at 18:00 (JST), June 25

20250625180000_english_1.mp3

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

ISRAEL–IRAN CONFLICT
CEASEFIRE APPEARS TO HOLD, TRUMP APPEALS FOR CALM

A ceasefire first unveiled by US President Donald Trump between Israel and Iran appears to be holding. More than 24 hours have now passed since it took effect, according to a timeline laid out by the American leader, signifying an end to what he calls the 12-day war.
Early on, there were reports of violations on both sides that prompted Trump to lash out at Israel and Iran for threatening to sink the agreement he brokered. Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I'd never seen before. I'm not happy with Iran either, but I'm really unhappy if Israel's going out this morning. Trump made the remarks following an Israeli attack on a radar installation near Tehran. Officials say the strike was in response to what they claim were Iranian missile launches breaking the ceasefire. Trump says he stopped the attack from happening by speaking directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He emphasized that he does not want regime change in Iran because it would lead to chaos. Netanyahu says Israel has achieved a historic victory that will stand for generations, and he says his people have never had a greater friend in the White House than Trump.
Iranian President Masoud Pazeshkian also claimed a historic victory. He stressed that Iran's commitment to peaceful coexistence and stability in the region will continue. Iran's health ministry says 610 people were killed and more than 4,700 injured in the 12 days of fighting. In Israel, media report 28 people died and more than 3,000 have been hurt. Israeli defense forces say their focus will now shift back to Gaza and operations against Hamas. Health authorities in the enclave say more than 56,000 people have died there since fighting began in 2023.

REPORT: US STRIKES SET BACK IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM BY 'MONTHS'

CNN and the New York Times on Tuesday cited an early assessment from the US Defense Intelligence Agency. The US military on Sunday used bunker buster bombs and Tomahawk missiles to target three Iranian nuclear sites. Bunker busters are designed to attack deeply buried facilities. CNN quoted sources as saying the strikes did not destroy Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium and that its centrifuges are largely intact. 
Media reports say US airstrikes did not destroy the core components of Iran's nuclear program and likely only set it back by a few months.

TRUMP DISMISSES REPORTS DOWNPLAYING DAMAGE TO IRAN SITES

On Sunday, Trump asserted that Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities had been totally obliterated. And he stood by those claims on social media. Trump accused the Times and CNN of publishing fake news, saying they were trying to demean what he calls one of the most successful military strikes in history.

WAR IN UKRAINE
PUTIN: RUSSIA SCALING UP OUTPUT OF ORESHNIK MISSILE

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he's begun mass-producing new Oreshnik missiles. Ukrainian officials say the weapon is capable of achieving maximum speeds of more than Mach 11, which poses challenges for air defenses.
State-run TASS news agency reports Putin made the remarks to military college graduates on Monday. He's quoted as saying the intermediate-range ballistic missile has proven itself very well in combat. Russia used the Ershnik for the first time in November last year during an attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Observers say if Moscow ramps up production and use of the missiles, Ukraine will have difficulty stopping them. In response, Zelensky has called for stronger sanctions on Russia. He says pressure must be applied to all those involved in the production of themissile.

HIROSHIMA GOVERNOR TO VISIT FORMER NUCLEAR SITE IN KAZAKHSTAN

NHK has learned the governor of Japan's Hiroshima Prefecture is arranging to visit a former nuclear testing site in Kazakhstan next month. He apparently hopes to boost relations with the country over efforts to abolish nuclear weapons.
Sources say Governor Yusaki Hidehiko plans to visit Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, to talk with senior government officials over topics such as peace-building policy. They say he also plans to travel to the former Semipalatinsk nuclear testing site in the country's northeast and visit a museum on the testing. More than 450 nuclear tests took place at the testing site during the Cold War. An estimated 1.5 million people are believed to have suffered health issues as a result. Kazakhstan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The country has been working to rid the world of nuclear weapons. In March, it chaired the third meeting of states parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This year marks 80 years since atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the closing days of World War II.

