Thank you for joining us. From our studio here in Tokyo, this is NHK Newsline.
TYPHOON RAGASA LEAVES 14 DEAD IN TAIWAN
A powerful typhoon is bearing down on southern China. The storm already tore through Taiwan, where officials say over a dozen people are dead and over 100 missing. The Japan Meteorological Agency says as of 6 a.m. UTC on Wednesday, Typhoon Ragasa was moving west along China's southern coastline. Earlier, heavy downpours caused the barrier lake in eastern Taiwan to overflow its banks, triggering widespread flooding, killing at least 14.Officials there say 34 people were also injured in Huoliang County and the southern city of Kaohsiung. Firefighters and troops have been deployed to hard-hit areas to search for survivors and assess the damage.
DETAILS
Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano is here to tell us more about the details.Ragasa is now hitting southern China, including Hong Kong. People there have already seen gusts of over 180 kilometers per hour and downpours of more than 280 millimeters through Wednesday.
The system is moving westward and affecting China's Guangdong, Hainan and Guangxi areas into Thursday. Up to 380 millimeters of rainfall is expected by Thursday afternoon in Guangdong, possibly triggering flash flooding. In addition, strong winds are a big concern. These can lead to high storm surges and winds and waves along the coast. And Ragasa is not only a problem facing this region. Another storm has already formed in east of the Philippines. It's likely to approach the central parts of the Philippines on Thursday and is expected to head toward southern China over the weekend. So people there should stay on alert.
ISHIBA CALLS FOR UNSC REFORM IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPEECH
Japan's prime minister has called for reforming the United Nations Security Council, claiming that it fails to function effectively. Ishiba Shigeru also indicated that his country may recognize Palestinian statehood if Israel continues to try to block a two-state solution. Ishiba made the comments in a speech at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. He noted that the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a permanent UN Security Council member, showed the UN's failure to take effective action.The Security Council was unable to make the necessary decisions in many critical cases due to the veto power of permanent members.
The prime minister also expressed concern about the situation in Gaza, where Israel's ground invasion has been expanding. Japan's recognition of Palestine as a state is not a matter of if, but when.Ishiba urged the Palestinian side to establish a responsible governance system and to release hostages held by Hamas.
TRUMP ADDRESSES UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
US President Donald Trump also addressed the assembly. His speech included swipes at other members and the UN itself.One year ago, our country was in deep trouble. But today, just eight months into my administration, we are the hottest country anywhere in the world.
He says he has ended seven wars.
Everyone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize for each one of these achievements. But for me, the real prize will be the sons and daughters who live to grow up with their mothers and fathers because millions of people are no longer being killed in endless and undlorious wars. What I care about is not winning prizes, it's saving lives.
Trump criticized countries, including the UK and France, that have recognized a Palestinian state.
Some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists for their atrocities. We have to stop the war in Gaza immediately. We have to stop it. We have to get it done. We have to negotiate, immediately have to negotiate peace. We've got to get the hostages back.
Trump requested that China, India and European nations take measures to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil. But inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russian energy products.
And he spoke sarcastically about the UN for inconveniences that he encountered during his visit.
These are the two things I got from the United Nations, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter. Thank you very much.
He complained that the UN has tremendous potential, but it's not coming close to that potential, at least for now.
MORE UN MEMBERS RECOGNIZE PALESTINIAN STATE
In time, a growing number of countries see potential in Palestinian statehood, and they've been making their views official.France today recognizes the state of Palestine.
France and other countries support a two-state solution. The proposal aims to have Palestine coexist with Israel, but negotiations have been stalled since 2014.
Luxembourg, Malta, and Andorra also announced they formally recognize a Palestinian state. They join more than 150 UN nations that say they back recognition. That's about 80 percent of the organization's membership. The UN Secretary-General welcomed the decision by countries including the UK and France, both permanent members of the Security Council.
Amid the darkness, a glimmer of hope emerged yesterdaywith the resumption of the I-level international conference on a two-state solution.
At the general debate on Tuesday, countries from the Middle East condemned Israel's military attacks. Turkey's President Rajib Tayyip Erdogan showed photos of people desperate in Gaza. He denounced Israel by saying genocide has been going on for more than 700 days.
