at 18:00 (JST), June 02

 

20250602180000_english_1.mp3

Hello, a very warm welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo.

Attack on pro-Israel demonstrators in Colorado injures 8 people

Eight people in the US state of Colorado have been injured in an attack on pro-Israel demonstrators. The Federal Bureau of Investigation says the suspect yelled free Palestine during the incident.

It is clear that this is a targeted act of violence in the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism.

The FBI says a man used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device at the demonstrators in Boulder on Sunday.

The agency says eight people aged 52 to 88 were rushed to the hospital with injuries including burns.

I saw fire. I saw people falling and screaming and crying and tripping, and I saw the attacker have a Molokov. It's really scary and it's really upsetting that it's happening in Boulder.

The demonstrators were calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Islamic group Hamas.

Authorities have detained a 45 year old man. They say he was also injured.

The incident comes less than two weeks after two Israeli embassy staff members were shot and killed in Washington.

Voting day in South Korea just hours away

Voting day in South Korea is just hours away. It comes half a year after former President Yoon Suk-yeol's failed martial law declaration that led to his ouster. All that chaos continues to cast a long shadow as the two main candidates deliver their final pitches.

Lee Jae-myung of the largest opposition Democratic Party told supporters that such chaos should never be allowed.

No matter what happens, we must win without fail, even if it's just by one vote. We'll definitely hold the relevant people who caused the insurrection historically, criminally and politically responsible.

Kim Moon-soo of the conservative ruling People Power Party warned of a different potential chaos.

Only the people's vote can save the Republic of Korea from the crisis. Please use each and every precious vote to prevent the monstrous Lee Jae-myung from realizing a dictatorship.

Kim's team has been calling for Lee Jun-seok of the minor Reform Party to drop his candidacy to unify conservative support behind Kim. But that hasn't happened yet in the 22-day campaign period. The polls open Tuesday.

Challenges for US Steel acquisition deal

Now to some developments in a high-profile deal in the international steel industry. Japan's Nippon Steel is hoping to advance negotiations on a national security agreement with the White House to acquire US Steel, aiming to operate it as a wholly owned subsidiary. The agreement is likely to guarantee that US Steel's production capacity will not be reduced for a certain period, and that a majority of the company's board members will be American citizens. President Donald Trump stressed the importance of the company staying under US control.

We're here today to celebrate a blockbuster agreement that will ensure this storied American company stays and American company. You're going to stay in American company, you know that, right? We're going to have a great partner.

Speaking at a rally at a US steel plant, Trump said the Japanese firm has promised to invest $14 billion in its American counterpart. However, later in the day, he emphasized that he still has to sign off on any agreement.

I have to approve the final deal with Nippon, and we haven't seen that final deal yet.

A decision on the deal is expected by Thursday this week. Nippon Steel's takeover plan was announced in December 2023, and it soon became a major political issue.

Donald Trump called the deal a horrible thing when he was a contender for president in January 2024. He promised to block it immediately if he won office.
Trump was sworn in as president on January 20. He held summit talks with Japan's Prime Minister Ishibashigeru in early February.

US Steel is a very important company to us. We didn't want to see that leave, and it wouldn't actually leave, but the concept psychologically not good.

Trump said Nippon Steel agreed to invest heavily in US Steel as opposed to owning it. Trump reaffirmed his hard line just days later, saying nobody can have a majority stake in US steel. On April 7, the President instructed the Committee on Foreign Investment to conduct a fresh review of the proposed deal to identify any national security risks.

And earlier, I spoke with Yuko Fukushima from our businesses for more on the possible deal between the two steel companies.
So Yuko, what significance does it have if Nippon Steel concludes a national security agreement with the US government?

Well, what I've heard, there doesn't seem much significance. I've been talking to an international lawyer, a lawyer who's an expert on cross-border M&As. Yamada Koki says when CFIUS, that's the Committee for Foreign investment reviews a deal, it is common for the acquiring foreign company to sign a contract with the US government on security issues.

It's not no surprise, but that about the fact that they are entering into the national security agreement. But I think what what important is the content of what what is to be agreed. What we know so far, for example, if There are a certain number of board members who are American citizens. How do you think that would affect Nippon Steel's attempt to go into the US market?