NAGASAKI CATHEDRAL VIDEO BELIEVED TO BE OLDEST EVER FOUND

The black and white video of the church lasts around 30 seconds. It was found in NHK's archives. NHK examined the footage with an expert, and they say the sidewalls of the structure look whitish. The walls were repainted in a brick red color in 1934, so they've determined that the video was shot before then.
Kabuki actor Nakamura Shikaku recorded it on a home movie camera. He was known to have been a key amateur cameraman, and he donated it to NHK in 1976. NHK found that Nakamura toured Nagasaki in 1930. A note attached to the video says it was filmed around that time too.
Matsuda Sei is with the Nagasaki Foundation for the Promotion of Peace. He worked with NHK on this and says the footage appears to pre-date video that had been believed to be the oldest by about two years.
The discovery of previously unseen footage holds significant value, as many documents are being lost as the years go by.
Udakami Cathedral was rebuilt in the post war years. The original version was completed in 1925 after 30 years of construction.
All these decades later, we're getting a new look at a Nagasaki landmark before the bombing destroyed it, and HK recently found what's believed to be the oldest ever footage of Urakami Cathedral.

3D IMAGE DATA OF BUDDHIST STATUE TO BE SENT TO S. KOREA

Ownership of the statue became the subject of a legal dispute with the temple there. Once South Korea's Supreme Court ruled that it belonged to Kanon-ji Temple on Tsushima Island in Nagasaki Prefecture, the statue was returned there in May. It is now being kept at a museum in Tsushima City to ensure its safety. Officials of the temple and the city said,They decided to provide 3D imagery data of the statue to the temple in South Korea after it said it wanted to create a replica. And they said the data will be assembled this month. A former Kanwonji priest said he hopes the replica will help supporters of the South Korean temple feel the presence of the Buddhist saint. The city and the prefecture will also consider making a replica to be kept at Kanwonji Temple.
NHK has learned a temple in southwestern Japan will provide South Korea with three-dimensional imagery data of its Buddhist statue so that a replica can be made. The statue of Kanon, the compassionate deity, was stolen in 2012 and later found in South Korea.

SHARING A HOME, SHARING THE BURDEN OF SOCIAL ISOLATION

31-year-old Yoo Seung Kyu runs what looks like an ordinary share house, with six people living under one roof. But these tenants all have one thing in common.
They're all trying to reconnect with society. After going through severe social isolation, they each had their own reasons to hide. After my parents divorced, I grew up as a lonely child and started to pull away from other people.
After finishing military service at university, I still couldn't find a job.
I felt different from my friends.
But isolation also fosters loneliness. anxiety, and shame. The hope is that by coming together, they can form a community that understands what they're going through.
It's important to speak honestly about one's feelings here. Even saying what you don't like will help build communication skills.
Yu is sure it will work, because it saved him. He spent five years alone, unable to leave his home. South Korean society does not acknowledge social isolation as a widespread issue. So he said he didn't know how to change, and didn't know other people were going through the same thing. Then, he learned about a Japanese support group active in South Korea.
I didn't think that kind of thing existed here. When I heard that a Japanese organization was offering help, I decided to reach out.
Okusa Minoru has long tried to tackle the problem. He started the Sharehouse initiative in South Korea a few years ago.
Even if you study hard in South Korea's intense, achievement-focused culture, opportunities can be limited. Eventually, people burn out.
Yoo spent two years at Okusa's sharehouse. After seeing the benefits first-hand, he hopes to use that experience to help others.
In Japan, there are established support systems in place. South Korea can look towards Japan as a pioneer. Our society lacks places where people can even ask for help. My dream is to create a society where that kind of support is available.
But Yoo says more still needs to be done. There's not enough resources to help everyone.
He's already had to turn away many, hoping to reconnect with society.
But he says he'll keep trying to reach those he can, one lonely person at a time. Kang Na-young, NHK World Seoul.
Japan may have coined the term hikikomori to describe social hermits, but it's a growing problem in other countries too. A South Korean government survey found that 5% of that country's young people are withdrawing from society. One man who's been through it is now hoping to bring others out of their shells. NHK World's Kang Na-young reports.

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. 

FUJI MEDIA WINS BOARDROOM BATTLE

Now, Japanese broadcasting giant Fuji Media Holdings has held its annual shareholders meeting.
The company was embroiled in a power struggle with a major shareholder, but has come out on top with all eleven of its candidates being named to the board.
The company and its subsidiary, Fuji Television Network, have come under fire for a sexual assault scandal involving former pop star Nakai Masahiro.
An independent panel found he had committed sexual violence against a then Fuji TV announcer.
We sincerely apologize for the trouble and concerns we have caused.
Fuji Media had proposed a management reshuffle and improvements to corporate governance in response, but US based activist shareholder Dalton Investments called for stronger measures. Fuji Media named 11 candidates for the board. They included the president of Fuji TV and the former president of the Family Mart.
Convenience store chain Dalton said external directors should be appointed and proposed 12 candidates of its own, but none of them were voted onto the board. Shareholders had mixed reactions after the meeting.
It's a big problem. The employees of Fuji TV have been put in a position of weakness because of the firm's response to the scandal. As a woman, I'll keep an eye on how the company improves.
I want the company to confront its problems more deeply. I hope this leads to a more open atmosphere and ensures the voices of the workers are heard.
The scandal has dealt a serious blow toto Fuji Media's earnings, with many corporate sponsors dropping their commercials from the network.