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thanisaid said Israel's goal is to destroy Gaza so that it is unlivable, and that the Israeli leader wants to continue war.
Palestinians are weighing what the decision means for their lives.
I pray this will be the start of a nation and we can settle in our own land.
Israel and the United States were absent from Monday's meeting. Israel's ambassador to the UN condemned the moves to recognize Palestinian statehood.It's a theater. They know it's not going anywhere. It's not going to change the lives of the Palestinians on the ground. It's not going to change the security of Israelis on the ground. It's empty.
EXPERT EXPLAINS IMPACT OF MORE RECOGNITION OF PALESTINE
Earlier, I spoke with Tanaka Koichiro about the push for statehood. He's an expert on international relations and energy security in the Middle East.What is your take on this recognition, seeing the timing and the members that are supporting it? What is your take?
Well, we feel, if you're talking about the significance, I think it's more interesting to see that three out of seven G7 states are now, have recognized the statehood of Palestine.
And I think this is sort of a great departure from their previous positions.
If you look at three states, and also other states, especially from Europe, I would see that these states are the former colonizers or those countries who have been following imperialism, prior to the establishment of the United Nations back in 1945. So I also believe that they wanted to send a signal to Israel to tell them that it is not the era of the pre-war situation where the forcible, say, grab of land was permitted, and also the extermination of a certain population was somehow overlooked.
I want to go to the attitude Japan is taking. The government has decided not to recognize a Palestinian state for now.
Right.
Why do you think, why do you think they did this?
The problem here I see here is that the, well, three remaining G7 members, meaning, except for the United States, that is Germany, Japan, and Italy, all three of them happened to be part of the Axis powers during the war. And it is sort of a coincidence that I see here, but also sort of an intent by all three nations that they are extremely responsible, or I mean, they, they the security responsibility of these three nations happen to rely extremely on the United States military presence here. And they may have, that may have had had an impact on the decision-making here in Tokyo as well.
But the offensive in these areas are intensifying as we speak. The movement of recognition, do you think that will move to a better condition in those areas?
In the short run, I don't think it's going to change anything in a positive manner. On the contrary, the Americans and also the Israelis are harshly opposing this move. And on the ground, we see strong or intensified operations against civilians in Gaza, or even in Gaza City in in particular.
And that itself is sort of an indication that things on the ground are not going to change on the opposite side.
Okay. Taking a wider view, the situation in the Middle East overall, Is it going to make any changes to the deteriorating situation there?
The normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia may be put on the back burner for a while.
But the other states that have already signed the accords, like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, even though they have, say, said strong words against Israel and condemned the recent attacks on Doha, where the Hamas leadership was held, were about to hold a meeting on about the ceasefire that the United States had brokered, ohh they have not yet moved forward or they're not moved into a zone or arena where they would consider exerting real pressure on Israel.
What is the ideal movement that could take place in the future, in the near future?
Well, I think those states that have recognized Palestine during the past few days, and also countries like Japan who have not totally opposed the state of Palestine, needs to exert pressure both on the United States and Israel, that the world is moving forward from the days of the imperialism and colonialism. And as long as this continues, I mean, the conditions against the Palestinians continues, there would be no real post-war period to emerge.
TRUMP: NATO MEMBERS SHOULD DOWN RUSSIAN PLANES IN NATO AIRSPACE
The US president says NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they violate NATO airspace. Trump's comment comes after Russian fighters and military drones have entered the NATO airspace in recent weeks.Do you think that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter their airspace?
Yes, I do.
Trump said that, depending on the circumstances, the US would back up members that take such action.
Estonia and Poland are among NATO countries that have reported incursions by Russian aircraft this month.
The NATO chief earlier said that the decision to target the aircraft would depend on the circumstances.
So it doesn't mean that we will always immediately shoot down a plane. We will, as I said, based on clear dimensions, assess the situation in real time, based on all the available intelligence.
Germany's defense minister described the incursions as an escalation trap and called for caution.
