Welcome back to NHK Newsline. Here's the latest we have for you at this hour.
India and Pakistan appear to be backing away from the edge of war. Talks continue between top brass from both countries after tensions escalated over the disputed Kashmir region. On Monday, both sides reportedly agreed to reduce troop numbers along their borders in the region, as well as other areas, but the situation remains tense. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warns he will retaliate significantly if Pakistan launches another attack or if another act of terror is linked to the country.
Pakistan's military says it will respond decisively if its sovereignty or territorial integrity comes under threat.
Fighting began after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for a terror attack that killed over two dozen people in India-controlled Kashmir last month. India struck Pakistan, leading to tit-for-tat exchanges of missiles and drones.
Speaking Monday, US President Donald Trump claimed he brokered the ceasefire by threatening to cut off trade.
I said, Come on, we're going to do a lot of trade with you guys. Let's stop it.
Let's stop it. If you stop it, we're doing trade. If you don't stop it, we're not going to do any trade. And all of a sudden they said, I think we're going to stop.
Indian news outlets have questioned those claims. They quote government sources who say trade did not come up during Modi's talks with US officials. For more on this, I earlier spoke with our reporters Yamamoto Kento in New Delhi and Nazar-ul-Islam in Islamabad.
Kento, first, let's start with you. Why did the Indian government accept the ceasefire now?
Well, India says it fulfilled the purpose of its military operation, which was retaliation for the terrorist attack. The military says it killed what it called five important terrorists.
When Prime Minister Modi addressed the people on Monday, he said they stood together to abolish terrorism. It felt like he was really painting this as a national success.
So for India, this was probably a good time to end the fighting. They can give Indian citizens an impression of victory before the conflict escalates.
Okay, now let's bring in Nazar Ul Islam in Islamabad. So Nazar, what about the Pakistan side? Why did they decide to stop now?
Well, Pakistan didn't want this drawn-out tit-for-tat fight with India.
The government here has been busy fighting terrorism in recent years, and the domestic economy isn't doing too well either. Pakistan is receiving loans from the International Monetary Fund, so the military and economic burden of an all-out battle with India would be extremely difficult to bear. And at this point, Pakistan can point to its own success. The military said they shot down the Rafal, India's main fighter jet. They also say they have significantly damaged to Indian military bases. Many had believed that Pakistan had the advantage, so it was also good timing for them.
Right. So basically, both sides get to come out of this with their own wins. But the United States is also claiming victory, saying that it brokered this deal. Kento, what has India said about this?
Well, actually, they didn't mention the US India has been refusing outside intervention regarding Kashmir, saying it is a bilateral issue. I think India didn't want to give the impression it couldn't deal with its own problems.
Pakistan had proposed a neutral investigation into the terrorist incidents, but says India rejected that idea. That made it very hard for them to find common ground.
Despite India's silence on the matter, it's undeniable that the US played a key role here. Though Trump likely wanted a diplomatic win, seeing as there's still no sign of a permanent ceasefire in Ukraine.
Have they acknowledged the role that the US played here?
Absolutely. The government praised the US for stepping in. What's more interesting is that Trump posted on social media saying he is willing to help Pakistan and India resolve the Kashmir issue.
Prime Minister Shabbat Sharif welcomed that move. While Trump is focusing on making the deal of the century, Pakistan may think Trump's ambition can be used to put pressure on India.
This clash ended in a ceasefire, but the fundamental issue over Kashmir hasn't been resolved. So long as the source of the conflict is smoldering, this could flare up again at any time.
Thank you, Nazar. That was NHK World's Nazar Ul Islam in Islamabad and Yamamoto Kento in New Delhi.
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Ramin Mellegard from the BizDesk.
Thank you very much indeed.
Now, Honda Motor is forecasting a sharp drop in profits for the current fiscal year through next March, mainly due to US tariffs and foreign exchange rate fluctuations. The Japanese automaker says it expects group net income to plunge 70% to 250 billion yen, or about $1.7 billion from a year earlier. It also predicts operating profit will tumble almost 59%.
Honda says sales are likely to decline more than. percent at 20.3 trillion yen, or more than 130 billion dollars. It says the effects of the US tariffs will cut operating profit by 450 billion yen, or around 3 billion dollars, and the currency impact will be about the same. And financial markets are welcoming the announcement of a US and China deal that reduced fears of a full scale trade war. The world's two biggest economies say they will significantly cut each other's additional tariffs and suspend some of them for a fixed period while continuing trade talks.
The agreement sparked a surge of buying on Japan's stock market. The benchmark Nikkei 225 closed on Tuesday at 38,183, up 1.4%, extending its winning streak for four trading days. The gains in Tokyo follow a sharp rebound in New York equities on Monday, with the major indexes all gaining. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged by 2.8% from Friday's close. Investors also bought the dollar. The currency. the US currency briefly climbed to the mid 148 level against the Japanese yen, the highest in about one month. Now, officials in Japan's government are now said to be analyzing the Washington Beijing deal as they prepare for their own third round of tariff talks with the US Japanese Trade Minister Mutoyoji says the government will closely monitor developments.
