DEBATE RAGES IN US OVER SUSPENSION OF 'JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE'
President Donald Trump's pressure on the media is sparking another debate over free speech in the US. Broadcaster ABC has suspended a late night talk show over comments on the death of a political activist. Host Jimmy Kimmel remarked on the reactions of some of Trump's supporters to the murder of Charlie Kirk.We hit some new lows over the weekend, with the Maggot gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.
A company that owns a number of ABC affiliate stations called the comments offensive and insensitive. It said they didn't reflect the views and values of the communities it serves.
The show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, had been on air for over 20 years. It was known for the host's harsh criticism of politicians. Trump welcomed the broadcaster's decision, saying, quote, he was fired for lack of talent.
Before the suspension, the head of the US Federal Communications Commission hinted at revoking ABC's broadcast license.
Members of the Democratic Party and media industry workers called such a move an abuse of power. Trump claimed that most media coverage is out of line with public opinion.
They give me wholly bad publicity from the press. I mean, they're getting a license, I I would think. Maybe their license should be taken away.
But he said the decision to revoke the license is up to the FCC chair.
ISRAEL-HAMAS CONFLICT
US VETOES UN RESOLUTION SEEKING GAZA CEASEFIRE
The United States has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at bringing about an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.The United Nations declared last month that more than half a million people were trapped in famine. Israel has since begun a ground offensive to seize Gaza City, the Strip's largest, aggravating the crisis. The draft resolution was submitted to an emergency meeting on Thursday by the council's 10 non-permanent members.
It also demanded that Israel immediately and unconditionally lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid, and called for the release of all hostages held by Hamas.
Fourteen of the Council's 15 members voted in favor, but the United States rejected it.
It fails to condemn Hamas or recognize Israel's right to defend itself.
It was the Council's 10,000th meeting and exposed the inability to end a humanitarian crisis in the face of a veto by a permanent member. It also highlighted Washington's ongoing support for Israel. Afterward, Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, posted a video on social media showing him shaking hands with Ortegas.
He thanked her for voting against the resolution and for using her veto power.
ANTI-AUSTERITY PROTESTS CONTINUE ACROSS FRANCE
Anti-austerity rallies are continuing across France, even after its new prime minister signaled a partial withdrawal of plans to cut spending. Some protesters have clashed with security forces.French authorities say more than 500,000 people demonstrated across the country on Thursday. About 55,000 reportedly gathered in Paris.
The protests erupted last week and continued as former Defense Minister Sebastien Le Cornu was sworn in as Prime Minister. He has hinted at reversing some of his predecessors budget reduction policies, but the demonstrations show no signs of letting up.
We don't want a new prime minister. We want different policies. We want higher wages and pensions, resources for our hospitals and schools, and tax justice.
Protesters fought with security forces in some cities. The French Interior Ministry says more than 300 people have been detained so far across the country.
IAEA CONDEMNS N. KOREA'S NUCLEAR TESTS; CHINA, RUSSIA OBJECT
The International Atomic Energy Agency has adopted a resolution condemning North Korea for conducting six nuclear tests. China and Russia opposed the measure.The IAEA voted on Thursday at a general conference in Vienna.
96 votes in favor, five votes against, 17 abstentions.
The required majority having been obtained.
In the past, the organization has unanimously adopted similar resolutions at its annual conference without voting. But Russia demanded a vote this year.
Moscow's representative criticized the resolution. He said it will be used to exert military and political pressure on Pyongyang. The Chinese representative had a similar response.
He said excessive pressure and accusations against North Korea will only aggravate tensions. He added that the resolution is not conducive to advancing a political settlement on the Korean Peninsula.
JAPAN WINS IG NOBEL FOR STUDYING ZEBRA-LIKE STRIPES ON COWS
Japanese researchers have been recognized with an unusual honor, an Ig Nobel Prize. It was for their study on, get this, how painting cows with zebra-like stripes can help repel flies. Japan has made the winner's list 19 years in a row.The researchers received this year's award in the biology field. The Ig Nobel Prize is a parody of the Nobel Prize. It was introduced by a US science journal in 1991 for researchers who make people laugh and then think. The Japanese team followed up on earlier studies suggesting that the striped coats of zebras can prevent biting fly attacks.
