at 18:00 (JST), May 22

20250522180000_english_1.mp3

It's a Thursday evening here in Japan. I'm James Tengon in Tokyo. Welcome to NHK Newsline.

We start with developing news out of the US. Two Israeli embassy staff members have been shot and killed in the capital. Police say the 30-year-old suspect is in custody. It happened Wednesday night near the Capitol Jewish Museum, a place that exhibits the path of Jewish people in the region.
Police say the victims were leaving an event there when they were shot. The suspect then entered the museum, where he was detained.

He implied that he committed the offense. The suspect chanted, Free, free Palestine, while in custody.

President Donald Trump wrote about the attack online, saying the killings were based on anti-Semitism and that they must end now. He says hatred and radicalism have no place in the US.

Meanwhile, Israeli troops are facing criticism for firing what they say were warning shots at a group of diplomats in the West Bank. They claim the group had entered a restricted area in the city of Jenin. No injuries were reported.
Palestinian news agency Wafaa says the delegation comprised of diplomats from at least 20 countries, including Japan and from the European Union. They were visiting the city to assess the situation.

We definitely call on Israel to investigate this incident and and also held these. Accountable, who are responsible for this and any threats on diplomats lives are unacceptable.

An official at Japan's foreign ministry described the shooting as regrettable and says the government has lodged a protest. It called on Israel to put measures in place to avoid the same thing happening again.

Israeli troops have been conducting raids in Jenin in an effort to root out militants. The fighting has forced many residents to flee their homes.
Attempts to reach a deal on ending the fighting in the Gaza Strip appear to have taken another step backward. It comes amid struggles to get aid to the many people suffering in the enclave.
The Israeli prime minister's office announced on Tuesday that senior members of the negotiating team will return to Israel. But working-level representatives will remain in Doha.
That's where ceasefire and hostage release talks with Hamas have been taking place. The two sides are still far from narrowing their differences. The Islamic group is demanding a permanent ceasefire, while the other is calling for a truce for a limited period. Israeli forces are continuing their offensive. Health authorities in the enclave said on Wednesday that more than 80 people had been killed in the past 24 hours.
Israel started allowing limited aid deliveries into Gaza this week.
Authorities said on Tuesday that more than 90 UN trucks had entered.
But a UN spokesperson says the relief supplies had not been delivered because of delays in obtaining permission from the Israeli military.

Unfortunately, they were not able to to bring those supplies into our warehouse.
So just to make it clear, while more supplies have come in to the Gaza Strip, we have not been able to secure the arrival of those supplies into our warehouses and delivery points.

Gaza authorities say 500 aid truckloads are needed daily to save civilians' lives.

The international community has been trying to answer the question, how do we prepare for the next pandemic?
This week, the World Health Organization approved a landmark agreement to boost humanity's global immune system by spreading knowledge and technology.

You have sent a loud message that multilateralism not only works, but is the only way to find shared solutions to shared threats.

The pandemic agreement is the first of its kind, following three years of intense negotiations between governments after the devastation caused by COVID-19. The legally binding document calls on WHO members to assist developing nations with vaccine development. It also includes plans for a new framework for countries to keep each other updated on pathogens.
The goal is to build on lessons from COVID-19, which has killed millions of people worldwide, by strengthening disease prevention, preparedness, and response.
But the agreement lacks one notable participant, the United States. The country has long been the WHO's greatest financial contributor. But earlier this year, Donald Trump announced he's pulling the US out of the organization.
Earlier, I spoke with Dr. Omi Shigeru, a very familiar face here in Japan. He led this country's COVID-19 response, served as the WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, and now chairs Japan's Anti-Tuberculosis Association.
He gave us his thoughts on the pandemic agreement.

To start off, how vulnerable are we in the event of another pandemic, and how effective will this new agreement be?

Well, we live in a time of immense vulnerability to diseases. The next pandemic could happen any time. Due to population growth, the global flow of people and goods, the destruction ecosystem and global warming.
I welcome the adoption of this agreement.
Many countries with different interests and challenges all had to come together and put in great effort to make this agreement happen.
But this is the only first step toward improving our global pandemic response.
Ratification could take a very long time, and even once it's implemented, It's not the silver bullet. Also, consider after the SARS pandemic in 2003, the International Health Regulation, IHR, were revised.
Countries were told to build up their core capacities to respond and track diseases, but less than two decades later, COVID-19 happened. So these agreements do not always have the desired effect.

Dr. Omi, during COVID-19 and the ensuing pandemonium, some countries couldn't access what they needed. What lessons could we take away from that?

Well, the main issue is insufficient collaboration between the concerned parties. The countries fear the economy is based around the people being near domesticated animals,are very vulnerable.
They do not always have the infrastructure to respond rapidly and adequately. Pathogens do not recognize national borders, so we must find ways to freely share knowledge as well as access to tools such as vaccines.

So we mentioned this agreement is legally binding. What does that mean in terms of ensuring that it's followed?

Well, if a country were to fail to implement it, it could face bad publicity. But I do not think sanctions would be practical.
Obviously, countries with the ability to develop vaccines, medicines, expect a return on their investment. And they hope to maintain so-called intellectual property rights. Developing countries, on the other hand, claim that access to pathogens and vaccines should be freely available to them because it benefits everyone. We must find ways of bridging that gap.

We mentioned earlier that the US is leaving the WHA. How big of an impact will this have?

Well, the United States has played a leading role fighting diseases worldwide with its technology and its finances.
Its support has stopped small-scale fires from turning into major firestorms.
The World Health Organization stands to lose not just the US funding, but also American staff working on site during the outbreaks. It will be very difficult to buy medicines, vaccines, and test kit. The United States itself is also becoming more vulnerable by cutting its healthcare budget. Disease prevention is more effective than a cure, but vaccination rates are going down, and we are seeing diseases like measles making a comeback. As a long-term employee of the World Health Organization,I would like the United States to change courses and return as soon as possible.
At the same time, I hope that Japan will show leadership in cooperation with other countries to fill the vacuum.

What role can Japan play, Dr. Omi?

Well, Japan has a track record of supporting developing countries with expertisein fields such as basic and clinical research, epidemiological studies, and international collaboration. We have helped these nationals to strengthen their health systems and human resources with our financial and technical support. Given the US withdrawal, I believe that Japan will be called upon to contribute in these areas more than ever before.

You're watching NHK Newsline from our studios here in Tokyo. Now let's see what's happening in the world of business with Gene Otani.

Thanks, James.

In our top business story this hour, Japan's new agriculture minister has expressed his resolve to tackle soaring rice prices.
Koizumi Shinjiro made the comment as he officially took over from his predecessor, Eto Taku, on Thursday. The two met in the minister's office, where Ito presented handover documents to Koizumi.
Eto had submitted his resignation amid controversy over remarks he made about rice. He was criticized after saying his household had been given so much rice he could sell it.
Japanese consumers have been grappling with the soaring cost of the staple food.
Koizumi told reporters he was ready to increase the supply of rice from government stockpiles.

If there is demand, we will release unlimited amounts of Japan's reserves of rice stocks with an emphasis on speed. I will do my best to deliver results swiftly.

Koizumi added that the ministry will put a fourth auction of stockpiled rice on hold and plan to switch to discretionary contracts instead.
Japan's new agriculture minister says the government is considering changing the way it sells the country's reserve of rice stocks. It's the latest measure aimed at tackling the surging prices of the staple grain.

My ministry will cancel an auction for stockpile rice scheduled next week. I told ministry officials to come up with measures for selling the stockpiles through discretionary contracts instead of competitive bidding.

Koizumi announced this change of policy on Wednesday. The ministry auctions its stockpiles to the highest bidders, but some argue that the method has kept overall prices elevated discretionary contracts with buyers. May help lower prices, but it poses the challenge of how to select contractors and set fair terms. The new method also faces legal issues. The rice issue was debated in the diet on Wednesday. Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru indicated the government wants to reduce prices to below 4000 yen or $28 per five kilograms. Rice farmers are both hopeful and concerned about the future as Koizumi takes office.

Yomi has served as the chief of the ruling party's agriculture panel and met farmers across Japan. So he knows the reality of Japanese farming. I believe he will draw up policies to give us hope and reverse the decline in the number of rice farmers.

He is relatively young as a politician. I expect him to be more flexible and speedier. He may also have the power to push through policies, even in the face of opposition.

Rice prices are unexpectedly high, but we are worried they may crash someday. We want policies that will stabilize prices for 5-10 years. So producers can keep on going and will be able to create long-term plans.

Hata said the farming population is shrinking and productivity has not improved. He hopes the new minister will tackle these mid to long-term challenges.

