at 18:00 (JST), January 31

20250131180000_english_1.mp3

 Glad to have you with us on this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Raja Pradhan with the news from Tokyo.

Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to hold their first summit on February 7 in Washington. Government officials have been working on setting up a meeting in response to Ishiba's wish to hold talks with Trump at the earliest opportunity.
Ishiba spoke about his aims for the summit at a lower house panel session Friday in Tokyo.

I want to discuss building a new form of alliance that meets the national interests of both countries and taking the Japan-U.S. alliance to a new level.

The prime minister is expected to stress the need to work for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

The Chinese chatbot DeepSeek has already made big waves around the world, but several countries say they may ban it over privacy concerns.
The Italian Data Protection Authority says it requested additional information from the companies behind the AI. It wanted to know what personal data was collected and how it was stored. They also asked what kind of information is used to train the program. The Italian agency said Deepseek's answers were completely insufficient. It ordered immediate limits and opened an investigation. According to Reuters news agency, Ireland and France are on a similar path. The countries reportedly requested information and are proceeding with caution. Australia is also urging its residents to think carefully about using the app. Now, the White House press secretary touched on the issue Tuesday, saying the US National Security Council is reviewing Deep Seeks national security implications. American news site Axios reported Thursday US congressional offices have been warned not to use the app. The order reportedly came from the House of Representatives chief administrative officer, who said Deep Seek is still under review and is currently unauthorized for official house use.

Rescuers near Tokyo are in a race against time to save a man trapped in a truck in a sinkhole for more than three days.
Earlier, I spoke with NHK World's Miyamoto Rikuya in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, who was near the accident site.

It's cold in the shadows. The area is a mix of factories and houses, and worried local residents have come to watch rescue efforts. One woman I spoke to said the intersection where the sinkhole opened was relatively busy. The sound of heavy machinery and news helicopters echoes through the air. Earlier, I spoke with some residents. I have lived here for more than 40 years, but this is the first time this kind of thing has happened. It's scary. I am here. It's about 200 meters away from the sinkhole. A road in Yashio City suddenly came in on Tuesday.
Another sinkhole then appeared nearby.
The two later marched and expanded into a depression about 20 meters in diameter.
The man in the truck, who is 74, remains unaccounted for.

So, Rikuya, it's been over three days, so what's hindering rescue efforts?

Firefighters are working hard to find him, but the department officials said that sinkhole has grown bigger and deeper. Another element is the switch.
Take a look at this graphic. Prefectural officials believe the first cave-in was caused by a ruptured sewage pipe roughly 10 meters underground. Collapses continue within the depression. On Thursday, firefighters started building a ramp for heavy machinery to clear away the soil, which is mixed with structural debris and other rubble. Working day and night, they expect to complete about 4 by 30 meter ramp within a few days.

Now, this kind of problem could happen anywhere. Rikuya, what are some preventive measures?

A geotechnical engineering expert says the recent cave in Cave Inn was bigger than usual for underground cavities caused by the leaking sewage pipes.

It is important to keep in mind that deep sinkholes could happen in other places as well. And we must start reconsidering countermeasures for these issues.

Kuwano said authorities need to take steps to recognize potential risks from things such as deterioration of sewage pipes, geological features, and groundwater levels. And Rikuya, are there any other measures that are being done at the moment?

The prefectural government is fixing the sewage pipe. But this will take time.
So officials are pumping out sewage water and discharging it into a nearby river.
It's being disinfected with chlorine before release. Officials are calling on nearby residents to minimize water use and reduce the volume of sewage water. An elder care home over 20 kilometers away from the sinkhole has closed its bathing facilities for the time being.

I was surprised. I didn't expect the effects to reach this far.

A local resident told me that she's making efforts when she takes a bath and prepares meals to use as little water as possible. The impact of the cave-in is spreading to a wider area and will affect daily life for some time.

Next, federal investigators in the United States are trying to determine the cause of a deadly plane crash over Washington, D.C. Officials have reportedly recovered the plane's black boxes, which may offer some clues. The black boxes are to be analyzed at the National Transportation Safety Board lab. The incident occurred Wednesday when a passenger jet collided with a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport. All 67 people aboard both aircraft are feared dead. The plane and the helicopter came down in the nearby Potomac River.
U.S. President Trump said he's appointed an acting commissioner of the Federal Aviation Administration to lead the investigation. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says the troops aboard the helicopter were taking part in a training session.

It was a fairly experienced crew, and it was doing a required annual night evaluation. They did have night vision goggles.

He says investigators will look into whether the craft was flying at the proper altitude.
Now, according to the New York Times, an FAA internal report has revealed control tower staffing was not normal that night. The controller on duty was doing a job usually handled by two people. The Washington Post reports a similar incident took place 24 hours prior. A different jet landing at the airportwas reportedly forced to change course to avoid collision with a helicopter near the flight path.

A Palestinian news outlet has reported Israel released 110 Palestinian detainees as part of a third round of exchanges with Hamas. The freed Palestinians arrived in the West Bank on Thursday. A six-week ceasefire in Gaza started on January 19th based on agreements between Israel and Hamas to release some hostages and prisoners. Under the deal, Hamas is set to release 23 more in sequence, while Israel is also set to free more Palestinians. Ahead of the release of Palestinian detainees, the Israeli military and others announced Hamas released two Israeli civilians and a female soldier. A total of 10 Israeli hostages have been released since the ceasefire took effect. An Israeli media report said five Thai nationals were released by Hamas on Thursday. The freed hostages were not included in the exchange agreement.

Germany's largest opposition bloc has pushed through a motion to tighten immigration with the help of a far-right party. Local media say it breaks with the country's long-standing taboo on cooperating with the far-right.
The center-right alliance of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union presented the non-binding motion in parliament on Wednesday. The proposal narrowly passed with support from the Alternative for Germany Party, or AFD. The motion would not have passed without the anti-immigrant party's backing, as Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats and the Greens opposed it. An AFD politician welcomed the passage, saying a new era begins here and now.
Mainstream parties have long rejected cooperation with AFD. Germany's Nazi past has led to a wariness of far-right forces in the country.
Opinion polls indicate the bloc is leading in a parliamentary election scheduled for late February. But analysts say this move could affect the outcome.

Tokyo is already Japan's biggest city, but numbers show it's still getting bigger. New data indicate the capital's population grew for the third straight year. The Internal Affairs Ministry says Tokyo grew to the tune of 80,000 people in 2024. That's because about 460,000 moved to the city, while only about 380,000 left.
Younger generations accounted for most of the increase. Officials say they're coming to Tokyo for schools and jobs, continuing the population concentration in the capital. But it isn't the only prefecture that's growing. Six others also saw net population inflows, including three that surround Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba.
Osaka, Fukuoka, and Yamanashi also reported an increase.

Now, the number of foreign workers here in Japan rose 12.4% in 2024, hitting a record high for a 12th consecutive year. It comes as the country continues to struggle with labor shortages across a range of industries.
The latest government figures show the number of foreign workers topped 2.3 million last year. Vietnam accounted for about a quarter of the total, at over 570,000. It was followed by China and the Philippines. And in terms of year-on-year growth, Myanmar saw the largest increase at 61%, followed by Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The figures show around 207,000 foreign workers hold specified skilled worker status. This category was introduced in 2019 as a way to grant resident status to foreigners with certification in 16 fields, including nursing care and construction. These sectors are among those suffering from ongoing labor shortages.

And it's time now for a check on the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh. People here are getting curious about the chance of snow in the Greater Tokyo area this weekend. So, Jonathan, will we see any of it over the next couple of days?

Hello, we are seeing a cold air pattern along with approaching moisture from the West that could bring the possibility of seeing some wintry weather into the Greater Tokyo area as we go through the weekend. We've been talking about the snow up toward the north.
That's a separate pattern that continues to be in place and we'll still see some snow from this all through the first few days. Of February, but we have a little back toward the West and what's going to happen is with the colder that's now descending upon Japan, we're going to see the moisture trying to push in from the West and that's going to lead to that possibility of some wintry precipitation above average temperatures for Tokyo for most of the first few days of February.
But it's Sunday when we have that draw colder from the north with that low moving on through and the moisture that's going to lead to the possibility of seeing some sleet. Maybe even some snow, especially for the more western areas, especially as you go toward places like Yamanashi Prefecture up toward the West, where we're going to see that snow possibility. Sapporo, you're going to see plenty of snow go through the weekend to the first couple days of next week. You'll be seeing that wintry weather.
Meanwhile, we're talking about a stormy pattern across northwestern portions of France. Take a look at some video that's coming out from the area as a powerful storm brought heavy rain there Wednesday, causing severe flooding. Rescuers with boats were deployed to help residents and also to get their belongings through flooded streets. A recent series of these types of storms called historic floods in the northwestern part of the country, with winter officials saying a month's worth of rain falling in a matter of just days in the region. Clouds still expected as we go into the on Friday.
High pressure elsewhere, keeping things more on the drier side for the central portion of the continent toward the north. But looking at the forecast coming up on Friday, showers from London to Berlin, Stockholm is for Paris and Vienna, where we're gonna see some cloud cover in place. Now we talked about the warm weather that's impacting the western areas of Russia, and that's gonna be the case on Friday. Moscow looking some sunny skies, the high of five as we wrap up the work week. Hope you have a good day wherever you are.

