at 18:00 (JST), May 28

 

20250528180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome back to NHK News Line. Here's the latest we have for you at this hour.

ASEAN leaders call for extended ceasefire in Myanmar

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations wrapped up their talks in Malaysia with an appeal to Myanmar.
They've called on all sides fighting an ongoing conflict there to extend a temporary ceasefire. The ASEAN leaders issued a statement on Tuesday. They say they are deeply concerned about escalating violence in Myanmar, where fighting has raged since the army seized power in 2021.
ASEAN has urged all parties to seize any attacks on civilians and public facilities immediately. It comes after Myanmar's military and pro-democracy forces declared a temporary ceasefire following a devastating earthquake two months ago. ASEAN says it appreciates both sides paused fighting to allow aid into badly hit areas and says the troops should be expanded to cover the whole country. Over 3,700 people were killed in the magnitude 7.7 quake. The United Nations says about two million children in Myanmar urgently need humanitarian assistance.
ASEAN members also held their first trilateral meeting with China and Persian Gulf nations. Delegates reportedly agreed to strengthen economic ties amid growing uncertainty from US trade policies.
ASEAN Chair Malaysia hosted the meeting, which included leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council. Topics included trade, investment, energy security, and the impact of American tariffs. Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for greater cooperation.

We must unswervingly expand regional openness and strive to develop all three sides into a large shared market where resources, technology, and talent flow more efficiently.

Diplomatic sources say some delegates stressed the importance of advancing multilateralism and regional unity to tackle common challenges. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said together they can lay the foundation for stable, resilient and sustainable growth.

China sees chance to boost ties with ASEAN, Gulf nations

China's push to reach out to those groups of countries has a lot to do with the United States. That's according to an expert on international relations and East Asian security based in Singapore.
He tells NHK World's Kikuyama Kengo that Beijing offers a contrast to Washington's ever-changing tariff measures and uncertain foreign policy.

While the United States is looking at the great powers, China could actually look at the global south, and then China is actually trying to take the advantage of what the United States is doing now.

Koga says, ASEAN and GCC countries don't want to choose between the US and China, but tariffs hurt, and they have to think about their own economic interests. China also has been mired in a variety of trade disputes, but Koga says right now, the perception is Beijing can offer them more stability compared to the US.

It's more like the in short term kind of temporary adjustment of their policies and then try to talk to China how to deal with the current situation, rather than the kind of fundamental shift of the strategic posture toward the great powers.

But does growing economic ties also mean growing securities?

There are many steps that they need to actually take. And then there are many countries involved in this framework so that I think like security, the agenda is going to be more complex so that I think the economic cooperation does not necessarily lead to the security cooperation anytime soon.

Koga says China's push also does not necessarily mean the country is trying to challenge the existing international order.

I think they are trying to do this in a particular region, and then over time, they would actually expand its influence.

But it so in that sense.

I don't actually see that China is taking over the the United States or China is going to be much stronger than the United States.

As for Japan, Koga says it has an opportunity to raise its diplomatic profile in the region.

This is a really uncertain world, and also Japan's resources are limited in many ways. So maybe Japan should actually also have the priority to engage with the particular countries.

Though with many different players involved, Koga says Japan should prioritize strengthening bilateral ties. Kikuyama Kengo NHK World.

US suspends new interviews with student visa applicants

The administration of US President Donald Trump is stepping up pressure on institutions of higher education. The government has ordered a temporary halt to screenings of student visa applicants. That's likely to affect international students hoping to study in the country.
US political news site Politico reported on Tuesday that US embassies and consular sections were told to pause scheduling new interviews for student visa applicants. Politico says the freeze will remain until a new measure is presented. It says the Trump administration is considering requiring all applicants to undergo screening of their social media.

We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that's coming here, whether they are students or otherwise.

A senior State Department official later acknowledged that the political report is true. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hayashi Yoshimasa, noted Washington has not officially announced the decision and that Japan was following the situation.
We are aware of concerns among those who are planning to visit the US The Japanese government intends to respond while working to gain a full understanding through close communication with the US.

The Trump administration has issued an order that prevents Harvard University from enrolling foreign students. It says the move was necessary to prevent violence and anti-Semitism on campus. The US government has also declared that Harvard's international students must transfer or lose their legal status to remain in the US.

Every student's welcome here. Every student's welcome here.

Students at the university came together to protest the decision Tuesday, calling on the government to change course.

