at 20:00 (JST), October 15

Emergency crews are still trying to locate people who went missing after Typhoon Hagibis devastated parts of Japan over the weekend.

NHK has learned that more than 13,000 homes were flooded as a result of violent typhoon.

Prefectures affected by a storm are offering assistance in a number of languages for foreign residents and tourists.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20191015200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : emergency crews went missing steps will
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191015_49/

Emergency crews are still trying to locate people who went missing after Typhoon Hagibis devastated parts of Japan over the weekend. Authorities say the death toll now stands at 66.

A member of Japan's Self-Defense Forces recorded a video from a helmet-cam on Sunday, as residents from a flooded nursing home were airlifted to safety.

The SDF has been deployed to Nagano prefecture to help with search and rescue operations.

The typhoon brought powerful winds and heavy rain, breaking 66 levees on rivers across the country.

NHK has learned over 12,000 houses were submerged and 900 were damaged. Officials say many places received up to 40 percent of their annual rainfall in just two days.

Fukushima prefecture in northeastern Japan was one of the hardest hit parts of the country. At least 25 people in the prefecture died, including a young boy and his mother. They were believed to be in their car when the storm hit, but were found 4 kilometers apart. Another son is still missing.

The heavy rain caused 140 landslides throughout the country. Three people in Gunma prefecture were killed when their homes were destroyed.

A woman said, "I never imagined that a disaster like this would happen. I'm worried that there could be more landslides if it rains."

About 33,000 households are still without electricity. Tens of thousands of homes had no running water as of Tuesday morning. It's unclear how long it will take for utilities to fully restore service.

The government says it plans to designate Typhoon Hagibis as a "severe natural disaster" to free up more subsidies for reconstruction.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, " Steps will be taken to provide food, water, cardboard beds and other relief supplies, to improve conditions at evacuation shelters, and to help rehouse the displaced.

Key words : learned more than 13,000
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191015_61/

NHK has learned that more than 13,000 homes were flooded due to Typhon Hagibis which swept across Japan over the weekend.

Data collected from NHK stations across the country showed that more than 1,000 houses were destroyed or partially damaged.

Water rose above the ground floor in 7,325 homes in 16 prefectures, including Nagano and Tochigi.

Water entered below the ground floor in 6,472 houses in 21 prefectures, such as Shizuoka and Saitama.

A total of 77 homes in seven prefectures including Chiba were half-destroyed while 1,038 homes in 21 prefectures, including Tokyo and Kanagawa, were partially damaged.

Key words : most railway
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191015_29/

Most railway services are returning to normal on Tuesday after Typhoon Hagibis caused widespread disruption over the weekend.

Most Shinkansen or bullet train services have resumed. However, on the Hokuriku line, operations are still suspended between Nagano station and Joetsumyoko station. The trains were making round trips between Tokyo and Nagano stations and between Kanazawa and Joetsumyoko stations.

Operations remain suspended on several stretches of East Japan Railway lines around Tokyo, including between Takao and Otsuki stations on the Chuo Line.

Among private railways, some sections on lines operated by Tobu, Keio and Odakyu Line are still not in service.

Highways have also been reopened. However, Seisho bypass remains closed, along with the section between Otsuki interchange and Hachioji junction on Chuo Expressway.

Key words : offering foreign
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191015_57/

Prefectures affected by Typhoon Hagibis are making efforts to grasp the extent of damage. They're offering multilingual assistance to foreign residents and tourists affected by the devastating typhoon.

The Miyagi International Association has set up a hotline for foreigners in 12 languages--English, Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Nepalese, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Thai, Tagalog, and Hindi. The phone number is 022-275-9990.

The Fukushima International Association offers assistance in six languages--English, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Portuguese. The number is 024-524-1316.

Ibaraki Prefecture provides information on its Disaster Prevention and Risk Management website in five languages-- English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Portuguese.

The Ibaraki International Association is also gathering staff to provide assistance in nine languages--English, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, Spanish, and Portuguese.

In Tochigi Prefecture, a help center was set up in coordination with the Tochigi International Association after emergency warnings were issued. Their multilingual assistance includes English, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese. The number is 028-627-3399. The help center will be open until Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The association is also sending emails to about 3,000 foreigners registered on their mailing list, offering information such as where to dispose of damaged items.

Saitama Information & Support, operated by the Saitama International Association, offers consultations in eight languages--English, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. The number is 048-833-3296.

In Gunma Prefecture, the One-Stop Consultation Center for Foreign Residents within the prefectural office offers consultations on typhoon-related matters. Their multilingual service includes Chinese, Vietnamese, English, Spanish and Portuguese. The number is 027-289-8275.

In Tokyo, the Bureau of Citizens and Cultural Affairs provides information in three languages. They offer consultations on certification of damage, information on how and where to dispose of damaged items and contact information for local municipalities.

The number for English service is 03-5320-7744, available Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The number for the Chinese service is 03-5320-7766, with the same hours on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The number for the Korean service is 03-5320-7700, with the same hours on Wednesdays.

In Shizuoka, the number for the Shizuoka Assistance Center for Foreign Residents is 054-204-2000. They offer assistance in Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, English, and Korean.

In Nagano, the number of the Nagano Assistance Center for Foreign Residents is 026-219-3068. They offer consultations in 15 languages--Chinese, Portuguese, Tagalog, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, English, Indonesian, Spanish, Nepalese, Malay, Burmese, French, Cambodian, and German.

