It's a Thursday evening here in Japan.
I'm James Tengan in Tokyo. Welcome to NHK Newsline.
War in Ukraine: Zelenskyy Urges Leaders to Cut Off Money to Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told world leaders it's important to cut off revenue for Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
Zelenskyy was addressing the UN General Assembly in New York.
He referred to his country's intensifying long-range attacks on oil refineries and other targets in Russia.
00:00:36 話者 12/Volodymyr Zelenskyy
When someone gives Russia more money through trade, they give this war more time.
That is exactly why we insist on limiting trade with the aggressor and why we are burning Russia's revenues ourselves.
00:00:55 話者 1
Zelensky acknowledged Ukraine is struggling to deal with Russian attacks that use ballistic missiles and jet powered drones.
He said they create an aerial threat every hour, disrupt people's lives and prevent children from studying at school.
He said his country will work with partners to enhance its air defenses.
He also appealed for continued cooperation and support.
He went on to say that Ukrainians did not choose the war and are defending themselves.
He said they choose not to die and not to lose their country, families, independence or freedom.
France Unveils New Military Volunteer Training
France has revealed a training session for its new voluntary military service system.
The country launched the system for young people this year as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has heightened awareness of the need to enhance defense capabilities.
The volunteer soldiers served for 10 months.
About 3,000 of them, mostly 18 and 19-year-olds, began training nationwide this month.
On Tuesday, members of the media were invited to watch as volunteers practiced shooting and urban warfare at an army base in Sarrbour, eastern France.
00:02:15 話者 23
There was a lot of adrenaline and a bit of stress, but I'm satisfied with how I performed.
The real challenge is remembering everything I was taught at the right moment.
00:02:26 話者 24/Brigadier General Francois de Jabrun/French Army
Globally, cultivating a defense mindset across all of society is important amid the current circumstances.
00:02:34 話者 1
Other European nations have also taken steps to boost their defense capabilities.
Germany put a law into effect this year to enable conscription if not enough people volunteer to serve, while Croatia has revived its conscription system.
AI Firms Call for Global Standards at UNSC
America's top AI executives are calling for the introduction of global standards amid concerns. The technology is becoming uncontrollable.
OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei addressed a UN Security Council meeting on artificial intelligence and international security on Wednesday.
00:03:13 話者 35/Sam Altman
In our history, there have been times where countries who compete and don't always like each other very much still come together for shared interests.
and the collective good in the face of a powerful new technology.
We believe this must be one of those times.
00:03:27 話者 36/Dario Amodei
If managed poorly, I even believe that AI could be a risk to humanity as a whole.
For all the differences of the people in this room, we must put aside those differences in order to confront this global opportunity and global threat that is being presented to us at the same time.
00:03:45 話者 1
The two companies want international standards and safety measures to evaluate AI's capabilities and risks.
They also want a mechanism to report when AI makes unintended moves.
A US government representative presented President Donald Trump's stance, saying Washington rejects any attempt to construct what it calls a globalist scheme of control of super intelligence.
The representative from China said major powers should prioritize creating global standards over protecting their own technological edge in the AI race.
Many AI developers are warning that humans may become unable to control AI.
Questions remain whether such warnings will lead to global cooperation.
Trump, Xi Set for Summit in US
Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Washington ahead of summit talks with the US.
President Donald Trump welcomed him Wednesday at a military base in what is considered an unusual move.
A welcoming ceremony will be held on Thursday at the White House.
The summit will follow as well as a state dinner.
The economy and trade are expected to be high on the agenda and the two leaders will likely discuss Taiwan and the conflict in Iran.
The US has been stepping up pressure on Tehran with economic sanctions.
Washington and Beijing have also been engaged in a tug of war over AI.
Xi's visit to the US is his first since 2023.
Trump and Xi held a summit in China earlier this year.
Bessent: US, China to Extend Trade Truce by 2 Months
The trade truce between the two countries was set to expire on November 10.
Now the US Treasury Secretary says they have agreed to extend it by two months.
Scott Bessent says his talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Sunday and Wednesday led to the agreement.
He said on a Fox News program, the extension to January 10 gives more time to see what can be done on the economic front.
The announcement came the day before Thursday's summit.
The two countries had been locked in escalating trade friction with tit-for-tat tariffs until a summit in October 2025 resulted in the trade truce.
The US agreed to lower its additional tariffs on Chinese imports.
Beijing agreed to postpone tougher restrictions on rare earth exports for one year, while Washington put off for the same period an expanded list of companies subject to chip export restrictions.
Bessent indicated that he was not sure if a bigger deal could be negotiated or if they would just continue with the current conditions.
He said the US wants to see if over the coming months they could be a bit more fulsome in enacting the agreement.
