Great to have you with us. From our studio here in Tokyo, this is NHK Newsline.
Iran Conflict: Fresh Attacks as US, Iran Vie for Control of Strait
The situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz is once again intensifying as the US
and Iran continue to exchange attacks.
Despite the ongoing negotiations, both sides remain divided on who will control the crucial waterway.
Amid the latest escalation, the UAE says Iran's missile attack on two of its tankers in the Strait of Hormuz has killed one Indian crew member.
This comes as the US launched another wave of strikes against Iran for the third night in a row.
00:00:51 話者 10/Donald Trump
We're attacking them tonight. We're taking out all of their capability for anything having to do with the strait, with the Hormuz Strait.
And I think in the end, we will end up just controlling the whole thing.
00:01:06 話者 1
US President Donald Trump says Washington will reinstate its blockade on Iranian vessels in the strait.
US Central Command says the measure will go into effect at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday.
Ships from all other countries would be able to use the strait subject to a 20 percent fee.
Trump says the fee is necessary to ensure safe passage and security.
Iran has pushed back, with the foreign minister saying his country has always been the guardian of the strait and will, quote, remain so forever.
He calls the US move to charge 20 percent too much, adding that Iran would be fair.
Iran's state media carried a statement by a military spokesperson.
He says Tehran won't let the US interfere in the management of the strait.
00:02:01 話者 13/Ebrahim Zolfaqari/Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters spokesperson
The leaders of the countries in the region are warned that any cooperation with the United States and any logistical support for that country's invading military will be regarded as a war against Iran's sovereignty and national security.
00:02:18 話者 1
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Sunday that it would close the strait.
Meanwhile, Iranian state-run media says the Iranian army has targeted US communication and Patriot systems in Kuwait with drones.
Iran Conflict
Japan Minister: IMO Says No Legal Basis for Strait Passage Fee
Now, Japan's trade minister has cited the International Maritime Organization as saying a mandatory fee for passage through the Strait of Hormuz has no legal grounds.
Akazawa Ryosei spoke to reporters on Tuesday about Trump's plan to charge a 20-percent toll on cargo passing through the waterway.
00:02:57 話者 23/Akazawa Ryosei
I am aware that the International Maritime Organization states that the Strait of Hormuz is a waterway used for global navigation, and neither the United States nor Iran has legal grounds to introduce a mandatory toll.
00:03:11 話者 1
Akazawa said Japan strongly hopes free and safe passage will quickly resume in the strait.
He added Japan will closely monitor the situation's possible impact on global energy, global energy markets and Japan's economy, including prices.
Earthquakes in Venezuela: Death Toll Tops 4,500
Rescuers in Venezuela are continuing to search for people still missing after last month's devastating earthquakes.
Venezuelan authorities say 4,561 people have been confirmed dead since two earthquakes hit the Latin American nation on June 24.
The coastal state of La Guira was most severely impacted.
About 10,000 buildings are estimated to have been destroyed or heavily damaged.
On Sunday, people were searching for relatives in the town of Calaballeda in La Guira, where high-rise apartment buildings collapsed.
Residents and other people combed through the rubble.
But most have no experience in search and rescue work.
Miriam Quintero was trying to find her mother, who lived on the first floor of a building.
After spotting her through a gap in the rubble, she asked people nearby for help.
00:04:35 話者 34/Miriam Quintero
I learned how to use drills and electrical tools.
I won't leave here until my mother has been rescued.
00:04:43 話者 1
The Venezuelan government has not disclosed the number of people who remain unaccounted for.
Rescue efforts have been hampered by a shortage of heavy machinery and occasional heavy rain.
Temperatures Rise, Heat Wave Extends to Eastern Japan
Weather officials say a heatwave in western Japan has spread to the east.
In some places, the temperatures has risen above 38 degrees Celsius.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says temperatures hit 38.3 degrees in Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka and 38.2 in Shimanto City in Kochi Prefecture.
Kuana in Mie Prefecture, Mino in Gifu Prefecture and Toyota in Aichi Prefecture all marked over 37 degrees. It was 34.7 in downtown Tokyo.
Heatstroke alerts have been issued for 17 prefectures in southwestern to eastern Japan.
Experts say the risk of heatstroke may be higher because people could find it hard to adapt to a sudden rise in temperature just after the rainy season or on a day without rain.
People are advised to use air conditioning and to consume adequate amounts of liquids and salt.
Takaichi Briefed on Preparation Plan for Major Tokyo Quake
Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has been briefed on a 10-year plan on disaster preparedness.
It includes ways to mitigate damage in the event of a major earthquake that is thought could hit directly beneath the Tokyo area.
It's estimated such a disaster would cause about 18,000 fatalities and flatten or burn down more than 400,000 buildings.
