Japan's health ministry says 66 more people have tested positive for the new coronavirus on a cruise ship bringing the total number of cases discovered on the vessel to 136.
The UN weather agency says a record high temperature of 18.3 degrees Celsius was logged in Antarctica, fueling concerns over rising sea levels.
Japan's current account surplus has grown for the first time in two years in 2019 on the back of strong investment income and a booming tourist trade.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20200210200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : health ministry more people new infection
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_32/
Japan's health ministry says over 60 more people have tested positive for the new coronavirus on a cruise ship docked at Yokohama Port, bringing the total number of cases discovered on the vessel to over 130.
More than 3,700 passengers and crewmembers on board the Diamond Princess have been quarantined since February 3.
Ministry officials said on Monday that more than 60 new infections had been confirmed. They have been testing people who developed fever and coughing, or had close contact with others who were showing symptoms.
The Diamond Princess left Yokohama on January 20. An 80-year-old passenger from Hong Kong tested positive for the virus after he disembarked in his home city.
Passengers and crewmembers have been mostly confined to their cabins for a 14-day period that started on February 5.
Key words : Suga top priority
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_40/
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga says it is difficult to test everyone on board the cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo for coronavirus.
Suga made the comment to reporters on Monday after more than 60 additional people on the Diamond Princess tested positive for the virus.
He also said the top priority is to ensure the good health of the people on board and ease their concerns by taking into account the capacity to process virus test samples.
Key words : Japanese people evacuated
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_03/
Japanese people evacuated by a government-chartered plane from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak, are expected to be released from quarantine isolation this week.
The government has sent a chartered plane to Wuhan on four occasions since January 29 to bring a total of 763 people back to Japan.
Those who tested negative for the virus have been staying at accommodations arranged by the government.
Japan's health ministry announced on Thursday that the evacuees from Wuhan are required to stay isolated for up to 12.5 days ---the period in which the World Health Organization says the virus can lie dormant.
People who returned home on the first chartered plane are expected to be released as early as Wednesday, if they test negative on Tuesday.
Other evacuees who returned on the successive charter flights are also expected to go through the same process before being released.
Key words : ready to fight
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_39/
Infectious disease experts in Japan are calling on both the public and authorities to ensure they are ready to fight the coronavirus.
A group led by Professor Mitsuo Kaku of Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University on Monday urged people to be constantly vigilant and to take precautions based on science.
They said individuals should make a habit of washing their hands and covering their mouths and noses to prevent the virus spreading through coughing or sneezing.
Kaku warned that some patients in Japan could become seriously ill.
He said treating such patients requires doctors specializing in respiratory diseases and equipment such as respirators, as well as infectious disease experts.
The professor also urged local authorities and medical institutions to coordinate their responses to the coronavirus.
Key words : transport and
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_18/
Japan's transport and tourism minister says the coronavirus outbreak is expected to hit the country's tourism industry hard, and the government is considering support measures.
Kazuyoshi Akaba told reporters on Monday that regular passenger flights connecting Japan and mainland China have been reduced by 60 percent. He said he is concerned about a further reduction.
The minister also said tours have been canceled for 13 out of 14 foreign-flagged cruise ships scheduled to make port calls in Japan in February.
Akaba said the impact has put inbound tourism and related businesses in a very tough situation.
The minister said the government plans to include steps to support tourism businesses in an emergency package to be drawn up as early as this week.
Key words : chinese health authorities topped 40,000
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_15/
Chinese health authorities say the number of confirmed cases of new coronavirus in mainland China has topped 40,000, with the death toll now over 900.
Officials of the National Health Commission say more than 3,000 new cases were confirmed on Sunday, pushing the total to 40,171.
They say more than 80 percent of the new cases were reported in Hubei Province, the center of the outbreak.
Hubei health officials say 1, 236 people are in critical condition as of Monday.
The national commission says 97 more deaths were reported on Sunday, most of them in the province, bringing the death toll in mainland China to 908.
In Shanghai and other major cities in China, businesses are resuming operations on Monday. Work was suspended for an additional week after the Lunar New Year holiday ended on February 2.
But the coronavirus outbreak is still expected to slow business activities. Some companies are having their employees work from home to avoid using public transport.
Key words : UN weather agency
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_29/
The UN weather agency says a record high temperature of 18.3 degrees Celsius was logged in Antarctica, fueling concerns over rising sea levels.
The World Meteorological Organization says the new record was observed on the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula last Thursday. The previous high was 17.5 degrees marked in 2015.
Officials attribute the phenomenon to a regional "foehn" event, or a rapid warming of air coming down a slope or mountain.
They plan a formal evaluation of the record by analyzing full data on the meteorological conditions.
The annual average Antarctic temperature ranges from minus 10 degrees in coastal regions to minus 60 degrees in inland areas.
WMO officials say the Antarctic Peninsula, which is close to South America, is one of the fastest-warming regions in the world. Its average temperature has risen about 3 degrees in the last 50 years. They say that some 87 percent of glaciers along the Peninsula's west coast have retreated during this period. The melting has reportedly accelerated in the past 12 years.
The officials say the continent's ice sheet is 4.8 kilometers thick and contains 90 percent of the world's fresh water. If it should melt, it would raise the sea level by some 60 meters.
A spokesperson for the WMO warns that the world will be in big trouble if sea levels rise.
Key words : powerful storm
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_36/
A powerful storm has hit western Europe, causing floods and blackouts, as well as disrupting transport systems.
The storm struck Britain, France and other parts of western Europe on Sunday, with heavy rains and strong winds with a maximum speed of over 144 kilometers per hour.
