Welcome back to NHK Newsline. Here's the latest we have for you at this hour.
Tokyo's top tariff negotiator is heading to Washington. He's hoping to lay the groundwork for a deal to spare Japan from the Trump administration's sweeping levies. Akazawa Ryosei told reporters at Tokyo's Haneda Airport Wednesday he's ready to negotiate.
I will focus on what will contribute most to our national interests and what will be most effective. I will negotiate with that in mind.
He'll sit down with US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and Trade Representative Jamison Greer. Akasaba will urge them to review the tariff measures. He plans to stress Japan's high level of investment in the US economy and how that creates jobs. But Michael Beeman, a former US trade official, tells NHK the two sides may have very different priorities heading into the talks.
Japan is going to seek to try and get a seek agreement on principles and parameters.
To try and narrow and limit as much as possible the expectations that the Trump administration are likely to raise. For the United States, I think it's going to be a focus on trying to slash the trade deficit. That is the president's priority.
Beeman says cars and auto parts will be a key issue for the US because they contribute to the trade deficit.
Agriculture, mining, and energy may also loom large. Meanwhile, here in Japan, Prime Minister Ishibashigeru is preparing tariff damage control. He's told his officials to meet with small, local businesses expected to be hit hard.
We must study and understand what they need, and share that information in real time to provide necessary support.
Well, Japan isn't the only one coming to the negotiating table. The White House says officials are considering holding talks and making new agreements with dozens of countries.
We've had more than 15 deals, pieces of paper put on the table, proposals that are actively being considered. And as we've said consistently, more than 75 countries have reached out. So there's a lot of work to do. We very much understand that, but we do believe that we can announce some deals very soon.
Leavitt says President Donald Trump has expressed A willingness to sign all the agreements and that he'll take an active role in the negotiations. She says he's even willing to strike a deal with China, but is waiting for leaders in Beijing to make the first move. He believes that China is the one that needs to make a deal, not the US. Trump's tariffs are threatening the livelihoods of many small business owners. Five of them have gotten together to file a lawsuit with the US Court of International Trade. They include a wine and spirits importer in New York and a retailer of fishing equipment in Pennsylvania. They argue that it is illegal for a president to impose tariffs on his own.
Former US President Joe Biden has strongly criticized the Trump administration for its handling of the country's social security programs.
Biden's comments came in an address to a meeting of advocates for people with disabilities on Tuesday in Chicago. It was his first public speech since leaving office in January. The former president accused the Trump administration of taking a hatchet to the Social Security Administration by firing thousands of workers.
But look what's happened now. Fewer than 100 days, this new administration has done so much damage and so much destruction. It's kind of breathtaking.
He pointed out that the administration appears to be following the high-tech startup's adage of move fast and break things.
Biden decried the approach of White House officials as what he described as shooting first and aiming later. He said they were certainly breaking things, but the result was needless pain and sleepless nights for many people. Biden warned the United States has never been so divided as now, and wrapped up his speech with a call for unity.
The US government's fight against its own universities has entered a new stage.
It's freezing billions in grants and contracts for Harvard after it didn't comply with the administration's demands.
Harvard President Alan Garber said Monday the government is demanding immediate reforms. He says one involved auditing the viewpoints of its students.
Another called for the end to Harvard's diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. It comes after protests against Israel's operation in Gaza erupted on campus last year. Several Jewish students at the time were harassed.
Trump posted on social media Tuesday, suggesting he may revoke the university's tax-exempt status. That same day, the White House said Trump wants to hear an apology.
Harvard should apologize. For the egregious anti-Semitism that took place on their college campus against Jewish American students.
One former US president jumped in to defend the university. Barack Obama praised Harvard for rejecting what he called a ham handed attempt to stifle academic freedom. It's not the only university feeling the pressure. The government issued similar orders to other institutions, including Brown and the University of Pennsylvania. So far, Colombia said it will accept the government's conditions.
The Trump administration has deported more than 200 migrants, it says are members of a Venezuelan gang as part of its ongoing immigration crackdown. But the New York Times reports that very few appear to have ties to the organization.
The administration applied the Alien Enemies Act and other measures last month to expel the alleged members of the gang. The group is designated as a terrorist organization. El Salvador accepted them at a prison in the country.
The Alien Enemies Act was previously used as part of an immigration crackdown during World War II. The newspaper said on Tuesday it had uncovered little evidence of criminal backgrounds or links to the gang among the deportees. It said the investigation was based on court filings and other documents. The deportations have drawn backlash from human rights groups. The Trump administration says the move is part of its efforts to protect the American people. It says it plans to continue expelling illegal immigrant gang members.
