NHK WORLD News 🇯🇵

⁣Zelenskyy: Civilian ship attacked by Russian drones

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a civilian ship carrying corn has been attacked by Russian drones in the Black Sea. He called on other countries to step up pressure on Russia to restore global food security.
Zelenskyy wrote on social media on Monday that two Russian drones had struck the Turkish-owned vessel. The ship had Azerbaijani and Indian crewmembers on board.
Ukrainian media reported that the attack took place off the coast of Romania as the vessel was sailing from Ukraine to Italy. It said that two people were killed in the incident.
Meanwhile, the Russian defense ministry said on Sunday that its forces had used drones to attack a total of four vessels at a port in Ukraine and in the Black Sea, claiming the ships were transporting military cargo for Ukrainian forces.
The ministry also released a video allegedly showing one of the attacks, but it is unclear whether the footage shows the vessel referred to by Zelenskyy.

Read Full Article HERE
#World
@NHKworld

⁣Over 60 detained at Russian Communist Party rally

Russian police have reportedly detained 65 people in the capital, Moscow, during a rally organized by the opposition Communist Party.
The rally was reportedly approved by the government. At one point during the event, some people began chanting slogans critical of President Vladimir Putin's administration.
According to independent Russian media outlet Meduza and other reports, some of the participants at Sunday's event called for fair elections and chanted "Down with the Tsar," among other things.
The Russian Communist Party and one of its executives posted footage on social media showing the demonstrators being led away by police and security forces while others protested the detentions.
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is considered relatively cooperative with the Putin administration. However, discontent appears to be spreading among its supporters after the ruling United Russia party won more than three quarters of all seats in a landslide victory in last month's parliamentary lower house elections.

Read Full Article HERE
#World
@NHKworld

⁣Tokyo ward to survey Imperial Palace running route

Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward plans to survey a running route around the Imperial Palace after it received complaints from joggers and pedestrians.
The five-kilometer route around the palace is very popular among runners as they can run without stopping at traffic lights.
The ward established nine rules for the route in 2013. Those include yielding to pedestrians, running in a single line in narrow sections and running counterclockwise.
But ward officials have received complaints from people who said they were forced to step aside or almost bumped into runners who were going in the wrong direction.
The ward plans to survey the number of runners, pedestrians and cyclists using the route by the end of this fiscal year in March. It also plans to look into how people could collide into each other and how issues could occur.
Based on findings from the survey, the ward plans to increase the number of signs and install security cameras accordingly.
Ward officials say that it is important to ensure the safety of pedestrians. They also say they will conduct the survey swiftly and use it to draw up effective measures.

Read Full Article HERE
#Japan
@NHKworld

⁣Japan, Australia firms urge support in critical minerals

Japanese and Australian business leaders have called on their governments to support companies working in critical minerals. They say the industry is less stable than other sectors and comes with significant risks.
About 700 executives and government officials from the countries gathered Monday for an annual event hosted by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The president of a major Japanese trading firm said the critical minerals market is small relative to iron ore and copper, and poses major business risks. He added there needs to be government assistance for initial investment and measures to ease the risk of price fluctuations.
The chairperson of an Australian resource development firm said collaboration between governments is crucial--and not just between Japan and Australia.
Discussions are set to continue on Tuesday and finish with a joint statement on economic cooperation.
Meanwhile, Japanese Finance Minister Katayama Satsuki met with Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers in Tokyo on Monday. They concluded a memorandum of cooperation for the establishment of a new dialogue framework toward the securing of energy and critical minerals.

Read Full Article HERE
#Japan,#World
@NHKworld