at 18:00 (JST), October 31 (AI-CC by Clipchamp)

 

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20241031180000_english_1.mp3

Here in Japan, it's a Thursday evening. I'm James Tengah in Tokyo. Welcome to NHK Newsline. 

North Korea has now confirmed it did test fire an intercontinental ballistic missile Thursday morning. Japan's defense ministry says it flew a record amount of time for the North and may have been a new type of ICBM.
An NHK camera on Hokkaido Prefecture's Okushiri Island captured this footage at about 8:30 AM. It shows white objects appearing to fall over the Sea of Japan. The ministry says the North fired at least one missile at 7:11 AM from an area believed to be close to Pyongyang. It likely landed in the sea outside Japan's exclusive economic zone west of Okushiri.

Defense Minister Nakatani Gen. spoke with reporters shortly after attending a National Security Council meeting.

The missile launch this time is believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile, but the ministry is continuing to analyze details, including whether it was a new type of ballistic missile. 

He added the missile flew about 1,000 kilometers and stayed airborne for one hour and 26 minutes. It appears to have reached a maximum altitude of over 7,000 kilometers, another record for the country. The Japanese government has lodged a protest strongly condemning the test. The U.S. National Security Council also condemned it, calling the launch a flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.
North Korean media reports leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the test. And he said his country will never stop strengthening its nuclear weapons capability.

This is the 12th time this year the North has fired ballistic missiles or projectiles believed to be ballistic missiles. Earlier, I discussed the matter with NHK World's Tokuda Ryosuke. He's our former Seoul correspondent and has been covering the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Yosuke, what have you learned about the missile launch?

South Korea's defense ministry says it may have been a new type of solid-fuel, long-range biotic missile, and the North may have used a mobile launcher to fire it. The ruling Workers' Party newspaper carried a photo of it last month. The launcher has 12 foils on each side. There has been speculation that it might carry a new type of an ICBM cross missile.

What's behind the timing of this latest launch?Why now?

There is no doubt Pyongyang did a death with the United States in mind ahead of the presidential election next week. Onodera Itsunori chairs the Policy Research Council of Japan's main ruling liberal Democratic Party. He told reporters that, given the wrong flight time, the missile may have been capable of reaching the east coast of the U.S.
Onodera says the North sent a very strong message. Also, take a look at these photos recently released by Pyongyang. They show Kim Jong-un visiting some notable locations, including a Ranium enrichment facility and a strategic missile base. He's showing off the North's nuclear and missile development.

I think Pyongyang wants to signal it, signal it remains a nuclear power and that it will continue to strengthen deterrence against the U.S. no matter who becomes the next president. 

Finally, what do you think North Korea will do next? 

Well, James, it's hard to predict. Japan's chief cabinet secretary saysThere could be more missile launches and also possibly a nuclear test. We do know Pyongyang plans to launch three military reconnaissance satellites by the end of the year. The Japanese government says it will work with the U.S. and South Korea to monitor the situation.
It will also coordinate with the international community, including the UN Security Council. But there's key relationship to factor in. Russia is one of the council's parliament members and has been rapidly getting closer to the north. That makes it difficult for the international community to take a united response.

Tyongyang may further advance its military development if the international community does not find a way to stop it.

Members of the UN Security Council held a heated debate Wednesday over reports North Korean troops have been sent to Russia. The council convened an emergency meeting at Ukraine's request. The country's UN Ambassador, Sergei Kisiltya, said up to 12,000 North Koreans are being trained in Russia's Eastern Military District.
He also said up to 2,100 soldiers flew to Russia's border with Ukraine in late October.

It is also expected that in November 2024, DPRK military personnel will begin directly participating in combat operations against Ukraine's defense forces. 

Council members expressed concern over these developments. Japan's UN Ambassador Yamazaki Kazuyuki said North Korea's involvement will worsen the situation in Ukraine. But Russian Ambassador Vatsile Nabiensia said, his country's interaction with North Korea on military matters is in line with international law, and that no one can forbid it.
North Korean Ambassador Kim Song did not refer directly to reports on his country's troops, but had this to say: 

If Russia's sovereignty and security interests are exposed to and threatened by continued dangerous attempts of the United States and the West, and if it is charged that we should respond to them with something, we will make unnecessary decision.

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood called these developments a major threat to peace and security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

Should DPRK's troops enter Ukraine in support of Russia, they will surely return in body bags.

Wood also said he would advise the North's leader to think twice about engaging in such reckless and dangerous behavior.

A Ukrainian government official has told NHK that Kiev will urge North Korean soldiers in Russia to surrender if they're sent to the front line to fight against Ukraine.

Russia is running out of its mobilization resources. They are trying to involve other countries in order to reduce tensions within the country. We said it's a small threat, but we are all well aware that they will not succeed.

Vitaly Matvienko is involved in the project, which aims at encouraging North Korean soldiers to surrender. Ukrainian authorities recently released a video targeting North Koreans. It says Ukraine will offer prisoners of war three meals a day. Matvienko said that if North Korean soldiers are sent to the front line, Ukraine will drop leaflets in the Korean language, urging them to lay down their arms.

Our address to the North Korean military. Do you want to live? Surrender.

He also said if North Koreans become prisoners of war, Ukraine would use them as a bargaining chip for exchanges with captured Ukrainian soldiers.

Japan's political sphere is still reeling from the results of last week's lower House election. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party will need support from the opposition to stay in power. Today, it met with the Democratic Party for the People to discuss policy.
LDP Secretary General Moriyama Hiroshi and his DPFP counterpart Shimba Kazuya held talks Thursday. Each party's diet affairs chiefs also attended. The LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito failed to secure a majority in the election. Moriyama asked for the DPFP's cooperation on 2 upcoming budget bills. The 1st is a supplementary budget bill for the current fiscal year. The second would be a new budget plan for April onwards.

The LDP also sought support in Diet deliberations, but Shimba said his party won't get too close to the LDP.

The DPFP will stay equally distant from the other parties. If the LDP or other parties want our cooperation to implement policies, we will decide on an issue-by-issue basis.

We have agreed to discuss specific issues, including taxation. Democratic Party For the People has agreed to our request for a meeting between the leaders. I hope to settle on a date soon.

The party's leaders are Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru from the LDP and DPFP President Tamaki Yuichiro. They're set to meet before a special diet session to vote on the next prime minister. That's currently scheduled for November 11th. Meanwhile, Komeito's leader says he's stepping down. Chief Representative Ishi Keichi made the announcement Thursday. His party lost eight seats, including his own. He said he's taking responsibility for the set back.

An Indian media outlet says India and China have completed withdrawing their troops in a part of disputed border areas. The outlet reported the news Wednesday, citing Indian militarysources.
China's foreign ministry did not mention the withdrawal at a news conference on the same day, but it said both countries had reached resolutions on border-related issues, and their frontier troops are implementing them. The two countries had been at odds over a tentative demarcation line in the contested border. Both sides suffered casualties there during fighting in 2020. Last week, Beijing and New Delhi reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in Russia last Wednesday. During their first formal talks in five years, the two leaders agreed to seek ways to resolve the border issue.

♪

Now let's turn to world weather. People in Taiwan are bracing for powerful typhoon Kong Rei. Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has the details.

The storm is one of the strongest typhoons hitting Taiwan in October. It has already brought over 1,000 millimeters of rainfall since Wednesday, People in the east also experienced gusts of over 280 kilometers per hour. We have some video.
Kumrei has brought heavy rain and strong winds to Taiwan, reportedly injuring dozens of people. The storm has triggered mud slides in mountainous areas and massive waves along the coast. All cities and counties have declared Thursday a day off, with schools and businesses closed. Hundreds of flights and ferry services have been canceled. 

Due to the developed typhoon, gusty winds and high waves of up to 12 millimeters are expected along the coast. In addition, up to 700 millimeters of rainfall is possible by Friday afternoon. Even Taipei may receive heavy downpours of up to 300 millimeters. 

The storm is also expected to impact eastern China, including Shanghai, into Friday, and then it will bring heavy downpours to Japan as a low-pressure system into Saturday. 

The wane will start from Friday and be heavier on Saturday, so if you are traveling over the holiday weekend, please keep an eye out on traffic information.

Moving to Europe, a low-pressure system lingering over the Iberian peninsula brought severe floods in eastern Spain this week. Rain is expected to move west on Thursday with risks of thundershowers, lightning and strong winds. 

Another storm in the north is impacting southern parts of the Scandinavian peninsula. Potential floods and landslides are a concern in southern Norway into Friday. 

That's it for me. Stay safe.

♪♪♪

Do visit our website for more news and information. You can also follow us on X and Facebook as well. I'm James Tangan. Thanks for watching.

at 18:00 (JST), October 30 (AI-CC by Clipchamp)

 

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20241030180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome back to NHK Newsline. Here's the latest we have for you at this hour.

