Welcome back to NHK Newsline. Here's the latest we have for you at this hour.
NATO foreign ministers are feeling the pressure. They've gathered to discuss a range of issues, one of the bigger ones, defense spending. The US president has demanded member countries raise it significantly. The ministers are meeting for two days in Turkey. Before things got underway, Secretary General Mark Rutte suggested the members should increase defense spending to 3.5% of their GDP by 2032. He added they should spend a further 1.5% on security-related items. Rutte says that would help the nations meet President Donald Trump's 5% target.
NATO officials say the ministers are expected to discuss Rutte's proposal.
That's not the only big meeting that people are watching in Turkey. Officials from Ukraine and Russia are expected to soon hold their first direct ceasefire negotiations in three years. But it is still unclear just how high-level the talks will be or if they'll even take place. Earlier, the Kremlin revealed its delegation President Vladimir Putin was not on the list. Instead, one of his senior aides, Vladimir Medinskyy, is set to attend. He led the team of Russian negotiators during the last round of talks back in 2022.
Reuters reports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is going to Ankara.
He's insisted Putin attend the talks in person.
I am waiting to see who will arrive from Russia, and then I will determine what steps Ukraine should take.
If neither leader attends the talks, it's unclear what kind of progress will be made toward a truce. President Trump has also been pushing Ukraine and Russia to make a peace deal,But according to CNN, White House sources say he is not expected to travel to Turkey to mediate the talks. For more on this, earlier I spoke with our reporters Noda Junko in Moscow and Yoshikawa Ayano in Kiev.
Junko, let's start with you. What do you think about the delegation that Russia is sending?
As you said, Zelenskyy also led the negotiations in 2022, so he knows exactly what was discussed last time and why it fell apart.
Russia has repeatedly claimed that so-called Western intervention prevented them from signing a deal back then. The fact that Russia is sending Medinsky again suggests they may have the same goals. From the Russian perspective, this is just like picking up where they left off. Last time they said they wanted a neutral and strictly demilitarized Ukraine, but I can't imagine it would be popular with Kiev.
Well, Putin himself does not appear to be attending despite Ukraine wanting him to. Why not?
Even though Putin proposed the talks, he likely never planned to attend them himself. But when Zelenskyy requested his attendance andTrump offered to mediate, he probably thought about who should go and when he'd make that public.
But at this point, he doesn't want to acknowledge Zelenskyy as an equal.
For starters, he's repeatedly questioned Zelenskyy's authority. The Ukrainian president's term ended a year ago. The country hasn't held elections because of the war. Putin used that to say he shouldn't be in power.
If anything, Putin seems to see Trump as his negotiating partner. He said he wants to improve diplomatic relations with the US, though the two still has yet to meet face-to-face.
Okay, now let's go to Yoshiko Ayano for the Ukrainian perspective. Ayano, what are you hearing?
In a video posted Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to sit down for any kind of talks and is not afraid of a meeting. The comment could be aimed at Putin, who, again, seems to not be attending. I don't know if Ukraine is optimistic going into this. Initially, Kiev said it wouldn't sit down with Russia without a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. Trump and other European countries pushed Moscow to agree, but that didn't happen.
Ukraine came to the table anyway, because it's important they show they're willing to try.
And what do you mean by that?
Well, Trump clearly wants a peace deal, and Kyiv has positioned itself as the one who is willing to sit down and try. Again and again, Ukraine has stressed that Russia is the one prolonging the war, that Putin is the one that's not willing to accept a ceasefire.
Zelenskyy choosing to go to Turkey is another attempt at trying to show good faith. So, in Trump's eyes, that may skip the side that aligns with his goals, not Moscow.
To reject these peace talks would be to go against that flaming.
So, no matter what, Kiev had to participate. It had to show it's trying in order to keep Trump on their side.
Thank you for your insights. That's NHK's Yoshikawa Ayano in Kiev and Noda Junko in Moscow.
Personnel of Japan's Self-Defense Forces are continuing to search for the crew of a jet that crashed into a reservoir on Wednesday. Sources have told NHK that the two men aboard made no emergency call and did not eject. The T4 trainer of the Air Self-Defense Force went down in the irrigation reservoir in Aichi Prefecture's Inuyama City. The ASDF says the aircraft took off from Komaki Air Base in the prefecture at 3:06 PM on Wednesday. It disappeared from radar about two minutes later at a location about 13 kilometers northeast of the base. The ASDF says the aircraft was on a flight to Yutabaru Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture where it is based. No problems were found during pre-flight checks...
and the weather was calm. Parts of the plane, a helmet, a hat and other items have been found at Irukaike Reservoir.
