Hello, welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Maria Sato in Tokyo.
ISRAEL TO REOPEN RAFAH BORDER CROSSING ON SUNDAY
Israel says it will reopen a key crossing at the Gaza-Egypt border, but it's uncertain how much it will help people in the Gaza Strip who want to cross the border for medical treatment.
Israel says it will reopen the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza for pedestrians on Sunday in accordance with the US-led peace plan.
The announcement came after the body of the last remaining hostage was brought back to Israel on Monday.
Israeli media quoted an official as saying that only about 200 people per day will be allowed through the crossing.
But local health authorities say 20,000 patients are waiting for the Rafah reopening to get treatment elsewhere due to shortages of medical equipment and medicines in Gaza.
A patient in her 30s spoke to NHK's Gaza office group.
She lost her right hand and sustained severe leg injuries due to an Israeli strike.
00:01:19 (patient)
I want to secure my safety and have my life returned to normal.
I want to get an artificial hand and have my legs examined.
I'm not asking for anything special. I just want to get treated.
00:01:33 (Maria Sato)
She said she hopes to get a transit permit as soon as possible.
NGO CHIEF WARNS US CUTS ROBBING CHILDREN OF THEIR FUTURE
The head of an international aid group says foreign aid cuts by the United States are putting the future of millions of children in jeopardy.
Save the Children Chief Executive Officer Inger Ashing spoke to NHK in Tokyo on Friday.
Ashing said the organization has had to close six offices around the world while letting go of many workers as a result of the cuts.
She expressed a sense of crisis, saying the move is robbing children of their future.
00:02:13 (Inger Ashing / CEO, Save the Children International)
Most importantly, it meant that many millions of children worldwide didn't get the support that they needed when it comes to education, health and protection.
00:02:26 (Maria Sato)
On the situation in Ukraine, Ashing noted that more than 3,800 schools have been destroyed and forced to close since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.
She said many children have come to rely on online education, but even that opportunity has been taken away by Russia's persistent attacks on Ukraine's power infrastructure.
Ashing stressed the need for continuous support of children.
00:02:55 (Inger Ashing /CEO, Save the Children International)
They need a lot of psychosocial support. And we, the international community, NGOs, need to ensure that we continue to support with that.
IRANIAN FM: TEHRAN 'READY FOR NEGOTIATIONS'
00:03:08 (Maria Sato)
US President Donald Trump has been increasing pressure on Iran to enter negotiations over its nuclear program. His administration has deployed naval warships to the region.
Now, Iran's foreign minister says his country is ready for talks.
Abbas Arachi held a news conference in Istanbul.
He repeatedly said Iran is prepared to resume discussions.
00:03:36 (Abbas Araghchi /Iranian Foreign Minister)
We still have no plans to meet with the Americans.
As I said, we are ready for fair and equitable negotiations.
00:03:50 (Maria Sato)
US media have reported that officials in Washington are demanding a permanent end to all uranium enrichment.
Arachi says Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful in nature and that it has never pursued nuclear weapons.
He mentioned the airstrikes on nuclear facilities conducted by the US last June.
He says the situation would change significantly if another attack happened now.
Trump spoke to reporters about the naval deployment, describing it as a large armada.
He was asked about whether he will give the Iranians a deadline for reaching an agreement.
He replied that only they know, and added, I can say this, they do want to make a deal.
SIX PEOPLE ARRESTED IN HONG KONG IN CONNECTION WITH ROBBERY
Police in Hong Kong have arrested six people in connection with a robbery that took place in the territory on Friday.
The incident saw a backpack containing Japanese cash worth about $376,000 stolen from two Japanese nationals.
The robbery took place on a busy street in central Hong Kong.
Local police said on Saturday the arrested consists of three Japanese nationals and three individuals from mainland China and Hong Kong.
It turns out one of the arrested Japanese had called the police informing them that their money had been stolen.
The police said they have retrieved part of the missing money.
Police in Japan are looking into a possible link between the Hong Kong robbery and an attempted heist in a parking lot at Tokyo's Haneda Airport late Friday.
An assailant traveling in a vehicle unleashed a pepper-spray-like substance, then tried to steal a suitcase filled with more than one million dollars from a car.
Tokyo Metropolitan Police believe the man who was attacked at Haneda Airport was the same person who was assaulted in Hong Kong.
Earlier on Thursday, robbers in Tokyo's Taito Ward targeted a group of Chinese and Japanese nationals delivering a large sum of money.
The assailants managed to flee with about $2.7 million in cash.
Authorities believe the assailants in the two cases in Tokyo knew about the delivery of the large sums of money in advance.
They're trying to determine if the two incidents are connected.
CHINA'S FACTORY PMI FALLS BELOW 50 MARK
A key indicator of China's manufacturing activity has gone below the boom or bust line for the first time in two months.
Stagnant domestic demand is mainly blamed amid the prolonged slump in the country's real estate market.
The drop of the gauge came after it marked the first increase in nine months in December as the US partially lowered additional tariffs on China in November.
The purchasing managers index for January came in at 49.3.
That's down 0.8 points from the previous month.
Figures above 50 represent growth, while those below indicate contraction.
The gauge for large companies for January stood at 50.3, but mid-sized firms and small enterprises were below 50.
The Chinese government places top priority on the expansion of domestic demand.
Economists are waiting to see if the government can come up with effective measures for companies to improve their business sentiment.
TAIWAN'S GDP HITS 8.63% ON SOLID AI DEMAND
Taiwan says its economy grew more than 8 percent last year, its highest growth in 15 years.
The executive yuan, or cabinet, released the preliminary gross domestic product data on Friday.
The main factor was the sharp increase in exports of semiconductors and other products driven by the expanding use of artificial intelligence.
Total exports to the United States reached an all-time high, exceeding those to China.
Private consumption was also strong and contributed to steady growth.
The Cabinet's accounting and statistics specialist, Chang Hsinye, said semiconductor demand was stronger than expected and continues to grow.
Chang added that the United States has not imposed high tariff rates on Taiwan, and buy orders have been strong.
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Those were the headlines for this hour.
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♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
And that's all for this hour on NHK Newsline. I'm Maria Sato in Tokyo.
Do stay with us on NHK World Japan.
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