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00:00Welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Yamasawa Rina.
00:15And I'm Raja Prada.
00:16Here are the headlines.
00:17The group involved in a recent robbery attempt at Tokyo's Haneda Airport is still at large,
00:23but police think they've found one of the getaway cars.
00:27U.S. immigration officers deployed in Minneapolis will be issued body cameras
00:32following uproar over the fatal shootings of two civilians in the city.
00:37And Japanese police meet their counterparts in Bangkok to discuss human trafficking
00:42in response to the case of a Thai girl forced to provide sexual services in Tokyo.
00:49Japanese police think they have found a getaway car used in an attempted robbery last Friday
00:55at a parking lot at Tokyo's Haneda Airport.
00:59A group of would-be thieves tried to make off with Japanese yen worth about 1.2 million dollars.
01:05A white vehicle was found later the same day abandoned along a river in Kanagawa Prefecture.
01:13That's over 30 kilometers from the crime scene.
01:17Investigators say the car was covered with fire suppressant.
01:23They add it had been stolen and had no license plates when it was found.
01:28Police believe the perpetrators are on the run in Japan.
01:32The crime took place several hours after another group was robbed of cash
01:38worth more than 2.5 million dollars in Taito Ward in the Japanese capital.
01:44Police believe three suspects in that robbery are also still in the country.
01:50Heavy snow has caused casualties and damage across parts of Japan.
01:55Government officials say 30 people have died due to harsh winter conditions and snow-related accidents since January 20th.
02:05Aomori City recorded snow accumulation of 1.71 meters as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.
02:11That's about two and a half times the average amount it usually gets.
02:15Accumulation in the cities of Shinjo, Kazuno, Nagaoka and Sapporo was also much more than usual.
02:21The weight of the snow has crushed garages and other structures in Niigata Prefecture and elsewhere.
02:28The Meteorological Agency says the winter pressure pattern has eased and snowfall has let up in many areas along the Sea of Japan coast.
02:36The snow may melt as temperatures are forecast to rise on Wednesday and Thursday.
02:41People are advised to be careful of avalanches and snow falling from roofs.
02:46A low pressure system developing from Friday to Saturday could cause rough conditions again in northern Japan.
02:53The effects of a powerful winter pressure pattern could bring heavy snow to wide areas along the Sea of Japan coast around Sunday.
03:01The Japanese government says more people moved to the capital Tokyo than left during 2025.
03:08But the net population inflow slowed for the first time in four years.
03:15The Internal Affairs Ministry says over 451,000 people, including foreign nationals, moved to the capital last year while around 387,000 left.
03:25That translates to a net inflow of about 65,000.
03:29It's the 12th straight year Tokyo has posted a net gain in population since comparable data first became available in 2014.
03:38But the size of the increase was down by about 14,000 from the previous year.
03:43Six other prefectures also saw net inflows, including Tokyo's neighbors Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba.
03:52The US Department of Homeland Security says all immigration officers deployed in Minneapolis will begin wearing body cameras effective immediately.
04:10The move comes as the administration faces mounting criticism for the fatal shootings of two civilians by federal agents in the city.
04:20Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on social media on Monday that body cameras would be issued to every officer in the field in Minneapolis.
04:31She added the measure will be rolled out nationwide as funding is available.
04:37Noem said the move was made after talks with so-called border czar Tom Horman, who is supervising the crackdown in Minnesota, and officials from Immigration and Customers Enforcement and Customers and Border Protection.
04:52Senate Democrats have been refusing to approve funding for the Department of Homeland Security without reforms to how ICE and other agencies operate.
05:03One of their stated conditions is requiring agents to wear body cameras.
05:09U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a $12 billion initiative to create a national stockpile of critical minerals such as rare earths.
05:19It's aimed at helping to ease U.S. dependence on China for the key components used in high-tech production.
05:25Trump said on Monday, automakers and other manufacturers will be able to tap the plan's strategic reserve.
05:32He said the U.S. already has a stockpile for national defense, but the new one would be the first for American industry.
05:38The U.S. Export-Import Bank is slated to provide $10 billion of seed money for the project through loans.
