Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Gene Otani in Tokyo.
A truck ramming attack in New Orleans early on Wednesday has left at least 15 New Year's revelers dead and dozens more injured. The FBI says it is investigating the assault as an act of terrorism. The rampage took place in the popular French Quarter shortly after 3:00 AM.
The area was crowded with people celebrating the New Year. The FBI says the driver later exchanged fire with officers. It adds the man was killed on the spot. The Bureau identified him as 42 year old Shamsuddin Jabbar. He was from Texas. Investigators doubt Jabbar acted alone. They say other people may have been involved in the incident. They report what appear to be improvised explosive devices were discovered in the truck and the French Quarter. A flag of the Islamic State group was also found in the vehicle. The agency says it is trying to determine whether the suspect was associated with terrorist organizations.
The US president denounced the attack.
Joe Biden described the incident as despicable. He also mentioned information the FBI shared with him.
The FBI also reported to me that mere hours before the attack, he posted videos on social media indicating that it was inspired by ISIS, expressing a desire to kill, a desire to kill.
Biden added he directed his team to make resources available to federal, state, and local law enforcement so they can complete the investigation.
Hours after the New Orleans incident, a Tesla Cybertruck explodedIn Las Vegas, the blast happened outside a hotel operated by a company Donald Trump's family owns. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is close to thepresident-elect.
The explosion occurred in front of the Trump International Hotel at around 8:40 AM on Wednesday. One person died inside the vehicle. Seven others were injured.
We had three3 explosions. The third one was the the big explosion that smoked the entire area.
Police officers say the vehicle pulled up to the front of the hotel before smoke started pouring out of it. The authorities indicate a large explosion then occurred. Musk posted a message on X. He said it has been confirmed the explosion was caused by fireworks and or a bomb in the bed of the truck. He noted the blast was unrelated to the vehicle itself. Musk also said it appears the event was an act of terrorism. He suggested the incident and the attack in New Orleans may be linked in some way. U.S. media outlets say authorities are investigating the blast as a possible terrorist attack.
A fire earlier this week has claimed its fourth victim. The blaze erupted at a six story hotel near Bangkok's entertainment district of Khao San.
2 Japanese man and a woman in their 30s were severely injured and hospitalized for treatment. The Japanese embassy in the Thai capital confirmed that one of them died on Wednesday.
Embassy officials have not clarified the gender of the deceased, citing privacy protection. They said the other person is still undergoing medical treatment. Media reports say 5 foreigners were among those hospitalized. Local authorities are investigating what caused the blaze.
We now turn to Montenegro, where a mass shooting on New Year's Day has left at least 10 people dead. The gunman went on the run initially. He later died by suicide. Reuters and other media outlets say the first attack occurred on Wednesday afternoon. They report a man opened fire at a restaurant in a small town in the country's West.
The attacker then moved on. He continued shooting at three other locations. The owner of a bar and the owner's two children were among those killed.
Four people were seriously injured. The 45 year old attacker fled the scene. He then attempted to take his own life near his home. He was confirmed dead later. The man's motives and other details have not been revealed, but police say the suspect had allegedly been drinking heavily. They also say there was a brawl before shots were fired.
The nation's president posted a message on social media, Yakov Milatovic said. He was shocked and stunned by the incident. He also said he was deeply saddened by the loss of innocent lives.
Russia's forces forces carried out drone attacks against Ukraine on New Year's Day. Among the area struck was the heart of the country's capital.
Ukraine's Air Force reported on Wednesday Moscow had launched 111 drones across the nation. The unmanned aircraft caused damage in central Kiev. Important government facilities are located in that area, including the presidential office.
Debris from a downed drone fell on residential buildings in the city.
Multiple fires broke out. The city's mayor says two people were killed and seven were injured. Some residents were forced to cover shattered windows with plastic sheets to keep out the cold.
