- Learn about a reported cyberattack on Ukraine's alert app, rising Iran-related tensions, and how Japanese firms are adapting their US strategies.
- ウクライナの警報アプリへのサイバー攻撃報道、イラン情勢の緊張、そして日本企業の米国戦略見直しについて学べます。
- 今日の語彙：air raid alert / 空襲警報,空襲警戒警報、compromised / (システムなどが）侵害された,不正アクセスを受けた、a possible resumption / 再開の可能性、iron ore / 鉄鉱石、foreseeable / 予見できる,当面の、resilient / 回復力がある,粘り強い
- 今日の英語表現：uncertainty looms / 不透明感が高まる, 先行きへの懸念が広がる
- Shadowing Tips：オーバーラッピングは、好きな曲をその歌手になりきって一緒に歌うように行う練習です。ネイティブらしい発音やリズムを再現するための基礎づくりに役立ちます。
00:00:11 話者 1/Yamaguchi Hiroaki
Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yamaguchi Hiroaki in Tokyo.
GMO Chairman Apologizes over Cyberattack
Japan's GMO Internet Group has held its first news conference addressing the cyberattack on its foreign exchange trading platform.
The company's chairman apologized for the attack.
He also admitted that management fails to fix security vulnerabilities it had been warned about two years earlier.
Group CEO Kumagai Masatoshi and other executives detailed the circumstances of the attack.
They explained measures to prevent further damage and arrangements to resolve the situation.
GMO announced a breach in late October. GMO says the group's cybersecurity subsidiary had warned of system vulnerabilities in April 2024.
00:01:05 話者 12/Kumagai Masatoshi
It is true that there were security issues with the service system.
It is also true that cybersecurity experts had pointed out the issues, but the company failed to make use of the information in providing the service.
00:01:33 話者 1
The company said the hackers entered the system through a customer's remote desktop on August 5 and took control of the administrator's account.
On August 17, the hackers used the administrators' access rights to breach the company's server.
GMO was sent a ransom demand following the breach, but refused to pay.
What but described as the personal information of one customer was posted on a website last Tuesday. The site was later rendered inaccessible.
Ukraine's Air Raid Alert App Reportedly Hacked
Ukraine's air force says an app used to warn people of air raid appears to have been targeted in a cyberattack.
Authorities and local media say the app sent out false warnings of radiation leaks and chemical attacks on Sunday night.
The military says the app may have been compromised by the enemy and is asking people to remain calm.
Another message falsely claimed a nuclear alert had been issued across the nation.
It also said Russia's new intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Oreshnik, was in flight.
But the Air Force said there's no such threat.
The authorities are asking people to check the Air Force's official channel for updates while the app remains unavailable.
Meanwhile, Russia's state-run TAS news agency reported on Monday that an app operated by the country's emergencies ministry had been hit by a cyberattack.
Efforts to restore the act are reportedly underway, but no details have been released.
Iran Conflict
Report: Netanyahu Presses Trump to Strike Iran After Midterms
A US news website says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pressed US President Donald Trump to strike Iran immediately after US midterm elections.
The report says Netanyahu is concerned about Trump's strategy of letting peace negotiations play out.
Axios quoted one Israeli and one US source.
The sources said Netanyahu called for a return to combat when the two leaders discussed the Iranian situation over the phone on Saturday.
The news outlet reports that Trump is working to restart peace talks with Iran while also preparing for a possible resumption of major combat operations.
US Vice President JD Vance has reportedly sent a letter to the Iranian side through a mediator, proposing to restart negotiations for a truce between Washington and Tehran.
Axios says both the White House and the Israeli Prime Minister's office declined to comment.
Shops Looted as German Protests Turn Violent
Nationwide protests over rising prices and education have spread to Germany.
Some demonstrators turned violent and stores were looted in Frankfurt.
Protesters, mainly young people, took to the streets in more than 30 cities in Germany on Saturday. Organizers said the number of participants reached 120,000.
In Frankfurt, some of the demonstrators turned violent.
They smashed storefronts and looted goods.
Local authorities said 17 stores in the city were damaged and five of them, including a gun shop, were looted.
They also said 54 people were detained and more than 100 police officers were injured.
German Interior Minister Alexander Doverint told reporters that rioters and looters would be held accountable and would face severe penalties.
The group which organized the protest says it was not involved in the rioting.
It revealed a plan to halt nationwide protests again.
Large-scale protests also took place in France on Saturday.
Stolen Luxury Watch Returned to Store with Apology
A luxury watch stolen from a store in Tokyo last week has been returned with an apology attached.
A man ran off with the watch valued at over 290,000 dollars from a shop in the Nakano Broadway complex.
Tokyo police say a man visited the store last Thursday and tried on the watch.