Four elementary school students were injured when a vehicle hit a group of children north of Tokyo. Police are searching for two men believed to have been in the SUV that fled the scene.
The vehicle ran into the group of about 10 children from behind at around 4:00 PM in the city of Misato in Saitama Prefecture on Wednesday. The students were on their way home from school. Four 6th grade boys were struck by the car and taken to hospital. Police say one of them suffered a possible broken leg, while the other three sustained minor injuries to their arms and legs. Footage from another vehicle's dashboard camera shows two men getting out of the SUV. The men were seen looking at the children before getting back in the car and driving away as people started to gather at the scene.
The car took off real fast. It seems like he slammed on the gas pedal. Even kids there could tell the guys were running away from the scene.
An eyewitness says the SUV then sped through a residential area, taking many turns along narrow streets. Police are searching for two men on suspicion of negligent driving, resulting in injury and hit-and-run.
Police in the Japanese city of Kyoto have punished two officers for voyeurism.
Involving cameras placed in women's restrooms, the incidents happened at police and train stations.
Investigators say a small camera was found in a women's toilet cubicle at a police station in March. It captured images of a male officer in his 20s who works there. The same officer is suspected of secretly photographing multiple women in train stations and trains. At another police station, a male officer in his 40s is suspected of placing a smartphone in a restroom in February and April. He's suspected of using it to secretly photograph female officers. Police referred both cases to prosecutors. Both suspects admitted to the charges. They were suspended for three months, then resigned. These voyeurism cases are not the first involving officers in Kyoto's prefectural police force. An officer was referred to prosecutors in September and another in March.
They're suspected of offenses, including taking covert photos on trains.
Nagasaki is preparing to mark 80 years since the atomic bombing with a new symbol of peace. The Urahakami Cathedral has a brand new bell to replace one destroyed in the attack all those years ago. The cathedral originally had two bells, each hanging in a separate tower. Only one survived the blast.
The new bell is a faithful replica of the original. It was donated by Catholics in the US and unveiled Thursday by the Archdiocese of Nagasaki.
The fact that this new bell will once more ring out at Urakami Cathedral is of great significance for the entire world.
James Nolan Junior, who helped coordinate the project, joined the unveiling online.
He's the grandson of a doctor involved in the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb. He said he was honored to be able to help restore the sound that had been lost for so long. The new bell will be installed in the tower in July.
It will ring for the first time at 11:02 a.m. on August 9, the exact time the bomb exploded 80 years ago.
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Ramin Mellegard from the Biz Desk.
Thank you very much indeed.
Now, a major shareholder of Fuji Television Network's parent company has called for direct talks to negotiate his proposal for a new board of directors.
Jamie Rosenwald, the chief investment officer of the US fund Dalton Investment, made the comment in an online interview with NHK. Rosenwald said he hopes to talk with Fuji TV President Shimizu Kenji before Fuji Media Holdings general shareholders meeting in June. Shimizu is expected to be the next president of the parent company, pending approval at the meeting. Dalton has proposed 12 new faces for the Fuji Media Board. They include Kitao Yoshitaka, the head of Japanese financial services giant SBI Holdings.
So a group of 12 directors, basically, in order to maintain this improvement in corporate governance for the future, as well as finally address the long-suffering shareholders of Fuji Media Holdings.
But Rosenwald said, So far, there have been no discussions with the Fuji side.
I am hopeful that all negotiations can happen well before the AGM, and I'm hopeful that we can come to a friendly agreement where both sides meet somewhere in the middle.
Rosenwald stops short of saying a proxy fight will follow if no talks take place before the shareholder meeting. Fuji Media Holdings has said the board will study Dalton's proposal and announce his response when a decision is made.
And NHK has learned Japan's government will relax bidding conditions for the purchase of its stockpiled rice to avoid shortages of the staple food. The move comes as rice prices remain high. Even after the government started releasing stockpiles in March, the average retail price is almost double what it was a year ago. The government currently buys back the same amount of stockpiled rice sold to wholesalers within a year. In principle, wholesalers can only join the auctions if they agree to the buyback rule. The agriculture ministry is likely to extend the buyback deadline to five years rather than a year.
