OVER 1,600 TREMORS HIT JAPAN'S SOUTHWESTERN ISLANDS
The region is no stranger to seismic activity, experiencing streaks in 2021 and 2023. The latest is by far the most active.The Japan Meteorological Agency is urging caution against possible earthquakes of intensity up to around lower six in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima. The region's Tokara Island chain has been rattled by more than 1,600 tremors since June 21. Seismic activity has been intensifying around the islands of Akusekejima and Kodakarajima in the past two weeks. The most powerful recent quake rocked Akusekejima with an intensity of lower six on Japan's zero to seven scale. Jolts of that intensity can make it difficult to remain standing and cause some doors to wedge shut. On Sunday, a tremor with an intensity of upper five was registered twice in the same area, followed by one of a lower five intensity on Monday.
US MEDIA: OVER 100 KILLED IN TEXAS FLOODING
US media say over 100 people are dead after the state of Texas was devastated by its deadliest flooding in decades. Many of those killed were children attending summer camp.Rescue teams were racing to search for survivors on Monday in Kerr County, which saw the worst damage. The downpours drenched the area along the Guadalupe River in the early hours Friday.
Authorities say the rain came so quickly overnight that many people likely had no chance to reach safety.
If you had seen what July 3 looked like, You will never guess that this was coming that night.
We couldn't tell if the water was going to continue to rise. So I said we need to get out of the house. So I grabbed my wife and we literally jumped in the water and it swept us down to about 200 feet down that way. And there's a crape myrtle tree that we grabbed hold of and we waited for rescue.
It got up to four feet and nothing flat. If we'd waited five more minutes,We would have been one of these people down the river, holding onto a tree.
Leaders of Camp Mystic, a Christian girls camp on the river, say they're experiencing unimaginable tragedy.
TRUMP TEASES IRAN, HAMAS TALKS IN NETANYAHU MEETING
Over in Washington, Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to the White House. It was their first meeting since US forces bombed Iranian nuclear sites last month followed by a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, backed by Trump.We had a tremendous success together, and I think it will only go on to be even greater success in the future.
Reporters asked the US president about the possible resumption of nuclear talks with Tehran. He says his administration is ready. Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, added he expects talks in the next week or so.
The president was also asked about prospects for Hamas to agree to a truce with Israel in Gaza. Trump claims the group wants to meet and have a ceasefire.
It comes amid media reports that Israeli and Hamas officials also held indirect negotiations toward a ceasefire and hostage release deal on Monday.
The president was also asked about prospects for Hamas to agree to a truce with Israel in Gaza. Trump claims the group wants to meet and have a ceasefire.
It comes amid media reports that Israeli and Hamas officials also held indirect negotiations toward a ceasefire and hostage release deal on Monday.
N.KOREA'S KIM VISITS MAUSOLEUM TO HONOR STATE FOUNDER
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited the mausoleum of his late grandfather and state founder Kim Il-sung on the 31st anniversary of his death. State-run television reported on Tuesday that Kim Jong-un visited a palace in Pyongyang at midnight to pay respect to the late leader whose body lies in state there.The ruling Workers' Party newspaper ran an editorial praising Kim Il-sung's achievements and called for loyalty to Kim Jong-un. It said North Korea has developed the world's most powerful weapons and the strength of its military technology has become irreversible under his leadership.
Well, South Korean media say the North Korean leadership aims to boost domestic unity in the run-up to the 80th anniversary in October of the founding of the Workers' Party.
the world of business
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Ramin Mellegaard from the Biz Desk.Thank you very much.
TRUMP TARIFFS
US SAYS JAPAN TO GET 25% RATE IF NO DEAL
Now US President Donald Trump says he'll slap a 25% tariff on goods from Japan next month if Tokyo doesn't reach a trade deal with the US. Now Trump signed an executive order extending the original July 9 deadline to August 1. Are the tariff letters that you sent today final offers or are they negotiable?
More or less final offer if they call up and they say. Would like to do something a different way. We're going to be open to that.
Now, Japan had been facing a 24% tariff. Trump's letter said the 25% figure is far less than what is needed to eliminate the trade deficit disparity with Tokyo. He warned that if Japan hikes tariffs, the US will match that amount and tack it on to the new 25% rate. Trump has been accusing Tokyo of carrying out unfair trade practices, specifically in the agricultural and auto sector. The letter said the relationship with Japan has been far from reciprocal.
WINDING ROAD FOR JAPAN-US TRADE TALKS
Now, this comes after months of back and forth between the two countries. Let's take a look at the winding road the negotiations have taken and how we got there.Japan first sent Economic Revitalization Minister Akazaba Ryosei to the United States in April. He is the chief tariff negotiator for the Ishiba administration.