In Britain, some rivers burst their banks. Local media footage showed people being rescued from a vehicle stranded in water, and parts of houses collapsed by floodwater.
The BBC reported more than 600,000 homes in the country suffered power outages at one point after electrical wires were severed by strong winds.
The storm also disrupted transport systems. Several hundreds of flights were canceled at airports across Europe, while some railway services were suspended.
Video footage captured at Heathrow Airport in London showed a passenger plane buffeted by strong winds as it attempted to make landing before giving up.
The stormy weather also caused a temporary shutdown of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and the cancellation of many sports events in European countries.
Key words : top diplomat
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_09/
EU's top diplomat has apologized, after being widely criticized, for calling young climate protestors as suffering from "Greta syndrome," in reference to young Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted Saturday, "I want to apologise to anyone that may have felt offended by my inappropriate reference to the important youth movement" fighting climate change.
Borrell's tweet came after he made the remarks on Wednesday at an European Parliament event in the Belgian capital Brussels. He reportedly said he doubted whether young people demonstrating against climate change are aware of those measures' costs and willing to reduce their living standards for them.
As his remarks spread through social media, many criticized him, saying his attitude was shameful and he was not worthy of representing the EU. Others said he should not look down on young people.
In December, the EU pledged to tackle climate change with a goal of making the union climate neutral by 2050. But its members remain divided on the issue.
Key words : current account
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_30/
Japan's current account surplus has grown for the first time in two years in 2019 on the back of strong investment income and a booming tourist trade.
Finance Ministry officials say last year's surplus topped 20 trillion yen, or about 183 billion dollars. That's up by roughly 7.6 billion dollars from the previous year.
They say the primary-income account added most to the surplus. Earnings from overseas investment contributed some 190 billion dollars.
The travel-account surplus marked a record 24 billion dollars, bringing an additional lift.
The services account balance posted a surplus for the first time since 1996, when comparable data became available. The figure of 1.6 billion dollars includes such items as travel-related services and patent payments.
Smaller payments to overseas businesses for R&D and advertising expenses helped boost the service-account balance.
Meanwhile, the trade surplus tumbled by more than half to 5 billion dollars.
Officials cite a drop in China-bound shipments of auto parts, due largely to the trade friction between Beijing and Washington.
Key words : antitrust
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_37/
Japan's antitrust regulators are investigating major online mall operator Rakuten over its plan to offer customers free shipping. NHK has learned that the Fair Trade Commission searched the offices of the Tokyo-based company on Monday.
Regulators suspect Rakuten may be violating the anti-monopoly law by abusing its dominant position to force merchants to go along with the plan.
The firm wants to make deliveries free from mid-March on orders worth around 36 dollars or more.
Merchants say their businesses will suffer if they have to bear the cost of the free deliveries. Around 4,000 vendors have signed a petition calling for an investigation.
Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani said last month that he is determined to go ahead with the free shipping plan. The firm says it will cooperate fully with the antitrust probe.
Key words : metropolitan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_05/
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has started work to improve water quality at a venue of this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games after higher-than-acceptable levels of E. coli bacteria were detected there last year.
Odaiba Marine Park is the intended venue for the swimming leg of the triathlon for the Tokyo Games.
But last August, a test of the water there found over twice the level of E. coli bacteria allowed by the International Triathlon Union, forcing a triathlon test event for the Games to be cancelled.
Organizers blamed heavy rain in the area just before the event. They said dirty water from a river poured into the venue.
The Tokyo government later revealed a plan to install a triple-layer underwater screen to block E. coli bacteria. It also decided to pour a large amount of sand into the water to cover mud accumulated on the seabed.
Tokyo officials say about 720 tons of sand was dumped into the water off the coast of the park on Saturday. They are planning to put a total of 19,800 tons of sand into the water by the end of March.
They will increase the amount of sand and then determine the effectiveness of their plan.
Key words : group of Japanese
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_16/
A group of Japanese researchers have discovered a new species of marine worm in the bay where Tokyo Olympic triathlon events are scheduled.
Researchers from the National Institute of Polar Research and Toho University said they discovered what they believe to be a new scavenger species of Ophryotrocha worm.
The new species is about one centimeter long and has a wavy head with strong teeth.
They found it at a depth of 5 meters on the seabed at Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo Bay.
The newly found species has been named "Ophryotrocha urbis." Urbis is Latin for urban.
The researchers say it eats dead fish and other marine animals on the ocean floor.
They believe that the species is likely one that plays an important scavenger role to help clean up the sea bottom and maintain the ecosystem of the bay.
Naoto Jimi of the national institute, a member of the group that made the discovery, said they learned that even urban waters can hold undiscovered species.
Jimi said he hopes the discovery will lead many people to take interest in the natural environment.
Key words : south parasite
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200210_33/
South Korean movie 'Parasite' has made history at the Oscars, becoming the first foreign-language film to take best picture and netting three other awards including best director.
No foreign film had won the top prize in the previous 91 years of the Academy Awards.
The movie is a dark comedy about a poor household living in Seoul who latch onto an upper-class family.
Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the film has been praised for shining a spotlight on South Korea's social divide.
The movie also bagged awards for best original screenplay and best international film.
The director revealed what he believes is most important in film-making. He said," There's a saying I carved in my heart from the days I studied film, 'the most personal is the most creative'."
Meanwhile, Japanese-born American Kazu Hiro won his second Oscar for makeup and hairstyling, for his work on "Bombshell." That movie focuses on cases of sexual harassment at TV broadcaster Fox News.
Renee Zellweger won best actress for a movie depicting Judy Garland's life, while Joaquin Phoenix took best actor for "Joker."
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