Welcome to NHK Newsline. Here's the latest we have for you at this hour.
DIET RE-ELECTS TAKAICHI AS JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER
Japanese lawmakers have re-elected Takaichi Sanae as the country's prime minister.
She's set to launch what is technically her second cabinet Wednesday evening.
00:00:26 話者 2
(Japanese)
00:00:41 話者 1
Diet members in both houses voted Wednesday to re-elect Takaichi.
She first took office last October when her Liberal Democratic Party formed a new coalition with the Japan Innovation Party.
Her LDP won a historic victory in the lower house election this month, taking more than two-thirds of the seats.
Her administration will kick off after the emperor officially appoints Takaichi as prime minister at the Imperial Palace.
While this is technically a new cabinet, she will reappoint the same ministers. She's expected to hold a news conference from the prime minister's office Wednesday night.
ANALYSIS: LOWER HOUSE SHAKEUP ALREADY MAKING IMPACT
For more on this, earlier I spoke with NHK World's senior political correspondent, Oikawa Jun. Jun, how do you see the LDP's overwhelming victory changing the diet?
00:01:32 話者 2/Oikawa Jun
Like you said, they won a two-thirds majority. That's a lot of power, and we will undoubtedly see that reflected in how Takaichi manages the diet.
I think we'll notice the first changes when lawmakers begin deliberations on the budget bill for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins in April.
Deliberations usually start in January, but the election delayed them by about a month.
Because of that delay, Takaichi instructed party members to drop some of the Diet's normal practices.
For example, some LDP members are floating the idea of reducing the number of questions they'll ask during these deliberations in order to speed things along.
It's unconventional, but she says it's necessary to pass the bill by March so it doesn't disrupt people's lives.
The opposition, of course, isn't too happy about that.
Ogawa Junior, the leader of the main lower house opposition party, is calling on the government to set aside enough time for deliberations.
He obviously doesn't want Takaichi to push the budget through just because she can.
00:02:49 話者 1
Right. Well, this is just one way that the ruling parties are using their newfound majority.
What else do you see as changing?
00:02:58 話者 2
The upcoming diet session will last for the next 150 days.
And Takaichi already has a few things on her agenda.
She will give a policy speech on Friday outlining some of those, but we can expect her to reveal her intention to speed up discussions about dropping the consumption tax on food for two years.
Remember, that was one of the biggest issues on the campaign trail.
It's expected her plan will involve a bipartisan national council, which will talk about schedules and sources of funding to make up for the lost tax revenue.
She also plans to say she will uphold responsible and proactive financial policy and keep pushing for growth.
00:03:47 話者 1
And what can we expect in terms of her foreign policy?
00:03:51 話者 2
We're expecting Takaichi's speech to reference responsible Japanese diplomacy to create peace and prosperity. But it's not yet clear exactly what this means.
It looks like it's been set against a backdrop of tense relations with China.
That's going to be her biggest challenge in the foreseeable future.
So it will be important for Takaichi to focus on strengthening ties to the US.
She has a summit with President Donald Trump next month.
And Trump has already said he wants Japan to invest in major oil, gas, and other projects.
And he wants overall investments to the tune of $550 billion.
But in the meantime, we're going to hear opposition members start asking Takaichi lots of questions during these upcoming diet sessions.
So even though her party holds that supermajority, she still has to defend the decisions she makes.
JAPAN TO BAN USE OF PORTABLE CHARGERS DURING FLIGHTS
00:04:59 話者 1
Japan's transport ministry plans to ban the use of portable charters during flights.
The rule could take effect nationwide as early as April.
The move comes after a series of incidents where lithium ion batteries have caught fire or started smoking inside the cabins of passenger planes.
Flyers will be banned from using portable chargers to recharge their smartphones or other devices, and also from charging them at the power outlets in seats.
The ministry also says passengers will be allowed no more than two portable chargers inside the cabin.
Some airlines from other countries have already implemented similar bans.
The International Civil Aviation Organization is now studying whether to regulate the matter.