TRUMP SIGNALS MAJOR SHIFT ON UKRAINE TERRITORY SEIZED BY RUSSIA
In a related development, Trump indicated a major shift from his previous stance on the war in Ukraine. He said on social media that the country can win back all the territory taken by Russia with the support of Europe. The president posted the message after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump previously suggested that Ukraine and Russia swap territory based on the current front lines.ESTONIA GIVES DETAILS ON RUSSIA'S AIRSPACE BREACH
Meanwhile, Estonia gave details Friday on one of those airspace incursions. It said three Russian fighter jets entered its territory and remained there for 12 minutes. NATO aircraft were scrambled in response. At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Estonia's foreign minister presented radar images as well as photos of the jets carrying missiles.This violation of our sovereignty and threat of use of force concerns not only Estonia, but the entire international community.
Russia's deputy ambassador denied that there was any incursion.
Ahead of the meeting, 50 countries, including Japan and the European Union, issued a joint statement condemning Russia.
JAPAN ASDF F-15s VISIT GERMAN AIR BASE
Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15 fighter jets have arrived at an air base in Germany. They're there as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation with Western nations through defense exchanges. Two F-15 landed at Lage Air Base in northeastern Germany on Tuesday.They've been dispatched to the United States, Canada, Britain, and Germany from September 14 to October 1st. Germany is the last destination.
Leaders of the ASDF and the German Air Force both emphasize the importance of cooperation.
The security of the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific is inseparable and interconnected. We would like to continue deepening defense cooperation and exchanges with Germany.
We have to work together and stand for our values and defend the rule-based societies we live in and our democracies.
JAPAN iPS CELL PROCEDURE IMPROVES WOMAN'S EYESIGHT
A woman in western Japan with a retinal condition says a medical procedure has improved her vision. She received a transplant of retinal cells made from induced pluripotent stem, or IPS cells. A group, including researchers from Kobe City Eye Hospital, conducted a clinical study on three patients who suffered from retinal pigment epithelium dysfunction.The team transplanted retinal cells derived from iPS cells.
They reported one patient now has improved perception of light.
Ohh I can see. It was moving to see stars I couldn't see before.
The researchers conducted the world's first clinical study of iPS cell-based treatment in 2014. They have since carried out transplants on 10 patients with eye disease.WHO: LINK BETWEEN ACETAMINOPHEN, AUTISM 'INCONSISTENT'
The World Health Organization has countered a claim by the US administration of a link between autism and a popular pain medication taken in pregnancy.President Donald Trump recommended on Monday that women limit their use of Acetam medicine during pregnancy, unless medically necessary. The over-the-counter drug is widely used to relieve pain and bring down fevers.
The US administration argues that its use by pregnant women can be associated with an increased risk of autism in their children. But medical associations and other groups reject the argument.
A WHO spokesperson acknowledged on Tuesday that some studies have suggested a possible association between the drug and autism, but he noted that the evidence remains inconsistent.
If the link between acetaminophen and autism were strong, it would likely have been consistently observed across multiple studies.
The spokesperson also said that the WHO hopes all health agencies look into what science is saying when working on health issues.
BUSINESS
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Gene Otani from The Biz Desk. Gene?Kyoko, thanks.
USED CONDO PRICES RISE IN TOKYO AMID LOWER NEW UNIT SUPPLIES
In our top business story this hour, a survey shows that prices of used condominiums in central Tokyo continue to rise amid falling supplies of newly built units. The average topped 100 million yen, or about $680,000, for the fourth straight month.Real estate research firm Tokyo Kante says the price in August was about 107 million yen, or roughly $724,000 based on a notional 70 square meter unit. That's up just over 38% from the year before. The company says rising land prices is another factor pushing up the value of used condos.
Of the capital's 23 wards, prices in the six central wards were especially high, up 33.5% year on year. The average for the southern and western wards rose 22.7%. while the northern and eastern wards saw an increase of 26.6%.
Looking ahead, the company says higher share prices may fuel the appetite for property purchases among people with financial assets, but it adds that demand for used condos may fall if potential buyers increasingly feel the units are comparatively expensive.
NISSAN UNVEILS AI-ASSISTED DRIVER SUPPORT SYSTEM
Nissan Motor is showcasing its development of a driving assistant technology built around artificial intelligence. The Japanese automaker plans to install the system in cars that go on sale from fiscal 2027.Nissan is developing the Pro Pilot technology with UK startup Wave.