Investigative sources told NHK the watch was sent back by courier from Aichi Prefecture on Sunday. The store confirmed it was the stolen watch based on its serial number.
The parcel also contained an apology note.
Police are investigating further, as the package was apparently sent by a person involved in the theft.
Are Young Republicans Losing Their Zeal?
Voters in their teens and 20s helped propel the Republican Party to victory in 2024.
At the center of that movement was Turning Point USA, a nationwide conservative organization that mobilized youth across the country.
But as NHK Rule's Ebizuka Negumi reports, these days, that support may be wavering.
00:06:55 話者 3/Ebizuka Negumi
This was two years ago, during Donald Trump's upsing.
Young conservatives turned out to the 2024 presidential election in droves, with one survey showing, Two-thirds of them were determined to cast a ballot.
The zeal of those young voters helped catapult the Republican Party to victory and landed Trump back in the White House.
Organizations like Training Point USA gave them both a platform and a meeting place.
00:07:26 話者 21/Andrew Kolvet/Turning Point USA spokesperson
Because they're going to be the leaders of tomorrow, and we want them leading us down a path that is American, not un-American.
00:07:36 話者 3
But their father now seems to be fading. At the recent turning point rally, the attitude toward this week's midterms could be described as tepid.
00:07:46 話者 24
A lot of them don't know that it's even happening, or they say, Oh, ask my parents what I'm gonna vote. So I don't think a lot of young people know what's going on right now.
00:07:56 話者 3
Some young voters say they are paying far less attention to the midterms than they did to the presidential race, and some are showing signs of ambivalence.
00:08:09 話者 25
So I think sometimes like voting, it's good, but sometimes it's like it is hard to choose because just like, you're not really choosing something good, you're kind of just choosing like the worst, or like the slightly better options.
00:08:20 話者 3
Republicans are noticing their flagging support.
Turning Point speakers are at this California campus in obituary the troops once again.
00:08:31 話者 26/Tulsi Gabbard/Former US National Intelligence Director
If we don't vote, then how can we hold those who are in elected office accountable?
We are the ones who have the power to hire and fire politicians.
00:08:41 話者 3
The message hasn't been lost completely.
Some young people are listening and say there's no excuse for staying home.
00:08:51 話者 27
You don't have to do much. You can do it online now or by mail.
You don't have to leave your house. And like they're saying today,
You can complain about these policies, who's in power right now, but if you're not voting, then you really, in my opinion, you don't have a right to complain.
00:09:07 話者 3
With hot button issues like the cost of living, immigration, and the conflict in the Middle East flowing up, it remains to be seen whether the young can be persuaded to participate or whether they will set this one out.
Ebizuka Megumi, NHK World.
Analysis: What Impact US Midterms Could Have on Japan, Asia
00:09:28 話者 1
For more on the midterms, I spoke with Professor Izumikawa Yasuhiro.
He's an expert in international politics and his research focuses on US foreign policy in East Asia.
We asked him to give us his thoughts on what's driving the shift among young voters.
Here's what he had to say.
00:09:47 話者 5/Izumikawa Yasuhiro
Young Americans are known to be more isolationist and more concerned about the economic future of the country than the older generations, so these videos that we just watched basically symbolize their frustrations right now.
00:10:03 話者 1
Opinion polls suggest this could be a tight race.
What would the different outcomes mean for US foreign policy, especially when it comes to East Asia?
00:10:14 話者 5
Well, it's pretty well known that President Trump has been somewhat soft on China in the second administration.
Congressional Republicans and Democrats both tend to be more hawkish for China.
And Republicans during this campaign become more willing to split from President Trump, which means that after the election, the new Congress could become more hawkish and tougher on China policy.
That could reverberate and change the balance of power within the White House, and strength in the hands of the China hawks there.
If that happens, the Trump administration policy could be geared more toward a more stronger, tougher approach to China.
But we also know that President Trump has been doing what he simply wants.
So the electional outcome may not have a strong impact on what he does.
00:11:20 話者 1
Interesting.
But if just if Washington starts to take a different stance against China, what would that mean for Japan?
00:11:30 話者 5
Yeah, that would be actually a welcome development for Japan because the Takaichi cabinet has been having trouble with the China policy because China has been very tough towards Tokyo.
And that means that if it becomes easier for Tokyo to coordinate China policy with the more tougher US government and tougher towards China.
That could actually have some impact on China's approach toward Japan and China might rethink how to approach Tokyo when Tokyo and Washington can actually take the similar stand towards Beijing.
00:12:18 話者 1
Trump's foreign policy has been a major issue during the midterms.
He said he may meet with the leaders of Russia and China later this month.
Putin reportedly suggested this meeting. And when Trump was asked about it a few weeks ago, he said, "I would do it if they want to do."
Do you see a link between the domestic situation in the US and these potential talks?