In Iwate, the Iwate Support Center for Foreign Residents provides assistance in English, Chinese, Spanish, Korean, and Vietnamese. The number is 019-654-8900.

In Niigata, the Foreign Resident Consultation Center of Niigata offers assistance in English, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Spanish, and Portuguese. The number is 025-241-1881.

Key words : Sugawara
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191015_27/

Japan's industry minister Isshu Sugawara has indicated that areas severely flooded by Typhoon Hagibis could remain without electricity for more than a week.

Sugawara told reporters on Tuesday that power companies have reported that it would take a week or so after the waters recede to restore power in those areas.

He said the number of households without power stood at 34,000 as of 7 a.m. Tuesday, down from a peak of 520,000.

The minister said 16,000 of the affected homes are in Chiba Prefecture, which neighbors Tokyo, and 12,000 are in Nagano Prefecture, northwest of the capital.

Key words : emperor and empress
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191015_48/

Japan's Emperor and Empress have offered condolences to the victims of Typhoon Hagibis, and sympathies to survivors struggling in the storm's aftermath.

The Imperial Household Agency says Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are deeply disturbed by the loss of so many lives and the scale of damage caused by the storm.

In addition to expressing sympathies for those affected, the imperial couple said they are praying that people's lives will return to normal as soon as possible, and thanked those involved in recovery and relief efforts.

The Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita are paying close attention to developments.

All celebratory events for the Empress Emerita's 85th birthday on Sunday have been canceled because of the disaster. There will only be a luncheon attended by her children and their families.

Key words : Japan rejected
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191015_33/

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has rejected North Korea's demand for financial compensation following a collision between ships from the two countries in the Sea of Japan.

A Japanese Fisheries Agency patrol vessel and a North Korean fishing boat collided in Japan's exclusive economic zone off Ishikawa Prefecture on October 7. The North Korean boat sank but its crew was rescued by the agency's vessel. The crew members were handed over to another North Korean ship.

North Korea said on Saturday that the lives of the crew members were threatened. It demanded Japan pay damages and take measures to prevent a recurrence.

Suga told reporters on Tuesday that Japan absolutely cannot accept the North Korean demand and has swiftly lodged a protest to Pyongyang through diplomatic routes in Beijing.

He added that the government is considering when it will release video footage of the collision.

Key words : Japanese man
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191015_26/

A Japanese man who spent more than two decades in North Korea after being abducted has renewed his call for the government to bring back all the other abductees still left behind.

Kaoru Hasuike told NHK in an interview that Japan should do its utmost to hold a summit with North Korea as soon as possible. He said that he believes a summit would be a great opportunity to help realize the early return of all the abductees.

Hasuike and his wife were taken from Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast by North Korean agents in 1978.

Tuesday marks 17 years since they, along with three other abductees, were repatriated following a Japan-North Korea summit in 2002.

Hasuike told NHK that if he were still in North Korea, he would not feel his life was worth living.

He stressed that none of the other abductees have since returned home and for all that time, they have been denied the chance to live in a free society.

Hasuike said that although the abduction issue was reportedly raised in the US-North Korea summit talks, no progress has been made.

He emphasized Japan should not just stand by and watch developments in US-North Korea summits.

He said Tokyo should be prepared to respond to any situation while calling for the cooperation of other countries, as the abductions are regarded as one of Japan's most urgent issues.

Hasuike pointed out that North Korea must also be considering how to deal with the issue and that it is important to let the North understand that returning the abductees is the option that brings big gains for the least cost.

Hasuike is an associate professor of an university in his hometown, Kashiwazaki City, in Niigata Prefecture. He has been touring Japan to give lectures on the abduction issue.

Key words : supporter
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191015_47/

Supporters of an independence movement in the Spanish region of Catalonia have protested a ruling by Spain's Supreme Court to imprison their leaders.

Spain's top court in Madrid on Monday sentenced the nine people, including former senior regional officials, to prison for up to 13 years for illegally holding an independence referendum in 2017.

The ruling triggered mass protests. At the El Prat international airport in Barcelona, thousands of protesters clashed with police.

Local media say 75 people were injured. Airport authorities say 110 flights were cancelled.

Popular football club FC Barcelona issued a statement saying "prison is not the solution" and called for releasing the nine.

On Twitter, protesters are calling for rallies outside Spain.

Key words : Trump economic sanction tweet
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20191015_40/

US President Donald Trump has announced that he is set to impose economic sanctions against Turkey for its military offensive in northern Syria.

Trump released a statement in a Tweet on Monday, saying that he will soon issue "an Executive Order authorizing sanctions against current and former officials of the government of Turkey and any persons contributing to Turkey's destabilizing actions in northeast Syria."

He also announced a plan to raise US tariffs on Turkey's steel exports back up to 50 percent, the level prior to a reduction in May.

Trump also said, "I am fully prepared to swiftly destroy Turkey's economy if Turkish leaders continue down this dangerous and destructive path."

The move is believed to be in response to global and domestic criticism for disregarding Turkey's military action and withdrawing US troops from northern Syria.

Trump apparently wants to demonstrate that he is taking a harsh position against Turkey.

Vice President Mike Pence told reporters at the White House on Monday that Trump spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the telephone.

He said Trump asked Erdogan to begin negotiations on an immediate ceasefire with the Kurdish forces.

Trump has reportedly instructed Pence to go to Turkey soon, in hopes of finding a solution to the aggression.