Akazawa met with US President Donald Trump ahead of the first round of talks.
Trump highlighted the visit on social media, posting, A great honor to have met a Japanese delegation. Big progress.
Akazawa continued to make visits to Washington over the weeks, with the automobile tariffs a key focus.
The Trump administration has been aiming to bring more automobile production back to US shores and create jobs. The Japanese government proposed a system to reduce automobile tariffs in steps. It would be tied to how manufacturers contribute to the US auto industry, including job creation. At the G7 summit in Canada in mid-June, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru met with Trump. But they failed to reach an overall agreement.
Japan and the United States have been energetically holding sincere discussions. We are searching out possibilities through the negotiations. There are some points we have yet to agree on, so we have not reached a package agreement.
In late June, Akazawa traveled to the US again as Trump had indicated that the suspension of the reciprocal tariffs would end on July 9. He held talks with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. But Trump started complaining about Japan's stance.Dear Mr. Japan, here's the story. You're going to pay a 25% tariff. On your cars, you know, so we give Japan no cars. They won't take our cars, right? And yet we take millions and millions of their cars into the United States. It's not fair.
Akazawa returned from his seventh trip without meeting Treasury Secretary Scott Besant. That's despite extending his stay.It was disappointing that I couldn't meet Treasury Secretary Besant this time.
Trump once again voiced frustration over the talks with Japan and said he is prepared to impose higher tariffs.
I'll write him a letter, say we thank you very much, and we know you can't do the kind of things that we need, and therefore you'll pay a 30%, 35%, or whatever the number is that we determine, because we also have a very big trade deficit with Japan, as you know. And it's very unfair to the American people.
TRUMP TARIFFS
ISHIBA: JAPAN, US TO CONTINUE TALKS TO SEEK AGREEMENT
He spoke at a government task force meeting of all cabinet ministers. He said it was extremely regrettable news, but he believes there has been progress in negotiations. He says he interprets the letter as effectively extending the deadline on what the Trump administration calls reciprocal tariffs.
And Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru was quick to react to the tariff news Tuesday.
The Japanese government wants to avoid an easy compromise. We will do our best to seek what we need and protect what we have to protect in negotiations.
Domestic industry and employment will be affected. We will continue to work as one to negotiate in order to make utmost efforts to ease the impact.
Ishiba told cabinet ministers to continue negotiations toward a deal that will protect Japan's interests and be beneficial to both Japan and the US.
TRUMP TARIFFS
S. KOREA HOPES TO HOLD SUMMIT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
According to South Korea's presidential office, we suggested holding a bilateral well summit as soon as possible.And earlier, we spoke with our senior business correspondent, Esaki Daisuke. He gave his thoughts on Trump's tariff warning and where Japan goes from here.
South Korea is also getting hit with the same 25% tariffs, but media there say Trump's letter shows Washington is still willing to negotiate with Seoul. The country's trade, industry, and energy ministry also took an optimistic tone. Like Ishiba, it said the deadline has been effectively extended until August 1. Officials said they'll accelerate talks to find a mutually beneficial result. Now, amid all this, South Korea's national security advisor, Lee Sung-rak, is in Washington this week. He met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday.
ANALYSIS: TRUMP BOOSTS PRESSURE ON JAPAN TO STRIKE DEAL
Daisuke, what stands out to you about this letter?Well, Trump has threatened a similar tariff before, but 25% is still massive.
And it's worth repeating that Japan, South Korea, are US allies.
Michael Beeman used to be a trade official in the first Trump administration. NHK asked him for his take on the letter.
And it's worth repeating that Japan, South Korea, are US allies.
Michael Beeman used to be a trade official in the first Trump administration. NHK asked him for his take on the letter.
I mean, no doubt it's a shock to many people in Japan and to some people in the United States. It certainly feels and looks pretty aggressive, especially considering the tone of the letter, the the number, the percentage in the letter. and you know the fact that Japan you know is being lumped into the same category as many other countries in a very similar fashion, with maybe a different number, but very similar sort of threats and and you know treatment.
I think Trump is trying to put pressure on the two countries to reach an agreement. He has frequently expressed dissatisfaction over the trade deficit with Japan. And we see it again in the letter. In his words, This deficit is a major threat to our economy and, indeed, our national security. He's been calling on the country to import more US cars and rice. Japan has been facing intense pressure since this April.That's when the Trump administration unilaterally announced a 24% tariff against the country. It's worth pointing out that Japan has already been hit hard by an additional 25% tariff on its key automobile industry. That's been in effect since April. Japan is trying to ease that tariff, and what Trump calls reciprocal tariffs together through what's called a package agreement. That makes it hard for the country to make concessions as it's trying to protect the auto industry. That also makes negotiations difficult.
