at 18:00 (JST), December 06 (Ai-CC by Clipchamp)

20241206180000_english_1.mp3

 Hello, and thank you for joining us on this edition of NHK Newsline.

I'm Raja Pradhan with the news from Tokyo.

We start in Seoul, where all eyes are on the impending impeachment vote against President Yoon Suk-yeol, just days after he briefly declared martial law. Yoon's political future is hanging by a thread, and South Korea's parliamentary speaker says he will not let him deploy the troops a second time.

There is no second emergency martial law, and another one will not be allowed.
South Korea's democracy cannot be destroyed with guns and blades.

The speaker says the first declaration was a denial of South Korea's history, damaging its national pride. He says lawmakers will do everything in their power to prevent it from happening again.

Now, those affirmations come as local media report the leader of Yoon's ruling People Power Party met face to face with the president at Yoon's request. The talks came after that same party leader called for Yoon's suspension to protect South Korea and its people.
Han Dong-hoon claims Yun ordered the arrest of prominent politicians when he activated the military. Han says this information prompted him to call for Yun's immediate suspension from office. Just a day earlier, he said his party would not impeach Yun to avoid political confusion. The main opposition Democratic Party says it plans to hold the impeachment vote Saturday around 7 p.m. The motion would need two-thirds of the National Assembly to pass. The opposition parties fall just short of that threshold. They would need at least eight lawmakers from the PPP to vote in favor.

Meanwhile, South Korea's Supreme Prosecutor's Office says it's launching a special investigation into Yoon's actions. The top prosecutor will lead the team, and it's set to look into suspicions of insurrection. The case was requested by the opposition parties.

France is also dealing with some political tumult. President Emmanuel Macron says he'll soon appoint a new prime minister after Michel Barnier's cabinet resigned following a vote of no confidence. Macron also says he has no plans to leave office before his term ends in 2027.

The mandate you democratically gave me is for five years, and I will carry it out fully until the end.

Barnier's minority government collapsed after it pushed through a 2025 budget without a final parliamentary vote, prompting the no-confidence motion from the opposition. His cabinet lasted only two and a half months. Macron's presidential office says Barnier will remain in his job as a caretaker until his successor takes office. Now, Macon himself is facing growing calls to resign, but he's resisting, calling on the public to unite for the benefit of the nation.

Students in Norway are learning about the anti-nuclear activities of Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization of atomic bomb survivors that won this year's Nobel Peace Prize. High school students in the capital, Oslo, were taught on Thursday about the group's efforts to abolish nuclear weapons. The students folded origami paper cranes, which symbolize peace. They also learned about Sasaki Sadako. She died of leukemia at the age of 12 after being exposed to radiation from the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima.During group discussions, some students said the international community should lead anti-nuclear campaigns. As countries, including Russia, repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons, 

I learned that this organization is a very important organization and it's important to listen to people who have been through like through this trauma.
We wanted the students to read that specifically. Try to. I mean, it's hard to. Really understand it, but in some ways fathom the unfathomable of this big huge catastrophe so that they can continue their stories.

The lesson used materials created by the Nobel Peace Center. The organization provides educational opportunities so young people can learn more about the Peace Prize winners.

Next, a researcher at a Ukrainian institute says North Korea's short range ballistic missiles are more powerful than Russia's. Moscow has been using Pyongyang made weapons in its invasion of Ukraine.
Kiev believes Russian forces have fired nearly sixty of them. The Kiev Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise analyzes the Russian military's missiles and drones. It allowed an NHK crew to look at debris from what it said was a North Korean short-range ballistic missile. The institute said the weapon is called the KN-23. It noted the remnants were recovered from the Kyiv region. The institute revealed North Korean missiles contained parts produced in Japan, the United States andelsewhere.

North Korean missiles have larger warheads than Russian ones. They are not accurate enough to hit specific targets, but they explode powerfully when they land.

The institute also allowed the NHK crew to look at remnants of another type of North Korean missile, the KN-24. It said the North has supplied Russia with various kinds of missiles. Ukraine is closely watching Russia and North Korea. A treaty between Moscow and Pyongyang took effect on Wednesday. It stipulates the countries will support each other militarily during emergencies.