Just simply having a you know majority of US citizens in the board, it's it's a pretty normal thing for the US company and even for the US subsidiaries. And whether the question is whether Nipple Steel, a shareholder and a parent company, has grips over those US board members. I would like to note that in Nipple Steel's previous proposal on this national security agreement that they are also offering three independent directors, US citizens, who needs to be approved by CFIUS, the US government.

And about the promise of not shutting down US factories for a certain period of time, do you think that would affect Nippon Steel's business in the US?

That is basically, again, giving up the control over the the how to run the business for 10 years in in certain states. But I think what the Nippon Steel wants to have is the US production capacity. I guess what Nippon Steel is seeing is that even though they don't have the capacity to reduce the production capacity for these 10 years, but gaining that capacity, on the other hand, is more important than you know having risks.

So, gaining US production capacity. What is it that Nippon Steel wants so much in the US market?

Well, the US is the biggest market for advanced steel, which Nippon Steel is good at producing. And with all these tariffs on steel from overseas, it is critical for Nippon Steel to enter the US market. Then what are some of the risks for the Japanese steelmaker if it actually, you know, managesto reach a deal with US Steel? Well, it remains to be seen whether Nippon Steel can control US Steel.
Now, Yamada says it is actually easier for Nippon Steel to make a deal compared to what it's going to face afterwards. You know, he has seen many companies investing in the US and elsewhere, only to see those businesses fail. And in many cases, they can't retrieve the investment because they are not good at managing the companies they bought. And Yamada says it will be an even more difficult endeavor for Nippon Steel.

If US company subsidiary wants to oppose to or reveal the the strategy that the Japan Nippon Steel would like to implement in the US, then these national security agreements or power of US government is something they would try to use for.

Hmm Then what can other companies that are looking into investing in or outright by US firms learn from this example?

Well, Yamada points out that Nippon Steel's case is pretty unique in that it coincided with the US presidential elections and other factors. Well, having said that, Yamada says that when considering an M&A in advanced economy, they need to consider, the firms need to consider political risks now, as they do in emerging nations.

Considering the the status of the entire world, you know the public opinions are you know diversified or divided, and politicians are taking more like populistic approaches. So in that way, even you're making M&A or investment in developed countries, this political risk could be a huge factor for you know the successful M&A transaction.

And even after a successful deal, a profit is not guaranteed.

Right. It seems clear that there are substantial headwinds still to come for Nippon Steel.

Exactly.

Thank you very much, Yuko.

BizDesk 

And let's go over to Gene Otani from the BizDesk for other business stories. Gene?

Thanks, Miki.

Japan government stockpiled rice reaches consumers

Leading off this hour's business newscast, lower priced rice from the Japanese government's emergency stockpiles is turning up on store shelves, prices for the staple food had doubled in the past year, denting household budgets.

Some businesses sold 5 kilogram bags of rice on Sunday for about 2,000 yen. That's roughly the equivalent of $14.00. That price is around half the amount customers have to pay in many stores. The no-bid contracts have made 300,000 tons of stockpiled rice available for sale.

Agriculture Minister Koizumi Shinjiro believes the release of the stockpiled rice may help lower prices to some extent. The agriculture ministry on Friday started accepting applications from small and mid-sized retailers that want to buy rice from the stockpiles.

Approximately 80,000 tons of rice harvested in 2021 are available for sale through the no-bid contracts. The ministry says it has already received about 1,300 applications. Analysts are waiting to see whether the widespread sale of the stockpiled rice will help bring down prices. Koizumi is reviewing the country's rice distribution system to try and reduce the surge in prices of the staple food. One retailer has said the supply chain is crowded with too many companies.

President Yoshida Naoki of the Don Quixote outlets has made the argument in a letter to Koizumi. Yoshida says the National Agricultural Cooperatives, known as the JA Group, collects most of the crop and controls the supply chain. He says the JA Group sells the rice to a limited number of wholesalers, and it then goes through multiple tiers of other brokers that add a profit margin. He states this process cranks up the price by the time it reaches stores.

The rice supply and distribution system is far outdated. This needs to be recognized as the first step in addressing the problem.

Agriculture Minister Koizumi told reporters that Yoshida's views need to be considered to identify what has caused rice prices to double in the past year.