Teams at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant have reached a new milestone. They say a retrieval device has successfully made contact with nuclear debris. Three of the plant's reactors suffered meltdowns after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. It left about 880 tons of debris inside. It still exhibits extremely high levels of radiation. 

Tokyo Electric Power Company has been trying to remove the debris with a retrieval device. The trial runs were set to begin in September, but were delayed by six weeks due to a problem with the devices cameras. 

TEPCO was able to resume the trial Monday. It says a tool from the device was lowered into the number two reactor. It then successfully grabbed several grams of debris Wednesday. If the radiation reading is low enough, it will be put into a transportation container and removed. If so, it would mark the first time nuclear debris was successfully taken out of the plant. Dealing with the debris is considered the most challenging part of decommissioning Fukushima Daiichi.

A Japanese appeals court has ruled that not allowing same-sex marriage goes against the Constitution. This is the second time a high court in the country has handed down such a decision.

The court said clearly that it is unconstitutional. I feel that our efforts have paid off. I am really happy that what we have continually conveyed was accepted by the court.

The Tokyo High Court announced the decision on Wednesday. The presiding judge says being legally recognized as a spouse is the basis of a fulfilling social life, and that should be fully respected even for same-sex couples. She added civil code provisions are not based on reasonable grounds, and they treat same-sex couples in a discriminatory manner. The court rejected an appeal for compensation, as there has been no unified judgment by the Supreme Court. Still, the plaintiffs and lawyers say the decision is a reason to celebrate.

I think it is a truly groundbreaking and historic ruling. It says that irrational differences should not be established and gives specific examples. The most important point is that the Tokyo High Court clearly said that Japan's Diet should do its job.

A Tokyo district court ruled on the case two years ago, saying that certain provisions in the civil code are in a state of unconstitutionality. There have been five other similar lawsuits across Japan. 

A United Nations committee has, for the fourth time, recommended Japan revise its legal requirement that married couples use the same surname. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women on Tuesday published its findings on efforts by the Japanese government to achieve gender equality. The UN body had conducted a review on Japan earlier this month, its first such audit in eight years. The committee's report described the Japanese Civil Code's surname requirement as discriminatory, saying the law, in practice, often compels women to adopt their husband's surname. The committee called on Japan to amend its provisions regarding surnames for married couples so that women can keep their own surnames after marriage. One of the committee experts told NHK it is a matter of women's self-identity.

If Japan wants to retain its power, its international image, its global image, it is very necessary for Japan to embrace change.

The committee also recommends that Japan revise the Imperial House law in order to ensure gender equality. The law stipulates that successors to the throne must be males from the male line of the imperial lineage.

Japan's ruling parties plan to hold talks with the opposition Democratic Party for the People. It's part of their effort to maintain their coalition government with Ishiba Shigeru as prime minister. 

The main ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner, Cometo, failed to secure majority in the lower house in Sunday's election. As a consequence, they will seek cooperation from opposition parties on a policy-by-policy basis to steadily implement economic and other measures. The secretaries general of the LDP and the Democratic Party for the People, which won 28 seats in Sunday's vote, are set to hold talks on Thursday. The two executives are expected to discuss new economic measures, including measures against rising prices, a top priority for Prime Minister Ishiba. 

Meanwhile, Noda Yoshihiko, who heads the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, has met with Japan Innovation Party Representative Baba Nobuyuki as part of the opposition push for unity. Noda asked for Bhabha's vote for prime minister in the upcoming special diet session. Bhabha said he will consider it. The two sides agreed to continue discussions.

There's now less than a week left in the race. Polls show it's still tight, and both Trump and Harris are hoping tips may give them an edge.

Hispanics could decide the outcome in Nevada. They make up 22% of voters in the state. Many work in service industries and earn much of their income through tips. Trump says one of his policies would help bring them home more.

When I'm back in that beautiful White House, we will pass larger tax cuts for workers, and we have a special tax that here is going to do, I think, quite well. It's called no tax on tips.

Service workers see the appeal. Some believe they could increase their income by hundreds of dollars a month.

Everyone lives on tips, and everyone lives on, you know, It'd be awesome to see this come come to pass.

Hispanics have tended to vote for the Democrats, but polls suggest Trump has brought more of them onto his side. Harris introduced a similar promise on tips and another to increase workers' base income. 

When I am president, we will continue our fight for working families of America. Including to raise the minimum wage and eliminate taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.

Harris has attracted the support of union members, some of whom are volunteering on her behalf. We've got to raise the minimum wage for all workers.

Political news site Real ClearPolitics reports an average of national polls suggests Trump leads Harris by less than a percentage point.

Analysts in South Korea are adding some details to a security situation many of their counterparts elsewhere want to know more about. They say North Korean troops may be heading toward the front lines of the war in Ukraine, and they say a high-ranking officer may be among the first to arrive.
Analysts with the National Intelligence Service shared what they've learned with members of the Parliamentary Intelligence Committee. They're still checking the details. But they say they've learned the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army could be in an advanced unit. Kim Yongbok is also believed to be a close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The analysts estimate that most of the soldiers sent to Russia are in their early 20s, with some possibly in their late teens. They warn the troops should not be underestimated, but they say that soldiers from the North and from Russia have run into a language barrier.

Around 100 military terms are being taught. North Korean troops are reportedly struggling with them, raising doubts about resolving communication issues.

Russian media say North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Soni has headed to Moscow for talks. The reports say she's expected to discuss the deployment of troops and a possible visit by Kim Jong-un later this year.

Ukraine's president says his country will strengthen cooperation with Seoul in light of the deployment. Volodymyr Zelensky posted on social media on Tuesday that he had a call with his South Korean counterpart, Yun Son-yol. They discussed the North's military involvement in Russia's invasion. Zelensky says the war is becoming internationalized, extending beyond two countries. He says he shared recent data with Yun on Pyongyang's deployment of 3,000 troops to Russian training grounds near the combat zone. Their number is expected to increase to approximately 12,000. Zelensky added that the leaders agreed to develop an action strategy and countermeasures to address this escalation. Yun told Zelensky that North Korea is taking unprecedented and dangerous steps by deploying special forces to Russia. Both leaders say Seoul and Kyiv would stay in close communication and exchange delegations.

♪

It's time for a check on the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh. We went from a chilly and wet start in Tokyo to a bright, sunnier afternoon Wednesday, but how are things looking for Thursday, Jonathan?

Hello, it looks like we're going to be dealing with a bit of a drier pattern as we go into Thursday for Tokyo and places toward the west as well. Now we saw chilly start in some portions of the Kanto area with some rain as well, but by the afternoon we saw temperatures topping off at around 22 degrees and that is. A little bit warmer than we're supposed to see for this time of year. The main instigator for this pattern was a low pressure system, a cold front pushing away from Japan. We may still see some residual moisture up toward the north where we may be seeing some showers and we have some rain activity down toward the South and West. I'll talk about that in more detail in just a bit, but it looks like that in general we should be seeing most of Japan under a drier patterns. Sappodo starting off with a little bit more rain, then we dry out a little bit later. But look at this. Brighter skies again for Thursday from Niigata to Osaka, Tokyo looking at high 22. Nahai, you're looking at rain with a high of 30. That moisture enhancement is taking place because of a powerful typhoon. That's still impacting the northern portion of the Philippines over to Taiwan and also Southwestern Islands, Okinawa Prefecture. The storm is expected to get even stronger. We're talking about some very powerful winds along with heavy rainfall.

Those waves are going to really be swelling up as well. So you want to be away from the coastal areas. You want to make sure you know what to do in case you need to move into a more an evacuation situation because the storm will be likely coming right on top of Taiwan, but also bring all that strong wind and a stormy conditions over into the so far southwestern portions of the Okinawa region. And so you want to be on the lookout for that over the next couple of days. 
Look at what's happening across North America. We have this cold front pushing on through and a little mini load that's trying to develop itself over the plains and that may lead to some strong to even possibly some severe thunderstorms. So be on the lookout for that cold weather toward the West of Denver. Snow with a high of 6 on Wednesday. That's location forecast. Hope you have a good day wherever you are.

♪♪♪

Before we go, one of Tokyo's most famous statues has been blocked from view in a bid to keep people from gathering around it on Halloween. 
The statue of Hachiko, outside Tokyo's Shibuya Station, is a well-known meeting place and has become especially popular with Halloween revelers. Workers took about two hours on Wednesday to set up an enclosure around the statue modeled after a loyal Akita dog. Ward officials are urging people, including foreign tourists, not to come to Shibuya to celebrate Halloween.

But they remain concerned that large crowds of people may still swarm the area, posing the risk of a crowd crush or problems related to drinking.

It's a painful choice, but we're calling for people's understanding. We're asking that they not come to Shibuya to show off their costumes or to view them. We really hope that they'll heed the request.

The statue of Hachiko will remain out of sight until Friday.