Anti-government forces in Syria say they've advanced into one of the biggest cities in the central part of the country. The rebels claimed on social media Thursday they had entered the city of Hama and taken control of a prison. Hama is a key transportation hub located between the major northern city of Aleppo and the capital, Damascus.
Government forces said in a statement they acknowledged the movements of the rebels. They also said their units have been redeployed outside Hama to protect civilian lives and prevent urban combat.

Reuters news agency says the capture of Hama will send shockwaves through the administration of Bashar al-Assad. The city had remained under government control since the civil war erupted in 2011. Reuters also says fears are growing the rebels will march south toward the capital. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 700 people, including civilians, had died in the fighting since November 27.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told reporters on Thursday he spoke with the President of Turkey, which neighbors Syria, about the situation.

I emphasized the urgent need for immediate humanitarian access to all civilians in need and the return to the UN facilitated political process to end the bloodshed.

He said a new comprehensive approach should be drawn up in line with a UN Security Council resolution to resolve the crisis.

Taiwan is home to historic buildings that date back centuries. But time is taking its toll, and many of the aging structures are being torn down. A NHK World's Matsuda Tomoki reports on an organization that's saving precious materials from the wrecking ball, turning demolition into sustainable construction.

This building in the southern city of Tainan used to be a sugar factory. It dates back to the Japanese colonial period. Today, it's home to a groundbreaking project, the Heritage Architectural Materials Board. Set up in 2017 by Tainan City, the Materials Bank stockpiles old building materials and promotes ways to reuse them.
Chen Zhengzi heads the institution.

Listen. It's a clear sound, so it's not cracked.

His team collects wood beams, tiles, and other parts from buildings about to be demolished. The owners provide them free of charge. So far, the bank has accepted donations from more than 140 buildings.
Nelson extracted, wood treated, and grossly sized from these materials.

If the building is properly maintained, the wood will still be usable after thousands of years.

On this day, the team visit an old police dormitory. The entire structure will soon be demolished. They dismantle the alcove to examine what kind of wood was used.

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Chen examines the construction methods used in the attic. He believes the dormitory was built more than 100 years ago, during the Japanese colonial period.

Each building has its own story, and each building material has its own history.
Where the material came from, what part of the building they were used in. We also researched the lives of the people at the time.

From salvage operation to renovation, this building used to be an elementary school, also built when Taiwan was a Japanese colony. Roof tiles from the Materials Bank have been used to replace broken ones. The renovation team says the supply of old materials is crucial for their work.

I want to introduce the history of the building and its restoration to people who come to visit. It is very rewarding work.

But the head of Materials Bank says the goal is not just preservation, it is reuse.

I want to circulate building materials like a real bank circulates money.
Buildings do not disappear.
They remain in a different form.

All the buildings are not just a window on the past. Chen says they can be the building blocks for a sustainable future. Matsuda Tomoki, NHK World.

It's now time for a check on the world weather. Snow spells have created whiteout conditions in Ohio and parts of the northeastern U.S. Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano is here with the details.
What can you tell us, Yumi?

The Great Lakes region was hit with heavy snowfall over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and the area is experiencing another round of heavy snow causing traffic disruptions. We have some video.
Heavy snow and strong winds brought blizzard conditions to the northeastern United States on Thursday. Snow accumulated to a meter and a half in parts of Ohio, causing travel restrictions. Firefighters have responded to more than a hundred snow emergencies. Weather officials say another 30 centimeters of snow is expected by Friday.
Even after the storm has passed, the region will continue to receive more snowfall due to lake effect. The combination of snow and gusty winds may cause low visibility and downed power lines. Snow is also likely in Canada's Winnipeg and Toronto.
Sunny skies are expected in New York, Washington, and Chicago. Temperatures will stay lower than usual. LA is likely to be on the warmer side with a high of 25.
Moving to Asia, a winter pressure pattern with high pressure on the west and low pressure on the east is expected. The Japan seaside will receive heavy snowfall of up to 50 centimeters in Hokkaido in the next 24 hours. In addition, stronger winds are expected and may bring blizzard conditions from Friday night to Saturday morning. It could lead to white-out conditions and traffic disruptions. On the other hand, sunny skies are expected along the Pacific side, including Tokyo, but the temperature will sharply drop to 13.
A cold snap is also affecting Seoul and Beijing, with highs in the single deserts. That's all for me. Have a nice weekend.

♫

That concludes this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Raja Pradhan, and in Tokyo, there is much more to come on NHK World Japan, so please.