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00:00Welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Yamasawa Rina and I'm Raja Prada. Over 1,200 are dead after
00:15torrential rain and flooding in South and Southeast Asia. It's one of the region's
00:21worst natural disasters in years. For more, let's go straight to Rosalind Devavalia at
00:26our Bureau in Bangkok. Rosalind. Disaster management officials in Indonesia say the
00:32death toll on the western island of Sumatra has passed 700. They say more than 400 people are
00:39still missing. Some areas recorded over 300 millimeters of rain a day last week when the
00:45region was in the grip of a cyclone, a highly unusual weather event for Sumatra.
00:50My home and business are gone. The shop is gone and there's nothing left. I can only live near
01:00this one remaining wall. President Prabowo Subianto visited disaster-hit communities on Monday and
01:08pledged to get fuel and other essentials in as quickly as possible. He said areas without power
01:14could expect to be back online soon. The scale of the disaster is also becoming clearer in Sri Lanka,
01:20where authorities say 410 people have died in flooding and landslides. Local media report the
01:27military is using helicopters to rescue stranded residents and deliver food. Japan plans to send
01:34a medical team to Sri Lanka on Wednesday to assist with the recovery. Satellite images reveal the vast
01:41scale of the damage to the South Asian country. In the biggest city, Colombo, torrents of muddy river
01:47water have swamped surrounding areas, inundating homes and other buildings. Days of torrential rain have
01:53also left a swath of damage across southern Thailand, killing 170 people there. A major Thai bank estimates
02:01the overall economic impact will come to about $780 million. It says the flooding submerged many
02:09commercial facilities and farms. Joining us now is NHK's Jakarta Bureau Chief, Yoshimoto Akinori, who's in Sumatra.
02:16Akinori, can you tell us what you're seeing there?
02:20I'm at the shelter on the outskirts of the city of Medan. It's in North Sumatra province, near areas that were heavily
02:30flooded a few days ago. There are about 500 people sheltering here.
02:37I can't go home in this situation. I'm currently alone and I can't get in touch with my children.
02:43The local government says this shelter and others like it across the province are housing more than a half a million people.
02:58Earlier, I visited a disaster response center. People there are working non-stop to get food, water and other aids out to affected people.
03:08The government has a major humanitarian challenge on its hands. Where does it begin?
03:15The first thing is to get really quickly to people who need it. That is crucial.
03:22Another thing is to rebuild infrastructure and limit the economic pull-ups.
03:27When I arrived here, I saw a long line of cars and motorbikes at the gas station.
03:34That's because roads in and out are damaged, so there's a shortage of fuel.
03:39One man told us he'd been waiting there for hours.
03:43So while the rescue and aid work is an immediate concern, the Indonesian government also has to think about rebuilding whole communities.
03:52It will be a huge task.
03:57Thank you, Akinori. That was NHK World's Yoshimoto Akinori reporting on the rescue effort.
04:03And that wraps up our bulletin. I'm Rosalind de Bovalia in Bangkok.
04:09Nearly two years after a powerful earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in central Japan, the pace of recovery is still low.
04:19The quake on New Year's Day last year claimed more than 600 lives, including those who died later from related causes.
04:29It also devastated an area already suffering from population decline and with a high ratio of elderly residents.
04:38These factors have hindered reconstruction efforts, but there is another problem too.
04:44Many buildings damaged in the disaster are still standing today, and demolishing them is easier said than done.
04:53NHK World's Yamao Kazuhiro explains why.
04:56In Wajima City, the New Year's Day earthquake left this wooden house on the brink of collapse.
05:07Local residents are worried it could fall at any moment.
05:13The house could collapse under the weight of snow. That's what I'm worried about.
05:20Next-door neighbor Nakamori Koichi has been unable to repair his own house because the building is leaning against it.
05:34There's no way I can get repairs done. I can't even set up scaffolding. I hope it will be demolished quickly.
05:44When the disaster struck, Nakamori was living with his mother, who is in her 80s.
05:51She is still staying with a relative outside the city. Out of fear, the house next door might collapse.
06:00I can't bring my mother back here. It's obvious to anyone. If we have another quake, it will fall down. I'm scared about snow too.
06:10The reason some buildings damaged by the quake have been left standing is because there's no owner or ill.
06:21After investigating, the city found that Nakamori's neighbor had passed away.
06:28But local authorities cannot demolish a house without the consent of the owner.
