Welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Kanako Sachno.
TRUMP TO MEET TAKAIICHI, XI NEXT WEEK
The White House has announced US President Donald Trump's schedule for his upcoming Asia tour. It laid out when he's set to meet Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae in Tokyo.
00:00:28 話者 2
Tuesday morning, local time, President Trump will participate in a bilateral meeting with the new Prime Minister of Japan.
00:00:36 話者 1
Trump will leave Washington on Friday night. He'll first attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Malaysia that begins on Sunday.
Then he'll head to Japan on Monday for a three-day visit.
He's slated to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday in South Korea.
The country's hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering.
Trump suggested he would use the meeting to urge China to stop buying Russian oil.
It's part of his effort to ratchet up pressure on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.
He also touched on plans to discuss tighter export control measures on rare earths, which China announced earlier this month.
After that meeting, Trump will fly to Washington to attend a Halloween event at the White House.
JAPAN, US DEFENSE CHIEFS MAY MEET IN TOKYO NEXT WEEK.
Japan's new defence minister is said to be arranging his first meeting with his US counterpart. Sources say that Koizumi Shinjiro and Pete Hexarth are set to hold talks on Wednesday in Tokyo.
Discussing Japan's security policies will likely be high on their agenda.
Koizumi is expected to tell Hexarth the government will launch a study aimed at revising three documents, including the National Security Strategy, by the end of next year.
He's also likely to emphasize that the government will work to drastically reinforce Japan's defense capabilities.
If the meeting goes ahead, it would take place on the last day of Trump's visit to Japan.
Preparations are also being made for Koizumi to visit Yokosuka, a city south of Tokyo, with Trump and Hexeth next week. Yokosuka is Koizumi's home district.
It's believed Koizumi is aiming to build a personal rapport with Hexeth as part of his efforts to strengthen the Japan-US alliance.
EU DELAYS DECISION TO USE FROZEN RUSSIAN ASSETS FOR UKRAINE
The European Union is still divided over whether to use frozen Russian assets to provide loans for Ukraine. The EU leaders held a meeting in Brussels on Thursday to discuss whether or not they should use the frozen assets to finance interest-free loans for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the meeting to urge continued support for his country.
But Belgium voiced concerns about the risks since a Belgian financial institution holds a large portion of the Russian central bank assets.
Brussels noted that Russia could demand that the immobilized assets be returned.
European Council President Antonio Costa addressed the issue at a news conference.
00:03:06 話者 3
It's possible to solve all the technical issues. That means that this solution is feasible.
00:03:14 話者 1
Zelenskyy also commented on the matter.
00:03:18 話者 3
On the issue of assets, it is important for us to use them partially for Ukrainian production and also for European production and that of other partners.
00:03:31 話者 1
Zelensky said that he would like to use interest-free loans to purchase arms from Europe and the United States. The EU leaders will try to make a decision at their next meeting, which will be held in December.
LITHUANIA SAYS RUSSIAN MILITARY PLANES VIOLATED AIRSPACE
Lithuania is condemning Russia for violating its airspace, saying the Kremlin flew two military aircraft over its borders. Moscow denies the claim.
The Lithuanian military said on Thursday that a fighter jet and an aerial refuelling tanker flew about 700 metres into Lithuanian airspace.
The planes reportedly remained there for 18 seconds.
Military officials from the Baltic country said the two Russian planes were flying from Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave that borders Lithuania and faces the Baltic Sea.
They said two NATO fighter jets were scrambled in response to the situation.
Lithuania's president, Gitar Nasnalzeda, condemned Moscow in a video message.
00:04:27 話者 4
This is cruel violation of international law and territorial sovereignty of Lithuania.
00:04:36 話者 1
The Russian Defence Ministry rejected the accusation on social media on Thursday.
It said its planes had carried out scheduled training flights over the Kaliningrad region.
It added, The aircraft neither deviated from the flight route nor violated the borders of other countries.
Other European nations have reported airspace violations in recent months.
Estonia said three Russian fighter jets crossed into its airspace in September.