The researchers hypothesized that a similar effect may be expected on cows painted with black and white stripes. So they conducted experiments using Japanese black cows. They found that the numbers of biting flies on the legs and other parts of the painted cows were less than half of those on the non-painted cows. They also found that the frequency of fly-repelling behaviors, including head throw and leg stamp, were lower for the painted cows.
It's finally hit home that I've won the prize, and I'm so happy.
I hope that the award boosts many people's interest in science, especially the younger generations.
The team says the study results can be applied to reduce the stress on cattle and help reduce pesticides used to avoid insect bites that often cause infections. Organizers awarded nine other awards this year.
WHY JAPAN WINS SO MANY IG NOBEL PRIZES
As mentioned, Japanese projects often win the annual prizes. NHK World's Kurose Soichiro traveled to Massachusetts to find out why.It was another big day here for Japanese researchers. The director of the Ig Nobel told me he thinks Japanese society plays a big role. because the country cherishes those with unique ideas.
He said that openness probably contributed to discoveries and new technologies around the world. But in Japan, there is fear that kind of research is at risk. Ig Nobel nominees often focus on problems that affect people's daily lives because they want to improve the world around them.
But recent trends suggest there is less funding to go around,Smaller studies may suffer, while large-scale projects are prioritized. Research that makes people laugh and think can only exist in an environment where scientists feel free to express their ideas. The question now is whether or not Japan will be able to maintain this winning streak in the years to come. Kurose Soichiro, NHK World Boston.
ILLUSTRATING THE MANY FACES OF WAR
British illustrator and journalist George Butler reports from conflict zones around the world, not with a camera, but with pens and pencils, drawing pictures that depict the lives of civilians and soldiers during war. It's a slower approach that gives him time to hear people's stories, as featured in a book about Ukraine that was recently published here in Japan.Butler first entered Ukraine a month after the start of Russia's invasion in 2022, and he returned the following year.
I think one of the one of the things that helps me, I guess, comprehend what I've what I've seen. Is making a making a very slow, handmade drawing of it.
He has obtained permission to report from areas that are heavily restricted. This is a secret facility for repairing tanks and transport vehicles.
Butler's portraits capture the faces of the people he has met. He also records their testimonies, which are compiled in a book released in the UK in 2024.
This illustration shows soldiers in a bunker near the front line.
You know, I've got quite used to this life. I spoke to a friend of mine who's also in combat and he said we'll miss this in the future. He's right.
When reporting in conflict zones, Butler focuses on capturing ordinary moments in people's lives, moments that mainstream news often overlooks.
Often people would come up and. Would tell me a bit of their story as I'm drawing. And then I made it my mission, as it were, to be to be deliberately slow and to take time to sit with people, to paint their portraits, to listen to their stories.
He started his career 2 decades ago when he visited Afghanistan with his uncle, who was a member of the military. Watching and drawing the daily routines of soldiers away from the front line, he realised he was seeing a different side of the war. Since then, he has spent time in other countries, including Syria and Yemen.
Butler's book, Ukraine, Remember Also Me, which collects illustrations and the testimonies of 25 people affected by the conflict, has struck a chord with the public.
In the book, the story is told by a lady called Nata, and this is her son, Artem.
One of the longest testimonies in the book belongs to Nata,a former resident of the eastern city of Maripul. The boy holding the cat is her teenage son, Artem.
Nata had worked as a screenwriter before the Russian invasion, when her hometown was subjected to a brutal siege.
The family's old life is now gone. Their home was destroyed in the Russian assault. One day, When we looked out from our basement, we saw our apartment from afar. It was on fire. I realised that we no longer had our own place.
I did not want to cry. I did not want to waste my energy on emotions.
After her mother-in-law died in an underground shelter, Nata and her family decided to flee the city.
There was a fresh show crater on the road next to us and we were surrounded by several burnt out vehicles. We were so exhausted that we didn't even have the strength to be afraid. Butler says it was important to include Nata's full testimony in the book.
