Welcome to NHK Newsline. Here's the latest we have for you at this hour.
4 BEARS CULLED IN YAMAGATA AND TOYAMA PREFECTURES
Three bears have been culled in northern Japan's Yamagata Prefecture and another shot in central Japan's Toyama Prefecture. This comes after each local government issued an emergency order authorizing hunting rifle use.
The calls in Yamagata prefecture occurred after a resident reported that bears were climbing a persimmon tree near a Shinto shrine on Monday morning. City and police officials found three bears and all were shot and killed after 9:30 a.m. under the order. Separately on Monday, a bear was seen on the grounds of a home in Toyama prefecture. The traffic restrictions were put in place and residents were urged to evacuate.
00:00:59 話者 2
I told city officials and hunting group members the bear might be there. They opened the door and found it.
00:01:05 話者 1
Four people were in the house at the time and no one was injured.
JAPAN PROTESTS CHINA DIPLOMAT'S THREAT AGAINST PM
The recent spate of bear incidents has prompted some businesses in Japan to take action. Leading convenience store chain Lawson has issued a safety manual for workers and customers.
If bears are sighted nearby, the rules tell store managers to switch their front doors from automatic to manual, so they can only be opened by hand. At this outlet in Guma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, a bear was recently spotted about 500 meters away.
00:01:42 話者 9
I told my workers that safety comes first, and if a bear does manage to get inside the shop, customers and workers must get into the office as quickly as possible.
00:01:55 話者 1
Another convenience store chain, 7-Eleven, says its store managers can close their outlets when bears are spotted nearby.
A manufacturer of security cameras originally designed to detect humans has added a new target. It has spent about two months training artificial intelligence for a camera model with thousands of bear images and videos. So when one of its AI cameras spots an animal, the image is automatically sent to customers' phones. That allows them to monitor the situation in real time.
Sales of the camera began last month. The company has since received a flood of inquiries, prompting it to ramp up production.
JAPAN PROTESTS CHINA DIPLOMAT'S THREAT AGAINST PM
Tokyo says it will ask Beijing to provide a clear explanation after one of its diplomats posted a violent threat online. It was made by the Chinese consul general in Osaka and directed at Japan's prime minister.
This post appeared on Xue Jian's X account Saturday and has since been deleted. It read, Your dirty, intruding neck must be cut off without a moment's hesitation. Are you ready for that? The post was in response to a comment made by the Prime Minister. Takaichi Sanae said at a diet session on Friday that a Taiwan contingency involving the use of military force could be interpreted as an existential crisis for Japan.
Japan's top government spokesperson told reporters on Monday that he's aware of the post.
00:03:27 話者 2
The purpose of the post is not clear, but I must say that it's extremely inappropriate for the head of a Chinese diplomatic mission to make such a comment.
00:03:38 話者 1
Kihara Minoru says that Tokyo is also aware that the Consul General has made several inappropriate comments in the past.
Kihara says the government repeatedly made strong requests for an appropriate response from Beijing.
MAYOR ELECTED THROUGH LOTTERY AFTER TIE IN IBARAKI PREF.
The winner of a mayoral election in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, was decided by a lottery after two candidates finished with the same number of votes.
The mayoral race of Kamisu City took place on Sunday. Independent Kyuchi Toshiyuki was picked to be the winner by the lottery. It was his first time running in the election. His rival, incumbent and fellow independent Ishida Susumu, also earned 16,724 votes. Under Japan's public office election law, a tie triggers a lottery to determine the winner, but this is rare.
00:04:41 話者 8
It was a head-to-head race against the incumbent, so I expected a close battle. It's the first time for me that the votes ended in a tie, so I'm surprised.
00:04:53 話者 1
Ishida has filed an objection and is asking the Electoral Commission for a recount of invalid votes.
BBC HEAD QUITS AMID CRITICISM OVER EDITED TRUMP SPEECH
Britain's public broadcaster, BBC, has announced that Director General Tim Davy has resigned amid criticism that a documentary on US President Donald Trump misled viewers. BBC said on Sunday that Davy has stepped down to take responsibility over the editing of a speech Trump gave in 2021. It added that CEO of news, Deborah Turness, has also resigned.