Poland and Romania have also reported incursions into their airspace by Russian drones.
NATO has been strengthening air defenses on its eastern flank following these developments.
WAR IN UKRAINE
PUTIN: NEW US SANCTIONS 'UNFRIENDLY'
US President Donald Trump wants to bring Russia to the negotiating table to end the fighting in Ukraine. Now he's slapped new sanctions on two oil giants.
Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the move, saying it will have certain consequences.
00:05:32 話者 4
Of course this is an unfriendly act towards Russia.
This is an obvious thing, and it does not strengthen Russian-American relations, which have just begun to recover.
00:05:44 話者 1
Putin says the sanctions will not significantly affect Russia's economic well-being, but he repeated his intention to continue holding talks with Trump, saying dialogue is always better than confrontation or war.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said the two oil companies targeted by the sanctions fund the Kremlin's war machine. He called on US allies to follow suit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the sanctions.
He reiterated the view that more pressure on Russia will lead to the negotiations and even to a possible peace plan.
00:06:20 話者 4
The plan begins from ceasefire. The plan begins with will to sit and speak.
N. KOREAN ABDUCTIONS
JAPAN PM TAKAOICHI VOWS TO FIGHT TO REUNITE FAMILIES
00:06:38 話者 1
As Prime Minister Takaichi prepares to meet with world leaders, she's also been busy at home. She met Thursday with the families of Japanese citizens abducted to North Korea.
She's vowed to do everything she can to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Takaichi welcomed the family members to the Prime Minister's office in Tokyo.
The Japanese government says at least 17 of its citizens were abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 80s. Twelve remain unaccounted for. The relatives' group includes the mother and brother of Yoko Tamegumi, one of the missing abductees.
00:07:16 話者 5
Family members continue to call for the return of their loved ones, but can only pray for a reunion. I am very sorry for this situation.
00:07:29 話者 1
Takaichi is the 14th person to become prime minister since the group was formed in 1997.
She said she will pursue every opportunity that could lead to the return of all abductees.
00:07:44 話者 2
I will exercise leadership to make a breakthrough by any means.
And of course, I am ready to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
00:08:01 話者 1
Yokota Takuya is the head of the group.
He said they continue to demand the immediate return of all abductees.
00:08:10 話者 3
The parents of abductees are dying without being able to reunite with their families.
We hope you make prompt moves toward holding a summit with the North Korean leader.
We will never give up.
00:08:25 話者 3
I hope you carry the wishes of the mothers with you and are able to resolve this issue.
That way, the abductees can return to Japan and be reunited with their families while they are still in good health.
00:08:40 話者 1
Takaiji said she intends to seek the understanding and cooperation of world leaders on the topic.
UN: N. KOREANS ENDURING ONE OF THE WORST TIMES
Meanwhile, a United Nations official has expressed concern about the human rights situation in North Korea. He says its people are living through what he calls one of the worst times. James Heenan, representative of the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul, spoke to NHK on Thursday. He was involved in an investigation into North Korea's human rights situation from 2014. The findings were released last month.
Heenan says people in the country are severely punished if they access unauthorised foreign information, such as films and music.
00:09:23 話者 3
He concluded, on the basis of our work, that the situation has not improved in the 10 years. In some key areas, the situation has got much worse, in areas like freedom of expression, the freedom to access information.
00:09:41 話者 1
Heenan also said Pyongyang's abduction of Japanese nationals is the most urgent of all the issues he and his colleagues work on.
00:09:50 話者 3
It's an urgent priority because, as you know, the people who were abducted are now elderly, their families are elderly. We should be working together to make sure that the population, particularly the younger population, is aware of this situation.
00:10:11 話者 1
He called the abductions an ongoing crime and said they can't be allowed to be forgotten.
TRUMP TEARS DOWN WHITE HOUSE EAST WING
The White House East Wing has been torn down as Trump moves ahead with his plans to build a ballroom. The building's demolition has shocked preservationists and many others in the U.S. Multiple media outlets say the work began on Monday.
