Kyodo News Digest: June 12, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 1 hour ago - 23:00 | All, World, Japan
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
----------
Air India plane with over 240 onboard crashes: report
NEW DELHI - A London-bound Air India plane crashed Thursday near the airport in India's western city of Ahmedabad, local media reported.
The Boeing 787-8 with 230 passengers and 12 crew was headed for London's Gatwick airport, according to an India Today television report.
----------
Japan PM hopes for progress in U.S. tariff talks, in no rush for deal
TOKYO - Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Thursday that Japan aims to make progress in ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States but will not sacrifice its national interests to reach a deal quickly.
Ishiba made the remarks ahead of a possible meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of a Group of Seven leaders' summit to be held in Canada from Sunday.
----------
Japan PM mulls 1st in-person summit with S. Korea's Lee on G7 fringes
TOKYO - Japan is making arrangements for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to hold his first meeting with new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the margins of the Group of Seven leaders' summit in Canada, a government source said Thursday.
Ishiba and Lee both expressed hope to meet in person at an early date when they spoke by phone days after Lee assumed the South Korean presidency on June 4, succeeding his predecessor who created political chaos due to his short-lived declaration of martial law.
----------
China aircraft carrier Fujian conducted drill in Yellow Sea: reports
BEIJING - China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, conducted a sea trial and joined a military drill in late May in areas of the Yellow Sea where Chinese and South Korean exclusive economic zones overlap, according to South Korean media reports.
The Fujian, China's largest warship with a displacement of over 80,000 tons, is equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system. Launched in 2022, the carrier reportedly underwent its eighth trial this time and is expected to enter service later this year.
----------
Japan PM unlikely to dissolve lower house absent no-confidence motion
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is unlikely to dissolve the House of Representatives for a snap election unless a no-confidence motion is submitted against his Cabinet, sources close to him said Thursday.
The move would rule out the possibility of elections for both chambers of parliament taking place on the same day, as the House of Councillors vote is expected to be held this summer after the current 150-day regular session is slated to end on June 22.
----------
Japan urges China to prevent repeat of midair near miss
TOKYO - Japan said Thursday it has strongly urged China to prevent a repeat of an incident in which a Chinese military aircraft and a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol plane had a near miss over international waters in the Pacific.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Japan has conveyed its "serious concern" to China over the incident that could have led to a collision, adding it will continue to maintain communication at various levels.
----------
N. Korea pauses blasting noise at border, S. Korea military says
SEOUL - South Korea's military said Thursday that North Korea has stopped blasting noise toward the South, a day after Seoul halted its own loudspeaker messages as part of President Lee Jae Myung's efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea began blaring jarring noises along the border after South Korea resumed loudspeaker broadcasts in June last year, ending a six-year hiatus, in response to the North's launch of waste-filled balloons into the South.
----------
Australia confident nuclear subs on track despite U.S. review
SYDNEY - Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said he is "very confident" his country will acquire nuclear powered submarines as planned under the AUKUS trilateral defense agreement involving the United States and Britain, according to a media interview Thursday, while acknowledging that the Pentagon is reviewing the pact.
Marles made the remarks in a radio interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corp., following reports by The Financial Times and other media that the U.S. Defense Department is reviewing the pact to ensure it aligns with President Donald Trump's "America First" agenda.