A fire on a plane preparing to take off from South Korea in January last year is believed to have been caused by a portable charger.
BUSINESS
And now let's see what's happening in the world of business.
Here's Ramin Mellegard from the BizDesk.
00:06:00 話者 3/Ramin Mellegard
Thank you very much indeed.
TRUMP TOUTS 'FIRST SET' OF JAPAN INVESTMENT IN US
Now, US President Donald Trump has revealed what he calls the first set of Japan's new US investments.
Tokyo had pledged $550 billion as part of tariff negotiations last year.
Trump laid them out in a social media post Tuesday.
He said the plan includes oil and gas projects in Texas, power generation in Ohio, and a synthetic diamond facility in Georgia.
The three projects are reportedly worth $36 billion.
Trump touted the initiative, saying they would, quote, revitalize the American industrial base and create hundreds of thousands of great American jobs.
He also said it couldn't have happened without tariffs.
Tokyo and Washington agreed on the broad strokes of the deal last July, but the details were firmed up at a meeting last week between Japan's Economy, Trade, and Industry Minister Akazawa Ryosei and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
JAPAN CONFIRMS FIRST INVESTMENT PROJECTS AGREED
And Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae also confirmed the news in a social media post Wednesday.
Takaichi said she believes it will promote the mutual benefit of both countries, ensure economic security, and accelerate growth in line with the spirit of the initiative.
And Akazawa described the agreement is a win-win, benefiting both sides.
00:07:25 話者 12/Akazawa Ryosei
All these projects will see Japan and the United States cooperate in building supply chains for critical minerals, energy and AI data centers that are crucial to economic security.
00:07:39 話者 3
Akazawa said the projects are expected to boost business for Japanese companies providing related equipment.
He said they will not only benefit large companies, but also smaller manufacturers of parts and other products in the supply chains.
US COMMERCE DEPARTMENT REVEALS DETAILS OF THE 3 PROJECTS
The US Commerce Department provided more details on the three projects in a social media post. The first is a natural gas power plant in the Midwestern state of Ohio.
It will be the country's largest, with the capacity to generate 9.2 gigawatts of electricity.
Japan's government says more than $33 billion will be invested in the Ohio plant,
or the largest amount for the first projects.
Companies such as Toshiba, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, and SoftBank Group may participate.
The second is construction of a deep-water crude oil export facility off the Texas coast.
The Commerce Department says it could handle oil exports worth $20 to $30 billion a year.
Japan will invest roughly $2 billion, with companies such as Mitsui, OSK Lines, and Nippon Steel likely to join the project.
The third project is a plan to produce synthetic industrial diamonds for use in semiconductors and other advanced technology products.
The facility in Georgia is expected to meet all of the US demand.
Almost $600 million has been pegged for this plant, which will reduce dependence on China for supply of synthetic diamonds.
The Commerce Department says the deals are structured so Japan will earn its return on the money invested.
For the US, it gains strategic assets to expand the country's industrial capacity and strengthen its energy dominance.
Under the terms of the trade deal, Japan has 45 days to fund the project once Washington has informed it of the president's selection.
US media outlet Bloomberg says the agreement is likely to be a top agenda item when Takaichi and Trump are scheduled to meet in Washington next month.
JAPAN'S US EXPORTS FALL FOR SECOND STRAIGHT MONTH
And Japan's exports to the United States fell for the second straight month in January, indicating the lingering impact of the Trump administration's tariff measures.
Finance Ministry figures show shipments to the US were down 5% from a year earlier to roughly 1.4 trillion yen, or more than $9.5 billion.
Auto exports declined nearly 10%, while those of pharmaceuticals plunged 70%.
But Japan's global exports last month rose almost 17% year-on-year to nearly 9.2 trillion yen, marking the fifth straight month of increase.
Imports to Japan from the rest of the world slid 2.5% to 10.3 trillion yen, and that's the first decrease since August last year.
WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY REOPENS PARAMOUNT SKYDANCE MERGER TALKS
And Warner Brothers Discovery says it is reopening merger talks to give Paramount Skydance a one-week deadline to come up with a final buyout offer.