00:12:46 話者 5
Yeah, there are possibly two links.
One, assuming that the Republican will lose somehow in the congressional elections, then that would make it difficult for Mr. Trump to achieve domestic agendas.
in that scenario, he may actually pursue some kind of sort of remarkable achievement on the foreign policy front. So the trilateral summit might be one.
And also, if that meeting happens, the agenda is going to be how to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, right?
And if so, Mr. Trump could claim that he is working hard to resolve the crisis and also to ease the economic difficulties for American people because that could, according to what he has been saying, that would be the major reason why oil prices and energy prices have been really high in the United States.
00:13:58 話者 1
All right, and just very briefly, one last thing. We are less than 48 hours away from the vote.
Where do you think things stand?
00:14:05 話者 5
Yeah, well, a lot of opinion polls shows that the Democrats are winning, but the key question is going to be whether or not the Democrats will take over the Senate.
The House, probably Democrats would easily win, but if the Senate remains in the hands of the Republicans, the damage for the Trump administration will be limited.
So what's going to happen is going to be really interesting to watch.
And also, we need to be careful about what happens after the election, because if the Republican losses are large, then the Trump administration may claim that there is some electoral sort of fraud. And that could lead to the domestic turmoil.
And that's something that we need to be concerned about.
00:15:01 話者 1
All right.
Professor Isumiko Ayasehiro, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us.
00:15:05 話者 5
Thank you very much for having me.
Business
00:15:18 話者 1
Now let's turn to our Yuko Fukushima for what's happening in the world of business.
Yuko.
Japanese Companies Rethink US Strategies
00:15:25 話者 6/Yuko Fukushima
Well, staying on the midterms in the US , Japanese companies operating in the United States have been struggling under the Trump administration's tariff policies.
Soaring costs driven by higher oil prices are another hurdle.
With midterm elections adding to the uncertainty, many of these firms are busy reshaping their strategies for a critical market.
NHK World's Amma Raimu reports.
00:15:50 話者 32/Trump
If you elect a Republican House and a Republican Senate on November 3, we will continue to put America first every single day always.
00:16:04 話者 4/Amma Raimu
President Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on imports from across the globe in an effort to revive domestic manufacturing.
Komatsu is one Japanese company adapting to the shifting terrain in the US.
The construction equipment maker is reshaping key parts of its business strategy to deal with higher tariffs.
This plant in Ibaraki Prefecture near Tokyo is a key production hub for the company, supplying not just the Japanese market but the US as well.
North America is the company's largest market, accounting for nearly 30 percent of sales.
About half of the products it sells in the US are imported from plants like this one, and the resulting tariffs are expected to cost Komatsu about $510 million this fiscal year.
But shifting more production to the US is not easy.
00:17:01 話者 33/Takahashi Hiroaki/General Manager, Production Controlling Department, Komatsu
Steel prices in the United States are the highest in the world.
They're about 1.5 to 1.6 times higher than in Japan. Labor costs are also much higher.
Manufacturing in the US is very expensive.
00:17:20 話者 4
Komatsu has restructured its supply chain to reduce tariff costs.
Drawing on its 60 production sites around the world, the company is sourcing products from countries facing lower import duties in the US.
It is also building direct shipping routes to Canada, Mexico, Peru and Colombia that bypass the United States.
At home, Komatsu is working to boost production efficiency.
On this day, managers visited a supplier that makes a critical component.
00:17:54 話者 34/Morizumi Tatsuo/Manufacturing Engineering Department, Komatsu
Material and energy costs have also been rising sharply, so we need to keep finding ways to stay profitable, even with the outside cost pressures.
00:18:08 話者 4
Komatsu presented a new manufacturing process designed to shorten machining steps.
The two companies agreed to put the idea into action.
Back at the office, managers are briefed on another strategy, applying for tariff refunds.
According to the US operation, they paid duties on the value of entire machines rather than just their steel content.
It is now submitting paperwork to get some of their money back.
00:18:39 話者 35/Kamikura Yusuke/Director, Komatsu North America
Our lawyers are helping us to apply to authorities.
We'll keep pushing ahead to recover what we believe was overpaid.
00:18:51 話者 4
Komatsu President Imayoshi Takuya says despite tariff pressures, the company still sees growth opportunities in the US market.
AI-related data centers and mining projects continue to drive demand.
00:19:07 話者 47/Imayoshi Takuya
The US has many mining operations, from coal and copper to iron ore and gold.
We have a lot of customers in those industries.
With the population and economy growing, we believe the market still has room to expand.
00:19:22 話者 4
But more uncertainty looms on the other side of the midterm elections.
Imayoshi stressed the need for a flexible business foundation.
00:19:34 話者 47
We expect trade barriers, including tariffs, to remain in place for the foreseeable future.