The National Disaster Management Council informed Takaichi and relevant ministers about the measures on Tuesday.
The program aims to have quake-sensitive circuit breakers installed in as many houses and apartments as possible in densely populated urban areas.
The devices help prevent house fires by instantly cutting off the flow of electricity.
Another goal is to ensure that all households keep at least a three-day supply of food and water as well as portable toilets, and that residents safely secure furniture to prevent it from falling over in a quake.
The government aims to cut the estimated number of fatalities and damage to buildings by half over the next decade by encouraging people to view natural disasters as something that can happen to anyone at any time.
Japanese Researchers Link Long Covid to Another Virus
Some patients with post-COVID-19 symptoms, or long covid, report fatigue or depression of an unknown cause.
But a Japanese research group says they may have found a clue.
The World Health Organization reports that roughly 6 percent of COVID-19 patients suffer from prolonged symptoms like fatigue, depression, and hair loss, even after their initial infection clears up.
Researchers, including Tokyo Jike University School of Medicine, analyzed blood samples for more than 150 patients.
They discovered that nearly 70 percent of those samples contained a protein called CIF-1.
It emerges when a dormant herpes virus in the body is activated.
The researchers conducted a test of increased CIF-1 levels in mice.
The subjects exhibited decreased brain function due to neurotransmitter deficiencies, developing symptoms like fatigue and depression.
Since CIF-1 levels rise when a dormant herpes virus in the body is activated, they concluded that post-COVID-19 symptoms emerge as a result.
00:08:46 話者 41/Oka Naomi/Tokyo Jikei University School of Medicine
I think the most difficult situation for patients is that they don't know how to treat them.
I believe this finding opened the possibility of developing a therapy to directly address the cause.
00:08:57 話者 1
The researchers say this could lead to a possible treatment.
They added that they will continue with research.
Study: Climate Change Threatens Amazonian Plant Species
A Swiss research team warns that climate change threatens roughly 30 percent of edible and medicinal plant species used by Amazonian indigenous groups.
Amazonia harbors more than 10 percent of Earth's terrestrial biodiversity and is home to more than 400 indigenous groups.
The researchers' findings on how climate is affecting indigenous populations were published this month in the journal Nature.
They found local people use around 5,800 native plant species.
They predict about 30% of the species and 20% of their associated services, such as food and medicine, may disappear by 2080 due to climate change.
The researchers also warn that many of the indigenous groups' languages, which are vital for passing down knowledge about these plants, are also endangered.
They stress the need to address the entire social-environmental sphere rather than its parts in isolation.
US State Department Aims to Dismantle ICC
The US State Department is accusing the International Criminal Court of threatening US sovereignty. In return, Washington says it will dismantle the court.
The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the court's officials in the past.
It criticized the court for seeking to investigate alleged war crimes committed by US forces in Afghanistan.
It also slammed the court for issuing arrest warrants, such as one for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes.
The US State Department said a wide range of diplomatic options are under consideration to make the ICC incapable of threatening the US and its people.
Those include increased sanctions against the court and its affiliated organizations.
It also involves persuading ICC member countries to cut off any financial support and to withdraw altogether.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru expressed Japan's stance at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting.
00:11:29 話者 53/Kihara Minoru
Our country places great importance on the eradication and prevention of serious criminal acts, and we have consistently supported the ICC.
00:11:47 話者 1
Kihara also said Japan is closely watching the US announcement with concern.
He says the country is ready to respond while communicating with the ICC, the US and other parties.
EU Weighs Social Media Limits for Children
The European Union is moving to limit social media for children.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke about the plan to introduce age-appropriate restrictions.
00:12:14 話者 65/Ursula von der Leyen
The status quo. A world where we continue to allow big tech unrestricted access to our children will only consign another generation to more mental harm, addiction and misery.
00:12:30 話者 1
Von der Leyen received an expert advisory report regarding social media use by children on Monday.
The report cites risks to minors' health and well-being throughout their development and proposes a set of restrictions.
For children aged 3 to 12, it recommends time limits and age-appropriate social media with parental supervision or in educational contexts.
It also recommends that those between 13 and 18 only have access to safe-by-default social media and services that actively employ safety features like limits to infinite scrolling.
Funder Lyons says her team will review the report and present a proposal after the summer.
The move comes as many countries are either considering restrictions or have already rolled them out.
Business
Now turning to business news. Here's Yuko Fukushima.
00:13:27 話者 4/Yuko Fukushima
Thanks, Kyoko.
Softbank's Son Predicts 100 Tril. AI Agents by 2040
The head of Japanese tech giant SoftBank Group says AI agents that can do tasks autonomously are likely to be in wide use within 15 years.
Son Masayoshi set out his vision as he said his company will boost investment in AI infrastructure.