The East Wing had a long and storied history, and it had been seen as the domain of the first ladies as they kept their offices and hosted events there.
00:10:43 話者 3
You know, the East Wing was not much. There was not much left from the original.
It was over the course of 100 years, it was changed.
00:10:53 話者 1
Trump and administration officials say past presidents had remodeled the White House to meet the needs of the day. Trump says the large ballroom spanning over 8,000 square meters won't cost taxpayers anything. He says it will be privately paid for by many generous patriots, great American companies, and yours truly.
Democratic leaders have condemned the move, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation urged the administration to pause the work until planning commissions finish their reviews.
The Trust said it's deeply concerned that the massive ballroom will overwhelm the White House itself.
BUSINESS
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business.
Here's Gene Otani from the BizDesk.
00:11:37 話者 5
Kanako thanks at our top business story this hour.
AKAZAWA: JAPAN FIRMS SHOW INTEREST IN US INVESTMENT DRIVE
Japan's new trade minister says he is ready to support companies willing to join a huge investment campaign in the United States, hinting that the private sector is already showing interest. Tokyo last month pledged to pump $550 billion into the U.S. economy as part of a tariff deal with the Trump administration.
00:12:06 話者 8
Regarding progress on the $550 billion investment package,
As far as I know, some Japanese firms are privately showing interest in investing in the US, so we will support them as their projects take shape.
00:12:21 話者 5
Akazawa was the chief negotiator at the tariff talks in September.
The trade minister also touched on car exports to the U.S., which dropped more than 20 percent in the first half of this fiscal year. He said a key risk for the future is that the American market will shrink if vehicle prices keep rising.
He said the government will work on a fundamental review of vehicle taxes and support auto parts suppliers to help stimulate the home market.
US President Donald Trump will make a three-day visit to Japan from Monday and meet with newly appointed Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae.
The huge investment commitment to the US is expected to top the agenda.
JAPAN CONSUMER PRICE INDEX UP 2.9% IN SEPTEMBER
Higher utility costs in September fueled an uptick in Japan's key consumer price gauge.
This was the first increase in the pace of inflation rate since May.
The Internal Affairs Ministry released the data. It shows the Consumer Price Index, excluding fresh food, up 2.9 percent from the same month a year earlier.
That's a 0.2 percentage points higher than August, with the month-on-month number accelerating for the first time in four months.
A reduction in government subsidies was a major factor.
They were lower than the year before, resulting in higher electricity and gas bills.
Higher food prices also pushed up the consumer price index.
Food, excluding perishables, rose more than 7% year-on-year.
Coffee beans jumped about 64% and chocolate climbed nearly 51%.
Shoppers continue to fork out more for rice. The retail price was up almost 50 percent, although that was down 20.5 percentage points from the previous month.
BIZ PICKS
Next, NHK World's Yanaka Maria is here with BizPicks.
00:14:25 話者 2
Let's look at some business news and events we'll be tracking in the week ahead.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Reserve will set its latest monetary policy.
The Bank of Japan does the same the next day.
JAPAN MOBILITY SHOW OFFERS GLIMPSE OF NEAR FUTURE
And on Thursday, the Japan Mobility Show, formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show, will open. The latest vehicles, as well as future forms of transport, are on display.
This year's event explores what urban mobility could look like in the Tokyo of 2035.
Here are some highlights. Kawasaki Heavy Industries Group companies will be touting its efforts to realize a carbon-neutral society through the use of hydrogen.
This includes a motorcycle that runs on the fuel. The combustion engine produces the pulsating sensation that riders enjoy while emitting water.
The group has plans for an aircraft, too. Developers last year already conducted successful tests of a small aircraft engine using 100% hydrogen fuel.
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus, will show how it's trying to transform the logistics industry. The firm is adding artificial intelligence to its battery-powered delivery truck to help drivers cope with an ever-increasing workload.
Before setting off, AI comes up with the most efficient way to deliver goods. Various features help reduce the physical burden on drivers while they work their routes.