We must choose to stand up and fight back against Donald Trump, against suppression, and against injustice.

We are telling Harvard we should not give in to to any of his demands, because if we start, then he's simply going to come back for even more.

There are about 6800 international students at Harvard. Many are reportedly afraid to demonstrate because they risk being deported.

Hawaii to boost hotel tax to fund climate change measures

In a move billed as the first of its kind in the US, Hawaii is raising taxes on hotel stays to help fight climate change.
Governor Josh Greene signed a new law Tuesday that increases the state's transient. Accommodation tax from 10.25% to 11% starting next January. The so-called green fee is expected to raise $100 million. The funds will go toward addressing climate related threats, including wildfire prevention and coastal protection. Governor Green says the new taxes are a necessary measure to address these climate crises. The Associated Press noted that with other state and county taxes combined. Visitors to Hawaii will soon have to pay a levy of nearly 19% for accommodation.

Senator: US may get golden share in steel deal

Nippon Steel's bid for US Steel will give the US government a so-called golden share, and that will allow it to approve board members. That's according to a Republican senator from Pennsylvania, where the steelmaker is based. Dave McCormick made the remarks during an interview with the US business network CNBC. He confirmed that he spoke with President Donald Trump before the president announced the partnership on Friday. The senator describes the control structure asSomewhat unique, saying that Nippon Steel will enter into a national security agreement with the US government. He also says the CEO and a majority of the board will be American.
McCormick notes that the golden share will essentially require government approval for a number of the board members. He argues these steps will ensure production levels are not cut, and American jobs are protected, but it's unclear if the measures are actually required for the acquisition to get the green light. The focus is now on whether Nippon Steel will be allowed to make the US steelmaker a wholly owned subsidiary and what percentage of shares it will be permitted to acquire.

Akazawa set to leave for Washington to hold tariff talks

Japan's top tariff negotiator is set to leave for Washington Thursday for high-level talks. Economic Revitalization Minister Akazawa Ryosei will sit down with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Friday. Akazawa says he will present proposals that take America's position into account. Well, government sources in Tokyo say Japan has proposed boosting investment in the US. It's also considering reviewing car regulations to make it easier to import American vehicles. But they say Washington still wants Tokyo to come up with more proposals to reduce the trade deficit.

Akazawa is also scheduled to attend an international conference in France next week. The two sides may hold another round of talks there if they fail to make headway in Washington. And they'll have another opportunity at the upcoming G7 summit in Canada next month. If the tariff talks go well, then there's hopes that Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru will reach some kind of agreement with Trump on the sidelines of that summit.

Exports from Southeast Asia to US surge

Southeast Asia's exports to the US are surging as the deadline nears to end a 90-day pause on hiking what Washington has called reciprocal tariffs. In April, US-bound exports from Southeast Asian countries shot up compared to the same month last year. They were up 45% from Malaysia, 34% from Vietnam, and 23% from Thailand. Exports of electronic components, apparel, and rubber products, like automobile tires, rose sharply. And in addition to the Trump administration's threat to slap a 46% tariff on Vietnam, it has floated tariffs of 36% for Thailand and 24% for Malaysia. While Southeast Asian officials scramble to negotiate with the US, more companies have been trying to export goods ahead of schedule. But that solution could create another problem, a decline in exports in the second-half of this year.

Russia slams German plan to let Ukraine strike deep into Russia's territory

Moscow has slammed Germany's chancellor for suggesting his country would allow its weapons to be used by Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory.
Friedrich Mertz said on Monday that there are no longer any range restrictions on the weapons that Germany gives to Ukraine. Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov criticized Mertz's comments in an interview on Tuesday. He said such a decision would be extremely dangerous if made and would also damage the very fragile peace process. Peskov also suggested that Russia will take countermeasures if the United States and European nations continue to give Ukraine military assistance. In developments over ceasefire negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Moscow on Tuesday. Lavrov told reporters after the meeting that he will ask Turkey to organize another round of talks between Russia and Ukraine. Fidan said Turkey is ready to host the talks at any time. Turkey mediated talks between Moscow and Kyiv that took place in the city of Istanbul on May 16.

Now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Ramin Mellegard from the BizDesk. 

Thank you very much indeed.