06:35NHK has learned there are a total of 114 such cases in seven municipalities in the Noto Peninsula.
06:48Wajima City is now using a special procedure in an effort to get them torn down.
06:56It has filed a request with a court, so it can appoint an agent in place of the owner.
07:06This will allow it to demolish a house with the agent's consent.
07:13It can take months to identify the owner, or in some cases, even more than a year.
07:19If we still don't have any luck, we'll use the special procedure.
07:24We can't demolish private properties on our own. It's frustrating, but we'll do what we can.
07:29We are now joined by NHK World's Yamao Kazuhiro, who filed this report.
07:40So Kazuhiro, it seems these abandoned houses are creating a real headache for the authorities, right?
07:46Yes. They say it's a serious problem. Vacant properties damaged in the quake have become an obstacle for reconstruction efforts.
07:56And as you saw in the report, they are making it hard for some people to return to their homes.
08:04Many of these buildings are very unstable. With snow season on the way, concerns are growing about the threats they pose.
08:15So the most, the North Peninsula has a declining population, and a lot of elderly residents.
08:24When homeowners die, sometimes their properties remain vacant.
08:29And the authorities cannot just tear them down.
08:34This issue was clear even before the disaster. But it's now become even more pressing.
08:42So Kazuhiro, how are local governments trying to solve the problem?
08:46The only way they can do it is by filing a request with the court.
08:53So they can tear down these houses legally.
08:57But given the number of such cases, it takes time.
09:02An expert says a new system should be considered that allows demolition without the consent of owners.
09:12The North Peninsula is far from the only place in Japan that suffers from population decline.
09:21And disasters speed up that decline, which leads to even more vacant houses.
09:29So in a way, this is a good lesson for the rest of the country.
09:36But we should also remember that this is just one of the issues that the North region is now facing.
09:44We should not forget all the people there who have lost so much and are still trying to rebuild their lives.
09:54I really hope they will soon have something to celebrate at New Year.
09:58Thank you very much for your insight, Kazuhiro.
10:24Thank you very much.
10:25Thank you very much.
10:54Hong Kong's chief executive says the government will launch an independent probe into the deadly apartment fire last week that killed over 150 people.
11:11Survivors of the Blades say authorities had failed to act when they raised concerns about flammable materials used in renovation work at the site.
11:22John Lee has vowed to uncover what caused the fire.
11:27I will establish an independent committee to conduct comprehensive and in-depth review to reform the building work system and prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
11:42The death toll from the blaze now stands at 151 people with over 30 still unaccounted for.
11:49Investigators suspect the fire started in protective netting around the scaffolding used for renovation work that had begun last year.
11:57Authorities have already arrested over 10 people including executives from companies involved in the work.
12:03Residents say authorities had called on the construction firm conducting the renovations to take appropriate fire prevention measures.
12:10They also say authorities claimed the netting met fire safety standards and did not order the firm to stop the work.
12:17Residents say flammable foam boards used in the renovations may have helped spread the flames.
12:23This architect had been working with them on the matter.
12:27The government failed to strengthen legal systems and regulations.
12:34It also didn't take measures to prevent problems.
12:37These are the main cause of this incident.
12:40Media outlets say a university student was arrested on suspicion of sedition after handing out flyers urging people to sign an online petition demanding a probe into possible corruption.
12:53Before his arrest, he had called the fire a man-made disaster.
12:58He was reportedly later released.
13:00China has sent a second letter to the United Nations chief demanding that Japanese Prime Minister Takahichi Sanae retract her remarks about Taiwan.
13:12Last month, Takahichi said a Taiwan emergency involving the use of force could be considered a situation threatening the survival of Japan.
13:23Fu Song is China's permanent representative to the UN.
13:28He said on Monday that he had sent another letter to Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
13:34The news dispatch is an effort to dispute Japan's reaction to China's initial letter sent on November 21st.
13:44Fu's letter on Monday said Japan's response had groundlessly accused his country and sought to shift blame.
13:52He wrote that China firmly opposes this.
13:55The letter says the direct cause of the current differences between the two countries is Takahichi's provocative remarks during diet questioning.
14:06It calls those remarks erroneous and says they openly challenged the post-war international order.
14:14Japan's permanent representative to the UN said in his reply to the initial letter last month that China's claims were inconsistent with the facts and unsubstantiated.
14:29Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru told reporters on Tuesday that he's aware of the latest letter.
14:37Japan's position has been consistent.
