abe as LDP president.

Shunichi Suzuki is the new chairperson of the LDP's decision-making General Council. He has vacated his post as Olympics Minister.

Key words : hundreds of thousands of slammed precaution
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190911_33/

Hundreds of thousands of households and businesses are still without power near Tokyo, days after the area was slammed by Typhoon Faxai.

Tokyo Electric Power Company issued an update early Wednesday on efforts to restore electricity in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures.

TEPCO Power Grid President Yoshinori Kaneko said, "I'm sorry that the power has been out for such a long time. But there's no prospect of a complete restoration on Wednesday."

The company says it has been working through the night to restore power but thunderstorms slowed the repairs.

As of 1 p.m. on Wednesday, more than 430,000 households and businesses were without power in Chiba prefecture, and 3,800 in Kanagawa.

The blackout may have played a role in at least two deaths, as temperatures topped 30 degrees.

A 93-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man died of suspected heatstroke in their homes on Tuesday. Neither had power.

With no end in sight, officials in one city have set up an emergency shelter for pregnant women and the disabled.

On Wednesday morning, the local city hall was packed with people charging their mobile devices.

Weather officials say they don't expect the high temperatures to let up. They're advising people to take whatever precautions they can against the heat.

Key words : health ministry water supplies
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190911_39/

Japan's health ministry says more than 24,900 households in Tokyo, Chiba and Shizuoka prefectures still remain cut off from water supplies as of 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Sixty-two hospitals are likely to have been hit by the power outage or water shortage. Ministry officials confirmed that 37 are providing treatment and other services as usual, but they have yet to confirm how the other 25 are coping.

The health ministry is trying to find out whether the death of a male patient at a hospital in Chiba Prefecture is linked to the power outage.

Officials say there have been no reports of patients using respirators and other equipment at home being transferred to hospitals, but they have not checked on all such patients.

All patients in need of dialysis have reportedly been transferred to facilities with power supply.

Officials say ten facilities in Chiba Prefecture for the elderly flooded or developed leaks, but no one was injured.

They also say 26 day-care centers and other facilities for children in the prefecture suffered damage from the typhoon, but there were no injuries.

Key words : world trade ruled
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190911_03/

The World Trade Organization has ruled that South Korea's tariffs on Japanese industrial valves are in breach of international trade rules.

The WTO Appellate Body issued a report on Tuesday calling on South Korea to correct the practice, upholding a ruling by a lower panel in Japan's favor.

Four years ago, South Korea started imposing tariffs of up to 23 percent on valves used at semiconductor and automobile factories, alleging that they are sold for unfairly low prices.

Japan filed a complaint at the WTO. A panel ruled in its favor in April 2018 and told South Korea to correct the practice. Both sides appealed.

The report argues that South Korea failed to explain whether Japanese valves put downward pressure on the prices of domestic products.

It also says Seoul didn't explain how the prices of imported and domestically-produced valves can be compared when they have different performances.

The report concludes that the tariffs are in violation of WTO rules.

As the Appellate Body's decision is final, South Korea is required to scrap the tariffs.

The decision comes as relations between Japan and South Korea have worsened over historical and trade issues.

Key words : south claimed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190911_08/

South Korea has claimed victory in a trade dispute with Japan, saying that the World Trade Organization did not prove that Seoul is at fault in most points of contention over anti-dumping duties on Japanese industrial valves.

The trade ministry issued a statement after the WTO's Appellate Body released a report on the dispute.

The ministry says the body rejected Japan's arguments for eight of the nine core points of contention.

They include the issue of whether importing Japanese pneumatic valves inflicted damage on South Korean industry and whether the damage was analyzed in objective and appropriate ways.

The ministry says the report accepted Japan's argument that South Korea did not explain whether imported valves had put downward pressure on the prices of domestic products.

The ministry says it will continue using WTO procedures to resolve trade disputes and to protect national interests.

Key words : continues to escalate
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190911_28/

The trade spat between Japan and South Korea continues to escalate. The South Korean government says it will file a complaint with the World Trade Organization over Japan's export controls.

Seoul says Japan violated international trade rules when it tightened controls on shipments of three types of materials in July.
They are used to make high-tech products, including semiconductors.

South Korea's Minister for Trade, Yoo Myung-hee, said Japan's action is a politically motivated, discriminatory move against her country.
She said it was related to South Korean court rulings on wartime labor.

She added her ministry plans to ask Japan's government to enter into bilateral negotiations on the issue.
That's a requirement for taking the case to the WTO.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government denies violating WTO rules.
Japanese trade minister Hiroshige Seko said, "It's clear that our measures comply with the WTO.
We will look closely at South Korea's claim and take appropriate steps based on WTO rules."

Japanese officials maintain that the measures were implemented for security reasons.
They say there were cases of improper trade controls involving raw materials exported to South Korea.
The government says the materials for semiconductors could be used for military purposes.

If the two sides fail to reach an agreement within 60 days of commencing talks, Seoul can take the case to a WTO panel that arbitrates trade disputes.

Key words : Japanese high court
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190911_36/

A Japanese high court has ordered the central government to compensate people living around a US airbase in Okinawa for their suffering from aircraft noise.

The Naha branch of the Fukuoka High Court on Wednesday awarded over 26 billion yen, or more than 240 million dollars, to a group of about 22,000 plaintiffs who live near the US Kadena Air Base.

The amount is around 37 million dollars less than what a lower court ordered the central government to pay the plaintiffs.

The latest ruling dismissed residents' demand that flights of military aircraft be suspended from night through early morning, as did the lower court ruling.

Key words : US private media
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190911_20/

A US private media watchdog has listed 10 worst countries in terms of censorship and press freedom. The list includes three Asian countries -- North Korea, China and Vietnam.

Eritrea tops the ranking, followed by North Korea.

The Committee to Protect Journalists released the report on Tuesday.

The group ranked the countries, based on 10 factors -- including freedom of the use of the internet and restrictions on the dissemination of fake news.

It said Eritrea shut down all independent media in 2011. It added that at least 16 journalists were detained as of December last year.

Ranking North Korea as the second worst country, the group noted that the country's constitution calls for the freedom of the press. However, it said, "all the content of North Korea's newspapers, periodicals, and broadcasters comes from the official Korean Central News Agency, which focused on the political leadership's statements and activities."

The report ranked China as the fifth worst country, and said, "China has the most extensive and sophisticated censorship apparatus in the world."

Vietnam ranked 6th on the list. The report mentions a 2013 decree that "gave the state broad authority to censor blogs and social media," and said "internet service providers that spread banned content face fines or closure."

Key words : tourist Okinawa
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