Hello and welcome to NHK Newsline. I’m Kawasaki Rika in Tokyo.
We begin in China, where the Defense Ministry has announced it test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile carrying a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean. It’s unusual for China to disclose its missile tests. A defense official said they conducted the test at 8:44 a.m. Wednesday local time.
Translator: The launch is a routine part of our annual training plan in line with international law and practice and is not directed against any country or target.
Japanese and Chinese sources say countries such as Australia and the United States were notified of the test launch in advance. They say the missile may have landed in open waters around it. Some say the test firing could be seen as a warning to the AUKUS security framework, which consists of Australia, Britain, and the U.S. The three countries have been bolstering their presence in response to China’s activities. The Japan Defense Minister said there are no reports of damage to ships related to Japan, and they’re checking for more details.
Leaders from around the globe have converged on New York for the world’s largest diplomatic gathering. They arrive at the United Nations General Assembly at a time of division and have been told the global state of affairs is unsustainable. Leaders were told that the level of impunity in the war is intolerable.
With no clear end in sight and nuclear posturing and new weapons casting a dark shadow, we are edging towards the unimaginable, a powder keg that is engulfing the world.
Deputy Secretary-General Guterres says violations of international law are being treated as a get-out-of-jail-free card. He cited the war in Ukraine and what he called a nonstop nightmare in Gaza. He said that conflict threatens to take the entire region with it. He pointed at Lebanon and the fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants. U.S. President Joe Biden suggested it’s not too late to stop the violence.
Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest. Even though the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible.
Biden delivered what could be one of his last speeches on the world stage before he leaves office in January. He noted what he called the remarkable sweep of history he’s seen in more than 50 years of public service.
And Biden was not the only leader speaking before the U.N. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on members to come together to stop Russia’s invasion of his country.
We all know what needs to be done if we honestly look at the situation and truly want to stop Russia’s war, and most importantly, together, of course, in unity.
Zelenskyy addressed the U.N. Security Council Tuesday, saying he’s willing to hold a second peace summit in November. He said Russia will once again try to destroy Ukraine’s energy systems by targeting three of the country’s nuclear power plants this fall. Speaking to ABC News Monday, Zelenskyy also called for more support from the U.S. and its allies, claiming the war is closer to the end. A Kremlin spokesperson snapped back, saying the fighting will continue until Russia achieves its goals. Russian President Vladimir Putin set conditions for peace talks in June. They include the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four regions in Russia, and he also demanded the abandonment of Ukraine’s warship. Zelenskyy will reportedly present the plan to U.S. President Biden and both presidential candidates.
Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, used his U.N. address to bring the focus back to Lebanon. He called on the international community to stop the Israeli airstrike. Pezeshkian said the attack killed innocent people and that those crimes cannot go unanswered. He said governments against efforts to end the conflict share responsibility. He did not say how Iran intends to respond. Pezeshkian also took the opportunity to signal a shift in Iranian foreign policy. He had previously called for more dialogue with the U.S. and Europe. In his speech Tuesday, he said Iran is willing to revive a 2015 deal that would curb Iran’s nuclear program. In exchange, Western nations would lift sanctions on the country.
The campaign team of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he’s been briefed by intelligence officials on threats from Iran to assassinate him. The former president’s camp said in a statement on Tuesday that Trump had been informed by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence of real and specific assassination threats from Iran. The statement says Iran’s aim is to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States. It says intelligence officials have identified an increasing number of threats in recent months and are working to ensure Trump is protected and the election is free from interference. Hostilities between the U.S. and Iran escalated during Trump’s presidency. In 2018, the U.S. pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and reinstated sanctions against Iran. Then in 2020, U.S. forces killed a general with an elite Revolutionary Guard Corps who was revered as a hero in Iran.
The death toll from recent record rainfall in central Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture has risen to nine. Rescue teams continue to look for the missing. The crews are searching areas of Wajima City hit by torrential rain over the weekend. Wednesday morning they found the body of a person they believe is a woman. Prefectural officials say two people are still missing and six are unaccounted for. Over 45 communities in Wajima and Suzu City remain isolated due to flooding and landslides, and more than 360 people are stranded. Residents in some areas have started recovery efforts. People in Wajima carried unusable furniture to a site for disaster waste.
