at 18:30 (JST), December 06

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/20221206183000_english_1.mp3


Key words : japan lost former champion
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221206_05/

Japan has missed its chance to advance to the quarterfinals at the men's soccer World Cup in Qatar. The Samurai Blue lost to Croatia on penalties.

This was the third World Cup to pit Japan against Croatia which was the runner-up in 2018.

Japan's Maeda Daizen opened scoring just before half time. Croatia equalized the score in the 55th minute.

Japan's goalkeeper Gonda Shuichi saved a shot from the 2018 tournament's MVP, Luka Modric.

Mitoma Kaoru shot from a speedy dribble, but was blocked by the goalkeeper.
The game went to penalties. Japan missed three of its spot kicks, Croatia just one.

Japan will not advance beyond the round of 16 but it did finish at the top of its group, beating former champions Germany and Spain.

FIFA praised Japan's performance in the tournament, commenting "what a journey they've had" and thanking the team for adding some new World Cup moments.

Key words : moriyasu praise advance
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221206_03/

The coach of Japan's national soccer team has praised what his squad accomplished in their World Cup campaign, which came to an end with a penalty shootout loss to Croatia.

Moriyasu Hajime said his men opened a new chapter for Japanese soccer, though the team failed to advance beyond the round of 16.

Moriyasu said he is sure a new future is awaiting Japan. He added that the Samurai Blue need to keep working hard to overtake rivals based on the confidence his team built by beating former World Cup champions Germany and Spain.

Captain Yoshida Maya says he is not satisfied with the result, given the amount of energy he put into training in the past four years.

Key words : south arrested halloween
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221206_02/

South Korean police have arrested two former senior officers in connection with the deadly Halloween crowd crush in Seoul. The two are accused of ordering subordinates to destroy evidence.

The incident in the capital's Itaewon district on October 29 left 158 people dead, including two Japanese citizens. Experts believe a lack of plans to ensure safety on the day of the incident was among the factors leading to the tragedy.

South Korean media outlets reported the arrests on Monday of the former officers, one from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and another from the Yongsan Police Station, which oversees Itaewon.

The two are alleged to have ordered that a report pointing out the danger of an accident happening during Halloween festivities be deleted in the wake of the incident.

Arrest warrants had been sought for other officials as well, including a former chief of the Yongsan Police Station, on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death and injury. But the court has rejected the request.

The media outlets said a special police team is also investigating a top Yongsan district official and a Fire Department chief.

Investigators are working to get to the bottom of what actually caused the incident.

Key words : malaysia launch cabinet
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221205_35/

Malaysia's new prime minister has launched his Cabinet. Anwar Ibrahim wants to focus on the economy, but his critics are already up in arms about who he picked as deputy.

The new Cabinet members held their first official meeting on Monday. Anwar, who also serves as finance chief, named his 28 ministers last week. He pledges to revive the economy and reduce people's living costs.

The government is a coalition including rival alliance Barisan Nasional, whose leader Ahmad Zahid Hamidi serves as co-deputy prime minister. Observers say the move is an attempt to find some middle ground.

But Zahid is on trial for charges including graft and money laundering. And he was a close aide to former prime minister Najib Razak, who was jailed over a multi-billion-dollar corruption scandal.

Critics accuse Anwar of undermining his own pledge to end corruption.

Key words : defense spending hamada
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221206_01/

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and his finance and defense ministers have agreed on the scale of the next five-year defense budget.

Kishida met with Finance Minister Suzuki Shunichi and Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu on Monday. They agreed to work to secure 43 trillion yen, or about 319 billion dollars, for defense spending between fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2027. That's a 50-percent increase over the current five-year budget.

Last week, Kishida instructed ministers to raise the annual defense and other related budgets to two percent of the country's gross domestic product in fiscal 2027.

The Defense Ministry initially demanded 48 trillion yen, citing the need to boost the nation's defense capabilities.