And in other business news, Japan began a new gasoline subsidy program on Thursday to reduce prices of the fuel and slow the rise in household living costs.
The so-called Fixed Subsidy Scheme aims to cut 10 yen off a liter of gasoline by mid-June.
This differs from previous subsidy programs this year that set an average target price of 185 yen, or $1.30 per liter. To counter rising living costs, the government began fuel subsidies three years ago. It has allocated about $57 billion in total for the programs.

All right, let's have a look at the markets.

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And that's business news.

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This year will mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Hiroshima officials have conducted an annual inspection of a register containing the names of the victims.

About 20 officials gathered at the Peace Memorial Park on Thursday. They observed a moment of silence at 8:15 AM. That's the time the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. on August 6th, 1945. They then removed 129 volumes of the register from a cenotaph and laid them side by side on a white cloth. They turned over each page to check its condition. The work is carried out to protect the register from being damaged by humidity. The names of 344,306 people who were exposed to radiation are on the list. And the dates of their deaths. The list is updated every year.

The register is brought out only once a year. We hope that by seeing this, people will renew their wish to remember the victims.

The names of the recently deceased will be added starting in early June.
The volumes will be returned to the cenotaph  on August 6.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has wrapped up a tense visit to the White House. It comes after Trump made contentious remarks about land policy and alleged racial persecution.
The summit began cordially Wednesday, with Ramaphosa expressing hope of deepening trade and investment ties in the year that South Africa chairs the G20. But the mood quickly shifted when Trump played a video he said shows people calling for violence against South Africa's minority white population. He also showed printouts or articles he said were evidence whites are being persecuted and even killed.
Ramaphosa rejected that depiction.

There is criminality in our country, people who do get killed. Unfortunately, through criminal activity, are not only white people. The majority of them are black people.

The focus of the summit had been whether the countries could improve ties after the US announced a freeze of aid because of South Africa's new policy on land expropriation. But the meeting only underscored their differences.

South Korea is remembering a turning point in its democracy. At least 166 people died during the Kwanju pro-democracy movement of 1980.
But many still don't know about the sexual violence women there faced at the time. NHK World's Kim Chan-ju has more. And a warning, some viewers may find this content disturbing.

These women came to discuss something that for decades had remained a secret.
All of them say they were sexually assaulted during and after the Kwangju uprising over 40 years ago.
（Korean）
The session was organized by Yeolmae, a group representing the women assaulted at the time. Kim Sun-ok was one of the first to break her silence.
She says what happened to her 45 years ago still torments her like a physical pain.
I never feel well when Mae is approaching.
In May 1980, during the height of the pro-democracy protests, Kim was studying music at university.
For four days, she helped foreign reporters get their press cards in Gwangju. Over a month later, she was picked up by martial law command.
For about two months,She faced humiliating interrogations and beatings. On her last day in custody, she was raped by the police investigator questioning her.

I feel this twinge in my chest. I should be at peace, but something presses down on my heart. I consult with a psychiatric clinic, but I can't forget that incident in May.

In the decades since, No one ever spoke out about the sexual violence that took place in Gwangju.
But Kim realized that that had to change after seeing the #MeToo movement in 2018.

If I can't prove what happened to me, how can those who were assaulted by a soldier just passing by prove what happened to them?I thought, maybe this is the one seed I have to plant before I die.

Thanks to your testimony, the government launched a third-party panel to investigate instances of sexual violence during and after the protests. It released its final report last year. It confirmed there were at least 16 cases of sexual violence, including Kim's. But the government shelved any kind of formal response to the report.
So Kim, alongside other victims, filed a lawsuit seeking government compensation. But their lawyer says they haven't heard anything from the government yet.
As the 45th anniversary of the protests approached, the Speaker of the National Assembly asked to meet with the victims.
They requested his support, saying many of the women are older and suffer from health issues.

We don't have long left to live. I want to ask lawmakers to revise the compensation law to include us. To help us cure at least the wounds in our hearts.

As May comes and goes again, they hope to serve as an example of women who overcame trauma and the government's indifference.

You know such horrible things should never happen again. I think what we have done will help those still living in silence find their courage and speak out about what happened to them.

I have bitterly walked this long, painful road, but today, I have friends beside me, and being with them brings me something like joy. My walk home felt a little lighter today.

For these women who long for their trauma in the shadows, while their fight isn't over, at least they won't be fighting alone. Kim Chan-ju, NHK World.

Chan-ju, thanks.

Time now for a check on world weather. A severe heat wave is gripping parts of India and Pakistan. Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has the details.

Extreme heat is affecting South Asia this week. The highs hit 47 in northern India and even 50 in Pakistan. People in this major city are also struggling with extreme temperatures.
The second largest city in Pakistan, Lahore, was under heatwave alerts as temperatures soared on Wednesday.
The city marked 43.8 degrees, recording the highest temperature so far this year. Residents tried to keep themselves cool by resting in shade and taking cold drinks. Weather officials issued heatwave alerts, with conditions being above normal until Saturday. The heat will continue on Friday. The highs will be 41 in Islamabad and 39 in New Delhi, but in western India,Downpours are an issue.
Moist airflow from the Arabian Sea is bringing flooding and heavy rain to the western seaboard. In addition, a depression is likely to form in the next 48 hours. The system could bring more downpours with a high risk of fresh flooding and also stormy conditions into the weekend.
Moving to East Asia, Japan's weather agency announced the start of the rainy season in Okinawa on Thursday, 12 days later than usual. The rain will ease in Okinawa on Friday, but another round of heavy rain is starting from southern China. Up to 200 millimeters of rain is possible in Jiangsi Province by Friday afternoon.
The rain will arrive in the mainland of Japan on Saturday. But before the wet weather, people in Tokyo could enjoy sunny skies with a high of 24. Mild conditions are also expected in Seoul and Beijing, but people in Shanghai should watch out for heavy rain. That's all for now. Have a niceday.

♫～

And that concludes this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm James Ting on in Tokyo.
Thanks for watching.
 

at 18:00 (JST), May 21

20250521180000_english_1.mp3

 Hello, a very warm welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo.

With mounting criticism over his controversial remarks about rice, Japan's agriculture minister was forced to submit his resignation. Eto Taku had told a town meeting that his household had so much rice that he could sell it. The gaffe was made amid national concerns over rising prices of the staple food.

People are now having a hard time dealing with soaring rice prices. Amid these circumstances, I made extremely inappropriate remarks as the minister in charge. I would like to offer my sincere apologies to everyone.

Eto met with Prime Minister Ishibashigeru on Wednesday morning. Itoh later told reporters that lowering prices by building trust among the people is one of the government's most important strategies, and his comment undermined that trust. Eto said on Sunday that he has never bought rice because he receives so much for free from his supporters. He later made a retraction.

Eto said he decided to resign because if the confusion over his remark had continued, it would affect the implementation of agricultural policies. I approved his offer.

Ishiba initially indicated he would like Eto to fulfill his responsibilities as a minister. Opposition lawmakers had been demanding Eto's early replacement.

I believe this resignation is de facto dismissal, so the move was quite natural.

Noda is calling on the government to devise and make all-out efforts to quickly and effectively lower prices.
Ishiba has appointed Koizumi Shinjiro as Eto's successor. He is known for his expertise in agricultural policy and strong drive for reform. For more on the matter, I spoke earlier with NHK World's political commentator, Kikuyama Kengo.
So Kengo, why did Ishiba accept Eto's resignation, even though he had initially planned to keep him in his post?

Public frustration had been mounting over the minister's remarks, especially amid surging rice prices, a staple food in Japan. The price has nearly doubled compared to the same time last year.
One key factor is that the Ishiba administration is running a minority government in the lower house.
Ishiba wanted Eto to stay on because of the public concern over soaring rice prices. He believed continuity on the rice issue was important, but things changed quickly.
Five opposition parties demanded Eto's resignation. They warned if he didn't step down, they would jointly submit a no-confidence motion against him. As I said, since this is a minority government, there was a risk that such a motion could pass. And while it lacks legal force, it would have effectively paralyzed diet proceedings.
So I think Ishiba likely decided replacing Eto was the only way to avoid further chaos.

And how will this affect the government's ability to manage the diet?

Well, it definitely hurt the administration, especially at a time when its approval ratings are already low. One LDP lawmaker even told me Eto should have been replaced earlier over the past three days since he made the remarks.

Now, because of his resignation, the no-confidence motion will likely be dropped, but the opposition isn't going to back off. They will keep pressing the government on this matter. Another lawmaker told NHK that the only way to improve the situation is to bring down rice prices. With upper health elections coming up this summer, the Shiba administration is under pressure to respond to surging inflation, including rice prices and US tariffs.