It aims to ensure more rice is available for consumers by extending the deadline and hopes to ease concerns about future rice shortages.
Now, meanwhile, the government is expected to release about 100,000 tons of stockpiled rice monthly through July. It is considering giving priority at auctions to wholesalers that plan to distribute rice to retailers.
And government officials. Japan and the US plan to hold another round of working-level trade talks next week in Washington. They'll discuss import tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Tokyo's top tariff negotiator, Akazawa Ryosei, says Japan needs to take an overall strategic approach.
In order to gain maximum benefits for Japan, we want to tackle the matter while considering what is the most effective among all options.
Now, in previous talks, Japan proposed relaxing rules to make it easier to import US automobiles.
Tokyo suggested it could import more US corn and soybeans. Washington, in turn, has presented a list of what it calls Japan's non-tariff barriers. All these topics will be up for further discussion at next week's meeting.
Now, uncertainty over the Trump administration's tariff policies is casting a shadow over the business outlook for Japanese automakers. They're either predicting a drop in profit for the current fiscal year through March or feel unable to make any forecasts.
The companies that have released earnings guidance also see a possible impact from the yen's appreciation in addition to tariffs. Toyota projects net profit will decline nearly 35%, while Honda forecasts a drop of around 70%. Mazda and Subaru haven't given earnings guidance, saying it's difficult to calculate the impact of US tariffs, while Nissan said its profit forecast is undetermined. Other automakers have calculated the impact on annual earnings of US tariffs. Honda forecasts a drop of over $4.5 billion in operating profit.
Nissan expects operating profit to fall by roughly $3 billion, while Subaru projects a decline of $2.5 billion. Now, automotive analyst Nakanishi Takaki says companies are struggling to work out how to incorporate the impact and disclose information to marketers. markets.
The Japanese auto industry can't be separated from the US as it's the US market, not Japanese, that can finance future investment. Automakers need to produce affordable and attractive cars. That will decide the winners, as higher vehicle prices due to US tariffs can't be avoided.
Automakers say they're taking steps to increase output at their US factories or transfer production of some models to those plants.
And Japanese electronics giant Sony Group reported record net income in the year ended in March. The company says sales of gaming software and the weaker yen helped drive the gains.
Net income came in at more than 1.1 trillion yen, or about $7.8 billion for fiscal 20 twenty-four. That's a jump of almost 18%. in yen terms from the previous year. However, as with many other Japanese companies, Sony warns the increase in US import tariffs will dent earnings in the current fiscal year. It estimates operating profit will fall by about $680 million to $8.7 billion.
Sony officials say the tariffs will hit gaming consoles and chip businesses.
To offset this, the company will diversify production of the PlayStation 5 to other countries and build up inventories in the US. It's also considering price hikes.
And that is it for Business News.
Next, here's my colleague Shibuya Aki for Newsline in Focus on a story about a Japanese art that's winning enthusiasts from around the world.
We'll be looking at Japan's ancient art of bonsai. Bonsai, they're full-grown trees, but in miniature. Cultivated in pots or shallow trays, they have been meticulously pruned and shaped until they resemble mature trees found in the wild. Wow.
We join a world-renowned bonsai master who leads us into the profound aesthetics of this microcosmic reflection of the natural world.
A growing number of bonsai enthusiasts from abroad have been making their way to Obuse, a small town in Nagano Prefecture. They're here to visit this studio.
They make me feel so peaceful and so happy. I'm very excited. I'm trying to think in words. Yes, he's a rock star.
Suzuki Shinji is one of the leading figures in the contemporary world of bonsai. He has won the prestigious Prime Minister's Award five times, more than any other bonsai artist.
Thank you. Thank you. Much pleasure.
Ohh Thank you.
What draws so many fans from afar is Suzuki's genius for recreating the natural world in microcosm with the cycle of life and death visible in each tree.
In his workshops, Suzuki shows the participants how this is achieved.
One of the concepts he draws on is gene.
Wow.
To explain this concept, Suzuki points to one of the 2,000 bonsai in his atelier.
The withered parts that have turned white are called Jin, like this branch.
In the same way, when it's the trunk that turns white, it's known as Shadi.
The white parts are all withered. The tree's life is sustained only by the brown parts.
This tree has persevered through many hardships to become the way it is now.