BBC aired the documentary before the 2024 US presidential election. British newspaper The Telegraph published a report earlier this month suggesting that the program misled viewers by editing 2 parts of Trump's speech together. It said he appeared to encourage the Capitol Hill riots as a result.
The Telegraph referred to a part of Trump's speech in Washington on January 6, 2021, that stated, We're going to walk down to the Capitol and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women. The report said that the BBC program showed him as saying, We're going to walk down to the Capitol, adding, And I'll be there with you and we fight, we fight like hell.
It said the two sections of the speech were originally more than 50 minutes apart. The report triggered criticism in Britain against the broadcaster. Davies said that some mistakes have been made and he has to take ultimate responsibility as director general. He also served as editor-in-chief. Trump responded sharply saying the two BBC top officials are very dishonest people who try to step on the scales of a presidential election.
He posted on social media on Sunday that the officials are from a foreign country that many consider a number one ally. He ended by saying, What a terrible thing for democracy.
BRAZIL TORNADO KILLS AT LEAST 6, INJURES HUNDREDS
A deadly tornado in Brazil claimed at least six lives, injured about 750, and damaged buildings across a wide area.
The tornado struck the southern Brazilian state of Parana on Friday. The local government announced the casualty figures and said the injured were treated in hospitals. The governor of Parana said 90 percent of residences, commercial buildings, and other structures in the hardest-hit municipality were destroyed. Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva posted on social media that all necessary assistance would be provided.
JAPANESE RESEARCH AIMS TO MAP MELTING GLACIERS
The United Nations Climate Conference starts Monday in Brazil. As leaders talk policy in the upper half of South America, the lower part of the continent is showing dramatic signs of change. NHK brings you this report on increasing glacial melt in Patagonia, and one Japanese researcher who's working to track it.
00:07:58 話者 3
Glaciers usually move slowly, but climate change means they're causing natural disasters more frequently.
These are scenes from Pakistan last year, where glacier lakes burst, sending floodwater barreling through communities. In the Alps, upstream melt from glaciers is also wreaking devastation. This torrent of sediment and rushing water submerged the French village of La Barad last year.
The Perido Marino Glacier in Patagonia, in southern Argentina, was previously considered stable. Now, parts of it are falling away. The massive plateau of ice is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist attraction, drawing people to its enormous size.
00:08:56 話者 2
I felt like we are small, in the vast age of the world.
00:09:03 話者 3
But experts say now the glacier has reached an irreversible stage of retreat. It's shrinking for the first time in about a century. Satellite images reveal that the glacier has gradually dwindled since 2018. In some places, it's believed the glacier has retreated by over half a kilometer.
This February, chunks of ice broke off the glacier and drifted into the nearby harbor, a clear sign of trouble. The dramatic changes have locals worried about the future of an industry that depends on the glacier staying just the way it is.
00:09:43 話者 9
We are concerned that the glaciers, which are a main source of wealth and employment, and which attract tourists from around the world, will eventually disappear.
00:09:55 話者 3
It's clear that the ice is vanishing, but exact measurements are hard to come by. That's why a researcher in Japan is using drones to create a 3D model of the glacier.
He believes he can more accurately estimate the amount of melted ice by mapping the glacier's shape and thickness.
00:10:20 話者 2
Glaciers don't just retreat due to melting caused by the atmosphere, but also due to the flow of the ice. Once the retreat begins, it will not return to its former state. We believe that the current retreat will continue year after year. Hopefully, this research can be applied to what's happening in Greenland, Antarctica, and other larger regions.
00:10:41 話者 3
The Patagonia Glacier is relatively easy to access, allowing researchers to keep studying the ice fields and help world leaders prepare for what might happen as they gradually disappear.
BUSINESS
00:10:56 話者 1
And now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Ramin Mellegard from the Biz Desk.
00:11:02 話者 4
Thank you very much indeed.
SURVEY: JAPAN'S RICE PRICES LIKELY TO FALL IN COMING MONTHS
Now, a survey of rice growers and wholesalers in Japan shows they expect prices of the staple to fall in the coming months. That's because freshly harvested grain will boost inventory levels.
The Rice Stable Supply Support Organization's three-month outlook index for October fell 18 points from a month earlier to 39 on a scale of 0 to 100. The figure is the lowest since June when the index plunged after the government sold rice from its stockpiles through no-bid contracts to cap higher prices. The survey gauged the views on demand, supply and prices of 180 rice businesses nationwide.
