JMA LIFTS ALL TSUNAMI ADVISORIES
The Japan Meteorological Agency has lifted old tsunami advisories in place for a huge stretch of the Pacific coast. Alerts were triggered following Wednesday's powerful earthquake off Russia's Far East.The magnitude 8.7 tremor struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula around 8:25 AM Japan time.
Just over an hour later, the JMA issued tsunami warnings for coastal areas spanning from northern Hokkaido to western Wakayama Prefecture.
Tsunami waves were recorded in a number of areas. The highest, about 1.3 meters tall, struck Kuji Iwata Prefecture around 1:52 PM.
Japan's government says more than 2 million people across the country instructed to evacuate at one point.
As of 2 p.m. Thursday, nearly 100,000 people in five prefectures from Aomori to Chiba were still under evacuation orders. In Toba City, in Mie Prefecture, rafts for farming oysters were washed away. A tsunami of up to 40 centimeters was observed in the area.
It's very terrible. It's the first time since the disaster in 2011.
The government says a woman in her 50s died in a traffic accident while evacuating in Mie Prefecture. In Hokkaido, 15 people received medical treatment, including a man in his 80s who broke a bone after falling down at an evacuation shelter.
QUAKE PUTS PEOPLE ACROSS PACIFIC ON HIGH ALERT
The quake had communities across the Pacific bracing forward tsunami, and authorities urged people to evacuate from coastal areas. The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center recorded waves of more than 1.7 meters on Maui Island in Hawaii, over 1.1 meters in California, and about 1 meter on Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. In Russia, oceanology officials told state-run media that tsunami in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands reached five to six meters.Several people were reportedly injured in Kamchatka. Russian newspaper Izvestia says muddy water flowed into the far eastern town of Severokurilsk, damaging a seafood processing plant.
MYANMAR MILITARY SAYS STATE OF EMERGENCY LIFTED
We have this news from Myanmar. The country's military rulers say they have lifted a state of emergency. The move could pave the way for a return to civilian rule.Military leader Min Aum Flyin says a general election will take place in December. Elections cannot take place under a state of emergency, which has been in place since the military seized power in 2021.
CANADA TO RECOGNIZE PALESTINIAN STATE
Canada's prime minister says his country will recognize the state of Palestine if the Palestinian Authority commits to certain democratic reforms. This follows similar announcements by the UK and France.Canada intends to recognize the state of Palestine at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Carney condemned the Israeli government at a news conference, saying it has allowed a catastrophe to unfold in Gaza. He said Canada's recognition will come on several conditions, including that the Palestinian Authority holds elections next year that exclude Hamas. Carney's announcement came as the UN wrapped up a conference on a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Britain said during the event it would recognize a Palestinian state on certain conditions. France's announcement came last week.
Israel's foreign ministry criticized Canada's decision, calling it a reward for Hamas that harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire.
TRUMP HINTS AT SKIPPING G20 SUMMIT IN SOUTH AFRICA
US President Donald Trump suggested he'll skip the next Group of 20 summit in South Africa. He has criticized the country for allegedly discriminating against its white residents.I think maybe I'll send somebody else, because I've had a lot of problems with South Africa, and they have some very bad policies, very, very bad policies, like policies where people are being killed.
Trump met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House in May. At the time, Trump showed what he claimed was proof of mass killings of the white minority. It was later confirmed one photo wasn't from South Africa at all.
Other top US officials have already skipped some meetings. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Besant didn't attend the G20 ministerial talks in South Africa either. The summit itself is scheduled for November.
JAPAN DEFENSE MINISTRY ENDS SDF EVENT TRADITION
A self-defense Forces tradition is being shelved. Japan's Defense Ministry says the SDF annual review ceremonies will be no longer held due to security concerns.The reviews were held every autumn and brought together units from across the country. Personnel from the ground, air and maritime forces would take turns hosting. The event was meant to display the results of their regular training.
