at 14:00 (JST), March 10

The Japanese government has come up with its second package of measures to offset the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

Share prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange were uppered the trading on Tuesday marking the first boost in the closing price in three trading days.

Japan's nuclear regulator says radiation levels around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have decreased to about a quarter of 2011 levels.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20200310200000_english_1.mp3


Key words : government taskforce package
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200310_40/

Japan's government has decided on its second emergency package to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

The government taskforce on the new coronavirus endorsed the 4.2 billion-dollar package on Tuesday.

It includes creation of a new subsidy program for parents who cannot go to work because of school closures, and bans resale of surgical masks which are in short supply.

It also calls for interest-free, collateral-free funding to struggling self-employed workers and small and mid-sized businesses on a scale of 15 billion dollars.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government's panel of experts are set to decide late next week whether the nationwide request for cancellation and downsizing of large-scale events has been effective in containing the virus.

He said now is the crucial time for avoiding a surge in infections, and asked that containment efforts be continued for another ten days or so until the decision by the experts' panel.

Abe urged people to avoid crowded poorly ventilated spaces.

Key words : data compiled new cases
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Key words : Tokyo three trading
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200310_35/

The Tokyo Stock Exchange on Tuesday closed higher for the first time in three trading days, after its benchmark Nikkei Average briefly dipped to a 15-month low.

Shares were sold heavily soon after the opening bell, following Monday's big sell-off amid fears of the spread of the new coronavirus. At one time, the Nikkei was down more than 800 points, breaking the 19,000 line for the first time since December 2018.

But later, shares were bought back on hopes for US financial measures to be proposed by President Donald Trump. A falling yen against the dollar also encouraged investors to buy stocks.

The Nikkei closed at 19,867, up 168 points from Monday's close.

The broader TOPIX index was up 17 points, to 1,406.

Sources say the market will remain volatile for a while, as uncertainty continues amid the coronavirus spread.

Key words : crude oil unstable
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Key words : energy agency shrink
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200310_37/

The International Energy Agency says the global oil market is likely to shrink this year because of the impact of the coronavirus. That would be the first contraction since 2009, right after the global financial crisis.

The agency released its assessment after Saudi Arabia decided to drive down the price of crude oil in a bid for market share.

The energy watchdog says demand is likely to drop by about 90,000 barrels per day from last year.

It says the demand for transport fuel has plunged and economic activity is slowing.

That's expected to cause a drop in demand of about 2.5 percent for oil globally in the first quarter of this year.

The IEA says 70 percent of that loss would stem from China.

Key words : nuclear regulator
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200310_16/

Japan's nuclear regulator says radiation levels around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have decreased to about a quarter of 2011 levels.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority says radiation levels recorded last September fell by about 78 percent compared to levels recorded in October 2011. Data was compiled in almost identical circumstances on both occasions.

Officials have been periodically monitoring radiation levels within an 80-kilometer radius of the plant by helicopter since the 2011 accident. They calculate radiation levels about one meter above the ground over a one-hour period and disclose the results in a nine-color map.

Officials say the drop is largely because radiation levels of radioactive substances decrease over time. They also attribute the reduction to decontamination work and rainfall, which has washed away harmful substances.

Key words : district court
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200310_23/

A district court in Japan has ordered the government and Tokyo Electric Power Company to compensate citizens who say they lost their livelihoods after the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The Sapporo District Court handed down the ruling on Tuesday. The case was brought by 257 people of 78 households who fled to the northern prefecture of Hokkaido from evacuation zones and other areas after the accident.

The plaintiffs each sought 16.5 million yen, or about 160,000 dollars, for their emotional suffering caused by their loss of livelihoods. The total amount of damages sought came to about 40.7 million dollars.

At issue was whether the government was able to predict the massive tsunami that hit the Fukushima Daiichi plant, which suffered multiple meltdowns.

Another point of contention was whether Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, has paid appropriate sums in consolation money.

Groups of evacuees from affected areas have filed similar lawsuits nationwide. This is the seventh case in which a district court has found the government liable.

Key words : learned arrangement
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200310_25/

NHK has learned that arrangements are under way for International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach to watch the 2020 Olympics' first baseball game, which will take place in Fukushima Prefecture.

