Here in Japan, it's a Thursday evening.
I'm James Tengan in Tokyo. Welcome to NHK Newsline.
US House Passes Measure to Remove Troops in Iran Conflict
The US House of Representatives has passed a resolution directing the president to withdraw US forces from the conflict with Iran unless there is congressional approval.
The resolution was approved in the Republican-led House on Wednesday after four Republicans joined Democrats to vote in favor.
It would still need approval from the Republican-led Senate.
However, the measure is seen as largely symbolic, as it does not require the signature of the president and does not have the force of law.
Nonetheless, media outlets like the Wall Street Journal see the vote as the latest sign that Republican lawmakers' support for the war is eroding.
Rubio: Trump to Attend NATO Summit Next Month
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says President Trump will attend next month's NATO summit in Turkey.
This comes after the president expressed his anger at some member nations for not allowing US forces to use their bases for military operations against Iran.
Rubio spoke at a hearing of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.
He conveyed Washington's strong dissatisfaction with NATO.
00:01:22 話者 2/Marco Rubio
I think the next meeting of NATO and Turkey in July is probably the most important meeting in NATO's history, because there are some things here that need to be cleared up and fixed.
00:01:32 話者 1
Meanwhile, the US European Command announced on Wednesday that Washington will review its contributions to NATO.
It said the initiative is aimed at ensuring Europe takes primary responsibility for its own conventional defense.
Germany Loses Vote for Non‑Permanent UNSC Seat
Germany has failed to win a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
It's the country's first loss in the Council's non-permanent membership elections.
The UN General Assembly held the elections on Wednesday.
The Security Council is made-up of five permanent members and ten non-permanent members. Half of the non-permanent seats are replaced each year.
Portugal and Austria beat Germany to secure the two seats for the Western European and Others group.
Germany is the fourth largest financial contributor to the UN and has served on the council for a total of six terms.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters in New York it's a bitter defeat.
00:02:39 話者 3/Johann Wadephul
It also may have cost us votes that Germany must always assume a special responsibility for Israel with regard to the Middle East conflict.
00:02:51 話者 1
In other regions, Kyrgyzstan beat the Philippines to win the seat assigned to the Asia Pacific. Kyrgyzstan has never served on the Security Council before.
Zimbabwe was elected from the African group and Trinidad and Tobago from the Latin American and Caribbean group. Both ran unopposed.
The five elected countries will take their seats next January and serve for two years.
Raul Castro Marks 95th Birthday as Crisis Deepens in Cuba
Cuba has marked the 95th birthday of former leader Raul Castro on Wednesday.
Castro was indicted by the United States Justice Department last month.
It comes as the country experiences severe fuel shortages amid mounting US pressure.
Cuba's presidential office said on social media that Raul has always bet on peace and that he has repeatedly affirmed the war was won by avoiding it.
He has not appeared in public. He remains an influential figure in the country.
Following a government appeal, Cubans uploaded a flurry of videos on social media celebrating his birthday.
It comes amid growing pressure from the US on Cuba's socialist regime to carry out political and economic reforms. In May, Washington announced Raul Castro's indictment.
He's accused of being involved in the fatal downing of two civilian planes in the 1990s.
Cuba has been grappling with worsening fuel shortages.
An NHK staffer reports that electricity is available for only a few hours a day in the capital, Havana.
The impact on the economy has been widespread since the Trump administration stepped up sanctions in May.
Cuba's central bank said on Wednesday that major credit cards, such as Visa and MasterCard, will become unusable.
A Spanish hotel group has also announced plans to cease operations in 15 of its locations in Cuba.
Breaking Down S. Korea's Local Election Results
Local elections were held across South Korea Wednesday.
While voters were only casting municipal ballots, it's also widely considered a referendum on President Lee Jae-myung's first year in power.
For more on this, earlier I spoke with LHK World's Kim Chan-ju in Seoul.
00:05:15 話者 4/Kim Chan-ju
The National Election Commission says 61 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot.
To give you context, local media say that's the highest turnout in years.
Many were waiting to see how the two main political parties fared.
Again, these were local elections for mayors and regional governors.
16 seats were up for grabs. The ruling Democratic Party took 12 of them, compared to four for the conservative People Power Party.
00:05:47 話者 1
Chanjoo, let's break some of those down.
The Seoul mayoral election was a really tight race, right?
00:05:53 話者 4
Yes, to the point that actually we only learned the official results midday Thursday.
Both DP candidate Jung Oh-ho and PPP candidate Oh Se-hoon pitched themselves to voters with campaigns focused on real estate.