♫～

That's all for now on this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Raja Pradhan in Tokyo.
There's much more to come on NHK World Japan, so please, please stay with us.

at 18:00 (JST), January 30

20250130180000_english_1.mp3

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

A search and rescue operation is underway near the U.S. capital after a passenger plane collided with a military helicopter. Both aircraft landed in the water and dozens are missing.
Emergency crews are searching the Potomac River. There were 64 people on the plane and three on the helicopter.
Federal aviation officials say the collision happened mid-air as the plane approached the runway of Ronald Reagan National Airport. They say the American Airlines jet, operated by PSA Airlines, was coming in from Wichita, Kansas. The military says the helicopter was a UH-60 Black Hawk. It was reportedly taking part in a training flight. Washington's mayor called the incident very tragic and gave an update on the search and rescue operation.

They are working diligently in very dark and cold conditions, cold water, to execute this rescue operation.

The local fire chief says about 300 first responders are on the river.
President Donald Trump has released a statement saying it was a clear night and that it looks like the situation should have been prevented.

The president continues his push to combat illegal immigration. He's announced a plan to prepare a facility to accommodate 30,000 migrants at the U.S. base in Cuba.
Donald Trump says it's for migrants with criminal records.

Well, some of them are so bad, we don't even trust the countries to hold them because we don't want them coming back. So we're going to send them out to Guantanamo. This will double our capacity immediately, right? And tough, that's a tough, it's a tough place to get out of.

The executive order he signed says the Migrants Operations Center in the base of Guantanamo Bay will be expanded to house those he calls illegal aliens. Trump also signed an order that lays the groundwork for the deportation of international students accused of pro Palestinian activities.
The order says it will be U.S. policy to prosecute, remove or otherwise hold to account perpetrators of unlawful anti-Semitic harassment and violence. U.S. news outlets say international students who participated in protests against Israel's offensive in Gaza could be deported.

Emergency workers near Tokyo were keeping up their efforts to rescue a truck driver from a sinkhole.
A truck plunged into a hole that opened Tuesday at an intersection in the city of Yashio. The hole was initially about 10 meters wide and 5 deep.
Another later opened up nearby.
Prefecture officials say the first cave-in likely happened after an underground sewage pipe collapsed.
They say the second was probably caused by leaking sewage eroding the soil.
Early Thursday, the holes joined up. Rescuers are using machinery to try to remove mud. Officials say the operation has made hardly any progress because of the risk of the rescuers. The condition of the truck driver is not clear. The prefecture government says the ruptured sewage pipe will not be fixed anytime soon. Meanwhile, officials are pumping sewage into a river. They say they're they're first disinfecting it with chlorine. They're asking people who live nearby to use less water. so as to create less sewage.

New data suggest the number of suicides in Japan was among its lowest last year, but for minors, the figure hit an all-time high.
Preliminary numbers out of Japan's health and welfare ministry show there were over 20,000 suicides in 2024. It's the second lowest year since records began in 1978. However, the number of young people taking their own lives has risen. Last year, 527 minors died by suicide. High school students accounted for nearly 70 percent of that figure. There was a notable increase among girls. 183 high school girls and 99 junior high girls died by suicide in Japan last year. Health ministry officials say they are taking the issue seriously and are working with relevant groups to tackle the problem.
For more on this, I spoke with Okaku Terumi. She's the founder and CEO of the grief support and suicide prevention organization, Live on.
Terumi, you've gone to hundreds of schools to speak about suicide. What are you hearing from kids?

What I hear from children is that bullying and exclusion on social media are very common.
Meanwhile, traditional forms of bullying, such as visible violence, have decreased. Many children are also very concerned about how they are perceived by others. In fact, some children have shared their thoughts after class, saying things like, I learned that it's okay to have different opinions from my friends.
They say they want to express their own opinions more, but they feel pressure to conform.

A Ministry of Health survey cites several key stressors. such as academic struggles, career anxiety and family problems. But those issues have always existed.
So why are suicides rising now?

Well, teachers have said that in the past, bullying only happened at school, but now it follows kids home because of social media. Pediatricians have also reported a rise in self-harm and overdoses among children, with cases occurring even before 10. the ability to access information on the internet is also having an impact.

Before 10, that's surprising.

Yeah, that's odd. 

Are the teachers and schools equipped to deal with these problems?

The National Suicide Prevention Initiative for Children focuses on encouraging them to reach out. However, since it began, child suicides have not decreased.
In fact, they have gone up. This Just that while the message it's OK to ask for help may be getting across, the adults may not be able to respond to these cries for help. Schools nationwide have slogans like be strong, be bright, be tough. So I believe that adults who grew up with that kind of message and values may struggle to fully acknowledge or address young people's suffering. The root issues that adults themselves are struggling.
There is also a teacher shortage. The number of educators applying for workers' compensation due to mental health issues is at an all-time high.
Ultimately, children have nowhere to turn when they need to ask for help.

It seems like such a complex problem. How do you start to tackle it?

It is important not to treat death and suicide as taboos. When we frame discussions solely around suicide, it may seem like an issue that only certain organizations can address. However, behind suicide lies deeper struggles, such as child poverty, being absent from school, and sexuality. So rather than limiting the discussion to suicide itself, we need a broader collaborative effort. One way organizations, stakeholders that work with children come together to address these struggles.

So telling me, like us, what are some concrete steps we can all take to address this?

Well, we need to tackle it without over-medicalizing the problem.
There's this idea that mental health program can be treated with just a pill, but that isn't always the case, and that approach can push young people away. This also means creating a third place, beyond schools and home, where children can express their pain, learn self-care and develop resilience to face their struggles. Public education should also play a significant role in fostering this approach.

So, what message should we send to children in distress?

When you feel like you want to run away from it all, know that it's not strange or unusual.

Not strange.

Yeah. Anyone can experience that feeling. It's normal. Showing vulnerability is not something to be ashamed of.

Thank you. That was Okaku Terumi. She's the founder and CEO of the grief support and suicide prevention organization Live on.

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, there are resources for you in Japan. The Yorisoi hotline is available in multiple languages toll-free at 0120-279-338. Again, the number is here, 0120-279-338.
Please note this number is not accessible outside of Japan. For our overseas viewers, please consider reaching out to resources in your area.

♪

It's now time to check the weather. Some areas in Japan are facing peak heavy snowfall on Thursday. Our meteorologist Yumi Hiyano has the details.

The snow is intensifying, especially in southern Tohoku and Hokuriku. 37 centimeters fall in just six hours in one place in western Fukushima, setting a record for January. We have some video.
A winter storm has hit western Fukushima prefecture, prompting officials to issue heavy snow warnings. Some areas have reported more than 60 centimeters of snowfall in 24 hours. Travel has been disrupted, with local train services suspended or delayed.
Authorities are urging people to check the latest traffic information.
The snow is expected to ease gradually on Friday, but there is still a whisk of power outages, avalanches and traffic disruptions for a while.
Niigata will see drier weather on Saturday, but another low pressure system is expected to bring showers to Osaka on Saturday and then snowfall to Tokyo on Sunday.
Even a small amount of snow can disrupt traffic in the capital. So please stay updated with the latest information.
Elsewhere in Asia, high pressure systems are likely to dominate northern China and the Korean peninsula, but the low pressure system is expected to bring rain and snow to southern China. So Chongqing will see some showers with a high of 10. Beijing will stay in freezing temperatures.
Moving to the United States, active low pressure and frontal systems are moving across the southern plains. There are risks of heavy downpours, gusty winds and even tornadoes, especially from eastern Texas to the western Carolinas on Thursday. But sunny weather is expected along the east coast, including New York and Washington. That's all for me. Have a nice day.

♫～

That's all for this edition of NHK NewsLine. I'm Morishita Erika in Tokyo.

Thank you for watching.

at 18:00 (JST), January 29

 

20250129180000_english_1.mp3

Glad to have you with us on this edition of NHK Newsline.
I'm Raja Pradhan with the news from Tokyo.

The United States, under President Donald Trump, has backed a move by Israel to ban the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees, UNRWA.
The agency head told the Security Council this week the ban will be disastrous for the humanitarian work in Gaza. The controversial new law, due to come into effect on Thursday, prohibits UNRWA from operating in Israel and occupied territories. Israel has accused UNRWA staff members of taking part in the October 2023 attacks by Hamas. The acting U.S. ambassador to the UN said the agency is exaggerating the impacts of the law.

UNRWA is not and never has been the only option for providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

The former administration under President Joe Biden had expressed concerns about the ban. Many countries, including the Security Council's other permanent members, Britain, France, China, and Russia, voiced their support for UNRWA's continued operation in Israel.