Right. Well, if the 25 percent tariff does actually go into effect next month, what impact will that have on Japan's economy?
There are still lots of variables to figure out, so it's hard to say, but there are some big numbers involved.
Japan's overall exports to the US exceeded 21 trillion yen last year. That's $143 billion. It's Japan's largest export market. I already mentioned the auto trade. But Washington has also already swapped Tokyo with tariffs on steel and aluminum of 50%. We'll be looking at a considerable negative effect on Japan's GDP.
That, in turn, would have a serious impact on the economy as a whole.
Japan's overall exports to the US exceeded 21 trillion yen last year. That's $143 billion. It's Japan's largest export market. I already mentioned the auto trade. But Washington has also already swapped Tokyo with tariffs on steel and aluminum of 50%. We'll be looking at a considerable negative effect on Japan's GDP.
That, in turn, would have a serious impact on the economy as a whole.
But we are of course, still weeks away from that potential reality. So what is next for Japan's negotiators?
The key thing for them is figuring out some kind of win-win situation, something that both sides can agree on. And time is ticking. The former Trump administration trade official, we heard from earlier, said this extension is the last chance for the two countries to find a compromise under Silla deal.
Negotiations will be difficult going forward, but Japan will need to remain resilient. Trump's letter says that if Japan opens what he calls its closed trading markets and removes barriers, Washington may consider adjustments. So I think he's signaling an opportunity in order to break the impasse, I think Japan needs to present a bold proposal.
So I think that's going to be hard. To figure out under such pressure.
Negotiations will be difficult going forward, but Japan will need to remain resilient. Trump's letter says that if Japan opens what he calls its closed trading markets and removes barriers, Washington may consider adjustments. So I think he's signaling an opportunity in order to break the impasse, I think Japan needs to present a bold proposal.
So I think that's going to be hard. To figure out under such pressure.
NIPPON STEEL CEO DISCUSSES EVOLVING US TRADE POLICY
The Japanese company made the iconic American firm a wholly owned subsidiary after lengthy negotiations to gain approval from the Trump administration.The successful outcome contrasts with the little progress made in tariff talks between Japan and the United States.
Hashimoto said that he realized through negotiating with the US government that the global trade system had undergone a major change.
Nippon Steel completed its acquisition of US Steel last month after a year and a half of negotiations. Nippon Steel's Chairman and CEO, Hashimoto Eiji, has spoken to NHK about his insights into the new hands on approach to business deals in Washington.
The US is trying to bring about change even before Trump took office.
Washington is pushing a new policy, which does not leave trade in the hands of private companies and markets. It allows for a certain level of government involvement will this policy persist? I think it will, because that reflects the current stance of the world's superpower.
The US is trying to revive its manufacturing sector, and Japan can help it achieve that goal.
But it's not the case that Japan has to do as it's told. There is definitely a labor shortage in the US manufacturing sector. Japan can use that to its advantage.
NISSAN PLANS TO RAISE $5.1 BIL. BY ISSUING BONDS
A struggling Nissan Motor says it plans to raise a total of about 750 billion yen, or $5.1 billion, by issuing corporate bonds. The money will cover the costs of vehicle electrification and repaying outstanding bonds.The Japanese automaker announced on Monday that it will raise about $1 billion by issuing convertible bonds.
It also plans to sell bonds worth $4.1 billion. Nissan faces the redemption of bonds worth $3.8 billion maturing this fiscal year. Part of the funds from the new bonds will be invested in growth areas such as next generation software defined vehicles that can be advanced through software updates.
Nissan posted a net loss of more than 670 billion yen or $4.6 billion in the fiscal year that ended in March. It earlier announced that it will cut 20,000 jobs group-wide and reduce seven factories at home and abroad.
JAPAN SUPERMARKET RICE PRICES DROP TO 5-MONTH LOW
And the price of rice at supermarkets in Japan has fallen for a six-straight week to a five-month low due to increased sales of cheaper grain from government stockpiles.The Agriculture Ministry on Monday released its weekly survey of about 1,000 supermarkets nationwide for the period through June 29, the average price of a 5 kilogram bag declined more than 3% from the previous week to 3,672 yen, including tax, or about $25. But that's still more than 60% higher than a year earlier. The price of blended rice and other types, including grain from government stockpiles, fell 4%.
OK, let's get a check on the markets.
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And that is it for business news.
And that is it for business news.
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WAR IN UKRAINE
US SAYS IT WILL SEND MORE WEAPONS FOR UKRAINE'S DEFENSE
Ukraine should expect more weapons from the United States. Despite halting earlier shipments, President Trump now says he will send more for defense.How in Ukraine, Mr. President?
