at 18:30 (JST), May 02

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/20220502183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : kishida met half a million
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220501_14/

Japanese Prime Minster Kishida Fumio has met his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi. They confirmed that their countries will deepen cooperation in various sectors, including security and their economies. Also on the agenda was how to deal with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The two prime ministers held a joint news conference after the meeting on Sunday.

Kishida said, "We agreed on the importance of an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid. We also oppose the threat to use, or use of weapons of mass destruction and attacks on civilians and civilian facilities that violate international humanitarian law."

Vietnamese Prime Minister Chinh announced that the country will provide half a million dollars in humanitarian aid to Ukrainians through international organizations.
The two leaders touched on security concerns in Asia, and agreed to cooperate to deal with the situations in North Korea and Myanmar.

In an apparent reference to China, Kishida also conveyed strong opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force in the South China Sea.

Key words : south significantly
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220501_01/

South Korea's parliament has passed a bill on prosecution reform that would significantly reduce the investigative powers of prosecutors.

The governing Democratic Party has been pushing to reform the country's state prosecution service. One of two bills was passed on Saturday by a majority vote amid protests by members of the main opposition People Power Party.

The other bill is expected to be approved next Tuesday and promulgated before President Moon Jae-in's departure.

The Supreme Prosecutors Office expressed deep regret in a statement, saying an important bill that directly affects people's lives has passed without a proper debate.

Prosecutors in South Korea have used their powers to arrest and indict former presidents, including Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak.

South Korean media have speculated that the governing party may have pushed for the legal changes to avert an investigation into President Moon, whose time in office ends later this month.

An editorial in a major South Korean newspaper, The Chosunilbo, criticized the revision, saying the last law to be promulgated by Moon is a law to ensure his immunity after retirement.

Key words : beijing may day holiday test result
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220501_06/

All dining in restaurants in Beijing is banned between Sunday and Wednesday amid the surging of the COVID infections. Only takeout services are allowed.

Authorities in the Chinese capital announced tightening of measures on Saturday as the five-day May Day holiday began.

Beijing has recorded almost 300 new infections since April 22.

Residents of Beijing's central Chaoyang district will receive additional PCR tests twice during the holidays.
Infection numbers are high in the populous district.

The authorities say that they are building a large quarantine facility for COVID patients and that they have already secured 4000 beds.

And beginning Thursday the public will be required to show a negative test result received within the previous seven days to enter public spaces such as commercial facilities, restaurants and offices or to use public transportation.

The number of people travelling is expected to be far fewer than usual during the holidays because of the infection measures. The tighter restrictions are likely to deal a further blow to the hospitality industry.

Key words : 23 people
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220501_02/

An eight-story building collapsed in central China on Friday. Local authorities say 23 people were trapped and 39 others are missing.

The building, which housed a hotel and restaurants, collapsed shortly after noon on Friday in Changsha, Hunan Province. Search and rescue operations are underway.

State-run China Central Television reported that the building was originally six stories high, and two floors were added later. But it also reported that the exact cause of the collapse is still being investigated.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered officials to rescue the victims at all costs. He also gave instructions to prevent the occurrence of serious accidents, citing a series of building collapses in recent years.

Building collapses have been frequently reported in China, and one of the causes is illegal construction.

Key words : philippine voter
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220502_01/

Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the eldest son of a former Philippine president, is maintaining his lead in the latest opinion poll, one week before the country's presidential election.

Filipinos will vote on May 9 to choose a successor to Rodrigo Duterte, as presidents are limited to serving a single six-year term.

Ten candidates are vying for the country's top office. Major campaign issues include Duterte's authoritarian rule, and how to deal with China.

The country's relations with Beijing have been strained over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

A survey in late April shows Marcos was the most preferred candidate with a 57 percent support rating.
Current Vice President Leni Robredo came in second with 21 percent, trailed by Francisco Domagoso, an actor and the current mayor of Manila, with 6 percent.

Marcos is attracting Duterte supporters by pledging to maintain the outgoing president's strategies. He is also broadening his support among young voters via social media.

Other contenders are trying to win over voters critical of Duterte's style of leadership such as his heavy-handed crackdown on illegal drugs.

Key words : major US
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220430_04/

A major US software firm says about one in seven people in Japan may have fallen victim to cybercrime last year.

NortonLifeLock conducted an online survey on a total of about 10,000 people in ten countries, including the United States, India and Japan, between November and December 2021.

The results suggest that more than 415 million people in those countries were victims of cybercrime. Of the total, more than 16 million people were in Japan.

The financial damage in the country exceeded 240 million dollars, a more than 30 percent increase on the previous year.

The respondents were asked about types of cybercrimes, with multiple answers allowed. Of the total, 68 percent said they were victims of unauthorized access, including social media hacking. Thirty-nine percent said their computers and smartphones were infected with viruses, while 25 percent said their personal information was leaked.

Nakamura Saori of NortonLifeLock is urging anyone with a smartphone to take measures such as updating antivirus software.

Key words : people in japan spring holiday
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220502_05/

People in Japan are now enjoying their first spring holidays in three years with no coronavirus restrictions in place.

Popular tourist spots across the country are coming back to life, and are again teeming with visitors.

A hot spring resort in Matsuyama City in Ehime Prefecture was bustling with tourists on Sunday, the third day of the spring holidays.

"Dogo Onsen Honkan" is one of the most popular hot spring spas in the area. Visitors had to wait to enter for about six hours from around noon.

Tourists also flocked to Tokyo Skytree, the country's tallest tower.

It's the first time in three years that the observation deck was opened during the spring holidays. Visitors were let in one hour earlier than usual to avoid potential congestion.

Officials in Tokyo reported 3,161 new cases on Sunday. The figure dropped by more than 1,700 from a week ago.

Nationwide, health authorities confirmed 26,960 new cases and 34 deaths on Sunday.