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/20210930183000_english_1.mp3
Key words : south hypersonic early stage
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210929_37/
South Korea's military says the hypersonic missile North Korea said it launched on Tuesday appears to be at an early stage of development and will take a long time for the country to deploy for warfare.
The North's ruling Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on Wednesday that the test launch of the newly developed Hwasong-8 missile was conducted in the northern province of Jagang the previous day.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says the missile is at an early stage of development, judging from its speed detected by the military.
Sources close to the military say the speed apparently reached around Mach 3. A hypersonic missile is defined as a weapon that flies at more than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound.
Koizumi Yu, an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, said the launch suggests the North's missile development has reached a new stage.
The Japanese military analyst said the missile's warhead has four fins that serve as a rudder and that it is believed to be a hypersonic glide weapon that can change the missile's direction and altitude. He added that it is difficult to intercept such missiles with an existing missile defense system.
Koizumi added that North Korea may reveal other new types of weapons based on a five-year plan to boost its national defense.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unveiled the plan at a Workers' Party congress in January.
Key words : myanmar currency
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210930_01/
Myanmar's currency has tumbled in value since the military coup in February, seriously impacting people's lives as prices of imported goods rise.
The country's central bank now sets a reference exchange rate of 1,921 kyat per dollar. That means Myanmar's currency has dropped more than 40 percent against the greenback since the military took power.
But the kyat's value has actually plunged further at exchange counters. The dollar was trading at around 2,700 kyat in the largest city of Yangon on Wednesday afternoon.
It is believed that a growing number of citizens prefer to have the US currency on concerns about the future. But some currency exchange offices have stopped displaying the exchange rate for the dollar.
The kyat's depreciation has caused prices of imported goods to rise. Reports say gasoline prices have doubled from before the coup, and drug prices are also on the rise.
The central bank temporarily stepped up controls in an attempt to manage exchange rates and has repeatedly intervened in the market to shore up the currency. But there is little prospect of it stopping the currency's depreciation.
Key words : philippine boxer
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210929_43/
Philippine boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao says he is retiring from the ring. He earlier said he will run for president in next year's election.
Pacquiao made the announcement in a video posted to his social media on Wednesday.
"It is difficult for me to accept that my time as a boxer is over. Today, I am announcing my retirement," he said.
The 42-year-old was born into a poor family in the south of the Philippines. But he went on to hold world titles in different divisions as a pro boxer.
Pacquiao has also been spending time in politics. Currently he is a senator. Pacquiao said last week that he will run for president in 2022.
He has criticized the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte for abuse of power and corruption. He is calling for unity to bring about reforms.
The president's eldest daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, is seen as a possible candidate. Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso has also joined the race. He is best known by his stage name of Isko Moreno.
President Duterte says he will run for the vice presidency. He apparently aims to retain influence over the next administration.
Registration of candidates will begin next month.
Key words : real estate damage
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210929_29/
Struggling Chinese real-estate giant Evergrande Group will sell a 1.5-billion-dollar stake in a regional bank to a state-owned company in a move that could help lighten its debt burden.
Evergrande says it is selling 19.93 percent of the outstanding shares of Shengjing Bank to a government-backed investment firm.
The real estate developer currently holds a 34.5 percent stake in the bank. It says the involvement of a state-owned company would help stabilize the bank's operations.
It is speculated that Chinese authorities encouraged the sale to try and limit the damage from Evergrande's problems.
The company faces another interest payment of 47.5 million dollars due on Wednesday for dollar-denominated corporate bonds.
Evergrande's troubles have put China's real-estate industry under increased scrutiny. Market watchers have been reevaluating the financial health of other major developers and the Chinese economy as a whole.
Key words : carlos
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210929_40/
Japanese prosecutors have demanded a two-year prison term for former Nissan Motor executive Greg Kelly for alleged involvement in underreporting remuneration of ousted chairman Carlos Ghosn.
Kelly is accused of conspiring to underreport Ghosn's compensation in the carmaker's securities reports.
Kelly, aged 65, has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought by prosecutors, telling the court he never colluded with Ghosn or any other Nissan executive. Kelly also said he never submitted securities reports containing false information.
Nissan Motor has admitted to similar charges.
Prosecutors told the court on Wednesday that Kelly considered a scheme to pay unpaid compensation to Ghosn in other forms. They said that could be done only by Kelly, who they said was trusted by the former chairman.
Prosecutors said the crime was devised to realize Ghosn's greedy desire to prevent releases of his remuneration to avoid criticism from shareholders and the risk of losing his job, without reducing his remuneration.
They said it is out of the question for a company to engage in illicit practice to keep an executive.
Prosecutors said Nissan's governance was totally dysfunctional, and that the practice continued for a long time under a meticulously set framework and was highly malicious.
They also demanded that Nissan Motor pay a fine of 200 million yen, or about 1.79 million dollars.
Defense lawyers are due to deliver their closing arguments on October 27.
Key words : ihi power utility
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210929_31/
NHK has learned that Japanese machinery maker IHI plans to join hands with Malaysia's largest power utility to cut the country's carbon dioxide emissions. They will use ammonia as fuel for thermal power generation.
Sources close to the project say IHI's partners will be Malaysia's Tenaga Nasional Berhad and others.
Ammonia does not emit carbon dioxide when burnt.
Japan is leading the field in this technology and this is expected to be its first overseas project using it.
The companies aim to mix ammonia into the fuel for coal-fired power generation to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent.
They also plan to use renewable energy for producing ammonia to further reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Malaysia depends on coal-fired power generation for nearly half of its electricity. It is expected to take some time for the country to switch to greener methods of producing energy.
Key words : embassy united states
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210930_05/
The Japanese Embassy in the United States has donated a cherry blossom sculpture to the alma mater of a US woman who was killed in the tsunami that hit northeastern Japan in 2011.
Taylor Anderson from Virginia was an assistant English teacher in Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture. She died when the tsunami struck the city in March 2011.
The sculpture was made to express gratitude for US support following the tsunami as this year marks 10 years since the disaster.
A dedication ceremony was held on Wednesday at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia to honor her and promote friendly ties between Japan and the United States.
Anderson's parents and the ambassador of Japan to the US, Tomita Koji, were among the attendees.
A student of the college, which offers Japanese education, said in Japanese that he wants to study hard so he can serve as a bridge between the countries.
Anderson's father, Andy, said that one of the principles his daughter lived by was that it is better to give than to receive, adding that when you give, you get much back, and that is part of what they learned from her life.
The Andersons set up a fund in Taylor's name to fulfill the wish of their daughter, who had wanted to be a bridge between Japan and the US.
They have donated books to 24 schools in Ishinomaki and other affected communities.