A female school student has been arrested after attacking three fellow students with a knife in the western prefecture of Hiroshima. The attack occurred Wednesday morning at a correspondence high school in Fukuyama city. Police detained the 17-year-old for attempted murder. They say the three victims were taken to hospital with shoulder, back and arm injuries. Their condition is not believed to be life-threatening. Police also say the suspect has admitted to the charge. She told investigators during questioning she stabbed her schoolmates because she wanted to kill them.

Now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Gene Otani from The Biz Desk.

Thanks, Mickey. Leading off this hour's business newscast.

Group of seven finance officials are set to meet for discussions that are expected to be dominated by US tariffs and the impact on the global economy.

The two-day gathering of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors will kick off on Wednesday in Banff, Canada. The tariffs introduced this year by the Trump administration will likely top the agenda. Ministers and governors are set to evaluate the risks posed to the global economy and the responses from individual nations.
The agenda includes economic sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
China's rapid increase in exports of electric vehicles is another topic.
Japan and Europe have raised concerns about the destabilizing effect of overproduction of the EVs. The current chair of the G7 is Canada. The challenge for the country will be to pull together a united joint statement at the end of the meeting to reaffirm support for free trade.

A Japanese company that runs a popular online site for resale of goods says it has started using AI to combat fraud. The operator, known as Mercari , is responding to an increase in scams and criticism that existing countermeasures built into its app are insufficient.
Mercari says its tougher measures, introduced on Wednesday, will identify and block users abusing the service.
It says AI will be used to track suspicious transactions. One type of fraud involves buyers who return items asking for a refund, but the products they sent back are not the original ones they received. Mercari says it was it will also crack down on trade in counterfeit brand goods. A company official says Mercari aims to take the lead in fighting fraud using technologies such as AI.

Japan posted its first trade deficit in three months in April. The finance ministry says it will keep a close watch on the effects of the US Trump administration's additional trade tariffs. The deficit stood at 115 billion yen, or about $800 million. Exports grew 2% from a year earlier to more than 9 trillion yen, or roughly $63.5 billion. Car shipments to the US dropped in value for the first time in four months by nearly 5% on the back of a stronger yen. Imports fell 2.2% in yen terms to $64 billion.
This was mainly due to cheaper coal and crude oil as energy prices fell.

The Japanese operator of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain is planning to sell part of its banking unit to major trading firm Itochu.
Sources say that Seven & i is in talks to sell part of its 46% stake in Seven Bank to Itochu. The shares come with voting rights. The two firms are yet to determine the size of the stake, but Seven & i aims to cut its ownership to less than 40%.
That would allow it to remove the banking unit from the group's consolidated accounting statements. The plan is part of a strategic review by Seven & i as it seeks to fend off a takeover bid from Canada's Alimentation Kushtar, which runs convenience stores in North America. The review includes shedding non-core businesses to improve efficiency and focus on its main convenience store operation.
Seven & i has also introduced governance reforms to gain support from shareholders. Seven Bank operates ATMs, mainly at 7-Eleven stores.
Itochu has the Family Mart convenience store chain under its umbrella. The ATMs in those stores are outsourced. The trading firm may replace the machines with those of Seven Bank.

Japan is seeing a surge in inbound tourism after the pandemic with some 37 million people visiting the country in 2024. However, not all areas are sharing the benefits. Kyoto and Osaka in western Japan attract many of the travelers, while nearby Shiga remains largely overlooked. That could be about to change with a campaign to promote the prefecture.

Shiga Prefecture is on the tourism Golden Route. It takes just 9 minutes by train from Kyoto.

Shiga's governor was in Paris to sell the joys of the prefecture to the French market.
The push includes Shiga's history, art and nature. His team introduced Hikone Castle, a designated national treasure. Traditional Shigaraki pottery making and cycling tours around Japan's largest lake were also highlighted.

Lake Biwa and Hikone Castle would suit French tastes perfectly. They're not well known, but would be of interest to our clients. Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka are popular with tourists from France, but proposing a destination that's so easily accessible is a great idea.

We looked at anonymized and privacy-protected cell phone data from inbound visitors to Shiga and Kyoto last year. That revealed an estimate for the number per square kilometer, with darker colors representing the busiest areas.
Central Kyoto's Kyomizu-dera Temple and the popular tourist draw of Arashiyama were particularly popular. But Shiga Prefecture is mostly white, revealing a clear opportunity if tourists can be persuaded to take a short train ride.
The prefecture has high hopes for Hieizan Enryakuji. The entire mountain, where it's located, is a sacred Buddhist site and is world cultural heritage listed. The thousand-year-old temple is ideally placed to share a little traditional culture with visitors. After consulting with the monks, a menu of the options, such as Zazen meditation, is tailored to the individual.
And the rooms have been upgraded to create an authentic Japanese atmosphere.
Combined with shakyo, the art of copying sutras, visitors can get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Shiga Prefecture is a hidden gem, as the streets of Kyoto, Tokyo, and Osaka are already overflowing with people. This temple represents a religion with a history of more than 1,200 years, so I hope visitors can really feel the atmosphere.

As for how to appeal to potential visitors,Internet outreach plays a major part. The local government asked domestic firms to highlight Shiga online and spread the word about the updated site.

In the tourism industry, we talk about resonance. So in order to attract tourists to come to Shiga, it's very important to have an attraction that resonates with them.

If Shiga is to take part in Japan's inbound travel explosion, it seems clear that highlighting the prefecture's charms and ease of access will be key.

And that's a look at business news. Miki, I'm going to hand it back to you.

Thank you very much, Gene.

North Korean defectors took to the podium at the United Nations during a meeting addressing human rights abuses and violations in the country.
Silence is complicity. The defectors shared their experiences with members of the General Assembly. One woman said that in North Korea, it's better to be shot than to starve.
Another said that young people have been executed in the country for secretly watching South Korean dramas.
Nations, including the US, contend that the North's human rights violationare closely tied to the country's nuclear and missile development.

The DPRK's unlawful nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles programs is inextricably linked to the regime's human rights abuses, as the programs are financed through the forced labor of North Korean citizens at home and abroad.

Pyongyang's representative strongly lashed out at the meeting itself.

We call on all member states Aspiring after independence and justice to categorically oppose and reject the plot of ulterior forces in their attempt to politicize and weaponize of the human rights.

Japan's UN Ambassador Yamazaki Kazuyuki brought up the abductees issue.
The Japanese government recognizes 17 citizens as having been abducted by the North in the 1970s and 80s. Twelve are still unaccounted for.
Yamazaki strongly urged Pyongyang to immediately return all of them. He also asked the international community to unite to help.

UN members have also been focused on the South China Sea. During a Security Council meeting on maritime security, the US and China accused each other of causing trouble. The acting US representative brought up a dispute between Beijing and Manila over territorial rights to part of the waters.

The United States stands with the Philippines. Once again, we condemn China's dangerous and unlawful actions in the South China Sea.

A Chinese representative mentioned the US maritime presence in the area.

The United States, under the banner of the Freedom of Navigation, sends its military vessels to the South China Sea to flex its muscles and stir up confrontation.

Gun Xuan says the situation in the area remains generally stable and that Beijing is confident it can make it a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.
Washington and Manila staged a series of joint drills in the area that wrapped up earlier this month. The two have been increasing pressure on China in response to Beijing's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.

Qatar says efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas have reached a deadlock.

The rounds of negotiations that took place in Doha in the past couple of weeks unfortunately didn't lead us anywhere yet because there is a fundamental gap between the two parties.

The prime minister says one side is looking for a partial deal and the other a one-off deal. He says their proposals fail to bridge the divide between them.
Israeli media reports say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering pulling out his delegation. His forces in the Gaza Strip are pressing ahead with airstrikes and ground assaults. They're expanding the scope of their evacuation warnings. Residents of the southern city of Han Yunis have been forced to evacuate. They fled with only whatever household items they could carry.

We've been forced to evacuate many times these days. I want the world to know that we are seeking a ceasefire and mercy.

Health authorities say the violence on Tuesday alone killed more than 50 people.

Forecasters in Japan are warning this summer could be a scorcher. It was hot across the country this week with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius in central Japan Wednesday.
In Tokyo Tuesday, temperatures climbed above 30 degrees Celsius for the first time this year. Some Rd. services reached over 50 degrees. Tokyoese had to scramble to beat the heat.

I had to quickly get my summer wardrobe ready.

I've had about a liter of water since this morning. I tend to sweat a lot when it's like this.

Now I'm worried about what summer will be like.

The Japan Meteorological Agency is forecasting higher than average temperatures from June to August, coming on the heels of last year's record-breaking heat waves. At the same time, researchers have launched a new organization to study extreme weather events here. The Weather Attribution Center is the first of its kind in Japan.
Scientists will use simulations to compare real world patterns with those in a world without global warming to better understand the impacts of climate change.