At a glance, you notice there are different shades of color because it has withered parts as well as signs of life. There is both life and death in this tree. It has lived a heroic life, and now it is the dignified presence that you see here.
On some parts of the tree, Suzuki creates this gene intentionally.
I'm scraping off a living part of the tree here.
If this is overdone, it could lead to the bonsai dying. It's a process that takes great skill and finesse.
Through this clear contrast between life and death. I draw out the beauty of this tree. It cannot speak, so people may find themselves wondering about these scars, and even see parallels in their own lives. No matter where they come from, I think people are moved by this, and it draws them into the world of bonsai.
This bonsai, which came into Suzuki's life 30 years ago, is just 85 centimeters high,But it's already around 600 years old.
Though it will be with him for just a fragment of its lifespan, he tends to it carefully to ensure it will live on.
Part of Suzuki's work is to pass on the skills, art and philosophy of bonsai.
Currently, he has six apprentices, all from abroad.
22-year-old Theo Zimmer from Germany has been studying here for the past three years. Working with bonsai has helped him come to terms with the death of his grandmother last year.
I was very sad about it. Life wouldn't be this beautiful without death, and I think, for me, it's a good way to see it like this. I didn't know it would be this deep.
Sada Camacho was already entranced by bonsai, even before she arrived from Spain to study with Suzuki. For her, it's more than an art. It's a vital part of her life.
Probably when you're going to start, You are going to have so many mistakes and probably you're going to even kill some plants. But I think you must not be scared of that, no? And probably it's the same thing with life in general, no? Sometimes you lost some people who you love or something, but you need to continue and and keep growing.
Suzuki is currently building a museum that will showcase his bonsai.
In this world where so many lives are lost in conflict, it's his hope that bonsai can offer solace and inspiration for generations to come.
I want to communicate the supreme fascination of bonsai to the younger generation, to foreigners, to people who have never seen it before. Bonsai live in a confined space, and if you don't water them, they will wither, unable to say anything. Even in wartime, people continue to water their bonsai, and that's why they're still with us until now. It is that inner aspect that I want to show people. I want to create a stage for bonsai in Japan so that everyone can view it.
It's hard to fully grasp the world of bonsai in just one short report. But it's clear that there are many around the world who are captivated by this fascinating art. In fact, bonsai exports from Japan rose to more than $6 million last year, nearly twice as much as five years ago.
To be honest, many of us who are involved in producing this piece have also found new appreciation for bonsai and want to find out more. That's all for me.
And now our meteorologist Tsietsi Monare is here with World Weather.
Hi there. And I'm going to start off with the extremely hot temperatures that we've been experiencing here in Northeast Asia.
We start out in the Tohoku region where for the first time this year temperatures breach that 30 degree mark as we seeing at about 30.5 degrees.
And then, across the ocean into China, we're seeing 34.7 just South of Shanghai.
So these temperatures are quite intense and unfortunately it's going to remain like that at least for the next two or three days before a bit of rain comes and cools down the surface temperatures. You can see this area here quite largely dry, not much happening. Quite an impact of this high pressure system also affecting much of Japan.
But then by Saturday things will get a little bit cooler. For those in Tokyo, temperatures dropping to 22 degrees, so feeling a little bit more comfortable, but it's going to be quite a rainy one. So you can't even enjoy that weather outdoors unless you go out with a bit of an umbrella. Beijing 29 Friday and then 25 by Saturday. As you can see also that the trend is changing a little bit. But now if you thought. Northeast Asia is quite hot. Look at what's happening across the South Asia. Varanasi 45, 41 for New Delhi, Karachi and Islamabad. Also very close to that 40 mark there. The only good news is that once the monsoon season comes, things could cool down a little bit and looks like this year it will be a lot more intense. More wet weather is expected forming across India.
Speaking of wet weather, we've been seeing a lot of it coming in across that northern part of Africa, affecting parts of southern Italy as well. That unstable weather conditions across many parts of Europe could bring about some large hail in certain places. Strong gas could be a concern and temperatures are stabilizing for many. London has been 19 for the last couple of days, so they're enjoying the good bits. It gets warmer the further South you move and then the further east you move into the Middle East. Have a look at this staggering temperature. And I must just remind you, this is only May.
So what's going to happen once we get into August, possibly July and September?
Things are going to get even hotter. That's why I leave it though.
Do enjoy your day.
♫～
And that wraps up this edition of NHGain Used line. We'll have more for you soon.
Thanks for watching.