The Prime Minister was traditionally in attendance. The ceremonies were scaled down in recent years to ease SDF workflows, but now the ministry says events are gone for the foreseeable future and it says they won't come back until there's significant changes to Japan's security environment.
The ministry said this is Japan's most severe and complex security situation since the end of World War Two.
Therefore, it says it needs to reduce the burden on SDF personnel. The ministry said the SDF will focus instead on monitoring and other activities.
JAPANESE OCEAN PROBE PLUNGES NEW DEPTHS
Marine scientists in Japan are taking their work to new depths. They've modified an unmanned probe which can now plunge a whopping 8000 meters under the sea.The Urashima was previously capable of going 3,500 meters down, but the researchers gave their probe a major upgrade and they put it to the test in the Izu-Ogasawara trench. In a separate trial, they say the Urashima endured over 24 hours at a depth of up to 7,500 meters in the Japan trench where a massive earthquake is likely to strike in the future. They say the probe's new capabilities will let them explore almost all of Japan's exclusive economic zone, starting as early as fiscal 2026.
BUSINESS
Now for business stories, here's Gene Otani.
Keiko, thanks.
BOJ KEEPS RATE TARGET UNCHANGED AT AROUND 0.5%
In our top business story this hour, the Bank of Japan has decided to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged. This was its first policy move since Japan struck a tariff deal with the US. The agreement has eased one source of uncertainty the bank had flagged as a risk.The latest decision reflects a cautious stance, though the bank maintained its short term policy rate. at around half a percent, the same level it's been since a rate hike back in January.
Japan's central bank made the call on the second day of its policy meeting on Thursday. It's the fourth time in a row for the BOJ to maintain policy.
I believe the trade agreement with the United States will help reduce uncertainty surrounding Japan's economy.
That said, our outlook remains unchanged.
We still expect the pace of growth to slow and underlying inflation to struggle to gain momentum. And while uncertainty has eased somewhat, it remains high, especially regarding the impact of trade policies in various countries.
BOJ UPGRADES GROWTH, INFLATION OUTLOOK
The BOJ also announced its economic outlook through fiscal 2025.Its medium forecast for economic growth is at an annualized 0.6% in real terms from the previous fiscal year. That is up from the April forecast of half a percent.
The central bank projects that consumer prices, excluding fresh food, will rise 2.7% this year, up from the 2.2% forecast in April. The bank says the outlook reflects the fact that prices for rice and some other food items remain high. Governor Ueda Kazuo also said if the bank's forecast for the economy and inflation become reality, the bank will raise the rate as the economy improves and adjusts the degree of monetary accommodation.
US THREATENS 25% TARIFF FOR INDIA, 'PENALTY'
US President Donald Trump says he will slap India with a 25% rate, plus a "penalty" for buying Russian oil and weapons.They have one of the highest tariffs in the world. Now they're willing to cut it very substantially, but we'll see what happens. We're talking to India now. We'll see what happens.
Trump says the measures will start August 1. He describes India as a friend, but says that its tariffs on American products are far too high. He also criticized India's purchase. Of military equipment and energy from Russia. Washington has been pressuring Moscow to agree to a cease-fire with Ukraine. The Indian government says it's studying the implications of Trump's announcement. It says India is committed to concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial trade agreement. But it notes that the country will take all steps necessary to secure its national interest. Washington has stepped up negotiations with its trading partners as the deadline nears.
Trump has warned that other countries unable to reach agreements could face 15 to 20 percent tariffs.
