Great to have you back with us. From our studio in Tokyo, this is NHK Newsline.
Middle East Conflict
Houthi Attacks on Saudi Airports Kill 3, Injure Dozens
We begin in the Middle East, where anti-government Houthi rebels in Yemen claim to have carried out ballistic missile and drone strikes on airports in Saudi Arabia.
The attacks reportedly killed three people and injured more than 30.
Saudi aviation authorities say airports in the capital Riyadh and the southwestern city of Aba were targeted on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Middle East Conflict
US Media: Trump Considering Iran Attack Ahead of Midterms
Meanwhile, multiple US media outlets report US President Donald Trump is considering resuming attacks on Iran ahead of next month's midterm election.
The Atlantic magazine quotes administration officials as saying the White House had asked the Department of Defense to draw up strike options against Iranian targets.
The Atlantic says those in favor believe further action could allow Trump to declare some sort of victory, giving Republicans momentum heading into the election.
News side Axios says the Pentagon reportedly instructed US Central Command several days earlier to conclude preparations for resuming combat in Iran.
Axios cites US and Israeli sources as saying operations could take place before Israeli elections on October 27th, with the likely participation of Israel's military.
Zelenskyy: 25 Killed in Russian Strikes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says 25 people have been killed and about a hundred others wounded in large-scale Russian strikes.
The offensive was carried out from Tuesday through Wednesday, coinciding with Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday.
Zelenskyy condemned the attack in a video released on Wednesday, saying it was the kind of birthday gift Putin gave himself.
He said a missile directly hit a residential building in the northern region of Chernihiv, killing 19 people, including five children.
Zelenskyy said the attack involved drones as well as ballistic and cruise missiles.
Russia Strikes Japan Tobacco Subsidiary in Ukraine
A subsidiary of a Japanese tobacco company operating in central Ukraine was also targeted in the Russian strikes.
Moscow claims it was producing ammunition.
The factory's owner, Japan Tobacco International, has denied the allegations and confirmed its employees are safe.
Russia's defense ministry on Wednesday posted on social media that it had launched a massive strike on Ukrainian ports and defense-related companies from both the sea and air.
JTI told NHK that it manufactures and sells tobacco products.
and has never been involved in military production.
It confirmed it had suspended operations before the factory was struck on a number of occasions.
The company said it could not provide further details for security reasons.
Murdered Russian Journalist Remembered 20 Years Later
Wednesday marked 20 years since the murder of a Russian journalist whose death came to symbolize killings of Putin's critics.
Photographs of Anna Politkovskaya were displayed outside her apartment building, and people were seen laying flowers in her memory.
00:03:47 話者 2
She was a very brave person, and she was never afraid to speak the truth.
I'm sure that a part of Anna may live on in each of us.
00:03:58 話者 1
Politkovskaya was a reporter for the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazietta.
She was shot dead in her apartment building in Moscow in 2006.
The editor-in-chief of that paper, Dmitry Muratov, would later go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for fighting for press freedom.
Israelis Mark Three Years Since Festival Attack
People across Israel have gathered to mourn roughly 370 people killed when Hamas attacked an outdoor music festival three years ago.
The Islamic group launched a massive surprise attack in Israel on October 7th, 2023.
The group, based in the Gaza Strip in the Palestinian territories, killed about 1,200 people in total.
Many of the festival victims were young people.
A memorial ceremony was held at the site on Wednesday to mark the third anniversary.
The participants, including bereaved families, observed a moment of silence.
A woman who lost her son expressed her lingering sorrow.
She said he sometimes appears with a smile in her dream, and in that moment she becomes a mother again.
Another woman who lost her daughter and her fiance said it is heartbreaking to visit the site.
00:05:30 話者 3
What is the most important to us is that people will not forget what happened on October 7th.
00:05:37 話者 1
Ahead of the ceremony, Israeli President Isaac Herzog made comments.
00:05:44 話者 3
We have the inherent right to defend ourselves and fight terror, but we yearn for peace.
And we want our neighbors to live in peace as well.
00:05:54 話者 1
Herzog called on the international community to work together to disarm Hamas for regional peace.
The attacks also triggered the conflict in Gaza.