I'd like to refrain from making a prejudgment on how the situation of other countries' talks will affect the negotiations between Japan and the US. The government will make the utmost effort to reach an early agreement while protecting Japan's national interests.
Meanwhile, some Japanese officials take the view that Washington may be shifting its tariff strategy amid concern it may slow the US economy.
And meanwhile, Trump says he may soon speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping after both countries concluded the trade talks in Switzerland over the weekend.
A joint statement released after the meeting says the US will cut tariffs on Chinese goods to 30% from 145%. China will lower its levies on US imports to 10% from 125%. The agreement is in effect for 90 days for some of the tariffs.
We opened up our country to China. They come, we don't, I mean they have very few restrictions. And they didn't open their country to us. Never made sense to me.
It's not fair. And they've agreed to open China, fully open China. Well, the biggest thing that we're discussing is the opening up China. And they've agreed to do that, but it's going to take a while to paper it. And they took that away.
Trump says he will probably have a phone conversation with the Chinese leader at the end of the week.
But he warned that future tariff levels on China will depend on the outcome of additional trade discussions. That gives a 90 day window to tackle issues such as Washington's demand for improved access to China markets and reduction of the US trade deficit.
And Japan's finance minister says he's trying to arrange a meeting with the US Treasury Secretary next week to discuss currency rates and other issues.
Kato Katsunobu says has said in a news conference he's planning to attend a gathering of finance leaders from Group of Seven nations in Canada. He said he's hoping to meet Scott Bessent on the sidelines. They had a one-on-one meeting during a G20 gathering in the US last month. Finance Ministry officials said Bessent did not raise the issue of currency targets. or any framework for managing exchange rates.
They agreed to keep in close consultation on currency issues.
Retail giant Aeon says it will start selling rice from California to Japanese consumers who face high prices and shortages of the staple grain. Rice prices at supermarkets in the country have doubled from a year ago.
Aeon made the announcement on Tuesday at the US Embassy in Tokyo.
Officials say they will begin releasing the variety called Cal Rose from June 6.
Sales are scheduled to end around autumn when newly harvested Japan-grown rice reaches store shelves.
A 4-kilogram bag of Calrose will cost 2,894 yen, or around $20. That's about 10% lower than Japanese rice.
Aeon says it will procure 14,000 tons after paying a tariff.
Now, Japan imports a certain amount of rice under a so-called minimum access system.
Imports outside the program are subject to tariffs of about $2.30 per kilogram.
Calrose is characterized by its low stickiness compared to domestic rice. Risotto, pilaf, and other dishes using the rice were displayed at the news conference.
Another major retailer, Ito Yokado, sold Californian rice until last month.
And the ongoing competition between the world's two superpowers is taking place on many fronts, and one is artificial intelligence. In the second segment of our two-part series, NHK World's Kimura Ryuta looks at how China is leveraging AI technology in the race to outperform the US.
This avatar was generated using AI technology.
It was developed by this Shanghai startup. The firm has more than 350 employees with an average age of 31, and many graduated from well-known universities in the US and China.
To create AI avatar videos, first, you pick a character and a background generated from photographs.
This character was generated using photos of myself. After typing in the words for the character to speak, AI creates the relevant facial expressions and movements.
The startup's avatars are used by clients in promotional videos and for other purposes.The firm says it offers a lower cost and faster service than those provided by video production companies.
Video productions cost a lot of money. because it means renting locations for shooting and hiring more people. Now even the background can be easily selected, so it is cheaper and faster.
A survey by Stanford University in California, also indicated China's development of the latest conversational AI is catching up with the US. And China's government is backing the research and development.
China will promote innovation in the digital economy.
Now the AI Avatar startup has ventured into live stream online shopping, a popular service in China.
It is live streaming now. Everything is run by AI.
The arbiter answers questions posted by viewers automatically.
China is catching up with the United States. This year or the next, people will start realizing that China has actually taken the lead in some areas. With China committed to AI development, this looks to be the next arena of fierce competition between the world's two biggest economies. Kimura, Ryuta NHK World.
And that is it for Business News, going to hand it back to you.
Thank you, Ramin.
Myanmar's military has carried out an airstrike on a school in the country's northwest, killing more than 20 people. The attack comes despite a ceasefire being in place. Reports say the strike targeted a school operated by pro-democracy forces in the region of Zagain. At least 20 children and two teachers were killed and 50 others were wounded. An official from the pro democracy camp told NHK the number of casualties is likely to rise as some people are still missing. State-run media has quoted the military as saying there was no airstrike and that anti government media outlets are spreading false news.