Rice distribution should become more transparent. That's one of the issues the government has to discuss.

Koizumi says the ministry will review the rice distribution system for discussion by the government.

e-sports 

Competitive video gaming has taken on the name e-Sports. This industry is booming worldwide. The question of whether it counts as a sport has stirred debate for more than a decade. The bigger spotlight in Japan has pushed more players to call themselves athletes.

Takaki is one of Japan's top e-Sports competitors. He goes by player name only and is dedicated enough to do weight training to improve his performance.
The exercises help him improve his mental condition after he had fallen into a slump. He says it helped him improve his performance.

Strength training has increased my perseverance, allowing me to overcome obstacles in a competition or in a difficult situation.

Takaki specializes in e-football. He played in the FIFA e-World Cup on Japan's national team last year.

His job only leaves 3 hours a day for practice. Takaki says that e-sports competitors need the same mental and physical strength required in other sports to win.

I don't think e-sports athletes have a very healthy image in the public. I want small children to look up to me.

Along with the focus on athleticism, the e-sports industry is trying to gain recognition as a sport in other ways.
An e-sports association held a compliance training session in March. The seminar covered anti-doping rules applying to competitors. Some drugs might increase concentration and shorten reaction time.
Anti-doping awareness is critical because next year's Asian Games will include e-Sports. And players will face drug tests just like in real sports.

I'm not aware of some points on these issues, and so I'm glad to take part.

Our e-Sports competitors don't have enough real sports experience, so it is important to provide many opportunities like this. e-Sports needs to catch up with real sports events as soon as possible.

More people are enjoying e-Sports as a hobby later in life. 
This seniors club started e-Sports last year. The games improved communication and members say it helped improve their outlook on life.

I feel more and more positive. I think this is good for the elderly.

Kato Takaaki, a professor who studies e-sports, believes that elderly people and people with disabilities may be able to revitalize their brains and bodies while enjoying themselves.

When you play, you have to use various brain functions, or you have to move your hands and feet. I think it may become an exercise in a way that is a little different from previous sports.

Japan's government has allocated funds to support e-Sports in the current fiscal year, and the IOC intends to organize the Olympic e-Sports Games in 2027. These developments seem set to accelerate the growth of the sport. and point to a promising future.

And that's a look at business news.

Kazuo Ishiguro on reframing war memories

Now we go to Shibuya Aki for Newsline in Focus. We got an interview with the celebrated novelist, Kazuo Ishiguro.

The movie adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's 1982 novel, A Pale View of Hills, premiered at this year's Cannes. It's set in post-war Nagasaki, where Ishiguro was born seven years after the atomic bombing. The British author, who went on to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, acted as executive producer on the film. We sat down with Ishiguro in Cannes. To ask what this story and Nagasaki mean to him.

Kazuo Ishiguro

This is based on a book I wrote when I was 25 years old. And it's a very bad book. First book I ever wrote. But there is a long history in the cinema of bad books making wonderful movies.

A pale view of hills is the story of Etsuko, who lived through the atomic bombing in Nagasaki. Years later, and long settled in Britain, her daughter, an aspiring writer, interviews her. Etsuko is forced to face her haunted hidden past, buried in Japan.

Ishiguro was born to Japanese parents in Nagasaki, but when he was five, he and his family moved to the UK.

A Pale View of Hills is his debut novel written in his 20s. His mother was a major inspiration.

I didn't use any of her stories directly in the novel. Not long before I started to write this book, she said that she thought it was important that she passed on. her memories, her direct personal memories of of those years. And it wasn't always-- these weren't always traumatic memories. These were also stories about friends and just sometimes very ordinary lives that that something got interrupted by something in the war. I learned to think about the war in terms of my mother's very ordinary experiences of everyday life, the small things, terrible things.

He also wrote the work to remember the city where he was born and understand his relationship with Japan.

I think it it was the book I wrote to try and preserve a lot of my feelings and memories of Nagasaki. I was as I got older into my mid 20s, these memories were fading away and I think I I thought if I put them, if I if I created that world in a novel. they would be safe. When I think of Nagasaki, I I think of sunshine and and people being so pleased that that things are going forward. And something is better this year than it was last year.
And so I had this image of Nagasaki in my mind. And And yet, in the West, when I said Nagasaki, people just thought of this kind of devastated city with with terrible injuries. So I I did actually feel Nagasaki was a very powerful symbol when you put these two images of Nagasaki together.

