Welcome back to NHK Newsline. Here's the latest we have for you at this hour.
ISRAEL, IRAN AGREE TO US-BACKED CEASEFIRE
The Israeli government and Iranian state television say their countries have agreed to a ceasefire. The deal was first unveiled by the US president on social media. Israel says in a statement that while it has agreed to Donald Trump's proposal, the country will respond forcefully to any violation.Trump is asking both sides not to violate the ceasefire. Earlier, he congratulated them for ending a war he said could have destroyed the Middle East. After Trump's initial announcement, Iran's foreign minister posted on social media. Abbas Araqchi said that his country will seize its response if Israel ceases its aggression. Attacks appear to continue until the final moments. Israel says Iran struck its territory with missiles early Tuesday morning, local time, killing at least three people.
And Iranian media report Israel attacked residential areas in northern Iran, killing nine and injuring more than 30.
The ceasefire announcement comes on the heels of an Iranian missile attack against a US base in Qatar. That was in response, in retaliation, rather, for American strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend.
N. KOREA REPORTEDLY DECIDES TO HOLD RULING PARTY CONGRESS
North Korea says the country's ruling Workers' Party has decided to convene itsNinth congress. The party's highest policy meeting last took place in 2021. North Korea's state-run television reported Tuesday the decision was approved at a three day plenary meeting of the party's Central Committee.
It did not say when the Congress would be held. It said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivered an important speech but gave no details of its content.
It also did not say if the meeting addressed the country's failed launch of a new destroyer in May. Kim had reportedly commented on the launch, saying irresponsible errors by senior officials would be discussed at the plenary meeting. At the last Congress, the North unveiled a five-year defense plan. It contained calls to improve the performance of intercontinental ballistic missiles and to miniaturize nuclear weapons.
S. KOREA FM NOMINEE SUPPORTS US-N. KOREA DIALOGUE
South Korea's foreign minister nominee has said he supports dialogue between the US and North Korea. Cho Hyun spoke to reporters in Seoul on Tuesday. The White House said earlier this month that the US president is open to communication with the North Korean leader. Cho said realizing dialogue between the US and the North and establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula is a diplomatic priority. He said he will cooperate with the US and other friendly countries and make efforts to ensure there are no obstacles to promoting dialogue. He also said he will develop bilateral ties with Japan and search for ways to build on their framework while resolving any problems through diplomacy. Cho's appointment is expected to become official after a National Assembly hearing.the world of business
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Ramin Mellegard from the Biz Desk.Thank you very much indeed.
CRUDE OIL FUTURES IN TOKYO DROP AFTER TRUMP CEASEFIRE POST
Now, US President Donald Trump's announcement that Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire came on Tuesday morning in Japan, and that sent oil prices tumbling.Dubai crude futures for November delivery ended the day down 12% to 57,970 yen, or about $400 a kilo liter in Tokyo. They had surged on fears the Iran-Israel conflict would disrupt supplies. The US currency lost ground against the Japanese yen to the 145 level. The dollar had briefly climbed to the 148 yen level following the US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. The greenback is considered a safe. haven for investors in times of crisis. Investors sold the dollar following the ceasefire announcement.
Now, Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index gained 1.1 percent to finish at 38,790. Many investors placed buy orders for a wide range of shares after Trump's announcement eased concerns about escalating conflict in the Middle East.
STRUGGLING NISSAN HOLDS FRACTIOUS STOCKHOLDERS' MEETING
Struggling Japanese automaker Nissan Motor held a stockholders meeting on Tuesday. President and CEO Ivan Espinosa apologized for the deteriorating performance and explained plans to turn the company around, but shareholders reacted harshly.The meeting was held at Nissan's main office in Yokohama, with more than 1,000 people attending. Espinosa also revealed plans to cut the group wide payroll by 20,000 workers and close 7 factories. Shareholders approved a proposal to select four new board members, including Espinosa, who took the helm in April. Now, stockholders also agreed to reappoint eight external board directors, including three members of a committee that elected Espinosa's predecessor, Uchida Makoto. One shareholder blamed the board for the worsening performance.
I'm anxious about Nissan's future because external board members, who appear to have done nothing to stop problematic things from happening, will be retained.
A notice about the shareholders meeting revealed that the former president and three other executives had received nearly 650 million yen combined, or roughly $4.4 million as part of their resignation package.The high compensation for the resigning executives looks unbalanced. While many employees are suffering with job cuts.
LAWSON OPENS NEXT-GEN STORE IN TOKYO
Convenience store operator Lawson is going digital to boost sales amid a severe labor shortage. Now it opened a next generation outlet equipped with state-of-the-art technology with help from telecom giant KDDI.The store opened on Monday in an office building in central Tokyo, where one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in the capital is underway. At the store, robots cook food and stack shelves. Electronic labels eliminate the need for manual price changes. Artificial intelligence analyzes customer behavior based on footage from over 20 cameras.
