Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.
The Reuters news agency reports that the talks began in Geneva on Saturday and ended for the night, but will continue on Sunday. Participating in the meeting are US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jameson Greer. Also attending is China's economic policy chief, Vice Premier He Li Feng. Washington has imposed additional tariffs of 145% on goods from China. Beijing has responded by raising additional levies on US products to 125%.
Trump said on social media that representatives negotiated a total reset in a friendly but constructive manner. He added that an opening up of China to American business would be for the good of both countries.
And meanwhile, the Trump administration has started investigating the effects imports of commercial aircraft engines and related parts have on US national security. Now the move could lead to the imposition of new tariffs.
The Commerce Department opened the investigation on May 1, but has only just disclosed it. The probe is based on Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, which allows the president to restrict imports that threaten national security. The Trump administration has already used that authority to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum. The department says it will examine whether supply chains are concentrated on certain foreign companies. Other issues include how foreign governments' subsidies affect competitiveness in the aviation industry.
The probe is scheduled to be completed within 270 days. New tariffs could affect Japanese companies as they have a strong presence in the field of aircraft engines and parts. Now, Boeing says Japanese firms manufacture about 35% of the parts used in its midsize 787 Dreamliner commercial jets.
Now, very briefly, switching to business news, China's consumer prices in April dropped year on year for a third straight month, as deflationary trends continue to weigh on the economy.
Data released on Saturday by the National Bureau of Statistics shows the consumer price index fell 0.1% from the same month last year. Prices of beef and fresh vegetables declined, along with automobiles, as consumers are spending less. Weak housing sales also prompted discounts on furniture and home appliances, adding to deflationary pressures.
China's facing more economic uncertainty amid escalating trade friction with the United States. Now, earlier this month, China's central bank cut its key short-term interest rate as part of additional monetary easing. The Chinese government also appears to be focused on boosting domestic demand.
Now for the latest on the political tug of war over the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has unilaterally proposed talks with Ukraine in Turkey, saying there will be no preconditions.
Kievan allies have been urging Moscow to commit to a 30-day ceasefire, but Putin does not mention that in his proposal.
Direct talks need to restart, and I want to stress, with no preconditions.
He expressed readiness for talks in Istanbul on Thursday. Now Putin says he will coordinate with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about hosting the talks. He also says Moscow is not ruling out the possibility of agreeing on new truces, revealing his willingness for direct negotiations with Kiev aimed at a ceasefire.
And moving on to news from India and Pakistan, the two countries agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire on Saturday. But just hours later, India is accusing Pakistan of violating the truce.
India's foreign ministry held a news conference in New Delhi on Saturday to announce the agreement.
It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land and in the air and sea with effect from 1700 hours Indian Standard Time today.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Isaktar also announced the truce on social media. The tick-for-tat military clashes between the two countries have been continuing for the past several days. On Wednesday, the Indian military carried out a missile strike on Pakistani territory in retaliation for last month's deadly assault in the India-controlled part of Kashmir. Prior to the ceasefire announcement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with his Pakistani and Indian counterparts. US President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Saturday that after a long night of talks mediated by the United States, he is pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire. Meanwhile, Indian and Pakistani military forces stationed in the disputed Kashmir region are still on high alert. Just hours after the ceasefire announcement, India accused Pakistan of repeated violations of the truce, but Pakistan is denying it. It remains to be seen whether both sides will be able to exercise self-restraint.
And authorities in Thailand say they have completed large-scale search operations for missing people at a high-rise tower in Bangkok that collapsed during March's massive earthquake.
The building was under construction when the jolt rocked central Myanmar on March 28. A total of 89 people have been confirmed dead and 9 were injured, 7 people remain missing.
Authorities made the announcement on Saturday, but they said that they will continue to search through debris removed from the collapsed site. They added they will work to identify human remains found so far. Now many of the dead workers are said to have come from Myanmar. and other countries. Thai officials indicated that steel used for the building may not have met strength standards. They also suspect a Chinese company, one of the building's contractors, was illegally operating in Thailand.
Now people in New York City were able to experience Japanese culture without leaving home, thanks to an annual parade.
Japan Parade on Saturday featured groups representing various prefectures of Japan. They marched down an Ave. running alongside Central Park. Toyama City made the New York Times list of 52 places to go in 2025. A group from the city performed one of its traditional dances, and the city's mayor even joined in wearing a Japanese suit of armor. And the city set up a booth to promote its castle and other tourist destinations.
I want to keep going to Japan often. Maybe next time I can go to Toyama.
See everywhere, not just Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka.
I think it's important to to see all of Japan.
Regional cities have their own unique specialties, such as local sake, fish and meat. I really hope more people will take the time to visit and enjoy what we have to offer.
The mayor says the people of this city will welcome visitors with a spirit of hospitality.
And those are 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.
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