TRUMP: S. KOREA WILL PAY 15% TARIFF UNDER NEW TRADE AGREEMENT
Meanwhile, Trump says the US has reached a trade agreement with South Korea. The US tariff on imports from the country will be 15%. And that's the same rate the US will charge Japan and the EU. Trump had earlier threatened to slap South Korea with a 25% levy from August 1. South Korea will invest $350 billion in the US, Trump says the amount. Will be owned and controlled by the US and the projects selected by him. The agreement also calls for South Korea to purchase $100 billion of liquefied natural gas or other energy products. Trump says the country will accept American products, including cars, trucks and agricultural goods. He stressed that the deal will expand South Korea's imports from the US. South Korea's presidential office held an emergency news conference. On Thursday morning, officials said the tariffs on its semiconductors and pharmaceuticals are not expected to put the products at a disadvantage to those of other nations. The office also said the two sides agreed to refrain from further opening South Korea's beef and rice markets. President Lee Jae Mong wrote in a social media post that quote we have cleared a major hurdle. He said he has established an environment in which his country can compete with major nations in equal or advantageous conditions.TRUMP'S TARIFFS HIT FORD'S LATEST QUARTER
The Trump administration's tariff measures are starting to hurt the bottom lines of major automakers. US giant Ford Motor posted record revenue in the last quarter, but still ended up in the red as costs ballooned under the new levies. Ford reported a net loss of $36 million for the April to June period. The company said the cancellation of an electric vehicle program was another factor. The loss came despite a 5% rise in revenue from a year earlier to $50 billion. More than 75% of new vehicles Ford sells in the US are built on home soil, but the automaker imports many of its of the parts.Ford is now warning that the additional 25% duty on those imports will slash its profit by about $2 billion this year.
♪
And that's it for Business News.
IN FOCUS
Next, let's go over to Shibuya Aki for Newsline in Focus. We're spotlighting the United Nations peacekeepers who are now facing an uncertain future.TRAINING UN PEACEKEEPERS IN DIFFICULT TIMES
Since 1948, the United Nations has deployed peacekeeping units to hotspots around the world. Their activities range from monitoring ceasefires to observing elections. Often known as the Blue Helmets, these forces are made-up of personnel from UN member nations.Many of their missions take them into dangerous situations. To date, more than 4,000 peacekeepers have been killed in the course of their duties.
And that has led some countries to pull out their units from certain missions. At the same time,some peacekeeping operations are being impacted by domestic political factors in member nations.
Despite this, one initiative led by Japan continues to play a key role.
NHK World's Sugimoto Yuki has the report.
This facility on the outskirts of Nairobi provides training for peacekeepers from around the world. The current team of instructors includes members of Japan's self-defense forces, who are staying there for about two months. The 30 trainees are from four countries, including Kenya and neighboring Uganda.
They are learning to use a bulldozer to build a position. For many of them, this is the first time they've handled heavy machinery, and some do not even have a driving license.
The most difficult part at first, we were failing to to dig, even the pushing. But this time, everything is okay.
I'm proud to participate in this program, which contributes to improving the security environment.
The underlying reason for setting up this facility was due to changes in peacekeeping.
Since the 1990s, developed countries have reduced direct deployment to high-risk mission that followed an incident in which 18 US soldiers were killed during a mission in Somalia.
Instead, personnel from Asian and African countries are now on the front line.
However, some countries have been unable to provide sufficient training and that resulted in fatal accidents.
It is important to prepare them and to ensure that they have the skills and the knowledge to enable them. not only protect themselves, but also be able to undertake the mandate that they have been assigned.
Recognizing the need for better training, a triangular partnership program was launched 10 years ago, led by Japan.
The initiative is a three-way collaboration between the countries contributing the troops, the countries support the training program, and the United Nations. to improve the efficiency of the peacekeeping operations.
Initially, Japan was the only donor country, but after a decade, the number has risen to 42. Now more than 100 countries are involved in the program, including those sending trainees. A gathering to mark its 10th anniversary in June drew many participants.
At the same time, the training programs have expanded to cover fields such as medical care, communications, and dealing with explosives, tailored to the actual situation on the ground.
A Swiss Army colonel involved in training peacekeepers for many years points out the need to be ready to deal with new threats. Twenty-five years ago, the Blue Barrett was protecting you. Nobody was attacking UN troops, and this changed now dramatically. So peacekeepers must be aware not only by improvised explosive devices currently, but also by future threats, by drones, by mis and disinformation, by fake news.
