NHK WORLD News 🇯🇵

⁣Tokyo Game Show opens with wide range of exhibitors The Tokyo Game Show has kicked off, showcasing the latest games and related products by exhibitors from various industries. The five-day event opened on Thursday at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City, near Tokyo. This year marks 30 years since the annual event began. A record 1,138 companies and organizations from 53 countries and regions are taking part this year. A company in Tokyo that handles high-precision spatial data used for autonomous driving technology introduced uses of actual townscapes and road data in racing games. Another company known for its popular characters launched its own game brand this year and is introducing a new rhythm and dance game at the event. The company's Managing Executive Officer Hamasaki Kosuke said that in the growing game market, he believes creating opportunities for people to interact with his company's characters is important. He added that this is why the company decided to participate in the game market. Games incorporating generative AI technology are also being showcased. One of them is a game produced by a South Korean company that allows players to hold natural conversations with game characters. A story proceeds according to the conversations. The company says it wants players to feel a connection with the characters through the conversations. The Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association, or CESA, is the organizer of the game show. CESA Chairman Tsujimoto Haruhiro said that a synergy effect can be expected as different industries enter the market and diverse personnel get involved, leading to an increase in the gaming population. He said the association will continue to promote the game industry and develop human resources. The Tokyo Game Show will be open to the public from Saturday to Monday. Read Full Article HERE or click watch clip button if available #Japan,#Biz_Tech #More_to_read @NHKworld

⁣UN finds 'reasonable grounds' for US war crime in Iran A UN human rights mission says there are reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed a war crime by launching a fatal missile attack on a school in southern Iran earlier this year. A Human Rights Council fact-finding mission on Iran released a report on Thursday. The mission investigated a strike on an elementary school in Minab, Hormozgan province, in February that left at least 160 people dead, including children. The New York Times had reported that the US military mistakenly set its target based on outdated data. The UN investigative team noted that the elementary school had been operating in converted structures of Iran's elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It said the US "failed in its obligation to do everything feasible to verify that it was a military objective" and launched the airstrike "while being aware of a substantial risk of striking a civilian object." The mission said it found reasonable grounds to believe that the US committed the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in the loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects. The report also covered attacks on a gymnasium and an elementary school in the southern Iranian town of Lamerd in February. At least 20 people were killed. It said the US military fired a missile that scattered small metal pellets in residential areas. It said that strike too could amount to a war crime. A US State Department official commented on the report. The official said the Trump administration formally withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council as it pushes anti-American rhetoric and antisemitism. The official added that the US does not give credibility to the findings of the UN report, and that the protection of civilians is of the utmost importance to the US. Read Full Article HERE or click watch clip button if available #World #More_to_read @NHKworld

⁣Canada signals intention to step up cooperation with EU Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says his country will strengthen cooperation with the European Union in a wide range of fields, including economy and defense. Carney addressed the European Parliament on Thursday in Strasbourg, France. He said, "Together, Canada and the European Union can anchor our ground to hold our values while forming a protective canopy under which our citizens can thrive." He mentioned deepening cooperation in critical minerals, defense industrial capacity, AI and energy security and other fields. He said the cooperation should be based on common values such as open markets and the rule of law. The remarks came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday proposed opening the door for Canada to be the first "associate member" of the EU. Carney said at a news conference that the nomenclature of "associate member" is "a question for Europe" and that "what matters is the substance." The remarks come amid Canada's worsening relations with the United States over tariffs. US President Donald Trump has signaled that he is monitoring the deepening cooperation between the EU and Canada. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that if he thinks the EU is committing "a hostile act," he will "put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things." US and European media are giving Carney's visit to Europe extensive coverage. The New York Times says Trump wanted Canada as the 51st state, but ended up pushing the country toward the EU. Read Full Article HERE or click watch clip button if available #World #More_to_read @NHKworld

⁣US turns up pressure on Japan over potato imports NHK has learned the US has once again urged Japan to accelerate procedures to fully open the domestic market to American potatoes. Sources say the talks took place when senior Japanese officials visited the US earlier this month. Tokyo bans the import of most raw potatoes due to concerns over diseases and pests. But the Japanese agriculture ministry is now moving forward with the process of lifting the restriction following the US request. The ministry is expected to identify relevant diseases and pests at a meeting on Friday. It will then move on to discussions on specific risk-reduction measures. Some in the US potato industry say it's taken Japan too long to respond to the US request. Japanese potato farmers and others strongly oppose lifting the ban. They say it could deal a heavy blow to the country's agriculture sector. But the ministry says it is going ahead with the process based on scientific evidence. Read Full Article HERE or click watch clip button if available #Biz_Tech #More_to_read @NHKworld

