Hello. Glad to have you with us on NHK Newsline. I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo.
TRUMP TOUTS ACHIEVEMENTS IN STATE OF UNION ADDRESS
US President Donald Trump has wrapped up his State of the Union address in front of a joint session of Congress.
He used the opportunity to tout his achievements since taking office.
00:00:27 話者 10/Donald Trump
Our nation is back. Bigger, better, richer, and stronger than ever before.
00:00:37 話者 1
Trump said after just one year, his administration had achieved a transformation like no one has ever seen before.
He went on to list what he sees as his government's achievements.
Inflation is plummeting. Incomes are rising fast.
The roaring economy is roaring like never before.
Trump claimed for decades before him, the situation had been the exact opposite.
00:01:08 話者 10
From trade to health care, from energy to immigration, everything was stolen and rigged in order to drain the wealth out of the productive, hardworking people who make our country great, who make our country run.
00:01:23 話者 1
Observers say he wants to use the speech to help dispel voter concerns over issues, including inflation, as his approval rate continues to remain low.
ANALYSIS: DIPLOMACY IN TRUMP'S STATE OF UNION ADDRESS
Now, for more on the international perspective, NHK World's Stephanie Chen is in Washington. Here's how she saw the speech.
00:01:42 話者 2/Stephanie Chen
The president made several strong statements about Iran.
He once again pressed Iran over its nuclear activities, saying that the country can never have a nuclear weapon.
While he said he'd like to solve the issue diplomatically, he also said he's committed to what he called peace through strength.
He also didn't rule out potential military action in the Middle East.
Many were wondering if China would come up in the speech.
While Trump touted his role in the Thai-Cambodian conflict, he otherwise didn't talk about the Indo-Pacific at all. There was barely any mention of Beijing.
Maybe that isn't surprising, given the two sides are set to hold a summit soon.
Trump also took time to touch on one of his signature policies, tariffs.
The US Supreme Court struck down some of his tariff measures Friday, and the president called that disappointing.
He said that the countries that already made deals were happy with those deals and wanted them to continue.
He then said he'll find new legal statutes to put the tariffs he wanted in place.
But overall, this was a speech mostly focused on domestic issues.
The Trump administration is facing dwindling public support.
Polls suggest many Americans are skeptical about the president's priorities.
It's why Trump may be trying to ease concerns ahead of the midterms in November.
Stephanie Chen, NHK World.
EU LEADERS MARK ANNIVERSARY IN KYIV
00:03:24 話者 1
European leaders gathered in Kyiv to mark a somber milestone, the 4th anniversary of Russia's invasion.
They also held a summit to discuss how to boost support for Ukraine.
They took part in a ceremony at Independence Square.
The presidents of the European Council and the European Commission placed candles at a memorial to honor those lost in the conflict.
During the summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the leaders for the latest air defense package.
And he says Ukraine needs a European Union loan package worth 90 billion euros or about 106 billion dollars.
00:04:05 話者 23/Volodymyr Zelenskyy
We count on not to have too much challenges with 90 billions. The decision was great, but we need this money here in Ukraine to help our warriors and to help our civilians.
00:04:22 話者 1
Some leaders participated online. Germany's Chancellor says the European Union must ramp up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin by using sanctions.
00:04:34 話者 24/Friedrich Merz/German Chancellor
We must be very clear. This war will only end when Putin realizes that he cannot win.
That is why we must increase pressure on Russia. We must dry up Moscow's war funding.
00:04:51 話者 1
Zelenskyy also expressed hopes for European leadership at upcoming high-level talks with Russia. The negotiations are being brokered by the US.
He says Ukraine needs Europe to be at the table.
UN PASSES CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION, US ABSTAINS
The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution calling for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
The US abstained from the vote, citing reservations about parts of the text.
The General Assembly met for a special session on Tuesday, the four-year anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion.
Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa submitted a draft resolution stressing the importance of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The draft calls for an immediate ceasefire, lasting peace in line with international law, including the UN Charter and the exchange of prisoners of war.
Tammy Bruce, the deputy US representative to the UN in New York, opposed the wording of paragraphs referring to territorial integrity and lasting peace based on international law. She called for these to be voted on separately.