An underlying theme of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics is recovery from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan and triggered a nuclear accident in Fukushima.

Bach suggested holding some of the events in areas hit by the disaster when he visited Japan in 2016.

Fukushima will host some softball and baseball games, and Miyagi, another prefecture affected by the disaster, is a venue for some soccer events.

Sources told NHK that plans are being made for Bach to attend the first baseball game scheduled to take place at a stadium in Fukushima City on July 29.

Bach said when he visited the city in 2018 that sports can play an important role in the psychological recovery of survivors.

Attention is focused on whether the disaster-hit areas will be livened up through the Games as well as the torch relay that will begin in Fukushima Prefecture later this month.

Key words : cast ballots
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200310_32/

Democrats in six states, including Michigan and Missouri, will cast their ballots on Tuesday for a US presidential nominee .

The Democratic contest is now virtually a race between former Vice President Joe Biden, the frontrunner, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

ABC News says Biden has won 637 delegates so far, and Sanders, 557.

About 350 delegates are up for grabs on Tuesday's primaries and caucuses. A candidate needs to win at least 1,991 delegates to be named to take on Donald Trump in November's presidential election.

Biden surged ahead of Sanders after his victories on Super Tuesday last week. He has gained endorsement by other moderate candidates who have pulled out.

Sanders, a self-described "democratic socialist," is taking an increasingly confrontational stance against mainstream Democrats and social elites in an effort to win grass-roots support mainly from young people.

Sanders hopes to garner support from white workers in Michigan, which has the largest number of delegates among the six states.

Key words : north state-run kim
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200310_26/

North Korea's state-run media says its leader Kim Jong Un inspected a drill on Monday, by its long-range artillery unit.

The timing of the drill coincides with reports from both South Korea and Japan that Pyongyang launched multiple projectiles.

Tuesday's edition of the Rodong Sinmun published a series of photos including pictures of Kim and the launch pad.

The paper added that the purpose was to test the military's capability to deal with urgent situations.

South Korea's military says the projectiles were launched from the eastern city of Sondok on Monday morning, and flew toward the Sea of Japan.
The latest launches come a week after North Korea fired two projectiles, which were the first this year.

Key words : US forces
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200310_18/

US forces have started to leave Afghanistan, following a recent agreement with the country's opposition Taliban group.

A spokesperson for US forces in Afghanistan said on Tuesday that the military withdrawal process has begun.

The US and the Taliban concluded a peace agreement last month -- the first deal since the US launched military operations in Afghanistan following the September 11 terror attacks in the US in 2001.

The deal calls on the US to reduce its current presence of around 13,000 troops to 8,600 within 135 days. The remaining US forces will leave Afghanistan within 14 months in accordance with the deal.

Observers believe US President Donald Trump hopes to stress the withdrawal as his administration's achievement in view of the US presidential election in November.

But it remains to be seen if the security situation in Afghanistan will improve as the Taliban continue to launch sporadic attacks.

Key words : Sara
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200310_21/

Japan's Sara Takanashi has become the first female ski jumper to stand on a World Cup podium 100 times.

Takanashi won the women's individual large hill event in the ski jumping World Cup in Lillehammer, Norway, on Monday.

During her first attempt, she was interrupted by a strong tailwind, but she jumped 120.5 meters and ranked in top place. The tailwind had weakened by her second jump, and she managed 127.5 meters. Takanashi clinched her first title this season.

She now has 57 World Cup titles, a record for both men and women worldwide.

Key words : elementary school graduation
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200310_30/

An elementary school in the mountains of central Japan has held its last graduation ceremony quietly and abbreviated, to prevent infections of the new coronavirus.

Sakai elementary school in Chikuhoku Village, Nagano Prefecture, is closing due to low enrollment.

Just over 40 people, including seven graduating children, their parents and teachers, attended the ceremony on Tuesday. The principal handed each student a graduation certificate, but did not make an address to save time.

The participants did not sing the school song as planned, but instead watched a video of the children practicing it.

In the closing ceremony, the principal returned the school flag to the village official in charge of education, ending the school's 145-year history.

A graduating girl said it was disappointing the rest of the students couldn't attend, but she's happy that at least the parents could be there.