Taiwan, Trade and AI to Take Center Stage at US-China Summit
For more on what President Xi Jinping is hoping to achieve, we spoke with NHK World's China correspondent Yoshida Mayu. She is in Washington for the talks.
00:06:58 話者 6/Yoshida Mayu
When it comes to US relations, Xi has said he wants a constructive relationship based on strategic stability.
Part of that is accepting that competition and therefore tensions between them will continue.
But there are some major sticking points. Among them, Taiwan.
The issue remains China's top priority. Beijing has long considered Taiwan a core interest.
It will be urging Washington to respect that stance.
Specifically, US arms sales to Taiwan will be one of China's priorities at this summit.
It's been months since President Trump has announced any new sales.
Wu Xinbo, an expert in US-China relations, says China sees that as a good sign.
00:07:47 話者 47/Wu Xinbo
For Beijing, this is a positive development, but it's unclear if the status quo will continue going forward. China will likely use the summit to once again emphasize the importance and sensitivity of the Taiwan issue.
It will urge Washington not to restart arms sales to Taiwan and not to expand official relations with the island.
00:08:10 話者 6
On the economic front, the two sides have found common ground.
As you mentioned, they recently agreed to extend a trade truce.
And China may also move forward with buying more US goods like commercial aircraft.
But there are still tensions on other issues like artificial intelligence.
We are not expecting any major breakthroughs.
But they may agree to establish a framework for engagement, or they could pledge to continue dialogue on AI issues.
Suffice to say, the two leaders have a lot to discuss.
But the two sides are seeing this summit in different ways.
With the US midterm elections just weeks away, Trump likely wants tangible results from this summit, especially when it comes to trade.
Xi, by contrast, is believed to be thinking more long-term, so many will be watching to see if Xi will leverage Trump's political vulnerabilities when they sit down for talks.
Rubio: US, China Obliged to Hold Top-Level Dialogue
00:09:11 話者 1
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stressed the importance of talks between US and Chinese leaders.
This is despite differences of opinion on issues such as trade, supply chains and critical minerals.
00:09:24 話者 55/Marco Rubio
The United States and China are the two largest economies in the world.
The United States and China are probably the two most powerful militaries in the world.
The relationship between the United States and China will define the 21st century.
00:09:38 話者 1
Commenting on the US's arms sales to Taiwan, Rubio argued that any decision is made in accordance with US needs.
00:09:46 話者 55
So anytime we do any sales, not Taiwan, to anybody, it is always balanced against what are our own needs in different parts of the world and whether we can afford to sell something because we may need it for ourselves.
00:10:00 話者 1
Rubio suggested that Presidents Trump and Xi might have talks on the sidelines of the APEC summit in China in November and the G20 summit in December in the US.
♪
East Japan Reeling From Typhoon Dujuan
People in eastern Japan are reeling after Typhoon Dujuan dumped record amounts of rain on the region earlier this week.
Ten people have died and four are still unaccounted for.
Levees on the banks of Lake Imbanuma in Chiba Prefecture collapsed, inundating surrounding areas. The prefectural government plans to expedite restoration work.
A fish farm that raises ornamental carp was also flooded.
The operating company says a total of 100,000 carp were washed away.
Prolonged heavy rains in mountainous areas triggered the landslides which accounted for many of the deaths. Rescue workers are still searching for those who remain missing.
Although the storm has passed, people's daily lives continue to be affected.
In Mobara city, some traffic signals were out of service Wednesday.
The family living at this home in the city of Sodegaura has been relying on flashlights after dark.
00:11:29 話者 63
The biggest problem is that we can't heat water, so taking a bath has become very difficult.
We hope power will be restored as soon as possible.
00:11:40 話者 1
As of around 6:30 a.m. local time Thursday, almost 17,000 households were without electricity in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures.
Chiba Floods Stymie Fall Harvest After Typhoon
For more on the situation, NHK World's Tashiro Kyoko has this report.
00:11:56 話者 8/Tashiro Kyoko
Hello, right now I'm standing on the edge of what is normally a rice field.
It is completely underwater still, three days after the typhoon affected the area and burst the bank of the lake nearby in Banuma.
The lake itself is way beyond that bridge behind me.
Today in the area we're seeing farmers checking their property, doing cleanup, but some haven't been able to reach their places because some roads are still cut off.
And sometimes helicopters are flying over us to assess the damage as well.
As for the rice, harvest season is in full swing and some fields were flooded right before they could be harvested. But it's not just on the fields.
This storage barn belongs to a local farmers' cooperative.
The workers told me the water came way up to here. That's like one meter high.
And they had to wait until this morning so the water recedes enough so they can open the door and go inside. And this morning, what they came to is this.
Nearly 1,000 bags of freshly harvested rice. They were waiting to be shipped out.
They were all piled up here. The bags at the bottom were ruined, obviously.