And that wraps it up for this edition of NHK Newsline. Thanks for watching.

at 18:00 (JST), October 29 (AI-CC by Clipchamp)

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20241029180000_english_1.mp3

From our studios in Tokyo, this is NHK Newsline. I'm Ross Mihara.

Japanese political parties are jockeying to get control of the diet's lower house following Sunday's general election and time is ticking. Lawmakers are set to choose the country's next Prime Minister in a few weeks. The election dealt a severe blow to the ruling coalition. The Liberal Democratic Party and junior partner Kometo lost more than 60 seats, enough to lose control of the chamber.

Still, the LDP has secured the most seats in the House. Prime Minister and LDP leader Ishiba Shigeru says he will remain in his post and maintain the coalition government.

National politics cannot be allowed to stall even for a moment. I hope to fulfill my duties by protecting people's everyday life and Japan.

The LDP says it currently does not intend to expand the coalition, but instead plans to cooperate with the opposition parties on a policy by policy basis.　The party is reaching out to the opposition parties behind the scenes to try to secure enough votes at a special diet session to ensure Ishiba stays on as Prime Minister. The LDP has presented a plan to Komeito to convene the session by mid-November, taking diplomatic schedules into account.

The largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan increased its seat count by 50 in the election. It's considering to ask other parties to vote for its leader, former Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko.

I will devote my efforts to determining how we will approach the Special Diet session and how we will build a team to counter the ruling coalition. 

The Democratic Party for the People also made big strides in the election, quadrupling its seat count. Party leader Tamaki Yuichiro reiterated to reporters he has no intention to join the LDP-Komeito coalition. He says he is focused on implementing the economic policies his party pledged during the election campaign, including to raise people's net incomes. 

We will act based on policy. For good ones, we will cooperate. We will stick to this attitude not only toward the LDP and Komeito, but to the opposition parties as well.

♪

U.S. presidential candidates have returned to some battleground states to make another pitch. Election Day is a week away, and more than 43 million Americans have already cast their ballot. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris stopped by a factory in Michigan that makes silicon for computer chips. She says if elected, she would support manufacturing jobs and reassess what's required to get a job with the government. She told workers that they and other Americans have been presented with a serious choice. 

So I just got to also talk about the contrast because my opponent spends full time talking about. Just kind of diminishing who we are as America and talking down at people.

Republican nominee Donald Trump met with religious leaders in Georgia. He suggested Democrats are trying to persecute them. You're next because they're all everybody's next with this group and they have a very bad agenda and we have to stop it and we have to win this election. I think winning this election, I think it's going to be the most important election in the history of our country.

Analysts with the news site RealClearPolitics suggest Trump leads a national average of polls by less than one percentage point, and they say he is ahead in all seven battleground states. 

As pollsters predict a knife-edge presidential election, two leading U.S. newspapers are making waves for refusing to endorse a candidate. The Washington Post last Friday published an opinion piece stating it will not be making an endorsement in this election, nor in any future presidential election.
The paper's chief executive officer, William Lewis, wrote the Post had not endorsed a candidate up to 1976 and was going back to this policy. On the same day, the Post reported that its editorial staff had prepared an endorsement of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, but it was not published. It said the decision was made by the newspaper's owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Critics on social media have called the decision cowardly.

U.S. broadcaster National Public Radio reported that more than 200,000 people had canceled their digital subscriptions by Monday. 
The Los Angeles Times also announced it would not endorse a candidate in this election. It has published an endorsement in every presidential election since 2008. Times owner Patrick Soon Sion said he feared picking one candidate would only exacerbate the already deep divisions in the country. His decision prompted three members of the editorial board to resign.

A nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan's Miyagi Prefecture is set to restart operations Tuesday. It will be the first one in the area to do so since 2011's massive earthquake and tsunami.
The disaster cut the Onagawa plant's #2 reactor off from many of its external power sources and flooded the underground facility. Operator Tohoku Electric Power Company has taken anti-disaster steps under government regulations, including raising the plant's seawalls to 29 meters above sea level. The reactor passed a Nuclear Regulation Authority screening four years ago. It will be the first boiling water type reactor to restart in the country since the disaster. That's the same kind that was used at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The Onagawa plant's operator plans to begin removing control rods later Tuesday to activate the reactor. The company expects the reactor to reach a self-sustaining chain reaction at around midnight. Officials say power generation will likely start early next month if things go smoothly.

The deployment of North Korean troops to Russia is expected to be a talking point during the North Korean foreign minister's official visit to Russia.
North Korea's ruling Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun says that Choe Song-hee departed from Pyongyang on Monday ahead of a potential visit by Kim Jong-un. 

Russian officials told NHK that Choe is expected to lay the groundwork for the North Korean leader's trip to Russia, which is due to take place by the end of the year. Discussions between Choi and the Russian side are expected to center on the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia, as well as the development of bilateral ties since the signing of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty. The treaty includes a promise of mutual military assistance if either country is attacked.

The US government says it has been in contact with China over North Korea's dispatch of troops to Russia. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Monday that Washington has expressed its concern about the situation to Beijing.

They have an influential voice in the region, and they should be concerned about steps that Russia has taken to undermine stability. They should be concerned about steps that North Korea has taken. To undermine stability and security. 

In a separate briefing, the deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said Pyongyang is believed to have sent around 10,000 soldiers to train in eastern Russia. Singh added that they will probably be posted alongside Russian forces near Ukraine in the next few weeks. She did not give details about where Washington believes the North Korean troops are deployed, but said some of them have already moved closer to Ukraine.

♪

Iran, Israel and the United States exchanged words at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council held in response to the Israeli military's weekend airstrikes on Iran.
The meeting was held on Monday at Iran's request. Its UN ambassador, Amir Saeed Eravani, condemned the Israeli aggression, calling the actions a blatant and dangerous breach of international law and the UN Charter, particularly the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

The responsibility for this dangerous escalation lies squarely with the Israeli regime and certainly with those who enabled it. Foremost among them, the United States.

United Nations ambassadors from the US and Israel rejected that assessment. They urged Iran to refrain from conducting a counterattack. 

The United States did not participate in this military operation. Rather, we encourage the government of Israel to shape the operation as it did. Again, a targeted, proportional and direct response.

Israel has shown restraint. Any further aggression will be met with consequences that are swift and decisive. 

Israel conducted airstrikes against Iran early on Saturday. Multiple targets included missile production sites. The Israeli military said the strikes were a retaliation for Iran's massive missile launch at Israel earlier this month.
Israel's parliament has passed a bill that prohibits the United Nations Relief Agency for Palestinian refugees from operating in Israel. The legislation was passed by a majority vote on Monday. It will come into effect in 90 days. Israel argues that some staffers from the organization known as UNRA were involved in the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel in October last year. The UN dismissed 9 staffers suspected of being involved in the attack. Israel has since repeatedly pointed to possible links between UNRA and Hamas. It has called for UNRA to be disbanded and its responsibilities transferred to other UN agencies.

UNRA criticized the Israeli ban, labeling it as the latest attempt to discredit the agency and delegitimize its role in providing humanitarian relief to Palestinians. 

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the bill in a statement on Monday. He called on Israel to act consistently with its obligations under international law and the UN Charter.

It's been a wet, cloudy day in Tokyo and in many parts of Japan, but the cooler weather is bringing in seasonal colors to the country. Our meteorologist Jonathan Oh has the details in world weather.

Hello. As it went through Tuesday, we had the stationary front that brought plenty of clouds from the western portion of Japan, also up into portions of the northeastern areas of the country. So we're seeing some of that cold, damp pattern in place, but the cooler weather is bringing in some colors into our autumn season. Take a look at this video coming out from Nikko, which is north of Tokyo. 

The fall foliage is at its peak around Lake Chuzengi in the Highlands of Tochigi Prefecture. The lake is renowned for its spectacular fall scenery, which tourists can enjoy from sightseeing boats. This year's prolonged heat delayed the color change of the leaves by more than a week, but the recent cooler weather has helped turn them red or orange. This is the best time to see this particular view, which will last until next week. However, you're gonna have to dodge some showers from time to time with the clouds in place because of the seasonal. Frontal boundary that's located South of Japan and we'll see the clouds in the rain as a part of the story for Wednesday. It will eventually shift toward the east and depart from the country, but you'll still need the umbrellas at least for Wednesday, especially from Tokyo points northward.

Temperatures are going to be topping up around that 20 degree mark from Niigata into Sendai, Tokyo 21 and Osaka at 23 for Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, we're keeping an eye on what's happening down toward the South. We have this tropical system in Congre continue to spin near the Philippines and having its impact there, but also showing some impacts into the smaller island Okinawa into Taiwan as well. The storm will continue to slowly drift toward the north and West and so you're going to see the impacts increasing more and more. So make sure that you adjust accordingly and make sure you find some safe locations to know where to go if this storm continues to move in your direction, which we are expecting it to do so over the next couple of days. 