Indian iPhone shipments to US surge past China's, CNBC reports

Now, a US media report says India overtook China as the top manufacturer of iPhones for the US market in the last two months. Now that reflects the shift in Apple's production to the South Asian nation in response to US tariffs on Chinese imports.
CNBC says data from Singapore based research firm Canalyst show that India shipped roughly 3 million iPhones to the US in April. That's up 76% from a year earlier. Shipments from China over the same period tumbled 76% to 900,000 units. The report says India sent 4.4 million in March, compared to China's 4.3 million. Apple CEO Tim Cook said on May 1 that most iPhones for sale in the US in the April to June quarter would come from India. The move was intended to alleviate the impact of tariffs on goods from China imposed by President Donald Trump. However, Trump warned in a social media post on Friday that iPhones not made in the US would be hit with a tariff of at least 25 percent.

Seven & i shareholders approve first foreign president

And, shareholders of Japanese retail giant Seven & i Holdings have approved the appointment of Stephen Dacus as its new president. He becomes the first foreigner to lead the company.
The operator of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain held a shareholders meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday. Seven proposals put forward by the board were approved. They include the appointment as chairman of Ito Junro, a member of the group's founding family. One shareholder asked how the firm will deal with a buyout proposal from Alimentation Couche-Tard. Seven & i is seeking to fend off the takeover bid from the Canadian company, which runs convenience stores in North America. Now, Seven & i has said it plans to sell off non-core businesses and focus on convenience stores to improve corporate value on its own.

I think the company needs to work hard under the new president to survive intensifying competition.

We were informed about what is going on with Alimentation Kushtar, so shareholders are getting a clearer picture.

Dacos is a former CEO of Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu. He has pledged to expand the 7-Eleven network outside Japan to boost profits.

Japanese govt. to look into condo purchases by foreigners

And Japan's land ministry is planning to conduct its first ever survey on purchases of condominiums by foreign nationals for investment. Now, some analysts believe that the purchases are behind rising condo prices, particularly in Tokyo. But the Japanese government lacks data to gain a clear picture of the situation. Prices of new units have been soaring in the capital. They average over 100 million yen, or more than $690,000.
The land ministry will analyze condo registry information received from the Justice Ministry. Registries do not indicate buyers' nationality, but the land ministry says it will examine the owners' home addresses to determine whether they're foreign nationals. The ministry plans to look into registry information going back several years, covering about 110,000 transactions annually. It will use the information to determine the rate of purchases by non-Japanese citizens and whether the trend is rising or falling. Real estate purchases by people from abroad are legal, but speculations such as reselling properties after holding them for short periods can inflate prices if the practice becomes widespread. The risk is that residents may find buying their own homes unaffordable. The ministry plans to use the survey results to study future housing policies.

A Japanese company is attracting attention around the world for its road paving material that's easy to apply and forms quickly. It has already fixed potholes in Cambodia and Kyrgyzstan. Ukraine is the next possibility.

In April, Ukrainian government officials visited a Japanese infrastructure development company. They were there to learn about its unique road resurfacing technology.
Russia's invasion has caused extensive damage to Ukraine's transport infrastructure. The Kyiv School of Economics estimates that as of last November, more than 26,000 kilometers of the country's roads were damaged or destroyed. It put the losses at $28.3 billion.

We need you in Ukraine to build, to reconstruct, to restore our lives.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency appealed to companies nationwide to work on reconstruction in Ukraine. The firm was chosen for its asphalt, which is used for emergency road repairs, especially filling in potholes.

We understand that not just shells but also small flying objects have made holes in roads. That's where we can help.

The asphalt is a mixture of the company's binding material and sand or gravel.
It solidifies immediately with just the pressure of a person stepping on it or a car driving over it. No heavy machinery is required. The material can be applied in rainy conditions or placed in puddles. It can be stored at room temperature for more than a year, so it's suitable for long-distance transport.
The Ukrainian officials asked about personnel requirements as well as material costs.

Is it more expensive or cheaper than regular repair materials?

It's eight times more expensive. But if you use it, you won't need machinery or workers. So the total cost will be cheaper in Ukraine.

Studies for practical application are underway. The company is assessing the characteristics of the sand and rubble in Ukraine that would be combined with the binding material. It's also looking at the impact of the local climate.

I think this material is usable in Ukraine. Of course, we need to do proper surveys, but I'm intrigued by it.

It's very important to maintain logistics, so we'd like to continue to cooperate with this company.

We have to build trust in people and the quality of the products, as well as between Japan and Ukraine, step by step.