00:06:10 話者 32/Tammy Bruce
This resolution also includes language that is likely to distract from ongoing negotiations rather than support discussion of the full range of diplomatic avenues that may pave the way to that durable peace.
00:06:24 話者 1
The US demand drew strong objections from Ukraine and was voted down by a majority.
The original draft was supported by 107 countries including Japan, Russia and 11 others voted against it. The US was among the 51 abstentions.
BUSINESS
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business.
Here's Gene Otani from The BizDesk.
00:06:50 話者 3/Gene Otani
Miki, thanks at our top business story this hour.
NIKKEI 225 CLOSES AT RECORD HIGH AS RATE HIKE EXPECTATIONS DIM
Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index set an all-time closing high on Wednesday.
Buying kicked in amid speculation the Bank of Japan may not be raising interest rates as early as expected.
The benchmark ended at 58,583, up 2.2 percent, led by semiconductor-related shares.
It finished above the 58,000 mark for the first time.
The gains in Tokyo followed an overnight rally in the tech-heavy Nasdaq and other major indices in New York.
JAPAN DEVELOPING AI ROBOT FOR MAGLEV SYSTEMS INSPECTION
Industries are turning to robots and many workplaces facing labor shortages and
Railways are no exception.
A group of companies is developing a mobile robot to inspect equipment used by Japan's next-generation maglev trains.
Central Japan Railway teamed up with Suzuki motor and a subsidiary of Panasonic Holdings to develop the AI equipped device the developers say it uses a camera to visually check maglev systems in remote areas analyzes the pictures and issues alerts for any abnormalities
00:08:16 話者 43
Humans and robots excel at different tasks. We hope to split jobs with robots to improve the quality and efficiency of the work and cut costs.
00:08:30 話者 3
The maglev device is not the first in the railway industry.
The technology giant Hitachi is using a dog-like robot to inspect train carriages built at a factory in the US.
PANASONIC TO TRANSFER TV BUSINESS IN US, EUROPE TO CHINA FIRM
Panasonic Holdings says it signed a partnership agreement to transfer television sales and related operations in the US and Europe to Chinese home appliance maker Skyworth Group.
The Japanese electronics giant says it will maintain the Panasonic brand under the Skyworth Agreement, which comes into effect in April.
The television business was a mainstay of Panasonic for many years, but its global market share has declined.
It has already outsourced production of some TVs to Chinese electronics giant TCL.
The moves come as Panasonic restructures its operations.
That includes laying off about 10,000 employees and shedding unprofitable businesses.
NTT DOCOMO TO END 3G NETWORK SERVICE IN MARCH
Japan's telecom giant NTT Docomo says it will end its 3G network service for its feature phones at the end of March.
The carrier started the third-generation cellular network service in 2001.
It offers voice communication, photo, and video transmission services to flip-style mobile phone users.
The decision was made due to declining numbers of 3G users since the rollout of high-speed 4G and 5G networks.
The company is urging about 400,000 mainly elderly 3G users to upgrade their phones at discount prices or change plans.
Other Japanese phone carriers have already ended their 3G services.
KDDI, known for its AU brand, did so in 2022 and SoftBank in 2024.
WARNER TAKEOVER BATTLE HEATS UP AFTER PARAMOUNT RAISES OFFER
The bidding war is heating up to acquire media and entertainment giant Warner Bros.
Discovery.
Paramount Skydance has raised its offer to buy all of the company to fight off a bid from Netflix.
Warner Bros. released a statement on Tuesday.
It says the new proposal from Paramount could be superior to the agreement with Netflix.
Warner says Paramount raised its per-share offer to $31 from $30.
It will also cover the $2.8 billion termination fee.
That's the amount Warner would have to pay if it walks away from the deal with Netflix.
Netflix agreed in December to buy Warner's video streaming business, as well as its TV and movie studio assets, for $72 billion.
Werner stresses that its board has yet to determine whether Paramount's latest offer is superior to the agreement with Netflix.
It adds that if it does make that decision, then Netflix will have four business days to present any revisions to its own proposal.
MARKETS
All right, let's have a look at the markets.
♪
And that's it for business news.
00:12:55 話者 1
All right, Gene, thank you very much.
PANAMA SEIZES PORTS RUN BY HONG KONG FIRM
A Hong Kong conglomerate says it has ceased all operations at two ports along the Panama Canal after the Panamanian government seized them.
