It's a Friday evening here in Japan. I'm James Tengan Tokyo. Welcome to NHK Newsline.
Strong Quake Hits Tibet, at Least 16 Dead
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck China's Tibet autonomous region on Thursday night, killing at least 16 people.
The China Earthquake Network Center says the quake struck Baqian County in Nagchu City at around 10:33 p.m. local time. The estimated depth was 10 kilometers.
Xinhua News Agency says 54 people were injured and 339 buildings have collapsed.
The affected area is at an altitude of around 4,800 meters.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out search and rescue efforts.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Tibet in January last year, killing more than 120 people.
Typhoon Champi Nearing Okinawa's Sakishima Islands
A large strong typhoon is approaching the Sakishima Islands in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Okinawa.
Weather officials are urging people to stay on high alert for strong winds and heavy rain.
Typhoon Champi is moving toward the Sakishima Islands.
The wind is already intensifying and could become fierce enough to knock down houses.
High waves and swells are forecast around Okinawa Prefecture and the Amami region of Kagoshima Prefecture.
Waves could be as high as 12 meters across the Sakshima Islands throughout Saturday.
A band of heavy rain clouds could form over the islands through Saturday morning as well.
The Japan Meteorological Agency is calling on people to be on high alert for violent winds, high tides and waves.
Heavy rain is expected in western and eastern Japan through Tuesday as the typhoon moves north.
Analysis: What Japan Can Expect from Typhoon Champi
Earlier I spoke with our weather expert, Tsietsi Monare, who has been following Hurricane Champi.
Typhoon Champi whose name by the way is Laotian and refers to the white Champaka flower. It's the 30th typhoon of the year.
00:02:17 話者 2/Tsietsi Monare
Yeah.
00:02:17 話者 1
Isn't that unusual?
00:02:18 話者 2
Yeah, very, very unusual.
And as beautiful as the name might be, sometimes these storms do not really have beautiful impacts. They can be quite disastrous.
And you know, we haven't had so many storms since 2013, so about 13 years ago, and even before that.
The last time we had this many amount of storms was back in 1994, '93, so about 19 years before the 2013 mark.
And in fact, that same year, that was the second highest number of typhoons that we had seen. So yeah, it is quite rare.
The average number of typhoons we have per year are just around 25 since we started checking the records of only the period between 1991 and 2020.
So in that period, it's only been about 25, so yeah. quite rare.
00:03:05 話者 1
So you break it down for us, what led to such an active typhoon season?
00:03:09 話者 2
Well, the biggest culprit we must all remember is climate change because all over the world...
you know, temperatures are rising, getting warmer and warmer.
There isn't really concrete amount of evidence to suggest that El Nino years produce more typhoons.
However, El Nino years do produce more intense storms because, you know, the sea surface, they get a lot warmer during this period of the year and therefore it leads to storms sitting in the ocean for a long period of time, gathering up the energy and the momentum and then they become quite.
But climate change is at large the biggest influence that contributes to these storms being a lot more frequent.
00:03:53 話者 1
Well speaking of intense a few days ago.
We were all bracing for a really intense storm, but I understand that's not the case anymore.
00:04:00 話者 2
Yeah a couple of things I mean first of all we were thinking the storm is coming towards Japan mainland Japan.
So along the Pacific side that was the indication and at the same time we could see the central pressure of the storm consistently dropping so we all thought this is going to be a big one and to some extent yes at some point it was really really intense and it looked like it's going to be catastrophic but somewhere along its track it maintained cost in that west northwestern direction towards Taiwan and the southern parts of Japan and it lost a bit of its momentum, maybe some wind shear caused it to lose its intensity.
00:04:39 話者 1
And what should people be doing to prepare?
00:04:42 話者 2
Well, basic things.
Number one, you should always make sure you have all your notifications ready, all your precautionary measures and of course follow us here on NHK Watch the Weather and all official websites and official notification centers to make sure you stay safe, always protect yourself.
And people like to travel keep track of your travel advisories from the airlines and make sure you stay safe but we also for this particular storm you must remember that it might get even weaker but it will combine with a frontal system that's moving across Japan.
So it could lead to heavy rain, possibilities of landslides and disruptions in our transportation and many, many other things.
So we all need to be just on the watch out for that.
00:05:25 話者 1
In the coming weeks, maybe months, do you expect to see more?
00:05:29 話者 2
I'm hoping not.
I do not want to give a definite answer here, but I think we are coming to the end of the season, so they should be tapering down. But I do not want us to break the record.