Now, the move comes after rival Netflix in December agreed to buy Warner's video streaming and studio businesses for $72 billion.
Warner Brothers says in a Tuesday statement that the talks with Paramount through February 23rd are to seek full clarity on the best deal for shareholders.
The studio says the additional time is to give Paramount the ability to make its best and final offer and resolve what Warner calls deficiencies in his previous merger proposal.
The statement adds that Warner continues to believe the deal with Netflix is in the best interest of its shareholders.
It says Netflix will provide consumers with more choice as well as create and protect jobs.
Warner will hold a special meeting of shareholders on March 20 to seek their vote in favor of the takeover by Netflix.
MARKETS
Okay, let's get a check on the markets.
♪
And that is it for business news.
I'm going to hand it back to you.
00:12:03 話者 1
Thanks, Romain.
PERUVIAN PRESIDENT JERI REMOVED FROM OFFICE
Lawmakers in Peru have removed President Jose Herri from office.
He's accused of corruption, including secret meetings with a Chinese entrepreneur.
A motion passed Congress on Tuesday with 75 votes in favor and 24 against.
Local media say the Chinese businessperson struck a hydroelectric power deal three years ago, but lengthy delays had become a concern.
Heri became president last October.
A local newspaper says he is the eighth Peruvian leader in the last decade.
His predecessor was also ousted by Congress.
The next presidential election is slated for April.
RAHMAN SWORN IN AS NEW PRIME MINISTER OF BANGLADESH
The new prime minister of Bangladesh, Tariq Rahman, took office on Tuesday.
He led the largest opposition party to a landslide victory in last week's general election.
Rahman is the eldest son of the late Khalida Zia, who was the country's first female prime minister. In December, he returned home from Britain after a self-imposed exile.
Last Thursday, the country held a general election for the first time since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government collapsed in 2024, following large-scale protests, mainly by students, mainly led by students. Hasina ruled the country for about 15 years.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, headed by Rahman, now has 209 out of the 300 seats in parliament.
In Bangladesh, corruption has been rampant among politicians and public servants.
The unemployment among graduates surpassed 13 percent.
Young people are increasingly calling for efforts to tackle corruption and create jobs.
IRAN FM: 'GUIDING PRINCIPLES' AGREED WITH US IN NUCLEAR TALKS
The US and Iran have held their second round of talks on Tehran's nuclear program.
The Iranian foreign minister says they've agreed on guiding principles for the negotiations.
00:14:05 話者 22/Abbas Araghchi/Iranian Foreign Minister
Good progress has been made compared to the last meeting, and we now have a clear path ahead, which I think is positive.
00:14:16 話者 1
Araghchi made the comments after high-level negotiations in Geneva Tuesday.
The first round of talks took place earlier this month after a hiatus of about eight months.
He said the two countries will proceed based on the guiding principles and begin drafting a possible agreement.
But he said there is still a gap that will take time to narrow.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, participated in the talks.
A White House official also said progress was made, but that there is still a lot to discuss.
The official added the Iranian side would return with detailed proposals in the next two weeks. No date has been announced for the next round of negotiations.
US CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER JESSE JACKSON DIES AGED 84
The Reverend Jesse Jackson, a towering figure in America's civil rights movement, has died. He was 84.
Jackson campaigned against racial discrimination and inequality for decades.
He was born in the southern state of South Carolina in 1941.
Jackson worked closely with Martin Luther King, Jr.
He was with King when he was assassinated in 1968.
The Reverend will also be remembered as the first major black presidential contender.
He sought the Democratic nomination twice in the 1980s.
And in the year 2000, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor.
Jackson revealed he was suffering from Parkinson's disease in 2017.
His family announced on Tuesday that he had passed away.
In a statement, they say Jackson's unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions.
They urge people to honor his memory by continuing to fight for values he lived by.
JAPAN PLEDGES $3 MIL. MEDICAL AID FOR DISPLACED MYANMAR PEOPLE
The Japanese government will provide medical grants worth nearly $3 million to help displaced people from Myanmar living in Thailand.