Similar language was also used in a China-Vietnam joint statement issued during Xi's visit there. China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported it on Tuesday. It said the two countries confirmed that they both oppose unilateralism. The statement also refers to the South China Sea, where the two sides are at odds over territorial issues. They have emphasized the need for better management and active resolution of sea-related differences. It also called for joint maintenance of peace and stability in the sea.
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North Korean soldiers have been fighting for Russia in its conflict with Ukraine for months. They're reportedly seeing a high number of casualties. But Kyiv officials have shown NHK why they say the troops are becoming a serious threat.
Ukraine's military says this video shows North Korean soldiers coming under drone attacks. It says half of the roughly 10,000 deployed have been killed or injured. But new findings show its troops are developing their skills.
Ukraine's military says this note was found on a dead soldier. It explains they learned to fight drones by working in groups of three. One serves as a decoy while the others shoot from about 10 meters away.
NHK examined the note with a former North Korean military officer who defected.
I think at first, the North Korean soldiers were watching the skies, not knowing what to make of the drones. But now that they know what they are, they are hiding from them. They're getting familiar with modern weaponry through actual combat, which until now, they had not experienced before.
This Ukrainian defense official says the soldiers are becoming a threat.
They can now use drones, and they can also conduct electronic warfare. They can use Russian weapons as well as Russian tactics perfectly.
Unfortunately, the North Korean troops have evolved by using the battleground as a training ground.
Ukraine's military also told NHK that some of them are killing themselves to avoid being taken prisoner. It says this video shows an injured North Korean soldier. Later, there's a flash of light from his hand near his head and the sound of an explosion.
South Korean politician Yoo Yong-won interviewed some of the troops taken prisoner. He says one of them told him he's seen many troops die by suicide.
North Koreans are taught from childhood, especially once joining the military, that being captured is a betrayal to the country. They have this thought carved into them. They're brainwashed.
This expert on North Korea's military says a big part of Pyongyang's motivation is to deal a blow to the US, what it considers its greatest enemy.
Pyongyang's biggest goal is to help bring about a Russian victory. I don't think the North will abandon this goal and stop sending troops abroad.
He says the North could enlarge its forces for a possible war of its own.
Japanese actor Hirosue Ryoko has been released from police detention after she was arrested on suspicion of injuring a nurse at a hospital. Last week, Hirosue rear-ended a vehicle on a central Japanese expressway and was taken to a medical facility where the incident took place. On Thursday, a court allowed police to detain her for up to 10 days while prosecutors investigated. Sources say Hirosue and the nurse's side have reached an out-of-court settlement. The actor's management company issued an apology. It says it's handling Hirosue's affairs with care and monitoring her physical and mental well-being.
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Ramin Mellegard from The Biz Desk.
Now, China's first quarter beat forecasts growing to 5.4% and edging above the government's 5% target. But it was flatter than the quarter before, raising fears the ongoing US trade conflict is slowing its economy down.
China's National Bureau of Statistics released the inflation-adjusted gross domestic product figures on Wednesday for the January to March period. The year-on-year growth was spurred by strong sales of electric vehicles, helped by the government's trade-in incentive for vehicles. Robust factory output also helped as exporters ship more goods ahead of the tariffs imposed on China this month by the US.
However, property investments slowed, and domestic demand stayed stagnant as consumers remain reluctant to spend. Some forecasts say if the tariffs remain on China's export-led economy, they could lower the country's GDP by 3 percent.
And China has opened one of its biggest international trade fairs amid the escalating tariff confrontation. The event in the southern city of Guangzhou brings together over 30,000 Chinese firms. Buyers from around the globe are negotiating deals for home electronics, machinery and other Chinese products. China and the US have slapped each other with tariffs of over 100%.
That has many Chinese companies concerned about the impact. An exporter of air purifiers to the US and other countries says the company is closely watching the situation.
We can't export our products to the US. We have to depend on products that are not already in stock there. There's nothing we can do.
And an exporter of coffee maker says the tariffs are having a very big impact.
Shipments to the US used to represent 40% of our total exports, but that is now down to 20%. We can't foresee how things will develop this year.
Organizers expect this year's trade fair to draw over 200,000 buyers.
Fujimedia said last month it will reduce the number of board directors from 15 to 11 In June, Dalton Investments is a major shareholder in Fujimedia with more than a 7% stake. Now, Dalton announced its candidates on Wednesday. They include Kitao Yoshitaka, the head of large Japanese financial services provider SBI Holdings. The US investment fund is expected to work with other stockholders to get its proposal approved at a Fuji Media shareholder meeting in June. Dalton's latest move came after the revelation last week that Japanese activist investor Murakami Yoshiaki's affiliates had acquired a stake of nearly 12% in Fuji Media.
