Hello and welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Keiko Kitagawa in Tokyo. U.S. President Donald Trump has lashed out at Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting interest rates. He said he could replace the central bank chief if he wants to. I don't think he's doing the job. He's too late, always too late, a little slow, and I'm not happy with him. If I want him out, he'll be out of there real fast, believe me.
The president is stepping up criticism of power for his cautious stance in defense of the central bank's independence. Earlier this month, Trump took to social media to urge power to cut interest rates, saying that energy prices are down and even egg prices are down. He also posted on Thursday that the Fed chair is always too late and wrong. Powell delivered a speech on Wednesday and said he would assess the impact of the administration's moves on the economy before deciding on policies.
He said the tariff increases are larger than anticipated and that the economic effects will include higher inflation and slower growth. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Trump has for months privately discussed firing Powell before his term ends in May 2026. It's said the president spoke with former Fed Governor Kevin Walsh about replacing him.
Walsh reportedly advised against it, arguing that Powell should complete his term without interference. He said sacking the Fed chair over a policy dispute would likely tank financial markets. President Trump says he's not in a hurry to sign trade deals with some of his closest allies. He made the comments during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the White House. And that came on the heels of talks with Japan's top tariff negotiator the day before.
Given talks with Japan and Italy this week, do you expect to announce an initial trade deal with any of these countries? At a certain point, yeah. We're in no rush. We're in no rush. Trump touched on the discussions with the Japanese side led by Economic Revitalization Minister Akazawa Ryosei. He says his administration is holding many talks with other countries and we're moving along on trade very well.
He also boasted on Thursday morning about how he is in contact with various countries on the issue, saying every nation, including China, wants to meet Today Italy. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt suggested earlier that the U.S. may be willing to negotiate on tariffs. She said it has more than 15 deals on the table and that more than 75 countries have reached out. She added, we do believe we can announce some deals very soon.
Japan intends to scrutinize U.S. demands following the first high-level talks on the tariff measures. The president did not press any demands, but he called consultations with Japan his administration's top priority. Akazawa spoke with Trump at the White House on Wednesday. He later met U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and others. Akazawa told them the U.S. tariff measures are extremely regrettable. He strongly urged them to reconsider.
Both sides agreed to hold dialogue in a candid and constructive manner. Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru was briefed on the meetings by phone. He said he wants an early conclusion to the talks. I am aware that the talks will lead to the next round of negotiations, and I appreciate that. Of course, I'm considering to visit the United States at the most appropriate time so I can meet directly with President Trump.
The two sides aim to hold talks again this month. Now let's see what's happening in the world of business. Here's Rameen Milligard from The Business. Thank you very much indeed. Now, one sector where Japan cannot afford concessions in tariff negotiations is automobiles. The Trump administration has imposed an extra tariff of 25 percent. One estimate says that could push down the combined operating profits of the six main Japanese automakers by more than 20 billion dollars.
Trump also plans more tariffs on auto parts. Now, that would impact manufacturers in Japan and the United States. If you don't have factories here, they're going to have to get going and build them because otherwise they have to pay tariffs. Very simple. The additional 25% auto tariffs took effect two weeks ago. Some Japanese automakers are shifting production to the U.S. Nissan is reassessing a plan to reduce production in the U.S. and adjusting production of U.S.-bound models in Japan.
plans to transfer production of some models from Japan to the US. Now, meanwhile, Toyota plans to maintain production and employment levels in Japan and says it will not raise prices in the US for the time being. The ripple effects of the auto tariffs are reaching Japanese firms that make parts. And the Trump administration plans to put an additional tariff of 25 percent on auto parts by May 3rd. This parts maker in Yokohama also operates in the U.S.
A worker shortage there led to higher labor costs. So the firm shifted production to Japan. But now additional U.S. tariffs would make exports from Japan more expensive. The firm now plans to move some production back to the U.S. and has dropped a plan to move production from there to Japan. We're taking various countermeasures, but we're not keeping up. When it comes to the tariffs, we obviously don't think we can absorb everything.
The extra tires will also affect companies in the U.S. This firm analyzes where car components come from. Tesla builds its mainstay model in the U.S., but this component is made in Mexico. Another comes from South Korea. Only 70% of the car's parts are sourced in the U.S. With models from other U.S. automakers, analysts found the proportion of U.S.-made parts is even lower, at about 40%.
Now, with so many parts made outside the United States, the additional tariffs are sure to impact U.S. automakers. Research firm director Asada Hiroyuki does not think existing practices can be sustained. They've been sourcing some parts overseas. This is what they build up, but it's all going to collapse. Asada said, ultimately, the impact will also likely be felt by American consumers.
Now, Trump also wants to see more American cars on Japanese roads. Japan's trade minister now says the government will look into what can be done to make this happen. It is a fact that Japan only imports around 10,000 US-made automobiles, far less than what Japan exports to the US. Japan needs to consider what it can do to address the issue.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative criticized Japan in a report published last month. It said the country is impeding access to its automotive market through a variety of non-tariff barriers. The report cited differences in vehicle safety regulations and the Japanese government's handling of charging standards for electric vehicles. The alleged non-tariff barriers could be on the agenda in subsequent rounds of the bilateral trade talk.