No, I, as much as I love the weather and I love storms and reporting on it, I do not want the disaster that it comes with it.
Right.
00:05:45 話者 1
Okay. Well, fingers crossed. Thank you very much, Tetsi.
That was our meteorologist, Tetsi Monare.
France Reports First Human Case of Shamonda Virus
French authorities say they have confirmed the first ever infection of a human with the Chamonda virus, which was believed to infect mainly cattle and other animals.
They say the infected person died earlier this month.
Authorities said Thursday the victim had suffered severe immunosuppression.
He showed cerebral complications before his death, and those symptoms are reportedly considered very likely to be linked to the infection.
The Shamonda virus is transmitted to animals bitten by a type of small insect, midges, in the genus Cuticoides.
Authorities said the individual may have become infected by a Cuticoides midge in eastern France, where the virus was previously detected in animals in spring and summer this year. The Shamonda virus was first confirmed in Nigeria in the mid-1960s, and has since been reported in cattle in Africa and Japan.
It had been circulating in some areas of the world for several decades, but authorities say no human infection had been documented until now.
They say they consider this to be an exceptional case occurring in an immunocompromised patient, and they say they have so far not confirmed any health risk to the general population.
WHO Director General Tedros Adenon Gibriessus said in a social media post that the WHO is coordinating with French authorities in collecting information about possible transmission routes and any potential risk to public health.
ICC Wins EU Parliament's Human Rights Prize
The European Parliament has awarded its annual prize for defending human rights and democracy to the International Criminal Court and its officials.
The winner of the 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought was announced on Thursday.
00:07:53 話者 13/Roberta Metsola/European Parliament President
The European Union is built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions, and this prize recognizes the important work of the court in upholding international law and justice.
00:08:08 話者 1
In August, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on the ICC's leadership, including its president, Akane Tomoko.
Earlier this month, Washington also designated the court itself a target of sanctions.
Akane responded to winning the award in a video statement.
00:08:27 話者 12/Akane Tomoko
As the recipient of this high tribute, we, the officials of the ICC, are determined to keep working so that the court can continue its activities undeterred.
00:08:43 話者 1
She added that in a world of rising conflicts, there is no peace without justice and no security without law.
The Sakharov Prize was established in 1988. It was named after Soviet physicist Andrei Sakharov, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975.
War in Ukraine: Zelenskyy Condemns Attack That Killed 2
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned the large-scale Russian attack that he said killed two people and injured more than 30.
Zelenskyy said on social media on Thursday that Russian forces launched 21 missiles at Kyiv overnight.
He said residential buildings, energy facilities and metro infrastructure were damaged.
He said attacks also hit regions in northeastern and central Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said Russia has not been taking any steps that indicate a genuine desire to end the war.
He called for stronger measures and urged the international community to increase pressure on Russia.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US envoy Steve Witkoff.
Putin said Russia was ready to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine and the US next month.
Ukraine also says it expects the talks to take place by early November.
But an escalation in attacks by either side could affect those efforts.
Japan Still Seeking Consular Access to Detained Journalist
The Japanese embassy in Moscow says officials have provided supplies to a Japanese journalist being detained by Russian authorities for alleged espionage.
But the embassy says it's still pressing for consular access to the journalist and demands his immediate release.
Russia's Federal Security Service detained the man last week in the eastern region of Sakhalin. He works at a local bureau of the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper.
The embassy said it delivered supplies to the journalists for the first time on Thursday at the detention center in Moscow where he's being held.
But officials say a consular visit hasn't yet happened.
The US ambassador to Japan criticized the detention earlier this week.
George Glass said it amounted to nothing short of a gross attempt to intimidate and muzzle independent journalism.
He also said the US condemns Russia's refusal to allow Japanese diplomats to visit him.
A European Union spokesperson on Wednesday said Japan has requested more information from Russian authorities and that it's important for Russia to provide those details.
The spokesperson said it is well documented that the human rights situation in Russia is unfortunately continuously deteriorating.
He added that the EU strongly opposes Russia's crackdown on independent media and is calling on Russia to cease those activities.
Japan Education Min. Drafts Digital Textbook Guide
Japan's education ministry has drafted guidelines for digital textbooks.
The rules will be put into official use at schools from 2030.
The guidelines were released at a ministry expert panel meeting on Thursday.
It says students from elementary through high school should basically use both paper and digital textbooks.
Students below fifth grade will not be allowed to use digital only textbooks because their cognitive functions are still developing.
From fifth grade and above, fully digital textbooks can be used only for certain subjects such as foreign languages, music, and art.
