at 18:00 (JST), November 02 (AI-CC by Clipchamp)

 

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20241102180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo. 

A United Nations committee has adopted a Japan-sponsored draft resolution that calls for action to realize a world without nuclear weapons. Similar resolution submitted by Japan, the only country to have suffered atomic bombings have been adopted every year since 1994. 
On Friday, 145 countries voted in favor, including the United States. Six nations, including Russia, China and North Korea, voted against it. This year's document expresses deep concern over what it calls irresponsible nuclear rhetoric. An apparent reference to remarks by individuals, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The document urges all nations, especially those possessing nuclear weapons, to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric concerning the use of such arms. It also refers to the atomic bomb survivors group Nihon Hidankyo, which won this year's Nobel Peace Prize. The draft resolution says world leaders, young people and others who visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki will be welcomed so they can increase their awareness of the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons.

U.S. forces dropped atomic bombs on both cities. In 1945, during World War 2, Japan's foreign minister says in a statement, it is significant that the draft resolution was adopted with the broad support of many countries, including nuclear powers, the US and Britain. He also pledged Japan's continued commitment to enhancing the international community's momentum to achieve a world without nuclear weapons. 

And North Korea's top diplomat has expressed strong support for Russia and Moscow. She vowed the North will stand alongside Russia in the war against Ukraine until the day of victory. Chae Son-hee met for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Our comrade and Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, Kim Jong-un, issued direction from the very beginning of the special military operation against Ukraine. That we should consistently and strongly declare our support for the just fight of Russia's military and a people to defend their country's sovereign rights and security interests. The two sides are relieved to have discussed deepening ties under the terms of a treaty signed in June. That agreement includes mutual military assistance. 

Very close contacts have been established between the military of our two countries and along the lines of security services. This also allows us to practically solve significant and important tasks for the security of our citizens and yours.

Officials in the US have warned that North Korean troops deployed in Russia could enter the battlefield in the coming days. They've called on China to use this influence to prevent an escalation.

A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry commented on the issue in a news conference. The DPRK and Russia are two independent sovereign states, and how to develop bilateral relations is a matter for themselves. Lin says China is not aware of the specifics of exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

Now, residents of the Gaza Strip are voicing concerns after Israel's parliament passed legislation on Monday banning the UN agency for Palestinian refugees from operating in the country. Now, the move could seriously hinder UNRWA's humanitarian aid activities in the enclave.
NHK footage shows many residents lining up on Thursday for checkups and prescriptions at one of the agency's health centers in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza. The facility was built with support from Japan. UNRWA officials say many people have contracted infectious diseases due to worsening hygiene. They said demand for medicine is growing, but deliveries have been delayed. The officials also said they could run out of more than 50 types of medication as early as this month.

My one-year-old son is suffering from malnutrition. UNRWA is so important and irreplaceable to us.

Currently, the average medical consultation per day is around 16,000 medical consultations.

We request some donors to continue supporting UNRWA to ensure the delivery of the health services to the needy people in Gaza.

Israel's military offensive in Gaza has internally displaced at least 1.9 million people. Israel claims there are possible links between Andhra and Hamas. It's called for the agency to be disbanded and its responsibilities transferred to other UN bodies.

Firefighters and military personnel are still searching for survivors of eastern Spain's devastating floods. More than 200 people have now been confirmed dead. Record-breaking downpours from Tuesday through Wednesday flooded the region of Valencia and elsewhere. Vehicles and bridges were swept away.

Local media say 205 people have been confirmed dead in what is being described as the worst disaster of its kind in Spain in five decades. Military units joined firefighters to search inside flooded cars and remove mud from roads. Some people are criticizing authorities for responding too slowly. Local media cites residents as saying that by the time an alert was issued, damage had already occurred. Roads have been cut off in many places, hampering rescue efforts.

An international research team that analyzes extreme weather events says the downpours may have been worsened by the effects of global warming.

A Major League Baseball World Series winner, the Los Angeles Dodgers, celebrated their championship on Friday with a victory parade. City officials estimate more than 200,000 people gathered in downtown Los Angeles.

Dodgers players, their families and others related to the team boarded 7 double-decker buses. They traveled about 1.6 kilometers for the parade. Japanese major leaguer Otani Shohei was joined by his wife and their pet dog. Yamamoto Yoshinobu was on the same bus. He's the second Japanese pitcher to win a World Series game. The celebration later moved to the Dodgers home stadium.

I'm so honored to be here and to be part of his team. Congratulations. Thank you, fans. Thank you, fans.

The Dodgers won the World Series for the eighth time after beating the New York Yankees four games to one. It is their first championship in four years, but the team did not hold a victory parade in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. So Friday's parade was its first in 36 years.

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And those are the top stories for this hour. 

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That's a wrap for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard. Thank you very much for joining us.