14:43Japan has repeatedly conveyed to China that its assertions about a change in position are absolutely incorrect.
14:53Kihara said China's arguments cannot possibly be recognized and the government will continue to respond appropriately.
15:02In other news, Russia claims its forces have captured the strategic city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
15:10Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says fighting continues in the area.
15:15The Kremlin said on Monday, President Vladimir Putin had been informed the day before of the battlefield gains by Russia's military.
15:23Pokrovsk is a road and rail hub for Ukraine to transport troops and supplies.
15:29Moscow has launched a full-scale assault on the city, which it views as a major foothold for expanding its area of control.
15:37Speaking to reporters Monday during a visit to France, Zelensky said there was intense fighting taking place in Pokrovsk and on other parts of the front line.
15:46Losing the eastern hub would be a blow to Kyiv.
15:50While Russia is claiming victory in Pokrovsk, the U.S. Special Envoy is heading to Moscow to hash out the terms of a peace deal.
16:00Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has confirmed Steve Witkoff is expected to meet with Putin on Tuesday.
16:10The meeting comes after Witkoff sat down with Ukrainian delegates over the weekend.
16:15Meanwhile, Zelensky met with French President Emmanuel Macron to shore up support in Europe.
16:23The Ukrainian president said the issue of territory was the most complicated part of the plan.
16:30The details of that plan haven't been disclosed, but its sticking points will likely include Crimea, which Russia unilaterally annexed, and eastern regions where Moscow continues its offensive.
16:45Last month, Putin demanded official recognition of these areas as Russian territory and threatened to continue launching attacks unless Ukrainian troops withdraw.
16:57There also appears to be disagreement over security guarantees for Ukraine.
17:04The issue of security guarantees is also crucial. We need concrete commitments from the U.S. and Europe.
17:12Macron's office says the two heads of state also spoke with European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to rally their support.
17:23Investors have poured billions into AI. Have they gone overboard or will it pay off?
17:38Let's bring in Yanaka Murray from our business team.
17:41So, Murray, the big question in the markets has been, is this a bubble, right? So what can you tell us about that?
17:46Well, one of Japan's top enthusiasts sounds more confident than ever.
17:51SoftBank Group chairman and CEO Son Masayoshi is doubling down on artificial intelligence.
17:58He thinks AI is said to make huge contributions to the global economy.
18:03The head of the technology and investment conglomerate also dismissed concerns about overinvestment, saying he's confident the company will recoup its massive spending in a short period.
18:16I would say at least 10% of global GDP would be substituted by superintelligence and physical AI robots.
18:29Son made the comments at an investment forum in Tokyo.
18:32He believes that AI could become 10,000 to 100,000 times smarter than humans in the coming decades.
18:39This potential, he states, is driving the surge in AI-related shares.
18:44And investors who see the industry in a bubble are not smart enough.
18:49In regards to SoftBank's unexpected sale of its holdings in AI chip giant NVIDIA, he explained that he wanted to keep the stake and was crying over the divestment, but needed to raise funds for other AI projects.
19:04Now, on to another innovation, autonomous driving.
19:08Many businesses have their hopes pinned on the next generation vehicles as Japan struggles with the shortage of delivery drivers.
19:16But the wait will soon be over for the nation's biggest convenience store chain.
19:20It's gearing up to start tests of a self-driving truck.
19:257-Eleven Japan will work with T2, a Tokyo-based company developing an unmanned driving system.
19:32Mitsuyen Company Retail Group will also be involved.
19:36The companies say they'll carry out three tests on an expressway by April.
19:41These experiments will utilize Level 2 automated driving, meaning a driver remains on board but keeps their hands off the wheel.
19:517-Eleven Japan says this is the first such trial by the country's convenience store and supermarket industry.
19:58This is a way to address the shortage of drivers.
20:03The convenience store industry is counting heavily on autonomous driving.
20:07We hope to complete the test successfully and move on to the next stage.
20:11The trucks will be transporting actual goods during the test to assess the system's problems and potential profitability.
20:19Staying with vehicles, the head of Nissan Motor is on a mission to turn the struggling firm around.
20:27The company posted a net loss of over 220 billion yen, or about $1.4 billion, for the six-month period through September.
20:38President and CEO Ivan Espinosa from Mexico took the reins in April.
20:44NHK interviewed him about his plans to revitalize the Japanese automaker.
20:50We spoke with Espinosa as Nissan reels from slow sales and U.S. tariffs.