The information is used to compile data on hot items and improve efficiency.
Lawson and KDDI, which acquired a 50% stake in the firm last year, hope such futuristic technologies will give the stores an edge. Lawson aims to expand use of the new tech. And cut the workload by 30% at all stores by fiscal 2030.
US PUSHES ASIA TO BACK PRICEY LNG MEGAPROJECT
the US government is pushing ahead with a major project to extract liquefied natural gas in the state of Alaska.President Donald Trump believes this could cut the trade deficit with Asia.
And he wants the region to help pay for it, but it comes with a steep price tag and plenty of risks. That's given potential partners reason to pause. NHK World's Raja Pradhan has more.
We're talking about a joint venture of some type between Japan and us having to do with Alaska oil and gas, and that's very exciting.
The massive undertaking involves the construction of a pipeline that'll stretch 1,300 kilometers across Alaska. It would deliver natural gas from the northern part of the state to a facility that'll be built in the southern part. From there, the natural gas will be converted into LNG and shipped across the Pacific to Asia. The project's developers say it could cut transport time and reduce geopolitical risks as compared to purchasing from the Middle East. But any benefits would not come cheap. Construction carries a price tag of $44 billion.
To help offset the cost, the US wants investment from overseas. Washington recently invited officials from Asia, including Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, to the site for gas production in Alaska. Officials pitched them on the project.
And when we can have enough energy for ourselves and then sell energy to our friends and allies, they don't have to buy it from our adversaries. That makes the world a more peaceful place.
We can see it very, very clearly. Dramatic warming. Dramatic warming of permafrost.
Yeah, this is, yeah, it's all ice. It's all ice.
As the frozen earth thaws, the land could soften and subside, potentially leading to catastrophic damage to the pipeline.Moreover, there are worries persistent inflation could send the project's construction costs soaring, along with the price of the LNG it produces.
The Japanese government says it's important to diversify its energy resources, but it's also appeared to acknowledge swirling concerns about the project's price.
Whether or not Japanese companies commit to the project depends in large part on what the cost is going to be and when it could start producing results.
Despite these concerns, the governor of Alaska has expressed confidence in the project and signaled the firms involved intend to move forward.
Glenn Farne and others are very optimistic that this is going to pan out and actually have a project that can actually startBut being built because we have all the permits, all the right of ways, everything is ready to go.Construction is expected to be in 2026, and it wouldn't produce LNG for at least another five years. Given the timeline and the price tag, it remains to be seen whether Japanese firms will commit.
And that is it for Business News. Going to hand it back to you.
Thanks, Ramin.
MAN POSING AS OHTANI SHOHEI ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF FRAUD
A man in Tokyo has been arrested on suspicion of committing fraud by posing as Major League Baseball star Otani Shohei. NHK has learned that 26-year-old Niure Suman Kumar from Nepal contacted a woman in her 80s last November. He used a social media account disguised as that of the Los Angeles Dodgers player. The suspect messaged the woman as Otani for several months. He told her that as the world's best player, he had to pay huge insurance premiums. He also told her not to worry, as he would pay her back when he went to Tokyo. The suspect later met the woman, reportedly posing as Ohtani's agent.She gave him the equivalent of about 7,000 US dollars in cash.
When the woman asked to speak to Ohtani by phone, the suspect told her the star could not because he was about to play a game. The suspect is said to have sent most of the money to the account of his father, who also lives in Japan. Tokyo police have also arrested the father.
IN FOCUS
Now we go to Shibuya Aki for Newsline in Focus. She has a story about some interesting ways that companies in Japan are trying to keep employees from quitting.KEEPING WORKERS IN A LABOR SHORTAGE
Japan's labor shortage is making it tough to find and keep workers. The employment rate for university graduates this year reached 98%. That ease of getting hired has led to an increase in job-hopping. A labor ministry survey shows that about 35% of those who graduated university in 2021 left their employer within three years.That's prompting companies to work even harderto keep people longer term.
This construction company has struggled with young employees quitting, including three who left during training.
There were cases where employees came to talk to HR after already deciding on their next job. We had no idea what they had been thinking.
The company introduced an internal survey last year to flag any problems earlier.
Employees in their first to third year answered. three questions emailed to them at the start of each month.
The queries are aimed at finding out whether they feel comfortable talking with their supervisors or senior colleagues and assessing how satisfied they are with work conditions.
The responses to questions can be selected from five levels of agreement or disagreement. There is also space for writing any comments.
It only takes two to three minutes. I can easily answer it even during busy periods.
This second-year clerical employee, Ueda Taisei, was overwhelmed with his workload, but he felt he couldn't talk to his manager about it.
I had many unfamiliar tasks piling up and couldn't manage on my own, but I felt like I shouldn't trouble my boss with that.
