Asian View
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20210319183000_english_1.mp3
Key words : norio on Sunday
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210318_39/
The Japanese government has decided to end a COVID-19 state of emergency for the Tokyo area as scheduled on Sunday. It began in January and was extended twice.
Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said, "The number of people who tested positive in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures was 4,277 on January 7. It was 725 on Wednesday. That's more than an 80 percent decrease. We've carefully examined the situation, including how the healthcare system is strained, and concluded that it meets the criterion for ending the state of emergency. Therefore, today we decided the declaration will be lifted."
Suga said the government will continue to reinforce the medical system while rolling out vaccinations to prevent people from being infected or getting seriously ill.
With the decision, the government is changing its basic policy to tackle the virus. It aims to maintain social and economic activities, while trying to prevent another rapid rise in infections.
Monitoring of coronavirus variants will be stepped up nationwide. Sample screening for mutations will be expanded from the current 5 to 10 percent of new cases to around 40 percent.
To detect any signs of increase in infections, extensive virus tests will be conducted at elderly care homes and in entertainment districts.
The public will continue to be asked to refrain from non-essential outings, both during the day and at night.
Prefectural governors will monitor local infection trends and request shorter business hours at bars and restaurants.
Restrictions on the number of spectators at large events will be eased in stages.
Officials say the state of emergency has helped ease the strain on the healthcare system. But some experts are concerned that the number of new cases has stopped declining or in some areas is slowly increasing.
Experts monitoring the situation in Tokyo are warning of another wave of infection due partly to variants.
Director Ohmagari Norio of Disease Control and Prevention Center said, "If the flow of people increases in annual events like cherry blossom viewing, farewell and welcome parties, and graduation trips, I'm concerned that could lead to a rapid spread of infections which could exceed the New Year period."
Across Japan about 1,500 new infections were reported on Thursday. About half of them were in the Tokyo area.
Key words : border close
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210319_03/
The Japanese government may consider using a newly-instituted anti-coronavirus framework if it detects signs of a resurgence in infections after the ending of the state of emergency on Sunday.
The framework is part of a revised law on special anti-virus measures. It allows prefectural governments to take focused anti-infection approaches even if a state of emergency is not in place.
In addition, the government plans to push five anti-virus programs, including preventing infection at dining establishments, bolstering the monitoring of virus variants, and conducting strategic testing for signs of a resurgence in cases.
The government also intends to keep Japan's borders closed to non-resident foreign nationals for the time being.
The government decided on Thursday to lift the extended state of emergency for Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures of Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba on Sunday. The declaration has been in effect in the Tokyo area for about two and a half months.
Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide told a news conference on Thursday that great results have been achieved through focused measures under the state of emergency, such as asking dining establishments to cut their business hours.
He said the government decided to lift it after carefully confirming that the infection situation had met criteria, including the availability of hospital beds set aside for COVID-19 patients.
However, government officials say people need to continue to be on their guard against infection. They are concerned that new cases in the Tokyo area may resurge as people have many opportunities to gather in the coming weeks, such as farewell and welcome parties and cherry blossom-viewing festivities.
Key words : more than 200 killed targeting
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210319_10/
In Myanmar, more than 200 people have reportedly now been killed. A local human rights NGO, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners tied the mounting death toll to a military crackdown targeting civilians. Ousted lawmakers are looking for help.
The largest city of Yangon has been the site of protests since the start of last month's coup.
Violence escalated over the weekend when the military declared martial law.
A group of politicians calling themselves the CRPH is supporting the resistance including armed groups they removed from a list of terrorist organizations.
A Special Envoy to the United Nations appointed by the group, Dr. Sasa said "It is the right thing for us to do that and to declare to the people of Myanmar that these groups are freedom fighters. They are a defender of the people of the regions and states. So therefore, we are also now open the door for them to come. Let's come together. Let's join our hands together. We have only one common enemy, that is the military dictatorship."
Since being appointed envoy by the new group, Sasa has been charged with treason.
He's calling on countries to stand with those opposing the crackdown.
Sasa said "We need a strong, unified message from Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Delhi, Brussels, London, Washington. D.C. We also need this coordinated, targeted, tougher sanction from the international coalition against this military."
People in Yangon and other parts of the country have had trouble accessing information and communicating.
The military continues to block mobile internet services.
Key words : north ignore
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210318_15/
A senior North Korean diplomat says the country will continue to ignore US President Joe Biden's administration unless Washington retracts what the North sees as hostile policy toward Pyongyang.
Biden's predecessor Donald Trump made no specific progress with North Korea, despite three summit meetings between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The Biden administration has been trying to make contact with Pyongyang since February, while overhauling US policy toward the North.
North Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui issued a statement through the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Thursday.
She said that what has been heard from the US since the emergence of the new administration is only "a lunatic theory of 'threat from North Korea' and groundless rhetoric about 'complete denuclearization.'"
She criticized US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a trip to Japan and South Korea, for provoking the North with talk of seeking "additional pressure measures."
Choe said, "We have already made our point clear that no North Korea-US contact or talks will be held unless the US withdraws hostile policies to us and that we will continue to ignore its attempts to reach out to us."
She added, "If the US wants to sit with us face to face, it has to drop its bad habit and adopt a proper stand from the beginning."
Key words : hitachi
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210318_18/
Japanese company Hitachi has won a 2.2-billion dollar contract to build a new model of railcar for Washington DC's subway system.
The transit authority in the US capital wants 800 railcars from Hitachi, which plans to construct a new factory there to start delivery in 2024. It marks the largest-ever contract for the firm's US railway business.
Railways are a key revenue source for Hitachi. In 2015, the firm acquired an Italian railcar business as it pushed to expand in Europe and North America.
Key words : shortage semiconductor taiwan
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