BOJ MEETING SUMMARY NOTES OPINION TIME HEARING FOR RATE HIKE
A summary of Bank of Japan's policymakers' opinions at their last meeting reflects a view that the time for another interest rate hike is approaching. The Policy Board met in late October and voted seven members to two to keep the short-term rate unchanged at around 0.5 percent. The summary released Monday shows policymakers decided to stay
put given the uncertainties in the global economy and the need to watch the momentum toward wage increases in Japan. But the document includes the opinion that even if no immediate action was required, the central bank should not miss the timing to raise rates. Separately, it noted the view that conditions for a rate hike have almost been met. The BOJ will hold its next meeting in mid-December. Policymakers are expected to pay close attention to what business leaders and labor organizations have to say on next year's wage increases.
JAPAN'S FIRST-HALF CORPORATE PROFITS SLIP AS US TARIFFS BITE
Many of Japan's biggest companies saw their profits for the first half of fiscal 2025 decline compared to a year earlier. The introduction of US import tariffs hit the performance of auto manufacturers and steelmakers especially hard.
SMBC Nikko Securities says the combined net profit of 503 companies edged down 0.3% to 15.1 trillion yen, or just over $98 billion for the April to September period. The results cover firms that had announced their earnings by Thursday last week. Many of them are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's top-tier prime market.
Automakers and other transportation equipment manufacturers saw their combined net profit slump by 9.1%. Steelmakers ended up with a combined net loss due to the impact of US tariffs, as well as fierce competition from Chinese rivals. Now, on the other hand, combined profits of semiconductor and electrical device makers jumped almost 37%. That was on the back of rising demand related to AI and data centers, as well as the weak yen. Things are looking brighter for the full-year performance. About 30% of the companies that have reported revised up their earnings forecasts. That's partly because Washington has agreed to cut its tariff rates on automobiles and other imports from Japan.
TRUMP PLEDGES $2,000 TARIFF DIVIDEND FOR EACH AMERICAN
US President Donald Trump has said that Americans will receive a dividend of at least $2,000 earned through his trade policy. His statement on social media is an apparent defense of his tariffs as the US Supreme Court continues to weigh their legality. In his message on Sunday, Trump criticized people against tariffs as fools.
He wrote that the United States is taking in trillions of dollars and will soon begin paying down its enormous debt of $37 trillion. Trump claimed there is record investment in the US with factories going up around the country. He said the dividend would be paid to everyone except high income earners.
Treasury Secretary Scott Besson told US broadcaster ABC that while he hadn't spoken to Trump, the dividend could come in lots of forms, possibly as tax cuts.
MARKETS
Okay, let's get a check of the markets.
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And that is it for business news.
IN FOCUS
00:15:55 話者 1
Now we go to Shibuya Aki for a news line in focus. With bear sightings and attacks increasing in many parts of Japan, she's looking at what's being done about the problem.
00:16:05 話者 5
So far in 2025, Japan has seen almost 200 bear-related injuries to humans. Tragically, 13 of those have resulted in fatalities. It's a number that more than doubles the previous record of six in 2023. Japan is covered by thick forests, which are prime territory for bears. Hokkaido is mainly home to brown bears, while Asian black bears live in parts of Honshu and Shikoku.
Their numbers have been trending upward for several years now. That's why the authorities are urgently working to find ways to keep bears out of the places humans live, work, and even go to school.
00:16:56 話者 2
Bear sightings are pouring in from residential areas, including daycares, schools, and supermarkets.
00:17:08 話者 6
As human influence diminishes, the boundary between forests and our living spaces grows increasingly blurred. Particularly in rural areas, abandoned farmland and vacant lots allow bushes and forests to grow in these spaces, eventually encroaching on human habitats.
00:17:29 話者 2
Parents in Hokkaido's Sunagawa City have taken to driving their kids to school instead of letting them walk. Outdoor playtime is also being reduced. Across the country this year, over 20,000 confirmed bear sightings have already been recorded from April to October. Experts say there's a historical reason behind the statistics.
00:18:01 話者 6
Until around 1990, hunting was relatively intense. It was after the 1990s, around the time Japan ratified the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, that excessive hunting began to be curbed. As hunting decreased, that led to a recovery in the bear population.
