A deadly pub fire hit Bangkok,
extreme heat scorched western Japan,
and the US resumed strikes on Iran.
バンコクで致命的な火災が発生し、
西日本は猛暑に見舞われ、
米国はイランへの攻撃を再開しました。
00:00:09 話者 1
Welcome back. Thank you for joining us on NHK Newsline.
Fire at Bangkok Pub Kills at Least 27
Thai authorities say at least 27 people have been killed and around 60 others injured in a fire at a pub in Bangkok. More than 20 of the injured are in critical condition.
The blaze broke out around midnight on Sunday and spread rapidly.
The venue quickly filled with smoke.
Officials say many of the victims died from smoke inhalation.
Thailand's prime minister described what happened to many of those who died.
00:00:45 話者 12/Anutin Charnvirakul/Thai Prime Minister
Many of them were not able to make their way out because they went to the back of the building and tried to hide themselves. away from the smokes, the flames in the toilet and that's where we found most of the bodies.
00:01:09 話者 1
Images from the scene show broken glass and shoes scattered across the floor.
Investigators are now working to determine what caused the fire.
Western Japan Bakes Under Intense Heat
Temperatures surpassed 35 degrees Celsius on Monday in wide parts of western Japan.
Extremely hot weather is expected in eastern Japan, including the Kanto-Koshin region, from Tuesday onward.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said on Monday the rainy season appears to have ended in the southern Kyushu region.
The agency says a temperature of 38 degrees was recorded in Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture.
It was 37 degrees or higher in areas of Yamaguchi, Oita, Hiroshima, Tsukuoka, Miyazaki and Hyogo prefectures.
Heat stroke alerts have been issued for 14 prefectures in the Chugoku, Chikoku, Kyushu and Kinki regions.
People are being urged to use air conditioners and to frequently consume liquids and salt.
Iran Conflict: US Resumes Strikes Day After Announcing Round Over
The US resumed strikes on Iran Sunday just one day after saying it had finished its latest attacks. The US Central Command is in charge of US operations in the Middle East.
It announced the attacks began at 5 p.m. US Eastern Time.
It claims the goal is to degrade Tehran's ability to attack ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. It says US President Donald Trump directed the attack.
It comes the day after CENTCOM had said it had finished its third round of strikes.
Those had also been triggered by the Strait of Hormuz.
The US claimed Tehran had fired at a ship. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed several vessels were not using the route designated by Iranian authorities.
It also declared the waterway closed.
Sunday's strikes are being considered a fourth round.
Reuters news agency quoted Iranian state television.
It says several explosions were heard after the new strikes began.
They hit near the southern cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas.
Both are on the coast of the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel's Oct. 27 General Election Critical for Netanyahu
Israel's parliament says a general election will be held on October 27 after the current term expires. The Knesset, or parliament, announced the schedule on Sunday.
Opinion polls by local media outlets show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing party Likud and two other parties in the lead.
The two other parties are led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot, former Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.
In Israel, the president talks with each party after a national election and asks the leader of the one with the best prospect of forming a coalition to put together a cabinet.
The question is whether Netanyahu's party will remain the largest and he will retain his post.
Netanyahu faces growing criticism over his own corruption allegations, as well as his military campaign in Gaza after the attacks by the Islamic group Hamas in 2023.
War in Ukraine: Kyiv Strikes Major Oil Refinery Inside Russia
The Ukrainian military says it struck a key oil refinery inside Russia.
Officials say the facility in the Samara region, east of Moscow, mainly supplies fuel to Russian forces.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Sunday there were explosions and a fire at the plant.
The refinery is reportedly one of the largest oil refining facilities in Samara.
It has a capacity of about 8.5 million metric tons of crude oil per year.
Ukraine also said it struck 10 Russian tankers and four ferries in the Sea of Azov next to the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force and local authorities said Russia launched missiles and drones across Ukraine from Saturday morning to Sunday.
Three people were reportedly killed in the eastern region of Dnitropetrovsk.
War in Ukraine NYT: Russian Spies Using Japan for War Tech
A US newspaper has reported that Russian spies are using Japan to source high-tech goods for Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine.
The New York Times on Sunday published an article titled How Putin Turned Japan into a Den of Spies.
It says it's based on interviews with intelligence and government officials from several countries.
The report says that Western countries expelled Russian agents following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
It goes on to say dozens of those banished spies have turned up in an unexpected place, Japan.
It says the Tokyo office of the Russian airline, Aeroflot, is being used as a base for officials of the military intelligence agency, the GRU.