Health authorities there say over 74,000 people have died since the fighting began...
and over 1,400 have been killed since the ceasefire went to effect a year ago.
The conflict continues to loom over Israel's future and its politics.
As Election Approaches, Israel Looks Back at Oct.7 Attacks
For more on this, I spoke with NATRL's Jerusalem correspondent Mori Haruka.
Israel has continued attacking Gaza even after reaching a ceasefire agreement.
Has it made progress when it comes to weakening Hamas?
00:06:44 話者 4
The government says yes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech at the UN General Assembly last month.
He told it the result of the military operation saying it dealt a heavy blow to Hamas.
Two of its top officials have been killed, and the Israeli military says it will continue killing high-ranking members and destroying Hamas facilities like underground tunnels.
As for October 7, Defense Minister Israel Katz says about 6,000 people breached Israel's drain's attack.
As of last week, he says about 4,000 of them have been killed.
The military has ordered to kill the rest.
So Netanyahu is framing all this as a big success and has vowed to keep going.
until Hamas has been completely destroyed.
But public opinion doesn't seem to be on his side.
An Israeli think tank released an opinion poll late last month.
Less than 30% think Israeli warned the Gaza conflict.
55% said there was no winner.
And nearly 60%
say they think another attack could be imminent.
You can't imagine those numbers Netanyahu wants to see, especially so close to an election.
00:08:26 話者 1
Right, so let's get into that.
Israel will hold a general election on October 27th.
How has October 7th changed the political landscape?
00:08:38 話者 4
Obviously, it had major repercussions.
It's not an exaggeration to call it the election's biggest issue, and that due in part to reports released last month.
They claim the President of the United Arab Emirates told Netanyahu about a possible attack over a week before October 7th.
Netanyahu reportedly did not act on that warning.
He strongly denies the allegations.
The opposition has seized on the story.
One party in particular, Yashar, has gained significant momentum.
It's led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israel Defense Force Chief of Staff.
And it's not overtaken Netanyahu's record party in the polls.
00:09:36 話者 1
And if there is a change of government and Eisencot becomes prime minister, will we see a big shift in Israeli policy?
00:09:46 話者 4
Yes and no.
Take national security, that probably would not change much under Eisencot.
On social media, he said anything short of the complete military and the political destruction of Hamas would be a failure.
He has also said that these posts by Iran and Hezbollah need to be eliminated.
that, he may take a different tack on foreign policy.
In an interview, he criticized Netanyahu for isolating Israel from the international community.
Eisenkot says that's not what he wants to do, so he may try to take a more cooperative approach with Israel's neighbors.
It's worth noting that even with the polls, we still don't know who will form Israeli's next government.
Once the results are finalized, the president will ask a party most likely to be able to form a coalition and present its cabinet.
So even after the vote, we will have to wait and see how those coalition talks develop.
Only then, we will truly know what direction Israel politics will take.
Business
00:11:24 話者 1
Now let's see what's happening in the world of business.
Here's Yuko Fukushima from the BizDesk.
00:11:29 話者 5/Yuko Fukushima
Thanks, Kyoko.
Anthropic to Expand Claude Mythos Access
Well, US AI company Anthropic says it will allow more users to access its leading-edge cloud mythos model.
Now, more companies and organizations can apply to use the AI agent for so-called defensive work in their computer systems.
These include universities, government entities, and infrastructure-related firms such as power companies.
Access tiers are to be separated according to the intended use of the AI model.
For the highest tier, the company says it is screening applicants in cooperation with the US government.
The AI developer has been limiting access over concern the model's advanced capabilities could allow it to be used in cyberattacks.
As of April this year, access to Claude Mythos was limited to about 50 companies and organizations that expanded in June to about 200, including Japanese financial institutions.
Japan-US Business Leaders Call for AI Security
Business leaders from Japan and the United States have called for common rules on artificial intelligence in their countries.
The executives made the proposal for their governments in a joint statement adopted at the end of the annual Japan-US business conference on Wednesday.
They propose building infrastructure that supports AI development and the creation of common rules.
Strengthening supply chains for key minerals and semiconductor parts for economic security is also included.