We want to increase the spread of this information on a regular basis. We know there will be more extreme weather events this year and beyond.

Like many countries, Japan has recently grappled with hazardous weather, including torrential rains that triggered flooding in the Noto region last year.
And earlier, I spoke with our meteorologist Tsetsi Monade for more insight.
Tsitsi, how does this new organization fit in with you know other climate change monitoring bodies around the world?

Yeah, well, we have quite a lot of these bodies that are doing their research on climate change, such as the IPCC, which writes a lot of reports almost every three or four years about the state of climate change across the world, and the UNFFFC as well.
And their goals are mostly to give actions that we all need to take to make sure we do not exceed certain Goal points or targets like the two degree target that we should try not to exceed because once we get there it is at a point of almost no return. In the United States you've got nonprofit organizations such as Climate Central and they are trying their best to bring all the scientific data. To people, you know, in a manner that is more understandable and they're trying to raise awareness as much as possible. When I myself have also engaged with many other organizations such as WMO, which is World Meteorological Organization, as well as Climate Without Borders, and our goal is mostly to break it down.
A lot more because these terms are very technical. Climate change is very difficult and so you need something or someone to sort of break it down for everyday people to understand. And that's what I've been doing and that's what I'm trying to work on as well. And now with this new group that's been formed here of expert, it is quite interesting and exciting because that will help sort of determine where we stand here in Japan in our unique situation and do more Japan specific. Related research. 

So what sorts of climate related events are we expecting in Japan or perhaps are already affecting us?

Yeah, let's not even go far. We've already mentioned about the heat and how hot it was the beginning of the week, how hot it was last summer where where Japan reported over 97,000 cases of heat strokes, heat illnesses.
With warming temperatures we get warming oceans as well and when the oceans warm up is. We recently have been discovering that we've got these things called ocean heat waves and they keep the sea surface temperatures much warmer than usual for longer periods of time. And when that happens is it gives a lot of energy and fuel to tropical storms such as typhoons and hurricanes and severe flood situations that can happen. I mean, since I started working here as a meteorologist, I don't know if you remember my first week on air, I had to report on Typhoon Vaksai, I think, which was quite intense. So those are increasing. The frequency is increasing every single year and the intensity is getting a lot worse. The flooding destroy buildings, claim people's lives, mudslides, landslides, you know, the situation in Atami. We really need to do all our research and we need to get it out there as quickly as possible so that we can learn to adapt and mitigate to see what how we're going to survive in the future.

Yeah, so we need to be prepared for future situations. But besides like building flood walls and like opening up cooling shelters during the summer, what else do you think we can do?

Well, look, the science and the information is already there. Scientists have done quite a lot and they are going to continue doing a lot, such as we've seen with the new group that's being open. So there will be more research being done. But what you and I can do small things, you know, like reduce. Our waste. Try not to consume as much as we do. Single use plastic, for example. You know we need to cut that up. Take your own bag to the supermarket in your house. Sometimes we leave like I still do it. We leave lights on by mistake or we just forget it. Just try to pick up a little bit more and reduce the amount of energy that we use. It will save you electricity bills, so you'll save money at the same time.
Try to use public transportation more. We try to do our best here in Japan, but all over the world people should do. The same.

Thank you very much for your insights, Tsetsi and HK World's senior meteorologist Tsetsi Monare.

♪

All right, let's check in with our Jonathan Oh for weather updates. So Jonathan, yes, people across Japan have been feeling the heat and also increasing humidity Wednesday. Is this trend going to change for the rest of the week?

Hello, we have been talking about temperatures that are way above average for this time of year. Tokyo made it up to 31 on Tuesday, getting kind of close to that on Wednesday as well, the high of 29.7 degrees. And it's not just Tokyo, that's all the warm weather.
I mean all across Japan we're seeing the temperatures elevated. And as we go toward later this week, as we head towards Friday and Saturday, we might be talking about temperatures that are going to back off a bit, which is going to be a. Some relief after seeing these temperatures that are feeling more like summer as opposed to late May, we have a couple of factors in place that's going to help bring some wet weather into the picture. We have a low pressure system moving along what is the rainy season frontal boundary and as that pushes across from Kyushu toward the east over the next couple of days, we're talking about increasing clouds and also a bit more rain and the temperatures start to fall. So we're talking about highs in the teens. By the weekend in Tokyo, meanwhile, up to the north, another stationary frontal boundary is in place.
That's going to help continue to bring some wet weather as you go through the day on Thursday. By the time going to Friday, things might back off a bit, but then another push of moisture along that frontal boundary from China into western Japan will be bringing some more wet weather. So here's a look at the forecast here, 28 in Tokyo on Thursday, down to 18. On Sunday as we see the rain and the colder weather taking place to Osaka also dropping off as well by Sunday. Naha looking at stretches from wet weather as well up into Hokkaido walls to see temperatures still in the upper teens for the next few days.
Meanwhile in Europe we have one low pressure so up toward the Scandinavian peninsula and another one down to the South. In general we're talking about a slight cool down here. Some may see 20s but some areas will be in the upper teens for daytime highs as you go through Wednesday. Quick look. At North America, low pressure system moving across the Ohio River Valley might see possible strong thunderstorms into the Carolinas and also over into push to the southeast in places like Arkansas, Missouri. So been the lookout for that as we go through day on Wednesday with heat down toward the South for the middle of the week.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.

♫～

And that's NHK Newsline for this hour.
I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo. Thanks for staying with us.

at 18:00 (JST), May 20

 20250520180000_english_1.mp3

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

Sources say Nippon Steel will pour billions of dollars into US Steel if Washington approves its proposal to make the American steelmaker its subsidiary.
Nippon Steel is said to have revealed its substantial investment plans in discussions with the US government. The exact amount is reportedly still being negotiated. The Japanese steelmaker has already pledged a total of $2.7 billion to create jobs and invest in new facilities and equipment at US Steel. The buyout plan was blocked in January by then-President Joe Biden on national security grounds. Last month, President Donald Trump instructed the US Committee on Foreign Investment to conduct a fresh national security review of the proposal. That review is due to be completed on Wednesday. Trump is expected to make a final decision on the deal by June 5.

Now to tell us more about what's happening in the world of business, here's Gene Otani from the BizDesk.

Yoko, thanks.

Honda Motor is reducing its 2030 sales target for EVs and fuel cell vehicles. The Japanese automaker says it's lowering the goal from 30 percent of all new sales to 20.
President and CEO Mibe Toshihiro said the auto industry is facing uncertain times. He said a range of factors have led to a slowdown in the growth of the EV market. The company is slashing investment in its electrification strategy over the same period from 10 trillion yen to 7 trillion yen. That's over $48 billion. But it says it's maintaining its goal to make all new sales EVs and fuel cell vehicles by 2040. The automaker expects demand for the category to increase in the medium to long term.

Japan's top negotiator in tariff talks with the United States is scheduled to leave for Washington on Friday. Economic Revitalization Minister Akazawa Ryose is expected to engage in a third round of high-level discussions the following day.

It's important to achieve an agreement that's a win for both countries. Japan's national interests must not be damaged by prioritizing an early consensus.

Akazawa is expected to ask the US again to review levies imposed on Japanese autos and other products. Tokyo has already presented plans to buy more goods from the US. This includes a review of procedures to make it easier to import American cars. Japan has also made a proposal to increase imports of soybeans and corn.
Meanwhile, Washington has given Tokyo a list of what it considers to be non tariff trade barriers.

Port of Los Angeles officials say inbound shipments in May plummeted after new US tariffs took effect. The port is a major gateway for goods coming from Asia.
Officials say shipments are down over 30%. In the first week of May compared to last year, they say 17 of around 80 container ships that were scheduled to enter the port canceled. The drop came after a 5% jump in inbound goods in April, when importers accelerated deliveries to beat the tariffs. The port's executive director says the impact of the tariffs is clearly visible on the docks. The May volume drop is likely to be substantial when we close the books on this month. The US and China recently agreed to drastically roll back tariffs on each other's goods. The port official says the de-escalation will likely lead to an uptick in vessel bookings from China, but he doesn't expect a surge in volume.

China's central bank has further eased policy to shore up the sluggish economy, it has cut interest rates for corporate and housing loans.
The People's Bank of China on Tuesday trimmed the one-year loan prime rate, or LPR, by 1/10 of a point to 3%. Commercial lenders used the rate as a benchmark when giving loans to corporate clients. The bank also cut the five-year LPR by the same margin to 3.5%. That rate serves as a yardstick for mortgages. The cuts to those benchmarks are the first since October last year. The central bank lowered the seven-day reverse repo rate for short-term funding to commercial lenders on May 8. The bank sees that as its main policy rate.
Domestic demand remains weak amid a prolonged real estate slump. Concerns also linger about a trade war with the United States as tariff negotiations continue between the two countries.

