at 18:30 (JST), December 30

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/20211230183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : confirmed more than 500
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Key words : tokyo 76
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211229_16/

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 76 new cases of the coronavirus in the capital on Wednesday.

The figure topped 50 for the first time since October 16.

The daily tally is up 36 from a week ago, marking a week-on-week increase for the 12th consecutive day.

Tokyo officials say the number of patients in serious condition was one, down one from Tuesday.

Key words : haneda
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211229_12/

The rush of year-end travelers headed for hometowns or vacations is hitting its peak on Wednesday in Japan. Airports and train stations are less crowded than a usual holiday season but busier than last year when the coronavirus pandemic caused the number of travelers to plunge.

Tokyo's Haneda Airport was bustling from early in the morning. Long lines formed at facilities offering PCR and antigen tests as people had made reservations to be tested before boarding.

A woman heading to her hometown in the northern prefecture of Aomori said she was getting tested just in case, to keep her family safe.

A woman who is going to visit her family in the southwestern prefecture of Oita said she had been planning the trip since before the spread of the Omicron variant. She said she wanted to make sure she wasn't infected before heading to her hometown.

Airlines are calling on passengers to take thorough anti-virus measures, including wearing face masks and maintaining sufficient distance in lines.

They said domestic flights departing from Tokyo or Osaka are near full capacity throughout Wednesday.

Key words : hong kong arrested seven people
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211229_17/

Hong Kong police have arrested seven people in connection with an online media outlet known for its anti-government stance.

The police on Wednesday announced the arrest of the seven on suspicion of "conspiracy to publish seditious publications."

Hong Kong media say six of the arrested are current and former senior officials of Stand News.

Pop singer and pro-democracy activist Denise Ho, who was depicted in a documentary that was released in Japan and elsewhere, was reportedly among them.

A former senior official at the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, who wrote editorials for Stand News, was also arrested.

Stand News is known for its coverage of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019.

About 200 police officers took part in the raid on the media outlet's office.

The company later announced that it is ceasing operations and removing past articles from its website. It also said all of its employees have been dismissed.

Hong Kong authorities have been intensifying their crackdown on journalists.

On Tuesday, prosecutors filed an additional charge of conspiracy to distribute seditious publications against Jimmy Lai, the founder of the Apple Daily newspaper, who was earlier indicted for violating the national security law.

Key words : Thursday marks speech
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211230_03/

Thursday marks the 10th anniversary of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un becoming his country's top military commander, following the death of his father, Kim Jong Il.

Amid stalled denuclearization talks with the United States, Kim has made clear he will push ahead with nuclear and missile development.

Japan's Defense Ministry says North Korea may have or has test-fired more than 90 ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, over the past decade.

That compares with 16 missiles believed fired over the course of the 17 years when Kim's father was in power.

Pyongyang conducted four nuclear tests and in 2017 claimed that it had succeeded in testing a hydrogen bomb that can be mounted on an ICBM.

North Korea has been negotiating for the easing of sanctions imposed against it and the suspension of joint military exercises by the US and South Korea, but talks have shown little progress.

In a speech he gave in October, Kim expressed his distrust of Washington and showed readiness to pursue nuclear and missile development to strengthen deterrence.

The 10th anniversary of Kim's rule comes as a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea is ongoing. The meeting kicked off on Monday with Kim in attendance.

Attention is focused on whether Kim will mention nuclear and missile development.

Key words : indonesian refugee
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211230_01/

The Indonesian government has decided to grant refugee status to Rohingya minority Muslims from Myanmar whose boat became stranded.

Local authorities and others say the wooden boat carrying about 120 Rohingya broke down and was found adrift in waters off the coast of Aceh province in western Indonesia on Sunday.

Footage showed that most of the passengers in the packed boat were women and children.

As the boat reportedly was at risk of sinking, the UN Refugee Agency, Amnesty International and others had been calling on the Indonesian government to allow the group to seek refuge.

Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims have been enduring harsh living conditions for years. More than 700,000 have fled to neighboring Bangladesh after persecution following a military crackdown in 2017.

A military coup in their home country in February has dashed hopes of them returning home anytime soon, prompting an increasing number of Rohingya to head for Malaysia and other countries with the help of smugglers on boat.

But some have been refused entry to those countries or presumably died after their boats went missing.

Key words : humanitarian save
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211229_06/

International aid group Save the Children says two of its local staff members are among the 35 civilian victims, whose bodies were found in eastern Myanmar.

The organization said on Tuesday that one man was 32 years old, and the other was 28. The two were reportedly on their way back to their office, when they became caught up in an attack on Friday in Kayah State.

Save the Children says it has 900 aid workers in Myanmar. The organization says it suspended operations in Kayah and some other regions after the attack.

The aid group said, "Violence against innocent civilians including aid workers is intolerable." It also said, "We are shaken by the violence carried out against civilians and our staff."

The military and pro-democracy armed groups are engaged in fierce fighting in Kayah.

The insurgents said on Saturday that the military had killed 35 civilians, including women and children. They also said that the military burned the bodies of the victims and some vehicles.

But the military has disputed those claims. The country's state-run media has reported that the fighting erupted after militants in vehicles opened fire on soldiers.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement on Tuesday. He said, "The targeting of innocent people and humanitarian actors is unacceptable."

Blinken called on the international community to do more to "prevent the recurrence of atrocities in Burma, including by ending the sale of arms and dual-use technology to the military."

Key words : health ministry healthy life
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211229_05/

Japan's health ministry says healthy life expectancy for men and women in the country has hit record highs.

The ministry conducts a survey on about 200,000 households nationwide every three years and releases estimated figures.

Healthy life expectancy is the number of years people can lead a social life without receiving nursing care.

The ministry says that as of 2019, healthy life expectancy was 75.38 for women and 72.68 for men.

The figures for both men and women have been increasing since the survey began in 2001.

By prefecture, women in Mie and men in Oita have the longest healthy life expectancy.

Women in Kyoto and men in Iwate have the shortest.

The ministry says fewer people need nursing care and many seniors continue to engage in social activities.

The ministry also says it will keep an eye on whether the coronavirus pandemic will affect healthy life expectancy.

Key words : japan own moon
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211228_17/

Japan plans to put its own astronauts on the moon in the latter half of the 2020s.

The goal was announced at a meeting on Tuesday of the Strategic Headquarters for Space Development.

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Science and Technology Policy Minister Kobayashi Takayuki were among those attending.

As part of a revised space policy, the panel for the first time set a timeframe for the lunar-landing plan.

Japan is a member of the US-led Artemis program, which envisions building an outpost to orbit the moon and sending astronauts to the lunar surface.

The revised policy includes cooperation between the public and private sectors to develop a manned lunar rover as part of Japan's commitment to the US-led project.

It also says Japan will conduct research to develop technology for generating solar power in space.

Prime Minister Kishida described space as a frontier that gives dreams and hopes to people. He said it is also an important foundation that supports economy and society from the viewpoint of economic security.