US Chair David Geckler said technological advancement improves people's lives, but he expressed concerns.
00:13:06 話者 6
But now it's happening much faster than it's happened in previous cycles.
And so I think this calls for more dialogue, more cooperation, more discussion.
00:13:19 話者 5
Japan's counterpart Takashima Makoto said they will call for governance corresponding to the degree of risk and specific to each use case.
The US and China are ahead in the race to develop AI.
The two countries say they agreed to launch a dialogue on AI at their summit in September.
Osaka's Midosuji Boulevard Links Up With Champs-Elysees
Now, a tale of two streets.
An iconic boulevard in Osaka is joining hands with the Champs Elysees in Paris to tackle common challenges.
A signing ceremony in Paris has set the stage for the creation of what the two sides are calling sister streets.
The Midosuji runs through the heart of Osaka, connecting the city's northern and southern hubs.
Work has already started on turning the avenue into a civic space centered on pedestrians.
The idea for international collaboration came from Osaka's experiences as the host of last year's World Expo.
The project got the green light on Wednesday.
The mayor of Osaka City, Yokoyama Hideyuki, signed a memorandum of understanding with the head of a group promoting the Chanzalise.
It says they will share know-how on creating human-centered spaces
and operating major events.
00:14:34 話者 3
We have roughly the same problems.
By reflecting on these challenges, I'm certain we can find solutions.
For the spatial environment and animation of public spaces, we might have lessons to share.
00:14:48 話者 5
Mayor Yokoyama said he aims to deepen cooperation on increasing greenery and hosting simultaneous events.
He said it could become a great legacy of the expo.
Rising Cost of AI Boom
From smartphones to personal computers, everyday electronics are becoming more expensive.
the soaring cost of semiconductor chips.
The trend, known as chipflation, is now being seen around the world.
We look at its growing impact in the United States.
00:15:19 話者 7
Hi, hello, nice to meet you.
00:15:21 話者 8
Hi, nice to meet you.
00:15:22 話者 7
This San Francisco company designs, assembles and sells customized personal computers.
But it says the prices of chips that go into its PCs have risen sharply since last year.
00:15:36 話者 8
It is just a module and of course the good thing about...
We had some guidance that we were expecting maybe 10 or 15% increase and what we saw in reality was around a double of the cost.
00:15:50 話者 7
Behind the surge is the race to develop AI.
Chipmakers are shifting production to meet booming demand, leaving fewer chips available for PCs.
The supply crunch is fueling chipflation.
The company says it could no longer absorb the higher costs.
In July, it was forced to nearly double the price of some components.
00:16:13 話者 8
This is, I think, unprecedented for this level of mismatch between supply and demand in any silicon category.
So what we'll see, I believe, over the next year is that even for those basic electronics products beyond just computers and phones, that a lot of them will stop being possible to sell at the current prices.
00:16:36 話者 7
The effects are also spreading beyond computers.
The average selling price of smartphones worldwide is expected to reach nearly $600 this year, up over 27% from a year earlier.
Some consumers are already changing the way they shop.
The new phones are more expensive and I don't think we need the newest phones.
00:17:01 話者 4
I'm trying to buy less new and more, you know, recycle or refurb or, yeah, second hands.
00:17:11 話者 7
That shift is benefiting retailers like this one.
It sells pre-owned smartphones and computers both in store and online.
The store says its sales from January through September have already topped last year's full year total by around 20%, hitting a record high.
00:17:32 話者 4
It's more competition because more people are buying used because it's more affordable.
00:17:37 話者 7
An analyst says the second-hand market could expand worldwide.
00:17:43 話者 4
This has been quoted as the unprecedented crisis in the entire industry, right?
Not just smartphones, but all consumer devices.
The demand for used devices will go even faster.
00:17:53 話者 7
Concerns are growing that chipflation could drive up prices across a much wider range of products.
For consumers around the world, the effects of the AI boom may increasingly be felt at the checkout.
Markets
00:18:09 話者 5
Now to the latest on the markets.
♪
And that wraps it up for biz for the sour.
Costume Contest Brings New Life to Old Relics
00:19:00 話者 1
A one-of-a-kind costume contest is drawing thousands to a museum in South Korea.