There's always a kind of lean towards like, how do we make it as short as possible?And in fact, in Nata's case, it was impossible to edit any of it. It's such valuable. Account of what was happening there.
Nata now lives in Kiev and says she is grateful to Butler for recording what her family experienced.
I think this drawing accurately reflects the situation where we were at that time. People should know not just about me. But about the events that took place in Mariupol, because what happened to us happened to hundreds of thousands of people.
The thing I learned in Ukraine perhaps was that the drawings are just a small part of it and actually that their words, their testimonies were much more poignant and powerful and long lasting than that's where I see value and that's what I'd like to continue.
♫～
BUSINESS
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business with Ramin Mellegard.
Thank you very much, indeed.
BOJ STAYS PAT ON INTEREST RATE, TO SELL FINANCIAL ASSETS
Now, the Bank of Japan says it will keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at around half a percent. It also explained in a statement that it will start sales of billions of dollars in financial assets. The central bank made the announcements at the conclusion of its two-day policy meeting on Friday.The decision means the BOJ has kept rates on hold for five straight meetings. It last raised rates in January this year.
Though it has indicated it is open to more hikes based on economic conditions. Now, one condition that has become clearer is the US agreement to lower its import tariff on Japanese autos and parts to 15%. In addition, the US Federal Reserve lowered interest rates this week. The BOJ is set to want more time to assess how this plays out in inflation and job numbers in the world's biggest economy, the BOJ also announced it will start sales of exchange traded funds in Japan real estate investment trusts. The BOJ had bought ETF's and J REIT's as part of its massive monetary easing program. The bank said it plans to sell ETFs worth around 330 billion yen, or $2.2 billion a year. It'll sell J-REITs worth around 5 billion yen, or $34 million a year. BOJ Governor Ueda Kazuo explained the decision later at a news conference.
you know With the pace of sales, we have given ourselves the flexibility to maintain market stability by temporarily adjusting sell-off values or halting sales in response to the situation in the financial markets. After starting disposals of ETFs and other financial assets, we might review the annual sales pace at a future policy meeting, in line with the basic principles on selling, based on the outcome of sales.
NIKKEI 225 SLIDES FROM INTRADAY RECORD ON BOJ DECISION
Tokyo's Nikkei 225 stock index slid following the BOJ's announcement that it will begin selling exchange-traded funds that it holds. Now, the benchmark dived after hitting an all-time high, all-time intraday high earlier on Friday.The Nikkei finished down nearly 0.6% at 45,045. It gained as much as 1.2%, tracking record highs on Wall Street after the US Federal Reserve cut its key policy rate. Many investors believe the Fed move will boost the performance of Japanese companies. But after the BOJ announcement, Tokyo's benchmark lost 1.8% at one stage. Analysts say the central bank's decision caught many investors by surprise. But some bought back shares on the view that the pace of the BOJ's ETF sales will be gradual.
ECONOMIST: TIMING NOT RIGHT FOR BOJ TO HIKE
Now we asked Kobayashi Shunsuke, Chief Economist at Musical Securities, for his assessment of why the BOJ kept rates unchanged this time.It would have been really difficult for the BOJ to raise rates right after the Fed decided to lower its rate, and there is a high level of uncertainty at home and abroad. It seems the BOJ wants to see the result of the vote to choose the new president of the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party at home and what the policies of the new administration will be. The issue of US tariffs have now been settled, but there is a need to see what impact the new tariffs will have on Japanese businessesAs well as on prices and the overall economy.
So the focus remains on when the BOJ will resume interest rate hikes.
Inflation is significantly higher than the central bank's 2% target, regardless of the reasons. Under these circumstances, there would have been a lot of unease about the BOJ maintaining massive monetary easing. Such a view is apparently gaining ground among BOJ policy makers. So there is a higher chance of the bank deciding to raise rates in the not too distant future.
It could do so as early as the next policy meeting, which will be held in late October.
BIZ PICKS
OK, next, NHK World's John LaDue is here with BizPicks.Let's look at the business and economic stories we'll be tracking in the week ahead.
US CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT MAY NARROW
US current account figures for April to June are due out on Tuesday.The index measures the flow of goods, services and investments into and out of the country. In the previous quarter, the US current account deficit widened by 44% to a record $450 billion. That represents 6% of GDP, the highest such ratio since the third quarter of 2006, when it peaked at 6.3%.
Economist Shirai Tokio of Mizuho Research and Technologies says the record deficit for the first quarter was fueled by surge in imports ahead of expected increases in trade levies.
US President Donald Trump announced what he calls the reciprocal tariffs and duties on automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and other items from April. In response, US importers sought to stockpile goods before the end of March, resulting in the increase in the current account deficit. What should I says? Trade statistics show a steep drop in import stockpiling in the April to June period compared with the first quarter. A smaller gain in imports would run against some expectations that Trump's drive for increasing tariffs would spur another quarter of panic overseas purchases.
you know The imports in the April to June period were at almost the same level as last year. Looking closely at US current account deficits, they are mostly caused by imports of goods. I think the deficit for the second quarter returned to the 2024 level because the sharp rise in imports in the first quarter disappeared.
The current account balance of the US has been on a deficit trend since the 1980s, and the gap has widened. Should I say structural shifts in the US economy to explain that?
Simply put, the current account balance is a balance between production and consumption in a country. Since the 1980s, manufacturing has been moving out of the country. On the other hand, its industrial structure has been turning into one that makes money through services such as IT and finance.
When it comes to goods, the US imports more than it produces and the country consumes them. So the strong imports by the US reflect strong consumption.
Put it all together and it looks like the US economy may weather the increase in tariffs. better than some had expected. I'm John Ledoux, and that wraps up this week's BizPix.
And that is it for Business News.
♫～
WEATHER
Now for world weather, storms may affect parts of East Asia, including Japan, over the weekend, our meteorologist, Yumi Hirano,has the details.
Over 110 millimeters of rainfall was reported in just a day in China's Henan Province. A low pressure in the frontal systems that brought the downpours are now moving northeastward. Heavy rain and stormy conditions are expected in South Korea and northern Japan on Saturday. Hokkaido may see gusts of over 100 kilometers per hour and downpours of up to 150 millimeters by Sunday. That could cause flooding.
Further south, we have to monitor two systems. One is now hitting southern China, including Hong Kong. Up to 300 millimeters of rainfall is possible in Guangdong Province by Saturday afternoon, possibly causing flash flooding. Another system is expected to intensify into a very strong typhoon and impact the northern Philippines and Taiwan early next week. So please prepare for the storm during the weekend.
Speaking of severe weather, the monsoon season is still going on in much of India. Severe floods have occurred in the northeast. Footage showed large parts of northeastern India inundated by flats on Thursday. Many homes, buildings and farmlands have been severely damaged by monsoon rains this month. Crew members have been deployed to hand out much-needed supplies to affected villagers. Residents could be seen wading through flats, but some say they are happy they have been helped.
well Some showers are still likely in many cities such as Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai. But the monsoon has ended in parts of Pakistan, so sunny skies are likely in Islamabad and Karachi.
That's it for now. Have a nice weekend.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
STUDENTS' CROP JUDGED IN OKAYAMA GRAPE COMPETITION
When it comes to raisin standards, Okayama Prefecture in western Japan is ahead of the bunch. Grapes grown by local high school students were evaluated on Wednesday.The competition was held in Ibara City, which is known for grape production. High school students studying agriculture competed among professionals and were judged on their cultivation techniques.
They hope the contest will help them in their future studies and career choices.
The judges included officials and members of a local agricultural cooperative.
They gave the students Shine Muscat grapes a score of 57 points out of 100. Their crop was praised for their shape, but judges noted that some had blemishes or other defects.
It's amazing how hard farmers work to produce something great for this day.
The judges also gave advice on growing grapes that would be appealing to consumers.
They all looked. Divine to me. I'm James Tangan. Thanks for watching this edition of NHK Newsline. More to come here on NHK World Japan, so stay with us.
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