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.