Son told attendees at a corporate conference in Tokyo that 100 trillion AI agents will be created by 2040.
00:13:54 話者 73/Son Masayoshi
For the first time, humanoid robots will take the main role in physical labor, replacing humans.
00:14:03 話者 4
Son estimated that $5 trillion of global annual investment in AI infrastructure will be needed by 2040. That would cover data centers, electricity and semiconductors.
He predicted that AI would account for 20% of global GDP by then.
Son said that SoftBank Group must not just do business in Japan, but also overseas, especially in the United States.
Nobel Laureates, Tech Leaders Warn of AI Threat to Jobs
And staying with AI, a group of Nobel laureates, its researchers and corporate executives have warned of the threat the technology poses to jobs.
They're urging policymakers and technology leaders to take measures to cope with the unprecedented economic upheaval AI is expected to drive.
More than 200 people signed a statement released Monday, including 16 Nobel Prize winners for economics and AI researchers.
The statement says AI may become radically more powerful over the next decade.
It says that could lead to a greater economic transformation than the Industrial Revolution, but in a much shorter time frame.
The statement says while AI could bring major gains in living standards, it could also cause large-scale job displacement.
The signatories say economists and policymakers should act now to understand the economic implications of the transformation AI will bring.
They're calling for safety measures and systems to be set up to ensure AI benefits society.
Japan Food Makers Raise Prices Due to Packaging Cost Hikes
Consumers in Japan may have to dig even deeper in their pockets when visiting the grocery store this fall.
Ezaki Guriko and Otsuka Foods are among several food and beverage makers to say they're raising prices in response to higher packaging costs.
Ezaki Guriko has announced price hikes on 169 items, including its best-selling cookies, puddings and pre-prepared meals.
The company says wholesale prices will go up by 3 to 15 percent starting on October 1.
Meanwhile, Ultska Foods is raising suggested retail prices for 12 beverage items from September 1. The hikes will range from 7 to 14 percent.
Ultska officials say packaging and raw material prices are soaring, though not as a result of the situation in the Middle East.
Naphtha Worries Prompt Industries to Rethink Rice
Now, the Middle East conflict has disrupted supplies of many key products, including naphtha. The refined oil product is used to make everything from plastics to fibers.
The supply concerns are shifting attention onto a Japanese technology that substitutes something you would not expect, rice.
00:16:37 話者 6/Narrator: Marcus Pittman/Reporter: Higashi Yuya
This materials company was founded five years ago.
One of its products getting noticed is a simple garbage bag.
Some of the raw materials used to make it come from rice.
The company uses rice that is unsuitable for human consumption, including broken grains gathered from around the country and old government stocks.
It is then mixed with a resin derived from naphtha and infused with water and heat.
The result is this special plastic.
The company says up to 70% of the normal amount of naphtha can be replaced with rice.
The cost is higher than with conventional plastic, and that poses a challenge to expanding the market. But naphtha prices are volatile, and the price gap has narrowed.
Meanwhile, demand for alternatives is growing as customers seek supply stability.
In Japan, local governments decide what kinds of garbage bags should be used.
The company says it is getting more and more inquiries.
00:17:51 話者 83/Okuda Shinji/COO, Rice Resin
With rice-based garbage bags, we can ensure a stable supply, and the price gap has narrowed. Local governments are becoming interested.
00:18:02 話者 6
This long-established food maker also sees an opportunity.
The company holds the largest share of Japan's rice oil market.
Rice oil is made from this liquid, produced during the processing of rice bran.
It is not suitable for human consumption and would normally be discarded.
But the food maker had another idea.
00:18:29 話者 84
This material can't be eaten, but using certain chemical processes, it can be transformed into resin.
00:18:39 話者 6
The substance created from this oil is known as polyamide resin.
Ten years ago, the company succeeded in using it to develop ink.
Normally, ink contains pigments, resins derived from naphtha and solvents.
By replacing a portion of the resin with that from rice bran, it is possible to make ink and reduce the naphtha requirement. The ink is already widely used.
The company is pitching it as a measure to cut down on the need for naphtha.
00:19:12 話者 85/Tsuno Yasuko/Director, Tsuno Group
Our company is pursuing the spirit of Mottai Nai, the Japanese concept of avoiding waste.
We hope to create products with various benefits, whether environmental sustainability or a stable supply.
00:19:26 話者 6
This industry researcher says Japan should increase its use of biomaterials to reduce dependence on oil and diversify risks.
00:19:39 話者 86/Furuki Jiro/Senior Researcher, Mitsubishi Research Institute
Agricultural products, forest resources and waste are all things Japan has in abundance.
It's important that momentum builds and action spreads across the country towards sharing these resources and that related industries and technologies are developed.
Markets
00:19:58 話者 4
And let's get your check on the markets.