That month, Waida's survey result was rainy. He wrote in the comments section that he was overwhelmed with immediate tasks. The system's artificial intelligence automatically flagged the response to HR, suggesting follow-up was needed.Human resources staff set up a meeting with Ueda and reassured him that the increase in tasks was a sign of trust and responsibility, then gave him advice on how to prioritize tasks.
I appreciated that someone noticed I was struggling. The meeting helped me understand where I was stumbling, and I think things have improved.
Since introducing the system, the HR staff meets with about 10 employees each month. Among more than 100 clerical employees in their first and second year, none have quit.Our current policy is to not leave small problems unaddressed. As an HR and development manager, being able to spend time supporting employees has been a major improvement.
Some companies are trying to prevent young employees from quitting by providing a traditional perk.This insurance firm offers very affordable accommodations. Its dormitory opened two years ago. It's about a 10 minute walk from the nearest station.
The rent is set at less than 1/3 of the local market rate. It's available to employees in their first three years. About 150 workers currently live there.
When your living situation is stable, it makes work easier and increases the desire to stay with the company. That leads to better retention.
This third year employee says by keeping housing costs low, he's able to save money while going on a leisure trip once a month.A good personal life helps me recharge for work, and it's great to spend on what I enjoy without worrying too much.
The dorm also has a shared lounge where employees can interact, aiming to strengthen bonds among peers.Having fellow young employees around really keeps me motivated. It gives me the strength to keep going.
A leading recruitment agency survey showed the most common reasons people in their 20s left their job was dissatisfaction with pay, followed by poor human relationships. So aside from steps such as conducting surveys and offering housing benefits, raising salaries is definitely one way to go.considering Japan's low birth rate and aging demographic trends it's no mystery that competition to hire and keep staff will intensify and for sure companies will have to utilize whatever means possible be it AI support or community building amongst its workers to stay afloat. And that's all for me.
(Japanese)
SETOUCHI LOCALS INHERIT ISLAND ART TREASURES
The Seto Inland Sea in western Japan is home to more than 700 islands. And the Setochi Triennale Art Festival is being held there this year. Well, after the event, some of the artworks are kept and maintained by the locals. NHK World's Matsunaga Kanoko covers the islanders' desire to preserve the artworks as local treasures.These huge wild bones were first displayed six years ago.
And this mural on the wall reproduces the art of an Indian minority group that is more than 3,000 years old.
After the festival, the islanders took over the work. Volunteers show it took visitors every Saturday.
The work was created by two artists and about 50 locals. It took four months to finish. Together, they overcame many difficulties.
They repair any damages themselves.
you know We think of the artwork as if it were part of ourselves, so we do repairs with care.
Around 140 people live on Awashima, many of them getting on in years. Nishiyama Teruko, our resident, lives alone and is worried about the increasing number of empty houses.I don't hear many voices on the island these days.
What she enjoys most is working to keep the artwork alive.
They got burnt.
Please have some of the pastries I baked yesterday.
Everything you make is delicious.
They are still in contact with Vayedu, the Indian artist who painted the mural.Got a girlfriend yet?
No, not yet.
Quick, find a girlfriend.
I want to protect this activity for as long as possible. I think of the artwork as a treasure because it connects people.
This year's Setouchi Triennale for Awashima starts in the autumn. And the residents are looking forward to taking part in the vibrant sea. Deer tracks bring to the island.Matsunaga Kanako, NHK World.
CORAL STARTS SPAWNING OFF WAKAYAMA PREF.
A variety of coral in the Pacific Ocean off Wakayama Prefecture in western Japan has begun its annual spawning. The sea off the prefecture's Kushimoto town is the habitat for several kinds of coral. Well, that's thanks to the warm Kuroshio current that's flowing nearby.A staff member at the local aquarium took video of the spawning of one kind of staghorn coral on Saturday night.
The coral began releasing pale pink bundles containing both eggs and sperm, each measuring about one millimeter across.
It's quite a fantastic scene at any time, and it is a once-in-a-year event for coral. I'm very happy to be able to see this. The aquarium said another type of coral is expected to spawn early next month.
check the weather
And now it's time for us to check the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh. So Jonathan, we continue to see the rainy season front bringing heavy rain into many areas across Japan. What can we expect the rest of the week?Bring some rain into South Korea as well as the western portion of Japan. But we also have this tropical system down to the South bringing some rain into Chichijima. And it looks like that even though the system it may not hold itself together, the moisture that's bringing up toward the north will interact with the front and that could lead to some rain, some locations heavier at times. So you're just going to have to be vigilant as we go throughout the next couple of days because it's going to be quite wet again from West to East.
Sapporo, you're kind of like the. At the moment you're hot way above average for this time we at 32 rain coming in by Thursday into Friday. Tokyo Osaka Fukuoka all seeing rain as we go into Wednesday and those Tokyo going back into the 30s as we head from Thursday into the weekend. Then we dry out and the heat continues and so yeah, we're kind of going swinging back and forth between rain and a hot weather and so just.
V rate to be flexible because we're seeing quite a bit of a change here for the next several days.
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