Efforts are ongoing around the world to develop meat products that are substantial and health-- sustainable, rather-- and healthy. A lab-grown version of Japan's famed wagyu beef is among the exhibits at the World Expo in Osaka.

The Osaka Kansai Expo is currently underway. One exhibit showcases efforts to develop so-called cultured meat that's made by taking cells from cattle. Visitors are invited to imagine a future with made-to-order meat that provides a specific taste and nutritional content.

I hope meat like this becomes available someday. It would be great if it could be fortified with nutrients like vitamins or iron.

The project is a collaboration of 6 organizations led by a professor at the University of Osaka.

Cultured meat offers solutions to problems such as protein shortages, while also contributing to animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
The Expo is a great opportunity for people to learn about this technology.
I hope visitors can envision a future where we produce our own meat and control its nutritional profile.

Matsusaki's research focuses on gourmet meat.

This is a video that visualizes the actual structure of wagyu beef.

It is said that the taste of beef is determined by the ratio of muscle and fat fibers. By digitizing actual beef and bundling the fibers in the same way, researchers try to replicate the texture.
Muscle and fat cells are cultured in the lab. These are then injected into a gel and shaped with 3D printing. They then form fibrous strands.
The team successfully produced two pieces of cultured meat, each about 9 by 15 centimetres. In March, the team conducted its first sensory test. They heated small samples, analysing them for taste, texture and aroma. The feel in the mouth seemed authentic, but the taste was somewhat bland. Still, the overall impression was that the samples closely approximated the real meat.

After chewing it several times, it gradually began to taste more like real meat. I think it was a promising result.

The team had hoped to offer public tastings at the expo, but Japan does not yet have regulations on this. As an alternative, in July they will host a demonstration where visitors can experience the aroma of grilled, cultured meat.

All right, that's a look at business news. Yoko, I'm going to hand it back to you.

Thanks, Gene.

Overseas voting in South Korea's presidential election has begun ahead of the domestic vote on June 3. The election comes after former President Yoon Suk-yeol was impeached and removed from office. South Korean nationals aged 18 or older living abroad are eligible to vote in advance.
The Central Election Commission says more than 258,000 people have registered. Of those, over 38,000 are in Japan, where polling stations have been set up at 19 locations. South Korea's ambassador to Japan, Park Chul-hee, cast his ballot at a station in Tokyo. He was among many other voters.

Whoever becomes the new president, I hope they can foster relations where both countries respect each other.

The main contenders in the race are the former head of the largest opposition Democratic Party, Lee Jae-yung, and Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party. A poll released last week showed Lee leading with 51 percent support and Kim trailing at 29 percent.

Japanese police have obtained arrest warrants for two Vietnamese suspected of directing a shoplifting ring from abroad.
Sources close to the investigation say the suspects are a 31-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman. They are believed to have issued instructions from Vietnam to group members suspected of stealing cosmetics and other products in Nagano Prefecture last year. The group is believed to have assembled large volumes of stolen items and sent them to Vietnam. On Monday, police raided one of the group's suspected bases near Tokyo. They arrested two people on suspicion of being involved in receiving and sending items they knew were stolen.
12 members of the group have been arrested so far. The investigators believe the two suspects in Vietnam solicited shoplifters on social media and instructed them on what to steal and where to send the products.
Police plan to have the two put on the International Criminal Police Organization's wanted list.

Sticking with the crime beat, Tokyo police have arrested a Chinese national they suspect of using a false identity to help other people cheat on an English proficiency test. They believe he attempted to give answers to other examinees through a small microphone hidden under a face mask.
Wang Likun, a 27-year-old graduate student of Kyoto University, was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of trespassing.
The police said Wang allegedly trying to take the test at a venue in Tokyo under another person's name. They said he told them that someone had offered to pay him to take the exam. The police had been tipped off by the test organizer that an individual had taken an exam repeatedly under different names. The police said about 30% of the exam candidates did not show up in the room where Wang was scheduled to take the test. They suspect that a wider cheating scheme involving others may have been planned, with Wang possibly tasked with sharing answers with them.

Japan has long searched for solutions to its growing problem of so-called hikikomori, or people who withdraw themselves from work, school, and society. Many live at home with aging parents who struggle to understand why their children have chosen isolation.
Next, how are non-profit is helping families bridge that gap?

54-year-old Shinichi, who we're choosing not to identify for privacy reasons, starts his day. He says hello to his 82-year-old father, who we're calling Akihiro, grabs his lunch and heads to work. But it used to be very different. There was a time when Shinichi would barely leave his room. For over 20 years, Shinichi was hikikomori, isolating himself after quitting his job at the age of 31.
Akihiro says his son shut himself away, never telling him why. He recalls growing frustrated.

I told him over and over to get out and find a job. I kept telling him how much trouble he was causing his family. I couldn't think of anything else to do besides blaming him.

Japan estimates there are nearly one and a half million hikikomori across the country. Many are now middle-aged and living with parents who are getting too old to take care of them. That was the situation for Shinichi and his father.
But four years ago, Akihiro attended courses put on by a local nonprofit supporting families with hikikomori.
The program focuses on rebuilding trust in the family unit by discussing ways to communicate with isolated loved ones to help break them out of their shelves.
It's also a chance for parents to open up about their challenges with others in the same boat. Like this woman, who says she's grown fed up fighting with her reclusive daughter over chores.

She just got angry. It scared me and I just couldn't take it anymore.

Maybe your daughter wants affirmation.

I feel like we parents often struggle to focus on the positive things with our children.

Looking back, I remember she told me that I only saw her negative side, and she clearly said, I want you to praise me and acknowledge when I've done well.

And sometimes, the breakthroughs here lead to breakthroughs back home. The NPO says over the past decade, About one in six families who've taken part in the course have reported success in helping loved ones to escape isolation.

Sometimes the communication issues are because the children see their parents as their enemy. That's why it's important to try and understand the pain and difficulties they're facing. Otherwise they won't open up and will remain closed off.

After the course, Akihiro stopped pressuring his son to find employment. Instead, he rebuilt their relationship.
He took Shinichi on car rides, going to places they used to visit in better times to reminisce.

Do you remember going fishing with me here?

Fishing. You know, I don't think I do.

Akihiro began asking his son for back rubs, something they used to bond over when he was younger. Shihichi began opening up to his father, eventually revealing what led to him becoming Hihikomori.

For about a year, my boss would get extremely angry at me when I made mistakes. It didn't make sense why I was the only one getting yelled at, so I quit. I felt so guilty that I wasn't pulling my weight and that I wasn't doing anything with my life.

The gentle approach not only mended their bond, it gave Shinichi the confidence to emerge from seclusion.

I felt relieved. I now feel like it's OK to take it one step at a time and find my own path.

It wasn't long before he got a job at a local company without any pressure from his parents.

Unless a family tries to understand what its kids are feeling, nothing will change.

He says learning that lesson brought him and his son to where they are today.
And for that, he's truly grateful.

A US cybersecurity firm reports that the number of phishing emails targeting people in Japan has increased sharply this year. It says generative AI programs and other technologies are enabling scammers to overcome language barriers that prevented such issues in the past.
The cybersecurity firm Proofpoint says it analyzed about 600 million fraudulent emails detected around the world in April. It found that 83.6% of them targeted people in Japan.
In many cases, senders pretending to be securities companies tried to steal login IDs and passwords belonging to customers so that they could gain access to accounts. Japanese brokerage houses say there have been many cases this year in which a scammer managed to take over a customer's account and then use it to engage in fraudulent transactions.

Japan was considered to be a country that is easier to attack than other countries and has low security defense walls. The emergence of generative AI technologies means there is no language barrier. Because of this, the country was chosen as a target by fraud groups.

Sohta says people should not click on links in suspicious emails or input passwords and personal information.
She recommends the use of multi-factor authentication with biometric identification.

Humanitarian aid is finally flowing into the Gaza Strip again, though the deliveries are small. Meantime, the Israeli Prime Minister's plans for the enclave are big and controversial.
Benjamin Netanyahu released this message as his country expands its military operation.

Intense and huge fighting is underway, and we're approaching. We're going to control all parts of the Gaza Strip. That's what we're going to do.

The Israeli military says it deployed ground troops to strategic locations and conducted airstrikes on more than 160 targets, including Hamas strongholds.
Health authorities in Gaza said on Monday that more than 130 people had been killed in the past 24 hours. Residents have been facing severe shortages of food. In March, Israel halted the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave. The country announced over the weekend that limited deliveries would resume. The UN says Israel cleared nine trucks of aid on Monday to enter through one crossing.