♪
And that wraps it up for this.
00:20:31 話者 1
Thanks for that, Yuko.
Ukrainian Artist Finds Hope, Resilience in Sumo
Now, sumo has been making it big on the world stage.
Huge crowds gathered for the Grand Sumo exhibition in Paris last month.
One Ukrainian artist took the occasion to pay homage to one of the sport's legendary grand champions.
00:20:50 話者 7/Narrator: Carolyn Miller/Reporter: Kajita Junnosuke
As Sumo fans cheered on their favorites in Paris, this gallery was also in the Sumo spirit.
It's putting on an exhibit focused on the wrestlers, depicting their bouts and training.
It's the work of Zoia Skoropadenko.
As a painter from Ukraine, she fell in love with the sport, especially the late Yokozuna grand champion, Taiho.
He was one of Sumo's greatest grand champions, winning 32 top division championships.
But his path to the top was unique.
Half Ukrainian and half Japanese, his family fled from Soviet forces in the 1940s.
Taiho ultimately settled in Teshikaga, a small town in Japan's northern prefecture, Hokkaido.
00:21:43 話者 5/Zoia Skoropadenko
Half Japanese, half Ukrainian in those years, it's very difficult.
Getting up and fighting again and fighting again, it was inspiration for me always to go the way of Taiho.
00:21:54 話者 7
Following in his footsteps, Sokoropodenko visited Teshikaga several times.
Over the years, she focused more on sharing the beauty of sumo in her art.
Now, she has over 200 works about sumo.
She hopes to show that the sport is not only a competition, it's also a space of mutual support, where wrestlers recognize one another's abilities and help each other grow.
It's a message that resonates with her fellow Ukrainians.
Aonishki, a sumo wrestler from Ukraine, is one of those who came to see her work.
Like Taiho, He came to Japan after fleeing the Russian invasion.
Since then, he's seen great success, winning two recent tournament championships.
00:22:47 話者 5
Sumo became really very important in Ukraine, and Aonishiki especially, he bring this hope and this strength, and we're all happy that he actually made it to such a high extent.
So it's a huge inspiration for Ukrainians, especially, especially in this time when we need to fight and to survive. He given such a great example of it.
00:23:12 話者 7
But her art also struck a chord with visitors from around the world.
00:23:19 話者 95
I really feel the power that radiates from sumo. It's inspiring.
It makes us want to learn from the way they do things, the way they live their lives, to become more like them.
00:23:31 話者 7
Sukhor Pudenko says sumo wrestlers, especially those from Ukraine, are symbols of resilience.
She hopes by sharing their strength, she can convince others not to give up, too.
♪
Weather
00:24:48 話者 1
Now turning to world weather.
Another heat wave is roasting western parts of Europe again.
Our meteorologist Jonathan Oh has a look at the situation.
00:24:57 話者 2/Jonathan Oh
Hello. Toward the end of June, we talked about a really serious heat wave, a deadly one, that impacted the western portions of Europe.
And now that we're in the middle of July, we have another heat wave taking place.
I want to show you some video coming out of Belgium, where a third heat wave of the summer is beginning to sweep across Western European countries.
And over the weekend, the main observation point in Brussels reported highs hovering around 30 degrees Celsius, and the forecast is calling for the mercury to push even higher over the next few days.
A nationwide yellow heat warning is in effect until Saturday as officials respond to the hot weather.
Older people and those susceptible to the heat are being urged to stay hydrated and avoid direct sunlight. Not much in terms of relief when it comes to the heat.
A big push of a southerly flow of very hot air is in impacting the western and southern portions of Europe.
We have to go way over toward the east before we see a little bit of moisture that's going to help keep things in the 20s toward the east.
But toward the west, not really seeing much in terms of relief.
So 35 in Paris, 36 in Madrid, and into Roma as well.
Thunderstorms over toward the east in a place like Istanbul with highs in the mid to upper 20s as we go through Tuesday.
Meanwhile, we're talking about the heat across western areas of Japan as well, areas that are out of the rainy season, seeing plenty of heat taking place, and that's going to be a part of the story as we continue on through the next few days.
Rain into the Korean Peninsula, and that's going to continue to make its way to the north and east.
Rain into Sapporo, rain picking up on Friday in Tokyo, but until then mid-30s, also into Osaka and Fukuoka, seeing temperatures on the higher end before we see rain coming into the forecast.
Quick note of North America, Heat here as well.
Big double high pressure throwing a good chunk of the United States and extending into Canada as well, which means highs in places like Toronto making up to 37 as we go through the day on Tuesday.
Thunderstorms down to the southeast, though, with high of around 27 in Atlanta.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:27:40 話者 1
And that's all for this edition of NHK Newsline. Thank you very much for staying with us.
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