Key words : Saturday marks arson
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221217_10/
Saturday marks one year since a deadly arson attack on a medical clinic in the western Japanese city of Osaka. Mourners have been laying flowers at the site to commemorate the dozens who died.
The attack occurred on December 17 at a mental health clinic in Kita Ward. Twenty-six people died, including patients, the clinic's doctor and staff.
Arson and murder suspect Tanimoto Morio, who was then aged 61, also later died due to carbon monoxide poisoning in the attack. Police sent the case to prosecutors but Tanimoto was not indicted.
A group supporting the bereaved families says they are still suffering, as due to Tanimoto's death, it is no longer possible to uncover the truth about the crime in court and hold the suspect responsible.
Some people point out that families of victims who were unemployed at the time of the crime cannot receive sufficient compensation because the government subsidy is based on the victims' income.
Some families have also been targeted for abuse after it became known their relatives were receiving mental health care.
Inoue Naomi of an Osaka advocacy center for crime and accident victims says the families have been doing their best to carry on while struggling with grief for the past year.
She called on the government and relevant organizations to offer more support to the families so they can move forward.
Key words : defense ministry aircraft passed
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221217_05/
Japan's Defense Ministry says a group of Chinese vessels including an aircraft carrier passed between two islands of Okinawa Prefecture on Friday.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force confirmed the carrier Liaoning and accompanying ships sailed from the East China Sea to the Pacific Ocean through waters between Okinawa's main island and Miyakojima island.
It is the first confirmed passage through the area by a Chinese carrier since May.
Ministry officials say the vessels did not enter Japan's territorial waters.
They say two state-of-the-art missile destroyers were among the ships accompanying the carrier.
Officials believe the vessels could stay in the Pacific for a while and conduct a drill.
The defense ministry is analyzing the purpose of the navigation and maintaining close surveillance.
Key words : government chosen
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221217_04/
The Japanese government has chosen the first group of locations subject to new land use regulations for safeguarding national security.
A government council formally selected 58 sites on Friday, based on legislation that took effect in September.
The law allows the government to designate "watch zones" or "special watch zones" around facilities deemed important for national security.
The use of land and other activities will be restricted in the zones.
Half of the 58 sites are "watch zones" and the rest are "special watch zones." They include remote border islands and areas around Self-Defense Forces' facilities in Hokkaido, Aomori, Tokyo, Shimane and Nagasaki prefectures.
The government council plans to select more locations over the coming two years or so. A total of about 600 sites are expected to be designated under the law.
Key words : researcher omicron
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221217_07/
Japanese researchers say vaccines targeting Omicron coronavirus variants are 71 percent effective in preventing infections.
Scientists at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and other researchers compared vaccination records of about 4,000 people aged 16 or older who took virus tests at 10 medical facilities in the Kanto region.
The samples were taken between September and November, when the Omicron's BA.5 subvariant was the dominant strain.
The results show Omicron-targeting vaccines were 71 percent effective among those who had been at least twice inoculated with a conventional vaccine before taking an Omicron-specific booster.
More specifically, vaccines targeting the BA.1 subvariant proved 73 percent effective, while shots for BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants were found to be 69 percent effective.
The researchers say there was no significant difference between the two kinds of Omicron-targeting vaccines in their capabilities to prevent infections.
They are now planning to look into how long these vaccines remain effective.
Key words : beijing relax
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221217_03/
Surging coronavirus cases in Beijing are squeezing medical resources and affecting public life just days after the central government eased restrictions.
Authorities have converted gymnasiums and other public facilities into temporary clinics for people with symptoms.
The government relaxed its Zero-COVID policy last week.
But now, many people in the capital are avoiding going out. Those who have tested positive are isolating at home.
Deliveries of food and daily items are in demand, but many workers are also coming down with the virus.
Packages are piling up at logistics centers. City authorities are asking citizens to be patient as they recruit volunteers to clear the backlog.
Key words : people in ukraine cold spell
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221217_N02/
People in Ukraine are facing a cold spell without the power they need to heat their homes. They have seen Russian forces intensify attacks on their energy sources. And they have endured, yet again, a crippling strike on their power grid.
Ukrainian authorities said on Friday that they faced a barrage of more than 70 missiles. Their troops were able to shoot most of them down. Still, local officials describe the damage as "colossal." At least three civilians were killed. And nine power facilities were hit, forcing officials to order emergency blackouts.
For many people living in the stricken areas, taking cover in the subway has become part of daily life. They rely on aid centers to get a warm meal. In Kharkiv, relief workers have had to use generators and wood stoves.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russians are well-equipped to deliver similar attacks. But he added that his people have enough determination to take back what is theirs.
Zelenskyy called leaders in Moscow "rocket worshippers" but said their attacks will not change the "balance of power" in the war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has his own concerns. He is presiding over an economy hit by Western sanctions. So he is turning to those he considers allies.
He spoke by phone on Friday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, when discussing Ukraine, Modi stressed the need for "dialogue and diplomacy."
Putin has plans to meet another ally. He will visit Minsk on Monday for talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in an effort to deepen cooperation on energy and security.
Key words : review conference
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221217_06/
A UN conference approved steps to strengthen an accord aimed at banning biological weapons.
The Biological Weapons Convention delegates unanimously agreed in Geneva to set up a working group to verify compliance and improve transparency among members. The review conference was held from November 28 to December 16 in the UN European headquarters.
The convention prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of bioweapons using viruses, bacteria and other pathogens.
Delegates at the 9th Review Conference focused on how to strengthen the agreement to prevent viruses and other pathogens from being used for weapons as the coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten public health around the world.
The agreement to strengthen the accord came on the final day of the once every five-years event.
Challenges to progress in discussions by delegates included claims by Russia that the United States and Ukraine are secretly working together to develop biological weapons.
The agreement didn't include language some delegates had sought on the situation of implementing the ban.
Japanese Ambassador to the UN Conference on Disarmament Ogasawara Ichiro, deputy chair of the meeting, said that the results fell short of what was initially hoped for but that it was good to have a unanimous agreement.
He added that the countries share similar feelings about the pandemic and its impact on the world.
Ogasawara said continuous effort is needed to strengthen the convention toward the next review meeting.
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