Video: War-bereaved families' final voyage to former battle sites in memory of loved ones who died at sea
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kyodo News
an hour ago
- Kyodo News
Japan negotiator mum on if Japan, U.S. can strike tariff deal at G7
By Takuya Karube, KYODO NEWS - 1 hour ago - 09:53 | All, World, Japan Japan's chief tariff negotiator made a last-ditch effort Friday to smooth the way for a mutually beneficial trade deal at a planned in-person meeting next week between the leader of his country and U.S. President Donald Trump, but whether that goal can be achieved appeared to be still up in the air. Following separate meetings with U.S Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington, Ryosei Akazawa told reporters that he had "explored the possibility" of a trade deal with them during "extremely in-depth" discussions. Akazawa, however, repeatedly declined to comment on whether it would be struck on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit next week in Canada. Akazawa, Japan's minister for economic revitalization, who is visiting the U.S. capital for the fourth straight week, also said both sides agreed to continue ongoing tariff negotiations. Shortly before Akazawa's arrival in the United States, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba spoke with Trump by phone, with the leaders agreeing to meet bilaterally on the margins of the two-day G7 summit beginning Monday in the Canadian Rocky Mountain resort of Kananaskis. While voicing hope for progress in the ongoing Japan-U.S. negotiations, which kicked off in mid-April in the wake of Trump's sweeping "reciprocal tariffs," Ishiba told reporters that Japan's stance of demanding that the United States scrap its higher tariffs on Japanese goods remains intact. Ishiba also said he has told Trump that Japan will reduce its trade surplus with the United States. Before leaving Tokyo on Friday, Akazawa told reporters that Japan expects to be given "special treatment" with regard to Trump's higher auto tariffs and excluded from rules applied to other countries once it strikes a deal with his administration. "Automobiles are the most important. If we don't know what will happen there, we won't agree," a Japanese government official said, while adding, "We're getting to the point where we might be able to reach an agreement." However, Trump said Thursday that he may increase his 25 percent tariff on foreign-made cars "in the not-too-distant future" in a bid to attract more investment in American manufacturing. In his rounds of talks with Bessent, Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Akazawa has not backed off from Japan's position, demanding a full removal of all additional tariffs imposed by Trump, including those targeting the automotive sector. In addition to increasing the tariff rate for passenger cars to 27.5 percent from 2.5 percent, the Trump administration raised other sector-based and country-specific duties. Under the reciprocal tariff regime, combined with a baseline rate of 10 percent covering nearly all goods imported by the United States, Japan faces an additional country-specific tariff of 14 percent, for a total rate of 24 percent. To facilitate negotiations, Trump has implemented a 90-day pause for tariffs set above 10 percent for 60 trading partners. Earlier this week, Bessent said the United States could extend the pause, set to expire in early July, if its major trading partners continue to negotiate "in good faith." Akazawa's statement about "special treatment" is believed to have been made in light of a deal between Britain and the Trump administration in May, which allowed the country to export 100,000 cars per year into the U.S. market with only a 10 percent tariff, granting a partial exemption from the 27.5 percent rate. But as Japan exports a far higher volume of cars to the United States, totaling about 1.37 million units in 2024, it remains to be seen whether a deal akin to the one struck between Britain and the Trump administration will be possible. Related coverage: Ishiba, Trump to meet on G7 fringes: Japan PM Japan hopes for special treatment as Trump hints at auto tariff hike Trump says U.S. Steel controlled by him with "golden share"
Kyodo News
an hour ago
- Kyodo News
Trump effectively approves Nippon Steel's takeover of U.S. Steel
KYODO NEWS - 30 minutes ago - 10:03 | All, World, Japan U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday effectively approved a deal for Nippon Steel Corp. to acquire United States Steel Corp., reversing his staunch opposition to the Japanese company's takeover bid after it committed to investing heavily in the struggling American producer. Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel said Trump has "approved" their "historic partnership that will unleash unprecedented investments in steelmaking in the United States." In a statement, the two steelmakers thanked Trump for his "bold leadership and strong support" for their merger, adding that they have entered into a national security agreement with the U.S. government. Under the accord, Nippon Steel is committed to newly investing $11 billion by 2028 for the deal. The companies said a "golden share" will be issued to the U.S. government, giving it veto power over major management decisions, such as approving or rejecting board members and slashing production capacity. Trump said Friday in his signed order that a national security risk linked to Nippon Steel's bid for U.S. Steel can be mitigated if conditions presented by the U.S. government are met. Trump's green light for what he has described as a "great partnership" between the Japanese and U.S. producers caps a saga that began in December 2023, when both sides first announced the proposed $14.1 billion deal. Trump needed to officially decide whether to approve Nippon Steel's set of proposals for U.S. Steel after receiving a recommendation last month from a panel of federal agencies to take a fresh look at the Japanese company's buyout bid. Just weeks before leaving office in January, former U.S. President Joe Biden blocked the sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns, following a recommendation by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. During the 2024 presidential election cycle, both Biden and Trump made the case that U.S. Steel, a once-iconic American company, should remain in domestic hands, a view advocated by the leadership of the powerful United Steelworkers union. U.S. Steel and its shareholders were supportive of the takeover, which would create the world's third-largest steelmaker by volume. As U.S. Steel and the union are based in Pennsylvania, which was a key battleground state in the Nov. 5 presidential election, the foreign buyout offer became highly politicized despite coming from a leading manufacturer based in Japan, a close U.S. ally. Related coverage: Trump says U.S. Steel controlled by him with "golden share" Trump's steel tariff hike not raised in Japan-U.S. talks: negotiator Trump lauds Nippon Steel as "great partner" for U.S. Steel
