From our studios here in Shibuya, Tokyo, this is NHK Newsline. I'm James Tengan.
Trump suspends entry of foreign students seeking to study at Harvard
US President Donald Trump has moved to block international students seeking to study at Harvard University from entering the country. His action is the latest developments in an escalating battle with the Ivy League school.Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation suspending their entry, citing national security concerns as justification. It also directs the Secretary of State to consider revoking visas for current Harvard students. It says foreigners whose entry is deemed to be in the national interest will be exempt from the restriction. The proclamation says America's adversaries, including China, are exploiting the student visa program for what it calls improper purposes. It claims Harvard has not fully complied with administration requests for its disciplinary records of foreign students and is not seriously policing them.
Harvard said the proclamation was another illegal retaliatory step taken by the administration in violation of the school's constitutional rights.
It said the university would continue to protect its international students.
The battle between the administration and Harvard follows government claims that the university failed to confront anti-Semitic harassment on campus.
The Department of Homeland Security last month issued an order preventing the university from enrolling foreign students. Harvard filed a lawsuit, which led to a judge issuing a temporary order to block the administration's efforts. About 6,800 international students are enrolled at Harvard, more than a quarter of the student body.
US vetoes UN Security Council resolution on Gaza ceasefire and humanitarian aid
The United States has blocked a UN Security Council resolution that calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. It's the first time the country used its veto power during Trump's second term in office.Ten non-permanent members of the council submitted the draft resolution. It calls for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, release of all hostages and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid in the territory.
Slovenia's ambassador is the coordinator for the council's non-permanent members.
He called on all members for their support.
We firmly believe that this council must also act urgently and decisively to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The acting US ambassador pushed back.
This resolution would undermine diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire that reflects the realities on the ground and emboldens Hamas.
All 14 of the council's other members voted in favor. Several countries condemned the US for not following suit.
They said its decision will endanger the lives of more than 2 million starving Palestinians. The council has faced criticism for failing to come up with effective measures to deal with the prolonged conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business with Gene Otani.
Thanks, James. In our top business story this hour.
Suzuki Motor has suspended production
Suzuki Motor has suspended production of its mainstay Swift compact car, and sources are blaming China's export restrictions on rare earth metals. It's the first stoppage at a Japanese auto plant resulting from Beijing's measures.The sources say procurement of parts using rare earth minerals has been delayed by new export procedures in China. Rare earths are essential materials for mortars in hybrid cars.
Suzuki stopped producing the popular model at a plant in Shizuoka Prefecture on May 26.
The automaker says it plans to resume partial production on June 13, ramping up to normal output by the 16. Suzuki now says it managed to secure the needed parts.
China in April announced the export controls as part of its retaliation against tariff measures by the US Trump administration.
Convenience stores in Japan begin selling govt. stockpiled rice
Two convenience store chains in Japan have begun selling lower-priced rice. The cheaper grain was obtained from the government under its new system of no-bid contracts. The government started releasing its stockpiles after prices soared to record highs.Lawson and Family Mart are offering the stockpiled rice in small packages at some of their outlets in Tokyo and Osaka. Lawson says it is selling small lot bags to meet the needs of elderly customers and one person households. A 1 kilogram package costs 360 yen. or about $2.50, excluding tax. A woman in her 50s bought a two-kilogram bag.
We have tried to eat rice less often, but I had to buy it anyway despite the high price to make onegiri rice balls for my child. I am lucky I got this bag today.
Agriculture Minister Koizumi Shinjiro visited a Family Mart store in central Tokyo early on Thursday. He said he is thankful that convenience stores acted so quickly to offer rice in ways affordable for many people. He added that he hopes it would help get more stockpiled rice on shelves nationwide. 7-Eleven Japan says it will also start sales from June 17.