Next, the number of suicides here in Japan was among its lowest last year, but for minors, the figure hit an all-time high. Preliminary data out of Japan's health and welfare ministry show there were more than 20,000 suicides in 2024. This was about 1,500 lower than the previous year and the second lowest since data compilation began in 1978. Of the suicides, more than 13,000 were men and a little over 6,500 were women.
Meanwhile, 527 minors took their own lives, surpassing the previous highs set in 2022. High school students accounted for nearly 70% at 349. There were also noticeable increases in suicides among junior and senior high school female students. The number rose by 19 to 99 for those in junior high, and by 17 to 183 for those in high school.
Ministry officials say the motives for suicides among minors include school-related issues, such as poor grades, health problems, including depression, and family troubles. The officials say they're taking the issue seriously and will work with relevant groups to tackle the problem. People in need of help should call Yorisoi hotline at 0120-279-338.
Note this phone number is not accessible outside Japan.

And staying with Japan, efforts to rescue a 74-year-old man from a sinkhole are being hampered by sewage. There are fears the road itself is still unstable.
The incident began when a street in Yashio City, north of Tokyo, suddenly collapsed Tuesday morning. According to witnesses, the truck almost immediately fell in. The hole is believed to be about five meters deep. 15 hours later, rescue workers were able to use a crane to remove the rear portion of the truck, but then...
Another part of the road collapsed, and a second sinkhole appeared nearby. As of Wednesday afternoon, the front half of the truck is still in the first hole.
Firefighters said they were initially communicating with the driver, but have not heard from him since Tuesday afternoon. Local authorities fear the area could cave in again. They say the sinkhole has been steadily growing.
And they fear a potential gas leak from underground pipes. City officials are urging nearby residents to evacuate.
At least 30 people relocated to Yashio City Hall as of Wednesday morning.

Police cars came around telling people to evacuate. I didn't expect that to happen.

Saitama Prefecture officials held an emergency task force meeting to discuss their options. They said sewage has accumulated in the sinkhole, complicating rescue efforts. The prefecture's governor is calling on residents to reduce the amount of sewage going into the system.

A North Korean media outlet says the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, has visited a nuclear weapons institute and a base where a nuclear material is produced. The ruling Workers' Party newspaper Rodon Sinmun reported on the visit Wednesday. During the visit, Kim mentioned a five-year defense plan set to end this year. He also stressed the need to produce weapons-grade nuclear materials and strengthen North Korea's nuclear shield. Kim noted the country's security situation is very unstable, and a long-term confrontation is inevitable with countries he described as vicious and hostile. This is the first report of a visit by Kim to a nuclear facility since September. It comes less than 10 days after the inauguration of U.S. President Trump.

Now, the UN's disarmament chief has called attention to the strong sense of crisis over Trump's America First policy and the possible global effects.
UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Nakamitsu Izumi spoke to NHK in Tokyo Tuesday. Nakamitsu expressed concern over Trump's order to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization and his America First stance. She said this worldview could lead to the collapse of the international order.

There continue to be challenges all around the world to international law.
I am actually concerned nobody will be held responsible, and the trend might spread.

But she welcomed Trump's willingness to work with Russia and China toward the reduction of nuclear weapons, expressed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this month.
Nakamitsu said countries must recognize an endless arms race benefits no one.

The United Nations will be happy to help countries put into practice what the president is proposing.

She said she hopes Japan, the only country to suffer atomic bombings, will exert its leadership in the international community this year. 2025 marks 80 years since the end of World War II and the founding of the UN.

In other news, fighting is raging between security forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and rebels for control of the key eastern city of Goma.
A rebel group called M23 claimed it had taken control of the city Monday, although fighting has continued in some areas. The group is reportedly backed by neighboring Rwanda. The eastern part of the huge Central African country has been mired in conflict for decades. The United Nations said hospitals in Goma and surrounding areas have been overwhelmed by the influx of wounded people. It added, There have also been reports of looting and rape. Now, in the capital, Kinshasa, people protesting against the rebel offensive attacked the embassies of Rwanda, the United States and France. Video footage showed protesters breaking security cameras at an embassy and setting tires ablaze.

This year marks 80 years since the end of World War II. And as the conflict fades from living memory, Tokyo is preparing to demolish a relic of the post-war era, located right near our broadcast studios.

In a quiet corner of Yoyogi Park stands this old house.
A placard describes it as a memorial for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics when it was part of the Athletes' Village.
But Shinohara Toichi remembers its original purpose.

The signboard doesn't mention this structure was part of Washington Heights.

The 83 year old came to see it before it's knocked down. Coming here now conjures so many memories.

Back then, there were not so many fancy buildings like this in Japan.
We were living in places that barely stood up against the rain and the wind.

Shinohara grew up near Yoyogi. In the wake of World War II, the area was devastated by American bombs.

Nothing remained here. Everything was flattened.

When the US military occupied Japan, it needed a place for officers and their families to live. It chose the spot where Yoyogi Park now sits. Dubbed Washington Heights, it hosted more than 800 western-style houses with healthy green lawns, an enclave of post-war Americana amid the blasted landscape of post-war Tokyo.
Peering over the fence, it seemed unreal to Shinohara.

The entrance to the complex was right here. I felt those on the other side had a cultured lifestyle. It was a totally different  to pick up world.

As Japan beganthe pieces, Shinohara's family rebuilt their house.
They struggled to find food.
There were moments where young Shinohara could feel the difference between his life and life for the Americans.

We used to eat the plants that grew around us or anything that was said to be edible. We just boiled them and ate.
Occasionally a person staying in our house would give us sweets he got while working in Washington Heights. They were delicious.

Eventually the US military relocated its families and the houses were used for the Olympics, then eventually cleared for what would become a sprawling park.
Now the last remnant is set for removal.
Shinohara hopes the lessons from its time don't fade.

In a way, Washington Heights was a foundation for post-war Japan. I hope people acknowledge the tragedy of war.
I hope they understand, even just a little. the misery it brings to people's lives.

While the original will be gone, its memory will remain. Tokyo plans to complete a replica house around March next year and will exhibit photos detailing the history, preserving a snapshot from when Japan rose from the ashes of war and hosted athletes from around the world less than two decades later.

And it's time now for a check on the weather with our meteorologist Jonathan.
Oh, heavy snow and strong gusts have battered parts of the coastline along the Sea of Japan. So Jonathan, how's the forecast looking?

Hello, we were talking about the heavy snow impacting areas back to the West into North and South Korea. But that low pressure system moved over the Sea of Japan and dumped a bunch of snow across the north and northeastern portions of the country.
Take a look at this video that's coming out from the region. A winter storm is hitting Yamagata Prefecture, prompting officials to issue heavy snow and snowstorm warnings. Parts of the prefecture have reported more than 50 centimeters of snow in 24 hours and gusts of up to 108 kilometers per hour. You can see that really thick, heavy snow that's falling there. Now the windy conditions are also disrupting sea travel in Niigata Prefecture, which ferry services suspended, especially when you have wave heights like that. Now authorities are urging people to check updated road information and avoid necessary travel.
As more snow is expected, so that's going to be the story as we go into Thursday, we'll have that northwesterly flow coming back into the picture. And so as that continues, we'll see more snow into places like Hokkaido and also into the Hokurika and Tohoku regions as we go through today on Thursday. Looking at the forecast here too in Sapporo for Niigata, Tokyo looking at more sunny skies and high of 12 by the time we go into the weekend though. Big cold setup will be in place and that's going to really drop temperatures as we head toward the weekend.
We brought out the view cold air coming in for the eastern areas of China into North and South Korea. That continues to be the story. So highs a low freezing from Seoul into Beijing as we go throughout the day. On Thursday meal across North America down toward the South we have a low that's developing might be seeing some strong thunderstorms as this low push on through the state of Texas up toward the north.
We may be talking about some snow squalls into theeastern portion of the United States as you have a little dropping out of Canada and moving through the region.
So that could be a bit of a messy setup as you go through Wednesday. So be prepared for some really strong downbursts of snow, possibly in the region as you go through the middle of this work week.
That's the forecast. Hope you have a good day wherever you are.

♫～

That's all for now on this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Raja Pradhan in Tokyo, there's much more to come on NHK World Japan, so please, do stay with us.

at 18:00 (JST), January 28

20250128180000_english_1.mp3

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

It's been a busy week back in the White House. President Donald Trump capped it off by pledging more of his trademark measures.

In particular, in the very near future, we're going to be placing tariffs on farm production of computer chips, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals to return production of these essential goods to the United States of America.

He argued in a speech that semiconductor producers have gone to Taiwan. He bashed a subsidy program adopted by his predecessor to boost domestic chip manufacturing. Trump says he doesn't want to give the producers billions of dollars as a way to lure them back. He also had his own return on the mind.

