. >> the leader of the ldp's junior coalition party, says t government clearly laid out their priorities>> translator: what impressed me the most was he focused on imminent challenges and stated his policy goals in a concrete and detailed manner. >> but the leader of the largest opposition party had a different take on suga's speech. >> translator: he just listed out his policies like a table of contents. to my disappointment,th e speech did not show any vision about what kind of nation or society he's trying to create. >> during the current diet session, opposition parties are expected to focus on the controversy surrounding suga's decision to reject several nominees for the country's top academic body. some accused the prime minister of hindering academic independence. >> translator: the speech did not refer to the government intervening in personnel affairs of the science council ofu japa. that's abnomal. additionally, the speech didn't provide any details about how the government will protect people's lives and livelihoods from the coronavirus. >> the prime minister will face questio

they visited ldp headquarters on tuesday to submit a petition signed by over 136,000 people.he party refused to accept the petition saying sugita has already been reprimanded byy a senior ldp official and posted an apology on her blog. a member of the group said her comments trample on the dignity of victims of sexual violence. >> translator: such comments are a repetition of what the victims suffer from the perpetrator. we want the party to understand how victims could be affected if lawmakers say such things. >> sugita also faced harsh criticism in 2018 saying in an article that sexual minorities are unproductive as they can't have children. the publisher later apologized. >>> more than 9,000 people in japan are still unable to return home due to construction by the typhoon last year. reconstruction efforts are on going with local officials exploring new preventive measures. our next story looks at how one prefecture is modifying existing resources to reduce future flooding. >> reporter: a dried up reservoir should be cause for concern, but for residents in nagano city, it

ldp policy chief told a working group that he plans to s submit proposed changes by the end of the year. >> translator: it's important to discuss the issue objectively and in a future-oriented manner. >> the group is expected to look at whether the council should become independent of the government and whether its membership size of 210 is appropriate. it's also expected toxponsider ways of using university research in the country's national security policies. the science council has traditionalllly been c cautious about supporting research into military technology. >> translator: the council was set up to better reflect science in the admiministratition, industries and people's lives, but unfortunately it's unclear to us now whether the council's role is functioning well. >> the publicly funded council is tasked with advising the government. half of its members are appointed every three years based on internal recommendations from the council itself. prime minister suga yoshihide broke with precedent by rejectingg six of the nominees. all are members of an association opposed to japan

it's as if the ldp is trying to change the subject. >> reporter: later this month the diet will conveveiving opposition lawmakers to press suing gar to explain a decision that's become one of the defining issues of his first few months in office. >>> japan's coast guard is testing an aerial drone in hopes of keeping a closer eye on incidents at sea. this comes att a timime when chinese patrol ships are repeatedly intruding into o japanese waters. it can fly non-stop for 35 hours, so it can 234r50i around the entire periphery of japan's exclusive economic zone. it's equipped withh high definition cameras and radar. coast guard officials are checking whether the sea guardian is safe and whether it can send images and data to ground stations in realtime. china has been increasing its presence in and around japanese waters. on thursday morning two chinese ships entered japanese waters off the senkaku islands. japan coast guard officials told them to leave. they say chinese government ships have now intruded in the same area 19 times this year. japan controls the senkaku islands. the japanes