The report claims a veteran intelligence officer plays a crucial role in supplying Russia with Japanese technology.
Ukraine estimates that 90 percent of Russian missiles and drones contain Japanese components. The report says Kyiv have asked Tokyo to strengthen export controls.
The Times says Japan's weak espionage laws in high-tech industry have made it an important part of the long-running conflict.
Earthquakes in Venezuela
Experts: Around 10,000 Buildings Heavily Damaged
A team of experts says around 10,000 buildings are unusable after last month's earthquakes in Venezuela.
The group says there are signs of pancake collapse, a phenomenon where buildings break apart almost vertically.
Efforts to find those missing continue more than two weeks after the June 24 disaster.
Authorities say 4,490 people were confirmed dead as of Sunday.
Team leader Miyamoto Hideki is an expert in structural building design who has been involved in restoration efforts in disaster-struck areas.
He spoke to NHK on Saturday in Katia Lamar, in the hardest coastal state of La Guaira.
00:07:55 話者 22/Miyamoto Hideki
If a long jolt occurs, the first or second floors of the building are most likely to be destroyed. If the base is destroyed, the whole building will collapse.
00:08:06 話者 1
Miyamoto says the phenomenon resulted from insufficient reinforcing rods in many pillars as well as soft ground, typically in coastal areas.
The team estimated around 10,000 buildings, or about 13 percent of the total in La Guaira, were completely destroyed or heavily damaged.
The figure is far higher than the latest one announced by the Venezuelan government.
The experts said 30,000 to 15,000 buildings require repairs due to cracks or holes in their structures. Many people displaced by the quake have been forced to live in tents.
High daytime temperatures and occasional heavy rain are making their situation difficult and raising long-term health and sanitation concerns.
Japan to Rework Imperial Family Membership Rules
Japan is set to reshape its Imperial Household System to secure the number of imperial family members going forward.
A bill to revise the Imperial House Law has passed the lower house.
And it's also likely to pass the upper house for enactment during the current diet session, which is scheduled to wrap up at the end of the week.
The lower house approved the bill last Friday, with the majority support.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, were among those that voted for the bill.
From the opposition, the Centrist Reform Alliance, the Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito all came on board.
The parties supporting the bill also hold a majority in the upper house, making its enactment likely once it's put to a vote.
There are two key issues behind Japan's move to revise the imperial house law.
The first one is the shrinking number of imperial family members.
Imperial House Law Changes Aim to Secure Family's Future
00:10:10 話者 3
The imperial family currently consists of Emperor Narushito and 15 others.
Five are unmarried adult women.
Those include Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, and Princess Kako, the younger daughter of Crown Prince and Princess Akishino.
Members of the imperial family serve as patrons of various organizations.
They also visit disaster-hit areas and travel overseas to promote international goodwill.
Under the current imperial house law, women leave the imperial household when they marry outside the imperial family.
Since the end of World War II, eight members have left in this manner.
There are concerns that there will one day not be enough members to support the emperor's official duties.
Another issue is ensuring stable succession to the imperial throne.
Under the current law, the throne is succeeded by a male child of the paternal line belonging to the imperial lineage. At present, only three members are eligible.
The line of succession is Crown Prince Akishino, followed by his son, Prince Hisahito.
Prince Hitachi, the young brother of the Emperor Emeritus, is third in line.
Only Prince Hisahito belongs to the family's younger generation.
If Prince Hisahito becomes the emperor and has no son, there would be no eligible successor under the current rules.
00:11:50 話者 1
So what will change if the bill to revise the imperial house law passes?
New Law Would Change Imperial Rules for Marriage, Adoption
00:11:56 話者 3
Under one proposed revision, women would stay in the imperial family after marriage.
The bill does not include a provision that would grant imperial status to their spouses or children.
Current female members would be able to request to leave the imperial family upon marriage.
Another key revision concerns adoption. The current imperial house law does not allow the emperor or other imperial family members to adopt children.
But the proposed revision enables adoption of male descendants of the paternal line of 11 former imperial family branches.
These branches lost their imperial status in 1947, and descendants now live as ordinary citizens. Adoptees must be 15 or older, unmarried, and childless.
They would not be able to succeed to the throne, but their male offspring would be eligible.
Japan to Rework Imperial Family Membership Rules
Last month, Emperor Naruhito was asked by reporters about the ongoing discussion regarding the imperial family.
While declining to comment on the system itself, he did speak on how he sees his family's role.
(Japanese)
00:13:24 話者 3
If the bill is enacted, it would be the First Amendment to the main body of the law since 1949.