A single week, I've taken over 350 executive actions. The golden age of America has officially begun.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant is reportedly pushing for new universal tariffs on imports. They would start at 2.5% and rise gradually. Besant, the founder of a hedge fund, was confirmed by a majority of votes in the US Senate as the Treasury Secretary on Monday. The Financial Times ran an article that same day quoting sources about Besant's view on President Trump's plan to impose universal tariffs. The British newspaper said that the levy would increase by the same amount each month. This would give countries the chance to negotiate with the U.S. It said the levies could be pushed up to 20%. But the report also quoted another person familiar with Trump's thinking as saying there's not a single plan the president is ready to decide on yet. Discussions are believed to be ongoing in the administration. Much attention has been on Trump's plan to introduce sweeping tariffs, which could affect the entire world.

Israel lifted restrictions on northern Gaza Monday,... allowing many Palestinians to go home for the first time in months.

We're not going to be the Israeli people.
We're not going to be the Nazi people.
We're going to be the Israeli people.

Israel's move comes after Hamas announced they would release three more hostages by the end of the month. Since the six-week ceasefire began mid-January, Hamas has released seven female hostages. In exchange, Israel freed 290 Palestinian prisoners.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Trump is stirring up controversy in the region. He suggested Saturday that Jordan and Egypt should take in residence from the Gaza Strip. Both Jordan and Egypt rejected the idea.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safari said Sunday his country belongs to Jordanians, just as Palestine belongs to Palestinians. In a statement, Egypt said the region's instability stems from not restoring Palestinian rights. The Palestinian Authority said the idea was a blatant violation that crosses what they call their red line.

The hope now for the people of Gaza is that the ceasefire will hold long enough so they can start to rebuild their lives.
For more on this NHK World's Sakurai Reiko spoke to Noguchi Chitose. She is the Deputy Special Representative of the UNDP's program of assistance to the Palestinian people. She's been closely examining the situation in Gaza for the last five years.

The latest report by the United Nations Development Program paints a grim picture. with millions of Gazans now living in tents, fueling concerns around health and sanitation.

The situation on the ground is that over 90% of the people are still displaced. They have nowhere to go. The services have been decimated. However, because of the ceasefire, we are feeling some relief and some hope.

Noguchi says the priority is restoring access to clean water, collecting waste, and bringing in more large-scale equipment to clear out the destruction.
It's estimated that about 51 metric tons of debris has been generated over the last 15 months.

The roads are are covered with rubble.
The emergency ambulances cannot pass. They can't transport people to health facilities. The humanitarian actors cannot deliver the services to the people. So debris removal is really critical in this humanitarian phase.

But beyond the more urgent concerns, she says the war will have a lasting impact. It's estimated that Gaza has regressed by almost 70 years in development.

The poverty rate has increased and now throughout Palestine it's over 74%. And because people have lost their jobs and also the businesses have been decimated, they're not able to function.
The war has had a devastating impact, particularly on children, and also the education sector has been hard hit. In that sense, it's not just the infrastructure in terms of the schools and universities, but also the teachers, the university leadership has been has been killed.

Finally, Noguchi says that the world needs to continue to pay attention to the crisis and invest in Gaza's future.

It's essential for us to be able to invest in the future of Palestine so that the support is not temporary, that it's not just emergency relief, but it's combined with the early recovery and reconstruction and development activities so that we can support the resilience of the Palestinian people. I think the important thing is that the international community recognizes the importance of holding the ceasefire. and implementing the conditions so that the Palestinian people and the Gazan people can start rebuilding their lives and continue forward.

Holocaust survivors gathered in southern Poland to mark 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. Over a million people, mostly Jews, were murdered at the Nazi concentration camp.
Survivors, dignitaries, and representatives from around the world attended the ceremony. Among them were Britain's King Charles, German President Frank Walter Steinmeier, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

We were victims in a moral vacuum.
But today, however, we have an obligation not only to remember which is very, very important, but also to warn and to teach that hatred only begets more hatred.

Three survivors shared their experiences and delivered their messages. A 99-year-old man expressed worries about the intolerance he's seeing in Europe's today and urged people to stay vigilant.
Soviet troops liberated the camp in 1945, and the average age of Holocaust survivors is now 86.

On the same day, a full-scale replica of the secret annex where Jewish teenager Anne Frank, hid from Nazi persecution, has gone on display in New York City, which has a large Jewish population.
The exhibit is a faithful reproduction of the one preserved at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Behind the hinged bookcase concealing the entrance, the annex is furnished with replica furniture and daily items.
Anne Frank wrote her famous diary in the annex, where her family hid for about two years. They were eventually found, and Anne was sent to a concentration camp where she died at the age of 15.

In this world and the challenging times that we go through right now, we very much hope that all those visitors, and especially young visitors, we very much hope that they will become part of the solution in order to combat all those forms of hatred that we see around us today.

I just think it's really, really important for people to see it and that the history is not lost.

The exhibition's scheduled to run through April 30.

50,000 doses of a vaccine provided by Japan have arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to help combat a spike in Mpox cases. Mpox is an infectious viral illness previously known as monkeypox. A variant that is more likely to cause severe symptoms has been spreading in the DRC and other nations. That prompted the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern last August. The Japanese government says the DRC has requested 3.05 million doses and Tokyo decided to provide a vaccine developed by a Japanese company. The Japanese government sent doctors and officials to the DRC in December to train local medical workers to administer the vaccine. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the number of people infected with Mpox in the DRC is believed to exceed 50,000. It also says about 30% of them are children under 15. The Japanese vaccine can be administered to people under the age of 18.

Setsubun is the last day of winter on Japan's traditional calendar, and it falls this year on Sunday. Rituals for the day include bean throwing to scare away demons, and in central Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture, enjoying a good luck cake called Kirisansho.
Kirisansho has a plain, sweet taste with hints of the unique flavor of sansho, Japanese pepper. To make it, a dough made of rice flour and hot water is first steamed. Then, the pepper and seaweed flakes are folded into it. The dough is then dusted with starch, left overnight at room temperature, and cut into strips the next morning.
This shop in Yamanashi Prefecture was established more than 130 years ago. It's been busy making this year's Kirisansho.

It is traditionally said that the sansho Japanese pepper's strong aroma wards off evil.

The shop says it plans to make about 1,000 packages until around mid-February.

♪

It's time for us to check the world weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh. So frigid, cold and snowy weather has swept through the Korean Peninsula. Jonathan, how are things looking for Wednesday?

Hello, we have been seeing a low pressure system moving across northern areas of China into portions of North and South Korea, bringing some snow into the area with bitter cold. Let's take a look at some video coming out of North Korea, where a strong cold snap brought heavy snow Monday. State media broadcast footage of several regions blanketed in white and also reported about 54 centimeters of snow in South Hamgyong Province. The cold temperatures are expected to continue for days. Now the snow is going to try to tap her down a little bit because it's going to be pushing toward the east and heading toward the northern portions of Japan. So we'll be seeing snow picking up, but the cold air being driven down from the north will still be a big part of the story into eastern portions of China and North and South Korea. Now this low is going to have a lot of moisture and cold air with it, and we may be seeing the possibility of snow as far West as Kyushu in Fukuoka as we head through the on Wednesday, so we are looking at a bit of a wintry pattern extending from Sapporo into Niigata, also Fukuoka and temperatures staying below freezing into Pyongyang and Seoul as we go throughout the day on Wednesday. Tokyo, you're still above average for now, but we head toward the weekend and we're going to be seeing a big drop in temperatures, so it's going to be a lot colder as we head toward the latter part of this week, brightening out the view as we head toward that Lunar New Year festivities as cold air is also the part of the story into Beijing, with a high of 1 under kati skies and snow up toward the north in Mongolia. Meanwhile, we are looking at, well, relatively compounding across a good portion of North America, though we do have a system moving across the Great Lakes, a front swinging on through. So the northeastern portion of the United States will be seeing some of the white stuff falling and another low behind it crossing across the Great Lakes as we head toward the latter part of this week.
Showers into Winnipeg, snow into Toronto, New York, elsewhere relatively dry down to the South as we go through Tuesday.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.

♫～

That brings us to the end of this edition of NHK Newsline.

We'll have more for you at the top of the hour. Thanks for watching.
 

at 18:00 (JST), January 27

 

20250127180000_english_1.mp3

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

The president and the chairman of a top Japanese broadcaster say they are stepping down. Pressure has been growing on Fuji Television over a major scandal involving a TV personality.

We sincerely apologize to everyone for causing great concern and inconvenience.
We are deeply sorry.
We, the management, believe we are responsible for this situation.

Kano and Minato Koichi announced their resignations at a news conference Monday.
Fuji TV's problems began with allegations there was what's been reported as trouble between celebrity Nakai Masahiro and a woman. Weekly magazines reported last month that a Fuji TV employee was involved. Executives, including Minato, were aware of the incident and continued to work and broadcast programs with Nakai for a year-and-a-half. Fuji TV held a news conference about the scandal earlier this month. It imposed filming restrictions and said it would create a panel to investigate, but it's unclear if that process would be independent, fueling widespread public criticism. Many companies have since suspended their ads on Fuji TV.

