at 18:30 (JST), October 18

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/20221018183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : shady marketing court order evidence
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221018_05/

The Japanese government plans to launch an inquiry into alleged shady marketing practices by the former Unification Church by the end of this year. If it finds evidence that warrants disbanding the group, the government will promptly seek a court order to that effect.

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio instructed Culture Minister Nagaoka Keiko to open the probe by using "the right to ask questions" under the Religious Corporations Act.

This came in response to a report issued on Monday from a Consumer Affairs Agency expert panel, calling on the government to conduct an inquiry, with an eye on seeking a court order to disband the group.

Kishida told a Lower House committee that there were civil trial cases in 2016 and 2017 in which the group was found liable for systematic unlawful acts.

Kishida also said the consultation line the government set up recently to deal with issues regarding the group, had received more than 1,700 calls as of September 30.

An investigation into the group will be conducted under a provision of the Religious Corporations Act, which grants authorities "the right to ask questions" of groups suspected of violating the law.

It has never been exercised before. The government will convene a meeting of experts next week to look into the conditions and criteria for exercising the right.

Key words : business lobby
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221018_04/

The head of Japan's largest business lobby says the Japanese yen may further lose value, after the currency slid to the 148 level against the dollar.

Chairman Tokura Masakazu of the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, told reporters on Monday that the United States is doing everything it can to cool off its red-hot economy. Against that backdrop, he said, speculators are betting on the interest-rate gap between Japan and the US to widen.

Tokura said the Bank of Japan may be able to adjust interest rates by a small margin, but not enough to satisfy speculators. He added that it's "unrealistic" to try to control exchange rates through such interest-rate adjustments.

He suggested that Japan can take advantage of the weakening yen, such as drawing more foreign tourists.

Key words : and australia
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221018_02/

Government sources say arrangements are underway for Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese to issue a new joint declaration on security cooperation. The two leaders are scheduled to meet in Australia this weekend.

Kishida said during a meeting of executives of his ruling party on Monday that he intends to discuss security, energy and food supplies with Albanese.

Government sources say the new security declaration will likely encompass a range of cooperation over the next 10 years. It is expected to reflect China's maritime activities and the changing situation in the Indo-Pacific region.

This follows the previous declaration in 2007, under which Japan's Self-Defense Forces and Australia's military strengthened their partnership through intelligence sharing and joint drills.

The leaders are also expected to confirm their cooperation on securing stable supplies of liquefied natural gas and other energy resources, as well as in advanced fields like green transformation.

Key words : communist party fight against
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221018_01/

A senior anti-corruption official of China's Communist Party says the party has investigated nearly 5 million members over corruption allegations in the last decade.

The party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection held a briefing on Monday on the sidelines of the party's national congress. It explained their achievements over the past 10 years.

They said more than 4.64 million members have been probed for possible corruption and other lapses of discipline.

Xiao Pei, deputy secretary of the commission, pledged to continue the crackdown on corruption among party and government leaders. Xiao said the party is determined to win a fight against corruption by maintaining discipline.

The anti-corruption campaign has been one of Chinese President Xi Jinping's key policies. It is said to have helped strengthen his political base.

Former members of the party leadership and emerging next-generation leaders were among those targeted in the anti-graft drive.

Xi -- who is expected to secure a third term as party leader -- appears determined to further solidify his grip on power. Xi said in a report that the party will never rest in its fight against corruption.

Key words : china key economic
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221017_41/

China will delay the release of key economic indicators originally scheduled to be announced this week, including the country's latest quarterly gross domestic product.

The Chinese government revealed on its website on Monday that it will postpone the publication of GDP data from July through September, housing prices in major cities and other key economic indicators.

Trade data, previously scheduled for release on Friday of last week, were also skipped.

It's extremely rare for the government to put off the release of important economic statistics.

Beijing said on its website that the previously scheduled dates for publication were part of an initial plan and may be changed.

The National Bureau of Statistics told NHK that the delay was due to a work-related issue.

The Chinese Communist Party's national congress is being held this week. The new leadership is expected to be officially launched as early as Sunday.

Some market analysts say the delay may be in consideration of the ongoing National Congress. They say it's no wonder the government delayed publication because the statistics were not good.

Key words : afghanistan
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221017_45/

The head of the UN Development Programme in Afghanistan has called on the international community to help Afghan girls and women get education and work.

Abdallah Al Dardari told NHK Afghanistan has lost 5 billion dollars -- or a quarter of its GDP -- due to a sharp decline in grant aid from overseas after the Taliban seized power. He says the country has seen a dozen years' worth of economic development "completely wiped out."

The UNDP's resident representative in Afghanistan said the main impact of that loss was on women's share in the labor force, which tumbled by almost 28 percent.

Noting that the labor productivity of women in Afghanistan is higher than that of men of the same education level, Dardari said losing women from the workforce is "very upsetting" for medium and long-term productivity and consequently for chances of economic recovery.

Dardari also spoke about the Taliban's refusal to allow secondary school girls to resume classes. Calling education for girls "a human right," he said the United Nations and the UNDP will continue to "press very strongly for the return of girls to secondary education."

But Dardari pointed out some provincial officials allow girls' education, and an increasing number of local people are paying NGOs to provide unofficial schooling.

He said, "We need to support all these types of innovative ways of bringing education to the girls if the girls cannot go to education."

Dardari pointed out Afghanistan's economic growth in the past 20 years before the Taliban took over relied on grant aid from abroad and the foreign military presence, which was ineffective in creating jobs.

Dardari stressed it is important to strengthen the economy from the bottom up for mid- and long-term reconstruction by helping more ordinary people find ways to make a living.

Key words : researcher
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221018_06/

Researchers in Japan have started a trial of a treatment for Parkinson's disease by injecting genes into a patient. This is reportedly the first clinical trial of this treatment method in the country.

A team at the Jichi Medical University Hospital started the trial on Monday. A male patient in his 50s participated.

The team injected the genes directly into the man's brain, with the aim of stimulating the body to produce a chemical called dopamine, a brain chemical that sends mobility signals to other parts of the body.

Parkinson's is a progressive disease in which patients gradually lose the ability to move. Their limbs may tremble and the body becomes rigid. The disease is caused by abnormalities in the cells responsible for the production of dopamine.

Twelve patients will be monitored over the next year to check the safety and efficacy of the treatment. The scientists say they aim to gain approval to use it as a new treatment method.

Muramatsu Shinichi, a professor at the Jichi Medical University who led the group, said a long-term improvement in symptoms can be expected from one treatment session, if the dopamine is generated. He said he wants to help mitigate patients' stress and improve their quality of life.

The health ministry says there are more than 140,000 Parkinson's patients in Japan. There are medicines to relive symptoms or slow its progression, but a basic cure has yet to be found.
Researchers in and outside Japan are exploring methods to cure the disease, including a clinical trial by a Kyoto University team that involves iPS technology.