The ports, one on the Pacific side and the other on the Atlantic side, have been operated by a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings since 1997.
The contract for the port operation was renewed in 2021, but Panama's Supreme Court ruled last month that the contract was unconstitutional.
CK Hutchison announced on Tuesday that Panamanian authorities entered the terminals at the two ports on Monday without prior notice and took over their administration and operational control.
CK Hutchison calls the series of measures unlawful and says it will take further legal action in addition to the arbitration proceedings it had initiated against Panama.
The development comes amid repeated remarks by Trump that the US should take back the canal from Chinese influence.
CK Hutchison had initially reached a basic agreement to sell the port business to a consortium led by a US firm, only to be pressured by Beijing to review the deal.
JAPANESE GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS DETENTION OF CITIZEN IN TEHRAN
Japan's government says it has confirmed that a Japanese citizen was detained by Iranian authorities last month.
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ozaki Masanao spoke to reporters about a foreign media report that NHK's Tehran bureau chief is being held in the capital.
He said the government has confirmed that local authorities detained a Japanese citizen on January 20.
He declined to provide further details citing privacy concerns.
00:14:49 話者 51/Ozaki Masanao
Since learning of the detention, the government has been strongly urging Iran to ensure the individual's early release.
We are also maintaining contact with the individual, family members and others concerned while providing necessary support.
We will continue to provide all possible assistance from the standpoint of protecting Japanese citizens.
00:15:10 話者 1
NHK said it always acts with the safety of its employees as its top priority.
It added it had no comment to make at this stage.
IN FOCUS
Next, let's go over to Shibuya Aki with Newsline InFocus.
She has a story on ongoing earthquake recovery efforts in Turkey.
TURKEY STRUGGLES 3 YEARS ON FROM MEGA QUAKE
00:15:36 話者 5/Shibuya Aki
In 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Turkey near the border with Syria.
Nearly 60,000 people were killed on both sides.
In Turkey, the government continues to rapidly push ahead with reconstruction.
Yet in the hardest hit areas, damaged buildings still remain.
Amid economic challenges, some people are in limbo, desperate to rebuild their lives.
00:16:06 話者 6/Narrator: Bill Sullivan
Hatay Province in southern Turkey was one of the worst affected areas.
Rows of newly built housing rise in the capital, Antakya, next to the piles of rubble and collapsed structures.
... ... ...
Around 800,000 homes and shops across Turkey were flattened or severely damaged in the quake.
Reports of the time pointed to the large number of buildings that did not meet seismic standards, as well as illegal construction, as factors that compounded the disaster.
After the quake, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made housing reconstruction a top policy priority to speed up recovery.
00:17:16 話者 4/Erdogan
We have delivered more than 455,000 housing units to those eligible to receive them.
I wish all our citizens who are beginning new lives in these homes good luck and prosperity.
00:17:35 話者 6
Yet some families remain in temporary shelters.
Serkon Yardamja lives in a roughly 20 square meter unit with his wife and two children.
The rent is free. But they still struggle.
The government support they had been receiving ended, and Serkon's monthly salary as a cook of $500 has to be stretched.
00:18:08 話者 2
I can't work due to my health, so we depend entirely on my husband.
00:18:13 話者 6
They used to live in a home in the city center.
Since it was completely destroyed, they applied for government housing.
Last October, the family finally received notice that they had been approved.
This will be their new place, obtained in exchange for giving up the land where their residents once stood.
It's 5 times larger than their container unit and has separate bedrooms for the children.
Once the heating system is installed, they'll be able to move in. All encouraging news.
Until...
00:19:05 話者 4
We got maintenance bills totaling about $320.
We haven't even moved in. So we haven't used the service and we don't want to pay it.
For us, that's a lot of money.
00:19:19 話者 6
To make matters worse, electricity and gas prices may go up with inflation.
Local authorities say they will close all the temporary container units by June.
Even with the new apartment, the family's Rd. ahead remains unknown.
00:19:48 話者 3
It will be very, very difficult, but we have to leave the unit for the sake of our kids.
00:19:56 話者 13
We went through so much hardship. Life in the container was full of deprivations.
We want to move as soon as possible.
00:20:07 話者 6
In the same province lies the port city of Iskenderen.