The U.S. and Colombia have defused a brewing trade war sparked by U.S.
attempts to deport undocumented immigrants. With Colombia stepping back, the U.S. says it is suspending plans for 25% tariffs and other sanctions.
The dispute erupted when the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump tried to deport migrants via two military planes. Colombia on Sunday refused to let them land.
Trump threatened sweeping tariffs in retaliation, and Colombia's president then instructed ministers to raise tariffs on U.S. goods. The White House issued a statement Sunday saying the Colombian government has agreed to all of Trump's terms, including the acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the U.S., including on military aircraft, without limitation or delay. It also said the tariffs and financial sanctions will remain on hold and could be enacted if Colombia fails to honor the agreement. Colombia's foreign ministry has not released details of the agreement, but says Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo and other officials will visit the U.S. soon to confirm the terms.
The foreign ministry says the government has prepared the presidential plane to fly the deportees who are on the Sunday flights.

Russia's defense ministry claims its troops have captured a strategically important town in Ukraine's Donetsk region. The report comes as Russia is intensifying its attacks in eastern Ukraine. The town, Belyka Novosilka, is a Ukrainian stronghold. Ukrainian media has quoted experts as saying that Russian troops may further extend their foothold from there. In another development, Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces says its drones struck an oil refinery in the Russian region of Ryzan. The facility reportedly produces fuel for Russian military jets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media that Russian forces had conducted hundreds of attacks over the past week, using about 1,250 aerial bombs. Zelenskyy called on countries to support Ukraine, including by providing weapons with long-range capabilities.

Latvia and Sweden say an underwater fiber-optic cable in the Baltic Sea has been damaged. They say they still don't know the cause.
The two countries announced their findings Sunday. Latvian Prime Minister Evika Selina said Sunday they are working with Swedish and NATO allies to investigate.
Authorities suspect external factors are likely the cause and inspected a nearby ship as part of the investigation.
It is the latest in a string of incidents involving damaged cables on the seafloor.
A subsea pipeline in the area was found damaged in 2023 and several undersea cables were found severed late last year. Countries in the region have suggested sabotage may be to blame, potentially involving Russia. NATO has stepped up its air and sea patrols in the area. The United States says the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Shia Muslim group Hezbollah in Lebanon will continue until February 18. The White House made the announcement on Sunday, the same day the ceasefire had been due to expire.
The U.S. brokered the agreement that took effect in November and has since been monitoring it. The deal called for Lebanon's military to be deployed in the country's south within 60 days to enforce the agreement. Israeli and Hezbollah forces were supposed to withdraw from the area. There had been concerns over whether the ceasefire would hold as Israeli forces remained in southern Lebanon after the initial deadline. They claimed the Lebanese side had not fulfilled the agreement and opened fire on residents who tried to return to their homes. Media reports said at least 22 people were killed.
Hezbollah has warned that it will take every possible countermeasure if Israel keeps its forces in Lebanon.

Sunday marked one week since a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic group Hamas took effect in the Gaza Strip.
Fighting in the territory broke out between the two sides in October of 2023.
There have been no major clashes since the ceasefire began on January 19.
The suspension of hostilities is scheduled to last for six weeks.
Hamas has released seven Israeli hostages so far. Three women were freed on the first day of the pause. Four female soldiers were handed over on Saturday.
Israel released 290 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.
Deliveries of humanitarian supplies to Gaza have increased significantly.
Several hundred trucks carrying food aid have been entering the enclave every day.
UN agencies and other organizations are among those providing more assistance.
Hamas is expected over the next five weeks to release another 26 hostages. Several of them will be freed each week. This is the first phase of the ceasefire. Observers are waiting to see whether more hostages will be handed over and whether fighting will remain suspended as the second base approaches.
The second stage is supposed to include a permanent ceasefire.

One man involved in brokering the deal on behalf of the U.S. says the situation in the Middle East remains fragile. NHK Washington Bureau's Okano Ayuko has more.

That's the guy who's on the upper left corner. Matthew Miller can't help but smile at the news of a pause in fighting in Gaza. It really is incredible to see this after 15 months of just horrendous suffering.

Miller says the path to peace was a long, uncertain process. Miller traveled to the Middle East with then Secretary of State Antony Blinken 10 times to help hammer out a deal on behalf of the Biden administration.

He says negotiations with Israel, a longtime U.S. ally, involved a lot of tough conversations. When it comes to dealing with Prime Minister Netanyahu, you just have to understand that he is a political operator who is going to try to get the best deal he can at all times.

As spokesperson, Miller spent much of his time defending Biden's approach to the conflict, like when he announced they got Israel to agree to let humanitarian aid into Gaza.

You say that that opening Karom Shalom improves the lives of the Palestinians in Gaza, but wouldn't not killing them improve the lives of Palestinians in Gaza?

Miller and his family were met with protests outside their home.

Miller, Miller

Hey Matt. How many lies are you going to tell today?

Are you going to tell us what happened with Hind Rejab?

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came just days before Biden was to hand the White House over to Trump. As a final push, Trump sent his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Doha. Miller says Witkoff's involvement was essential to ensure a lasting agreement.

It was important that the Trump administration was there with us. Taking the deal that we had negotiated, the deal that we had conceived and saying, yes, we will stand by this deal as well, you can count on the United States. I think that was was important to getting the parties to ultimately accept it.

The question now is whether the new administration can bring the ceasefire into stage two.

There are going to be tough conversations and tough negotiations that go into that.
It'll be incumbent upon him to build on that ceasefire and try to find lasting peace in the Middle East. Miller is concerned Trump might stray from Biden's policies beyond the Middle East, and he wonders whether Trump will maintain America's alliances.

We would certainly hope that the the Trump administration would not pursue a go-it-alone approach, not just because it's not in the interests of the world, but because fundamentally it's not in the interests of the American people.

Miller says the partnership the US has built helped rally the support of its European allies when Russia invaded Ukraine. He says it will also be crucial in getting the world to cooperate against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.

That doesn't work if you are antagonizing your allies and partnerships all the time, because then they're not willing to work with you.

He says the Trump administration has been given a strong hand to play, and it's up to them to decide how to play it. Okano Ayuko, NHK World, Washington.

♪

Let's check in with our Jonathan Oh for weather updates. So Jonathan, last week was rather on the warm side in Japan, but temperatures are feeling a bit cooler as we start this week. What's ahead for Tuesday?

Hello, listener. We're going to be talking more about winter weather for the northeastern areas of Japan. As we go throughout Tuesday, we have a system that's coming out of continental Asia and that's going to bring some of the more colder weather and the snow as we go throughout the day.
Now we are seeing still a little bit on the slightly above average temperatures in Tokyo. Now we saw it a little bit cooler and certainly was windier during the week as it felt cold outside. And we have a low that's going to be scooting on by, so we'll see a mix of sun and clouds as they go through the day on Tuesday. But look at this snow possibilities, especially for the northeastern portion of Japan, but also along the other portion of the Sea of Japan coastline. We're looking at the possibility of maybe some flurry activity as far West into the portions of Kyushu, especially the higher elevations.
Sapporo looking at some snow and showers into Niigata Tokyo looking at high of 14 with partly cloudy skies as you go through Tuesday.

Now if you're talking about heat. A lot hotter down toward the southern hemisphere over into Brazil. Here's a look at some video coming out of Rio de Janeiro, where we're seeing folks trying to find some relief from those high temperatures as residents flock to the ocean to stay cool and relaxed even after sunset. This video coming out on Friday, the beach packed with people spending the night instead of staying in their homes because of the heat, where it's a bit uncomfortable. We saw local media reporting the city's heat index rising to 48.9 degrees at the beating up last week. An official now warning of heavy rain and thunderstorms in the area.
We are going to be seeing some relief from the heat though as we see the rain continuing, but at least for Monday is going to be on the hot side, 36 in Rio de Janeiro with some thunderstorms and that rain will help to push down those temperatures as we go through the week.
Meanwhile, a quick note on what's happening in North America, Southern California, you're getting rain. It may seem good, but at the same time you have to remember with all the situation with how dry it is, you can lead to some flooding problems and so be on the lookout for that as you go through today on Monday.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.

♫～

That's all for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo.
Thank you for staying with us.

at 18:00 (JST), January 26

 

20250126180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.

North Korean media say a strategic cruise missile has been test fired while leader Kim Jong Un watched on. This is the first missile launched by the country since U.S. President Donald Trump took office.
The North's ruling Workers Party newspaper, Rodong Singun, reported in its Sunday edition that the country's missile administration conducted the launch of the underwater to surface missile on Saturday. Kim reportedly watched the missile flying in Oval and figure 8 trajectories. The media say it flew about 1,500 kilometers for over 2 hours before hitting a target. Kim reportedly said the armed forces means of deterring war are being perfected. The launch appears to show Pyongyang making progress on weapons development during the final year of its five year National Defense plan. A Foreign Ministry official condemned a joint military exercise this month between the US and South Korea, saying Pyongyang should respond to such continued threats by Washington thoroughly and with extra force.