A signing ceremony with the World Health Organization was held in Bangkok on Tuesday.
It comes as the civil war in Myanmar shows no sign of ending.
00:16:34 話者 11/Otaka Masato/Japanese Ambassador to Thailand
The contribution to maintaining and improving medical.
Services and living conditions in the area will help promote stability across the region.
00:16:48 話者 1
The grant assistance program is worth about 450 million yen or roughly $2.95 million.
It will be used to train personnel and improve medical equipment at camps for those who have fled their homes.
The WHO says the project is expected to benefit more than 60,000 displaced people.
The number of people fleeing into Thailand has increased since the Myanmar military seized power in a coup five years ago, plunging the country into civil war.
The demand for medical services along the Thai-Myanmar border is straining health facilities.
JAPAN PLEDGES MORE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR UNESCO
Japan says it will make additional financial contributions to support UNESCO projects in Ukraine, Palestine and elsewhere.
Japan's ambassador to UNESCO, Kano Takehiro, presented a list of the projects to be funded at a ceremony on Tuesday at the agency's headquarters.
The Japanese government will provide nearly 9 million dollars to support 27 countries and regions.
00:17:49 話者 23/Kano Takehiro
We want to work with UNESCO to offer support so that people in regions beset by conflict can live with dignity.
00:17:57 話者 1
The permanent delegation of Japan to UNESCO said the funds will be used to conserve cultural properties in Ukraine, to set up a learning space in the Gaza Strip and to support other initiatives.
The US had been one of UNESCO's largest contributors.
Concerns are growing that the agency may have to scale down some projects after the Trump administration said last year it plans to withdraw from UNESCO.
ONE DEAD AFTER THREE MEN BURIED IN SNOW IN SAPPORO
Three men have been rescued after being buried in snow in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo, but one of them has died after being hospitalized.
A resident alerted fire officials at about 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday the men had been buried under snow falling from a building's roof.
The officials believe the building is a company warehouse.
00:18:46 話者 13/Witness
I was sitting right here when I saw it. So I called out, Are you okay?
Then I heard two buried voices, but I couldn't hear the third person.
I thought this was serious, so I asked them, Should I call emergency services?
00:19:04 話者 1
The police and the fire department are investigating the incident.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says the temperature at the time of the report was 2.7 degrees Celsius, typical for early March in the area.
A JAPANESE SQUASH TAKES ROOT IN EUROPE
Kabocha, a type of winter squash with a chestnut-like flavor, is a nutrient-rich vegetable central to Japanese cuisine.
It is also grown in Europe, where it's widely known as Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost prefecture. Our next report looks at how this happened.
00:19:39 話者 4
Wasamu Town in Hokkaido has the largest cultivation area and highest yield of kabocha in Japan.
At an event promoting the town's specialty products, many kabocha are on display.
But none are labeled Hokkaido. Even producers here say the name is unfamiliar.
Yet in Europe, the squash is widely sold under that name.
00:20:19 話者 24/Nakagawa Manabu/Hokkaido Food Meister
In Germany, kabocha is commonly known as Hokkaido.
00:20:27 話者 4
Are Hokkaido kabocha really sold in Germany?
It didn't take long to find it in a grocery store.
Though the pronunciation might be a bit different.
...
It's also a fixture at a produce market.
00:20:54 話者 25/Clerk
I've been here 45 years and we've been selling Hokkaido for at least 30.
It's our best-selling squash. No, I had no idea.
00:21:09 話者 4
Hokkaido is also served in restaurants.
On today's menu, it's featured in soup and gnocchi.
00:21:19 話者 26/Restraunt manager
It's mild and fruity.
It would be virtually impossible to run a restaurant in autumn without Hokkaido.
00:21:28 話者 4
Why is Kabocha sold in Germany under the name Hokkaido?
Kozaki Hiroshi moved to Germany in 1982, and years later, he set up a business importing Japanese foods such as miso.
00:21:48 話者 27/Kozaki Hiroshi
Then I grew kabocha, in part to eat it.