Japan panel to probe cause of soaring rice price
Meanwhile, the Japanese Prime Minister has assembled a top-level task force to investigate the ongoing rice crisis. Ishiba is calling for long-term solutions that bring down the price of the country's staple grain.Prime Minister Ishiba is heading the ministerial panel. It will hold its first meeting on Thursday. The panel will investigate what caused the price surge and how the government has handled the situation. Its ultimate goal is to fix problems in the supply system. This is the government's latest attempt to stabilize prices. Agriculture Minister Koizumi last week began selling stockpiled rice directly to retailers.
The new no bid contract system is a first in the country.
Ishiba said earlier that the government needs to ensure a continuous supply of the grain.
It is necessary to provide rice at a price that will reassure consumers. For that to happen, sustainable production needs to be achieved through improving efficiency.
Koizumi also stressed the need to get to the root of the problem.
I think it is important at the ministerial meeting to thoroughly examine why this latest surge in rice prices happened.
Ministers will focus on mid- to long-term policies. Possible topics include increasing exports, production adjustments, and subsidies for farmers.
Japan's real wages drop for 4th month in April
Japan's inflation-adjusted wages fell for the fourth straight month in April.Salaries rose, but failed to keep pace with rising consumer prices.
The Labor Ministry's preliminary data show that real pay dropped 1.8% from a year earlier. The Ministry surveyed about 30,000 businesses across the country with at least five employees. Workers, on average, took home about 302,000 yen, or a little over $2,100, in April.
That includes base pay and overtime. The figure is up 2.3% year on year, marking the 40th consecutive month of increase. Base pay came to almost 270,000 yen, or nearly $1,900, rising for 42 months in a row. It was up 2.2% compared to a year earlier.
Ministry officials say that the base pay rise was larger than the previous two months due to salary hikes at the start of the fiscal year in April. But inflation outpaced the increase. They say they will keep a close watch on the impact of price moves and annual wage negotiations in the spring.
Japanese company has taken steps to create a more female-friendly workplace
Manufacturing has long been perceived as a tough, male-dominated field which deters many women from entering. One Japanese company has taken steps to create a more female-friendly workplace with unexpected results.This is a metal processing manufacturer located in Toyama City in central Japan.
The company employs about 200 people. It primarily processes thin metal sheets to make frames and housings for industrial machinery. Workers in its manufacturing department were all male until 2018, but women now count for 13 of its factory jobs and 30% of the company's total workforce.
The company faced a labour shortage a few years ago and found it difficult to fill open jobs.
Metal processing has a strong image of being a field where male craftsmen excel, and we wanted to dispel that image.
Nakagawa's first step was installing laser welding robots. The units can be operated just by pushing buttons. Co-workers came up with other ideas.
This worker was dissatisfied with a commercially available tool for loosening fasteners. She found them to be too short and she said using them required significant force. She requested a custom made tool with a longer handle and the company promptly produced one forher.
I think it's a wonderful company where I can request new tools.
The company also made other efforts to improve employees satisfaction.
Uematsu Mayu is a parts designer. She was hired four years ago.
The company offers exercise lessons on-site twice a month during working hours.
This company is completely different from my image of manufacturing.
I can commute from my parents' home and I think it's good to be able to engage in various activities.
Creating a comfortable environment for women has improved the atmosphere for all workers. The company's turnover rate had once reached 10% in 2011. It has now dropped to 1%.
Increasing the number of women and promoting their active participation has improved productivity and the turnover rate has decreased. I am glad we made the shift.
All right, let's have a look at the markets.
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And that's it for Business News.
Japan needs more babies, but how?
Japan is now facing a population crisis. The annual number of babies born in the country has fallen below 700,000 for the first time.
Last year, reported births sank to about one-fourth of the yearly number. during the baby boomer generation. Government officials say the decline comes about 15 years earlier than predicted. The ministry also says the total fertility rate fell to a record low of 1.15. Experts say one reason it's happening is that fewer people are getting married.
Now it appears that a growing number of Japanese in their 20s are registering with matchmaking agencies. This 28-year-old woman visited an agency in Tokyo. She says she wants to keep working while raising a child.