They tested a prototype vehicle in Tokyo last week. It uses 11 cameras to monitor surrounding traffic and control the steering wheel and brakes. In demonstrations, the car moves carefully around a double parked vehicle and slows when it identifies pedestrians that may step out into the street. Nissan says the technology could be the precursor to a complete autonomous driving system.
AI powered driving technology has improved to near human level capability.
We think the technology has the potential for development into a full autonomous driving system.
The current system still requires the driver to keep their hands touching the steering wheel at all times.
STARGATE AI PROJECT REVEALS PLANS FOR 3 NEW DATA CENTERS
US IT firm Open AI, Oracle and Japan's SoftBank Group have announced plans for five new data centers for their Stargate joint venture, a total of $400 billion will be invested in the new sites and other ongoing projects in the United States.The multi billion dollar project is making steady progress toward building advanced artificial intelligence infrastructure in the US. The three companies launched Stargate in January with a plan to invest $500 billion over the next four years. SoftBank will work on two of the new sites, one in Ohio and the other in Texas.
The firms say more plans for expansion will be announced going forward. SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Son Masayoshi says he hopes to pave the way for a new era where artificial intelligence advances humanity.
JAPAN'S MEGABANKS URGE LONGER CHILDCARE LEAVE FOR MALE STAFF
Japan's megabanks have been establishing systems to encourage male employees to take longer child care leave. The move is part of their efforts to improve the working environment.Sumitomo Mitsui Banking will make it mandatory in principle from October for male employees raising small children to take one month off for that purpose. Paternity child care leave acquisition rate at the bank has been 100%, but only for an average of 12 days, far from the one month target.
Mizuho Bank made 10 days of paternity childcare leave required in principle from July last year. It even recommends one month or more. MUFG Bank also suggests one month of childcare leave. Managers there are partly evaluated based on whether they adjusted the work of their subordinates to make it easier to take the time off.
OECD UPGRADES 2025 GLOBAL GROWTH OUTLOOK
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Developmenthas upgraded its global growth outlook for 2025. It says the front loading of goods production in trade ahead of the introduction of higher US tariff rates supported steady growth.The OECD said on Tuesday that it expects the world economy to expand by 3.2 percent this year. That's up three-tenths of a percentage point from its previous projection. In June, the US is projected to grow 1.8 percent, in China 4.9 percent, up to tenths of a point each.
The figure for Japan is 1.1 percent, rising four tenths of a point.
But the organization sees global growth slowing to 2.9 percent next year due to restrained investment and trade.
It said the outlook is based on the assumption that the bilateral tariff rates prevailing at the end of August will continue. Factors such as further tariff hikes were cited as downside risks for growth. The OECD also stressed the need for countries to work together to make trade policy more transparent and predictable.
NIKKEI 225 SETS ANOTHER ALL-TIME HIGH
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 stock index set an all-time record on Wednesday for the second straight trading day. The benchmark finished at $45,630, up 0.3 percent from Monday's close.Tuesday was a national holiday in Japan.
Analysts say shares of SoftBank Group led the way. Many investors placed buy orders on expectations that the company's announcement of massive AI-related investments with its US partners will expand the industry.
MARKETS
All right, let's have a look at the other markets.♪
And that's it for business news.
♫
WEATHER
Now for an update on the world weather, our meteorologist Yumi Hirano joins us again. Yumi?Low pressure and frontal systems are moving eastward and will bring downpours to eastern China and northern Japan on Thursday. Hokkaido may see gusts of over 100 kilometers per hour on Thursday and up to 100 millimeters of heavy rain.
Please watch out for flooding and landslides.
Now moving to Europe. A slow-moving upper low is creating severe weather in northernItaly. People in parts of Italy have been dealing with stormy weather since Monday. Some rivers have overflowed, causing large-scale flooding, while some areas experienced landslides cutting off roads.
The weather conditions have led to mass evacuation in the affected region. In Milan, crews used amphibious amphibious vehicles to evacuate about 300 children stranded in schools. Thunder shout words are still possible in northern Italy and the western Balkans on Thursday.
That's all for now. Stay safe.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
That's all for this edition of NHK Newsline. Thank you very much for staying with us.
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