Key words : new caledonia corona
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211212_19/
Voters in the South Pacific territory of New Caledonia cast their ballots on independence from France on Sunday.
New Caledonia has been a French colony since the 19th century. The archipelago has a population of about 270,000.
Social divides between the rich and poor have fueled independence movements, which are supported mainly by indigenous Kanaks.
Vote-counting will start shortly after the polls close.
Sunday's referendum was the third and the final under the Noumea accord of 1998 between France and pro-independence groups. The accord stipulated that the referendum could be held up to three times.
In each of the past two referendums in 2018 and 2020, voters rejected independence, but by a smaller margin in the second referendum.
Some people expect more supporting votes this time, but pro-independence residents had been calling for a boycott of the ballot, citing a lack of preparation due to the coronavirus pandemic.
New Caledonia has large nickel resources and has been playing an important role in France's Indo-Pacific strategy, hosting a French military base.
China has been strengthening ties with the countries in the region. A vote for independence could help China increase its presence.
Key words : informal talk face-to-face
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211212_13/
Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa met with his South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-yong on the sidelines of the Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Liverpool, Britain.
They held informal talks during a dinner session for foreign ministers. It was their first face-to-face meeting.
Hayashi explained the Japanese government's position on issues over wartime labor and those referred to as comfort women.
The two reaffirmed the importance of cooperation between their countries and trilateral cooperation with the United States on a range of issues, including those related to North Korea.
The ministers agreed that diplomatic talks and communications between their countries should be accelerated to help bring about a return to normal bilateral relations.
Key words : united states tornado amazon
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211212_02/
Tornadoes have hit six states in the United States, destroying many buildings. The governor of the southern state of Kentucky says the death toll will exceed 50, and it could rise to nearly 100.
NOAA, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, says more than 30 tornadoes in total were spawned in six states in the US's Midwest and South from Friday night through Saturday.
US media outlets report major damage, including destroyed buildings, and people trapped under debris. There is concern that the number of casualties could increase as time passes.
In the midwestern state of Illinois, the warehouse of online retail giant Amazon was badly damaged. Footage shows collapsed roofs with rows of pillars exposed.
Media also report that a plant in Kentucky was destroyed while 110 people were working in it. Some of them are feared to be trapped under debris.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in his state, citing unprecedented levels of damage.
Search efforts are being made for the missing in affected areas. Media outlets report that four people have been confirmed dead.
Key words : Biden tornado
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211212_07/
A series of tornadoes have hit six US states in the country's South and Midwest, destroying buildings and causing tens of casualties. Kentucky's governor said the death toll could exceed 70 in the state.
NOAA, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, says the tornadoes were spawned from Friday night through Saturday.
In the southern state of Kentucky, a candle factory collapsed while about 110 people were inside. Rescue efforts are continuing for many of them thought to be trapped under the debris.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency for his state. He told reporters on Saturday that the death toll in the state "may end up exceeding 100 before the day is done."
In the Midwestern state of Illinois, the warehouse of online retail giant Amazon was badly damaged. Two people have been confirmed dead at that site.
US media outlets also report deaths in the states of Tennessee and Arkansas. But the number of casualties or the extent of damage there remain unknown.
In a Twitter post on Saturday, US President Joe Biden said he was briefed on the devastating tornadoes. He wrote, "To lose a loved one in a storm like this is an unimaginable tragedy. We're working with Governors to ensure they have what they need as the search for survivors and damage assessments continue."
The White House announced Biden spoke with Beshear by phone on Saturday morning to express his condolences for the lives lost.
It says the President has directed FEMA and other Federal agencies to provide the speediest assistance possible to impacted communities.
Key words : earthquake tokyo
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211212_14/
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake has hit Tokyo. Officials say there is no tsunami threat.
The quake struck at 12:31 p.m. on Sunday. Its epicenter was Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of the capital, at a depth of 50 kilometers. The tremor was felt throughout the greater Tokyo area, and the Tohoku, and Koshinetsu regions.
The quake registered an intensity of up to four on Japan's seismic scale of zero to seven.
No casualties or damage have been reported so far.
Key words : reactor
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211212_08/
Japan's nuclear regulators have released a video which captured an emergency system that was used to cool a reactor at an initial stage of the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority investigated on November 26 a building which houses the No.1 reactor. It suffered a meltdown accident and a hydrogen explosion following a major earthquake and tsunami.
The video shows concrete and metal pieces covering a floor in the building.
Two orange colored tanks can be seen on the fourth floor. They are part of an isolation condenser system, which was used to cool the reactor at the early stages of the accident.
The plant also suffered a blackout, but the system is designed to function without power. Steam from the reactor is cooled and returned to water when it flows through the piping in the tank. However, it was not fully utilized at the time of the accident.
The regulators say the radiation level around the system is relatively high, 34 millisieverts per hour at the maximum, due to contaminated debris.
The regulation authority plans to continue the probe to identify any issues which can be incorporated into safety measures for nuclear power plants.
Key words : tsunami father
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211212_10/
A father who lost his 12-year-old daughter in the tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, has spoken to foreign students about disaster preparedness.
Suzuki Noriyuki's daughter, Mai, was one of 74 children who lost their lives at Okawa Elementary School in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Ten teachers and staff members were also killed by the tsunami.
About 20 foreign students and others from Ishinomaki Senshu University visited the school on Saturday to learn about disaster prevention.
Suzuki told them about how people spent days digging out children buried in mud. He said that 34 of the victims were found in the ground.
He said teachers decided to have the children stay in the schoolyard instead of evacuating to higher ground.
Suzuki urged the participants to think about what kind of disaster could strike in their regions and to be ready to flee from danger.
A student from Vietnam said it is sad the children had to die when they could have escaped. He added he would think about where to evacuate and where to meet other family members in the event of an earthquake.
Key words : castle
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211212_12/
Western Japan's Matsue Castle got a year-end cleaning to prepare for the coming New Year festivities.
About 100 people usually take part in the annual event at the designated national treasure in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. But the number was reduced to around 40 this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Members of local volunteer groups and other participants cleaned off dust on the castle walls and under the eaves, using leaves on the end of long bamboo poles.
Some also wiped down the pillars, windows and floors inside the building.
A woman in her 70s said she takes part in the cleanup every year, and it makes her feel refreshed.
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