The company plans to welcome Ukrainian students studying at a university in Japan as employees next year. It also hopes to be involved in large-scale road construction projects in Ukraine in the future.

OK, let's get a check on the markets.

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And that is it for business news. Gonna hand it back to you.

Thanks for Ramin.

Japan appeals court orders state, Tokyo to pay damages over false accusation

A Japanese appeals court has upheld a civil ruling which found that Tokyo police and prosecutors wrongfully arrested three chemical company executives. The governments of Japan and Tokyo have been ordered to pay over $1 million in damages. In 2020, Tokyo police arrested three men for allegedly exporting chemical machinery to China illegally. They were indicted, but prosecutors later withdrew charges. and they were exonerated, a rare event in Japanese criminal cases. Two of the executives and the family of the third, who later died, became plaintiffs in a civil case arguing wrongful arrest and prosecution. A Tokyo district court sided with them in 2023, ruling the investigation against the executives broke the law. Following appeals on Wednesday, the Tokyo High Court upheld the decision awarding compensation.
Presiding Judge Ota Teruyoshi said Tokyo police had acted irrationally by subjecting the company's products to export controls without additional investigation. He added that prosecutors also acted irrationally by treating the executives as guilty parties. The police say they are reviewing the decision and haven't said whether they'll appeal to the Supreme Court.

Sumo wrestler Onosato promoted to Yokozuna Grand Champion

Japanese sumo has a new Yokozuna Grand Champion. Ono Sato has been promoted to the sport's highest rank, becoming the 75th wrestler to ever hold the title.
After an extraordinary meeting, the Japan Sumo Association promoted Ono Sato Wednesday. He belongs to the Nishonoseki stable. Representatives visited him there to deliver his new title.

(Japanese) We're going to do the Yokozuna. I'm going to show this.

Onasato won the latest Summer Grand Sumo Tournament with 14 wins and one loss. It was his fourth tournament victory and his second in a row. The 24-year-old was born in Tsubata Town in Ishikawa Prefecture. He made his debut as a professional sumo wrestler in May 2023. It is the fastest any wrestler has been promoted to Yokozuna since the title became an official rank in 1909.
It took only 13 tournaments for him to achieve the feat. He is the first Japanese-born Yokozuna since his stablemaster Nishonoseki, also known as the former wrestler Sheno Sato, who was promoted in 2017.

the world weather

And it's time fothe world weatherr us to check the world weather now with our meteorologist Jonathan. So Jonathan, there's been a storm system that's been causing a lot of problems in parts of South America. What can you tell us?

Hello, we've been keeping an eye out on a system that's been moving across the southern portions of South America, moving from Chile into Argentina. And because of the amount of water associated with the system, it's caused some a lot of problems on the ground. Let's take a look at some video that's coming out of Argentina, where a storm system brought heavy rain to northeastern parts of the country on Tuesday. Santa Fe Province reporting 420 millimeters of rain fell in just seven hours. And you can see in the video here that's causing massive flooding and the collapse of the drainage system also reported. The province also said that at least 117 people had to evacuate to safety. So yeah, lots of water with the system. Now it is pushing off toward the east, so it looks like things are going to start to calm down Argentina, but in southern portions of Brazil we may be dealing with some rain lingering into the day on Wednesday. Look at forecast here. Cloudy skies with high of 16. Buenos Aires at 12 and again being between there toward the southern tip of Brazil is where I think we're going to see the best chance for rain as the system pushes off toward the east.
Speaking of some rain, southern portions of the United States. Hey, you've been under the influence of a stationary frontal boundary with a low pressure system rolling across that, leading to some strong to severe thunderstorms over the past few days, and the story does not end on Wednesday. The front still lingers and remains across the southern and southeastern United States. More thunderstorms are possible in places like Atlanta with a high of 27 showers into Houston and Denver at 21 with some thunderstorms as well. Bythe way, Seattle, I don't know what's going on here. It's hot coming up on Wednesday high of 29. So make sure if you're going to have to spend time outdoors, take it easy because it's definitely going to be on the hot side.

Look at what's happening across Japan clouds and a little bit of shower activity in the morning hours along the eastern side of the country.
But then we saw some sunshine, but looks like we may be seeing the rain coming back in from the south and west. So you may need to bring them back into the picture as you go toward the weekend.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.

♫～

And that is it for this edition of NHK Newsline. We'll have more for you soon.
Thanks for joining us.