https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20211030200000_english_1.mp3
Key words : biden macron sideline
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211030_08/The United States and France have agreed to work closely together toward a systematic framework to ensure transparency on arms exports amid soured relations.
Ties deteriorated last month after Australia decided to scrap a major submarine contract with France. Canberra opted for US and UK technological support under a new three-way security partnership called AUKUS. French officials criticized the deal, saying they were not consulted beforehand.
US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Italy on Friday on the sidelines of a G20 summit taking place before the COP26 UN climate change conference in the UK.
Biden acknowledged the US acted clumsily and without a lot of grace. Macron said it is important to be sure that such a situation will not happen again. He called for stronger coordination and cooperation.
The countries issued a joint statement after the meeting. Their governments pledged to "identify steps to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of defense export authorizations."
The presidents also recognized the importance of collaboration in the Indo-Pacific, given growing economic and strategic challenges presented by China.
The statement said that the United States intends to increase its support and material contributions to France and other European nations, which are increasing their air and maritime deployments in the region.
Key words : macron love
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211030_N01/At this weekend's G20 summit in Rome, US President Joe Biden is seeking to mend ties with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. Their relationship has cooled since the announcement of a security alliance between the US, UK, and Australia.
The two leaders met for the first time since the formation of the partnership, known as AUKUS. French officials have criticized the deal, saying they were not consulted beforehand.
Biden said the US acted clumsily and without a lot of grace, and that he was under the impression that certain things had happened that hadn't happened.
Macron said it is important to be sure that such a situation will not be possible in the future. He called for stronger coordination and stronger cooperation.
The AUKUS countries say they want to strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific. As part of the agreement, the US has agreed to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.
However, Australia and France already had a multibillion dollar deal for diesel-powered subs. French officials accused the US of "back-stabbing."
Biden stressed that the two countries have been the longest allies. Macron said they need to look to the future. After the meeting, he announced progress on nuclear energy cooperation and a strategic partnership between NATO and the EU. He said trust is like love: Declarations are good, but proof is better.
Key words : taiwan met wang
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211030_11/Taiwan's foreign minister has met with members of the European Parliament in Belgium and asked for cooperation to further strengthen relations between Taiwan and the European Union.
Taiwan's foreign ministry says Joseph Wu held talks with members of the European Parliament and the Federal Parliament of Belgium in Brussels on Friday.
Wu expressed gratitude for the European Parliament's approval last week of a resolution asking the EU to deepen its political ties with Taiwan. He called it very significant for the future development of relations between Taiwan and the bloc.
Wu called for cooperation in further deepening relations between the sides, including starting investment agreement negotiations.
Wu visited Slovakia and the Czech Republic earlier this week. The Taiwanese government had announced the visit in advance. It is rare for Taiwan to give prior notification of visits by its foreign minister to countries with which it has no diplomatic ties.
NHK has confirmed that Wu visited Poland before heading to Belgium, although Taiwan's foreign ministry has not announced the visit.
China's foreign minister Wang Yi is also on a European tour this week.
China's foreign ministry said Wang told his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias that it is important to "prevent the attempts of some individual countries to challenge the one-China principle and undermine the political mutual trust between China and Europe."
Key words : polling station
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211030_09/People in Japan will cast their votes on Sunday in the Lower House election. Preparations are underway at polling stations across the country.
On Saturday, officials in the western city of Osaka were seen at an elementary school gymnasium setting up ballot boxes as well as disinfectants against the coronavirus.
The internal affairs ministry says voting will start at 7 a.m. on Sunday at more than 46,000 polling stations. Times may differ on some remote islands and elsewhere.
This is the first Lower House election in four years. It takes place just 27 days after Prime Minister Kishida Fumio assumed office on October 4.
The 12-day official campaign period ends on Saturday, with street speeches allowed until 8 p.m.
Major issues for voters include responses to the coronavirus pandemic, and measures to revive the economy.
Key words : barrier
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211030_10/A barrier has been set up in a fishing port in the northern part of Okinawa's main island in southwestern Japan to prevent more pumice stones from drifting in.