05:45The rest of the funding will come from the private sector.
05:48The stockpile would help U.S. companies hedge against risks, including supply shortages and price fluctuations.
05:55The Trump administration is aiming to reduce dependence on China, which dominates the market for rare earths and other critical minerals.
06:03Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says work to restore the country's energy sector will be sped up.
06:12Many houses lack heating as a result of Russian air attacks.
06:18Ukraine has been suffering serious blackouts amid bitter winter cold.
06:23Q is expecting daytime highs of minus 11 degrees Celsius through Wednesday.
06:29Local media say the first four days of February will likely be the coldest in 20 years.
06:36Electricity is available for as little as two hours a day, and getting light for four hours feels like a holiday.
06:44The gas burner is the only source of warmth, so the whole family gathers around it.
06:48Zelensky said on social media on Monday, Russia is shifting from attacking energy infrastructure to targeting logistics, especially railways.
07:00In Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says the next round of high-level peace talks with Ukraine and the U.S. is likely to start on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.
07:12Peskov suggested negotiations have been challenging.
07:16He said it is easier to find common ground on some issues but difficult on others.
07:23One point of contention is the issue of territory.
07:27Moscow says Ukrainian forces must withdraw from the eastern Donbass region that Russia unilaterally declared as a next territory.
07:37Kyiv calls that demand unacceptable.
07:40Now, the next in our series on the key issues facing voters ahead of the lower house election on Sunday.
07:56Today we focus on the consumption tax.
07:59That's right. Most of the parties are calling for the tax to be lowered or abolished to meet voter demands to do something about rising prices.
08:06But the tax provides much of the revenue for Japan's social security programs.
08:10Experts are divided over the potential impact of the tax cuts.
08:13The consumption tax was introduced in 1989 at 3 percent.
08:22It has been increased three times since then.
08:25It's now at 10 percent for most items.
08:28For food, it is 8 percent.
08:30Many consumers see it as the burden and wonder what can be done about it.
08:35It would be good if the tax on food were reduced to zero.
08:42I think the consumption tax is necessary.
08:45It would be unrealistic to suddenly bring the rate to zero.
08:50So, what impact would lowering the tax have on the economy?
08:54Former Bank of Japan policymaker Harada Yutaka says it would actually stimulate consumption.
09:01If the tax is reduced from 8 to zero, that would slash revenue by 5 trillion yen.
09:08The effects of a tax cut are estimated to be worth around 60 percent of the amount of the reduction.
09:13So, I think the cut would probably lift consumption by around 3 trillion yen.
09:18Others doubt a tax cut would do much to ease the pain of rising prices.
09:23Morita Choutaro at AllNippon Asset Management is among them.
09:28As this would be the first ever consumption tax cut, I would say it could lift sentiment significantly, causing a pick-up in inflation.
09:38In that case, a tax cut would run counter to efforts to address higher prices.
09:47There is also the question of how to make up for the lost revenue.
09:51Given Japan's aging society, the tax has been an important source of funding for social security programs.
09:59The finance ministry estimates that if the 8 percent consumption tax on daily necessities, such as food, is reduced to zero,
10:08revenue would fall by around 5 trillion yen, or more than 30 billion dollars.
10:14And a cross-the-board cut to 5 percent would lead to a shortfall of nearly 100 billion dollars.
10:21That's raising worries about the country's fiscal health.
10:25Heavy selling in the government bond market last month caused the yield on the benchmark 10-year to hit its highest in 27 years.
10:34One major concern is Japan's huge debt.
10:38The debt-to-GDP ratio stands at around 230 percent, the highest among G7 nations.
10:46Does the government have the fiscal room to cope with lower tax revenue?
10:50Experts are divided.
10:54Ex-BOJ policymaker Harada says a 5 trillion yen shortfall would not be a big deal.
11:01He points to encouraging signs in Japan's GDP growth.
11:05A growing economy means the debt becomes relatively smaller.
11:09Increased tax revenue leads to greater fiscal resources.
11:14Japan is experiencing a natural increase in tax revenue and nominal GDP growth.