Concerns over redevelopment, rising rental costs and the shortage of available units had made housing a major issue. Now we know PPP candidate Oh came out on top.
He was the incumbent going into the race and this will be his fifth term in office.
But some in Seoul are dissatisfied with the vote itself.
Several polling stations actually ran out of ballot papers.
It meant some had to wait hours to vote, while others may have given up entirely.
The local election commission said it wasn't prepared for the turnout, which was 10 points higher than the last, and apologized.
00:06:57 話者 1
Moving on to the second largest city, Busan. What happened there?
00:07:01 話者 4
Busan has also become a major battleground in recent years.
Ultimately, DP's Chun Jae-soo won the race after a hard-fought contest.
But that wasn't the only election taking place in Busan.
Former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon won a parliamentary by-election, but as an independent. It goes to show some people still have not forgiven the party.
Remember the PPP was in power when former President Yoon Suk-yeol attempted to impose martial law. It's something some voters still can't move past.
00:07:40 話者 1
And Chan-ju, that translated to a great night for the DP.
00:07:44 話者 4
Exactly. And it's a major vote of confidence for President Lee after his first year in office.
I spoke to an analyst who says people are receptive to Lee's pragmatism.
00:07:58 話者 13/Park Chang-hwan/Professor, Jangan University
Rather than just meeting general expectations over the past year, we should look at these results as people responding to Lee's practical approach.
That includes his handling of things like trade issues, crude oil prices, and the revitalization of financial markets.
00:08:19 話者 4
The professor also says whether Lee will gain more support depends on whether he can turn that pragmatism into concrete policies.
The president is scheduled to meet reporters Monday to mark his first year in office.
We will see then what he takes away from these results and what his priorities will be going forward.
Hiroshima Starts Annual Update of Atomic Bomb Victims List
00:08:51 話者 1
The city of Hiroshima has begun the annual task of adding names to its register of victims of the 1945 atomic bombing.
The revised list will be placed in the cenotaph for the victims during the city's August 6 peace memorial ceremony.
The city started the annual update on Thursday to include the names of bomb survivors whose deaths were confirmed over the past year.
Hiroshima officials said the names of 3,035 victims are expected to be added this time.
Among them is Mori Shigeaki, known for his research on American prisoners of war who were killed by the blast. Mori died in March at the age of 88.
For many years, atomic bomb survivors have updated the register.
But due to their advanced age, the city this year selected 14 new registrars from among general public applicants.
00:09:49 話者 25/Nakamoto Nobuko/Atomic bomb survivor
Before long, there will be no survivors left.
For the sake of world peace, I hope this record will be carried on with the tragedy of Hiroshima kept in mind.
00:10:03 話者 1
The newcomers will join the effort on Sunday. The review will continue through August 5.
Japanese PM Takaichi Plans to Visit India in July
NHK has learned Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanai is planning to visit India as early as next month to meet with her counterpart Narendra Modi.
It's part of her efforts to strengthen ties with the country by building a routine of mutual visits.
Government sources say arrangements are underway for Takaichi to visit the northeastern state of Assam for her second in-person meeting with Modi.
The trip is likely to take place in early July.
Then Prime Minister Abe Shinzo was scheduled to visit Assam for a summit with Modi in 2019, but the trip was postponed at the last minute due to local unrest.
Takaichi and Modi are expected to discuss cooperation in a range of fields, including security and the economy.
Specific measures will be based on the Japan-India joint vision for the next decade, announced during Modi's visit to Japan last year.
The two are also expected to exchange views on issues related to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
These include ensuring the stability of energy supplies and protecting critical mineral supply chains.
37 Years Since Tiananmen Square Crackdown
Thursday marks 37 years since a student-led pro-democracy protest in Beijing's Tiananmen Square was violently put down.
The government continues to stifle calls to bring the truth of the incident to light, leaving many young people unaware of what happened.
On June 4, 1989, soldiers opened fire on crowds, including students who had gathered at the square and in surrounding areas.
The Chinese government puts the death toll at 319, but many believe the real figure is much higher.
Tiananmen Mothers, a group formed by victims' relatives, issued a statement last month.
It urges the government to reveal the truth about the crackdown, compensate the victims and their families, and hold those responsible to account.
The government maintains that the incident was turmoil, and it made the right decision.
Public discussion of the incident is forbidden.
The US government-backed Radio Free Asia says police banned members of the mother's group from visiting the graves of their loved ones in Beijing on June 4 for the first time.
The crackdown on Tiananmen commemorations appears to be hardening.