Translator: It’s hard this happened to us after the earthquake. All these items we saved at the time are now useless.
Organizations are also stepping in to help the victims. One group has started lending vehicles to people who lost their own cars in the disaster.
Japanese communities in China are still on edge one week after the fatal stabbing of a 10-year-old boy. Schools and apartment buildings for Japanese residents are now stepping up security around the country. The boy was attacked by a male assailant on his way to a Japanese school in the southern city of Shenzhen. Chinese authorities have not disclosed a possible motive or other details. The Japanese ambassador to China visited the northeastern city of Dalian on Tuesday. The city is home to more than 1,700 Japanese firms and a Japanese school. The ambassador urged the secretary of the Dalian Communist Party to increase security at the Japanese school. He also said he’s worried the incident could affect relations between the two countries.
Translator: We cannot ensure the security of Japanese residents on our own, and we cannot rely on China to do it for us, either. We have to work together to prevent this from happening again.
Meanwhile, a condominium for Japanese residents in Guangzhou near Shenzhen has doubled the number of security guards. The firm that manages the building says it is working to ease the concerns of residents.
Japan’s Health Ministry has approved a new Alzheimer’s drug for domestic production and sale. It was developed by U.S. pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly. The ministry gave the green light on Tuesday, after a panel of experts endorsed the drug last month. The drug will be available to people with mild cognitive impairment or those with early-stage dementia. The so-called monoclonal antibody is designed to slow the symptoms by helping to remove the amyloid protein plaque in the brain. A buildup of protein is said to lead to the destruction of nerve cells. The drug directly targets a specific cause of the disease. It was approved last year.
The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has criticized the arrival of a U.S.-powered nuclear-powered submarine. Kim Yo-jong issued a statement saying the move is a desperate attempt by the United States to demonstrate its superiority of strength before the world. She also warned that the North will continue to emphasize that no ports or military bases in South Korea are safe. South Korean media had already reported the “USS Vermont”’s arrival on Monday. They say it may be aimed at showing off the surveillance capabilities of its military spy satellite.
Now, let’s check out the world weather with our meteorologist Jonathan Oh. People in the southeastern United States are bracing for a powerful storm. Jonathan, what’s the latest?
Hello, we’ve been keeping an eye on Helene, as it’s gathering itself together and kind of threading through the eye of the needle in a sense. It’s going between the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba. As it does, the less resistance, the less land that it encounters, the more likely it’s going to intensify and concentrate itself into what potentially could be a major hurricane. The storm is expected to rapidly intensify as we go through Thursday into Friday. As it comes onshore, we need to be reminded that coastal areas of Florida, especially in the Big Bend area, are low-lying and don’t offer much resistance. So when the storm comes through, it’s going to deeply impact the area. You need to be making preparations for the path of the storm. The storm will then make its way through Georgia and gently weaken. It will have a significant impact on the southeastern areas of the U.S. So, make sure you make those preparations now, because you don’t have a lot of time. Once you head into Thursday and Friday, the storm’s going to be right on top of you. Looking at the forecast, some locations could see 200 or more millimeters of rainfall in a short period of time. We’re also concerned about flooding, powerful winds, and landslide concerns going forward.
Looking at what’s going on in East Asia, we have a tropical storm south of Japan. It’s going to spin itself into the area and bring a southerly flow into Japan. Back to the west, high pressure is going to be the main factor, which means it’s going to be relatively calm as we go forward into the day on Thursday. Mid-30s will be the high, and it’s going to start warming in Tokyo, with temperatures topping out around 29. Cloudy skies are expected into Thursday.
A quick bit on Europe: it’s still messy, with high pressure moving into the west. Look out for wet weather as you go into Wednesday. Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♪ And that wraps up this edition of NHK “Newsline.” I’m Rika in Tokyo. Thanks for joining us.
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