at 18:30 (JST), November 19

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/20211119183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : ohtani welcomed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211119_13/

Major League Baseball two-way star Ohtani Shohei has been named this year's Most Valuable Player in the American League. He is the second Japanese to win the award following Suzuki Ichiro in 2001.

MVP winners in each league are determined through voting by the 30 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. It was an unanimous decision for Ohtani.

Ohtani says he is very happy to win the award and thanked the reporters as well as all his teammates and fans.

People in Japan welcomed the news. And Prime Minister Kishida Fumio also congratulated Ohtani. "It is a great achievement and I am very proud of him as a Japanese," he said.

This season was Ohtani's fourth in the Majors, and it was by far his best, both as a pitcher and a batter.

As a pitcher, he had 9 wins and 156 strikeouts. On offense, he belted 46 homers, had 100 runs batted in and 26 stolen bases.

He also became the first player ever to be named starting pitcher and leadoff batter in the All-Star Game.

The Los Angeles Angels' player has already earned significant honors for his performance, including Player of the Year which was decided by his fellow major leaguers.

Key words : sources say banking giant eight times
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211119_11/

Sources say the president and CEO of Mizuho Financial Group intends to resign to take responsibility for a series of system failures that hit the Japanese banking giant earlier this year.

This comes after the group's Mizuho Bank unit experienced system problems eight times this year.

In February, bank cards and passbooks became stuck inside ATMs, forcing customers to wait for hours to retrieve them.

In August, over-the-counter transactions temporarily became unavailable at about 520 branches nationwide. That included ones operated by Mizuho Trust & Banking, another group unit.

Sources say the Financial Services Agency is making final arrangements to deliver another business improvement order to the group and Mizuho Bank. It already slapped a similar punishment on the group in September.

The agency believes the group's President and CEO Sakai Tatsufumi bears heavy responsibility for the problems.

It is set to notify the bank as early as next week of the results of its inspection into what caused the glitches.

Key words : ease to 5,000
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211119_01/

Japan is set to raise the daily limit on international arrivals to 5,000 people from 3,500 currently, in its latest move to ease coronavirus restrictions.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu said the government will consider what can be done to further ease restrictions, taking into account the infection situation and vaccination rates both inside Japan and abroad.

The new entry limit will take effect on November 26. Entry restrictions were relaxed last week for business people, students and technical trainees. These arrivals still need to quarantine, and tourists remain banned.

Japan reported 163 new infections on Thursday, with 20 in Tokyo. The daily tally in the capital has been under 50 for more than a month.

But cases are rising in other countries, driven by breakthrough infections among vaccinated people and the rapid easing of restrictions.

South Korea reported almost 3,300 new cases on Wednesday, a daily record.

The resurgence comes as hundreds of thousands of students took their college entrance exams. Candidates who had tested positive were allowed to take the exams in hospital.

Germany also reported its highest-ever daily tally on Thursday, over 65,000 cases.

With preparations for the Christmas market underway in Hamburg, only fully vaccinated people will be allowed to visit places that serve food and drinks.

The German government is trying to increase the vaccination rate, which remains below 70 percent.

Key words : taiwan fighter
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211118_21/

Taiwan has officially commissioned its first squadron of upgraded F-16 fighter jets in a ceremony attended by President Tsai Ing-wen.

The ceremony was held on Thursday at Chiayi air base in southern Taiwan.

Sandra Oudkirk, the director of the American Institute in Taiwan, was among those invited to the ceremony.

Tsai and Oudkirk posed for a photograph in front of the upgraded aircraft, in a show of US support for Taiwan's defense.

The commissioned jets are among the 141 F-16 jets of Taiwan's air force that are to be converted into advanced F-16Vs by 2023 with the help of US manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

The first combat squadron was officially launched after the number of retrofitted jets reached the required standard.

The upgraded aircraft have advanced radar capable of tracking multiple targets and are also equipped with longer-range missiles.

Taiwan is also planning to purchase 66 new F-16Vs under a deal approved by former President Donald Trump's administration.

Taiwan is moving fast to strengthen its deterrence at a time when Chinese military aircraft are frequently entering its air defense identification zone.

Key words : china resolution hirakawa sachiko
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