at 18:00 (JST), July 12

 

20250712180000_english_1.mp3

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

TRUMP TO ANNOUNCE 'MAJOR STATEMENT' ON RUSSIA

US President Donald Trump has said he will make a major statement concerning Russia on Monday. He did not provide details.
Trump made the remark in a phone interview with NBC News on Thursday, referring to the situation in Ukraine.
The president expressed disappointment with Russia, but said he would see what happens over the next couple of weeks.
Trump has recently been stepping up his criticism of the country and suggested he would consider additional sanctions against Moscow. Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow is waiting for the statement to understand what exactly President Trump means. He said Russia thoroughly registers all nuances.
In the comments from the US head of state, Trump also referred to military support for Ukraine. He said NATO is fully paying for US weapons to be sent to the embattled country. The US president also said recently that he was considering providing Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems.

WAR IN UKRAINE
UKRAINE RECOVERY CONFERENCE ENDS WITH OVER $11 BIL. PLEDGED

The 4th Conference on the Economic Recovery of Ukraine has delivered delivered pledges of support for the war-torn country worth more than $11 billion. The conference, hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, wrapped up in Rome on Friday. It included the announcement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of the creation of a new equity fund for Ukraine's reconstruction. The initiative is backed by Germany and France, among others. Former Japanese ambassador to Ukraine, Matsuda Kuninori, attended the conference as a member of a committee advising a Ukrainian electric power company. He highlighted the fact that the US Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, had called for more investment to rebuild Ukraine.

President Donald Trump and the US administration have been clear on their stance of supporting Ukraine's reconstruction. I'm very encouraged by the fact that the US special envoy has positioned the support as reconstruction in defense of Ukraine's territorial sovereignty and democracy.

Ukrainian media reported that Kellogg is to visit Kyiv from Monday.

SOURCES: CHINA-N.KOREA RAIL SERVICE TO RESUME AFTER 5 YEARS

Operations were suspended in January 2020 due to the spread of the coronavirus.
Multiple sources told NHK the railway authorities of the two countries have agreed the service between Pyongyang and Beijing will restart soon.
That could be as early as August. North Korea has been rapidly deepening ties with Russia, including a military cooperation. But some observers say the North is keeping its distance from China, as Beijing's stance is to implement UN Security Council sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.
Even so, visits from North Korea to China for inspection and training purposes have increased since May. One expert says bilateral relations have shown signs of improvement, but it's not clear whether the restart indicates a full-fledged change in their relationship.
China's foreign ministry told NHK that it is unaware of any move in relation to the rail service.
NHK has learned that China and North Korea have agreed to resume the passenger train service linking their capitals for the first time in over five years.

PRELIMINARY REPORT RELEASED ON AIR INDIA CRASH

Indian authorities have released a preliminary report on a plane crash in the country that left at least 260 people dead. The report came out on Saturday, exactly one month after the accident. It says the aircraft switches for controlling fuel flow to the engines transitioned to the cut-off position and the engines began to decrease from their take-off values.
The Air India passenger jet bound for Britain came down shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat on June 12. There were 242 people on board the Boeing 787. Only one passenger survived. The death toll includes students at a medical college dormitory that was struck by the jet. This student suffered a head injury.

We have lost our friends, our colleagues. We hear loud sounds whenever the plane is taking off or they are landings. Yes, it reminds us of that incident whenever I hear that. 

The report says that one of the pilots is heard in the cockpit voice recording, asking the other why he cut off the fuel control switches. It says the other pilot responded that he didn't cut. them off. The Boeing 787 is used by airlines around the world.
The report says that there are no recommended actions for Boeing or engine operators and manufacturers at this stage of investigation. The report did not reach a conclusion on what caused the crash. It says the investigation is continuing.

ISRAEL-HAMAS CONFLICT
JAPAN FM URGES ASIAN NATIONS TO SUPPORT PALESTINIANS

Japan's Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi has called for countries in Asia to expand cooperation to support Palestinians.
Iwaya was the co-chair of the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development that took place in Malaysia on Friday. It brought together representatives of the Palestinian Authority, which with the countries in the region, and the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees UNRWA. Iwaya said there's urgent need in Gaza for humanitarian support, as well as early reconstruction and recovery efforts. A joint statement by the co-chairs expresses grave concern of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including civilian casualties. It calls for efforts by the entire international community to address Palestinian needs. Delegates adopted an action plan on 15 major areas of support, including health, housing and debris management.
The Conference on Support for Palestine is a Japanese initiative launched in 2013. The last ministerial level meeting was held in 2018.

NISSAN MAY PRODUCE VEHICLES FOR HONDA IN US

Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan failed to reach a merger agreement earlier this year, but that's not stopping them from looking at ways to help each other in the US market.
Sources say the firms are discussing a plan that would see Honda sell pickup trucks produced at an underused Nissan plant in the United States. Honda likely aims to expand its customer base.
The deal could also boost Nissan, which is under pressure to make better use of its American production base in light of sluggish sales and US tariffs.
The focus is on whether the two automakers can successfully collaborate despite their failed attempt to merge. 

JAPAN FESTIVAL UNDERWAY IN SAO PAULO

An annual Japan festival has gotten underway in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo. The three day event offers visitors a chance to soak in the country's atmosphere.
Brazil is home to the world's largest ethnic Japanese community outside Japan.
And the festival is one of the biggest of its kind. At the food corner, associations from about 40 of Japan's prefectures have set up booths. Here, visitors are able to try out a variety of dishes and sweets from around the country.

I came here to taste the food because I'm planning to visit Japan. I go to sample an assortment of dishes and I like them all.

I had hand-rolled sushi and matcha green tea. They were really good.

The festival runs through Sunday. The organizer expects about 200,000 people will show up.

And those are the top stories for this hour.

♫～　3-DAY FORECAST　～♫

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