BOJ BOARD MEMBER SUGGESTS MORE RATE HIKES POSSIBLE

And a Bank of Japan policy board meeting board member has suggested the central bank may consider additional rate hikes, even as Japan's economy faces a period of greater uncertainty.
Tamura Naoki cited the US Trump administration's tariff policy as one concern, but he said the direct effects will be limited to export-oriented manufacturers and related businesses. He said Japan's economy as a whole will be able to weather the impacts. Tamura added the bank's outlook for economic activity and prices could be revised significantly, either upward or downward, because of these factors. But, he noted, independent of that, wages and product prices are rising in Japan.
Tamura said given the situation, he believes there is a good chance the bank's 2 percent price stability target is achieved earlier than expected. 

NINJA ARTS EMERGE FROM THE SHADOWS
And Japan is seeing a growing number of visitors, but not all come here just for the sights. Some are looking to study the skills of the ninja. The covert agents of ancient times, Inishikura Sasahara Renna, steps into one dojo that is attracting the world's warriors.

Visitors are flocking to this residential district in Chiba, near Tokyo.
They come here to learn the secretive arts of the ninja, mostly for self-defense. Very surprising, right?I'm from Germany. My dream has already come true. You know, I've ever seen as a little boy, you know, fascinated by ninjas and all thosethings.
This is the Bujinkan Dojo, which opened about 50 years ago.
The trainees study techniques drawn from nine different ninja schools, as well as other ancient Japanese martial arts. The class is held three times a day. Sometimes, more than 100 students take part.
A ninja works in the shadows, right?He finds the blind spots. He creates the blind spots, right?Paul Massey is a master instructor here.
He came to Japan from the United States 31 years ago to learn directly from the Dojo's founder, Hatsumi Masaki.
After studying a variety of martial arts, he found that the way of the ninja was the best for self-defense. Their skills were designed for survival through awareness, agility, and strategy Not necessarily for attack.
It wasn't just about fighting, it was how to survive and using anything around you. The skills taught here are extremely practical.
Paul demonstrates, with a stick, how to use an umbrella for self-defense.
We'll start with a position like this, right?Maybe you have your umbrella in his hand, right?You know Or, you're walking to work with your umbrella, whatever, right?Right This could happen, right?I mean, it's easy. So, I don't know, someone's coming in, oh, excuse me, boom, like that. And then up, like that.
You've got the finger there. In Japan, it's very safe, so we often don't feel the need for a ninja. But, have you traveled the world a bit?We have wars still happening, even in this day and age. And I think that's why that many people from around the world come, because they need this information. They need the way of survival.
One of the participants in the May session came from Chile on a working holiday program. She studied the art of the ninja for 14 years at a dojo in her country for self-defense.
I am from Chile, Valparaiso, and it's a very dangerous place. Very, very dangerous place. I want to fun and not be afraid about my city, about the night. It's very important for me, walking in the night freely.
Paul says learning the art of the ninja makes people creative about getting out of difficult situations.
And that's what I would like to keep doing as a ninja. is to allow that creativity of the ninja, to allow the wit of the ninja, to allow the uncommon sense of a ninja to create a better world. Because we're always going to need ninja. The appeal of the ninja continues to cross borders, because you never know what could be coming around the corner. Sasahara Rena, NHK World.

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

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And that is it for Business News. I'm going to hand it back to you. 

Thanks, Ramin. 