However, a major challenge has arisen over the budget for peacekeeping. This is funded by contributions from UN member states, of which the US is mandated to contribute 27%, the largest share. The reports indicate the Trump administration may withhold its payment.
A senior Kenyan government official is concerned that cutting the budget might lead to instability in the region.
There is always the effect of an unstable country, even to the rest of the countries and the region. For example, in Kenya, when you have issues with the with our countries, neighboring countries, we we host refugees, peace missions are critical forCount specific countries for the region and for Africa. And so we have to retreat and think what is it we do as global actors, as global players, to make sure peace missions are not injured by the budget cuts.
A senior peacekeeping official says the UN is planning an emergency reduction in expenditures. He says the emphasis will be on improvements in quality rather than quantity.
If the member states do not pay their assessed contributions in full and on time, there will be a serious impact on peacekeeping. When the resources are constrained,It is extremely important to have very effective, trained peacekeepers so that even when they are less in number, they can effectively implement their mandate, bring peace and security.
In a perfect world, there will be no need for peacekeepers. But in the real world of constant conflict,It seems like their work is more important than ever.
While officials search for ways to sustain operational capacity, it's extremely worrisome that peacekeeping missions may be at the whim of powerful global players.
Their very presence represents the potential for peace, for the many millions whose wish is for just that. And that's all from me.
DRONE SPECTACLE DAZZLES OSAKA EXPO
Each day, just as the sun is about to set on the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, workers busy themselves preparing for one of the highlights of the event, the evening drone show.
This is the main venue at the World Fair, the giant Grand Roof Ring.
This spot nearby is off-limits to the public. It's where workers are preparing to make sure the drone show goes off without a hitch. The 1000 drones are arranged by hand.
On this day, Nakamura Yusei is in charge of the performance. He's a little concerned about the weather.
A strong wind could disrupt the drones and we'd have to cancel the show.
Come sundown, the grand roof ring takes on a magical appearance.
The differences between the pavilions too is literally like night and day.
During the day, it's difficult to tell which pavilion represents which country.
However, at night, the differences become clear. Back at the launch pad, the team is taking stock.
The wind has calmed down. I think it'll be fine.
The drones aren't piloted by humans.
Instead, they're individually programmed with specific flight patterns and lighting sequences, so pre-flight checks are essential.
Let's check the propellers.
The propellers are tested.
This one isn't spinning right, so it's quickly replaced.
The water performance provides the visitors with a cool respite just before the main event of the evening, the drone show.
The drones take to the sky in threewaves.
They form into the shape of a person lying down. And then reform into a giant tree. The theme of the performance is Wishes, which organizers say aims to inspire a brighter future.
Just when the spectators think the show's over, the drones make one final appearance, this time offering directions to the exits.
The dazzling aerial display continues for 10 minutes. Before the drones fly back to the launch pad.
For us, we do this every day. But for many of the Expo visitors, I think it's the first time they're seeing a drone show, and I hope they are moved by what we do.
WEATHER
People in Japan have been dealing with relentless, stifling hot weather. I'm meteorologist Seika Mori joins us now for the latest.Huge waves hit Rio de Janeiro's coastline mid-week due to a storm surge. The waves reached nearly 4 meters high, prompting authorities to close nearby avenues.
The strong water washed away gym equipment and a car, and it also damaged buildings. High waves are expected through Thursday evening, so it was dangerous out there. And the temperature is going to be 21 in Ruin de Janeiro. The rough sea conditions are expected to continue into Thursday, but the sky will be mild, 21 with some sunny skies on your Thursday in Ruin de Janeiro. But rainy weather in Santiago with high 13 degrees. Buenos Aires, there's a chance for thunderstorms.
That's it for me. Have a nice day.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
Thank you for joining us.
0 件のコメント:
コメントを投稿