Chinese government ships navigated near Japan's Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea almost every day last year.
Japanese authorities confirmed that Chinese vessels seen in the latter part of the year were all equipped with what appeared to be cannons. The Japan Coast Guard is ramping up patrols in and around the country's southwestern territorial waters.
Japan Coast Guard officials say Chinese ships were spotted in the contiguous zone out just outside Japan. Japanese territorial waters a total of 355 days in 2024. That's three days more than a year before, marking a record high. They also say Chinese vessels were seen sailing in the contiguous zone for 215 consecutive days last year. The figure is also an all time high. Japan controls the Senkaku Islands. China and Taiwan claim them. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan's territory in terms of history and international law.
It says there is no issue of sovereignty to be resolved over them. The Japanese officials note that Chinese government ships were usually spotted in groups of four. All of them appeared to be armed with cannons from June onwards.
On December 6, all the four ships sighted appeared to be carrying 76mm cannons. This is the first time that four apparently heavily armed vessels had been sighted together.
JCG Commandant Seguchi Yoshio said the situation is unstable and critical, but that the Coast Guard will respond calmly and resolutely in coordination with relevant organizations.

Japanese police have arrested a man on suspicion of a deadly knife attack in Nagano City, central Japan.
The attack took place on Wednesday near a bus stop in front of the city's main train station. A 49-year-old male resident of the city was killed and two others were injured. Investigative sources say the suspect, Yaguchi Yusuke, who is in his 40s, was taken into custody and then arrested on Sunday morning for attempted murder. The man reportedly lives in Nagano City, several kilometers from the scene. Police were investigating the case as a random attack as the two injured victims told investigators that they do not know the attacker.
Police said at a news conference that the investigation connected images from multiple security cameras, and that played an important role in leading to the arrest. Police say that the suspect is remaining silent during questioning.

Now, many Israelis are urging their government to enter negotiations with the Islamic group Hamas for a permanent ceasefire.
Four female Israeli soldiers were released on Saturday. It was the second release of hostages under the current six-week ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
A week ago, the Islamic group freed three female hostages.
People gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the release and call on the government to work toward a permanent ceasefire and the return of all remaining hostages.

We think that it's not enough. In the past week, 7 hostages came back. We just pray. We can hope for all the hostages to come back very soon. We hope that our government won't stop the deal.

The current agreement calls for Hamas to release a total of 33 hostages in small groups. It also requires Israel to free Palestinian prisoners.
Under the agreement, on the same day, Israel set free 200 Palestinian prisoners. No major fighting in Gaza has been reported since the start of the ceasefire.

And Ukraine's president is accusing his Russian counterpart of trying to manipulate U.S. President Donald Trump. Vladimir Putin indicated on Friday that he's ready to meet Trump. This came after the U.S. leader said he wants a meeting as soon as possible. Also on Friday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a report from the head of his country's foreign intelligence service indicates Putin intends to continue the war.

He wants to manipulate the desire of the US president to achieve peace.

Meanwhile, the independent Russian news outlet Media Zona and the BBC both reported on Friday that they have confirmed that 90,019 Russian military personnel have been killed since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The report says 23% of them had signed a contract with the military after the start of the invasion. It also says 17% had been sent to the front lines in exchange for their release from prisons, while another 12% had been mobilized. They also said 80% of conscript has come from rural areas or cities with a population of fewer than 100,000. Media, Zona and the BBC added that the actual death toll could be much higher as the tally was based on open source information. They said the data included social media posts by bereaved relatives and reports by local media outlets.

And NHK has learned that Japan's government and ruling coalitions are considering sending died members to a UN Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty Conference without observer status. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has been ratified by 73 countries and territories. Japan has so far rejected calls for it to attend meetings of the Treaty Group as an observer. The third meeting of states parties to the treaty will take place in March at the UN headquarters in New York.
The government and the ruling coalition are mulling over whether to send members of the Liberal Democratic Party and coalition partner Komeito. They say it is important to listen to the discussions for future reference. They're also considering a plan to make it a cross-party delegation, depending on the willingness of opposition parties.
And Nobel Peace Prize winner Nyong Hidankyo has asked the government to take part in the meeting as an observer.
However, the government and the ruling coalition say the benefit of participating is limited. They reached the conclusion after studying examples of other countries that are seen as relying on U.S. nuclear weapons for their own security. Nihon Hidankiyo co-chair Mimaki Toshiyuki said he feels anger and disappointment that the government cannot participate as an observer for the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing.

♪

And here's the three-day forecast for selected cities around the globe.

♫～

And that's a wrap for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard.
Thank you very much for joining us.

at 18:00 (JST), January 25

20250125180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.

U.S. Secretary of State Wako Rubio has held telephone talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Rubio emphasized that the U.S. will pursue bilateral ties that put the American people first, while Wang stressed the importance of maintaining communications.
The U.S. State Department said on Friday Rubio also underscored Washington's commitment to its allies in the region.
He expressed concern over China's coercive actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea. The U.S.'s top diplomat has been known as a hardliner on China.
Rubio criticized Beijing at a U.S. lawmaker's hearing before being confirmed as Secretary of State.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry says the Wang stressed Beijing and Washington should promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China US relations. The ministry also said Wang explained Beijing's position that Taiwan is an integral part of China's territory, and he asked the US to handle the issue with caution. Wang reportedly said major countries should take on their international responsibilities and safeguard world peace. The remark is seen as a bid to keep in check the new U.S. administration of President Donald Trump, who's taking an America-first approach. The Chinese side said Rubio expressed his willingness to engage in candid communication with Beijing.

Now Trump has visited areas devastated by wildfires in California and pledged to help put out the blazes and rebuild communities.
28 people have been confirmed dead in the fires that first started on January 7 in several Los Angeles suburbs. The blazes have been mostly contained, but a new wildfire broke out on Wednesday.
Trump went to affected areas on Friday to hear from residents and to encourage firefighters battling the flames.

It's really not believable.

Trump has repeatedly criticized California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and former President Joe Biden for their response to the fires.

This took place during the life of another president, not me. And But I'm going to be the president that's going to help you fix it.

Trump also criticized the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
He said he's considering overhauling or eliminating the agency.
And Trump administration officials say hundreds of undocumented immigrants with criminal records have been deported to Guatemala. The White House said Thursday that two military planes carrying migrants arrived in the Central American country.
Guatemalan officials told The Associated Press the first flight had 79 of their citizens aboard. The White House press secretary said Trump's message is that if you illegally enter the US, you will face severe consequences. Trump campaigned on increasing controls on the border and has made it a priority. His administration has unleashed a flurry of steps related to border security and illegal immigration in the first few days since taking office Monday. This includes increasing the number of troops dispatched to the border with Mexico.

South Korean media say prosecutors have made another request to extend President Yun Son Yol's detentionafter a court rejected their earlier appeal for an extension. The investigation of the impeached president was transferred Thursday from a joint team of investigators to prosecutors.
Yoon declared martial law last month. He was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of having orchestrated an insurrection.
The prosecutors had planned to have Yoon's detention extended to continue their investigation and then make a decision on whether to indict him. But they announced Friday night that a court had turned down their request for an extension. The court reportedly said there was a lack of probable cause to continue the investigation under the prosecution's authority. Yonhap News Agency says the prosecution team investigating Yoon's case filed a new request with the court early Saturday.
Yonhap also says the court may make its decision as early as Saturday night.

Now Israel says he will not complete its troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon by. day's deadline, the agreement was made to end the fighting with the Shia Muslim group Hezbollah.
The ceasefire deal took effect in November. It calls for Lebanon's military to be be deployed in the south of the country within 60 days as Israeli troops and Hezbollah forces withdraw.
Israel's Prime Minister's Office announced on Friday that the withdrawal process will continue beyond the deadline because the Lebanese side hasn't fully implemented the agreement. U.S. broadcaster CNN reported that Israel's government had told Washington that it wanted Israeli troops to remain in Lebanon for at least an additional 30 days. The Israeli military has been carrying out operations to destroy Hezbollah military facilities in southern Lebanon, even after the ceasefire.
Hezbollah said that any breach of the 60 day timeline constitutes a blatant violation of the agreement. The group warned that it will take every possible countermeasure if Israel keeps its forces in Lebanon.

Now, new figures prove what many residents of Japan would tell you anyway.
The country is teeming with visitors from overseas. The Immigration Services Agency says almost 36.8 million foreigners came last year.
The figure is preliminary, but an all time high. And it's about 42% up on the year before. The previous record was set in 2019. More than 33 million people came for short stays, including sightseeing.
There were 170,000 people who arrived for study and 150,000 for technical trainee programs. The biggest portion came from South Korea. Officials attribute the record to a post-pandemic travel boom and a weaker yen. And tourist spots near Mount Fuji are seeing a surge in visitors from China and elsewhere ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, which starts next week.
Resorts on the Yamanashi Prefecture side of Japan's highest peak have been bustling with an increase in inbound tourists. At a ski resort in Narusawa Village, more than 150 groups from China and Taiwan rented skis or other items during the week through Thursday. The figure is up about 70% from the previous week. A hotel near Lake Kawaguchi said it's almost fully booked until February 10, with about 90% of the reservations made by tourists from China.