And that's not just in the US. Given the current global situation, I don't think we will go back to the kind of free trade environment we saw in the past, at least for a while.
We'll need to adapt to changing conditions.
00:19:53 話者 4
Navigating this shifting environment looks to be a delicate balancing act.
Success will depend on building resilient supply chains without closing the door on vital American opportunities.
Amma Raimu, NHK World.
Toyota Marks 60th Anniversary of Corolla Launch
00:20:10 話者 6
Toyota Motor on Sunday celebrated the 60th anniversary of its iconic Corolla car.
The company launched 12 models of the Corolla over the years.
It had all on display at the anniversary event in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.
The first model hit the market in 1966, while Japan was enjoying rapid economic growth.
It was seen as affordable, user-friendly and helped boost car demand across the country.
Toyota says the vehicle was marketed in more than 150 countries and regions.
As of the end of September this year, it had sold 58-million of the vehicles.
00:20:55 話者 52/Fukushima Toru/Toyota Motor
Cars in demand now differ from those in the past, like in 1966.
We want to create vehicles that can beat consumer expectations even in the current era.
00:21:06 話者 6
Toyota unveiled its next generation Corolla concept vehicle last year.
It is developing gasoline, wagon hybrids and fully electric models.
Tokyo Subway Operator Eyes Fare Increase in 2029
A major subway operator in Japan's capital is planning its first across-the-board fare increase in more than three decades.
Tokyo Metro says move is to cope with inflation and improve its services.
The company says the hike is slated for March 2029.
The margin of increase is to be decided at a later date.
It would be Tokyo Metro's first hike since 1995, excluding changes in line with increases in Japan's consumption tax.
The company cites soaring labor costs as a reason for the plan.
It also aims to invest in facilities and equipment to enhance the convenience and safety of its services.
New Year's Postcard Sales Start in Japan
Post offices across Japan have started selling greeting cards for the coming new year.
Many feature images of sheep the Chinese zodiac signed for 2027.
Sales began on Monday morning.
Japan Post is initially issuing about 555 million cards, down 25 percent from last year.
It's also significantly fewer than the over 4.4 billion cards printed for 2004 when comparable records became available.
Wider use of social media is making the practice of sending greetings by mail less popular, but some still prefer it.
A man in his 60s says he hopes to continue sending his greetings on paper despite the changing times.
This year, people will get two extra days until December 27 to post their cards so they can be delivered on New Year's Day.
Japan Post hopes the move will encourage more to express their New Year's wishes by mail. Post offices start accepting the cards from December 20.
Markets
And now to the latest on the markets.
♪
And that's the best for this hour.
♫～
00:24:41 話者 1
Please do access the NHK World Japan website for more details on those stories.
World Weather
Let's move on to the weather.
People in the southwestern United States encountered flash flooding due to heavy rain over the weekend. Our meteorologist Jonathan Oh has the details in world weather.
00:25:06 話者 8/Jonathan Oh
Hello, we have been seeing a plume of moisture that has been moving across the western portion of the United States, especially over the Rockies.
But as it did so, it also brought a lot of rainfall into the desert southwest and that's caused some problems on the ground.
Here's a look at some video to give you an idea on the situation.
As heavy rain in parts of the southwest Sunday forced people to evacuate in Flagstaff, Arizona, local roads were flooded and stormwater drains were overwhelmed so the water was pouring out of the ...
Meanwhile, in the tourist destination of Sedona, floodwaters also rose rapidly and emergency workers from the city and surrounding areas responded to residents trapped in their homes.
Now that moisture is pushing toward the east and it's got a bit of a history of producing some strong storms.
That's the case also as we look into the southern plains as we go through the day on Monday.
So be on the lookout for that.
Now, as we look forward into Tuesday, that frontal boundary then pushed toward the east brings some rain into the Ohio River Valley and the Great Lakes.
And it is a general election day in the United States.
And so rain is always something that's talked about when it comes to people trying to get out to the polls.
Look at the forecast for Monday, rain from Denver into Oklahoma City, again thunderstorms possible down toward south rain also to Chicago as we go through the day on Monday then we look into Tuesday and we'll see that rain spreading across toward the east the western portion of the United States and the east coast however remain relatively dry for Tuesday.
Looking across Japan we have a frontal boundary a couple of them rolling on through bringing some clouds and some rain as we go into the day on Tuesday which is a national holiday in Japan.
Northern portions of Japan looking at some wet weather like Saporo with some possibly of some flurries as well Tokyo points westward looking at some dry weather.
Then some more rain will be coming to the picture on Wednesday, and spring toward the central portion of the country as we go throughout the rest of the week.
So you'll need to keep the umbrellas handy as we go through this week
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-Day Forecast ～♫
00:27:45 話者 1
And that's all for this edition of NHK Newsline. Thanks for watching.
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NHK World
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