The military seized power in a coup four years ago. It declared a temporary ceasefire in fighting against the pro democracy forces after a major earthquake in March. It announced last week the truce would be extended until May 31. But the military has reportedly continued to carry out airstrikes and artillery attacks throughout the country, including in areas affected by the earthquake.
The head of the UN is calling on member states to work together to slash spending and improve efficiency. The organization faces significant cuts in funding from the United States.
Antonio Guterres explained a plan for a structural reform on Monday, acknowledging some inefficiency in operations.
The measure of success is not the volume of reports we generate or the number of meetings we convene. The measure of success, the value, purpose and aim of our work is in the real world difference we make in the lives of people.
He says he's considering merging units, eliminating functional and structural duplications, relocating staff from high-cost locations and other changes.
Representatives of some countries want even more efficiency while developing countries are concerned that UN projects or support could diminish. The acting US ambassador says the organization should focus on maintaining international peace and security.
Guterres responded, saying that there is no way to guarantee that without development and the respect of human rights.
♪
Pope Leo XIV has addressed the media for the first time since becoming head of the Catholic Church last week. He thanked journalists around the world for risking their lives delivering truth, saying they can be peacemakers.
Peace begins with each one of us in the way we look at others, listen to others, and speak about others. In this sense, the way we communicate is of fundamental importance. We must say no to the war of words and images. We must reject the paradigm of war.
Pope Leo XIV was elected by 133 cardinals from all over the world. One of them, Japanese Cardinal Kikuchi Isao, spoke exclusively with NHK, offering a rare glimpse inside the secretive conclave. Cardinal Kikuchi says the process began without a single name dominating discussions.
We didn't have the clear frontrunner among the cardinal candidates, but before the conclave, we had the number of the general congregation with the cardinals, and during that general congregation, many cardinals expressed the the quality for the new pope. The one is that the the person should have the deep experience in pastoral field. And then secondly, the person should be very good at administration. It is very difficult to find somebody who has both abilities, but the Cardinal Prevost is the one really fitting to that requirements.
The Cardinal says the actual process was quite different to the intrigue depicted in last year's movie Conclave.
In the film, there was a discussion or the plotting each other or the accusing some other people or some some people claim this is a war. This These kind of things never happened during the conclave because we didn't know each other well. So we spent a lot of time over the dinner or lunch or maybe with some drinks to know each other.
He says he was surprised that they ultimately settled on an American. He says the idea of an Asian or African Pope was floated, but it didn't quite feel like the moment was right.
For Asians and Africans, we feel that our time has not yet come. Of course, before the the conclave, on the internet and some websites and all the things, some of the Asian cardinals or the African cardinals' names are mentioned. But while we are discussing during the general congregation, we felt that maybe time is not mature enough for the Asian or African Pope for the Catholic Church. Cardinal Kikuchi says he hopes the pontiff will come to Japan to deliver a message of peace in this poignant anniversary year.
I really hope that because everybody in all over the world know the city, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and then many people know about the history of the atomic bomb and aftermath of the 1945. It's the 80th anniversary, so it would be very nice if the Holy Father could come to Nagasaki and Hiroshima to make a strong appeal for peace.
If the Pope does end up coming to Japan this year, he won't be the only prominent advocate for peace making the trip. The Norwegian Nobel Committee plans to hold a major event in Tokyo this summer to spotlight nuclear disarmament efforts.
The event will commemorate last year's awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, a group representing survivors of the bombings. Committee officials say the event will focus on the reduction of nuclear weapons as well as arms control. They also say committee chair Yorgen Friedenis may visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There's no record of a sitting chair ever visiting Japan, so if it goes ahead, it's likely to be a first. At the Nobel ceremony last December, Fetinists praised the decades-long advocacy of the survivors, saying we should learn from Nihon Hidankyo and never give up.
The committee's plans are seen as a part of a broader effort to reignite momentum for nuclear disarmament eight decades after the bombings.
Japan's Nissan Motor has posted a net loss of over 670 billion yen, or 4.5 billion dollars, for the fiscal year that ended in March. That's mainly because the firm wrote down the value of its manufacturing plants.
The struggling automaker announced another 11,000 job cuts, bringing the total planned reductionfrom fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2027 to around 20,000, or about 15% of his workforce.
And now it's time for us to check the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh. So Jonathan, we are back to summer-like warmth, not just in Tokyo, but across other parts of Japan. Will this last for the rest of the week?
Meanwhile, we've been talking about some of the heavy rainfall that's been impacting the eastern seaboard of the United States due to a low pressure system that's just kind of slowly moving sway through the area and that's leading to concerns of possible flooding concerns. As we see the rain continue to compound to compound as we go throughout the next day or so.
Another low is moving through the northern portions of the United States into Canada. It's bringing a lot of warm air from the South. Check this out.
Winnipeg topping off at 35 on Tuesday, 30 in Denver. So heat ahead of that front followed by possible strong storms by Wednesday.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～
And that brings us to the end of this edition of NHK Newsline. We will have more for you soon. Thanks for watching.
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