00:18:22 話者 2
Local governments are scrambling to reduce bear-related damage as much as possible.
But the current measures are not keeping pace. I don't feel like bear sightings have decreased. Although we've installed surveillance equipment, bears are being captured on camera every day. So I consider this an abnormal situation. While some people exercise caution, others go right up to the bears, ignoring the danger.
In Hokkaido, some of the animals are losing their fear of humans after being fed by tourists. Local baker Kurihara Tamiya hands out stickers urging people not to feed the bears.
From a tourist's perspective, it feels no different from an amusement park or a theme park. By making the reasons more widely known, I want to make it safer and more enjoyable for them to be in nature. Kurihara hopes to break the cycle where bears that lose their fear of humans ultimately lose their lives through culling.
Many people now routinely carry bear spray and bells. Some areas report that supplies are running low.
00:20:10 話者 7
Sales this year are extraordinary. When there's a report of a bear, not just near the mountains, but right in front of someone's house, people rush to buy, including people in towns.
00:20:19 話者 2
Some regions are looking to technology. Hokkaido's Uraosu town has been trialing a device to scare the animals away.
And Nara Prefecture is testing drones with infrared cameras capable of detecting body heat to locate and monitor bears.
At the same time, the national leadership is also getting involved.
Last month, the Defense Ministry agreed to deploy Ground Self-Defense Force personnel after Akita Prefecture asked for help catching its bears.
00:21:16 話者 6
There has been an ongoing discussion about deploying wildlife management officers, but I believe that building communities resilient to bears will ultimately help reduce human casualties in future.
00:21:30 話者 2
It's likely the situation will continue until the bears hibernate around December.
Working out how to keep them and humans apart will be essential.
00:21:47 話者 5
Part of the reason why bears are proving such a problem in Japan is related to the country's terrain.
In places like North America, most bears inhabit national parks and protected areas, whereas in Japan they're in the wild forests that cover more than two-thirds of the country.
In addition, the mountains they live in spread across a much smaller landmass
bringing bears in close proximity to the limited areas where people live.
Finding the middle ground on which humans and nature can coexist is now being put to the test.
That's all from me.
WEATHER
00:23:27 話者 1
Time to check world weather. The storm Fung-Wong left behind severe devastation in the Philippines. Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has updates for us.
00:23:37 話者 7
After hitting the Philippines' powerful storm, Fung-Wong is now moving toward Taiwan and southeastern China, bringing downpours.
The heaviest rainfall is expected in eastern Taiwan.
Up to 300 millimeters of rain is possible by Tuesday and more by Wednesday.
The storm is likely to make landfall, causing potential floods and landslides.
And typhoon-force winds are also a big concern.
There is a risk of widespread power outages.
Into the weekend, the system is likely to approach Japan's Okinawa, bringing downpours.
For the north, a developing low-pressure system is bringing snowfall to northern Japan.
The snow is impacting not only mountains, but also low-lying areas, including Sapporo.
Aomori is expected to see its first snowfall of the season, but sunny skies are expected in Tokyo with a high of 17.
Finally, across North America, mid-winter-like cold air is covering large parts of Canada and the United States, causing traffic disruptions in the Great Lakes region.
The first snow of the season fell in Toronto on Sunday, blanketing Randmags across the city. Toronto's International Airport had 8 centimeters of snow that day.
However, the snow caused problems on the roads.
Ontario Provincial Police responded to more than 140 collisions throughout the day, but fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.
So Toronto will see another day of snowy weather. The cold snow is also affecting the south. So the high will be 9 in Oklahoma City and 4 in Atlanta.
That's it for now. Stay safe.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:26:46 話者 1
And one more story before we go.
Flames from torches illuminated the night sky of a city in northeastern Japan in a traditional fire festival.
The Taimatsu Akashi event took place at a mountain park in Fukushima Prefecture's Sukagawa City.
It is said to have originated four centuries ago to honor those who died defending a castle against feudal warlord Date Masamune.
The tallest of the 22 torches, known as Otaimatsu, was 10 meters high.
The others measured about 7 meters.
They sent sparks into the air with a crackling sound, illuminating the sky in a mystical way.
It was breathtaking.
I think it's a fine tradition.
And that wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline.
We'll have more for you soon.
Thanks for watching.
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