20:56What does he believe to be the fundamental cause of the company's troubles?
21:00I think there were some missteps in the direction of a company.
21:06We were trying to grow to 8 million cars per year.
21:10And there were many investments done to achieve or try to achieve those levels.
21:15But unfortunately, we never get there.
21:17The peak was 5.7 million or so.
21:20But the structure of a company remained like that.
21:23So we are now having to resize the company.
21:26And this unfortunately forced us to make some painful decisions like closing some manufacturing sites.
21:32Nissan built out to pursue an aggressive expansion plan.
21:36But sales didn't grow as expected, saddling the automaker with a glut of excess capacity that weighed on earnings.
21:43Espinosa's aim has been to trim the firm's operations to a more feasible size.
21:50That meant tough decisions to reduce the number of plans and cut jobs.
21:55The CEO has also been trying to change the company's culture.
22:00The firm recently rolled out a way to cut through communicative red tape.
22:05The system, called Call Me Ivan, allows employees to send questions or proposals directly to Espinosa and receive answers.
22:14He says he gets about 200 messages a week.
22:18And this was very time consuming because the divisions were arguing between each other.
22:24Whose merit is this or who has achieved the target?
22:28And this adds no value because you are not talking about real improvement in performance of a company.
22:33And you are not creating any value for the customers.
22:36I think we have to change to be quicker, to work together without silos and to be as one team collaborating towards the same goal.
22:45Have a very open environment where the people can communicate to management in a very open way.
22:51But beyond the changes to costs and culture, Espinosa believes that the key still comes back to making cars that people want to drive.
23:04Next summer, Nissan will launch a new version of its flagship high-end minivan for the first time in 16 years.
23:10It also plans to roll out new hybrid models in the U.S. where demand for hybrids remains strong.
23:17The first part of the plan was to talk about all the restructuring and all the cost efforts that we are doing.
23:24And I think this is also what has not helped the public opinion about Nissan.
23:30But now we are moving to a second stage of the plan.
23:33So it's giving me confidence that when we make a good car, a car that is differentiated and unique,
23:39you can really, really excite customers and bring customers into the showroom and make sales.
23:45Nissan aims to achieve operating profit, excluding the impact of Trump's tariffs, in the next fiscal year.
23:52Espinosa also said that despite canceled plans for a merger with Honda Motor earlier this year,
23:59the two automakers are still holding constructive talks on cooperation.
24:04Now, a check on the markets. Let's start with bond yields.
24:09The rate on the benchmark 10-year government bond, which jumped to a 17-year high on Monday,
24:15edged up again to hit 1.88 percent in Tuesday's morning session.
24:20But the yield came down after demand for new bond issuances saw healthy demand.
24:25Still, the rate remained higher than before BOJ Governor Ueda signaled that a rate hike could be on the cards this month.
24:32Moving on to stocks, the Nikkei average closed barely changed.
24:37Factory automation giant FanX surged 6.5 percent after announcing a collaboration with NVIDIA to integrate AI in industrial robots.
24:47Looking at the rest of the Asia-Pacific now, most benchmarks closed higher.
24:52Seoul's Kospi was the outperformer, jumping 1.9 percent.
24:56That's after the U.S. commerce chief announced that the care freight on imports from South Korea would drop to 15 percent, retroactive to November 1st.
25:06Car makers surged as autos are included in this measure.
25:10And that's the biz for this Tuesday.
25:13The
25:31I
25:35I
25:37So Rina, it's already December and we've been talking about how parts of Japan are already gearing up for a bitter blast.
25:54Right, but here in Tokyo it's been quite comfortable weather the past few days, but now we're getting ready for the drop in temperature.
26:00Yes, definitely. So let's now check the 3D outlook for selected cities across the globe.
26:07We'll see you next time.
26:37We'll see you next time.
27:17And that wraps up this edition of Newsroom Tokyo.
27:19Don't forget, you can always catch our program on our website as well.
27:23I'm Roger Paran.
27:25And I'm Yamasawa Rina.
27:27Thank you very much for watching.
27:29Please join us again tomorrow.
27:37I'm Yamasawa Rina.
27:41I'm Everything.
27:42Tomorrow.
27:43Okay.
27:44Go check him out tomorrow.
27:46Say tomorrow.
27:47Bye-bye.
27:49Bye.
27:50Bye-bye.
27:51Bye-bye.
27:53You
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