⁣Dujuan may approach Tokyo's Ogasawara Islands Severe Tropical Storm Dujuan is expected to come near Tokyo's Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific through Saturday. Weather officials are calling on people to be on the alert for storm-related incidents, such as high waves, strong winds and landslides. The Japan Meteorological Agency says the storm was moving west-north-west over waters south-east of Chichijima Island as of 9 a.m. on Friday at a speed of about 40 kilometers per hour. The storm has a central atmospheric pressure of 975 hectopascals. It has maximum sustained winds of 108 kilometers per hour near its center and maximum gusts of 162 kilometers per hour. Violent winds of more than 90 kilometers per hour are blowing within a 110-kilometer radius of its center. The agency says the storm is expected to approach the islands with a maximum wind speed of 83 kilometers per hour and a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 126 kilometers per hour. Rough seas are expected with waves of 7 meters. Heavy rain with thunder is also forecast. Up to 150 millimeters of rain could fall on the islands in the 24 hours to Saturday morning. People are advised to also be on the alert for lightning strikes and gusty winds. The storm is expected to move north to come near the Izu Islands on Sunday, and then approach the Pacific coast of eastern Japan, including the Kanto region, through around Monday. In the 24 hours through Sunday morning, 120 millimeters of rain is expected for Izu, 100 millimeters for Ogasawara, and 80 millimeters for Kanto. Up to 200 millimeters of rain may fall in Kanto and Izu in the 24 hours through Monday morning. The agency says rain clouds will spread to the north of the storm, and people in Pacific coastal areas of the Tokai to Tohoku regions should watch out for possible alert-level heavy rain from Sunday through around Monday, even before the storm approaches. The weather may affect traffic during the upcoming consecutive holidays. People are advised to check the latest weather information. Read Full Article HERE or click watch clip button if available #Japan #More_to_read @NHKworld

⁣Taiwan to donate patrol ship to the Philippines Taiwan's Coast Guard is to donate a patrol vessel to the Philippines, apparently aiming to deepen cooperation in dealing with China. Sources say the Coast Guard has decided to give a retired 500-ton-class vessel to the Southeast Asian country. Taiwan does not have diplomatic relations with the Philippines. It is said to be the first time for Taiwan to provide such a vessel to the Philippines. Taiwan has provided vessels to some countries with which it has diplomatic ties, including the Marshall Islands and Palau. The Coast Guard commented that Taiwan will continue to expand cooperation and exchanges in marine research and humanitarian assistance. The decision comes as Chinese Coast Guard vessels and research ships are stepping up activities in waters around Taiwan. The Philippines and China have overlapping maritime claims in the South China Sea. Ships from the two countries have clashed in the waters. The decision to donate the patrol vessel is believed to be an attempt to team up with the Philippines to respond to China, which is applying pressure with so-called "gray zone" operations that do not amount to armed attacks. Read Full Article HERE or click watch clip button if available #Asia #More_to_read @NHKworld

⁣Researchers: warming, quake among likely factors of floods Researchers studying the catastrophic flood along the border between Nepal and China say the likely trigger was a combination of factors, including global warming and a past earthquake. The international research group World Weather Attribution released a report Thursday based on weather and topography data, as well as satellite images. The report says global warming caused glaciers to melt and grow thin. Temperatures were higher than average this summer, and even at high elevations there was rain, rather than snow, leaving slopes unstable. The report also says a magnitude 7.8 quake in Nepal in 2015 may have weakened the underlying rock mass. The group says Nepal has early warning systems and adaptation measures in place, but this flood was fundamentally different in its magnitude, speed and complexity. It adds that in order to minimize risks in the future, there must be a transition away from fossil fuels. Since the disaster, over 1,400 people have been confirmed dead, and over 6,600 are still missing. Read Full Article HERE or click watch clip button if available #Asia #More_to_read @NHKworld