The Finance Ministry, meanwhile, initially asked the government to keep it under around 35 trillion yen to maintain fiscal health.

Government officials said they will explore ways to fund the budget increase, with tax revenue and other expenses in mind. The officials seek to come up with a comprehensive blueprint by year-end in coordination with the ruling parties.

Earlier, Kishida met with Yamaguchi Natsuo, the head of Komeito which forms a ruling coalition along with Liberal Democratic Party, which Kishida heads. They agreed on a plan for the total defense budget and its funding to be finalized by a council led by their deputies.

Key words : shanghai no longer pcr
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221206_25/

In China, measures to curb coronavirus infection have been eased further in Beijing and Shanghai, even as the number of positive cases remains high.

Anti-coronavirus measures are under review across China following nationwide protests in late November against the government's harsh "zero-COVID" policy.

From Tuesday, people in the capital Beijing and commercial hub Shanghai no longer need to show negative PCR test results when they enter public places, such as shopping facilities and office buildings.

But they still need to show proof of negativity at schools, medical institutions and eateries. People who visit commercial facilities must leave a record by scanning QR codes at the site with their smartphones.

China has mandated regular PCR testing to detect infections, and imposed tough restrictions on movement in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.

But infections are spreading, with about 27,000 new cases confirmed nationwide on Monday.

The question is whether the Chinese government will ease its anti-coronavirus measures further at the risk of a new surge in infections.

Key words : beijing bus subway
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221205_20/

Authorities in China have begun loosening some measures against coronavirus infections across the country.

The move comes as the government indicated its intention to "optimize" anti-infection measures last week. Beijing's strict "zero-COVID" policy has recently sparked protests in various cities.

Starting from Monday, Shanghai dropped PCR test requirements for public transportation, including subways, and outdoor public facilities, such as parks.

Test requirements for accessing buses and subways were also lifted in the capital, Beijing.

But people in both cities still must take PCR tests every few days and show a negative test result to enter commercial facilities and office buildings.

The southern city of Guangzhou has also significantly eased its lockdown measures in the wake of occasional clashes between residents and the police.

Chinese authorities apparently hope loosening restrictions will help ease public dissatisfaction and boost the country's slow economic recovery.

Key words : sales china hit
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221206_13/

Sales of new Japanese cars in China took a hit in November amid the government's strict zero-COVID policy and a renewed wave of infections.

Toyota says it sold about 140,000 new vehicles last month, down 18.4 percent year-on-year. That marks the first decline in six months for the company.

Honda saw its new car sales drop 42.8 percent to roughly 78,000 vehicles. Nissan's sales plunged by 52.5 percent to about 47,000 units.

This is the first fall in unit sales in China for all three automakers since May, when the country's largest economic center, Shanghai, was put under lockdown.
The number of COVID cases in China has been rising, at one point last month logging a record daily high. That led to temporary closure of some dealerships, and reduced customer traffic at those that were still open.

Key words : drone allow shopping
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221205_15/

Japan has moved to relax restrictions on drone flights. Owners are now allowed to operate drones beyond their line of sight in populated areas if they meet certain requirements.

The revised civil aeronautics law came into effect on Monday. It allows drones to carry out so-called level four flights, the least restricted category in Japan.

Level three only allowed drones to fly beyond the operator's line of sight in unpopulated areas. The change is expected to help people who are unable to go shopping. It could also help ease the shortage of drivers in the logistics field.

Manufacturers have been developing safer drones that qualify for level four flights. The president of Tokyo-based drone maker, ACSL, says the law's revision marks the first step toward a massive expansion of drone use.

Washiya Satoshi said "In order to continue to fly at higher risk levels, as a manufacturer, we need to ensure safety just like that for aircraft. It's also important to develop functions that improve convenience."

Drones intended for level four flights must pass safety checks and the operators will have to take practical and academic tests. No tests have been conducted yet and the government expects that it will be the end of March at the earliest before level four flights begin.