And the European Central Bank has decided to cut its key interest rate for a six-trade policy meeting amid concern U.S. tariffs could damp the region's economic growth. The ECB said Thursday's benchmark deposit facility rate will drop by 0.25 percentage points to 2.25 percent, two and a quarter. The bank has lowered rates at every meeting since September last year. The Eurozone Consumer Price Index rose 2.2% year on year in March.
marking a second month in a row of slowing inflation. The bank said in a statement that disinflation is well on track. But ECB President Christine Lagarde... said the economic outlook is clouded by exceptional uncertainty. Les risques d'économie ont augmenté. The major escalation in global trade tensions and associated uncertainties will likely lower euro area growth by dampening exports. and it may drag down investment and consumption.
Lagarde added that the central bank will adjust all instruments within their mandate to ensure that inflation stabilizes sustainably and to preserve smooth monetary policy transmission. Now, Japan's Consumer Price Index rose 3.2% in March from a year earlier as rice prices posted record increases. It was the fourth straight month for the CPI reading to be at or above 3%.
Data released by the Internal Affairs Ministry shows inflation excluding prices for fresh food was two-tenths of a percentage point higher than in February. The price of rice, Japan's staple food, soared 92% from a year earlier. That's the biggest increase since 1971 when comparable data became available. It marks the sixth straight month of record-setting rice price inflation. Prices of onigiri rice balls climbed 15% and restaurant sushi 4.7%.
The ministry also announced that Japan's CPI for fiscal 2024 rose 2.7 percent from a year earlier. The figure exceeded the Bank of Japan's 2 percent inflation target for the third year in a row. Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturing company has posted higher sales and profit for the three months through March. Now, the fifth straight quarter of increases came on the back of robust demand for chips used in artificial intelligence.
The world's largest contract chipmaker said on Thursday, revenue rose 42% year-on-year in local currency terms to more than $25 billion. Net profit soared 60%. to the equivalent of about $11 billion. TSMC Chairman and CEO CeCe Wei said online... said in an online briefing that production has been going smoothly at the company's first factory in Japan.
The chip plant in Kumamoto Prefecture, western Japan, began full-scale operations in December. Wei also expressed his intention to begin construction of its second factory nearby this year. Okay, let's get a check on the markets. And that is it for Business News. Going to hand it back to you. Thank you for that, Ramin.
U.S. President Trump says he's ready to sign an agreement that may offer a path to peace in Ukraine. He's been seeking a deal that would give Americans access to Ukrainian natural resources. Well, we have a minerals deal, which I guess is going to be signed on Thursday, Scott, next Thursday. Soon. And I assume they're going to live up to the deal. So we'll see.
Ukrainian officials say the two sides have already finalized what's known as a memorandum of intent. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the agreement as positive. But honestly, I think this memorandum is an important first step. Why shouldn't both countries agree? Talks on the deal had continued even after a heated exchange in February between Trump and Zelensky.
Bringing an end to the fighting in Ukraine was the topic of new high-level talks in Paris. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with European counterparts as well as a delegation from Kiev. Trump's Special Envoy Steve Whitcoff took part. French President Emmanuel Macron described the talks as an important occasion to have convergence. He says everyone who joined is committed to peace. He later posted on social media that discussions will continue in London next week.
NHK has learned that the remains of some 20 people believed to have died in World War II have been found in southern Japan. It's the first discovery of its kind on Okinawa Prefecture's Iejima Island in about 20 years. The remains were found last August during the production of a movie. It's based on a true story to mark the anniversary of a fierce six-day ground battle.
The fighting followed the landing of U.S. forces on the island 80 years ago this month. About 2,000 troops from the now defunct Imperial Japanese military died. Roughly 1,500 residents died in the fighting or in mass suicide. Gardener Chinen Hiroki says he found the remains. Okinama Prefecture and Ie village officials tell NHK that what appeared to be the belongings of imperial soldiers, such as helmets and canteens, have also been found.
I want them to be unearthed and returned to their bereaved family as soon as possible so their loved ones can lay them to rest. Okinawa saw one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Searches for war remains continue in the prefecture eight decades after the end of the war. A scandal involving major hotels in Tokyo has come to light. It has emerged that 15 major hotels in the Japanese capital had formed an alleged cartel to illegally boost prices.
Japan's anti-monopoly regulator is expected to warn the operators. A survey shows that room rates in Tokyo have been rising sharply since 2022 when the coronavirus pandemic started to ease. Hotel room rates in Tokyo are now 1.4 times higher than in 2019. It's unusual. It's expensive. It feels like prices targeting inbound visitors. It should be a price that anyone can afford.
Sources say the Japan Fair Trade Commission has found that hotels in Tokyo, including such prestigious names as the New Otani, Imperial Hotel Tokyo and the Okura Tokyo have exchanged information in a way that could lead to illegal cartels. The sources say sales agents and other officials of these hotels had been meeting every month for decades. They reportedly shared information on occupancy rates, average daily prices and policies to set room rates.