Generative AI won't be installed in digital textbooks at this point.
since its educational efficacy is still being studied.
Schools in Japan have been allowed to use digital textbooks alongside printed textbooks since 2019. But discussions have continued over standards for their use.
00:12:46 話者 21
It's easier to understand through tablets than paper textbooks.
00:12:52 話者 22
On paper, I can draw lines as I wish, so for writing, paper is better.
00:12:59 話者 1
But some other nations are now reviewing the use of digital devices in education.
In Finland, municipalities that were among the first to digitize education have begun switching back to paper textbooks.
Singapore allows the use of tablets in junior high schools but decided to ban them in elementary schools, citing their negative impact and incompatibility with the children's stage of development.
Finland OKs Nuclear Waste Vault
Finland has been seeking a solution for dealing with high-level radioactive waste.
Now the government has approved what could be the world's first deep underground disposal site for spent nuclear fuel.
It made the announcement on Thursday.
The facility is on Olkiloto Island in southwestern Finland.
It's designed to store the spent fuel from the country's nuclear power plants.
Officials say it meets safety standards.
The operator has been testing equipment to ensure it can be safely buried underground.
It will need final approval from Finland's nuclear regulator.
But the company hopes to begin disposal by the end of this year.
Sweden is also building a similar facility, and many other countries, including Japan, are searching for suitable locations to build one.
The nuclear waste is expected to stay radioactive for about 100,000 years.
Business
Now for the latest on the business and financial fronts with Yuko Fukushima.
00:14:48 話者 4/Yuko Fukushima
Thanks James.
Microsoft: China-Linked Hackers Behind Global Offensive
Microsoft says a group of hackers linked to the Chinese government used an AI tool to launch cyber attacks on hundreds of organizations worldwide.
The US tech giant says the China-aligned group used a framework called ARTEX to carry out the attacks, which targeted both public and private organizations.
It says it confirmed the cyber offensive through an analysis of system logs and other records.
The targets span a broad range of industries, including aerospace, defense, energy and financial services.
Microsoft says several of the attacks allow the actor to gain privileged access to the organization's cloud infrastructure in under three hours.
It says the number of sign-in attempts peaked at 2,900 per minute, a pace that leaves defenders with little time to detect intrusion and respond.
It's not clear whether ARTEX is also used in a series of recent cyberattacks on Japanese firms, but it was reportedly used to target South Korean financial institutions in a series of incidents from late last month.
Japan to Set Up White-Hat Hacker Team
Japan's industry minister Akazawa Ryosei says he plans to set up a team of white hat hackers in November to fight cyberattacks.
The team will be based in the ministry's innovation platform agency that monitors cybersecurity.
The white hat hacker team will reportedly use AI to test corporate computer systems for vulnerabilities.
The initiative comes after a series of online attacks this year on Japanese companies and other organizations.
Akazawa on Friday also touched on the latest threat from security flaws found in the widely used PHP programming language.
00:16:38 話者 34/Akazawa Ryosei
We need to act promptly as PHP is used in many websites and the impact could be extensive.
00:16:46 話者 4
Akazawa added that he alerted about 1,000 business groups on Thursday about the PHP problem to mitigate the damage.
Capcom: Millions of User Accounts Compromised in Hack
And yet another cyberattack on a Japanese company, this time gaming giant Capcom.
The firm says the security breach compromised the personal information of nearly 12 million users.
Capcom says it detected unauthorized access on Monday, says the hacker broke into its online account system.
The firm says the breach impacted 11.77 million accounts around the world.
It says compromised information includes e-mail addresses.
Capcom also says the hacker changed the login passwords for 196 accounts.
It says it has already reset them.
The company says no credit card information was affected.
Capcom is urging customers to be on the lookout for potential misuse of their information as well as fraudulent emails.
Japan to Slash EV Subsidies Next Year
The Japanese government will slash subsidies on electric vehicle purchases starting in January. Officials say their budget for the program is being depleted.
The highest subsidy of 1.3 million yen, or about 8,320 dollars, will be reduced by more than a third.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry grants subsidies to promote the use of EVs and other eco-friendly vehicles.
It set aside some 704 million dollars for such payments in the fiscal 2025 supplementary budget.
The ministry said the cuts aimed to keep the program within a range it can sustain.
The maximum EV subsidy will be cut to around 4,990 dollars.
For plug-in hybrid vehicles, it will be reduced to about 3,260 dollars.
The ministry says the subsidies will end when the budget is used up.
Wellness in the Workplace
Employee wellness is a rising concern for Japanese companies.