Here, some are finding ways to move forward.
This local soccer team was organized after the quake.
It is called Iskenderan, February 6.
The name reflects the player's determination never to forget that day and to rise from it.
Sinim Ashkan is 14 years old. Her home collapsed in the disaster.
She was pulled from the rubble 6 hours later.
00:20:56 話者 16
The earthquake left enormous problems. I lost my mother. We all lost so much.
00:21:06 話者 6
For a long time, she withdrew into herself.
But after joining the team a year and a half ago, things began to shift.
Training alongside teammates who also carry scars of the earthquake, she finds brief moments where she can escape the trouble.
00:21:37 話者 11
We lost so many loved ones, but if we want to be happy, we have to live with this pain.
I believe my mother is watching over me, and I want her to be proud. Stewart.
00:21:54 話者 5
According to a reporter in Istanbul, illegal construction remains a major issue.
During an earthquake last April, more than 200 people in Istanbul were injured, with some jumping from windows out of fear their buildings would collapse.
Distrust of building safety is running deep.
City authorities are offering seismic inspections as well as subsidies for rebuilding when deemed necessary, but inflation means people cannot fully make use of them.
Even as some begin to see a path forward, the challenges of rebuilding remain immense.
For survivors, long-term support will be essential.
And that's all for me.
TEAM JAPAN RETURNS WITH RECORD MEDAL HAUL
00:22:43 話者 1
Team Japan has returned home from a record-breaking performance at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Their 24 medals are the country's best-ever tally for a Winter Olympics.
About 400 people welcomed the athletes home on Tuesday.
Fifteen of the medalists then held a news conference in Tokyo.
Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi became the first Japanese figure skaters to capture gold in the pairs discipline.
... ...
Sakamoto Kaori won silver in both the women's singles and team events.
... ...
And Team Japan emerged as something of a juggernaut in snowboarding, winning a total of nine medals.
... ...
... ...
Japan's Olympic team officially disbanded at a ceremony on Wednesday.
WEATHER
Let's bring in Jonathan Oh for weather updates.
Jonathan, people in various parts of Japan are getting quite a bit of rain...
and a long-awaited one for many. Will we see more of that Thursday?
00:24:54 話者 4/Jonathan Oh
Hello, we have been seeing a dry spell for some time, so rain coming through Japan has been something that has been much welcomed.
I mean, some of the numbers here in here from 112 to 118 millimeters of rainfall in a 24-hour period in the western portions of Japan.
And I want to share the impact of that by taking a look at some of the video that's coming out from the region, as people in parts of Shikoku were no longer officially restricted in their water usage after heavy rain poured through the area Wednesday.
The Regional Bureau of Japan's Land Management Agency reported by this morning, over 60 millimeters of rain fell into Yoshino River in Tokushima Prefecture.
However, officials at the bureau said that water intake restrictions may resume in Tokushima and Kagawa if dry weather continues, and so residents are being asked to still conserve water use.
Now, we are looking at the rain to still be a part of the story going into Thursday.
Low pressure system, along with the stationary front, still hugging near the Pacific Coast.
And we're going to be bringing that wet weather.
Now, as we head toward Friday and into Saturday, we'll see a system coming in from the west.
And as that moves in, we'll see another round of some rain.
And ahead of that low, temperatures are going to be bumping up as well as the southerly flow comes in.
So rain into Tokyo, at least for the earlier hours, then we'll start to dry out.
Drier weather into Osaka and Fukuoka.
Then we see showers trying to pick up into western portions of Japan by Friday.
And notice the temperatures moving up into the upper teens near 20 in Tokyo as we go into Saturday.
And so yeah, we're going to be warming up quite a bit.
And again, we may be dealing with some showers in the mix there.
Meanwhile, across North America, two systems to talk about.
One that's moving into the northeastern portion of the United States and into eastern portions of Canada. Another one back toward the west.
All that connected, bringing in some wintry weather into places like Toronto, to Winnipeg, DC, looking at some snow as well.
Back toward the west, rain to the Pacific Northwest will snow into the Rockies.
And so as we go through there on Wednesday,
moderate low pushing toward the east.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
00:27:41 話者 1
And that's NHK Newsline for this hour.
I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo. Thank you for joining us.
checked.
0 件のコメント:
コメントを投稿