Main news(2024/11/30)
The problem of "fake freelancers" - is it really outsourcing? What is the reality and what can be done about it?
2024-11-30 22:17:00
The problem of "fake freelancers" is that they work in a way that is almost the same as employees of a company, but are not protected by the Labor Standards Act. A new law to protect freelancers came into effect in November, but a federation of labor organizations held a rally in Tokyo, arguing that even the new law will be difficult to prevent. What is the reality?
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Professional baseball Giants fan interaction event, Shigeo Nagashima in good spirits
2024-11-30 21:35:00
Shigeo Nagashima, lifetime honorary manager of the professional baseball team Yomiuri Giants, participated in a fan interaction event held at Tokyo Dome, where he excited the fans with his lively appearance, including shaking hands with fellow participant Sadaharu Oh.
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Kyodo News: Article verifying false report of Yasukuni Shrine visit: "Accepting information from other journalists at face value"
2024-11-30 20:58:00
Kyodo News published an article examining the circumstances surrounding the mistaken reporting that Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Ikuina had visited Yasukuni Shrine in August of last year. The article stated that the cause was "accepting information from a reporter from another media organization without verifying it," and that they would do their utmost to prevent a recurrence.
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Spain flood damage reveals common issues with Japan: urban sprawl
2024-11-30 20:39:00
Last month, record floods in eastern Spain killed more than 200 people. Recovery efforts are underway in the affected areas, but issues remain, such as removing the remaining mud and providing daily necessities. Why did the damage spread? Experts analyze the characteristics and circumstances of the damage and point out that there are common issues with Japan, and that we should not take this as a separate issue, but should learn from it.
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95% of lawmaker party income is anonymous, more than 20 times the rate of anonymous donations
2024-11-30 19:39:00
An NHK investigation of last year's political fund-raising reports of political organizations with ties to Diet members, which were released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on the 29th, revealed that 95% of the income from political fund-raising parties did not include the names of purchasers, meaning that the rate of anonymity was more than 20 times higher than that of donations.
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Unexploded bombs removed from central Nagoya; de-fuze removed; evacuation shelters provided for residents
2024-11-30 19:30:00
On the 30th, the Self-Defense Forces are working to remove an unexploded bomb that was found last month at a construction site in the center of Nagoya. According to the response headquarters, the fuse was removed by noon.
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Canadian Prime Minister meets with Trump, wide range of issues discussed - US media
2024-11-30 19:04:00
As U.S. President-elect Trump made clear his intention to impose new tariffs on Canada and other countries, multiple U.S. media outlets reported that Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau met with Trump and a wide range of issues were discussed, including trade and border control.
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Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations Executive Gives Lecture: "We Want Young People Around the World to Think About Nuclear Issues"
2024-11-30 18:34:00
Jiro Hamazumi, Deputy Secretary General of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year, gave a speech in Tokyo on the 30th, in which he said, "I hope that this award will encourage young people around the world to think about nuclear issues."
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Bear attacks employee at supermarket in Akita, injuring him; bear still inside store
2024-11-30 18:22:00
On the morning of the 30th, a male employee at a supermarket in Akita City was attacked by a bear that had entered the store, sustaining injuries to his forehead and ears. The bear continues to remain in the store, so the police and city are continuing to be on alert, setting up traps to capture the bear.
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Informal discussions continue among countries on international treaty to prevent plastic pollution
2024-11-30 18:16:00
The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATION COMMITTEE) in South Korea is seeking to reach an agreement on the first-ever international treaty to prevent environmental pollution by plastics. The chairman has presented a draft proposal to set global reduction targets for plastic production. However, oil-producing countries and others are strongly opposed to the proposal, and with the final day of negotiations approaching on December 1, informal discussions are continuing among countries to find a compromise.
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Patients call for symposium to discuss issues surrounding organ transplants
2024-11-30 18:12:00
A symposium was held in Tokyo on November 30th, where transplant patients and medical professionals discussed the current situation and issues surrounding organ transplants. One patient who had actually received a heart transplant called for "more opportunities to think about transplants."