11:20Aiming for 3 percent growth backed by monetary and fiscal policies could yield additional fiscal resources of around 10 trillion yen, or 65 billion dollars per year.
11:31Morita, on the other hand, warns of the long-term consequences for the nation's fiscal health.
11:37Considering past examples, it would not be easy to raise a tax that had previously been cut.
11:45Social security expenditures are expected to rise by about 1 trillion yen, or 6.5 billion dollars, every year.
11:53So it would surely be tough to compile state budget plans over the long run.
12:00The risks are complex.
12:02Excessive fiscal spending could trigger a bond market sell-off.
12:06That would lead to higher interest rates, with an impact on people's lives.
12:11Reducing or eliminating the consumption tax inevitably raises the question of whether fiscal discipline will hold up.
12:21While most parties agree it's time to change the consumption tax, they have differing views on exactly what changes to make.
12:30Here are their campaign pledges.
12:33The Liberal Democratic Party says it will speed up efforts to exempt food products from the consumption tax for exactly two years.
12:41The Centrist Reform Alliance says it will permanently lower the tax to zero on food items beginning this fall.
12:49The Japan Innovation Party will reduce the tax to zero on food for two years.
12:55The Democratic Party for the people says it will reduce the consumption tax rate to 5 percent across the board until Japan begins to see a sustainable rise in real wages.
13:07The Japanese Communist Party aims to abolish the consumption tax, but will first reduce it to 5 percent across all products.
13:17Reewa Shinsengumi will abolish the consumption tax immediately.
13:24Tax cuts Japan Patriotic Alliance says it will carry out drastic revisions.
13:30That includes scrapping the tax or dropping it to 5 percent.
13:35Sanseito is calling for the total elimination of the tax in stages.
13:41The Conservative Party of Japan will permanently reduce the tax rate to zero on food and alcohol.
13:53The Social Democratic Party says it will reduce the tax rate to zero.
14:01Team Mirai will keep the consumption tax rate as it is.
14:09Next time, we'll focus on foreign and defense policies.
14:12One of NHK's senior commentators will break down key issues on the topic.
14:26India has agreed to a trade deal with the U.S. just days after doing one with the EU.
14:31For the details, we bring in Yanaka Murray from our business team.
14:35So, Murray, India is on a roll here.
14:37And the deal with the United States will give some much-needed relief on tariffs, right?
14:41Right, Raja.
14:42Now, both sides have made big promises.
14:45Let's look at what we know.
14:47U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to slash extra tariffs on Indian goods from 50 percent down to 18.
14:56And he says in exchange, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to stop buying crude oil from Russia.
15:04The Trump administration ramped up its tariffs on India to 50 percent last August as a penalty for buying Russian crude oil and petroleum products.
15:15Trump wrote on social media that India will now buy more crude oil from the U.S. and potentially Venezuela instead.
15:24Trump added that India will start scaling back its own tariffs and other trade barriers against U.S. imports.
15:32He said Modi has also committed to buying more than $500 billion worth of American goods.
15:39That includes energy and agriculture products.
15:43Modi welcomed the deal in a social media post of his own, but curiously made no mention of Russian oil purchases.
15:51India is Russia's second biggest customer after China.
15:55The South Asian power has continued to deal with Moscow despite sanctions by the U.S. and other countries.
16:02There's some skepticism about whether it'll be feasible for India to make such a dramatic change.
16:08Next, the world's richest person is embarking on a project to put data centers in space.
16:17Elon Musk has unified his companies SpaceX and XAI in an effort to make the dream a reality.
16:25Musk says Earth's resources alone aren't enough to sustainably power AI.
16:31So it's time to harness the vast energy of the sun instead.
16:35The plan is for SpaceX rockets to launch AI data centers into orbit.
16:40U.S. media outlet Bloomberg reported that SpaceX plans to go public by the end of this year.
16:47The combined entity is said to be valued at $1.25 trillion.
16:52The company has reportedly been discussing a possible tie-up with EV maker Tesla.
16:58That's another Musk company.