To say that this is a drop in the ocean is a clear, clear understatement.

The spokesperson says, given the small number of trucks and supplies going in, there will be outsized expectations.
The concern is that will increase the security risk for staff and recipients.
The international community has been warning that the more than 2 million Palestinians living in the strip face the risk of family.

Tokyo's Asakusa District has long been a popular tourist spot, famed for the city's oldest temple and its retro atmosphere. Rickshaw tours through the neighborhood are emerging as popular experiences. Our next report spotlights a female rickshaw puller who is introducing visitors to Asakusa's local gems.

On a street not far from Tokyo's SkyTree, Otoshi Misato is pulling a rickshaw.
A female pioneer in a male-dominated profession, she joined a rickshaw company in 2020, becoming their first full-time woman employee.
One, two, three, and you can get on.
Otoshi hauls a rickshaw that weighs up to 250 kilograms with passengers on board. Once you get the hang of the leverage principle, you can run swiftly.
But the path has not always been smooth.
She endured intense training to build her strength and master the skills needed to control the rickshaw. During those difficult times, it was local shop owners who supported her. This lady from a local restaurant always chats with Otoshi when she passes by.

Ohh She's been striving so hard. I have to keep up, too.

When Otoshi needs career advice, she talks to the owner of a noodle shop.

It's good to have one special talent, something you can be proud of.
Everyone has their good sides. If I can absorb them all, I'll become the best.

Otoshi is also active on social media. She and her colleagues post photos and videos about Asakusa's sites and their rickshaw services, attracting almost 100,000 followers.
Some women inspired by these posts have become rickshaw pullers.
She's not that much older than me, but she's like a mother. Did you say mother? Let's say sister.
As leader of the Female Pullers, Odoshi is committed to learning more about local culture. On this day, she is visiting a traditional Japanese restaurant to see a geisha performance.

I don't want to say anything wrong when I'm guiding visitors, so I ask the owner to teach me.

Otoshi films the experience in order to share it with her colleagues.

I want to be someone who enlivens and supports Asakusa.

Otoshi is now planning to launch a gourmet tour, taking overseas tourists to restaurants, cafes and street stalls by rickshaw, as she continues to steer Asakusa into the global spotlight.

♪

It's time for a check on the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh. So Jonathan, after a cool and cloudy Monday, we saw a warm and sunny Tuesday in Tokyo, so it was a bit of a roller coaster ride. So how are we looking for the rest of the week?

Hello, we were struggling to get toward that 20 degree mark in Tokyo as we went through Monday. But check out the high on Tuesday, 31.1 degrees, the highest so far this year. What helped is that the cloud deck associated with a stationary front has moved down toward the South, helped to clear up the skies, so plenty of sunshine. And in fact, we saw a little bit more sun over toward the West as well, even though we're seeing a lot more rain now coming back into the picture. And that'll be the story as you go throughout the latter part of this week. So for those of you in place like on the way down toward Okinawa, even into portions of Kyushu be seeing some rain picking up as we go into Wednesday and we'll see some showers also into the Tokyo region as well. Tokyo looking at temperatures still the warmer side with some sunshine 28 for the high on Wednesday before the rain starts to creep back in. Osaka Naha also seeing some rain as you go through the week with temperatures still on the warmer side as we go forward throughout the next few days. Meanwhile across North America. Huge flow of clouds building up in the central portions of the United States, and that's indicating very unstable weather with severe thunderstorms. And I want to show you some video of just one of the many series of storms we've seen over the past few days. Severe weather swept through the central US, leaving widespread destruction as officials in Texas and Kansas were evaluating the damage on Monday after tornadoes touched down overnight. And that's just days more after more than two dozen people were killed in storms that swept. Parts of the Midwest and South and the footage showing the damage to houses and vehicles as well as fallen trees and electric poles. And part of the issue that has been of concern is also trying to get the word out. Just the warning of staffing shortages have been also a concern with the National Weather Service. And we're looking at more storms for areas toward the east and South from the Ohio River Valley down toward the Deep South as we go through day on Tuesday. So just be weather aware as you go forward in time with these storms popping up, you want to make sure that you're prepared as we go throughout the next couple of days.
Hope you stay safe wherever you are.

♫～

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

at 18:00 (JST), May 19

 

20250519180000_english_1.mp3

Hello and welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yoshikawa Ryuichi in Tokyo.

US President Donald Trump said he's hoping for a productive day as he waits to speak with his Russian counterpart by phone. But first, Ukraine's president met with top US officials in Italy.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy had talks with Vice President J.D. Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the inaugural mass of the new pope.
They met for the first time since Vance sparred publicly with Zelenskyy at the White House in February.
Zelenskyy wrote on social media that they discussed the direct talks between Ukraine and Russia held last week in Istanbul. He added that the meeting also covered the need for sanctions against Russia and the battlefield situation. Zelenskyy also emphasized the importance of a full and unconditional ceasefire as soon as possible.
Ukraine has expressed its intention to accept an unconditional 30-day pause proposed by Trump, but Russia has not agreed to that. Zelanskyy also met Pope Leo XIV. He says the new pontiff is a symbol of hope for peace, and the Vatican can play an important role in ending the war.
Meanwhile, Ukraine says Moscow will carry out a training launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile as a tactic to intimidate Kyiv.
Ukraine's military intelligence agencies said in a social media post that the launch is set for Monday night, local time. That's the same day as the US and Russian presidents are due to talk.
It said the missile, which has a range of more than 10,000 kilometers, will be launched from a complex in the central region of Svetlovsk. The agency added that the launch is intended to pressure and intimidate Ukraine, as well as EU and NATO member states. Separately, Ukraine has shown off its latest naval drone, dubbed the Magura V-7, to the media. The domestically developed model can carry two anti-aircraft missiles and operate continuously for up to seven days. The defense ministry started to deploy the Magura V-7 in combat situations late last year.
The intelligence agency said it had shut down two Russian fighter jets over the Black Sea earlier this month. The agency said various Magura drone models deployed in the Black Sea have destroyed 15 Russian military targets, including several major ships and aircraft, over two years.

Russia has retreated. They have hidden their fleet. They are afraid of approaching the Ukrainian coast or entering the temporarily occupied region of Crimea. All of this is thanks to our unmanned boats.

The intelligence agency's spokesperson added that the Magura drone platform may also be developed for underwater use.

In about two weeks, South Koreans will head to the polls to elect a new president. They just saw candidates face off in their first televised debate, and the hopefuls clashed on competing visions for economic revitalization. Earlier, I spoke with NHK World's Kim  Chan-ju in Seoul for an update on the race.
So, Chan-ju, what did we hear during Sunday's debate?

Right, so we had four candidates up on stage duking it out, but all eyes were on the two frontrunners. They are Lee Jae-myung with the Democratic Party and the ruling People Power Party's Kim Moon-soo. And they had a lot to talk about because right now, South Korea's economy is not doing well.
Growth is projected to be around 0% this year.
Lee blames that on PPP government mismanagement. He says his administration would intervene, promising a supplementary budget to boost the working class. Kim argues the opposition hamstrung the PPP's efforts to address the economy by blocking bills.
He also pointed to the political fallout after impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol's Martial Law Declaration. But Kim argues things will be different under his watch. Here's what they both had to say.

I'd like to ask people to vote for the candidate who will work for them and be their useful instrument. I want to build a new, real South Korea.
I'll be a president who will create new jobs. To do that, we must improve South Korea's business environment.

We also heard from the new reform party's Lee Jun-seok and the Democratic Labor Party's Kwon Young-kook.

My background is in science and engineering. This gives me the tools to interact freely with global leaders.

I'll make a new, equal South Korea without discrimination.

The debate got heated at points, although some Korean media have criticized the candidates for not giving many concrete details on how they'd revive the economy.

So where do the polls stand at this point?

It seems to be very much a two-party race. A poll from Realmeter released after the debate found the Democratic Party still has a wide lead over the PPP since campaigning began last Monday.
Lee is polling at around 50%, Kim is at about 36, and the new Reform Party's candidate is almost at 9%.
Lee seems to be attracting undecideds and even some moderate conservatives, so he's in a comfortable spot. But anything can happen between now and June 3.

Right. And there have been a few events that could shake things up. Can you tell us about them?

Yes, so obviously Kim and his party are struggling to overcome ex-president Yoon's political legacy.
Well, over the weekend, Yoon announced he is leaving the PPP, likely after pressure from party executives.
This could sway some conservatives put off by the Martial Law Declaration scandal, but it may also alienate some of Yoon's die-hard supporters. We should mention the Martial Law Declaration has sparked debate around reforming the Constitution. Yi wants to limit presidential veto power.
He's also pitching changes to term limits. Right now, presidents serve a single, five-year term, but Yi has proposed amending the rules to allow for two four-year terms, similar to what we see in the US. He says this would give voters a chance to evaluate a president's performance more frequently.
The PPP scheme also proposed two four-year terms, but and even says the next president should serve just a three-year term to better align with South Korea's other elections.
All of this means we could see a presidential rematch in a few years' time. Those potential changes are still far away, and we still have two more TV debates before election day, June 3.

