at 18:30 (JST), July 02

 

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/20210701183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : norio
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210701_35/

In Tokyo, officials are struggling with another surge in new cases of the coronavirus. Experts worry that 4 weeks from now, there could be more than 1,000 new cases a day.

Tokyo health officials confirmed 673 new cases on Thursday. That is up 103 from the same day last week.
It also marks a week-on-week increase for a 12th straight day.

Disease Control and Prevention Center Director Ohmagari Norio said, "Considering the increased foot traffic and the virus variants, cases are likely to increase faster than during the third wave earlier this year."

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko attended the meeting virtually from her home. She was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday after being treated for fatigue.

Koike said, "I ask people again to cooperate with the Tokyo government in curbing foot traffic at night, strictly following measures to reduce infection risks and to work remotely."

As officials continue to ramp up the vaccine rollout, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu says the government plans to start issuing documents to certify coronavirus vaccinations in late July. They are more often known as vaccine passports.

The business community has been calling for them, as they will allow for smoother business travel overseas.

Local municipalities will issue hard copies of the certificates to residents with valid passports. The government is considering digital certificates for the future.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical company Moderna says new research suggests its vaccine is also effective against the Delta variant, first identified in India. The company says it is currently trying to develop additional vaccines that are effective against variants.

Key words : olympic arriving boxing
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210701_26/

Many foreign Olympic teams are arriving in Japan ahead of the start of the Tokyo Games on July 23.

Japan's government says about 400 members of Olympic teams from 18 countries and territories are expected to arrive in the country from Thursday to Sunday.

They are to head for sites of their pre-Games camps across the country after arriving at Narita Airport near Tokyo, Haneda Airport in Tokyo, or Chubu Airport near Nagoya.

On Thursday, 20 members of the US boxing team arrived at Narita. They used dedicated lanes for entry procedures without coming into contact with other airport users, in an effort to prevent coronavirus infection.

A British sailing team arrived at Haneda, and is expected to stay in its host town Hayama in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Japanese authorities are urged to contain virus infections using various measures including border controls, amid the arrival of many foreign teams.

Key words : samoa
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210701_23/

The Pacific island nation of Samoa says its weightlifting team will not take part in the Tokyo Olympics set to start this month, due to coronavirus concerns. But it says other athletes of the country will attend.

Eleven Samoan athletes have qualified to represent the country in six sports at the games.

In a statement released on Thursday, Samoa's Olympic committee said that of the 11, three weightlifters based in Samoa will not attend.

But it said the other eight athletes, who are based abroad, will take part as planned. The eight are training in countries including Australia and New Zealand.
The committee said the government decided not to send the three to Tokyo due to the need to protect Samoa from coronavirus variants spreading around the world.

Samoa, with a population of about 200,000, has tight entry restrictions in place to prevent spreading of the virus there.

Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University say the country has confirmed three coronavirus cases.

North Korea has said it will not take part in the games, to protect athletes from the world public health crisis caused by COVID-19.

Key words : xi one-party integrity
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210701_25/

Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the legitimacy of one-party rule as well as his stance of not accepting criticism from the international community over human rights and other issues.

Xi spoke for about one hour at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Thursday.

Xi stressed that the party has successfully resolved the problem of poverty -- a 100-year goal it had set at the time of its foundation.

Regarding Taiwan, Xi stated that the Chinese Communist Party maintains an unshakable historic commitment to solving the Taiwan question and realizing the complete reunification of the motherland.

Xi went on to say that no one should underestimate the resolve, the will, and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Regarding Hong Kong, Xi said that China will steadily implement the National Security Law there and its enforcement mechanism.

Xi said that any attempts to try to separate the Communist Party from the Chinese people will fail.

Xi said that China will not allow sanctimonious preaching, indicating that it will reject international criticism of China's policies toward Hong Kong, Taiwan, and human rights in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Key words : politics education Edward Vickers
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