The stones began appearing along the coast of the prefecture earlier this month, affecting local fishing and tourism. They are coming from an undersea volcano that erupted in August near the Ogasawara island chain in the Pacific Ocean.
Workers used a boat on Saturday to install the barrier at the entrance of Hentona port in Kunigami Village.
NHK aerial footage shows large volumes of pumice stones drifting offshore.
Work to remove the stones from the port has been underway since Friday. Workers are using power shovels to scoop them up.
The clean-up operation is expected to take two to three weeks to complete.
A fisherman in his 70s said he hasn't been out to fish since pumice stones began arriving.
He said that he is grateful for the removal work, but he is worried whether he can resume fishing as the stones are also drifting at sea.
Key words : fda 8,300 children
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211030_05/The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for children aged five to 11.
The FDA made the announcement on Friday.
Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now expected to meet next Tuesday to decide whether to recommend vaccination for the age group.
Like older people, children in the age group would be required to get their second shot three weeks after the first. They would receive 10 micrograms per dose, or one third of the amount given to those aged 12 and older.
The CDC says about 8,300 children aged five to 11 in the United States have been hospitalized due to coronavirus infection. It says 146 have died.
A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that about 117,000 children in the country were infected between October 14 and 21. The figure is a quarter of the total.
Attention is focused on whether vaccinating young children will help to curb the spread of infections.
Key words : container fine
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211030_07/The Port of Los Angeles in the United States says it will start fining ocean carriers whose cargo containers stay too long at marine terminals. The charge, called a "Container Excess Dwell Fee", is aimed at easing congestion that is interfering with supply chains.
Port authorities made the decision at a meeting on Friday.
For containers scheduled to be moved by truck, ocean carriers will be charged for every container dwelling nine days or more. Carriers moving goods by rail will be charged for containers that sit in port for six days or more.
The fine will be 100 dollars per container, increasing in 100-dollar increments each day. The measure will go into effect on November 1.
A number of containers sit at terminals due partly to a shortage of truck drivers. This has forced ships to wait unloaded at anchor.
US President Joe Biden announced earlier this month that the port would be allowed to operate around the clock, as a measure to reduce backlogs. But disruptions to the supply chain continue.
Key words : komuro list new life
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211030_06/Komuro Kei, who recently married Japan's former Princess Mako, has not appeared on the list of candidates to have passed the New York State bar exam.
The New York State Board of Law Examiners posted the names of those who passed the July exam on its website on Friday.
The Board said it examined about 9,200 candidates, and nearly 5,800 succeeded. The overall pass rate was 63 percent.
Komuro has been working as a law clerk at a New York firm since September, after graduating from Fordham University law school in the state.
Komuro and the former princess registered their marriage on Tuesday, before they embark on a new life in the United States. Komuro is currently in Tokyo while his wife obtains a passport and visa.
Key words : hospital anonymous
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211029_22/A hospital in southwestern Japan disclosed that a pregnant woman wants to give birth without revealing her identity, which could raise legal issues for the baby.
Jikei Hospital representatives in Kumamoto City told reporters on Friday that the woman refuses to disclose her identity and doctors are highly likely to handle a confidential birth.
Hospital officials say they have asked the city government for consultations to come up with support measures. The main issue of concern is if the mother continues to hide her identity, there may be no family registry for the newborn.
Director Hasuda Takeshi said the staff have never taken care of an expecting mother for two weeks who remains silent on her identity.
Jikei Hospital has Japan's only baby hatch, which allows parents who cannot raise children due to financial or other reasons to leave their newborns anonymously.
Two years ago, the hospital started a framework to accept women who want confidential birth as a way to prevent them from delivering babies at home without medical help.
An expecting mother only needs to reveal her identity to the head of the hospital's consultation center.
The hospital says it will tell children of confidential births who their parents are after they grow up and want to know.
Japan currently has no legal framework for confidential births.
The health ministry says to date there has been no known case of such a birth in the country.