Looking at what's happening across North America, we have a system moving through the central portions of the United States and that's going to bring some thunderstorms into the central plains with some cold air coming in behind it. Snow into the mountains possible and we'll be seeing that cold air and coming as far South as Colorado as we go through Tuesday. Hope you have a good day wherever you are.

♪♪♪

I'm Ross Mihara in Tokyo. We thank you for joining us on NHK Newsline.

at 18:00 (JST), October 28 (AI-CC by Clipchamp)

 

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20241028180000_english_1.mp3

Hello, glad to have you with us on NHK Newsline. I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo.

Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru says his party's coalition will seek to stay in power despite suffering a crushing blow in the lower houseelection.

We have received an exceptionally harsh judgment from the public. To avoid stagnation in national politics, I am committed to addressing political reform and economic issues, with the goal of revitalizing Japan.

The Liberal Democratic Party secured 191 seats, far below the 247 it had going into the election. Its coalition partner Komeito won 24 seats. Together, the two parties fell short of the 233 they needed to secure a majority. That had been Ishiba's benchmark for victory. One of the party's executive members has already stepped down. Koizumi Shinjiro was the chairperson of the Election Strategy Committee. He said he's taking responsibility after the party did not reach its target. But it was a good night for the opposition parties. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan took 148 seats, and the Democratic Party for the People secured four times what it had going into the race. Ishiba vowed to bring in major reforms to gain the public's trust. He also said he will try to work with other parties in the House.

We are not thinking of instantly forming a new coalition at this point. I think we need to start by discussing how to introduce each party's policies with a humble attitude. In the process, we will work to build a relationship of trust with other parties so that people will have faith in us, that we are working together for the sake of the people. That is a responsibility that we need to fulfill as a party that has won the most votes.

However, the CDP, the largest opposition party, is also courting the other camps to counter the coalition. The newly elected lawmakers, as well as the upper house, will vote for prime minister in the coming weeks. The outcome of the lower house election has drawn reactions from overseas. Our Beijing correspondent Nakamura Ginta explains China's view of the situation. 

The government typically avoids commenting on the internal affairs of other nations. And so far, there has been no official response. Yet, when it became clear that the ruling coalition had lost its majority, China's major media outlets swiftly blocked the news. So there seems to have been widespread interest in the outcome. Now, the spotlight in Beijing seems to be shifting toward whether Prime Minister Yeshiba's administration can keep the ship steady. 
Earlier this month,When Premier Li Qiang met with Ishiba, the two leaders emphasized the importance of building what they called a constructive and stable bilateral ties. Ishiba has maintained a firm stance on the diplomatic and security fronts, but he has consistently emphasized the importance of dialogue with China, a position that had raised considerable hopes in Beijing. 

And it's no secret why. China's economy is still struggling to find its footing, trade relations with the EU are showing signs of strain, and the U.S. presidential election looms on the horizon in what is expected to be a grossly fought race. This is why stabilizing economic ties with Japan is seen as a crucial move to help steer China's own economy back on course. People in Beijing will likely continue keeping a close watch On Japan's evolving political landscape.

North Korea says it has proof a crashed drone came from its southern neighbor. Pyongyang warned that a future intrusion could force it to retaliate.
North Korea has been investigating the drone, which was discovered on October 13th. It says the South Korean military uses this specific kind of reconnaissance machine. A defense ministry spokesperson gave more details in North Korea's ruling Workers' Party newspaper Monday. The statement claims data retrieved from the drone showed it took off from Paenyeong Island on October 8th. That's near the de facto maritime border in the Yellow Sea.

The drone reportedly reached Pyongyang about two hours later. The statement says it scattered propaganda leaflets around the foreign and defense ministries. It also claims flight logs prove the drone was in South Korea up until the incursion. Pyongyang says that's evidence Seoul was behind the hostile infringement of its sovereignty. North Korea said if it happens again, it would not hesitate to act. It warned that the source of the provocations would disappear forever. South Korea said it cannot confirm Pyongyang's claims.

Ukraine's president has repeated his call on Western nations to help his country boost its air defense capabilities. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia has used over 11-hundred guided aerial bombs and more than 560 strike drones against his country last week alone. He made the claim on his social media account on Sunday. Zelensky also uploaded videos showing damage from Russian attacks. A message reads quote Ukraine needs more air defense systems. We need strong support from our partners. Missile and drone attacks on the capital Kiev and the eastern city of Dnipro killed 6 civilians on Friday and Saturday. In a related development, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Agency has reported on a truck carrying North Korean soldiers heading to Kursk. The region in western Russia is where Ukrainian forces are conducting a cross-border operation. 
On Sunday, the agency released on social media... what it said were intercepted radio communications of Russian officials talking about the truck. Zelensky had said he expects that North Korean troops who were dispatched to Russia will enter combat zones as early as Sunday.

Israeli forces have been intensifying their attacks in the northern Gaza Strip to eliminate Hamas militants causing many casualties. Local media in Gaza reported that Israeli strikes from late Saturday to Sunday on houses and schools sheltering many civilians, killed at least 69 people. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement he is shocked by the hurrowing levels of death, injury and destruction in northern Gaza. He repeated his appeal for an immediate ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that the head of the Mossad intelligence agency traveled to Qatar on Sunday for talks with the director of the CIA on a ceasefire and the return of hostages.

A Saudi Arabian TV station reported that Hamas,presented negotiators with a deal for an immediate end to the fighting. The group proposed a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in the exchange of a certain number of Palestinian detainees in return for the release of all Israeli hostages at once. 

The President of Georgia has called for protests after election officials said the pro-Russia ruling party had won a majority in Saturday's parliamentary election.

As the last independent institution in this country, I must clearly state that I do not recognize these elections. Recognizing them would be tantamount to legitimizing Russia's takeover of Georgia.

Salomezura Vishvili called for supporters of the opposition to rally on Monday in the capital, Tbilisi. The Central Election Commission announced the ruling Georgian Dream Party got 54-percent of the vote. The party is seen as having a conciliatory stance toward Moscow, leading to worsening relations with Western nations.
The pro-Western opposition parties have rejected the results, saying the election was rigged. They are pushing for Georgia to become a member of the European Union. Georgia is a former Soviet Republic.

The head of the European Parliament's monitoring delegation said on Sunday his teams had seen voter intimidation and physical assaults on observers. The EU issued a statement calling on the Election Commission and other relevant authorities to investigate electoral irregularities.

Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force has grounded all of its Osprey aircraft after one was damaged in a failed take-off. It happened during training Sunday morning at Camp Yonaguni in southern Japan's Okinawa Prefecture. The defense ministry says the aircraft lost balance and swung from side to side and an engine exhaust vent hit the ground. There were no reported injuries. 

The force says it's believed to be the first time one of its ospreys was damaged since it began to introduce the transport plane in 2020. The force has 17 of them. It has set up a panel to investigate the incident. Okinawa's governor says he is concerned about what happened.

It is extremely regrettable that such an incident occurred, despite our request that Osprey aircraft not be used in training.

The U.S. grounded its Osprey aircraft late last year following a crash that killed eight of its military personnel. It resumed flights earlier this year.

♪

And it is time now for a check on the weather with our meteorologist Jonathan Oh. Jonathan, people in Vietnam has been dealt with another blow with a powerful tropical system bringing damaging winds and heavy rain. What's the situation there now?

Hello, we've been keeping an eye out on Chami as it made its way from the Philippines over toward Vietnam and also impacting portions of China as well. It has left a bit of destruction in its wake. Take a look at this video when it started off in central Vietnam, where Chami hit the region Sunday, bringing rain, heavy rain and strong winds. Parts of the region received more than 600 millimeters of precipitation in 24 hours. The wind toppled advertising boards and trees. And blocked traffic. Authorities closed several airports and advised people to stay indoors. The storm still has all its moisture associated with it, and so portion of China into Vietnam will see more heavy rain as the storm continues to still linger in the area. 

We have another tropical system toward the east of the Philippines. Kong Ray continues to gather itself together. Now, unlike Chami, it looks like it's less likely to go straight over the Philippines and more toward the north. And so those over into the smaller islands of Okinawa, you may be dealing with some of the impacts of this system as go into the mid to latter part of this week as the storm tries to gather itself and bring all of its intense winds and heavy rainfall. But even portion of the Philippines, especially for the coastal areas, you may still be dealing with some high waves with that system.

Broadening out the view and going toward the north high pressure controlling the continental portions of East Asia, Japan looking at a couple of cold fronts moving on through. And so we're looking at rain in Tokyo with a high of 17, 19 in Seoul, 18 in Beijing and a bit colder up to Ula Batar with a high of 5 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, speaking of cold weather over in North America, the western areas of the United States into Canada, looking at a big push of cold air. And so it's going to be a bit on the chilly side, so be prepared for that. But withmoisture mixed in, we're talking about some snow into the mountainous areas as well, so we'll be looking at some of that more wintry precipitation as we go into the day on Monday. Hope you have a good day wherever you are.