But these hotels have reportedly stopped the sharing of data. The Imperial Hotel says such conduct was not intended to be a reasonable restraint on trade, but it will cooperate with the commission's investigation. The hired regency Tokyo has apologized for any concerns this may have caused customers. It added it recognizes there was a lack of awareness of compliance. An expert explains the background of the allegations.
The hotel operators did not want to cut prices amid strong inbound travel and a shortage of hotels in Tokyo. There's a possibility the operators wanted to avoid a decline in the overall brand by reducing the prices of some hotels in the same rank. He says such an alleged cartel may certainly affect those who want to stay at a luxury hotel, but he believes this behavior will not have a major impact on Tokyo hotels as room rates fluctuate due to supply and demand.
People at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka have been trying to stay cool in unseasonably warm weather. Some are using the latest technology to beat the heat. めっちゃ暑いです水遊びするパビリオンとかあったらいいかな The high on Thursday in the western city was over 24 degrees Celsius. Visitors cooled down using the venue's misting system. It's good to have an umbrella for shade while waiting in line.
Many people took two benches in the shadow of the Grand Ring. The symbol of the expo is the world's largest wooden architectural structure. We are enjoying the nice breeze and fantastic view. The Grand Ring is really great. Guys at a private sector pavilion are using cutting-edge technology to stay cool. They wear vests with thin, light solar cells on the back. The cell's power fans worn around the guy's neck.
It's very light, cool and comfortable. The sales were especially designed for the expo to work even under cloudy skies or room light. The staff member said she wants to pitch the technology to visitors. For more on those stories please visit NHK World Japan's website. Amid China's slowing economy, more young people are choosing not to marry due to concerns about the future. Last year, the number of marriages registered was the lowest ever, less than half the peak in 2013.
NHK World's Kimura Ryuta reports. At this university in Beijing, students listen to a special lecture on wedding receptions. It's better to speak up to create a more lively atmosphere. Last year, the university established a Department of Marriage Service and Management. where students run useful tips for marriage and romance. They are also taught how young people can change their attitudes toward marriage.
Support for marriage and family has already been included in the government's plans. It will be promoted at an accelerated pace in the future. The government is keen to promote marriage and having children. This marriage culture street was opened last year in Changsha's city centre in the inland province of Honan. Prominent displays aim to deepen understanding of marriage and child-rearing. Under this facility promotes the ideal newlywed life, but it's deserted.
Young people are worried and are unable to think positively about marriage 25-year-old Tiki works at a medical institution in Beijing. She is concerned about the gap between her parents' generation's view of marriage and her own. Her partner of nearly two and a half years lives and works in Singapore. Kiki is thinking about getting married but she hasn't introduced him to her parents yet.
She's uncomfortable with the traditional Chinese view of marriage, where the man has to pay a large dowry. Kiki doesn't want to burden her spouse. 彼女の子の親子の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣の隣は、 In traditional Chinese thinking, it would be considered a prerequisite for the man to have a house and a car. On top of that, having to deal with each other's families is quite a hassle. 他の若い人は結婚する必要はありません
Hao Dou Dou is 35. She lives in Beijing and works in the legal department of a private company. She makes over $2,700 a month and has a comfortable and independent life. She had thought about getting married and took part in matchmaking. But she began to have doubts about men, looking for young domesticated women.
I began to wonder if the institution of marriage really suited me. If I don't get married, I can use all my time for myself China is desperate to stop the decline of its population, but it's not going to be easy to convince young people about the merits of marriage. 木村龍太 NHKワールド Back-to-back storms have led to severe damage in Italy. Our meteorologist Yoko Komagata has more details in this world weather update.
Hello there. There is a huge gap in temperatures between the west and east. That's creating unstable weather conditions across Central Europe. An intense low pressure system lingering over Italy has been producing downpours in a short period of time. Northern parts of the country saw over 300 mm rainfall in a day, causing severe flooding. Trencher rainfall triggered massive flooding in the northern parts of Italy on Thursday. Authorities confirmed that one person has died from the flood.
According to the local media, fast-flowing water caused landslides which damaged homes and blocked roads. Emergency crews along with helicopter teams have been deployed for search and rescue missions. A little break from rain is likely in Rome on Friday. And you should enjoy this dry weather because another day of wet weather is likely earlier next week. The next storm system will produce showers in Lisbon and Madrid with highs in the teens.
Across North America, we are seeing late season snowfall across the northern Rockies. More than 30 centimeters of snow has piled up in parts of Montana, and even greater amounts of snowfall can be seen in the central parts of the Rockies. Snow showers will increase in Denver and Winnipeg on Friday. It's still middle of spring but you'll have freezing temperatures on Friday.
The good news is that cold air will spread toward the east, bringing much cooler temperatures. So highs will return to seasonal in Chicago, Oklahoma City and Houston in the coming days. It's been unusually warm in Northeast Asia this week thanks to a couple of low pressure systems
we'll finally have a reef from the hot weather. So showers will spread across Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei on a Saturday. If you're in Tokyo though, you'll continue to have above normal temperatures for the next couple of days. That's it for now, have a nice weekend! That wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Keiko Kitagawa.