The government estimates that health-related declines in work performance are costing the economy many billions of dollars annually.
The new service aims to help the middle-aged workforce gain a better understanding of their personal health needs. All it takes is a small sample off the top of the head.
00:19:04 話者 5
This is a major temp agency. Many employees in their 40s and 50s working here report feeling symptoms in line with menopause.
00:19:16 話者 46/Tamura Noriko/Persol Tempstaff
I get hot flashes pretty often. When that happens, it becomes difficult to concentrate.
So doing work that would normally take me 30 minutes can end up taking twice as long.
00:19:28 話者 47/Fusamae Yuko/Persol Tempstaff
Sometimes I wake up with stiff hands or other issues, but I'm just too busy to make it to a clinic.
00:19:34 話者 5
According to the Ministry of Health, women usually face menopausal symptoms for a period of 10 years.
They can include back pain, sleep problems, irritability, and mood swings.
Around half of this company's 130,000 temp workers fall within this age group.
Since an increase in tardiness, absenteeism, and decreased performance can damage the company's reputation as a staffing agency, management felt it needed to better provide support for its employees.
Since the main cause of menopausal symptoms is attributed to a decline in sex hormones, the company began using a test that lets employees easily check their hormone levels.
It only requires providing about 10 strands of hair.
All they have to do is mail them off.
The results come back within a few weeks via smartphone.
As you can see in this example, this woman's results place her in level three, meaning she's not likely to be experiencing menopausal symptoms.
00:20:41 話者 48/Mori Yuichiro/Persol Tempstaff
I think it'd be great if we could raise awareness among our staff, starting with getting a better grasp of what's currently going on with their own bodies.
00:20:51 話者 5
Blood tests are the most common method for checking hormone levels.
However, because hormone levels fluctuate day-to-day, the results can change depending on the exact timing of the blood draw.
In contrast, because three months worth of hormones accumulate within the first three centimeters from the root, this test makes it possible to look at the overall average.
Service users can also choose to have an online consultation with a medical professional like Enomoto Mamiko.
This allows them to go over any concerns they have regarding their condition or their test results.
Enomoto is also prepared to explain various symptom management methods.
For instance, when experiencing panic symptoms, she suggests breathing out for six seconds and inhaling for four seconds or cooling the forehead or neck to help calm down.
00:21:51 話者 49/Enomoto Mamiko
There are over 300 different kinds of menopausal symptoms, and so everyone's experience is going to be completely different and unique.
I want to capture the various issues these employees struggle with and then explain them in a way that is easy to understand.
Markets
00:22:12 話者 4
And now let's get to the markets on the region.
♪
And that wraps up for biz for this hour.
♫～
00:23:47 話者 1
We invite you to access our website and app for more news, feature stories, and information. Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments as well.
World Weather
Now for a check on weather.
As we have been reporting, people in Okinawa and Taiwan are now facing stormy conditions due to Typhoon Champi. Our meteorologist Yuumi Hirano has the details.
00:24:43 話者 7/Yuumi Hirano
Typhoon Champi is now approaching southern Okinawa and northern Taiwan.
Hateruma already had gusts of over 160 kilometers per hour, setting an October record.
Daton saw over 400 millimeters of rainfall, but more downpours and stormy conditions are likely to persist into Saturday as the system slows down.
Southern Okinawa could see gusts of over 200 kilometers per hour, damaging structures and causing long-lasting power outages.
In addition, heavy rain could be a major concern.
Up to 900 millimeters of rain is likely in Taiwan by Saturday night, potentially leading to severe floods and landslides.
Heavy rain is also likely in western Japan due to a frontal system.
Moisture from Champi will bring downpours to Kyushu and Shikoku even before the storm approaches.
The rain in Shanghai could also be heavier.
Showers in Tokyo will bring cooler temperatures with a high of only 17.
Moving to Australia, back-to-back storms have caused severe flooding.
Intense storms brought heavy rainfall to parts of southern Queensland on Thursday.
Some streets in towns along the coast were turned into rivers.
as more than 170 millimeters of rain fell in just three hours local media captured the moment a TV reporter along with another man rescuing a man from a vehicle trapped in flat waters.
Unfortunately moisture from the sea will continue to bring more downpours along the east coast so people there should watch out for more flooding.
That's it for now stay safe.
♫～ 3-Day Forecast ～♫
00:27:45 話者 1
We here in Tokyo are in for a rainy weekend. That concludes this edition of NHK Newsline.
More to come here on NHK World Japan so stay with us.
checked.
NHK World
00:28:01 話者 99
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