That is all for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Yamato Miki in Tokyo. Thank you for staying with us on NHK World Japan.

at 18:00 (JST), October 27 (AI-CC by Clipchamp)

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20241027180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Gene OTani in Tokyo. 

Voters across Japan are having their say. They're deciding which lawmakers will fill the Diet's powerful lower house. All polling stations are set to close later tonight by 8 p.m. All 465 seats in the chamber are up for grabs. 289 will be decided in single seat districts and 176 through proportional representation. The benchmark for a lower house majority is 233. The ruling coalition went into the election with 279 seats. Prime Minister Shibashi Geru says he'll consider victory to be a maintained majority for the Liberal Democratic Party and junior party Komeito.
Noda Yoshihiko, who heads the largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, wants to stop that from happening. 

Stay with us throughout the night for analysis, up-to-the-minute results and more. Our Japan Decides special coverage will start just before 8 p.m.

Commonwealth nation leaders agreed to start discussing compensation for countries that suffered fromThe historic slave trade involving Britain. Caribbean countries have led mounting calls for the UK to apologize and make reparations. 
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 countries that are mostly former colonies. The group's biennial heads of government meeting in Samoa ended on Saturday. Members signed a communique and adopted it on the closing day. The statement said they are committed to supporting small states, particularly Small Island Developing States or SIDS, and to making efforts to tackle global warming and other issues. The document also said the nations agreed that the time has come for conversation on Britain's role in the slave trade since the late 16th century. The UK is said to have transported about three million people, mainly from Western Africa, to colonies in the Caribbean and Americas as laborers to grow tobacco, cotton and sugar. Such products are believed to have helped enrich Britain and enabled it to push ahead with the Industrial Revolution.

I understand from listening to people across the Commonwealth how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate. In the two days we've been here, none of the discussions have been about money. Our position is very, very clear in relation to that.

His remark is seen as suggesting that Britain is seeking options for reparations other than immense cash payments. 

The Washington Post has reported that Chinese hackers tried to get inside the phones of former U.S. President Donald Trump and others involved in the American presidential race. The FBI and the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency on Friday issued a statement saying an investigation is underway into the cyber attacks by actors affiliated with China.

The Washington Post on the same day reported that a Chinese hacking group dubbed Salt Typhoon. Carried out the cyber attack, citing sources close to the matter. The report quoted officials as saying the group is connected to Beijing's main spy agency, the Ministry of State Security. The paper said phones used by Trump, his running mate JD Vance and Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign staff were also targeted by the group. The paper said it was not immediately clear if the attempts were successful. It also quoted officials as saying they did not consider the latest attempts to be election interference, A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the US told NHK on Saturday that its staff members were not aware of the specific situation, but the spokesperson accused the US of spreading disinformation about the so-called Chinese hacking threats and said such allegations are full of malicious speculations against China.

The Washington Post has reported that Elon Musk was working illegally in the United States when he launched his business career. Musk was born in South Africa. The paper says he arrived in Palo Alto, CA in 1995 for a graduate degree program at Stanford University. But according to former associates, court records and company documents, he never enrolled in courses, working instead on his startup.

Legal experts say that according to U.S. laws at the time, Musk would have had to leave the country and would not have been allowed to work. The paper says when a venture capital firm investing in Musk's company made his work status an issue, one of Musk's colleagues said, We don't want our founder being deported. Musk didn't respond to a request from the Washington Post for comment. The paper says Musk's actions are at odds. With his recent focus on undocumented immigrants and US border security that have led him to back Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Iran says four Iranian soldiers were killed in the recent Israeli airstrike. However, Tehran is taking a cautious stance over whether to launch a counterattack. The Israeli military carried out the airstrikes early Saturday. It says the attack hit missile manufacturing facilities and surface-to-air missile systems. Iran's foreign ministry has called the airstrikes a violation of Iran's sovereignty. The Iranian military said Tehran reserves the legitimate right to respond appropriately at the right time, but reiterates the importance of a sustained ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.

Israel says the air offensive was in retaliation for a large-scale missile attack Iran carried out earlier this month. An Israeli military spokesperson said if Iran makes the mistake of beginning a new round of escalation, Israel will be obliged to respond.

It looks like they didn't hit anything other than military targets. My hope is this is the end. 

Biden has been calling on Israel to refrain from attacking Iranian nuclear or oil producing facilities while acknowledging its right to respond to Iranian attacks. Analysts say Washington does not want the conflict in the Middle East to escalate further. Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi said in a statement. His country is deeply concerned about the exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran. He urged all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint and to calm the situation.

 Ukrainian defense intelligence officials say they have intercepted conversations of Russian soldiers discussing preparations for receiving North Korean troops. In a recording released on Friday, soldiers believed to be in Russia's Western Kirks region refer to North Korean troops as belonging to Battalion K. The radio intercept indicates one interpreter and three Russian soldiers are assigned for every 30 North Korean troops. One Russian soldier, referring to how orders should be interpreted, says with a laugh that the interpretershould tell the Koreans to go ahead and kill everyone. The conversation suggests one of the Russian soldiers does not know how to deal with the North Koreans. Another is unhappy about an order to provide them with armored vehicles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky predicted on Friday that North Korean troops into Russia will enter combat zones as early as Sunday.

♪

All right, let's take a look at the weather in your part of the world.

♪♪♪

And that's the news this hour. I'm Gene OTani from all of us here at NHK Newsline to all around the world. Thanks very much for joining us.

 

at 18:00 (JST), October 26 (AI-CC by Clipchamp)

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20241026180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Gene OTani in Tokyo. 

Israel says its forces have finished carrying out precision strikes on military targets in Iran. The move is believed to have been in retaliation for Iran's massive attacks on October 1st, involving more than 180 missiles.
Iranian media said military bases were targeted in the latest attacks. The extent of the damage remains unclear. An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said the country was conducting strikes on military targets in response to months of continuous attacks from the Iranian regime. 

Like every other sovereign country in the world, the state of Israel has the right and the duty to respond. Our defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized. We will do whatever necessary to defend the state of Israel and the people of Israel. 

Later, Israel's military said in a different statement that it had completed its strikes, but added that if Iran makes the mistake of carrying out another attack, Israel will have to fight back. Iran's state-run television reported that explosions were heard around Tehran shortly after 2:00 AM on Saturday, local time. Iran's FARS news agency said military bases in western and southwestern Tehran were targeted. Hours later, loud sounds were again heard in eastern and central parts of Tehran. Local media say they were related to air defense activity. A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council told NHK. They understand that Israel is conducting targeted strikes against military facilities in Iran as an exercise of self-defense and a response to Iran's ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1st.

A US Defense Department official also spoke to NHK saying the United States was informed of the Israeli attack beforehand and that there was no US involvement.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel is not apparently targeting. Nuclear or energy facilities, citing information from U.S. officials. Depending on the extent of damage in Iran, tensions in the already fraught region could be ramped up further.

Meanwhile, negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza are set to resume in the coming days, but Israeli forces are continuing their strikes in the north of the enclave. Israel's military said on Friday that in the past three weeks it has forced the evacuation of 45,000 residents and has killed hundreds of Hamas militants in Jabalia.
Palestinian media reported that an airstrike in neighboring Beit Lahiya killed at least 20 people.

Hamas leaders have visited Egypt as part of their effort to resume negotiations. The Egyptians have been acting as mediators. Hamas delegates stress the need to immediately stop the genocide in the northern Gaza Strip. A leader of the Islamic group told the Lebanese media outlet that it rejects partial arrangements and is demanding a complete ceasefire and withdrawal. Prior to the attacks, Israel had announced that the head of its intelligence agency will travel to Qatar, another mediator, for truce talks on Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been leading the resistance against Russia's invasion for more than two and a half years. He says his forces may soon be facing a new enemy. He says he expects troops from North Korea to appear in combat zones as early as Sunday.

Ukraine, the US and other Western countries say they have evidence that the North has already sent thousands of troops to Russia. Zelensky posted on X that he was briefed by a top commander about how those personnel will be used. He warned that their involvement should not be met with indifference, but with tangible pressure on both Moscow and Pyongyang. 

The North Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement through the state-run news agency. It says any decision to send troops would be in line with international law. It stressed the ministry does not in there and not does not directly engage in the issue and does not feel the need to confirm it separately. Authorities in South Korea say they're sending a delegation to Belgium early next week to share information with NATO and the European Union. It will include senior officials from the National Intelligence Service as well as the defense and foreign ministries. Leaders in Seoul have not supplied lethal weapons to Ukraine, but President Yoon Sonol said that the Pentagon moves by. the North, officials will review the policy more flexibly.

Japanese, U.S. and South Korean security advisers have expressed grave concern about the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia. 
John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, told reporters on Friday that U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his Japanese and South Korean counterparts Akiba Takeo and Shin Won-sik held talks in Washington.

Kirby said the three officials agreed that the deployment is the latest in a series of concerning indicators of deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. He added that the officials called on the two countries to cease such actions.