Visitors have been grazing since last year due to the easing of entry restrictions, but this is the first time that bookings have been so high.

Tourists have also been flocking to a spot where Mount Fuji appears to be perched on the roof of a convenience store in the town of Fujikawaguchiko. The spot has attracted visitors who want to take scenic photos, with some of them disrupting traffic and creating hazardous situations. Town officials said they are not considering adding more security guards at the moment, but they said they are closely watching the situation.

♪
And those were the top stories for this hour.

♫

And that's a wrap for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard.

Thank you very much for joining us.
 

at 18:00 (JST), January 24

20250124180000_english_1.mp3

 Welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Kanako Sachno.

Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has delivered a speech outlining his policy plans on the opening day of the Ordinary Diet session. He emphasised the need to focus on regional revitalisation as a way to build a well-balanced nation.
Ishiba said his vision is for a safe country in which diverse values are respected and everyone can realise their potential. He described regional revitalisation as being at the core of this initiative. He laid out five guiding principles, including the creation of vibrant local communities that attract young people. Ishiba also said he hopes to hold a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump soon.

During future Japan-U.S. talks with President Trump, I hope to confirm further cooperation between our countries on security and economic issues, and find ways to raise the Japan-U.S. alliance to a higher level.

On China, Ishiba said he intends to communicate with Beijing at all levels, including with its top leaders.
The ruling coalition lost its majority in lower house elections last October.
Ishiba said the ruling and opposition parties should engage in serious debate and seek a consensus that transcends party lines.

Trump expressed his intention to engage with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during an interview with Fox News broadcast on Thursday.

I solved that problem, and I got along with him. He's not a religious zealot. He happens to be a smart guy. Kim Jong-un is a smart guy.

You'll reach out to him again.

I will, yeah.

But Trump did not go into details about what form any contact might take.
During his first term, Trump held the first ever U.S.-North Korean summit with Kim, aiming at the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Earlier this week, Trump told reporters that he and Kim had got along very well.
Meanwhile, North Korean state-run media reported Friday on a meeting of the Supreme People's Assembly. The report made no mention of Pyongyang's diplomatic policies toward the United States or its nuclear and missile development programmes. It also did not say whether Kim had attended the two-day session that ended Thursday.

Staying on the topic of nuclear weapons, Trump said he's willing to work with Russia and China to reduce their arsenals. He made the remarks in an online speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday.

We want to see if we can denuclearize, and I think that's very possible. And I can tell you that President Putin wanted to do it. He and I wanted to do it. We had a good conversation with China. They would have been involved.

Trump says nuclear weapons require significant funding. He also said he found their destructive power so overwhelming that it's depressing to even talk about.

US President Trump continues to issue executive orders, including one to release all classified government documents on the assassination of President John F Kennedy. Most files related to the case have already been declassified, but some were held back due to security concerns.

A lot of people are waiting for this for a long for years, for decades, and everything will be revealed.

The order gives the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General 15 days to present a plan to the president for the full release of records relating to the JFK case.
Kennedy was shot dead in November 1963 in Dallas in the southern state of Texas.
A government investigation concluded that a Marine Corps veteran, Lee Harvey Oswald, was the sole perpetrator.
But the investigation sparked numerous conspiracy theories, such as the involvement of Cuba, the former Soviet Union and the Central Intelligence Agency.

Over 460 people have reportedly been arrested in a U.S. federal operation targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
Fox News says the crackdown on Tuesday and Wednesday mainly took place in what are known as sanctuary cities, including Boston and New York. Those taken into custody included people charged with robbery and sexual assault. One such person was a Haitian gang member detained in Boston. He reportedly screamed he would not go back to Haiti and condemned Trump with a profanity.
A TV station affiliated with the ABC network reported that people in Boston had mixed reactions.

If someone does wrong. You know, they've got to face the consequences. It is something that's targeted towards immigrants. Frankly, it doesn't make me feel safer.

Trump vowed in his inaugural address he would use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate foreign gangs and criminal networks, bringing crime to the US.

The former interpreter for Major League Baseball star Ortani Shohei is due to be sentenced for fraud in the US next month.
Prosecutors are seeking a prison term of 57 months for Mizuhara Ippe.
The request was made in a court filing on Thursday. Prosecutors are also asking that Mizuhara make a restitution of about $16.9 million to Ohtani.
The former interpreter was charged with bank fraud and filing a false tax return.
He was accused of illegally transferring nearly $17 million from Ohtani's bank account. The prosecutors argued that Mizuhara's motive was greed and not due to a gambling addiction. They also want him to serve three years of supervised release. The sentence request was reduced as the former interpreter reached a plea deal with the prosecution and admitted to the charges in June last year. Mizuhara's sentencing is scheduled for February 6.

China calls it the silver economy. Hundreds of millions are retiring and those in the big cities are spending more on leisure and health care. As NHK World's Nakamura Genta tells us, it's attracted foreign companies that are eager to invest in the demographic boom.

This Shanghai studio is part of a growing trend of retired women taking dance classes. Many are finding joy in new hobbies. Females can retire and start receiving pension payments in China as young as 50 years old.

I feel so happy, so much that I can't even remember all the other activities I did before.

Retirees are powering growth at schools for leisure and cultural activities in cities across China. They have time and money to spend. The government estimates that the number of retirees rises to about 400 million in 10 years, the silver market may be worth more than $4 trillion.
That's enough to boost its contribution to GDP to 10%.

They seek richer life experiences. They are particular about what they spend their money on, prioritizing emotional fulfillment above all else.

The rise of Chinese silver economy is also drawing in global businesses.
This nursing care facility in China is run by a Japanese elder care firm and a local robotics company. The Japanese company also operates eight care facilities in the country and plans to open another. This high-tech residential complex was developed two years ago by a Japanese electronics giant and a Chinese partner.
Smart toilets have sensors that can monitor blood pressure and heart rate.
Lighting and air conditioning in the bedrooms are adjusted based on residents' sleep data.
56-year-old Yang Hui moved to this smart home from Beijing two years ago.

Japanese products are so thoughtful, so carefully designed. I'm so impressed.

While the most expensive homes sell for more than $1 million, 90% of the 1,700 units have already been bought.

I believe that assisting the growth of the silver economy could represent a new form of economic cooperation between Japan and China.

Given these trends, the growth in spending and needs for retirees will have a profound impact on the economy. Nakamura Genta, NHK World.

Three films by Japanese directors have been nominated for this year's Oscars.
They include a documentary directed by a journalist who's become a symbol of Japan's Me Too movement.
The nominees for the 97th Academy Awards were unveiled on Thursday. Ito Shiori's Black Box Diaries made the cut in the documentary feature film category.
Her film dissects Japan's judicial system through court cases in which she accused a man of sexual assault.
Meanwhile, Instruments of a Beating Heart, directed by Yamazaki Emma, was among the nominees for Documentary Short.
The work follows students and teachers at an elementary school in Japan.
Magic Candies, directed by Nishio Daisuke, earned a nomination in the Animated Short Film section. The full computer graphics movie is based on the picture book of the same title by a South Korean author. It centers on a boy who's not good at expressing his feelings. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on March 2.

♪

Ohh It's now time for a check on the world weather. The U.S. state of California has been seeing more wildfires this week. Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has the details.

L.A. and San Diego have received no rainfall this year. For the combination of dry conditions and stronger gas has been intensifying new fires. We have some video.
Many new wildfires broke out in Southern California this week, fanned by strong Santa Ana winds. One of them started in L.A. on Wednesday night, closing parts of a busy freeway and forcing residents to evacuate. Officials expect some rain for the area this weekend.
So the good news is critical fire conditions are expected to ease over the weekend as some showers will arrive by Saturday. However, isolated thundershowers could lead to flash flooding and matslides in the areas where wildfires have occurred. The high in LA will be 21 on Friday, but will drop to 16 on Saturday. Along the East Coast, temperatures will stay well below average, so the highs will be zero in New York, one in Washington, and six in Atlanta. but they will go up gradually over the weekend.
Moving to Asia, the strongest cold mass of the season is expected to cover much of China over the weekend. It will bring widespread snow in the northern parts. Over 20 centimeters of heavy snow is possible in Henan Province by Saturday afternoon and more by Sunday.
Snowfall is also likely in Beijing and the highs are expected to be zero on Sunday and -4 on Monday, which are the lowest of the seasons so far. So the snow is also expected to cover Seoul on Monday, but Tokyo will stay on the warm side. Sunny weather is expected to continue. That's all for me. Have a nice weekend.

