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.

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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.

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