17:00The acquisition of XAI by SpaceX could be the first step towards building a giant conglomerate that handles everything from AI to robots.
17:11Next, two of Japan's biggest banking groups are raking in the big bucks.
17:16Sumitomo Mitsui and Mizuho posted record net profits for the nine months to December.
17:23The results were partly thanks to higher interest rates.
17:27Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group's net income for the April to December period surged 23% year-on-year to almost 1.4 trillion yen.
17:38That's close to $9 billion.
17:41For Mizuho Financial Group, the figure was a little over 1 trillion yen, or about $6.5 billion.
17:48That was a 19% jump.
17:51The financial giants reaped bigger returns on loans due to rising interest rates.
17:57They also received more fees from businesses for advice on mergers and acquisitions.
18:02In December, the Bank of Japan raised its benchmark interest rate to the highest level in 30 years.
18:09The two groups expect revenue to continue rising as the knock-on effects come into play.
18:15But both kept their full-year profit forecasts unchanged, citing an uncertain outlook for the foreign exchange and bond markets.
18:24Last to check on the stock markets.
18:27Sentiment in India was riding high after the trade deal announcement.
18:31The benchmark there jumped 2.5%.
18:34Tokyo's Nikkei average did even better, surging 3.9% to a record high.
18:41Semiconductors led the rally after data implied the U.S. economy is doing better than thought.
18:47Investors were also relieved to see metals rebound.
18:50But the best performer in the Asia-Pacific was by far the Kospi.
18:55Investors bought back and more from Monday's 5% sell-off.
19:00South Korea's benchmark ended 6.8% higher at an all-time high.
19:05The rest of the region climbed too.
19:07Gains in Australia were relatively subdued after the central bank hiked interest rates.
19:13And that's the biz for this Tuesday.
19:16Alright, thank you very much for that update, Marie.
19:18Now let's move to Cholopansa Narula at our bureau in Bangkok for more stories making headlines across the Asia-Pacific.
19:24Cholopansa.
19:26Officials from Japan's National Police Agency have visited Bangkok to meet Thai police officials
19:32to discuss measures to combat human trafficking.
19:35The talks follow a recent case involving a Thai girl who was forced to provide sexual services at a massage parlor in Tokyo.
19:42During the meeting, the two sides confirmed they would step up cooperation to prevent human trafficking.
19:49We see cases of Thais going abroad to work in the sex industry.
20:00Some overstay in Japan and eventually become involved in other illegal activities, including human trafficking.
20:10Such crimes are totally unacceptable.
20:15It is very important for police in both countries to cooperate in tackling these issues.
20:21The owner of the massage parlor and a Thai woman in Tokyo, believed to have acted as a broker, have been arrested in Japan.
20:29The victim was 12 years old at that time.
20:32The girl's mother was detained in Taiwan and then transferred to Thailand.
20:36Thai police later arrested her on charges including human trafficking.
20:40Thai police say they have developed a system to share information about criminal groups with investigative agencies in other countries.
20:47They say they intend to use this system to strengthen cooperation with the Japanese counterparts.
20:53Asia's largest aerospace and defense trade show has kicked off in Singapore.
20:58Fighter jets and drones are in focus as countries across the region increase their defense budgets amid growing global uncertainty.
21:06More than 1,000 companies from 50 countries and regions are taking part in the Singapore airshow.
21:12China is stepping up efforts to market its domestically produced fighter jets.
21:18The J-10 put on a flight display by circling, climbing and descending above the venue.
21:23Indonesia is considering purchasing the aircraft.
21:26An AI-powered cockpit system developed by a Singapore-based defense company is also drawing attention.
21:32The system analyzes the surrounding environment to help tank drivers navigate.
21:37Japan's acquisition, technology and logistics agency has also set up a booth to help Japanese companies to sell defense-related technologies overseas.
21:46Among the items on display are surveillance systems that use satellites and drones for reconnaissance and transporting supplies.
21:54A representative of a drone maker said drones were attracting attention as government officials from Southeast Asia, Ukraine and other regions had contacted the company.
22:05An elephant has killed a camper at a national park in central Thailand.