Yomiuri Shimbun
an hour ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Trump Clears Path for Nippon Steel Investment in US Steel, so Long as It Fits The Government's Terms
Reuters file photo The Nippon Steel logo is displayed at the company's East Nippon Works Kimitsu Area plant in Kimitsu, east of Tokyo, Japan May 26, 2025. WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order paving the way for a Nippon Steel investment in U.S. Steel, so long as the Japanese company complies with a 'national security agreement' submitted by the federal government. Trump's order didn't detail the terms of the national security agreement. But the iconic American steelmaker and Nippon Steel said in a joint statement that the agreement stipulates that approximately $11 billion in new investments will be made by 2028 and includes giving the U.S. government a ' golden share ' — essentially veto power to ensure the country's national security interests are protected against cutbacks in steel production. 'We thank President Trump and his Administration for their bold leadership and strong support for our historic partnership,' the two companies said. 'This partnership will bring a massive investment that will support our communities and families for generations to come. We look forward to putting our commitments into action to make American steelmaking and manufacturing great again.' The companies have completed a U.S. Department of Justice review and received all necessary regulatory approvals, the statement said. 'The partnership is expected to be finalized promptly,' the statement said. The companies offered few details on how the golden share would work, what other provisions are in the national security agreement and how specifically the $11 billion would be spent. White House spokesman Kush Desai said the order 'ensures U.S. Steel will remain in the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and be safeguarded as a critical element of America's national and economic security.' James Brower, a Morrison Foerster lawyer who represents clients in national security-related matters, said such agreements with the government typically are not disclosed to the public, particularly by the government. They can become public, but it's almost always disclosed by a party in the transaction, such as a company — like U.S. Steel — that is publicly held, Brower said. The mechanics of how a golden share would work will depend on the national security agreement, but in such agreements it isn't unusual to give the government approval rights over specific activities, Brower said. U.S. Steel made no filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday. Nippon Steel in late 2023 offered nearly $15 billion to purchase the Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel in an acquisition that had been delayed on national security concerns starting during Joe Biden's presidency. As it sought to win over American officials, Nippon Steel gradually increased the amount of money it was pledging to invest into U.S. Steel. American officials now value the transaction at $28 billion, including the purchase bid and a new electric arc furnace — a more modern steel mill that melts down scrap — that they say Nippon Steel will build in the U.S. after 2028. Nippon Steel had pledged to maintain U.S. Steel's headquarters in Pittsburgh, put U.S. Steel under a board with a majority of American citizens and keep plants operating. It also said it would protect the interests of U.S. Steel in trade matters and it wouldn't import steel slabs that would compete with U.S. Steel's blast furnaces in Pennsylvania and Indiana. Trump opposed the purchase while campaigning for the White House, and using his authority Biden blocked the transaction on his way out of the White House. But Trump expressed openness to working out an arrangement once he returned to the White House in January. Trump said Thursday that he would as president have 'total control' of what U.S. Steel did as part of the investment. Trump said then that the deal would preserve '51% ownership by Americans,' although Nippon Steel has never backed off its stated intention of buying and controlling U.S. Steel as a wholly owned subsidiary. 'We have a golden share, which I control,' Trump said. Trump added that he was 'a little concerned' about what presidents other than him would do with their golden share, 'but that gives you total control.' The proposed merger had been under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, during the Trump and Biden administrations. The order signed Friday by Trump said the CFIUS review provided 'credible evidence' that Nippon Steel 'might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States,' but such risks might be 'adequately mitigated' by approving the proposed national security agreement. The order doesn't detail the perceived national security risk and only provides a timeline for the national security agreement. The White House declined to provide details on the terms of the agreement. The order said the draft agreement was submitted to U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel on Friday. The two companies must successfully execute the agreement as decided by the Treasury Department and other federal agencies that are part CFIUS by the closing date of the transaction. Trump reserves the authority to issue further actions regarding the investment as part of the order he signed on Friday.