This includes technology that allows them to retrieve packages without entering the cargo compartment.
Then, there's this personal mobility device developed by Honda Motor. Users can steer simply by shifting body weight. That allows them to keep both hands free to move naturally in all directions as if they're walking.
The company says the product will have various applications, including supporting individuals such as seniors and people with disabilities.
Kinoshita Ryosuke of Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting says Japan's automakers lead many areas in the global race to develop next-generation transportation.
00:16:45 話者 4
Japanese firms excel particularly in the areas of auto safety and durability.
Toyota, for example, is developing all sorts of new generation vehicles. It's an absolute leader in terms of unit and model numbers, hybrids, EVs, or fuel cell vehicles.
When it comes to unit sales, Toyota remains the world's leading automaker.
00:17:10 話者 2
But Kinoshita notes that Japanese firms may need to speed up their development process to keep up with the shift to software-defined vehicles, or STVs.
00:17:22 話者 4
Just like updates for smartphones, features can be added to STVs after they are sold.
Chinese firms are already adept at this sell-first and update-later approach. This so-called intellectualization of vehicles could add to their dominance in the EV market.
00:17:45 話者 2
Visitors to the mobility show can expect to come away with an idea of how transport will change in just a few years from now.
I'm Yanaka Marie, and that wraps it up for this week's Biz Picks.
00:17:59 話者 5
Barry, thanks.
MARKET
All right, let's have a look at the markets.
♪
And that's a look at business news.
Kanako, I'm going to hand it back to you.
00:18:33 話者 1
Thanks, Gene.
UN: CHEMICALS POSE HEALTH THREAT AT US BASES IN OKINAWA
A UN expert is sounding the alarm over health risks posed by chemical contamination at U.S. military bases in Okinawa.
Marcos Aureliana, a UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights, delivered a report at his Human Rights Committee meeting on Thursday.
He said widespread use of PFAS chemicals, also known as forever chemicals, opposing a serious health risk to military personnel and civilians at US military bases and munition factories in Okinawa.
Aureliana cited the use of firefighting foams that contain PFAS chemicals during training sessions and emergencies as a major contributor. Aureliana visited Okinawa last year and said similar cases have been reported at US bases in the United States and Australia.
He called for more action to reduce the toxic effects of military activities.
A Japanese representative on the committee said US forces in Japan give due regard to public safety when conducting their operations. He said the Japanese government takes concerns that local residents have about such chemicals seriously.
APP MADE TO MEASURE
Construction work demands precise planning and detailed inspections.Nowhere is that more important than in land surveying. Yet the expensive equipment, time, and trained teams necessary to carry out such work present numerous logistical challenges.
One Japanese company has created an app that, with the wave of a smartphone, provides accuracy that more than measures up.
MAKING MEASUREMENT EASY
00:20:11 話者 4
Work on construction sites begins with surveying the land. The team must take measurements from multiple positions to accurately measure elevation, grade and topography. They are now focusing their attention on the curve in the road and the slope below it.
00:20:36 話者 7
In order to measure this side of the slope, we have to tear everything down and move it over there and set up again. It really takes a lot of time.
00:20:50 話者 4
Some of the surveying equipment can cost upwards of $60,000. Learning how to operate it requires training, and many jobs prefer using experienced surveyors. Surveying isn't just required at the planning stages. It must also be done during the construction process as well as after a project is completed. The work itself is both labor-intensive and time-consuming. Sikata Yasuaki developed an app that simplifies surveying work and allows most of it to be done with a single smartphone.
00:21:31 話者 7
We're really short on people, especially skilled workers like surveyors.
So I wanted to make it where anyone can step in and not just do the work.
but be effective and really shine from the moment they join a project.
00:21:47 話者 4
We had an untrained worker give it a try. All she needed was a smartphone and a GPS receiver. This is because, although most phones are equipped with GPS systems, they aren't nearly accurate enough for conducting surveying work.
The core technology used, however, is a LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, sensor.
They can be found built into some high-end smartphones.