The film, while basically faithful to the novel, is more overt in its depiction of the emotional scars of the people who experienced the war and bombing. Ishiguro agreed with this approach.

At the time when I wrote the story, you only had to to make a reference to to these things.

And people understood. You know When I wrote the story, it was only 35 years after the the atomic bombing.

Today's generation, perhaps more things need to be made explicit about what what nuclear what a nuclear explosion can do.

In bringing his story to the screen, Ishiguro was committed to one thing.

For me, it's very important that the the film was made by this generation of of and and Japanese filmmakers. This is very much a retelling of the story for today's generation.

He was happy to entrust the monumental work to director Ishikawa Kei.

Until this movie, I always felt I had no right to talk about the war, but it's actually the only way to pass down its history. Rather than trying to do it by casting a wide net, I believe it is very important for me to try to make sense of something that I do understand, even if it's a small element.

Hirose Suzu, one of her generation's most exciting actors, portrays Etsuko as a young housewife in Nagasaki.
We ask her how she sees the importance of this story.

As time goes on, I'm afraid more people may come to feel as if that war never happened. In this sense, I think it is significantthat we are performing this story now.

As we approach the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Ishiguro hopes this film's reframing of memories will inspire young audiences to reflect on the past.

I think this is a very dangerous moment when, because we have had peace for so long, I think many people believe that it's a natural, permanent condition. How do you keep the the new generation, the children, how do you make them interested? How do you convince them that this is a very important story that is relevant to their lives and the world that they would go on to build?
And I think with each generation, we have to rethink how we package these memories, what we do. We can't just keep remembering in the same way.

His humorous comment at Cannes about bad books making great movies, I'm sure has already inspired many of us to not just see the movie, but also to pick up the novel. Reframing scenes from history to capture a new generation and help them see the fragility of the piece we have today is definitely a theme for all of us involved in the media seeking a better world. And that's all for me.

the world weather

And it's time for a check on the world weather with our meteorologist Jonathan Oh. So Jonathan, heavy rain is impacting thousands of people in southern parts of China. What can you tell us?

Hello. Around this time of year, we talk about the rainy season, or at least the rainy season front. That impacts areas like southern China and eventually over into other portions over to these and other countries such as Japan as the front moves toward the north. And so it's been causing real problems over into the southern portions of China. Take a look at this video that's coming out of Yunnan province, where flooding and landslides occurred after days of heavy rain.

Since last week, some areas received up to 550 millimeters of rainfall.

Reuters reporting that more than 4,800 people have been affected due to damaged buildings and homes. And Chinese media reports over 1,300 had to be evacuated.

The seasonal rain setup will continue to bring heavy rain to southern China in the coming days. So that will keep risks of landslide and flooding quite high. And as I mentioned, this front just is not just into China, it's going to be moving and impacting places like Japan. The western areas of Japan will be impacted by low pressure some along that front.

And so we'll be looking at a wet day and as we go through Tuesday and Wednesday, even Tokyo will be seeing some rainy weather and at times. Especially around the low, we might be talking about some heavier rain, so you want to be on the lookout for that. 21 for the high in Tokyo, with wet weather coming up on Tuesday. Showers in the Taipei and Hong Kong. Highs in the upper 20s to around 30 for the day.

Meanwhile, we're talking about the possibility of strong to even severe thunderstorms into the central portions of the United States with a low pressure system that's coming out of the Rockies. Warm air surging from the South with the high pressures in the desert southwest and so as it does so the central plains might be seeing the skies light up as you go through day on Monday.

Rain with a high of 29 in Denver, some thunderstorm possibilities to the east of that down to the South. It's quite hot highs in the low 30s as we go through Monday.

Looking at what's happening across Europe, we do have a core from the stretching across the central portions of the continent. It's a narrow focus and so areas to the east and West of that more on the drier side but rain down toward the areas. 

Hope you have a good day wherever you are.

♫～

And that's NHK Newsline for this hour.

I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo. Thank you for staying with us.