⁣Malaysia's former PM Najib granted house arrest Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will be allowed to serve the rest of his prison term in house arrest if he pays a fine. He was convicted of corruption regarding the 1MDB state fund. A board chaired by the country's king granted the pardon. Najib has been in prison since 2022. He was found guilty of charges including graft and money laundering as part of a financial scandal involving billions of dollars. The pardon allows him to stay under house arrest until August 23, 2028, if he pays a fine of about 12 million dollars. Najib was also sentenced to 15 years in a separate 1MDB case. That term is set to start after the current one ends, but he is appealing that case. Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing, but did apologize for his handling of the scandal. Read Full Article HERE or click watch clip button if available #Asia #More_to_read @NHKworld

⁣Fiji declares HIV emergency as cases surge Fiji has declared a national emergency regarding HIV cases, after the latest estimate that one in 60 adults is infected. The move will allow more resources for testing and treatment. A statement from the government says it is expanding access to free testing, preventive medicine and treatment. It adds that a person's HIV status is confidential, and discrimination against those infected is unlawful. Health Minister Atonio Lalabalavu said,“This decision recognizes the seriousness of the epidemic and the urgent, coordinated response our country now needs.” Authorities say last year there were 2,016 new cases, or 16 times the number from 2019. They say one in every 50 pregnant women is living with HIV. Last year, 59 babies were born infected, with 18 dying before their first birthday. Factors behind the spread include drug use and sharing needles. Experts say drug traffickers use Fiji and other island nations as hubs. Read Full Article HERE or click watch clip button if available #Asia #More_to_read @NHKworld

⁣Poland on alert after new Russian attack in Ukraine The Polish government is on high alert following a new Russian drone attack in western Ukraine on Thursday. The Polish military said on the same day that it had scrambled its aircraft to guard the country's airspace near the border with neighboring Ukraine. Poland's government called on residents in the area to evacuate to safe locations. It later lifted the alert, saying there had been no impact on Polish territory. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk later said at a news conference that the Russian drone attack had caused a massive explosion at a gas station in Ukraine. He stressed the government's intention to step up vigilance, saying it is now focused on how to safeguard Poland. A passenger train linking Poland and Ukraine was attacked by a Russian drone on the Ukrainian side of the border on Sunday. Read Full Article HERE or click watch clip button if available #World #More_to_read @NHKworld

⁣Japan arranging Takaichi-Trump summit Arrangements are underway for Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae to hold talks with US President Donald Trump next week in the United States on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Takaichi is due to travel to New York to deliver a speech during the General Debate at the UN headquarters. She is expected to outline how Japan plans to contribute internationally in light of the situation in the Middle East. If a summit with Trump goes ahead, the two leaders will likely discuss cooperation in a wide range of areas, including national and economic security, and reaffirm the importance of the bilateral alliance. Takaichi is also expected to reiterate Japan's stance on its strained relations with China and seek to align views with Trump ahead of his planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week. Read Full Article HERE or click watch clip button if available #Japan #More_to_read @NHKworld

⁣Japanese researchers receive Lasker Awards for medicine Four Japanese scientists have attended a ceremony to receive the Lasker Awards, widely recognized as the most prestigious medical honor in the United States and a potential precursor to a Nobel Prize. The winners of the 2026 Lasker Awards were presented with commemorative trophies at the event held in New York on Thursday. University of Tsukuba Professor Yanagisawa Masashi shared the Basic Medical Research Award with a Stanford University professor for their discovery of a substance called orexin that is involved in sleep control. The studies led to the development of medication for narcolepsy, a disorder that causes sudden, overwhelming urges to sleep. Yanagisawa said a series of interviews with foreign media made the honor sink in. Noting that a drug based on the studies was approved last month, he said he believes he won the award as the basic research delivered results. Yanagisawa said studies on sleep had received little attention for a long time, so he's pleased to win recognition. Three researchers from Japan's Chugai Pharmaceutical collected the Clinical Medical Research Award for developing a drug for hemophilia A. Hattori Kunihiro, Kitazawa Takehisa and Igawa Tomoyuki found an antibody that mimics a protein, whose shortage makes it difficult to stop bleeding. Kitazawa said he was deeply touched when a patient thanked him for changing the person's quality of life. As a pioneer, he said he hopes to further contribute to the future of medicine. Read Full Article HERE or click watch clip button if available #World,#Japan #More_to_read @NHKworld