There was a big explosion, and glass flew everywhere. We live in fear every day, and everyone is mentally exhausted. This is all because of Russia.
Ukraine's president condemned Moscow in a message posted on social media. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said even on New Year's Eve, Russia's only concern was hurting Ukraine.
People in Syria are voicing their expectations for the interim government to build a better future as the country ushers in the new year. Nation-building efforts have been underway since President Bashar al-Assad's administration collapsed last month. On New Year's Day, people in the capital Damascus said they wished for stable security and the civil war-battered economy to recover. A man who was jailed under Assad's rule says he hopes the future will be better.
I hope a new Syria will be more prosperous, and everyone will feel happy and safe.
Ahmad Al. leads the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Group, or HTS, that runs the interim government. Media reports say that on Monday he met a Kurdish forces delegation for the first time. They say the two sides agreed to keep talking.
NHK has previously called the HTS leader by his nickname Abu Mohammed al-Golani. But after launching the interim government, he began using his real name Ahmad al-Shar'a.
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Those were the main stories for this hour.
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And that's the news this hour. I'm Gene Otani. From all of us here at NHK Newsline to all around the world, thanks very much for joining us.
Japan has various kinds of landmarks that fascinate visitors. They range from cultural and historic locations to modern buildings created with cutting-edge technologies. The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks brings you the stories behind these amazing places.
In this episode of The Backstory of Japanese Landmarks, we feature Kusatsu Hot Springs.
The first thing a visitor notices upon entering the town of Kusatsu is what appears to be a giant pond of hot water.
Some 4,000 liters of hot spring water gushes up every minute at this yubatake, or literally hot water field. It's 60 meters across and 20 meters wide.
The area is filled with the sound of flowing water, steam rising from the yubatake,and a sulfurous odor typical of hot spring resorts. It all adds up to create an atmosphere that helps visitors step away from their everyday mind state. Kusatsu Hot Springs is in Guma Prefecture in the central part of Japan. You can get there by the Shinkansen bullet train or buses from Tokyo. Kusatsu has been a renowned hot spring resort for many centuries. Emperors and shoguns, as well as regular people, have long taken a dip in its baths. The natural hot springs are said to ease fatigue from long travels and supposedly have curative effects for illnesses, bruises, and sprains. Kusatsu is ranked as one of the top three hot springs in Japan.
Bathing is a well-loved part of life in Japan, but bathing in hot springs is not the same as taking a bath at home. Under Japan's hot spring law, in order to be officially considered a hot spring, the water, steam, and gas must well up from the ground and contain certain natural elements, and the temperature must be at least 25 degrees Celsius.
One of the main features of Kusetsu Hot Springs is the sheer amount of water that wells up from the ground in the area. In terms of volume, it's the top hot spring in Japan, with more than 32,000 liters gushing out a minute. That's enough to fill 230,000 oil drums a day. The Yubatake hot water pond at the center of the town is where visitors can get a sense of the vast amount of water flowing out from the ground. Seven wooden conduits line the oval-shaped Yubatake.
Hot water of around 50 degrees Celsius cools as it flows through the conduits before being distributed for bathing to some baths. The conduits also accumulate what are known as yunohana, or literally hot spring flowers.
They're crystalline compounds that form from the elements in the water as it's cooled by the air. The crystals are gathered and dried and made into a powder. The powder is a popular souvenir, as it can be used as a natural bath salt.
But the most famous of the attractions at Kusatsu is a water stirring event called yumomi.
With a temperature of around 50 degrees Celsius, the hot spring water must be cooled down to a temperature suitable for bathing. One way to do this is yumomi, stirring the water using wooden paddles. Locals stir the water while singing traditional folk songs to keep rhythm. The most famous of these are the kusetsu folk songs. Visitors can enjoy umomi performances and even try their own hand at stirring the water.
Thank you for tuning in to the back story of Japanese landmarks. We hope you have a chance to visit these landmarks and see for yourself what makes them so special.
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