Tokyo's Shibuya Ward is beefing up crowd control for the Halloween party season, which is expected to peak Saturday. The popular district it has in previous years suffered a spillover of public drunkenness and anti social behavior. 
Municipal officials are on the alert for potential trouble from extreme crowding and outdoor drinking. There are concerned hordes of young people, including foreign tourists, may overwhelm the area around Shibuya Station. The ward on Friday night conducted almost three times the usual scale of street patrols. Staff picked up empty cans and bottles and informed people the ward has banned public drinking. Shibuya has also asked stores near the station to refrain from selling alcohol from 6 p.m. on Saturday through 5 a.m. on Sunday.

If you are counting on coming to Shibuya on Halloween, we'd like to ask you to cooperate and rethink your plans. It's expected to be very crowded.

Neighboring Shinjuku Ward will also ban alcohol consumption on streets around the Kabukicho nightlife district.

Japanese police say they have helped a number of job seekers who were tricked into easy work that turned out to involve committing crimes such as theft.
The perpetrators in a recent series of robberies in the Tokyo metropolitan area were found to have been recruited through social media posts that promised high pay for easy work. Some suspects told police that recruiters used their personal information to threaten them. The National Police Agency is calling on people to avoid applying for suspicious, high-paying jobs advertised online.

The police promised to protect the family members of those who have consulted us. Please turn away immediately with courage and peace of mind.

The agency has instructed police forces nationwide to offer appropriate aid to those who request help. This might involve temporarily evacuating those individuals and their families from their homes or stepping up patrols at relevant locations.

Those were the main stories for thishour.

♪♪♪

And that's the news this hour. I'm Gene OTani. From all of us here at NHK Newsline to all around the world, thanks very much for joining us.

at 18:00 (JST), October 25 (AI-CC by Clipchamp)

 

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20241025180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Kaneko Sakno. We start this hour with Russia and North Korea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn't denied that North Korean troops are in his country.

Putin spoke at a press conference Thursday after the BRICS summit. When asked about satellite images showing the troops were in Russia, he said, If there are images, then they are reflecting something.

Putin also said Moscow is in touch with Pyongyang, calling them friends. South Korea's defense minister claimed the troops are wearing Russian uniforms and acting under Moscow's command. He also said 12,000 soldiers will be dispatched.

Ukrainian officials say the first units were sent to the Russian region of Kursk. Kiev has launched an offensive in the area and considers it a combat zone. They believe the Kremlin has high hopes for the North Korean component in the war. Moscow has also ratified the country's comprehensive strategic partnership with North Korea. That's the treaty Putin signed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June. They agreed their forces would provide what they called all means of military assistance if either country was attacked. 

The issue is likely to come up at a meeting of security advisers taking place in Washington on Friday, and HK has learned top officials from Japan, the US and South Korea are reaffirming their cooperation. The Secretary General of Japan's National Security Secretariat, Akiba Takeo, is meeting with his counterparts Jake Sullivan and Shin Won-shik. They're expected to discuss ways to maintain relations and jointly cope with international issues.

That includes China and Russia's increasing military activities and North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. They'll also likely discuss the reports of North Korean troops in Russia.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama has joined Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris on stage at a campaign rally. This marked the first time the two have campaigned together. There's less than two weeks to go before Election Day.

US Vice President Harris and Obama attended the rally on Thursday in Georgia, one of the so-called battleground states. Obama said he noticed that some, especially men, seem to think that the behaviour of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is a sign of strength or machismo. He said real strength is about taking responsibility and telling the truth, even when it's inconvenient.

We've got a candidate to vote for in this election who demonstrates that kind of character, who knows what real strength looks like. There's a choice that everybody has, so let's imagine it for a moment. It's either Donald Trump in there, stewing, stewing over his enemies list, or me, working for you. Checking off my To Do List.

Meanwhile, Trump declared during a conservative radio show on Thursday that if he retakes the presidency, he would fire Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith within two seconds.

Smith has been leading the investigation into the attack on the US Capitol in January 2021. Trump is facing criminal charges over the case, including conspiracy to defraud the US.

Trump has criticised Smith as a very dishonest and mean man. Kamala Harris's campaign team issued a statement in response to Trump's declaration. It said Donald Trump thinks he's above the law. It added that a second Trump term is guaranteed to be more dangerous.

♪

One Japanese tourist was killed and ten others were injured after a bus and a truck collided on an expressway in western Malaysia. The travel agency that arranged the tour says the bus was carrying 11 Japanese tourists as well as a local driver and guide. The crash happened in Perak state on Thursday. The company says a Japanese woman in her 70s was killed in the accident. It says four other tourists have been hospitalized and are conscious.

The company says the bus was heading to Cameron Highlands, one of Malaysia's most popular tourist destinations. The Japanese travelers were scheduled to fly back to Japan on Sunday.

As the company that arranged the trip, we are very sorry and offer our deepest and sincerest apologies.　We are committed to supporting customers and their families affected by the accident.

Police are trying to determine the cause of the accident. 

A manga artist has received the Order of Culture from the Japanese government for the first time. Shiba Tetsuya is the illustrator of Ashitanojo, a pioneering boxing manga series in Japan. The order recognizes individuals who've made outstanding contributions in developing Japanese culture. Since beginning as a manga artist at the age of 17, Chiba has created many hits. His work is known for focusing on sports and featuring poor but sincere characters. Ashitanojo, or Fighting for Tomorrow, debuted in 1968 and became a huge hit. The manga series was such a social phenomenon that people actually held a funeral for the main character's boxing rival after he died in the story. Chiba said he and his predecessors helped elevate manga from being seen as books for children to being recognised as culture. The 85 year old said he was honoured to receive the award and hopes manga continues to be cherished as culture. 

The United Nations is warning that without urgent action, global temperatures could rise up to 3.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. There is a direct link between increasing emissions and increasingly frequent and intense climate disasters. Today's emissions gap report is clear. We are playing with fire, but there can be no more playing for time. We are out of time.

A new report from the UN Environment Programme revealed that global greenhouse gas emissions jumped to a record high in 2023, with 57.1 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent being pumped into the atmosphere. That's a 1.3% increase from the previous year.

Emissions fell by 7.5% in the EU and 1.4% in the United States, but increased by 5.2% in China and 6.1% in India. The UN says that to meet the Paris Agreement target of keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, emissions must be cut by 42% by compared with 2019 levels. Countries are required to submit emission reduction targets for 2035 by February. With COP29 talks approaching next month, the report is calling for bold new commitments to drastically lower emissions. 

Taiwanese companies are renowned globally in the fields of semiconductors and AI, and some startups are now stepping up efforts to enter the Japanese market. NHK World's Yoshida Mayu has the story.

This business event was held in Tokyo in September to promote the technology of Taiwanese startups. About 50 companies participated, including one that develops translation systems using AI. In recent years, ongoing political tensions between Taiwan and China have led more Taiwanese companies to look into opportunities in Japan.

For now, our company is not entering the Chinese market.

Laws in China can change suddenly.

Japan has an environment where you can do business with peace of mind. This Taiwanese app development company entered Japan four years ago. It developed an app to prevent spam calls. The system uses AI to detect calls suspected of fraud. A warning is then displayed on the screen. One in two people in Taiwan are said to have downloaded this app. The company's headquarters are in Taipei.

This is the time the call came. AI identifies suspicious phone numbers and websites based on a database of 2.6 billion entries.

The highly developed countries, rich countries, is easily become the target of scammers. So this makes Japan one of the very important market for us to enter.

After being told by a Japanese firm that spam calls are increasing at call centers, Kuo thought his company's technology could be applied, so they're co-developing a new product for the Japanese market.

They jointly developed software that displays a warning on a PC screen when a spam call is made to a landline.

The amount of data is abundant and the information is accurate. It's a service that is not available in Japan, so we thought this service is good. The startup believes if they're successful expanding into Japan, it could open the doors to Europe and the US.

Japan is facing some issues in terms of like scams and also like the elderly aging problems are looking forward for, you know, different like collaborations with Japanese enterprise. 

An organization was newly set up in Tokyo to offer support for Taiwanese companies. And Japan is likely to attract more startups in the future. Yoshida Mayu, NHK World.

♪　♪

It's time now for a look at the world weather. A cyclone has been battering the eastern coast of India. Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has the details. 

The storm named Dhana already brought 159 millimeters of rainfall in just one day in one area of the east. In addition to heavy downpours, strong winds were reported. We have some video.

Dhana made landfall in eastern India as a severe cyclonic storm with gusts of up to 120 kilometers per hour. It brought trench or rain and strong winds, causing flooding, downing trees, and damaging homes and power lines. Authorities closed the schools, canceled flights, and hauled hundreds of train services. More than half a million people were evacuated ahead of the storm.