And after they collapsed, dozens of other bags on tops fell into the water too.
And over here, the desk is upturned, even a refrigerator.
And the forklift, the workers don't know if it still works.
They did try to prepare for the flood.
If you look over here, these sandbags were set on Sunday before the typhoon hit to keep the water out.
But unfortunately, the water came way higher than they expected.
More rice was supposed to come here as the harvest season continues, so the co-op is trying hard to find alternatives.
One co-op executive told me when he first saw this scene that he was shocked at the scale of how Japan's staple crop can be ruined.
And another worker told me he was reminded of how a body of water can be so scary, how scary they can become.
Analysis: Impacts of Typhoon Dujuan
00:14:06 話者 1
Let's turn now to our meteorologist Yoko Komagata for more details on Typhoon Dujuan.
Yoko, why did it bring so much rain when it didn't even make landfall?
00:14:17 話者 9/Yoko Komagata
A combination of several different factors caused the heavy rain.
The main reason was the path of the storm overlapped with the warm crucial current.
As you know, tropical storms need warm most air to intensify, so this situation was perfect for development.
The storm gained moisture from the warm water and brought downpours to the same locations.
That's why parts of Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures received so much rainfall.
00:14:46 話者 1
So Yoko, what should people in the affected areas look out for moving forward.
00:14:51 話者 9
Now we are seeing sunny skies across many parts of the Kanto region on Thursday.
However, the dry weather won't last long.
A new frontal system will approach from the west and produce another day of wet weather later in the week.
If you're in Tokyo, you may have increasingly heavy rain yet again later on Friday, continuing into Saturday.
The yellow shaded areas in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures are still at risk of landslides.
The ground is already saturated from the recent storms.
Stay away from the dangerous areas and make sure you stay informed.
ANA Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Okinawa, 3 Injured
00:15:35 話者 1
In other news, an all Nippon Airways passenger plane has made an emergency landing at Naha Airport in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Okinawa.
The aircraft experienced engine trouble shortly after takeoff.
Three passengers reportedly sustained minor injuries when they evacuated the plane.
The carrier says flight 1502 was bound for Saga Airport in the Kyushu region and departed around 9 p.m. on Wednesday.
It said the pilot noticed high oil temperatures in the right engine just after takeoff.
The Boeing 737 returned to Nahai Airport and landed safely.
All 152 passengers and six crew members used emergency slides to evacuate the plane.
00:16:22 話者 77
Suddenly I heard a crackling sound coming from the right side and then a burning smell suddenly filled the cabin. It was really scary.
00:16:32 話者 1
Fire engines were dispatched but no smoke or fire was reported.
The Japan Transport Safety Board has classified the case as a serious incident and plans to send two investigators to the site.
Cambodia Shows Scam Bases to Media
Authorities in Cambodia have been investigating large-scale scam operations.
Now they've shown reporters the bases where some of the scams took place and some of the items seized.
One compound near the border with Vietnam covers a space of about 1.2 square kilometers. It resembles a town complete with restaurants.
Inside the facility, one section was labeled Singapore Police.
Cambodian officials believe a criminal group carried out fraud under the guise of that police force.
Local authorities and other officials say the center was operated by the Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group.
US authorities have sanctioned it, describing the network as one of Asia's largest international criminal organizations.
They say up to 20,000 foreigners, including Chinese, Vietnamese and Indian nationals, were based there.
Meanwhile, a vast array of evidence seized from scam operations in the country was put on display at a police station in the capital Phnom Penh.
It included fake Japanese police uniforms.
Police also found AI software for creating deepfakes, showing how sophisticated fraud methods have become.
A senior investigator said improving technology is the top priority for effectively cracking down on the scams.
Business
We now turn to our financial desk for the latest with Yuko Fukushima.
Yuko, What are we seeing with the yen today?
Yen Seesaws vs Dollar After Testing 158 Level
00:18:16 話者 4/Yuko Fukushima
Yeah, we're seeing a bit of a movement in the foreign exchange market because the Japanese yen seasoned against the dollar in Tokyo on Thursday amid conflicting trading themes. The currency opened weaker around the lower 158 level.
This was due to overnight selling in New York after the US business activity index came out far stronger than expected.
That raised expectations the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates again this year.
This dimmed hopes that the US-Japan interest rate gap will narrow anytime soon.
But the end strengthened to the upper 157 range later in the session amid speculation Japanese authorities may intervene to support the currency.
The Bank of Japan last week ran so-called rate checks with currency dealers, a procedure that often precedes intervention.
Benchmark JGB Yield Hits 30-Year High
In other markets, selling of benchmark 10-year Japanese government bonds drove up the yield at 1.0 to 3.075%. That's the highest in 30 years.
The sales kicked in after yields on US 10-year treasuries rose to the highest in about 19 years amid concerns about inflation.