The Dress Like a Museum exhibit event has exploded in popularity and thrust the museum's ancient sculptures and relics onto the national stage.
NHK World's Kim Chan-ju reports.
Costume Contest for Museum Exhibits Brings New Life to Old Relics
00:19:20 話者 9
This is no ordinary costume contest.
Every one of these designs is based as faithfully as possible on a museum artifact, many of them centuries old.
You can see the antique objects in the corner of your screen.
They include this porcelain fish, a punished stone dagger, and these interesting bronze belts.
This entry is a recreation of a national treasure known as the horse and rider-shaped vessel.
The sculpted earthenware containers were likely created between the 5th and 6th century.
The unusual contest exploded in popularity last year after going viral on social media, with the winners even making TV appearances.
This year, hundreds of teams tried out and thousands of fans showed up to cheer them on.
Entering the contest involves choosing an exhibit, putting together a costume in painstaking detail and developing a five-minute performance.
The whimsical idea is meant to draw in more museum visitors and keep their attention.
People tend to see museums as places where old and ancient artifacts are simply displayed.
One of our goals was to bring the museum to life.
But why are people so eager to join that mission?
Lee Dae-ang devoted several weeks of his spare time to designing and putting together his costume.
00:21:22 話者 6
I'm applying gold leaf to enhance the luster and elevate the level of detail.
I'm going for a more polished finish.
00:21:31 話者 9
He's transforming himself into the pensive bodhisattva, a gilt bronze statue that's nearly a meter tall, which was created between the 6th and 7th century.
Lee is used to cosplay, but this is a brand new challenge.
one that takes immense research and creative vision.
00:21:57 話者 6
I imagined how the statue might walk if it came to life, what kind of expression it might have, how it might move its hands and so on.
I spent a lot of time thinking about these things and how I could incorporate them into my stage performance.
00:22:12 話者 9
He has even attached wheels beneath the pedestal so it can rotate.
allowing the audience to view the statue from different angles, just like they would in a museum.
And he's taken care to practice the distinctive expression of the bodhisattva, known for its contemplative smile.
Lee's dedication paid off.
He advanced to the finals last month,
and nabbed second place out of a whopping 275 applicants.
But he ended up winning more than just glory.
00:23:01 話者 6
This was the first time I researched a cultural artifact so deeply.
I learned about its history, how it was made, and even the journey it took before ending up here.
00:23:17 話者 9
In an age of endless entertainment options, the contest has achieved something new and profound.
It's managed to capture the attention of the masses and bring ancient history back online.
Kim Chan-ju, NHK World, Seoul.
World Weather
00:24:08 話者 1
Now turning to world weather.
It was such a beautiful autumn day in Tokyo today on Thursday.
Our meteorologist Yuumi Hirano will tell us how long it's going to last.
00:24:20 話者 2/Yuumi Hirano
A strong high-pressure system is dominating much of Japan on Thursday, bringing clear skies.
Since the system is large enough to sustain the conditions, sunny skies are expected to continue in many cities into the long holiday weekend.
Tokyo will see highs around 25 degrees so it will be beautiful weather for going out and about.
However, we have to monitor two storms over the Pacific.
Nolo is likely to move further out, while Koguma is expected to affect the Ogasawara Islands, bringing high waves and strong winds from Sunday.
High waves are also expected along the Pacific coast of mainland Japan.
Moving to Europe, people in parts of Spain have been facing disruptions due to heavy rain following wildfires.
Streams in a Spanish town were turned black on Tuesday, cutting off the water supply to residents.
This comes after heavy rain flooded the area, washing away burned ash from previous wildfires.
The ash and debris found its way into streams, contaminating water sources.
People had to gather at nearby fountains and water tracks to fill their containers with drinking water.
A storm that brought heavy rain is now moving toward Italy and the Balkans.
Intense downpours, damaging winds and lightning could be a concern.
Thunder showers are also possible in Rome, but sunny skies are expected in Paris and London.
The temperature in Vienna will be 25, which is over 10 degrees higher than usual.
That's all for now. Have a nice day.
♫～ 3-Day Forecast ～♫
00:27:45 話者 1
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