at 18:30 (JST), January 29

 

Asian View

"Asian View" is a five-minute news segment broadcast by NHK WORLD-JAPAN. It features the latest news and deep analysis from Japan and the rest of Asia. Listen to “Asian View" and get the latest information from a region that's playing an increasingly important role in the world.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20210129183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : mori yoshiro
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210128_35/

The head of the organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Mori Yoshiro, says he and the head of the International Olympic Committee have confirmed their commitment to the Games.

Mori and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach held a telephone conversation on Thursday for the first time this year.

Mori later told reporters that the two agreed to press ahead with preparations for the Games although they know there are various opinions regarding holding the events at the time of pandemic.

He said that they confirmed they will cooperate to hold the Games successfully.

Mori said that Bach proposed a meeting of representatives from the IOC, the Japanese government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and the organizing committee next month.

Mori said that he believes the officials are expected to review what they have done and what they should do to move to the next step.

Bach reportedly asked Mori and others about the vaccination situation in Japan, and said that he hopes as many people as possible can be vaccinated.

Mori referred to a plan to decide in the spring how many spectators should be allowed at the venues and how they would accept spectators from overseas. He said he is not in favor of the option to hold the Games without spectators, but the organizers are simulating various scenarios. He said they should keep watching the situation before they make a final decision.

Key words : china military activities taiwan strait
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210128_34/

China says its stepped up military activities in the Taiwan Strait is in response to external interferences and provocations by pro-independence forces in Taiwan.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian released a comment on Thursday, expressing the country's tough stance. Wu said those playing with fire will burn themselves, and warned "Taiwan's independence means war."

Taiwan's military says Chinese military planes approach Taiwan air space on almost a daily basis. It says 13 Chinese military aircraft approached its southwestern air space on Saturday and 15 on Sunday.

Observers say China is apparently attempting to warn against closer ties between the US administration of President Joe Biden and Taiwan's government led by President Tsai Ing-wen.

Key words : south achieve
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210129_01/

South Korea says it plans to use its vaccination program to achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus by November.

The South Korean government announced the vaccination plan on Thursday.

Officials say they will start inoculating medical workers in February, and give the shots to more than 70 percent of the population by November.

They say if that proportion of people acquires immunity, it will reduce the risk of person-to-person infections.

The officials say the government has contracts with Pfizer and other pharmaceutical firms to purchase vaccine doses for 56 million people. That's more than enough for the country's population.

The government plans to create a system for vaccination reservations in March, and start inoculating people 65 years or older in May. This would be followed by all other adults starting in July.

Vaccinations will be free of charge, but officials say people will not be able to choose which vaccine they get.

The plan calls for preparing more than 10,000 vaccination venues. Regional authorities will be in charge of securing medical workers to administer the shots, with the government offering help if necessary.

The government says it will pay compensation if the vaccinations are found to have caused health problems.

Key words : toyota
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210128_24/

Japanese automaker Toyota Motor has regained the top spot in global car sales for the first time in 5 years.

Executives say the Toyota Motor group sold more than 9.5 million vehicles worldwide in 2020. That figure includes sales by brands such as Daihatsu Motor and Hino Motors.

The performance helped Toyota to overtake its main competitor, Germany's Volkswagen, which held the top spot for the preceding four years. Volkswagen sold 9.3 million units.

The world's biggest automakers took a hit in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic squeezed sales. Toyota's figure was down by 11.3 percent, and Volkswagen's 15.2 percent.

Demand picked up in the second half of the year as economies around the world started to reopen.

Toyota did brisk business in the US and China. That helped to offset its overall decline for the year.

Key words : Mitsuru Fukuda penalty
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