Meanwhile, here in Tokyo, about 200 people offered prayers for the victims, including attendees from mainland China and Hong Kong, who live in Japan.
Participants arranged candles in the shape of the numbers 8, 9, 6, and 4, the dates of the Tiananmen's suppression.
Former student leader Wu Kaixi was one of those taking part. He lives in Taiwan.
00:13:12 話者 33/Wu'er Kaixi/Former student leader
Let us remember our comrades who gave their lives, some willingly, others out of necessity, for the sake of hope. Let us never forget their bravery.
00:13:27 話者 1
Amnesty International Japan was among the organizers.
A member said many Japanese youth and Chinese students visiting Japan don't know about the incident, and he hoped the event will help change that.
World Bank President Warns of Iran Crisis Impacts
The rising prices of fuel and fertilizers due to the Iran conflict and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz could lead to job losses in developing countries.
That's according to the president of the World Bank.
00:14:06 話者 6/Narrator: Yoshino Mika/Reporter: Mitsunari Sou
Ajay Banga was in Tokyo for meetings with representatives of the Japanese government, including Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and Finance Minister Katayama Satsuki.
In an interview with NHK, he said that if things continue on their present course, the situation in the Middle East could have significant impacts across the region and beyond.
00:14:30 話者 7/Ajay Banga
You could have a situation of food insecurity, and eventually that would lead to job losses as well and fragility.
That is a downstream consequence if this continues without alleviation.
00:14:42 話者 6
He urged countries to coordinate on actions to reduce those impacts. One suggestion was establishing a framework for the export of gas-based fertilizer from the Middle East.
00:14:56 話者 7
Fertilizer prices went up much more during the first Ukraine crisis.
And then we were able to work out the UN and others were able to work a humanitarian corridor for fertilizer to move.
I think we have to find similar solutions to help alleviate the immediate problem.
00:15:14 話者 6
Banga also spoke about Japan's new Power Asia initiative.
The program provides financial support to other countries in the region to help them secure their supply chains for energy and other oil-related products.
00:15:28 話者 7
I think it's a great gesture by the government to step up to help them not only to manage through the crisis, but to actually focus on building more resilient supply chains in the future, better diversification of energy sources.
00:15:45 話者 6
Looking to the future, Banga raised concerns about worldwide economic trends.
He said 1.2 billion young people will enter the labor market in the next 10 to 15 years.
But in that time, only 400 million jobs are expected to be created.
00:16:03 話者 7
Now if we are able to do the right thing in helping these young people have a job, then we create great markets, great opportunities for firms in the developed world.
If we don't get it right, then you have the negative consequence of people who are left out and have no hope.
And that leads to social problems, fragility, conflict, violence, irregular migration, those kinds of things.
00:16:28 話者 6
He said it's important to deal with the issue proactively rather than wait for it to become a crisis.
Business
00:16:37 話者 1
Now here to crunch the numbers for us in business and financial news is Yuko Fukushima.
00:16:43 話者 8/Yuko Fukushima
Yeah, thanks, James.
Tokyo Stocks Retreat From Record Highs on Profit‑Taking
Well, Japan's main stock indices fell on Thursday as investors took profits in the wake of record highs for the benchmarks.
The Nikkei 225 finished nearly 1.4% lower to 67,470. The broader topics also fell 1.1%.
This followed declines in New York stemming from uncertainty over the Iran situation.
The Nikkei saw record closes three times in the past week.
On Monday, the index marked an all-time high finish for the second straight session, led by AI and chip-related shares.
And on Wednesday, it gained 2.5% to end above the 68,000 mark for the first time.
SpaceX Set to Launch Record $75 Bil. IPO
Elon Musk's SpaceX is looking to raise 75 billion dollars in an initial public offering reportedly as early as next week.
That would make it the largest IPO of all time, surpassing oil giant Saudi Aramco's 2019 offering.
The rocket and satellite communications firm revealed the plan in a filing submitted with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday.
The firm aims to sell about 555.5 million shares at $135 each.
That would put SpaceX's market value at about $1.77 trillion.
The money from the listing will be used for AI development and rocket launches.
Several local media outlets say SpaceX will start a series of presentations for prospective investors on Thursday.
The firm reportedly aims to make its Nasdaq debut as early as June 12.
UN Institute: Data Center Power Use to Double by 2030 on AI
Consumption of power and water by global data centers will double over the five years to 2030 to meet the needs of artificial intelligence.
That's the findings of a report by a UN research body.
The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health says electricity use by the centers, if treated as a country, would rank sixth globally.
Data centers also need water. The report says such demand in 2030 would be roughly equal to the minimum needs of all 1.3 billion residents of sub-Saharan Africa.