Are you planning to send more weapons to Ukraine?
We're going to send some more weapons. We have to. They They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now.
The decision comes amid growing concerns that Ukraine's air defense capability could be undermined. The Trump administration had earlier announced that the US halted some weapons shipments to Ukraine that may have included air defense missiles.
Non-governmental organizations from Ukraine warn that the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant occupied by Russia is at an elevated risk of an accident.
Officials of the two NGOs on Monday described the current situation at the facility in southern Ukraine. They say they use satellite imagery and interviews to analyze what they call Moscow's war crimes.
Non-governmental organizations from Ukraine warn that the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant occupied by Russia is at an elevated risk of an accident.
Officials of the two NGOs on Monday described the current situation at the facility in southern Ukraine. They say they use satellite imagery and interviews to analyze what they call Moscow's war crimes.
Our investigation showed that Russian Federation endangers the safety on the plant through different, through different measures.
Earlier, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that all external power lines supplying electricity to the plant were down for several hours on Friday.The NGOs say they are looking into the outages, adding that they are aware they coincided with air raid alarms in the region. Although the officials also say that they have confirmed that at seven locations near the plant, the Russian military subject nuclear engineers and civilians to torture, including electrical shocks. The NGO officials say Russian troops are infringing on human rights. They stressed that the entire international community needs to consider how to respond to war crimes committed by the military as well as to address a possible nuclear accident.
RUSSIA'S FORMER TRANSPORT MINISTER FOUND DEAD AFTER FIRED BY PUTIN
Russia's investigative committee says Starovoit's body was found in his car in a suburb of Moscow on Monday with a gunshot wound. Putin has not said why he dismissed Starvoit, but Russian media say he was suspected of taking part in an embezzlement scandal involving funds for building facilities to protect the border with Ukraine. Starvoit had served as governor of the western region of Kursk for about five years before he was appointed transport minister in May of last year.Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into Kursk last August. Leading newspaper Kommersant says Russian authorities have heard testimony implicating that Starvoid in the implicating rather Starvoid in the embezzlement of at least 1 billion rubles or about 12.7 million dollars for border defense. Other figures were arrested in April in connection with the case. Among them was the person who succeeded Starvoid as governor of Kursk.
A former Russian transport minister has been found dead hours after he was dismissed by President Vladimir Putin. Authorities believe Roman Starovoit committed suicide.
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the weather
It's time for us to check the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh. So Jonathan, it's been sunny and hot here in Tokyo today, but some areas in western Japan are seeing some very intense rain Tuesday afternoon. What can you tell us?Hello, we have been seeing the temperatures on the higher end as we went through on Tuesday in Tokyo and the eastern areas of Japan. But in the western portions of the country, we've been seeing pockets of heavy rainfall appearing and dumping a bunch of rain at the same time, and that's causing some problems on the ground. Let me take you over to Hyogo Prefecture by looking at some video that's coming out from one particular location, as western Japan has been hit with torrential rainfall Tuesday afternoon, including Sanda City. It saw 93 millimeters of rainfall in just one hour, setting the city's new record for heaviest rainfall since record keeping began in 1976. That right there is a hospital and the staff were busy mopping up a real mess after floodwaters entered it and brought all that water and causing some problems there. Those in Western Japan will need to keep an eye out for sudden heavy rain Tuesday night, along with lightning and flooding concerns. The reason why this is happening is because we have this big high pressure system over toward the east called the Pacific High and then we have another high back toward the West called the Tibetan High and that's bringing in some cooler air but higher in the atmosphere while the Pacific high is pushing in warm air from the South from the ground level. And so that's causing all this cloud and activity to bubble up and that concern will continue as we go into Wednesday. Even though we may be seeing relatively dry conditions, we'll see these possibilities popping up. We have Don is located near Shanghai and that's also bringing the southern flow into western Japan. So All in all, be on the lookout for possible pop up showers as you go through the day on Wednesday. We're also looking at cooler weather. Check this out. Tokyo 28 for the high on Friday, 29 on Saturday. I know that's music to use for a lot of folks.
Getting some relief from that heat. Sapporo also cooling off as well, but Osaka and Fukuoka, I think you're gonna be staying a bit on the warm side, mid to low 30s, continuing as you go through the rest of this week. So make sure you stay cool as much as possible. That's not your forecast. Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
Getting some relief from that heat. Sapporo also cooling off as well, but Osaka and Fukuoka, I think you're gonna be staying a bit on the warm side, mid to low 30s, continuing as you go through the rest of this week. So make sure you stay cool as much as possible. That's not your forecast. Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
That wraps it up for this edition of NHK Newsline. We'll have more for you soon.Thanks for joining us.
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