Business
00:13:47 話者 1
Now turning to business news. Here's Yuko Fukushima.
00:13:50 話者 4/Yuko Fukushima
Thanks, Kyoko.
Nikkei 225 Falls as Crude Oil Climbs on Middle East Attacks
Japan's Nikki 225 stock index started the week sharply lower, reflecting inflation worries as renewed attacks in the Middle East drove up oil prices.
The Tokyo benchmark lost 1.9 percent on Monday to end at 67,242, falling for the first time in three trading days. Investors unloaded retail and high tech shares.
Crude oil futures in New York rose above $74 a barrel overnight.
This followed reports that the US and Iran traded attacks over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Analysts say investors sold shares in Tokyo because higher oil prices could accelerate the pace of inflation.
SoftBank, Others Mulling Stake in Seven & I Holdings
Sources say phone carrier SoftBank, mobile payment operator PayPay, and Sumitoba Mitsui Card are considering an investment in Japanese retail giant Seven and I Holdings.
The deal would be a boost to the embattled convenience store operator, which faces persistent questions over the strength of its business.
The sources say the investment could reach hundreds of billions of yen, or several billion dollars. The three companies are partners in digital services and loyalty points.
A tie-up would vastly expand the points program to include the more than 20,000 convenience stores Seven & I operates across Japan.
Seven & I faced a takeover bid by Canadian rival Aleman, Tasha and Kustar two years ago.
The proposal was later withdrawn, but the company continues to face pressure about its plans to improve corporate value.
Foreign Visitors to Tokyo Hit Record High in 2025
The number of foreign visitors to Tokyo continues to rise.
The metropolitan government estimates the figure hit an all time high last year.
Tokyo officials survey tourist facilities in the capital every three months to measure domestic and foreign visitor numbers.
They estimate about 509 million people visited Tokyo in 2025.
That's up 9/10 of a percent from the previous year.
Of that total, more than 28 million were visitors from abroad.
That figure is up 15.6% year on year and is the highest since data taking began in 2004.
Foreign visitors spent an estimated 4.5 trillion yen or about $28 billion while in the capital.
Spending per visitor was about 13.6 times the amount of a domestic visitor.
A Tokyo official said foreign visitors tend to spend heavily on accommodation and souvenirs.
The official added the survey reflects Tokyo's enduring appeal to visitors and that the government will continue its efforts to increase the capital's charms.
‘Nihon Cha’ Japanese Tea Certified as Protected Brand
Japan's government has registered nihon-cha, or Japanese tea, as a protected brand.
This comes as a global matcha boom has seen a rise in fake products bearing Japanese regional names.
A representative of an industry association received a certificate registering Nihon-cha under the Japan Geographical Indication, or GI, protection system.
GI labels are granted to regional food and agricultural specialties protected as intellectual property. Japanese tea is the first to win recognition as a national brand.
Exports of domestically grown green tea roughly doubled last year to 72.1 billion yen, or about $445 million.
Tea growers hope the registration will help distinguish their products from counterfeits and further promote exports.
Japanese Startup Employs AI to Fight Malaria in Africa
Malaria remains a growing threat around the world, with about 280 million cases annually and over 600,000 deaths. Africa is especially hard hit.
A Japanese startup is trying to help by using AI to protect outbreaks and stem their spread.
NHK World's Hirata Miyu has the story.
00:17:41 話者 5/Hirata Miyu
Umeda Masaki is an executive with Japanese startup Solar Technology.
He recently explained at a UN forum how his firm is using artificial intelligence to pinpoint places prone to flooding and disease spread.
00:17:59 話者 32/Umeda Masaki
Our AI identifies high-risk hotspots, not only linked to climate disasters, such as flooding, but also for climate-sensitive infectious diseases, such as malaria, dengue, cholera, and others.
00:18:15 話者 5
Malaria is transmitted through the bites of some female mosquitoes.
The most common defense is to prevent bites with nets and spray when the mosquitoes come. But the measures have failed to stop the spread of the disease.
Umeda says countries in Africa are desperate for a solution.
00:18:37 話者 32
They are struggling a lot. They are looking for a great innovation to improve cost-effectiveness. So that's why we decided to focus on malaria.
00:18:47 話者 5
The startup aimed to take the fight to the source, water bodies where larvae develop.
Its technology uses satellite data to analyze terrain and vegetation.
High-risk areas are highlighted in orange.
This fixed-wing drone is fitted with cameras and sensors.
As it flies above the terrain, an AI system analyzes data to detect puddles where the mosquitoes breed.
Drones capture detailed images so AI can determine the size and origins of water bodies.