The institute also notes possible environmental impacts.
It says critical minerals used in servers and other AI hardware are extracted mainly in what's known as the global South and places with weak oversight.
The report adds that weight of electronic waste generated annually could be about equal to 250 Eiffel Towers.
The institute points out the benefits and burdens of the global expansion of AI are not shared equitably.
It says some regions will bear a large share of the environmental impact.
Sky's the Limit for Growing Space Industry
The space industry is rapidly entering a new era. It's shifting from large-scale government-led programs to projects driven by private enterprise.
Japanese firms are moving to seize new opportunities, particularly in the field of Earth observation.
00:19:50 話者 5/Narrator: Carolyn Miller/Reporter: Kasahara Nobuhiro
This Tokyo-based company develops and operates small satellites.
It manages 5 craft, each roughly about 60 square centimeters.
They observe the same locations on Earth once every two to three days.
The satellites currently capture high-resolution images of farmland.
The startup offers these images and analysis to agricultural firms, helping to monitor crop conditions and predict yields. Business has been booming.
The company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange last year, raising roughly 8 billion yen, or about $50 million. It plans to launch an additional seven satellites this year.
The firm aims to boost observation frequency to once a day across wider areas.
It says it has received a growing number of inquiries from new industries and is looking to expand its offerings.
00:20:54 話者 49/Yokoi Kento/Sales & Marketing Group Leader, Axelspace
More and more companies are working to create new value and provide solutions by using earth observation data.
00:21:06 話者 5
Insurance firms are among those interested.
They can use imagery to quickly assess damage after disasters and calculate payouts.
Construction companies are also looking into using the technology to track the progress of large-scale projects.
00:21:26 話者 49
Our satellites can capture data frequently across extensive areas.
The more we can see, the more we can analyze. That creates business opportunities.
00:21:38 話者 5
The growing demand for Earth observation data has seen an increasing number of satellites launched worldwide. But managing them requires significant resources.
Now, one satellite communications firm has begun selling monitoring and control services.
The firm last year completed construction of a large ground antenna that powers its offerings. It can communicate with satellites developed by Japan's space agency.
It's also capable of operating and managing satellites launched by private firms.
This map shows the simulated orbital paths of satellites.
With so many now in use, precise management has become even more important.
But the expense of monitoring orbits around the clock can be tough for smaller startups to swallow. The firm plans to offer these services and it expects business to grow.
00:22:44 話者 48/Yamashita Teruo/President of Space Business Unit, Sky Perfect JSAT
It can be difficult for smaller firms to build and operate their own ground stations.
We believe that customers needing these services as well as providers will increase rapidly.
00:22:59 話者 5
Demand for satellite data is increasing, bringing with it growing business opportunities.
For firms in the space industry, the sky is the limit.
MARKETS
00:23:13 話者 8
Markets.
♪
And that was the markets and that wraps it up for biz.
♪
Weather
00:24:10 話者 1
Now for a look at the weather.
Still reeling from a tropical storm, people in parts of Japan now need to prepare for even more heavy rain. Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano tells us why.
00:24:22 話者 9/Yumi Hirano
Officials announced the start of the rainy season in northern Kyushu, Chugoku and Kinki on Thursday. A frontal system is approaching western Japan, bringing downpours.
Intense rain is possible from Thursday night to Friday morning.
The Pacific side already received heavy rain this week, so people should watch out for more flooding and landslides.
The same system is also expected to affect southern China. About 150 millimeters rain is possible from Hunan to Yunnan provinces by Friday afternoon.
Further south, a tropical depression is intensifying rainfall in parts of the Philippines.
Thunder showers are possible in Manila and Taipei, but sunny skies are expected in Hong Kong with a high of 35. The highest level of heat warning is in effect.
Finally in Europe, a cold front brought severe weather to Rome.
A severe storm hit Rome on Wednesday, causing widespread damage to property and infrastructure.
Strong winds and a tornado uprooted trees and hurled them toward cars on the street.
Local media reported that five tornadoes and water spots occurred in western Italy.
Fortunately, there were no casualties from the extreme weather.
Now the system is moving across the Balkans, bringing isolated thundershowers and gusty winds.
A northern storm is affecting the western parts of the continent, so thundershowers expected in London and Paris with highs around 20, but sunny skies are likely in Lisbon and Madrid.
That's it for now. Have a nice day.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:27:40 話者 1
And with that, we conclude this edition of NHK Newsline for all of us here on the program.
I'm James Tengote in Tokyo. Thanks for watching.
checked.
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