Okinawa Theme Park Junglia Posts Loss in 1st Year
NHK has learned that a new jungle-themed amusement park in Okinawa lost money in its first year of operation.
Junglea Okinawa and its dinosaur attractions opened in July last year amid expectations it will help boost the economy of the southern Japan prefecture.
But it attracted only about 2,700 visitors a day on average.
Japan Entertainment Holdings, the privately held parent of the operator, posted a net loss of 17.3 billion yen in the year through June. That's about 110 million dollars.
The operator itself ran up losses of 8.9 billion yen.
Japan Entertainment Holdings is called a meeting of shareholders on Friday to explain its financial situation.
Unstaffed Stores Win Approval From Japanese Shoppers
Now, this is a bookstore near Tokyo.
Customers are happily shopping inside, but actually nobody's staffing it.
In fact, contactless service introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic is a draw for some shoppers and working to be the benefit of businesses.
00:20:32 話者 10/Reporter: Takabayashi Akihiro / NHK WORLD/Narrator: Carolyn Miller
This second-hand clothing shop opened in July and operates around the clock.
About 8,000 clothes lined the shelves some of them vintage items.
A pair of jeans costs about $130. This T-shirt is over $200.
Staff come in only three times a day for a total of three hours for cleaning and restocking.
The store has decided not to wait on customers as a business policy.
00:21:10 話者 81
Customers feel free to take expensive items in their hands when there's no one around.
00:21:18 話者 10
The store operator conducted a survey of 3,000 shoppers.
60% said they didn't need to be waited on.
Customers use their smartphones to enter the store.
When they hold the camera over the 2D code at the entrance,
it automatically identifies them through a personal verification system on social media.
This discourages shoplifting and allows the store to carry high-priced products.
00:21:52 話者 82/Yoshi/Owner, Warehouse Class1 Japan
This enables us to display expensive items such as things over $300.
Our sales here are roughly triple that of used clothing businesses we have operated in the past.
00:22:10 話者 10
The smartphone check-in system is attracting attention from bookstores that are gradually disappearing from shopping districts.
The store introduced an unstaffed system in November last year and now operates without employees from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m.
00:22:28 話者 82
Few bookshops are open at this time of day.
00:22:32 話者 10
Thanks to the 24-hour operation, sales at the store rose 5% from the same month last year despite the tough business climate.
00:22:42 話者 83/Okubo Takuya/Sales Manager, Super Books
We hope technology like this can ensure a local bookshop's survival.
00:22:50 話者 10
Sixty businesses, including supermarkets and candy stores, have introduced the system.
Its developer is exploring ways to expand further.
00:23:00 話者 84/Yokoyama Takuya/CEO, Nebraska
The system can work for almost any type of retailer. It's also a big plus for customers.
00:23:09 話者 10
This less is more approach is catching on among retailers.
It solves problems such as labor shortages and rising costs while also satisfying the changing needs of customers. Pretty soon, it may even come to a store near you.
Markets
00:23:29 話者 4
Now let's get to the latest in the markets.
♪
And that's the bus for this hour.
World Weather
00:24:42 話者 1
As we have been reporting, Japan was impacted by Typhoon Dujuan over the recent extended holiday, and it looks like another system forming over the Pacific is making its way towards Japan.
Our meteorologist, Yuumi Hirano, joins us with the details.
00:24:58 話者 9/Yuumi Hirano
Tropical storm Surigae has formed east of the Philippines.
The system is expected to intensify into a typhoon and approach the Okinawa region by Sunday. Heavy rain, strong winds and high waves are possible until early next week.
But before the storm, people in Northeast Asia have to monitor another system.
A front is stretching along parts of China, bringing downpours.
It's likely to move toward the mainland of Japan over the weekend.
Showers are expected again in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, which were damaged by Typhoon Dujuan earlier this week.
Even a small amount of rain could trigger additional floods and landslides.
Many cities will stay on the dry side on Friday, but wet weather is expected from Saturday and will persist into the next week.
Moving to Europe, late coming heat is a concern in western parts of the continent.
People in Portugal have been dealing with summer-like conditions.
Another unexpected heat wave is likely in Portugal, even as autumn kicks off.
Locals and tourists alike flagged to nearby fountains to beat the heat, as the mercury rose to 36 degrees in Lisbon. Some restaurants use mist to cool off customers sitting outside.
The weather department issued heat warnings and raised concerns about the risk of wildfires.
The heat is expected to continue in the Adelian Peninsula.
The highs will be 35 in Lisbon and 34 in Madrid.
But showers will bring cooler temperatures to Berlin with a high of 16.
That's it for now. Have a nice day.
♫～ 3-Day Forecast ～♫
00:27:45 話者 1
More to come here on NHK World Japan so stay with us.
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00:28:01 話者 99
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