at 18:30 (JST), September 23

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/20220923183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : currency market
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220922_38/

The yen has rallied against the dollar after Japanese authorities intervened in the currency market. It's the first time in 24 years that Japan has waded into the currency market to buy yen -- which briefly climbed back to the 140 level.

The dramatic move came hours after the yen had tumbled to the upper 145-yen level against the greenback.

Traders had been dumping the Japanese currency following another US rate hike and a decision by the Bank of Japan to keep its easy money policy firmly in place.

A senior finance ministry official said the intervention is designed to halt the slide.

Concern about the widening gap between interest rates in Japan and the US has prompted a major sell-off of the yen in recent months.

The currency has shed around 20 percent of its value against the dollar this year -- drastically raising import prices and straining household budgets.

Key words : Kishida ease border
#N/Ahttps://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220923_223/

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has said Japan will further ease border controls aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

Kishida made the comment to reporters in New York where he attended the United Nations General Assembly.

Kishida said Japan will end the limit on the number of people entering Japan. It will also lift the ban on individual travel and allow visa-free visits from October 11.

Japan now limits the number of entrants to 50,000 per day. The number of daily infections has been decreasing, so the tourism industry and other sectors are calling on the government to further ease the border controls.
Separately, Kishida said he is committed to reforming the UN and strengthening its functions. He said he will lead discussions at the UN and the Group of Seven advanced economies to address challenges facing the world.

Japan will serve as the rotating chair of the G7 next year. It will host the G7 summit in Hiroshima in May. The country will also be a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for two years starting in January.

Kishida spoke with leaders of countries such as the United States, Britain, the Philippines and South Korea on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

He said he shared their strong concerns about the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including rising prices, the energy supply crisis, and a possible global economic slowdown.

Kishida said he will address these issues and revitalize Japan's economy with a comprehensive economic package by the end of October.

Key words : cambodia
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220922_42/

A judge in Cambodia says the last surviving leader of the Khmer Rouge will spend the rest of his days behind bars.

Pol Pot's brutal regime enforced an extreme form of communism during the 1970s. Authorities killed at least 1.7 million people, more than a fifth of Cambodia's population. It's widely viewed as one of humankind's worst atrocities.

Khieu Samphan was head of state. In 2018, a court convicted him of crimes against humanity including genocide. On Thursday, a United Nations-backed tribunal rejected his appeal. Khieu Samphan is 91.

Key words : superstar
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220922_43/

Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie has visited Pakistan, which is still reeling from catastrophic floods.

Jolie is visiting with the International Rescue Committee. On Wednesday, she spoke with government and military officials responding to the disaster.

Pakistan has been hit by record monsoons since mid-June. More than 1,500 people have died, and two million houses have been damaged or destroyed. Floods persist in many areas.

Jolie reportedly met some of the locals in the hard-hit southern province of Sindh.

She said, "I've been speaking to people and thinking that if enough aid doesn't come, they won't make it. Too many children, so malnourished."

Jolie fears more hardship will come in winter. Poor sanitary conditions are currently a breeding ground for infectious diseases such as malaria and cholera.

Key words : backlash state funeral
#N/A