♫

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

at 18:00 (JST), January 23

 

20250123180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Kanako Sachno.

Japan's Foreign Ministry says a Chinese court has sentenced a man to death for a knife attack on a bus carrying Japanese school children. The attack last June in the city of Suzhou left one person dead.
A man in his 50s stabbed a Japanese mother and her child. He killed a Chinese female bus attendant. Japan's Foreign Ministry says the man was charged with murder. The incident reignited fears about safety in Japanese communities across China and prompted Japanese schools there to tighten security.

Chinese experts have reportedly found no abnormalities after taking seawater samples from near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Water used to cool molten fuel at the Fukushima plant has been mixing with rain and groundwater. The accumulated water is being treated to remove most radioactive substances, but it still contains tritium. The plant's operator dilutes that water to reduce the tritium levels to about 1/7 of the World Health Organization's guidance level for drinking water. It's then released into the ocean. Chinese experts collected samples independently last October after the plant began the water release. They wanted to test the concentration of radioactive substances in the sea. The Global Times, which is affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party, reported on the results on Wednesday. It said Chinese researchers found no indication that marine life has been affected. But it also said a single test has limited value. The report says stakeholders, such as China, will continue to take samples and monitor the situation.
Tokyo has been asking Beijing to begin importing Japanese seafood again. It's unclear if the results will prompt China to change its mind.

We turn now to Japanese entertainment. A former pop star named Nakai Masahiro has long been one of Japan's best-known TV personalities. Now he's embroiled in a scandal involving a woman and says he's leaving show business.
Nakai issued a statement on his fan club website. He says he's retiring but does not believe he's fulfilled all his responsibilities and he promises to face up to problems sincerely. It was reported last month that Nakai had got into trouble with a woman in 2023 and paid her a settlement. He admitted this month there had been trouble.

I've seen him a lot on TV, so I'm a bit sorry to see he's retiring.

Also implicated is the broadcaster Fuji Television Network. It's reported that an employee was involved in the scandal.
Shareholders are demanding staff do more to get to the bottom of what happened.
NHK learned the network's parent company has been asked by a major shareholder named NTT Docomo to launch an investigation. Sources say NTT Docomo asked for progress reports and that it has received a first briefing from Fuji Television's parent company.

One person was killed and two injured in stabbings in Nagano City, central Japan, on Wednesday.
Local police said a man in his 40s was stabbed and later confirmed dead at a hospital. Another male in his 30s was seriously hurt. They said a woman in her 40s was also targeted, but unhurt apart from a minor injury when she fell over.
The attack took place at the city's main train station at about 8:00 PM.

The man was wandering around with a blade in hand, so it seemed more like he was searching for his next target rather than trying to escape.

I never thought something like this would happen in my hometown.

The assailant fled the scene on foot. Investigators say he's slim, around 1.7 meters tall, and appeared to be between his 20s and 40s.
According to images released by local police, the man is wearing what appears to be a white cloth wrapped around his head and something resembling white gloves. The investigators say the three victims were waiting for a bus at Nagano station and do not appear to have known the attacker. They suspect the incident was a random attack.

US President Donald Trump isn't wasting any time since returning to the White House. Talking to taking to social media on Wednesday, Trump ramped up pressure on Moscow to end its invasion of Ukraine.
The president used his posts to demand an immediate end to the fighting, calling the war ridiculous. He threatened to hit Russian exports with taxes, tariffs and sanctions. Trump has directed similar threats at European countries.
The leaders of France and Germany discussed the issue and called for solidarity.

After the inauguration of a new administration in the United States, it is more than ever up to Europeans, and so to our two countries, to play their role of consolidating a united, strong and sovereign Europe.

Europe will not duck and hide, but be a constructive and self-confident partner.
On this basis, we will work well together with the US and with the new American president.

Macron and Schultz spoke about which industries could be targeted with tariffs. They mentioned the automotive, steel and chemical sectors.

China has aimed a barb at the US president, saying there are no winners in trade or tariff wars, but it will defend its national interests.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning made the comments at a news conference on Wednesday. Her remarks come a day after Trump said his administration is discussing an additional 10% tariff on imports from China starting February 1.
Trump said he'll impose the extra levy because China is sending fentanyl to the United States via Mexico and Canada.
Overdoses from the painkiller drug are a serious social problem in the US.

China wants to build bilateral relations with the U.S. in a stable, healthy, and sustainable manner by maintaining communication and appropriately managing differences.

Mao also referred to Trump's suggestion that China is controlling the Panama Canal and his threat to take it back.

Beijing has not taken part in managing or operating the canal, and consistently respects Panama's sovereignty.

Mao said China agrees with Panamanian President Jose Raul Molino, who says his country's sovereignty and independence are non-negotiable.
Coinciding with the launch of Trump's second term, the World Economic Forum gathered in Davos this week. Harvard political scientist Graham Allison was among the thought leaders taking part. We caught up with him and asked what he thinks Trump 2.0 means for America and the world.

I think it's going to be rocky. I think it's going to be chaotic. I think it's going to be confusing. I think it's going to be frightening. I think it's going to be exciting, but I think it's going to be some positive elements.

Graham Ellison says he's optimistic about Trump's return to the White House. He says the businessman turned reality TV star turned politician is no longer an amateur at being the president. While he can still be outrageous, his intentions are clear.

Watch the antics, watch the show, because he's a showman, he plays a political theater.

One of the rules Trump wants to take on is that of a president who ends more wars than he starts.

But he thinks he wants to be a great peacemaker. He thinks war is horrible. He knows nuclear war would be catastrophic. He believes he can prevent these things happening. And I think we saw already in the ceasefire in the Middle East when the situation was stuck, he said this is going to end by the inauguration day or there's going to be hell to pay for everybody, threatening both the Israelis and the and the Hamas. And lo and behold, we now have the current. I think we'll see in the next six months an agreement to stop the fighting in Ukraine.

About a decade ago, Allison coined the term Thucydides trap.
It describes the inevitable tendency for rising powers to clash with established ones. He's warned that the U.S. and China are on the path towards falling into that trap. But Trump could disrupt it.

If I were betting it that the relationship between US and Chinawill be better this time next year than it is today. And I think it'll be better because Trump actually does respect Xi, and Xi respects Trump. They both think of themselves as great men who do great things. And Trump seems willing to share the mantle of peacemaker with Chinese President Xi Jinping when it comes to Ukraine and Russia.

He says China can help. He didn't say Japan can help, or UN can help, or Europe can help. He said China can help. What does he mean by that?I think he believes that Xi can, because he's so crucial as a supporter for Putin, can be part of both persuading Putin to come to a reasonable inclusion.

Allison says there's other aspects to Trump's persona that have relevance to Japan and Asia. Trump does not subscribe to the orthodox view of U.S. alliances that emerged after World War II.

Which includes security guarantees to key countries, particularly Japan and South Korea. And the question for Trump is, in a more short-term view, how is this good for me?

That means U.S. allies, like Japan, will have to rethink how they interact with the Trump administration. Learn how to fish the benefits of good relations, whether it's strong investment ties or other means. Because with Trump, it's all about making deals, regardless of whether you're a friend or a rival.

Trump said in his first part for press covers in January, he said the US and China working together can solve every problem. So he thinks this is negotiable.
And I think there's, you know, negotiating space for them to together, to work together.

Alison says he's optimistic this will help the US and China avoid a potential conflict, at least for now. After all, Thucydides' trap dictates violent clashes between these kinds of powers are the rule, meaning peace is the exception.

♪

It's time now to check the world weather. People in the southeastern US have experienced historically cold weather and rare snow. Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has the details.

An intense cold mass brought heavy snow to the Deep South on Tuesday and the Carolinas on Wednesday. We have some video.
A historic winter storm that hit the Gulf states also brought heavy snow to parts of the Carolinas on Wednesday. Areas not used to seeing snow were blanketed in white, including beaches. Parts of the coast of North Carolina received more than 20 centimeters. Officials expect Arctic air is lingering in the southeast into Thursday and warn of dangerously cold weather.
Fortunately, the snow system is moving offshore, but the South lacks snow cleaning equipment, so the impact may last longer. Please stay careful of icy roads.
Temperatures will stay well below the average in many cities such as Houston, Atlanta and Chicago, but they are expected to go up gradually over the weekend. Sunny and warm weather is expected in LA, but critical fire conditions are a concern again.
Moving to Japan, a small but active low pressure system will move across Hokkaido and Tohoku into Friday. There are risks of scattered thunderstorms, gusty winds, and lightning. But elsewhere in Northeast Asia, sunny and warmer than usual conditions will continue. The highs will be 13 in Tokyo, 9 in Seoul. Beijing may get 7, which is 5 degrees higher than the average. But the strongest cold mass of the season is expected to cover much of China over the weekend. So daytime highs in Beijing will drop to zero or less next week. Please be careful of the big temperature change. That's all for me. Have a nice day.

♫

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