I'm just repeating the cycle of commuting to work and returning home on weekdays. I have few opportunities to meet men.
In 2024, the yearly number of couples who married dropped by more than 150,000 from a decade earlier. Local governments are trying to change that. Ehime Prefecture in western Japan launched a marriage support project. So far, it's helped more than 1,600 couples tie the knot.
It has utilized a matching computer program powered by artificial intelligence.
The program uses big data to suggest the best prospective partners.
Project volunteers stay in contact with people who get matched up and share advice on how they can develop their relationships.
For more on this, I earlier spoke with NHK World's Sugimoto Orie.
Orie, it seems that many young Japanese want to get married, but they are struggling to do so. What's making it so tough for them?
Yes, we have to look at their financial situation. Unstable employment, slow wage growth, costly housing and soaring prices are making people feel that marriage and kids are too expensive. Gender inequality in work and raising children is apparently another factor.
Experts point out that more and more couples hope to have double incomes. But that's constrained by the conventional idea that men should work and earn enough to support their families. Men working long hours is still the basic style at many Japanese companies, so they don't have enough time to take care of children. And running the household and spending more hours raising children can eventually force women to give up their jobs.
Well, the decreasing total fertility rate and shrinking population isn't just a challenge for Japan. What other countries are grappling with these issues?
South Korea and China are also seeing a rapidly decreasing fertility rate.
The World Bank says that in 2023, South Korea's rate hit 0.72. That's among the lowest in the world, and China marked 1.0.
To find out more, I spoke with Professor Mizoguchi Yuki at Niigata University. He's an expert on Asia's population decline. He says what Japan, South Korea and China share is that marriage and raising children is becoming too expensive for their young people.
Japan, China and South Korea have placed most of the burden of social reproduction on families. That is, social welfare mostly relying on families. Now economic growth is over and families only have to bear the burden. So the cost-effectiveness of marriage has deteriorated.
Mizoguchi says that in South Korea, the conventional lifetime employment for men was destroyed after the 1990s. He says young women have started getting jobs, but the traditional idea that they should stay home and support men is still deeply embedded in society. He says this discourages women from thinking they can work and get married.
In China, Mizoguchi cites high housing costs in urban areas like Beijing and Shanghai. He says that puts too much of a burden on young couples. He suggests that the government could help by making housing more affordable.
Orie, what about Japan? What's being done here?
The Japanese government has recently worked out a major policy to support childcare. It includes an allowance for more households with children and offering more facilities like nurseries. It's also important to get rid of long work hours and gender inequality. Mizoguchi says he's afraid that someday the population of East Asian countries could hit zero, also reducing the economy and society to nothing. The decline is occurring quietly, but stably.
The government and the business sector must take actions now to change it.
Trump holds phone talks with Putin
Putin rejects peace talks with Ukraine, saying 'no negotiations with terrorists'
Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the conflict in Ukraine in separate calls with his US counterpart and Pope Leo the 14th. But there was no indication that Wednesday's phone diplomacy brought peace any closer.President Trump said in a social media post that he spoke with Putin for more than an hour. He described the call as a good conversation, but said it will not lead to immediate peace.
Trump said the two discussed Ukraine's drone strikes on Russian warplanes and other attacks by both sides. He said Putin told him very strongly that Russia would have to respond to the drone attacks. Trump has recently criticized Russia for continuing major attacks across Ukraine. He said on May 28, it would become clear within two weeks if Putin intends to end the war.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said Wednesday that Putin thanked Pope Leo in phone talks for the new pontiff's readiness to help resolve the situation in Ukraine.
The presidential office says Putin reaffirmed his interest in achieving peace through political and diplomatic means. But that doesn't seem to include negotiating with Ukraine. Putin rejected Kiev's proposals for a ceasefire or a summit. He said they would just lead to what he called terrorist acts.
The two sides had held direct talks earlier this week in Istanbul. Putin was briefed by the head of the Russian delegation Wednesday. He said Ukraine had proposed a 30- or 60-day unconditional ceasefire to prepare for a summit between the two leaders. But Putin rejected the idea, pointing to recent attacks over the weekend.