22:10Officials say this is the third reported fatality involving the same elephant.
22:15Park authorities say the incident occurred on Monday at a campsite in Khao Yai National Park.
22:21The victim was a Thai man in his 60s who was exercising near his tent when he was attacked.
22:26The World Heritage-listed park is known for its rich wildlife.
22:30It attracts visitors from across Thailand and abroad.
22:33Park officials warn that wild elephants are more likely to move closer to communities and tourist areas during the dry season as a search for food and water.
22:43Thailand's Department of National Parks says more than 200 people have been killed by wild elephants since 2012.
22:51Officials say the elephant population has been increasing following decades of conservation efforts.
22:58That wraps up our Bulletin. I'm Chola Pansan of Rula in Bangkok.
23:01There's more to come here on Newsroom Tokyo.
23:14But first, a look at the weather.
23:16As we have been reporting, heavy dumps of snow continue to pose a threat to people living along the Sea of Japan coast.
23:22And that includes people in Niigata Prefecture.
23:25Our meteorologist Jonathan Oh has the outlook for there and elsewhere in our World Weather Report.
23:31Hello, we have been reporting to you about that sea-effect snow that's really impacted the Sea of Japan side of the country over the past few weeks.
23:40And we're still seeing impacts of the snow located in places like Niigata Prefecture.
23:44Here's a look at some of the video to give you an idea of what happened here as heavy snow caused a part of the house to collapse in Kashiwazaki City on Tuesday morning.
23:53A man in his 50s was taken to the hospital in critical condition after being trapped under the garage.
23:59Officials say they believe he lost consciousness after being hit in the head.
24:02The snow depth of the city reached 62 centimeters on Tuesday morning, about three times the normal level.
24:07So when you have all of that heavy snow sitting on top of any facility, if it has a weakness in the structure, it can really collapse because of that weight.
24:17And it looks like that snow might be easing at least for Wednesday.
24:22Yes, we have a low toward the north and a high back toward the west, but the flow is more zonal.
24:27And so as that happens, essentially the spigot of the moisture starts to back off.
24:33We'll still see some clouds into the northeastern portions of Japan.
24:36May see a flare here or there, but really talking about a calmer day as we go through Wednesday.
24:41Sapporo and Niigata looking at cloudy skies.
24:44Temperatures from Sendai through Tokyo and Osaka into Fukuoka moving into the low teens as we go through the day on Wednesday.
24:52Meanwhile, North America, we have one low that's trying to squeeze on through the south, the southern areas of the United States.
24:58And that's going to bring some rain as it goes through the area.
25:01A low pressure up toward the Great Lakes bringing some snow into places like Toronto with a high of three below zero on Tuesday.
25:07Nine below in Winnipeg.
25:09And looking at some showers in a place like Houston with a high of 21.
25:13Stormy weather impacting the western and southern areas of Europe.
25:16We have a low that's going to be moving on through.
25:18And so it's caused some problems back toward the west into places like Portugal.
25:22But more thunderstorms into Rome, rain into Madrid and Lisbon as we go through today on Tuesday.
25:27Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
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25:58And before we go,
26:27it's Setsubun in Japan,
26:29a festival that traditionally marks the end of winter.
26:33And people in the ancient capital of Kyoto
26:36have been celebrating with a ritual
26:38to pray for good health in the coming year.
26:45Yasaka Shrine hosts two days of events each year
26:49to mark the occasion.
26:51On Monday, two apprentice geiko entertainers
26:54known as Maiko performed a traditional dance.
26:59They then tossed bags of roasted soybeans from the stage,
27:03which visitors tried to catch.
27:06Eating them is believed to bring good luck.
27:10I managed to catch some beans.
27:13So I feel like this is going to be a good year.
27:16Setsubun is my favorite festival.
27:21I'm looking forward to eating the beans for my help.
27:25And that concludes this edition of Newsroom Tokyo.
27:35Don't forget, you can always catch our program
27:37on our website as well.
27:38I'm Raja Prada.
27:39And I'm Yamasawa Rina.
27:41Thank you very much for watching.
27:42Please join us again tomorrow.
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