Water that was previously difficult to see is uncovered.
Workers can then proceed to precise locations and apply larvicide.
The drones are also used to spray from the air across wide areas.
This reduces both chemical use and labor costs by nearly half.
The system has been introduced in more than 10 African countries, including Ghana and Mozambique.
Umeda also sees challenges. He says Japan and Africa are not only geographically distant, but also differ in business practices.
00:20:11 話者 32
One of the very important principles that we have in our team is localization.
00:20:18 話者 5
The firm trains local staff and cooperates with governments.
It also works to build trust with community leaders, as many are still unfamiliar with its technologies.
Umeda now wants to take this business model to areas such as Southeast Asia and Latin America. He sees mosquito-borne diseases threatening more parts of the world.
00:20:45 話者 32
A mosquito doesn't care about the borders.
It can easily fly into the developed world in the near future by climate change.
So it's much important to consider this global health matter as global public good, so that all the stakeholders can commit strongly to eradicate malaria and other diseases right now.
00:21:13 話者 5
Umeda sees this as a case where AI technology is not a threat, but a tool to protect lives.
Hirata Miyu, NHK World.
Markets
00:21:25 話者 4
Now let's get you a check on the markets.
♪
And that's the bus for this hour.
00:21:58 話者 1
Thanks for that, Yuko.
Japan's Oda Defends Wimbledon Wheelchair Singles Title
In the sport of wheelchair tennis, Japan's Oda Tokito has won the Wimbledon men's singles title for the second straight year.
Oda is the world's top-ranked player. The 20-year-old defeated second-ranked Alfie Hewitt of Britain in straight sets in the final on Sunday.
He won both sets 6-1 as he countered his opponent's serves and scored points with service aces.
It's Oda's third Wimbledon success and his sixth consecutive Grand Slam singles title.
It follows Japanese player Kamiji Yui's 2-0 win in the women's singles final a day earlier.
Her first Wimbledon title also earned her a career golden slam for winning all four grand slams in a Paralympic gold medal in 2024.
Japan Sketch
♪
00:23:14 話者 42
It's good
00:23:14 話者 43
the first time?
00:23:15 話者 44
Yeah, first time. We tried it a bit on the street like that.
♪
00:23:39 話者 43
How was the taste?
00:23:41 話者 45
Really good. Amazing.
♪
World Weather
00:23:55 話者 1
Monsoonal rains have caused deadly flooding and landslides in parts of Bangladesh.
Our meteorologist Jonathan Oh has a look at the situation in the world weather.
00:24:06 話者 6/Jonathan Oh
Hello, as we go through the summer months in South Asia, we keep an eye out on the monsoonal pattern that eventually takes over the region, helps to bring that to temperatures and bringing a lot of the rainfall.
Though sometimes that rainfall is just a little too much at one time.
I want to show you some video coming out of Bangladesh.
It'll give you an idea of the situation on the ground. It's flooding and landslides killed at least 51 people in southeastern Bangladesh after days of torrential monsoonal rain.
Now, the country's disaster management ministry stated that continued heavy rain kept more than 1,000,000 people stranded on Sunday.
In the Hill District, flooded highways and landslides cut off Rd. links and rising rivers forced many to leave their homes.
The floodwaters did begin to recede Sunday afternoon as residents began to assess the damage in the area, though I don't think that we're going to be seeing the end of the rain at least anytime soon as that pattern continues to take hold.
Now, The onset of the southwest monsoon is now pretty much done in terms of tracking it as we went through the months of June and July, now way over into parts of Pakistan, in fact.
And it looks like that it's going to be in place for some time, though not the whole of India will be seeing rain, mostly towards the east into Bangladesh as we go forward in time.
Looking at the forecast here, I mean, anywhere up toward Kathmandu, into Kolkata, in the general region, toward the east, looking at rain and thunderstorms, and that extends also over to Nuda and Varanasi, but down toward the south, it's dry and hot.
Chennai, looking at a high of 39 as we go through Tuesday.
Meanwhile, looking at what's happening across East Asia, we have Bavi, which is hitting the eastern side of China, bringing lots of rainfall into the region, spraying toward the north and east.
And we're keeping eye on a couple of tropical systems in the area, one way down toward the south and influencing the monsoonal pattern, and eventually we'll be into places like the Philippines as it moves through the area.
And it's starting to heat up as well, mid-30s from Shanghai into Beijing, Tokyo, 33, part of clear sky on Tuesday.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:27:35 話者 1
That's all for this edition of NHK Newsline.
Thank you very much for watching and hope you'll join us again.
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NHK World
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