The US Transport Department says it has withdrawn a grant for a high speed railway project in Texas. Dashing hopes Japanese bullet train technology would be used now surging costs led decision makers to label the project unrealistic, leaving its future uncertain.
In a statement released on Monday, the department said it terminated the $63.9 million grant awarded to railway operator Amtrak to build a roughly 400 kilometer route connecting Houston and Dallas. It also said cost estimates had dramatically ballooned to over $40 billion, making it a risky venture for the taxpayer. The project was expected to be based on the same system as the Hokaido Shinkansen bullet trains operated by Central Japan Railway Company. But a Japanese public-private fund withdrew its support in November 2024 after posting a huge loss. The Biden administration promoted the construction of railway infrastructure to help address climate change and create jobs.
And Japan's goal to develop a domestically produced passenger jet was abandoned in 2023. This forced some airline companies to continue using their existing aircraft for extended periods. NHK World's Takashi Hiroyuki spotlights the creative approach, one maintenance mechanic,Has developed to keep the planes flying safely.
The Embraer 170 jetliner enjoys widespread use on short-haul domestic services across Japan. The Japan Airlines Group is conducting extensive maintenance on its 18 aircraft of this type. Due to their long-term operation, these planes have nearly rugged an unprecedented 40,000 flights.
The mechanics at Osaka Itami Airport are up to the challenge to keep the planes flying.
Team member Kobayashi Tatsuya cranks the handle of an unusual-looking device.
This is an inspection tool customized from an apple peeler. It's indispensable for our work. The extensive checklist the mechanics must follow, includes items they had never encountered before, such as inspecting tie boats. The boats, measuring 7 to 11 centimeters, connect the wings to the fuselage.
Kobayashi initially considered using a conventional inspection tool, but he struggled with positioning the rod on the curved surface of the boat. Checking each boat takes at least 30 minutes, which means 25 hours for all 50 boats per aircraft.
I looked for alternatives, something that could turn the bolt while the inspection rod was fixed. One day, I came up with the idea of using an apple peeler.
Kobayashi went online and bought one.
Of course, using the apple peeler as it is, that's sufficient precision. So, he customized some parts himself to meet the strict safety standards of the aircraft maker.
After two months of trial and error, his inspection device is ready. He places the tie bolt where the apple would go, and set the inspection rod where the pillar used to be.
The new method improves accuracy and slashes the inspection time from 30 minutes to only five.
No matter who does the inspection, the quality and accuracy are the same, so we can provide stable testing. I want to pass on my knowledge and experience to younger colleagues.
It will take the company three more years to complete the maintenance of its fleet of Embraer 170s. The passion and ingenuity of mechanics such as Kobayashi will help ensure safety in the sky. Takahashi Hiroyuki, NHK World.
OK, let's get a check on the markets.
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And that is it for business news.
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And it is time for us to check the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh. So, Jonathan, it was another breezy spring morning in eastern parts of Japan Wednesday, and that includes Tokyo. But how are things looking for Thursday?
But as the low started to move toward the north and east, at least the wind started to back off a bit into the Pacific side of the country now. As we look toward the rest of the week. I mentioned that summer like weather. I mean mid to upper 20s coming up for Tokyo here. I mean, if you like fair weather, it's going to feel like it. But it's going to feel like summer like June as opposed to April. Showers expected into Sapporo Friday and Saturday. Osaka Fukuoka also looking highs into the mid 20s as we go through the rest of the week.
Look at what's happening across North America. We have a couple of low pressure systems that are moving across the Rockies and that will make its way toward the east. Now as we go toward Thursday, not Wednesday, but Thursday, we're looking at the possibility of some severe weather into places like Iowa and the surrounding states have been on the lookout for that.
Down to the south, quite warm as high pressure is controlling the pattern here.
So we're talking about highs into the upper trends from Oklahoma City into Houston for Wednesday
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
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And one more story before we go. Kabuki Theater performances by children were featured at the Nagahama Hikiyama Festival in western Japan. The festival is registered on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Children's Kabuki is the highlight of the event in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture.
It's done on stages built uponelaborately decorated floats called hikiyama. Well, Tuesday was the festival's main day. Four of the 13 participating groups that owned hikiyama performed children's kabuki as offerings at the local shrine.
One group staged a play about jealousy and revenge among ladies in waiting who serve a noblewoman. They did it on a float shaped like a ship. The kids say they practiced every day during spring break. Many people applauded their compelling performance.
But it was wonderful. It's good to see traditions being kept alive.
Impressive. And that wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline. We'll have more for you soon. Thank you very much for joining us.
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