Hello, welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Maria Sato in Tokyo.
Energy Partnership Between Japan and Vietnam
Japan's prime minister has held talks in Vietnam with a new multi-billion dollar framework in hand.
It's part of the government's strategy to strengthen energy supply chains in Asia.
Takaichi Sanae met with her Vietnamese counterpart Le Mien Phun on Saturday.
They held talks for about one hour.
00:00:36 話者 2/Takaichi Sanae
Vietnam continues to grow strongly as an important base for supply chains in the region.
The country has also adopted a diplomatic policy of strategic autonomy and international integration. Japan places great importance on such relations with Vietnam.
00:00:56 (Maria Sato)
The two leaders discussed ways to improve Vietnam's procurement of crude oil under a Japanese framework called Power Asia, or the Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience Asia. The package is worth about $10 billion in total.
Japan is considering a mechanism in which a government-affiliated insurance entity would guarantee the procurement of crude oil to be processed in Vietnam.
The plan also aims to ensure a stable supply of oil-derived medical products from Vietnam to Japan, and maintain the supply chains of Japanese firms operating in the Southeast Asian country.
The two also agreed to advance priority cooperation in the fields of economic security, covering important minerals, AI and semiconductors.
NPT Conference and Survivor’s Appeal
A key conference on nuclear disarmament is underway at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and a leading atomic bomb survivor has taken to the podium.
00:02:02 話者 3/Hamasumi Jiro/Secretary General, Nihon Hidankyo
Eighty years on, the atomic bombings still affect the bodies, daily lives and minds of the survivors. The devil's weapons cannot coexist with human beings.
00:02:19 (Maria Sato)
Hamasumi Jiro was in his mother's womb when the atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima in 1945.
He now serves as the secretary-general of Nobel Peace Prize-winning survivors' group Nihon Hidan-kyo.
He spoke on Friday at a conference to review the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT.
00:02:44 話者 3
Nuclear arms were used because there was a war, and war must not be waged.
Let's work together to create a human society, free of both nuclear weapons and wars.
00:03:03 (Maria Sato)
Hamasami suggested the current global situation is testing the NPT's reason to exist, and he says the world must act with urgency.
US to Withdraw Troops From Germany
A US Defense Department spokesperson says the country will withdraw about 5,000 troops from NATO allied Germany.
This comes days after President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction over comments the German Chancellor made about the situation in Iran.
The spokesperson told NHK on Friday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave the order.
The withdrawal is expected to be completed over the next six to 12 months.
About 35,000 US troops are currently stationed in Germany.
After German Chancellor Friedrich Merz questioned Trump's approach to the Iran conflict, the US president said Washington was considering a reduction of its forces.
US media say that a senior Pentagon official expressed hope the move will be interpreted as a punishment for Germany.
They also reported, citing government officials, it's part of a plan to redeploy forces to the Western Hemisphere, including the US mainland, as well as the Indo-Pacific.
President Trump also earlier indicated he may reduce the US troop presence in Italy and Spain.
00:04:33 話者 4/Trump
Italy has not been of any help to us. And Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible.
You know, it's NATO.
00:04:44 (Maria Sato)
Italy has made clear it will not take part in the US-led operation against Iran, while Spain's denial of US access to its military bases has drawn criticism from Trump.
US to Raise Tariffs on EU Automobiles
President Trump is also taking aim at Europe's auto industry.
He's announced a steep tariff hike on imports, claiming the EU is violating trade agreements with Washington.
Trump announced on social media on Friday that the levies will be raised next week to 25% from 15.
00:05:20 話者 4
We raised the tariffs on cars coming in from the European Union, because the European Union was not adhering to the trade deal we have.
Japan, South Korea, every, by the way, Canada, Mexico, they're all building plants in the United States. But the European Union was not adhering to the deal that we made.
00:05:42 (Maria Sato)
Trump was referring to a deal struck last July that set tariffs on EU auto imports at 15 percent after he initially pushed for 30.
In return, the European Parliament approved in March a bill to scrap tariffs on US
industrial products coming from the US.
That measure is still working its way through the legislative process.
AI Adoption Expands in US Military
The US military is ramping up its use of artificial intelligence, inking deals with eight leading tech firms to bring their most advanced tools onto classified networks.
The US Department of Defense said Friday it had reached agreements with SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, Nvidia, Reflection, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Oracle.
The department says it will deploy the company's advanced AI capabilities on its networks for what it describes as lawful operational use.
It also says the move is part of a broader shift aimed at turning the US military into an AI-first fighting force. The Pentagon says adoption is already moving quickly.
More than 1.3 million department personnel used its official AI platform in five months, cutting many tasks from months to days.
It also says it's building an architecture that avoids reliance on any single provider while giving what it called warfighters the tools they need to deal with any threat.
One major AI firm missing from the list was Anthropic.
The company has resisted allowing its technology to be used in certain military applications, despite pressure from the Pentagon.
Bear Safety Guidance in Tourist Areas
00:07:37 話者 5
Bear sightings in tourist spots have become a major concern since last fall.
This bear was spotted near a popular tourist mountain.
These cases have prompted authorities to take precautionary measures, Warning visitors in several languages. What can we do to protect ourselves?
Take bear spray or bells and travel in groups.
If you inadvertently encounter a bear, do not turn your back and run away.
That could make the bear aggressive. Slowly step backwards while facing the bear.
If an attack is imminent, lie face down on the ground and cover your head. Stay safe.
00:08:31 (Maria Sato)
Those were the headlines for this hour.
WEATHER
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:09:40 (Maria Sato)
And that's the latest we have for you at this hour on NHK Newsline.
I'm Maria Sato in Tokyo. Do stay with us for more on NHK World Japan.
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