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China welcomes resumption of short-term visa exemption for Japanese nationals
2024-11-30 18:12:00
The measure to exempt Japanese nationals from short-term visas when visiting China was reinstated on the 30th. Japanese nationals arriving at Shanghai airport on business or for sightseeing welcomed the reinstatement.
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What is the background to the slander against female lawmakers?
2024-11-30 17:11:00
The appointment of Parliamentary Vice-Ministers was announced in November. Immediately afterwards, there was a sharp increase in social media posts about the female Diet members who had been appointed as Parliamentary Vice-Ministers. The most prominent were negative posts such as "reverse discrimination that promotes women," and some posts even denied or degraded their character by calling them "XX women." Diet members hold public office and are subject to criticism, but research has shown that female Diet members are more likely to be subject to slander and abuse on social media. We interviewed Diet members and people who have actually posted on social media to find out why they become targets.
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Victim of robbery and assault at a house in Nerima, Tokyo: "I was suddenly strangled"
2024-11-30 16:20:00
On the early morning of the 30th, two men broke into a house in Nerima Ward, Tokyo, assaulted a male resident and fled. The man had injuries to his face, and the Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the incident as a robbery and assault.
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Arrest of candidate who lost in Lower House election: Did he hand out flyers under the promise of payment?
2024-11-30 15:42:00
In the House of Representatives election held in October, an independent candidate who ran unsuccessfully in Tokyo's 26th district was arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of bribery, a violation of the Public Offices Election Act, for allegedly promising payment to people in exchange for distributing leaflets and other election campaign activities.
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About 300,000 people attend parade celebrating DeNA as Japan's No. 1 professional baseball team in Yokohama
2024-11-30 14:38:00
DeNA, a professional baseball team that won the Japan Series for the first time in 26 years, held a parade in Yokohama, where its home stadium is located, and players shared their joy with the approximately 300,000 fans who had gathered.
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Shimane Izumo: Three houses and other buildings burned down, three bodies found: husband and wife and mother
2024-11-30 14:31:00
In the early morning of the 30th, a fire broke out in Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture, completely burning down three buildings, including a house, and three people were found dead. Police are currently investigating and are investigating whether the deceased were a couple in their 60s and 70s who lived in the house, and a mother in her 90s.
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China: Suspect formally arrested in case of death of boy at Japanese school
2024-11-30 14:02:00
In the case of the attack and death of a male student on his way to a Japanese school in Shenzhen, southern China, it has been learned that the suspect who was detained at the scene has been formally arrested. However, the detailed motive has yet to be revealed, and the Japanese side continues to request an explanation.
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Kabuki actor Ainosuke Kataoka injured during stage rehearsal, suffering fractures including jaw fracture
2024-11-30 13:59:00
On the 29th, Kabuki actor Ainosuke Kataoka came into contact with the stage equipment during a rehearsal for the Kaomise performance at the Minamiza Theater in Kyoto, and sustained injuries including a broken jaw. He will be absent from the performance starting on December 1st for the time being, and a substitute will perform instead.
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Shiga's representative festival "Otsu Festival" introduced in London, first overseas performance
2024-11-30 12:58:00
An event introducing the Otsu Festival, one of Shiga Prefecture's most famous festivals, was held in the UK, and visitors gave thunderous applause to the music of flutes and drums.
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The Imperial Palace's "Inui Street" opens to the public for viewing autumn leaves until December 8th
2024-11-30 12:04:00
The Inui Street at the Imperial Palace was opened to the public on the 30th, and many people walked along the tree-lined path under blue skies and enjoyed the autumn leaves.
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Hifumi Abe and others take part in parade to thank athletes for their support at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics
2024-11-30 11:33:00
An event was held in which athletes who competed in the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games paraded through downtown Tokyo to express their gratitude for the support they received.
