Welcome to NHK “Newsline.” I’m Gene Otani in Tokyo.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country is at what will be seen as a historic turning point after killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
“Citizens of Israel, we have great achievements, but the work has still not been completed. In the coming days, we will face significant challenges, and we will face them together,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said eliminating the head of the Lebanon-based Shia Muslim group was a necessary condition in achieving the objectives Israel has set. He said those objectives are returning the residents of northern Israel safely to their homes and changing the balance of power in the region for years. Netanyahu suggested the blow dealt to Hezbollah will bring about the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah has shown solidarity with the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas. Israeli air strikes on Lebanon continue even after Nasrallah’s death. The Lebanese Health Ministry says 33 people died and 195 others were injured in attacks on Saturday. Hezbollah insists it will continue its battle against Israel to support Gaza and Palestine and defend Lebanon.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden released a statement after Nasrallah’s killing, and Biden called his death a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians. He said Nasrallah and Hezbollah were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over what he called a four-decade reign of terror. The president said he had directed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East. He said their task is to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war. The U.S. State Department on Saturday ordered the evacuation of some of its U.S. embassy staffers and their families from the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
Russia’s Foreign Minister has warned the United States and European countries to stop supporting Ukraine, stressing Russia is a nuclear power. Sergey Lavrov gave a speech at the U.N. General Assembly Saturday. He accused the U.S. of trying to use Ukraine to harm his country.
“Current Anglo-Saxon strategists don’t hide their intentions. They’re still planning to defeat Russia with the hands of the illegitimate neo-Nazi Kyiv regime, but they’re already preparing Europe for it to embark on a suicidal escapade. I won’t talk here about the senselessness and danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power such as Russia,” Lavrov said.
In Ukraine, Russian drones attacked medical facilities in the northern region Saturday. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry says nine people were killed and ten were injured. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced Russia for targeting hospitals and other civilian infrastructure. He said in a social media post, only strength can force Russia into peace.
Nepal has been battered by heavy rain since Friday with landslides and flooding hitting many areas. Police have confirmed over 100 deaths so far. In the capital Kathmandu and its suburbs, rivers overflowed, flooding houses and blocking major roads. Police say many people are unaccounted for, and urgent rescue operations are under way. Rescue teams are using small boats to evacuate people from their flooded houses.
“What can we do now? The disaster is affecting people everywhere, not just us. We are just thankful our lives have been saved,” a resident said.
An earlier landslide in July swept two buses into a river. Twenty people were killed and about forty are still listed as missing. Nepal is in the middle of its monsoon season, when torrential rains often cause havoc across the country.
Japan’s incoming Prime Minister has been preparing the ground for his new administration. One day after Ishiba Shigeru was elected president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, he’s been picking his top party officials and cabinet members. Ishiba plans to reveal his new executive lineup on Monday and his cabinet the following day. Ishiba has chosen General Council Chairperson Moriyama Hiroshi as Secretary-General. He’s apparently counting on Moriyama’s network of connections and political expertise to build a united party. Ishiba also intends to ask Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa to remain in his post. Hayashi finished fourth in the first round of the presidential vote. Koizumi Shinjiro, another leadership contender, is all but certain to be appointed chair of the party’s election strategy committee.
Meanwhile, Ishiba attended the leadership convention of the LDP’s coalition partner, Komeito. The party has elected Ishii Keiichi as Chief Representative. He’s Komeito’s first new leader in fifteen years.
“The top priority is to restore people’s trust in politics. We are determined to continue participating in the coalition government and devote all our efforts to political reforms and the realization of policies that prioritize the people,” Ishii said.
“There will be a national election within a year. We will help each other and work together for Japan. I will devote my entire being to maintaining this administration,” he added.
On the opposite side, Constitutional Democratic Party leader Noda Yoshihiko has suggested Ishiba may be moving too quickly toward a general election. Ishiba said he will dissolve the lower house as soon as possible following Diet debates between the ruling and opposition parties.
“If these debates are no more than, for example, half-day budget committee meetings or debates that are only between party leaders, they should not be considered sufficient Diet debates. More thorough discussions will be necessary as a basis for seeking the people’s mandate,” Noda said.
Unexploded bombs from World War II are still being discovered in Japan’s southwestern prefecture of Okinawa. About 400,000 people were asked to evacuate for a bomb disposal operation on Sunday. The bomb was found during sewage work in a residential area of the prefecture capital last December. The site is near the headquarters built by the now-defunct Japanese military during a castle during Okinawa 79 years ago. Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force says the object is believed to be a 250-kilogram bomb dropped from a U.S. military aircraft. City officials set up three evacuation centers for people within a radius of about 280 meters from the bomb.
“I felt shocked when I saw an unexploded bomb in front of me after 80 years had passed,” said a translator. “If it explodes, we could die!”
In March 1974, a land mine buried by the Imperial Japanese military exploded near a kindergarten in Naha. Four people, including a 3-year-old girl, died and 43 others were injured. Okinawa was pounded by shells toward the end of World War II. The total amount is estimated at around 200,000 tons. It is thought about 10,000 tons did not explode. Analysts say it may take another 70 to 100 years to get rid of the bombs that exploded in the Japanese prefecture.
Japanese weather officials say over the next few days, Typhoon Krathon will likely approach the southwestern islands of Okinawa Prefecture. Tropical Storm Jebi is also expected to come close to the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo. The Meteorological Agency says that on Sunday, Krathon developed into a typhoon east of the Philippines. The storm is expected to move north-northwest while gaining strength and approach Ishigaki, Miyako, and other southwestern islands. Agency officials also said that as of Sunday, Tropical Storm Jebi was moving north/northwest near the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The agency predicts that over the next few days, Jebi will approach the southwestern island chains.
And those were the main stories for this hour.
That is the news this hour. I’m Gene Otani. Thanks for joining us.
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