On Friday, another 200 millimeters of rain and gusts of up to 120 kilometers per hour are expected, leading to high risk of flooding, landslides and power outages. People in the Philippines have also been struggling with a tropical system. Northern parts of the country have already received more than 900 millimeters of rain. The storm is now moving offshore, but still bringing windy conditions. And is expected to linger near the Vietnam coast over the weekend. 

There is one more system over the Pacific that we need to monitor. The system is expected to intensify into a severe tropical storm and move toward Taiwan and Japan's Okinawa Islands early next week. Even the mainland of Japan faces the possibility of a heavy rain in the middle of the middle of next week due to the combination of tropical moisture and frontal systems. So please keep an eye out the latest weather updates. That's it for me. Have a nice weekend.

♪　♪　♪

That wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Kamiko Sacker in Tokyo. 
Thanks very much for joining us.

at 18:00 (JST), October 24 (AI-CC by Clipchamp)

 

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20241024180000_english_1.mp3

From our studios in Tokyo, this is NHK Newsline. I'm Ross Mihara.

Japanese police have arrested two suspects for allegedly using stolen credit card data to buy bullet train tickets online. Chinese National Liu Hu and Vietnamese National Vu Ti Jin were arrested on suspicion of theft and other allegations. They are accused of buying tickets worth about 700,000 yen or $4,500 on Central Japan Railway Company's official website. Police believe they are reselling the tickets for cash. They suspect the pair stole credit card data through illegitimate reservation sites. The railway company says that since January, tickets worth a total of 870 million yen, or $5.6 million, have been purchased illegally from their website.
♪
Voters in Japan go to the polls on Sunday to elect lower house members. Economic issues will be on the minds of many. Around a third of respondents surveyed by NHK picked the economy and inflation as the most important policy when choosing a candidate. NHK World's Hirata Miyu takes a closer look.

We will work to bring the economy out of deflation, immediately drawing up measures to achieve growth through investment and stable wage hikes, surpassing the inflation rate. We will strive to implement these steps. 

When taking over Japan's government, Ishibashigeru said he would continue the economic policies of his predecessor, Kishida Fumio, but financial markets seemed uncertain about what he would do. On September 30, the Nikkei's stock average fell by more than 2,000 points at one stage. Though seen as a temporary reaction, the drop has significance because the government has been urging people to shift their assets from savings to investments. This is an asset management seminar for retail investors in Tokyo. Participants are expressing hope and anxiety about the Ishiba administration's economic policies.

Listed Japanese companies have increased their capital and dividends since the COVID-19 pandemic. They will likely continue this because they are getting a lot of support from the government.
People want to see their salaries rise if consumer prices are continuing to rise. I hope the government will help create momentum that will push more companies to get behind this policy.

Japanese voters have reason to worry about inflation. Consumer prices have stayed above the Bank of Japan's target of 2% since April 2022, but wage hikes are not keeping pace. Real wages adjusted for inflation have been stuck in the negative for much of that time. 

At this Tokyo supermarket, special sales have been drawing more people feeling the pinch of price hikes. Over 200 lined up before the opening on a Sunday. These eggs are a big draw. Ten go for less than 60 cents. 

I'm shocked how much I spent on food when looking at my household accounts book. Now I check every price program.
I don't feel like my after-tax income has increased. That's surprising because my salary has gone up. I just don't feel the effects. 

Kanda Yoko lives in Tokyo with her husband and mother. The 65-year-old still works part-time. Her family tries to make ends meet with that income and pension benefits.

I plan to buy milk today because it's Thursday and it's on sale. Spending less matters to me, even if it's only 10 cents or so. 

Kanda says the milk she buys cost about $1.80 at the start of the year, but it's now over $2. 

5 kilograms of rice is $26. That used to be the price for 10 kilograms, so it's doubled a year ago. I would not have believed that was possible.

She is also trying to cut her electricity bill, which was running over $150 a month this summer. So, Kanda cooks a large amount of rice each time, splits it into portions and freezes them, enough to last 10 days. She sees a way out of the situation.

I want to see economic policies that will bring down the prices of staples such as rice, bread and wheat. It's tough because we live on pensions. I'd been planning to quit my part-time job at 65, but now I expect to work until around 70 if possible. 

An economist says voters should cast their ballots after carefully examining the feasibility and potential impact of each party's economic platform. 

The ruling and opposition parties are offering ideas about how to ease the pain that price hikes have on people. I don't think the economy can benefit from policies centred on subsidies or handouts. The best approach for voters is to question each party about their policies and vote for the one you believe can produce good economic results.

The party's main policies on measures against inflation and for wage increases are as follows.

The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan says it will raise minimum wages and provide a cash subsidy to low income households. 

Kometo says it will raise minimum wages and provide cash subsidies to low income households and pensioners. 

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan says it will restore the middle class through a rise in minimum wages and investments in human capital. 

The Japan Innovation Party says it will increase disposable income with tax cuts and develop industries through regulatory reforms. 

The Japanese Communist Party says it will raise minimum wages and lower the consumption tax to 5% for the time being as an emergency measure.

The Democratic Party For the People says it will raise minimum wages and lower gasoline prices by activating the so-called trigger clause. 

Reiwa Shinsengumi says it will raise minimum wages, abolish the consumption tax and provide seasonal subsidies. 

The Social Democratic Body says it will raise minimum wages and suspend the consumption tax for three years. 

Sanseito says it will achieve economic growth through expansionary fiscal policy and tax reductions.

♪

U.S. media have quoted a former top White House aide as saying that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made approving comments about Adolf Hitler while he was president. Trump has denied the reports. The reports on Tuesday cited John Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, who servedserved as chief of staff in Trump's administration.

The New York Times quoted Kelly as saying that Trump told them more than once that Hitler did some good things too. The U.S. magazine The Atlantic also quoted Kelly in reporting that Trump wanted his officials to be like Hitler's generals because they were totally loyal.

Referring to the reports, Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said they show that Trump wants unchecked power.

All of this is further evidence for the American people of who Donald Trump really is. Donald Trump is someone who, I quote, certainly falls into the general definition of fascist, who in fact vowed to be a dictator on day one. 

Trump said that Kelly made-up a story out of hatred toward him. Britain's ruling Labor Party has also come under fire from Trump. He accused it of sending staff to help Harris. His campaign issued a statement on Tuesday saying the head of operations for the Labor Party solicited volunteers on social media and posted we will sort your housing. The Trump campaign has requested an investigation by the Federal Election Commission into what it describes as illegal foreign interference. The deputy leader of the Labor Party denied the allegation. 

People in their own time. Often go and campaign, and that's what we've seen. It happens in all political parties. People go and campaign and they do what they want to do in their own time with their own money. 

Rainer said that the volunteers were acting in a personal capacity.

Striking Boeing workers have voted to reject an offer from the company, continuing their weeks long strike. The plane maker says it's lost over $6 billion between July and September.

It's the company's first strike in 16 years and has slowed the production and delivery of its planes. Some 33,000 workers put down their tools in September after talks on wages and other issues stalled. According to the union, 64% of workers rejected the company's latest proposal Wednesday. It included a 35% pay hike over four years. The firm has been struggling for several straight quarters. Part of its latest loss is the delay delivering its next-generation twin-engine jet.

One aerospace expert says if the strike drags on, it wouldn't just be bad news for Boeing. He said it could impact the global supply chain, including Japanese makers who send parts to the company.

I think there's a great deal of concern that if the line doesn't resume building and if shipments don't keep flowing, then you could see some failures in the supply chain. Boeing says it has partnerships with 150 Japanese firms, making Japan Boeing's largest supplier outside the US.

The World Health Organization has postponed its polio vaccination campaign in the northern Gaza Strip due to the escalating violence. The decision came amid concerns. Polio is spreading in Gaza due to poor hygiene. The WHO says it administered a first dose of vaccines to local children in the first half of September. It began the second round of the campaign in mid-october and planned to bring it to northern Gaza on Wednesday to cover about 119,000 children. But the organization says current conditions make it impossible for families to safely bring their children for vaccination and for health workers to operate. It cited ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure. The WHO called for humanitarian pauses in the fighting, saying it is essential. The second round of jabs are given within six weeks of the first. 

Now it's time for a look at the world weather. Parts of the Philippines are being battered by the Storm Chami. Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has details.

Over 500 millimeters of rainfall in just one day has been reported in the northern Philippines, leading to severe floods. Due to the large system, more rain is possible in northern areas and strong winds are also expected across the region. The storm is likely to move westward to the east of Vietnam and slow down over the weekend. 

In the bigger picture, across Asia, we have to monitor one more system over the Pacific. The tropical depression is expected to develop and move toward the Philippines and Taiwan early next week. 

On Friday, showers are possible in Shanghai and Taipei. Chili rain is expected in Tokyo with a high of only 22.

Moving to India, people in the east are facing severe weather due to a cyclone. However, in the northwest, there is another issue due to the end of the monsoon season. We have some video.

