Key words : testing facilities
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210213_15/
Researchers say that while PCR testing for the coronavirus is broadly accurate in Japan, some laboratories have room for improvement.
Commissioned by the health ministry, researchers from Tokai University and another group that includes academics surveyed 563 testing facilities across Japan.
The researchers sent six kinds of samples to each of the labs. They found that the accuracy of testing ranged from 96.4 percent to 99.8 percent.
But they say 18 samples at 17 testing facilities showed false-positives or false-negatives.
The researchers also looked in to how labs are trying to ensure accuracy.
The government asks labs to use standardized testing procedures. But researchers found 282 labs instead relied on manuals supplied with testing equipment.
The survey also found 114 labs failed to follow rules on the use of unofficial reagents that are not approved by the government.
Professor Miyachi Hayato from Tokai University says that while the PCR test results were satisfactory, the team found vulnerabilities in some labs' management systems.
He says the government should take steps to improve the situation, especially as a growing number of labs beyond those surveyed are now offering testing.
Key words : 369
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210213_14/
Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials say 369 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in the Japanese capital on Saturday.
The daily tally has been below 500 for seven days in a row.
A total of 106,134 people have tested positive for the virus in Tokyo since the pandemic began.
Officials also say that 104 people are in serious condition in the capital, up two from the previous day.
Key words : johns hopkins 108 million
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Key words : chief medical
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210213_13/
White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci says organizers of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics should put in place guidelines to ensure the safety of athletes and spectators.
Fauci, who is in charge of the US government's response to the coronavirus pandemic, spoke to foreign reporters on Friday.
Asked whether he thinks the Tokyo Games can be held safely, Fauci said, "It is really going to depend on the dynamics of the outbreak globally and in Japan."
He also said, "It's important to make sure that to the extent possible ... there are put in place the kind of guidelines to ensure the safety of the people in Japan and the safety of many travelers who come to Japan."
He suggested that Japan needs to decide "what kind of restrictions would make sure that people wear masks, what kind of testing would be involved, anything that the Japanese government can do to guarantee the safety of not only their own citizens but also people traveling to Japan to participate in or to watch the Olympics."
Asked whether vaccinations for Olympians should be prioritized, Fauci said, "It depends on what kind of access to vaccines you have in your own country," and "what Japan wants to do with prioritization." He said that it is "up to the authorities in Japan."
Fauci added that he could understand if Japanese authorities did decide to prioritize athletes. He said that "the rationale" would be because athletes are "grouped together in the Olympic village and that's going to be a very difficult situation if someone gets infected, the virus could spread very easily to other athletes."
Key words : experts origin
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210213_07/
The head of the World Health Organization says a team of experts sent to the Chinese city of Wuhan to investigate the origins of the coronavirus hopes to publish a summary report next week.
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added that all hypotheses "remain open and require further analysis and studies."
He was speaking on Friday at a news conference alongside Peter Ben Embarek, who headed the team.
Embarek said they have a much better understanding of what happened in December 2019, when the outbreak was in its infancy.
But he also said they are still far from identifying the origins of the coronavirus.
The experts visited Wuhan from January 29 to February 10. They investigated a seafood market believed to be the location of the initial outbreak.
They also visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is known for its research into bat coronaviruses.
The administration of former US President Donald Trump claimed the virus may have leaked from the facility.
Key words : lawyer carlos
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210213_11/
Lawyers for two men alleged to have helped former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn flee to Lebanon have asked the US Supreme Court to put their extradition to Japan on hold.
The lawyers filed an appeal with the court on or before Friday for US Army Special Forces veteran Michael Taylor and his son, Peter.
The process for handing them over will be suspended until the Supreme Court makes a decision on the appeal.
The pair have claimed they will be treated unfairly in Japan if extradited.
US authorities arrested the Taylors last year at Japan's request on suspicion of smuggling Ghosn out of the country while he was on bail in a financial fraud case.
Japan then requested their extradition, and the US State Department approved the handover in October.
The lawyers for the men filed petitions to put their extradition on hold. But the federal district and appeals courts in Boston have both rejected their claim.
Key words : US senate
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210213_12/
The US Senate is likely to vote in the impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump as early as Saturday.
Trump's lawyers defended his innocence on Friday, arguing he had no intention of encouraging lawless actions.
He is accused of inciting an insurrection by supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6.
His team dismissed the impeachment trial as unconstitutional. They also argued that Trump's fiery speech ahead of the riot was a legally-protected expression of his doubts about the results of the 2020 presidential election in November.
Closing arguments are scheduled for Saturday. A swift vote on a verdict could follow that day, as neither Democrats nor Trump's attorneys have indicated they will call witnesses.
A two-thirds majority in the Senate is required for conviction. With many Republican Senators arguing that the trial is unconstitutional, Trump is expected to be acquitted.
Key words : Biden yemen
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210213_09/
US President Joe Biden's administration says it will remove Yemen's Houthi movement from its list of international terrorist groups, effective Tuesday.
The decision reverses the terrorist designation imposed by former president Donald Trump, which banned the supply of goods to organizations linked with the Houthis.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Friday the decision recognizes the dire situation in Yemen, adding the country is suffering "what has been called the world's worst humanitarian crisis."
Yemen has been torn by internal conflict since 2015. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been attacking anti-government Houthis, who are backed by Iran.
Trump listed the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization in January, shortly before he left office, to put pressure on Iran.
The US says despite revoking the terrorist designation, it remains "clear-eyed" about the Houthis' "malign actions and aggression" against the government of Yemen and neighboring countries. Blinken stressed the US will closely monitor the group and is identifying additional targets for designation.
The Houthis carried out drone attacks at Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, damaging a civilian aircraft.
Key words : Biden cuba
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210213_10/
US President Joe Biden's administration says it plans to close its military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
The detention center has held foreigners with suspected links to terrorism following the September 11 attacks in the US in 2001. About 40 people are still detained.
The facility has been criticized for its harsh interrogation methods. Former president Barack Obama failed in his efforts to close it after he took office in 2009. His successor, Donald Trump, kept the facility open.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday that it is the intention of the Biden administration to close Guantanamo Bay. She said a review process is underway with the defense and other departments.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby also told reporters on Friday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin believes the prison should be closed.
However the likelihood of the shutdown remains unclear, as opposition persists in Congress, mainly among Republicans.
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