⁣Severe tropical storm could approach Japan's main island A severe tropical storm is bringing heavy rain and violent winds to remote parts of Japan. Authorities say it could approach the Kanto region, including Tokyo. High waves, landslides and flooding are possible. Meteorological Agency officials say Severe Tropical Storm Dujuan was 270 kilometers west of Chichijima Island in the Ogasawara Island chain as of noon on Saturday. Up to 120 millimeters of rain is forecast in the 24 hours through Sunday morning. Dujuan is expected to approach the Izu Islands south of Tokyo on Sunday and possibly affect areas along Japan's Pacific side through Tuesday, including Kanto and Shizuoka Prefecture. Rain will likely intensify ahead of the storm. In the 24 hours through Tuesday morning, up to 300 millimeters is forecast for the Izu islands and Kanto. The Tokai region could see 200 millimeters. Meanwhile, heavy rain hit parts of Miyazaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan. An elderly woman died in Nichinan City after a mountain slope near a house collapsed. People are advised to check the latest information and prepare early. Read Full Article HERE or click watch clip button if available #Japan #highlights @NHKworld

⁣Malaysia's former PM Najib granted house arrest Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will be allowed to serve the rest of his prison term in house arrest if he pays a fine. He was convicted of corruption regarding the 1MDB state fund. A board chaired by the country's king granted the pardon. Najib has been in prison since 2022. He was found guilty of charges including graft and money laundering as part of a financial scandal involving billions of dollars. The pardon allows him to stay under house arrest until August 23, 2028, if he pays a fine of about 12 million dollars. Najib was also sentenced to 15 years in a separate 1MDB case. That term is set to start after the current one ends, but he is appealing that case. Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing, but did apologize for his handling of the scandal. Read Full Article HERE #Asia @NHKworld

⁣NBC: Pentagon weighing drastic troop drawdown in Europe The US Defense Department is reportedly considering withdrawing tens of thousands of troops from Europe. US-based NBC News carried the report on Thursday, citing current and former US and other Western officials. It said the cuts could reach 25,000, or roughly one-third of the total, or even up to 40,000, or half. NBC said Germany, Italy and Spain are among the countries that would likely be affected, adding that the leaders of all three nations have clashed with President Donald Trump over the US military operation against Iran. NBC says the prospect of a dramatic US troop reduction has alarmed both parties in the US Congress and European governments. It says opponents of the plan believe the cuts will "invite Russian aggression, sow doubts among US partners in other parts of the world and deprive the American military of logistical hubs that enable the United States to move its forces quickly to the Middle East or Africa." The Trump administration has been pressing other NATO members to play a bigger role in their own defense. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month review of the US military presence in Europe at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in June. A Pentagon official told NHK that the department is engaging extensively with the State Department, Congress, NATO and US allies as part of the review. The official added that "the review is still ongoing." Read Full Article HERE #World @NHKworld

⁣Dujuan may approach Tokyo's Ogasawara Islands Severe Tropical Storm Dujuan is expected to come near Tokyo's Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific through Saturday. Weather officials are calling on people to be on the alert for storm-related incidents, such as high waves, strong winds and landslides. The Japan Meteorological Agency says the storm was moving west-north-west over waters south-east of Chichijima Island as of 9 a.m. on Friday at a speed of about 40 kilometers per hour. The storm has a central atmospheric pressure of 975 hectopascals. It has maximum sustained winds of 108 kilometers per hour near its center and maximum gusts of 162 kilometers per hour. Violent winds of more than 90 kilometers per hour are blowing within a 110-kilometer radius of its center. The agency says the storm is expected to approach the islands with a maximum wind speed of 83 kilometers per hour and a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 126 kilometers per hour. Rough seas are expected with waves of 7 meters. Heavy rain with thunder is also forecast. Up to 150 millimeters of rain could fall on the islands in the 24 hours to Saturday morning. People are advised to also be on the alert for lightning strikes and gusty winds. The storm is expected to move north to come near the Izu Islands on Sunday, and then approach the Pacific coast of eastern Japan, including the Kanto region, through around Monday. In the 24 hours through Sunday morning, 120 millimeters of rain is expected for Izu, 100 millimeters for Ogasawara, and 80 millimeters for Kanto. Up to 200 millimeters of rain may fall in Kanto and Izu in the 24 hours through Monday morning. The agency says rain clouds will spread to the north of the storm, and people in Pacific coastal areas of the Tokai to Tohoku regions should watch out for possible alert-level heavy rain from Sunday through around Monday, even before the storm approaches. The weather may affect traffic during the upcoming consecutive holidays. People are advised to check the latest weather information. Read Full Article HERE #Japan @NHKworld