People in India's capital are dealing with poor air quality this week. Some locals say they had to cancel their morning walks and outdoor activities for fear of their health. Air pollution is usually caused by construction dust, traffic congestion, and the burning of farmlands. To reduce the problem, officials are encouraging people to use public transport and avoid the illegal burning of crops.

No significant rain is expected in the area to ease the conditions so far. On the other hand, the cyclone is likely to bring over 200 millimeters of rainfall in the eastern parts of the country both on Thursday and Friday. That's all for me. Stay safe.

♪♪♪

I'm Ross Mihara in Tokyo. Thanks for joining us on NHK Newsline.

at 18:00 (JST), October 23 (AI-CC by Clipchamp)

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20241023180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yoko Nishimura in Tokyo with the latest news.

A Japanese man who was convicted of murdering a teenage girl in 1986 and who served out his prison sentence has been granted a retrial.

The Kanazawa branch of the Nagoya High Court ordered a fresh trial as requested by Maikawa Shoshi. Maikawa was charged with murdering the junior high school student at her home in the city of Kui, central Japan. His trial found him not guilty, but a higher court overturned that outcome and sentenced him to seven years in prison. The guilty ruling was finalized at the Supreme Court. Maikawa has maintained his innocence. He previously requested a new trial after completing his sentence. A court granted a retrial in 2011, but prosecutors appealed. 

Maikawa made a special appeal to the Supreme Court, which was dismissed. Maikawa reacted to the latestdevelopment.

I'm relieved. But, as I've told myself many times,I can't allow myself to be happy just yet. 38 years have passed since this case started, which is a lot of time. I remind myself of blessings I have had in those 38 years, and for the moment I am happy. 

At issue has been the credibility of witnesses who said they saw Michael in blood-stained clothes on the night of the murder. In granting the retrial on Wednesday, Presiding Judge Yamada Koji said the accounts are not credible and doubts remain over if investigators acted appropriately in obtaining those accounts.

Japanese are set to head to the polls Sunday for the lower House election. They have more than 1,000 candidates to choose from in a process that's more complicated than just checking a box. NHK World's Takao Minori has this primer on how the vote works and the complexities of voting from overseas.

Citizens 18 or older are eligible to cast a ballot, or in this case, two. They're deciding who will fill 465 seats. One ballot is for picking a candidate running in their local constituency. 289 lawmakers win seats in this way. The rest are decided through the proportional representation system, with voters using the other ballot to choose a party or group. Now, there are no boxes to check. Voters have to actually write out the candidate's name, and proper penmanship is important. Let me use this fake campaign poster to explain.

These kanji characters, for my name, have lots of strokes. That makes it harder to write. So lately, candidates have been using characters like these.

For their official registration, they're called hiragana. The 46 characters cover the basic sounds used in Japanese. We learned them in early elementary school. They're faster to write and less likely to be mistaken. Being user-friendly may encourage people to vote for the candidate. As for citizens living overseas, they need to notify their local officials of their wish to vote from abroad before they leave Japan.

And after arriving overseas, they must register online or in person at their Japanese embassy or consulate. But it only becomes official after residing there for three months. They can choose from three ways to vote. In person at the embassy or consulate by mailing their ballots to Japan directly or traveling back home. Saito Didi moved to London in May and voted in person. She told NHK it was not an easy process.

I received notice from the Japanese embassy here that the election was going to happen, with campaigning beginning on October 15th. But the voting period at the embassy was between the 16th until the 20th. That's only five days. I hardly had time to learn much about the candidates running this time.

In Japan, we have close to two weeks to vote, but people overseas have less time to vote because the ballots must be physically carried back to Japan by embassy staff. As for mail-in ballots, you have to receive the forms from your constituency and be sure that your ballots arrive back to Japan before election day, so time is just as limited.

Japan's electoral system involves some complexities that experts say help prevent fraud and protect the privacy of the voter. As for the number of people actually voting in the last four general elections, turnout has been less than 60%, so any effort to help voters go to the polls is crucial. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says that Japan's turnout is lower than most of its member countries.

The Constitution here guarantees the right of citizens to vote. We'll see how many exercise their right this election.

♪

North Korea's leader has inspected ballistic missiles at strategic missile bases. Kim Jong-un stressed he will promote nuclear and missile development ahead of the U.S. presidential election.

North Korea's ruling party newspaper reported Kim's visits on Wednesday. The Rodon Sinmun does not give the dates or locations. South Korea's Yonhap News Agency says the report is a first time for the North to show inside the country's strategic missile bases.　Photographs show Kim examining what appear to be ICBM-class Hwasong-18 missiles and hypersonic missiles capable of traveling at more than five times the speed of sound.

Kim said U.S. strategic nuclear weapons pose an ever-increasing threat to North Korea's security environment. Kim also said the strategic missiles make up the core force that plays a pivotal role on North Korea's deterrence. He expressed his intention to comprehensively modernize the armed forces by continuing to give priority to the force. The remarks appear to be a show of defiance against the United States. It's not the only move Pyongyang's making. 

The UK's defense chief says hundreds of North Korean troops are potentially being dispatched to Russia. John Healy called North Korean soldiers supporting Russia as shocking as it is desperate. 

This developing military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK has serious security implications for Europe and for the Indo-Pacific. It represents A wider growing alliance of aggression, which NATO and the G7 nations must confront.

South Korea's intelligence service earlier claimed that the North had sent 1,500 special forces troops to Russia's Far East. to be deployed to the battlefront in Ukraine. An independent media outlet in Russia released a video it says shows a group of North Korean soldiers. The outlet says analysis of the video pinpoints its location to a base in Sergeyevka, in Russia's Far East. The man shooting the video says handsome allies have arrived from North Korea and expresses the hope that this will end the war. 

The U.S. Secretary of State has embarked on a tour of the Middle East with his first stop in Israel. He urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza.

State Department officials say Blinken underscored the need to capitalize on the killing last week of Hamas leader Yahya Simwar. He wants to free hostages taken by the militants a year ago and end the conflict.

 U.S. news site Axis reports that mediators from Egypt have proposed what they're calling a small deal. Their plan would include the release of a small number of captives in return for a ceasefire lasting a few days. But Israeli forces are not letting up. They claim to have killed what they called tent terrorists in northern Gaza in a single strike. Health authorities in the territory say more than 42-thousand people have been killed during more than a year of fighting.

♪

For more details, please access the NHK World Japan website. NHK has won three top prizes at the annual meeting for the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. The ABU is a federation of broadcasters from 65 countries and regions.

This year's General Assembly opened in Istanbul on Tuesday, under the theme The Nexus of AI: Broadcasting and Society. The awards recognize excellence in TV, radio and digital content. The TV ABU Perspective Award went to NHK's Frontiers: How Smart is AI? The documentary explores progress in AI and the meaning of intelligence.

In the TV category for sports, the award went to NHK's At Home in Kobe, soccer star Andres Iniesta. The documentary looks at Iniesta's bond with the Japanese city he lived in for five years. And for entertainment, it went to NHK's Mirador: Soundscape Through Japan. The film captures the natural sounds of northern Japan's wilderness.

♪

It's time for a check on the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh. So Jonathan, we've been dealing with rain across many parts of Japan Wednesday. How are things looking the rest of the week? 

Hello, we've been watching a cold front and a low pressure system sweeping across the country and in the process has brought plenty of rainfall. It looks like that as we head toward Thursday and especially for the rest of the weekend to the weekend, we may be seeing some improvement and some drier weather as the cold front sweeps by will have high pressure building in behind it and so we will be dealing with fair weather. A temperatures will still be above average for this time of year, but we are going to be seeing a slight cool down for those located toward the north. Places like Sapporo looking at highs in the upper teens as opposed to 20s as we go through Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Tokyo looking at mid 20s and then we'll be seeing the clouds increasing as we head toward the. Latter part of the week weekend into the first part of next week.

Meanwhile, we go down toward the Philippines. Chami continues to really smack, especially the northern portions of the Philippines, and we will be dealing with continued heavy rainfall concerns of landslides and flooding will be in place as you go throughout the next couple of days. Interesting enough, as that moisture moves through, we're going to be seeing some interactive moisture up toward Okinawa as well. And so we may be dealing with some rain that could be heavy at times as we go forward throughout the next couple of days.

Looking over into South Asia, we're looking at some heavy rain impacting the southern areas of India. Take a look at this video that's coming out from the region. Heavy rain in Bengaluru caused severe flooding and damage on Tuesday. Roads return into fast flowing rivers with muddy water leaving many cars trapped. The city's fast growth and urbanization leaving little ground for water absorption. Local media say that at least 15 people were rescued from a building that collapsed due to the flooding. So we've got that moisture taking place. We have a system that's located over the Bay of Bengal that's going to be impacting the eastern portions of India as we go toward Thursday and also into Friday. So be prepared for some wet weather, some of the heaviest times, especially place like Calcutta as. as you go into Thursday. 

Hope you have a good day wherever youare.

And that's it for now on NHK Newsline. I'm Yoko Nishimura in Tokyo. Thanks for joining us.