at 18:00 (JST), September 27

 

20250927180000_english_1.mp3

Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Gene Otani in Tokyo. 

LEE: N. KOREAN ICBMS COULD SOON REACH US MAINLAND

South Korean President Lee Jae-myeon has issued a warning about North Korea's nuclear weapons. He says the regime could soon have the US mainland within reach.
Lee was speaking about Pyongyang's intercontinental ballistic missiles on Thursday in New York. He says re-entry technology is likely the only remaining challenge. Lee says the North appears to possess enough nuclear weapons to sustain the regime, and he suggests that arsenal could grow by 15 to 20 per year if left unchecked. Lee expressed concerned about Pyongyang exporting weapons and stressed the need to pursue denuclearization in the long term. The North's leader, Kim Jong Un, was reportedly briefed earlier this month on an engine for a next generation ICBM. He also observed the final combustion test.

KIM STRESSES STANCE OF SECURITY THROUGH NUCLEAR FORCES

And staying with North Korea, Kim says ensuring peacekeeping and security by force with nuclear arms as its backbone is his country's invariable stance. North Korea's ruling parties. In North Korea's ruling Workers Party newspaper, Rodon Shimbun reported Kim's remarks made Friday at a meeting on the production of nuclear materials and weapons. He reportedly said steadily stepping up preparations for the country's. Nuclear response capability is a top priority and an unchangeable duty. The paper said Kim also called for an increase in the production of nuclear weapons ahead of the ruling party's Congress. 

A-BOMB SURVIVOR URGES NUCLEAR WEAPONS ABOLITION

An atomic bomb survivor from Japan has urged the abolition of nuclear arms at a high-level UN meeting. He stressed that human beings cannot coexist with nuclear weapons.

Leaders of nuclear-armed states, please engage in dialogue. As a hibaksha who survived to be 81 years old, I feel compelled to warn, with a sense of urgency, that those present in the meeting and all of humanity could become hibaksha.

A senior member of Nihon Hidankyo, Tanaka Satoshi, gave a speechIn a meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday, it marked the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
Nihon Hidankyo is a Nobel Peace Prize recipient. It represents survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, who are known as Hibakusha.
Representatives of China, India and Pakistan, which possess nuclear weapons, also spoke at the meeting. China is said to have significantly enhanced its nuclear capability in recent years. The country's representative stated that China maintains its nuclear forces at the minimum level required for national security. In an apparent reference to the United States and Russia, he stressed that the nations possessing the largest nuclear arsenals bear special responsibility for disarmament.

TRUMP HINTS AT CEASEFIRE DEAL FOR GAZA

US President Donald Trump says he is close to securing a deal that will lead to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, but specific details about the plan remain unclear. 

I think we have. Maybe a deal on Gaza, very close to a deal on Gaza. I think it's a deal that will get the hostages back. It's going to be a deal that will end the war.

Trump didn't mention the contents of the deal or detailed circumstances.
Earlier this week, Trump held a meeting with leaders and officials from Arab and Muslim countries in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff revealed that the Trump administration presented a 21-point plan for the cease-fire at the meeting. US media reports that one of the main principles includesthe release of all remaining hostages, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip end, a post-war plan that includes a governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas.
Trump is expected to meet Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is visiting the US next week. They are likely to exchange views on the plan.

TRUMP TARIFFS
WH OFFICIAL: 15% AT MOST ON JAPANESE PHARMACEUTICALS

President Trump plans to impose a 100% tariff on some imported drugs starting on Wednesday, but a White House official says this won't apply to Japanese pharmaceuticals, and a levy will likely be set at 15% at most. 

The official made the comment on Friday in response to an NHK inquiry. Japan and the US released a joint statement on tariffs earlier this month. It said Washington intends to apply a rate to Japanese pharmaceuticals that is no greater than that applied to goods from any other country. This would follow a concept known as most favored nation status. 

The US agreed in trade talks with the European Union that a new tariff on pharmaceuticals and some other products would not exceed 15%. The White House official apparently meant the maximum levy on Japanese products would not be greater than this figure. The Trump administration is expected to announce details on new tariffs shortly, including those on Japan. 

ISHIBA TO VISIT SOUTH KOREA NEXT WEEK

Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru is set to visit South Korea next week for a summit with President Lee Jae-myung.
Government officials in Tokyo say Ishiba will begin the two-day trip on Tuesday as part of mutual visits between the leaders of both countries. Lee made his first trip to Japan as president in August. Ishiba and Lee are scheduled to meet in Busan. They will likely discuss ways to deepen cooperation. Their agenda is also expected to include shared challenges, such as population decline and over-concentration in the Japanese and South Korean capitals. Ishibai and Lee will likely confirm that the two countries will work together to ensure the success of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum starting next month in Gyeongju, South Korea. Ishiba aims to reaffirm that Japan and South Korea will maintain close communication and strengthen relations before handing over to the next administration. This year marks the 60th anniversary of normalized relations between the two countries.

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HIGH HOPES FOR HAIRY CRABS IN EASTERN CHINA

Hairy crab season is underway in eastern China, and people in the seafood industry hope rising tourism numbers will lead to a bumper year.
Fishers were busy hauling high-quality Chinese mitten crabs from Yangcheng late near Shanghai on Friday as officials marked the start of shipments. The delicacy is also known as Shanghai hairy crabs.

This year's crabs are rich in raw and full of meat. I hope overseas visitors will come to enjoy the authentic Shanghai hairy crabs.

More than 3.2 million people visited Shanghai from overseas in the first half of 2025. The number rose partly due to. Visa free measures for foreigners on short stays and is near the level seen before the coronavirus pandemic. The crabs will be in season until winter. They are mainly shipped within China, but some are exported to Japan, Southeast Asia and other regions.

Those were the main stories for this hour.

♫～　3-DAY FORECAST　～♫

That's the news this hour. I'm Gene Otani. From all of us here at NHK Newsline to all around the world, thanks very much for joining us.