at 18:00 (JST), November 14 (Ai-CC by Clipchamp)

20241114180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Morishita Erika in Tokyo.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a major drain on military supplies. It had to rely on older equipment to keep up the fight. We now know some of the tanks being used by the military may have once been movie props.
The head of state Rob Mosfield made the disclosure at the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
Karen Chekhnozarov says the studio has donated dozens of its Soviet-era vehicles to Russian forces. They include 28 T-55 tanks, which first entered service over half a century ago. It's unclear whether any of Mosfilm's Cold War vehicles have been used in combat in Ukraine. Next February will mark three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Its military has suffered massive losses since then.
Ukraine has relied heavily on military equipment from Western countries, including the United States. But U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has thrown that continued support into doubt.
Meanwhile, in Washington, Trump has made a victor's return to the White House. He was welcomed by President Joe Biden as part of the customary handoff of power.

Mr. President-elect and former President and Donald, congratulations. And looking forward to having a, like we said, smooth transition. Do everything we can to make sure you're accommodating what you need. So we're going to get a chance to talk about some of that today. So welcome. Welcome back.

Thank you very much. And politics is tough and it's in many cases, not a very nice world, but it is a nice world today, and I appreciate very much a transition that's so smooth. It'll be as smooth as it can get, and I very much appreciate it. Thank you.

The meeting is a traditional courtesy offered by outgoing presidents, but Trump did not extend it to Biden after his defeat in 2020. The new president will be entering office with a unified government. ABC News is projecting that Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives. That's on top of their retaking a majority in the Senate. Trump is continuing to announce nominations for key posts in his next administration. He has picked Matt Gaetz for the crucial job of attorney general.
Gates is a Republican representative from Florida and a staunch Trump supporter.
He would take over leadership of the Department of Justice. In a statement, Trump said Gates would end weaponized government as attorney general and restore faith and confidence in the Justice Department. Trump has been strongly critical of the department for investigating him over the 2021 attack on the Capitol by his supporters. and his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House. A leading U.S. newspaper calls Trump's pick a provocative move to exact retribution on Justice Department officials. This comes as Trump has officially announced that another Floridian, Marco Rubio, in his choice for Secretary of State.

It's a tremendous honor to the president, would place his confidence in me in a position of such importance. So it's a tremendous responsibility.

Rubio is a senator and a son of Cuban immigrants. He was a finalist to be Trump's running mate in the election. Rubio is known as a hardliner on China, who has also indicated his support for Taiwan. When it comes to Iran, he had said the Trump administration would be very clear and very firm in his dealings. He echoes the sentiment of Trump on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying the conflict must end through negotiation.

It's University Entrance Exam Day in South Korea, one of the most challenging times of the year for young people across the country. More than half a million students are taking the state-administered college scholastic ability test. South Koreans attach great importance to academics and consider the exam to be life-changing.

(whistle)

Familiar scenes Thursday as police helped party students get to exam venues.
The test is taken so seriously, airplane landings and take-offs were restricted to control noise levels during the English listening evaluation portion. Younger students encourage their older peers arriving at this venue.

I have been preparing for a long time, so I want to get good results. I hope to live up to the expectations of the many people cheering me on.

Some families went to temples in the hopes of attracting success for their loved ones taking the test.

My child has studied hard, so I prayed a lot for the best.

Earlier, I spoke with NHK World's Yamashita Ryota in Seoul about this most intense day.

The exams started Thursday morning nationwide. I've been reporting from in front of this test venue since 6:30 this morning, and I've seen students falling in with tense looks on their faces, and many other students have turned up to give the examinees moral support. You can sense that it feels like the most important day of their lives so far. 

So, Ryota, why are entrance exams so intense in South Korea?

Well, academic background is extremely important here, and getting into a top university is seen as a pursuit to a secure, well-paying job at a major company and a stable economic future. In fact, numbers from the Korea Statistical Information Service show that the average salary at a large company is roughly double than at the medium-sized one. So it's very competitive. And more than 70% of students here go to university. That's one of the highest rates in the world. But there is a narrow gate to enter top tier score.

So what impact does all this have on society at large?

For parents, there is a skyline targeting financial one. Last year alone, families spent a record $19 billion on cram school for students from elementary to high school age. The government tried removing the so-called pillar questions, the most difficult ones, from exams last year to help ease the financial burden on parents. But it doesn't seem to have made much difference. The intense pressure of exams and the economic burden have been linked to social issues such as a declining birth rate and rising depression among students. So while South Korea's higher education levels have driven economic growth, these negative aspects are a serious concern and call for urgent efforts for reform.

♪

The Guardian, a major British newspaper, says it will no longer post on any official editorial accounts on the social media platform X, terming it toxic.
A daily, known for its liberal taunt, cited the often disturbing content promoted or found on the platform, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism. The U.S.
presidential election campaign served only to underline what we have considered for a long time, that X is a toxic media platform and that its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse, it added. Musk responded on X, calling The Guardian a laboriously vile propaganda machine. The neutrality of the social media platform has repeatedly been called into question.
In Britain, several regional police forces and at least one university have said they would review or halt the use of X after false information posted there fueled anti-immigrant sentiment, triggering widespread rioting.
Voters in the Pacific island nation of Palau have re-elected a president who favors closer ties with the U.S. and Taiwan. Incumbent Surangel Whipps Jr. faced former President Tommy Remengue-so in the November 5th race. The Palau Election Commission says Whipps won more than 5,600 votes and Remengue-so at least 4100.

China has been increasing its influence over Pacific island nations through development support. In 2019, the Solomon Islands and Kilibati switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China. Nauru followed earlier this year.

It's now time to check out the world weather. Fire crews on both coasts of the U.S. have been battling fires this week. Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has the details.

Wildfires are a concern not only in the southwest but also in the northeast, including New York City. We have some video. 
A large brush fire broke out Wednesday in a park on the northern tip of Manhattan.

Aerial footage shows smoke rising above the trees and drifting into the city.

Officials issued a red flag warning for the New York area. Dry weather has led to multiple wildfires to the northeastern United States, with some areas experiencing their driest conditions in more than a century.

A high pressure system is leading to dry conditions, but low pressure and frontal systems over the Great Lakes are expected to move eastward, so showers will expect spread into the east and will ease the fire conditions on Thursday.

Moving to Asia, two tropical systems are targeting northern Philippines. Usagi is the third typhoon hitting the area in a week. It's now approaching Luzon as a strong typhoon, so the main concern is gusty winds with high waves and high storm surges. In addition, more than 200 millimeters of rainfall is possible, increasing the risk of severe flooding.

And another system, Man-yi, is expected to intensify into very strong states by Saturday and arrive in northern Philippines on Sunday, so more caution is required for flats and landslides.

Elsewhere in Asia, showers are expected in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul due to wet weather. The temperature in Tokyo will drop down sharply to only 16. Taipei should be prepared for Typhoon Usagi before the stormy weather arrives.

That's all for me. Stay safe.

♫

So that's all for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Morishita Erika in Tokyo.
Thank you for watching.