Police in central Japan say a car appears to have driven the wrong direction down the expressway in Mie Prefecture on Sunday, causing a series of crashes.
This footage shows a vehicle swerving out of the car's way. The blue car is said to have driven 10 kilometers against traffic on the Shin Meishin Expressway's westbound lanes. The car hit two vehicles at around 11 a.m. and caused more collisions as drivers tried to avoid it. Four women in their 40s and 60s were injured. The person behind the wheel of the car is still at large. Police are looking for the driver on suspicion of hit and run.

The 2025 World Expo in Osaka offers a vision of the future. It's now doing that by showing how people in Japan are moving forward from a devastating moment in the past.
This exhibition opened Monday. It focuses on the reconstruction of areas hit by the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami. It's divided into four areas based on themes.
A large screen near the entrance shows the damage. The booth for disaster response has maps and panels displaying community building led by local residents, as well as education on disaster preparedness.

I heard her about the tsunami, but I didn't know that it was this big.

The JapaneseGovernment's reconstruction agency organized the exhibit. It's meant to help visitors from around the world to understand the recovery efforts from the disaster and the subsequent nuclear accident.

I'm confident that the exhibition showcases the charms as well as the reconstruction efforts in the disaster-hit areas. I hope that as many people as possible come and visit.

I believe the lessons that we've learned from the disaster and the reconstruction efforts will lead us to a safer and more secure life.

The exhibition will last through Saturday. Next month, summer festivals in northeastern Japan will be showcased at the expo.

And now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Gene Otani from the BizDesk.

Thanks to you, Ryuichi. In our top business story this hour, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the Trump administration is focusing on 18 important trading relationships in its tariff negotiations. Japan is believed to be among that group. The administration has put trading partners on notice worldwide and says it wants to get deals done during the 90 day pause on what Washington has called reciprocal tariffs. Bessent told CNN there are a lot of smaller trading relationships where the administration can just come up with a number. He also said the US will sign a lot of deals with regions, such as Central America and parts of Africa.
Japan is currently preparing for its third round of tariff talks with Bessent and other senior officials. It's considering sending its chief negotiator, Economic Revitalization Minister Akazawa Ryodei to Washington later this week. Akazawa has said that Japan will continue pushing for a review of all US tariff measures.

We'll tackle this issue as our top priority and do our best while carefully considering what will contribute to Japan's national interests and what will be the most effective out of all the options.

Akazawa said. He's also willing to cooperate with other countries that are negotiating with the US.

Major Southeast Asian economies are reporting growth for the January to March quarter. That's partly because exporters were front loading shipments to the US to beat new tariffs. But Washington's trade measures are clouding the outlook for the months ahead.
Thailand's GDP expanded by 3.1%. In real terms from a year earlier, that was better than market expectations. Exports to the US increased in the lead up to new American tariffs on steel products and autos. Outbound shipments of rubber products, such as car tires as well as electronic parts, were strong.
Vietnam's economy grew by almost 7%. Again, that was due to solid exports to the US.
Indonesia's economy logged nearly 5% growth and Malaysia's expanded by 4.4%.
Thailand and Vietnam have proposed to increase imports of liquefied natural gas and aircrafts from the US in exchange for lower tariffs. Thailand has cut its economic growth forecast. For this year, due to concerns over trade.

China's industrial production posted slower growth in April amid additional US tariffs. China and the US agreed to sharply reduce their tit for tat levies in May, but uncertainties remain.

China's National Bureau of Statistics. Says industrial output grew 6.1% from the same month last year. That marks a slowdown of 1.6% points from March. The latest data will also under score a continued property slump. Investment in real estate development dropped 10.3% in the four months through April compared to the same period last year. Prices of new houses fell in 45 of 70 major cities, up four from a month earlier. That means nearly 2/3 of major cities saw price declines. the US and China have agreed to hold further trade talks during a 90 day pause, but concerns remain that. Friction may return if their negotiations break down.

7-Eleven Japan says it has launched a trial using delivery robots on public roads. The convenience store operator believes such a service could eventually help deal with a worsening labor shortage. The 7-Eleven stores in Tokyo's Hachioji area are taking part. Customers use an app to send their orders.
Unmanned robots then head to the destinations. Sensors and other features detect road bumps and respond to traffic lights. The trial is reportedly the first by a major convenience store operator in Japan in which robots run on public roads.
Permission to do that is granted by the local police. The company hopes that in the future, robots, rather than humans, can make more customer deliveries amid the shortage of workers.

In neither urban or rural areas, we'd like this service to be a means of reaching customers who have difficulty shopping.

The company plans to call on nearby residents to participate. The firm plans to consider expanding the service to other areas after examining the results.

Convenience stores are not the only businesses facing serious labor shortages in Japan. A wide range of service industry operators are feeling the crunch. They are desperate for solutions and some are offering discounts to customers willing to help out on the shop floor. We report on a surprising number of these stand-in workers eager to pitch in.

A busy Tokyo restaurant facing a common problem. Plenty of eager diners, but not enough wait staff to serve them.

Then management had an idea. Perhaps they could persuade customers to help out. They just had to find the right incentive. And they did.
A thirty-five cent discount if you pour your own drink. Pouring a second drink using the same glass and the discount is even bigger, around 70 cents.

Filling my own glass is no problem. I'm happy to get a discount for that.

After the meal, stacking tableware will also lower the final bill, a 35 cent reduction.
The operator says their discount system has paid off. Time serving drinks is down and sales are up.

We do this because of the labour shortage, but from a different perspective, we are creating a restaurant together with our customers and we think it can add value to our brand.

Restaurants are not the only businesses putting customers to work.
This company operates over 1,800 gyms across Japan. Open 24/7, but labour shortages have created a problem for this business too. In this case, keeping the gyms clean.
In February, the operator launched a discount scheme to enlist the help of members.
Managers use a smartphone app to notify them which outlets need cleaning.
Gym goers can accept a job at a convenient location.
Dusting and polishing over, they are free to start exercising if they still have the energy. The incentives seem to be working. Some members are coming in just to clean up.
Those who clean 4 times a month earn a discount of around $7.00 on their monthly fee. That's a 30% saving. The reduction doubles with eight clean-ups a month.
Some of the tasks are more specialized.
This customer is helping to maintain the machines. The reward?
A gift certificate worth up to $14.00.

We want to make this system a success and keep it going. We believe this model could be applied in different types of business.

Most people enjoy a discount, and if it helps Japan deal with a labour shortage, even in a small way, expect to see more customers roll up their sleeves and get to work.

All right, let's have a look at the markets.

♪

And that's a look at business news. Ryuichi, I'm going to hand it back to you.

Gene, thank you.

The Israeli military announced on Sunday it has launched extensive ground operations in the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip. This comes as negotiations for ceasefire continue in Qatar. The expansion of Israel's military operation follows Friday's announcement that it had conducted intensive airstrikes and deployed troops across Gaza.
The military claims it has struck more than 670 Hamas targets including weapons storage facilities.
The number of casualties is growing in the enclave. Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera quoted health officials in the territory as saying 500 people had been killed during the previous three days.
Meanwhile, media outlets say Hamas and mediators have been discussing a deal that calls for the group to release some hostages in return for a two-month ceasefire.
But Israel has apparently been ratcheting up pressure on Hamas to draw concessions from the group.
Israel also declared on Sunday it will allow what it calls a basic amount of food to enter the enclave. The country has been blocking deliveries of relief supplies for more than two months, saying it wants to prevent them from falling into Hamas's hands. This has caused a serious shortage of food and medical supplies. The international community has been warning that Palestinians living there face the risk of famine.

Supporters of Israel and Palestinian people have held separate rallies in the United States to highlight their respective causes.
A parade down New York Fifth Avenue on Sunday celebrated the anniversary of Israel's founding on May 14, 1948. The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations took part. 

We are in pain. We are thinking about the hostages, but we know that we will prevail. We will win this war. We will bring back all the hostages. Free, free Palestine.

A separate rally in Paterson, New Jersey, drew attention to the region's history of suffering. Palestinians called the day after Israel's foundation Nagba, the Arabic word for catastrophe.
It refers to the mass displacement of Palestinians during the Arab-Israeli war in 1948. Paterson is called Little Palestine because of its large population of people who came from there.