The climate here is similar to Hokkaido, so I thought, why not plant seeds from there?
00:21:59 話者 4
Kozaki imported kabocha seeds from Hokkaido.
In 1992, the first year of the production, he harvested over three tons of the squash.
00:22:12 話者 27/Kozaki Hiroshi
When a wholesaler expressed interest, they asked me to give it a name.
I answered immediately, Hokkaido.
00:22:21 話者 4
For three years, Kozaki grew the green-skinned kabocha found in Japan.
Over time, other growers came up with an orange-skinned Hokkaido.
00:22:34 話者 27/Kozaki Hiroshi
Germans preferred the orange one, so when it took off, it was called Hokkaido Kabocha.
00:22:41 話者 4
Hokkaido has helped spur a production boom.
The cultivation area for edible squash has more than tripled over the past 15 years.
Kozaki says it's also spreading to other European countries.
00:22:57 話者 27
I even found it in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
00:23:01 話者 4
The Kabocha Kozaki named Hokkaido has taken root in Europe.
How much farther will it spread from its Japanese home?
WEATHER
00:23:14 話者 1
It's time for us to get a check on the weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh.
So, Jonathan, plenty of snow is hitting northern parts of Japan, but it was bright Wednesday here in Tokyo. What's ahead for Thursday?
00:23:27 話者 5/Jonathan Oh
Hello, we have been keeping an eye out on two very different weather scenarios depending on where you're located in Japan.
Up toward the north, we're still seeing a lot of the cold air moving on through, along with some moisture, and that led to some snow.
And that will continue to be the story as we head into Thursday.
But along the Pacific side of Japan, we're talking about temperatures that are average for this time of year, but it's going to be increasing as we go later on this week.
So we're still talking about the snow impacts up toward the north, and that will then carry out. And by the time you go into the weekend, we're talking about temperatures are going to be moving on up.
Sapporo and Niigata looking at some snow, might be some blowing snow in some locations on Thursdays.
Sendai at 5, 10 in Tokyo, excuse me, 10 in Osaka, 11 in Tokyo, 13 in Fukuoka.
I do need to mention, though, that with this pattern, it's been particularly dry.
The moisture level has been quite low.
You probably feel a little bit on your skin depending on who you are.
And so because of that fire danger, weather continues to be of concern.
To make sure that if you're doing any outdoor burning, just be aware of it.
Probably best not to do it, if at all possible, as we go throughout this dry pattern.
Meanwhile, in North America, speaking of dry southern areas of the United States dealing with that, while back toward the west, woo, we're talking about snow really coming down along the mountain west.
And that's going to be the case as we go throughout the day on Wednesday as well.
Separate low pressures up into the upper Midwest, extending into southern portions of Canada, looking at some snow as well.
So Winnipeg looking at some snow
Toronto, rain down toward Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Snow into Denver and also into Seattle and a chilly rain in Vancouver on Wednesday.
Looking at what's happening across Europe, we have a system moving out of the Balkan Peninsula, but still bringing some rain, even some snow back there with another low coming in from the west.
And so we're talking about some rain to Lisbon and Paris, Rome at 15, Istanbul looking at some rain as well with snow into Warsaw and Kyiv as we go through the middle of the work week.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
SACRED TREE SET ON FIRE IN NORTHERN JAPAN RITUAL
00:26:25 話者 1
And finally, a sacred tree has been set ablaze in the northern Japanese prefecture of Akita as part of a ritual to wish for a bountiful harvest.
The tradition is part of the Kuzoguro Himatsuri Kamakura Festival, which is said to have started about 300 years ago.
Residents of the Kuzoguro settlement of Kita Akita City hoisted the 13-meter-tall tree upright.
Children watching the fire called out to the local guardian deity to bring the community safety and a good harvest.
The ritual was revived 12 years ago. It was discontinued for a time because the organizers couldn't obtain enough rice straw to wrap around the tree.
The local population has been shrinking, and the event's future after next year remains uncertain.
Well, that wraps it up for this edition of NHK Newsline. We'll have more for you soon.
Thanks for joining us.
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