By firing pulses of laser light, LiDAR sensors can measure the distance to a surface.
The site is thoroughly scanned by simply waving the phone back and forth while proceeding at a normal walking pace. Once finished, the software quickly renders a 3D image of the site.
00:22:52 話者 8
While I don't have any experience using standard surveying equipment, I can say that this system is really easy to use.
00:23:03 話者 4
Traditional surveying methods require well-trained staff to create 3D images based on the gathered data. With this app, however, that work no longer has to be done.
Measurements taken with this smartphone system have an accuracy of plus or minus two centimeters. This isn't precise enough for architecture, which demands millimeter-level accuracy, but it is adequate for use on some civil engineering projects.
00:23:40 話者 7
Surveying is often thought of as extremely technical, but with something like this, I think more young people will become interested in entering this field.
00:23:51 話者 1
We learned some Japanese students use the app for good measure to survey their high school grounds. The software is already at work in companies in Asia, Africa and Europe.
STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT ISLAND'S TRADITIONAL FABRIC
For centuries, the people of Amami Oshima in Kagoshima Prefecture have produced a special type of silk fabric called oshimatsumugi. The island is now holding a special class for high school students in the hope of preserving the traditional textile culture.
Twelve students took part on Wednesday. An instructor taught them the correct steps and techniques for putting on an oshimatsumugi kimono.
The students initially struggled to tie the obi belt, but they eventually got the hang of it.
Some of the kimonos featured lucky patterns and designs inspired by local plants.
00:24:42 話者 3
I want to wear an oshimatsumugi kimono for my coming-of-age ceremony and show off the fabric's charm.
00:24:49 話者 1
Amami High School holds kimono dressing lessons for third-year students every year.
The school hopes the event will lead the students to rediscover the beauty of the fabric and help sustain the craft.
WEATHER
Clouds and some rain continue to linger around Tokyo on Friday, and that might continue into the weekend. Our meteorologist Jonathan Oh has the details in World Weather.
00:25:13 話者 3
Hello, as we went through Friday, we had the clouds lingering around, some sprinkles and showers also taking place in the greater Tokyo area.
And we may be talking about more rain coming up as we go through the weekend.
Now, before we go into the forecast, I want to show you something that took place on Thursday over in Aomori Prefecture by taking a look at this video. And we're going to start from the early morning hours on that day as a striking scene unfolded at Tuada City Thursday morning. The rising sun illuminated the bright colors of the leaves around Lake Tsutanuma, an annual phenomenon that takes place around this time of year as the fall foliage starts to unfold. The location is popular with both residents and those outside of the prefecture, causing those reservations to visit the area to quickly fill up.
One man in 30 said that the red and orange colors were enjoyable to watch and thought it was one of the most beautiful display of colors in Japan.
And we'll see more of that color filling out as we go through the next couple of weeks.
High pressure control in the northern areas of Japan, but we have this stationary front
Toward the south that still sticks around, and that's going to start kind of pushing back up toward the north and bringing in more moisture for Tokyo, and as we go into Saturday and Sunday, you'll need the umbrellas and even the jackets as well, because we're talking about temperatures dropping back down for daytime highs.
at 16, lows dropping down to the low teens, possibly depending on the outer areas, even colder than that.
Showers continuing into Sunday and then back into the 20s by Monday and Tuesday.
Now, for those of you in the top portal, look out for the snowflake possibilities into Monday and Tuesday because of the chill that's in the air, so the temperatures might dip low enough during the overnight hours to where we may see some of those flakes coming through.
Quick note on North America. Southern United States, low pressure pushing on through.
That's going to bring some strong thunderstorm possibilities into places like Texas with some rainfall. So be on the lookout for that.
A system up in the Pacific Northwest also swinging on through.
That's going to bring a chance for some rain into places like Vancouver and Seattle for Friday. Thunderstorms into Houston with High 28, 19 Oklahoma City.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:27:43 話者 1
That wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Kanako Sachno in Tokyo.
Thanks very much for joining us.
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