at 18:30 (JST), July 11

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/20220711183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : komeito major
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220711_06/

Japan's ruling coalition scored a sweeping victory in Sunday's Upper House election.

The Liberal Democratic Party was able to win more than half the open seats without the help of its coalition partner, Komeito.

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio on Sunday night said he was grateful for the outcome. He promised to address the biggest issues facing the nation, including the pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the soaring cost of living. He vowed to revive the Japanese economy.

The main opposition force, the Constitutional Democratic Party, lost seats in the Upper House under its new leader, Izumi Kenta. He said, "With our party's approval ratings still low, we need to work on ourselves, and restore support."

The ruling coalition and two other parties, Nippon Ishin Japan Innovation Party and the Democratic Party for the People, support amending the Constitution.

Together they now control more than two-thirds of the chamber's seats.

A two-thirds majority is needed in both houses of the Diet to hold a national referendum on an amendment proposal. The LDP believes the 1947 Constitution, which has never been amended, should be revised to fit the times.

The election was held just two days after former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo was killed during a campaign event on Friday. Kishida called the act a violent challenge to Japan's democracy.

Key words : investigator test
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220710_18/

Investigative sources said the suspect in Friday's shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo claimed he had test-fired his gun at a religious organization's facility.

Abe was fatally shot as he was making a campaign speech in the western city of Nara. The shooter is believed to have used a handmade gun. Police arrested the 41-year-old suspect, Yamagami Tetsuya, an unemployed resident of the city.

The sources said Yamagami told investigators that he recently test-fired his weapon at a facility related to a specific organization.

Police earlier said that the suspect had a grudge against the organization, and that he targeted the former prime minister because he believed that Abe had close ties with it.

Investigators said that Yamagami claimed he originally tried to kill a senior member of the group, but failed.

Police said that they have received no information about any firing tests.

Key words : blinken visited free and
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220711_11/

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has visited Japan and offered his condolences on the death of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.

Blinken met with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in Tokyo for about ten minutes on Monday. He was instructed by President Joe Biden to convey condolences on behalf of the US government.

In the meeting, Blinken said that Abe was a supporter of the unwavering Japan-US alliance. He said Abe upheld a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific and made great achievements in strengthening cooperation with the US and other like-minded countries.

Kishida conveyed his sincere gratitude for the warm feelings expressed by the US, including Blinken's visit and a phone call from Biden.

Kishida went on to say that as prime minister, he will not give in to violence and protect democracy. He also said he will follow in Abe's footsteps and make efforts to further strengthen the Japan-US alliance.

The secretary told reporters after the meeting that the American people feel a sense of loss along with the people of Japan.

He said, "I'm here because the United States and Japan are more than allies. We're friends."

Blinken said, "In his time in office, Prime Minister Abe did more than anyone to elevate the relationship between the US and Japan to new heights."

He went on to say that Abe had the rarest of qualities -- "a man of vision with the ability to realize that vision."

He added, "We will do everything we can to help our friends carry the burden of this loss."

Blinken said he shared with Kishida letters to the Abe family from President Biden.

Key words : sri lanka will resign
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220710_14/

Sri Lanka's president has expressed his intention to resign, as anti-government protests have been growing since March over the country's economic crisis.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa told the parliament that he will step down next Wednesday. The decision follows the largest-ever protests on Saturday, mainly in the biggest city of Colombo.

Some protesters have seized the president's residence, demanding his resignation. Clashes with security forces also took place.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took office in May, also said he will resign. His predecessor was the sitting president's brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, a former president. The two brothers served as president for more than 10 years in total.

Public anger against the Rajapaksa family has increased to unprecedented levels due to the government's perceived poor economic management. People have been suffering from serious fuel shortages and price hikes triggered by dwindling foreign exchange reserves due to the country's heavy external debts.

Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana is expected to take over as interim president.

Observers are uncertain whether the change of power can help to end the turmoil, with protesters still occupying the presidential residence.

Key words : taiwan defense ministry expel
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220709_02/

Taiwan's defense ministry says Chinese military aircraft entered its airspace, condemning the move as a provocation.

The ministry said China's combat aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's airspace on Friday morning.

Ministry officials did not specify the number of aircraft, the type or their flight paths.

Taiwan's military says it expelled the Chinese aircraft while monitoring the situation with a ground-based air defense missile system.

The median line is an unofficial buffer to help avoid accidental clashes between Chinese and Taiwanese forces.

The Taiwanese foreign ministry also accused Beijing of putting military pressure on Taiwan, before top diplomats of the United States and China meet.

Taiwan's defense ministry also confirmed on Friday that Chinese military planes, including J-16 fighters, entered its air defense identification zone nine times.

The move came as President Tsai Ing-wen met with US Senator Rick Scott, who is visiting Taiwan, in the hope of further deepening US-Taiwan relations.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian condemned the senator's visit. He released a comment saying that the move by the US side "heavily damaged" China-US relations and "gravely escalated regional tensions across the Taiwan Strait."

The spokesperson also said the Chinese military's Eastern Theater Command recently conducted military patrols and combat training exercises in the waters and airspace around Taiwan.

Key words : supreme court reporter
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220708_59/

Japan's Supreme Court has upheld a high court decision that a former TV reporter must pay damages to a journalist who says he raped her.

Journalist Ito Shiori filed the suit in 2017, saying that a former Tokyo Broadcasting System Television reporter sexually assaulted her.

She said Yamaguchi Noriyuki raped her while she was in a state of intoxication and unconscious following a dinner with him in 2015.

Yamaguchi argued that the act was consensual and counter-sued Ito.

In 2022, the Tokyo High Court upheld a lower court decision ordering Yamaguchi to pay Ito 3.3 million yen, the current equivalent of 24,000 dollars in damages.

The high court said Ito's testimony was credible as it was concrete and consistent, and that it is appropriate to recognize that Yamaguchi had sexual intercourse without Ito's consent.

But unlike the district court, the high court also ordered Ito to pay damages of 550,000 yen, or currently about 4,000 dollars, to Yamaguchi for defamation.

The court said Ito's claim in her book and at a news conference that Yamaguchi had given her a date-rape drug during dinner was not credible as there was no appropriate proof to back it up. The ruling prompted both Ito and Yamaguchi to appeal to the supreme court.

The top court by Friday rejected the appeals from the two, finalizing the high court's ruling.

Key words : ohtani selected
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220711_05/

Major League Baseball star Ohtani Shohei of the Los Angeles Angels has been selected for this year's All-Star Game as a hitter and pitcher for the second year in a row.

The Japanese two-way sensation was picked as one of the pitchers of the American League on Sunday as a selection made by the Commissioner's Office. Ohtani was already the top vote-getter among fans for the league's designated hitter.

Last year, Ohtani became the first player in history to start as both pitcher and leadoff hitter in the All-Star Game.

Ohtani said it is a "huge honor" and that he will give it his best for all the people who voted for and supported him.

The All-Star Game will be held on July 19 at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Players participating in the Home Run Derby on the day before the game have not yet been announced.

In the National League, Japanese pitcher Darvish Yu of the San Diego Padres, who has seven wins so far this season, did not make the All-Star lineup this year.