Key words : US approval
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210228_08/
The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized a third COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.
The FDA announced on Saturday that it had given approval to a single-dose vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson. It said the data shows that "the vaccine's known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks."
In global clinical trials involving about 40,000 people, the vaccine was reported to be 66.1 percent effective in preventing moderate to severe or critical COVID-19 cases occurring at least 28 days after vaccination. For severe or critical cases, the efficacy rate was 85.4 percent.
In the early stage of the trials, the same levels of efficacy rates were reported in South Africa and Brazil, where variants of the virus have been confirmed.
The FDA has already given emergency use authorization to a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and another developed by Moderna, both of which require two shots.
Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine can be stored at normal refrigerator temperatures of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for at least three months, and is expected to accelerate the vaccination process in the US.
Key words : Biden senate 1.9 trillion
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210228_09/
US President Joe Biden has called on the Senate to quickly pass a 1.9 trillion dollar coronavirus relief package.
He spoke from the White House on Saturday after the House of Representatives approved the bill.
He thanked the House and said that "we have no time to waste."
The package includes 1,400 dollar direct payments to individuals and the extension of unemployment benefits to millions of Americans.
He said that "the people of this country have suffered far too much for too long" and "it's time to act."
The president hopes to see the bill become law before the termination of current additional unemployment benefits on March 14.
However, he has been unable to get support from the opposition Republicans. Biden and Senate Democrats will have to find a way to pass the bill on their own.
Key words : myanmar report
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210228_04/
Media outlets in Myanmar report that more than 470 people were arrested on Saturday, as the military is stepping up crackdowns on protesters.
Anti-military demonstrations are intensifying ahead of a court hearing for Aung San Suu Kyi scheduled for Monday.
On Saturday, protesters occupied roads in the largest city, Yangon, and elsewhere. The military responded by making a number of arrests and repeatedly shooting at crowds.
State-run television quoted security authorities as saying they detained 479 people on Saturday.
Protesters said they were demonstrating peacefully but police even took children into custody.
Local media report that a demonstrator was shot by police and seriously injured in the central city of Monywa. She is reportedly being treated in hospital.
Aung San Suu Kyi is charged with illegally importing handheld radios and using them without permission. Monday's hearing will be held online.
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party has voiced concern that her detention in the capital, Naypyitaw, could be prolonged.
On Saturday, state-run television also reported that Myanmar's UN Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun had been fired, accused of betraying the country.
Kyaw Moe Tun condemned the military on Friday at a UN General Assembly meeting on Myanmar's human rights situation.
The ambassador, who was appointed to the post before the coup, gave a three-finger salute, a gesture used by protesters as a sign of resistance.
Kyaw Moe Tun told the meeting the international community that aspires to build a peaceful and civilized global society should "use any means necessary to take action against the Myanmar military and to provide safety and security for the people of Myanmar."
Amid growing tension, Thai government sources say an emergency foreign ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is set to be held on Tuesday.
Participants, including a representative from Myanmar, are expected to exchange opinions on how to restore normality.
Wunna Maung Lwin, who was appointed by Myanmar's military as foreign minister after the coup, visited Thailand on Wednesday to meet Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.
Wunna Maung Lwin is believed to have explained the political situation and the ongoing protests in his country, and arranged a schedule for the emergency meeting.
The talks are expected to take place online.
Key words : moscow killing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210228_07/
Flowers were laid at the site of the 2015 killing of a Russian opposition leader in central Moscow, as the government increases its grip on the opposition.
Boris Nemtsov was gunned down on a bridge on February 27, 2015.
His allies and supporters on Saturday came to remember Nemtsov, who was a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin.
Five men were convicted of involvement in the murder, but who was behind it and the motive remain unknown.
A woman who came to remember Nemtsov said that the situation is getting worse.
A young man indicated his concern, saying that Nemtsov fought for freedom and the country is still under the totalitarian regime.
Another Putin critic Alexei Navalny has reportedly been moved to prison. He was arrested in January upon his return from Germany, where he was treated for what was believed to be poisoning with a nerve gas agent.
A recent poll conducted by an independent survey organization shows that more than half of the respondents aged 18 to 24 say they do not want Putin to be president beyond the end of his current term in 2024.
Key words : artificial
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210228_15/
New systems have been developed in Japan that use artificial intelligence to analyze X-rays and endoscopic images to detect abnormalities in the human body that may indicate cancer.
One such venture is a joint project by AI developer Preferred Networks, Kyoto Medical Association and others. It is a deep-learning analysis tool that helps physicians diagnose lung cancer from chest X-rays. Areas of abnormality are indicated in color.
The tool will be used on a trial basis in lung cancer screenings for the public sponsored by Kyoto Prefecture.
Another project is a medical device that analyzes images taken during endoscopic procedures on colons. It was jointly developed by the National Cancer Center Japan and the major electronics firm NEC. The device uses AI to sound an alert or display one on a screen when a tumor is found.
The tool also uses facial recognition to help doctors find tumors they may have overlooked.
Saito Yutaka of the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Division of the National Cancer Center Hospital says doctors may overlook abnormalities when they are tired or lose concentration. He says AI can make a critical difference in such cases.
Key words : sea level
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210228_05/
The average sea level along Japan's coast in 2020 was the highest on record, rising more than 8 centimeters from the usual figure.
Japan's Meteorological Agency calculates the figure every year based on tidal data observed at 16 locations on the coast from Hokkaido to Kyushu.
Agency officials say the figure for 2020 was 8.7 centimeters higher than the average for the past 30 years, and the highest since record-keeping began in 1906.
The officials say sea levels fluctuate in 10- to 20-year cycles, and have been on an upward trend since 1980. They point to global warming as a factor behind the rise.
The officials also say the Kuroshio current flowed closer to the coast last year, and sea levels were pushed up by seawater that is warmer and larger in volume.
The rising trend along Japan's coast is expected to continue due to climate change.
The Meteorological Agency plans to keep monitoring sea levels as continuation of the uptrend could lead to greater damage from storm surges.
Key words : government senior influence
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210228_06/
The Japanese government will develop human resources with the aim of getting more senior positions in international organizations.
The National Security Secretariat and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with 16 other ministries and agencies, will form a liaison committee to strategically tackle the task.
It follows a suggestion by the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The LDP recommended to the prime minister in October last year that the Cabinet Secretariat put together a strategy to counter China in the international arena.
China has placed Chinese officials, or the people under the country's influence, in senior positions in international organizations. That seemed help steer decision making processes to China's benefit.
The Japanese government is planning to share information on available international posts and selection timelines at the liaison committee.
It is mulling a mid- to long-term development plan for potential candidates, who could be either from or outside of the government.
The government says that ministries will help advance individual careers at their organizations of officials who return from such international services.
Key words : chinese official internatinal presence
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Key words : suzuki
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210228_11/
Japanese runner Suzuki Kengo has set a new national record for the men's full marathon.
He won the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon in western Japan on Sunday with a time of 2 hours 4 minutes and 56 seconds.
The previous Japanese record was 2 hours 5 minutes and 29 seconds set by Osako Suguru in last year's Tokyo Marathon.
