at 18:30 (JST), February 03

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/20220203183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : athlete positive 53
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220203_03/

Some 50 foreign athletes scheduled to take part in the Beijing Winter Games have tested positive for the coronavirus either before departing for China or upon their arrival in the country.

NHK tallied up announcements by national sporting associations and online posts by Olympians. As of Tuesday, 53 athletes from 12 countries and the Russian Olympic Committee were confirmed positive for COVID-19.

Nine of them have been deprived of the opportunity to compete in the Games. They include a snowboarder from Slovenia and members of Sweden's ice hockey team.

That comes after medal-favorite Austrian ski jumper Marita Kramer was removed from the Olympic entry list after becoming infected with the virus.

More than 20 athletes are under isolation either in China or at home. They include a Japanese skier who tested positive after arrival.

The playbook says that athletes will be discharged from isolation if they have two consecutive negative PCR test results with a sample interval of at least 24 hours.

Key words : officials in japan struggling
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220202_36/

Officials in Japan are struggling to contain the coronavirus as it spreads unchecked across the country. They confirmed a record number of new cases on Wednesday.

The daily count topped 90,000. 886 people were listed in serious condition. That's up 82 from Tuesday.

Nearly half of Japan's 47 prefectures, including Tokyo, saw record daily infections.

New cases in the capital exceeded 20,000 for the first time.

The spike comes despite extensive preventive efforts.
Thirty-four prefectures have imposed quasi-emergency measures in a bid to keep the medical system from being overwhelmed.

Safeguards include asking bars and restaurants to close early and not to serve alcohol.

The virus also appears to have struck the Japanese team at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Team officials say a skier tested positive on Tuesday. They say the athlete had tested negative before traveling to China.

Key words : sony record
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220203_13/

Sony Group has posted record earnings for the first nine months of this business year, mainly thanks to global box office proceeds from the latest Spider Man movie.

The group says sales between April and December grew 13.2 percent from the same period a year earlier to roughly 67 billion dollars.

Its operating profit jumped almost 20 percent to 9.3 billion dollars.

The conglomerate adopted a new accounting standard starting this business year.

The brisk results have led to upward revisions of full-year sales and operating profit forecasts.

The group says it managed to minimize the impact of worldwide logistics disruptions caused by the pandemic that resulted in semiconductor shortages.

As for Sony's plans to branch out into electric vehicles, Chief Financial Officer Totoki Hiroki says the company would like to find a partner so as to avoid having to invest in large-scale facilities or developing batteries on its own.

Key words : thailand resumed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220202_33/

Countries in Southeast Asia are starting to ease their entry conditions as they say the pandemic is becoming more manageable. Thailand has resumed its quarantine waiver after suspending it for 40 days due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

Registration for the waiver reopened on Tuesday.
Fully-vaccinated travelers from all countries can apply. They are required to undergo two COVID tests during their first week in the country, in addition to one before arrival.

The program was suspended in late December as a surge in new cases loomed. The government says the fatality rate has fallen, and the infection trend is under control. Recent daily infections still hover around 7,000 to 8,000.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian resort island of Bali is set to welcome back foreign travelers this week.
The quarantine period for fully vaccinated people will be reduced to five days from seven. To get things started, Indonesia is ready to resume direct flights from Japan to Bali.

The Philippines also plans to reopen next week to fully vaccinated tourists without quarantine. The country's borders have been closed for nearly two years.

Key words : kim family
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220203_01/

A once prominent member of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's family has resurfaced. It's been two years since Kim's aunt, Kim Kyong Hui, was last seen in public. She disappeared from view after her husband's execution nearly a decade ago on charges of trying to overthrow the state.

Kim Kyong Hui was shown seated near the North Korean leader and his wife on state-run TV. They were attending a performance marking the Lunar New Year on Tuesday.

Kim Kyong Hui is the daughter of North Korea's founder, Kim Il Sung, and the sister of former leader Kim Jong Il.

Her husband, Jang Song Thaek, was considered a mentor to Kim Jong Un.
But he suffered a fall from grace in 2013 and was executed over treason charges.

North Korea is preparing to mark the 80th anniversary of the birth of Kim Jong Il on February 16.

Observers say the media coverage of Kim Kyong Hui may be intended to project a sense of unity within the leader's family.

Key words : central bank digital
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220202_12/

India plans to issue a digital currency in fiscal 2022.
Governments and central banks around the world are considering similar moves, generating heated debate.

Indian Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman said at the Parliament on Tuesday that the Reserve Bank of India will issue the digital rupee. She said the introduction of a central bank digital currency will give a big boost to the digital economy, and also lead to a more efficient and cheaper currency management system.

Cryptocurrencies from the private sector have raised concerns with Indian government and central bank officials who say they invite financial instability.
Sitharaman indicated there is a plan to tax crypto profits at 30 percent, apparently to encourage people to use the government-controlled digital currency.

China is widely seen as ahead of other economies in this field, as its central bank is already doing public trial of the digital yuan. The US Federal Reserve is weighing its options more cautiously as it considers risks such as cyberattacks.

Key words : researcher magnet
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220202_05/

Japanese researcher Sagawa Masato has won this year's Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering for developing the world's "strongest" permanent magnet.

The winner of the sixth edition of the British prize was announced online on Tuesday. It had been held every other year since 2013, but became an annual event, starting this year, to keep up with the pace of scientific and technological advances.

Sagawa invented the neodymium-iron-boron magnet, which is said to be the world's most powerful permanent magnet. The breakthrough led to the development of small and high-performance motors. This has enabled higher-performance products in various fields, such as wind power, electric vehicles and home electrical appliances.

The prize presenter also cited Sagawa's contribution to enabling cleaner, energy-saving technologies.

Sagawa said in a video message that he is very happy to receive a prize that recognizes the importance of engineering.

Sagawa is a consultant for Japanese specialty steel maker Daido Steel, and leads a Kyoto-based venture firm called NDFEB.

Last year's prize went to Akasaki Isamu, Shuji Nakamura and three American researchers for their contributions to the development and commercialization of light-emitting diodes, or LED technology. Akasaki and Nakamura shared the 2014 Nobel Prize for Physics, along with another Japanese researcher.