To see people like us suffering, we feel that this is, we have to help them. We are a human being, we will not accept this to happen to us.

Patterson's deputy mayor took part in the rally. He called on the US administration to help end the killing of Palestinian people.

Now it's time for a check on the world weather with our meteorologist Jonathan Oh.
So Jonathan, we saw a slightly cooler day in Tokyo, but over in southern parts of China, we're talking about a serious rainy situation. What's the latest?

Hello, we are seeing a massive cold front that is extending east of Japan all the way down into southern areas of China. Now part of that front brought some cloud cover across the Pacific side of Japan, bringing us a bit of a cooler day in Tokyo where temperatures were mainly the teens as opposed to hitting into the 20s where we're typically are for this time of year. But down for the southern areas of China, we've been talking over some serious flooding that we talk about the flooding issues that happened. Around this time every year, but it's still a serious problem and we're talking as a major problems that will continue to be a part of the story as we see that rainy season type pattern continue to remain in the southern portions of China. Speaking of the rainy season, Amami is now in the rainy season here in Japan and we'll continue to see that front spreading toward the north and east. We'll be talking more about clouds and rain. As we go forward in time. So looking at the forecast as we go through next 24 hours again, the southern areas of China will be seeing some rain into the southwestern islands of Japan. Tokyo, however, it's going to be hot. I mean sunny skies, high of 29. That's a dramatic increase in the temperature. And so it's going to feel much more like summer as opposed to May. So make sure that you stay hydrated and use the sunscreen because it's going to be quite sunny as well for Tuesday showers and soar into Shanghai down to Hong Kong with a. High of 32.
Let's look at what's happening across North America, southern areas, United States. You've been hit really hard over the weekend, especially into places like Kentucky, Missouri into Illinois as we had severe thunderstorms over the weekend causing some major damage and a few people were killed as well. Another low pressure system set up down to the southern plains centralized over into Oklahoma City, Oklahoma state of Oklahoma and spreading hours from there. Look at the possibility of some real severe thunderstorm risk and some possible outbreak of severe weather as well, so be weather aware as you go through Monday.
Thunderstorms to Oklahoma City with high of 29. Thunderstorms to Denver as well with a high of 19 on Monday. That's look at your forecast. Stay safe wherever you are.

♫～

And one last story before we go. A historic home in Fukuoka Prefecture, Western Japan, hosted a garden party full of cosplayers.
More than 200 people took part on Sunday, with many dressed as their favorite characters from anime and video games.
They gathered at the Kyu-Yasukawatei residence, a tangible cultural property of the city Kitakyushu. It was also the home of a renowned businessman active at the turn of the 20th century. The participants sort out the best places to show off their costumes and to pose for videos and photos. The deputy director of the residence says he hopes the party will inspire more people to come, take photos,and interact with others.

And that wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Yoshikawa Ryuichi in Tokyo.
Thank you very much for joining us.

at 18:00 (JST), May 18

20250518180000_english_1.mp3

Glad to have you with us on NHK Newsline. I'm Yuko Fukushima. 

Police in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, have arrested a suspect in a hit-and-run case after he turned himself in. Four elementary school children were injured in an incident in Misato City last Wednesday. The police arrested a 42-year-old Chinese national on Sunday on suspicion of crimes including the hit-and-run case. The demolition worker, who lives in Misato, went to a local police station on Sunday morning. He reportedly told police he was surrendering because he caused an accident. Police suspect the man struck and injured four boys while driving a sport utility vehicle before fleeing the scene. The SUV was found and seized on Thursday in a parking lot about two kilometers from the accident site. Police say the vehicle belongs to the suspect and he has a valid driver's license. The suspect denies some of the allegations. He told investigators he hit the children but left the scene after they said they were fined. Police are investigating the details of the case, including the man's actions before his arrest.

Nissan Motor plans to reduce its global production facilities as part of a drastic plan to restructure. Sources say two factories in Japan may be affected.
Nissan posted a huge financial loss in the business year 3rd March. The restructuring plan, announced on Tuesday, includes reducing production at 7 factories worldwide by fiscal 2027.

At the moment, we cannot disclose details of which locations we are considering for these rightsizing. But as you rightly said, this is including Japan.

Informed sources say the reduction plan includes the Oppama plant in Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, and the Shonan plant of Nissan's subsidiary Nissan Shatai in the same prefecture.
Sluggish sales have led to low production rates at the two facilities. The Oppama plant started operations in 1961 and was Nissan's first, dedicated to making passenger cars. It produces fully electric and hybrid gasoline electric cars with an annual capacity of 240,000 units. The plant also serves as a mother factory, sharing cutting edge technology and know how with factories overseas. The Oppama plant has brought great economic benefits to the local community. A grocery shop owner says his family has driven about 20 Nissan vehicles, starting with its grandfather.

This shopping St. has depended on Nissan, so we all have concerns after hearing about the news.

About 3900 people are working at the Oppama plant, which includes a laboratory and a testing facility. Yokosuka Mayor Kamiji Katsuki said in a statement that if the news is true, it is deeply regrettable. He urges Nissan to ensure it is not causing needless anxiety to employees and contractors. Nissan commented on media reports of possible closures of some of its plants by saying they are based on speculation and are not based on information it has provided. The automaker intends to give thorough consideration to the restructuring plan as it needs to coordinate with labor unions and other stakeholders.
And sources also say that Nissan Motor will offer early early retirement packages to office workers in Japan. It is part of efforts to cut 20,000 jobs from its global group workforce.
3,600 jobs will be cut from administrative divisions. Sources close to the matter say in July the firm will start seeking early retirement of administrative workers in Japan. They say the office will be made to workers a off the offer will be made to workers aged between 45 and 64 with more than five years of continuous service. The sources also say the company is ready to pay extra in retirement allowances and will support employees who want to be reemployed elsewhere.

A reproductive health facility in Southern California was hit by a large explosion on Saturday, killing one person and injuring four. The FBI says they're investigating the incident as a terrorist attack targeting a medical facility.
Authorities in the city of Palm Springs say the blast occurred just before 11 a.m. Videos on social media show smoke and shattered glass at the clinic and a nearby store, the FBI believes explosion originated from a vehicle and that one person who was near it was killed. At least four others were injured.

This is an intentional act of terrorism. The FBI is investigating it as such.

The FBI also suggested that the person killed might have caused the explosion and they are trying to identify the body. The head of the fertility clinic revealed on social media that a car bomb went off in the parking lot near the American Reproductive Centers building.

Severe weather in the central US has spawned tornadoes that have claimed 27 lives. ABC News says state officials have reported that 18 people were killed in Kentucky, 7 in Missouri and 2 in Virginia.
The broadcaster reported that on Friday there were at least 26 tornadoes. A resident of Saint Louis, MO, described wind shaking a tree violently, then the walls of her house being ripped away, exposing the rooms.

US President Donald Trump says he will be speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone about the conflict in Ukraine. In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said that his conversation with Putin will take place on Monday, he wrote. Hopefully it will be a productive day. A ceasefire will take place and this very violent war, a war that should have never happened, will end. Trump also said that after his conversation with Putin, he will speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and various NATO member countries. This comes after senior officials from Russia and Ukraine held direct talks on Friday. It was the first time in three years for the two sides to meet, but it only revealed that wide gaps still remain.

Look, nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together, okay?

Russia's presidential spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has confirmed to local media that preparations are underway for the summit talks.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned what he says is a drone attack by Russia on a bus carrying civilians. He has called again for tighter sanctions against the country.
There was a drone attack in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy on Saturday. Russia's defense ministry announced that his forces hit a military staging area for Ukrainian forces. In a social media post, Zelenskyy said the drone attack had targeted an ordinary passenger bus, killing nine civilians and wounding seven others. He denounced the act as deliberate killing of civilians. Regarding the negotiations in Istanbul, Zelenskyy accused Moscow of sending a weak and unprepared Russian delegation without a meaningful mandate.
He said without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy. He went on to say that Kiev is expecting strong sanctions against Russia from the United States, from Europe, and from all our partners. Zelenskyy has been demanding a summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Parts of Japan experienced summer-like temperatures on Sunday. Well, it was appropriate weather for one Tokyo neighborhood to hold its annual festival heralding the season's arrival.
The Asakusa District's traditional Sanja Matsuri has been held for centuries.
Crowds gathered for Sunday's finale of the three-day event, a procession of mikoshi, or portable shrines.

We came here for the first time. It was amazing, as I heard. It was fun.

Temperatures across wide areas of the central Kanto and northern Tohoku regions topped 30 degrees Celsius, highs usually not seen until mid-summer.
And those were the main stories for this hour. This is NHK Newsline.

♫～

That's it for this hour NHK Newsline.
I'm Yuka Fukushima. Thanks for watching.