The recent blowing up of railway lines in the Bryansk and Kursk regions is, without a doubt, an act of terrorism. And without doubts, the decisions to commit such crimes were made at a political level in Ukraine.
Putin claimed the incidents left seven people dead and many more injured. He had also previously dismissed the idea of negotiating with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He claimed he was an illegitimate leader whose term had expired.
Japan's police issue record number of restraining orders for stalking in 2024
Japanese police say that the number of restraining orders issued against stalkers hit a record high last year. Authorities are looking to regulate tracking tags, which are increasingly used to stalk victims.Over 2,400 restraining orders were issued against the perpetrators under Japan's anti-stalking law.
Authorities have seen a surge in cases in which perpetrators track victims' locations via tracking tags and smartphone apps. Location tags, originally designed for tracking lost items, were attached to victims' personal belongings. Currently, Japanese law does not restrict the act of attaching tracking tags to someone else's possessions. The National Police Agency is considering new rules, including setting up a legal framework to address the problem. The issue made headlines when one woman was found dead in April after complaining that her former boyfriend was stalking her in Kawasaki City, near Tokyo.
Police had not issued a warning or restraining order before his arrest and indictment. The National Police Agency has instructed officers nationwide to implement measures prioritizing victims' safety.
Dealing with people who receive restraining orders also remains a challenge. The agency says it urged more than 3,200 stalkers to receive counseling last year. However, most refused. Police across Japan plan to contact perpetrators by phone and to look out for possible signs of repeat offenses.
Japan's Imperial family pay respects at Tsushima Maru monument in Okinawa
Japan's imperial family is continuing their tour of Okinawa. Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, and Princess Aiko mourn the victims of a civilian ship that sank during World War II.Their trip began Wednesday. It's a way for them to pay their respects to the war dead. This year marks 80 years since the end of World War Two, including the Battle of Okinawa. The Imperial family lay flowers at this monument in Naha City Thursday. It's dedicated to those who died aboard the Tsushima Maru.
The ship was evacuating civilians to Kyushu when it was attacked by US forces. Close to 1,500 people were killed, including at least 780 school children.
The family also visited a museum dedicated to the incident. The head of the facility guided them through the exhibition. They also met with survivors and the families of the deceased. The Emperor spoke with one man who survived the attack but lost nine of his family members.
The Emperor and Empress will also visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the coming months.
the world weather
It's now time to check out the weather.Eastern and western Japan had sunny skies on Thursday, with temperatures rising from the morning. Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has the details.
Unusually warm air is coupling much of Northeast Asia from China to Japan. The temperature hit eerie highs in many parts of Japan, over 31 degrees in one area in Shikoku and more than 32 in Takasaki in the Kanto region. The heat is expected to continue over the weekend from north to south, highs are likely to stay around 30. Tokyo will see 28 on Friday and even Fukushima in the north will see 32 on Friday and Saturday.
Looking at the bigger picture across Asia, the heat is also a concern in Beijing with a high of 34. For the south, showers are likely in Hong Kong and Taipei. Thunder showers are likely in Manila. Philippine officials say monsoon season will start on Friday, so people in the country should prepare for heavy rainfall over the coming weeks.
In North America, severe wildfires in Central Canada are now affecting the United States.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires has made the air worse in the eastern United States. On Tuesday morning in Minneapolis, air quality reached very unhealthy levels. It was the second worst category according to the government.
On Wednesday warnings about moderate air quality reached as far as Kansas and Georgia.
Most of the smog is from fires northwest of Winnipeg.
Air quality alerts are in effect from the US Midwest to the Northeast. Hazy conditions are expected in Chicago on Thursday. Elsewhere in the country, heat is likely to continue in New York and Washington with highs around 30.
That's it for now. Take care.
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For all of us here on the show, I'm James Tengan. Thanks for watching.
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