JAPAN PANEL DETAILS CHILDREN'S ACCIDENTAL FALLS

The report said children in about 74 percent of the accidents could have first climbed an object, such as furniture placed near windows or planters and air conditioner units on balconies. Many children may have opened window locks.
The government, the housing industry and parents need to work together on a system to prevent children's accidental falls.
The panel underscored the need to urge industry groups to study and develop products designed to prevent such accidents.
A Japanese government panel has released a report on fatal accidents in which young children fell from buildings. The Consumer Affairs Agency panel found nearly three-quarters of the cases had some object at the site which children could have climbed. In April last year, a three-year-old girl died after she fell from a balcony of a high-rise apartment in Hiroshima. In March of 2023, two year old twin brothers died after falling from a window of an apartment in Nagoya. The panel said 134 cases occurred over three decades through 2024, in which children under six years old fell to their deaths. The victims fell from balconies in 92 of the cases, while 42 involved falls from windows.

JAPAN VIDEO SHOWCASES ANTI-SHIP MISSILE DRILL

Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force has released a video showing the first-ever test launch from Japanese territory of a missile targeting a ship offshore.
The drill was conducted in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido on Tuesday. The 20 second footage shows the missile being fired from a launcher vehicle and soaring in the direction of the sea. The 88-type surface-to-ship missile has a range of more than 100 kilometers.
GSDF officials say until now they have only conducted such test launches overseas due to space constraints and safety concerns, but this time they were able to get the necessary permission from authorities. A plan is now in the works to build a new testing range for surface-to-ship missiles on Japan's easternmost island of Minami-Torishima in the Pacific. It is part of Tokyo's efforts to strengthen the country's defense capacity amid China's military buildup in the region.

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check on the weather

It is time for a check on the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh. So Jonathan, we are hearing more reports of heavy rain having an impact across especially western and central Japan. What is the latest? 

Hello, we've been keeping an eye out on the rain that's been moving across Japan, especially for the western and central portions of the country. We were concerned about the possibility of seeing flooding and also landslides, and that's something we have to continue to look out for as we head toward Thursday, though the focal point will be more toward the east. As we see the low pressure system that's really kind of twisting the frontal boundary and helping to push that moisture toward the east as we go toward Thursday. I mean one location is seeing close to 210 millimeters of rainfall not in 24 hours, but in six hours.
That's a tremendous amount of rainfall and that's an all time record. I mean it's just that's just the case. Well, we are going to be seeing again is that low push toward the east. Now for those of you in the eastern side of Japan like Tokyo, you're like one moment it's like raining, one moment's like sunny. It's like what is going on?We have a tropical system down to the South that's very kind of disorganized. And so that's helping to really send bands of rain in, but it's not particularly consistent. Now we go into Thursday, it's going to be a lot more consistent, especially later in the day as we see that push of moisture coming in from the West. Rain from Sapura into Osaka. Fukuoka getting a break now looking at drier weather coming over Thursday and we'll see the temperatures starting to creep back up as we head toward the weekend. Meanwhile, India is also talking about a serious rainfall the northern portions of the country. Take a look at this video that's coming out from. The area as intense downpours in a number of states have caused devastating flooding this week.
Authorities say some rivers are dangerously high levels. Many buildings, roads and other infrastructure have an overrun by muddy waters. I mean, they need the rain. It's always important for the farmers to get the rain, especially this time of year, but just a little too much causes a lot of problems. We're also seeing the fact that the monsoon is coming up a little bit faster toward the north. Typically around this point we'll be seeing it back toward the central portions of the country, but the rains are pushing up to the north relatively quickly and we're going to see more rain coming up as you go throughout the on Thursday. Thunderstorms in New Delhi and Varanasi with highs in the low to mid 30s for the day. Hope you have a good day wherever you are.

♫～　3-DAY FORECAST(+72h)　～♫

BABY KOALA MAKES HIS DEBUT AT KAGOSHIMA ZOO

One more story before we go. A six-month-old baby koala in Japan has made its much anticipated public appearance coming out of its mother's pouch for the first time.
The healthy male koala was born in November last year at Hirakawa Zoo in Kagoshima City, in the country's southwest. 20 koalas, including this baby, are being raised there, the largest number in Japan.
The zoo says the baby measures about 25 centimeters and has been almost inseparable from his mother since emerging from her pouch earlier this month. On Monday, zookeepers managed to separate them for his first ever weigh-in. They said he weighed 816 grams, proof of his steady growth. According to the zoo, koalas raised their babies for only one year, and the intimate mother-baby connection is worth seeing now.
This is the only period the baby clings tightly to his mother. I hope many people come and see them.
The zoo plans to hold a public poll to choose a name for the baby koala.
Kawaii, as we say in Japanese. 

That wraps up the citizen of NHK Newsline. We'll have more for you soon. Thanks for joining us.