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North Korean leader Kim meets with Russian defense minister to strengthen ties
2024-11-30 11:31:00
The North Korean Workers' Party newspaper reported that Kim Jong Un met with Russian Defense Minister Belousov, who is visiting North Korea, on the 29th and expressed his intention to strengthen relations in all areas, including military spheres.
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European Football: Kaoru Mitoma scores in two consecutive games
2024-11-30 10:55:00
On the 29th, in the English Premier League, Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma scored his second consecutive goal in a match against Southampton, where Yukinari Sugawara plays.
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After 20 years, political funding reports are finally made public online
2024-11-30 10:47:00
Niigata Prefecture, the only prefecture in Japan that had not published political funding reports online, began doing so on the 29th, followed by Hyogo Prefecture on the 30th, which also began publishing reports for local assembly members, making it possible to view the financial reports of all political organizations online, 20 years after the start of online publication of financial reports. However, there are issues with this, such as the documents submitted being simply converted into PDF format, and users not being able to easily analyze the contents by searching them.
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China indicts former newspaper executive on espionage charges, sentenced to seven years in prison; U.S. government criticizes
2024-11-30 10:01:00
The US government has condemned a Chinese court's seven-year prison sentence for a former senior official at a Communist Party newspaper charged with espionage, calling it an "unjust verdict" and calling for his unconditional release.
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WTO Director-General Okonjo-Iweala reappointed
2024-11-30 07:13:00
The World Trade Organization (WTO), which is responsible for settling trade disputes, has decided to reappoint its current Director-General, Okonjo-Iweala. In a statement, the Director-General emphasized that she will focus on promoting global trade, amid growing concerns about the protectionist policies of the next US President, Trump.
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Government considers Saudi Arabia's participation in joint development of next-generation fighter jets
2024-11-30 06:38:00
It has been learned from government officials that Japan is considering Saudi Arabia's participation in the joint development of a next-generation fighter jet that it is currently working on with the UK and Italy. Given the enormous costs expected for the development, it is believed that there are hopes for Saudi Arabia's financial strength.
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Notre Dame de Paris' restored interior unveiled for first time
2024-11-30 06:34:00
The restored interior of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, has been unveiled for the first time ahead of its reopening to the public in December following reconstruction work following a fire five years ago.
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UK Parliament passes euthanasia bill with majority in favor, moving forward towards enactment
2024-11-30 06:22:00
The UK Parliament passed a bill by a majority vote to allow terminally ill patients the right to choose death, moving forward toward enactment. In Europe and the US, there have been a series of moves to legalize euthanasia, but there are also voices of opposition, fearing that it could lead to elderly people and others choosing death.
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Following the policy speech, questions from the representative will be asked next week to discuss measures to combat rising prices
2024-11-30 06:16:00
In his policy speech on the 29th, Prime Minister Ishiba emphasized that as a minority ruling party, he would carefully listen to the opinions of the opposition parties and seek to reach as broad a consensus as possible. Questions from representatives of each party will begin next week, with debates taking place on measures to combat rising prices and efforts to restore trust in politics.
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The end-of-year sales season begins in earnest with Black Friday in the United States
2024-11-30 06:15:00
In the United States, the year-end shopping season kicked off in earnest on Black Friday on the 29th, with many shoppers visiting department stores from early in the morning. However, with inflation lingering, it has been pointed out that consumers are becoming more frugal, and so the trends in the year-end shopping season are attracting attention.
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Rui Hachimura's statement: "We will continue to strengthen the team under Head Coach Horvath"
2024-11-30 01:47:00
Following comments made by NBA player Rui Hachimura questioning the state of the Japanese national team, Japan Basketball Association President Yuko Miya issued a statement expressing her intention to continue strengthening the team under head coach Hovasse, who has been confirmed to continue in his role.
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Prince Akishino's 59th birthday
2024-11-30 00:08:00
Prince Akishino, the first in line to the throne, celebrated his 59th birthday on the 30th.
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