Latest from NHK
NHK
an hour ago
- Business
- NHK
EU proposes international trade regulations on all eel species
The European Union has proposed making all eel species, including the Japanese eel, subject to trade regulations under an international convention. The EU and other countries, including the Dominican Republic, submitted the proposal on Friday to the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The convention regulates international trade in endangered species. The EU calls for all non-listed eel species to be subject to trade controls under the pact. Parties to the convention will discuss the proposal at a meeting in Uzbekistan starting in November. If they approve the proposal, international trade in the eel species will come under the regulations, which require exporting countries to issue permits. A series of moves have been made to strengthen protection of eels. Parties to the convention made the European eel subject to the regulations in 2009. In 2016, they adopted a proposal by the EU to conduct a study of the global eel trade. The EU cited a lack of transparency in such trade.
NHK
3 hours ago
- Business
- NHK
US, China reportedly sign deal aimed at easing trade tensions
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says the United States and China have signed a trade agreement after talks in London earlier this month. Lutnick was speaking in an interview with Bloomberg TV. Senior officials from Washington and Beijing met this month and agreed on a framework for easing trade tensions. Export restrictions on rare earth metals by Beijing and on semiconductor-related items by Washington have been focal points of the negotiations. A Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson said on Friday that the countries maintained close communication after the talks, and further confirmed the details of the framework. Regarding exports of rare earths, the spokesperson said China will review and approve eligible applications in accordance with the law, while the US will lift a series of restrictive measures imposed against Beijing in response.
NHK
3 hours ago
- Business
- NHK
US signals extension of tariff deal deadline
US President Donald Trump's top official for trade negotiations has hinted at an extension of the deadline to work out deals. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he hopes they can ink the agreements by September 1. Bessent told Fox Business on Friday that a lot of the countries are "feeling pressure" to get a deal done, as the 90-day pause on what Trump calls "reciprocal tariffs" ends on July 9. Bessent said the US has "18 important trading partners," and is seeking to wrap up deals with 10 or 12 of them. He added that they hope to make an agreement with another 20 by Labor Day, which is September 1. Trump told reporters on Friday the July deadline remains flexible. He said: "We can do whatever we want. We could extend it. We could make it shorter. I'd like to make it shorter. I'd like to just send letters out to everybody. Congratulations, you're paying 25 percent." He later announced on social media that his administration has terminated "all discussions" with Canada over its plans to tax US technology firms. He said new tariffs will be imposed soon. Japanese negotiators are still working to cement a deal. Economic Revitalization Minister Akazawa Ryosei is in Washington for a seventh round of talks with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. They agreed to continue to work hard towards an agreement.
NHK
4 hours ago
- General
- NHK
UN official fears interest in Myanmar waning three months after quake
Myanmar is struggling to recover from a powerful earthquake that struck exactly three months ago. The disaster killed over 3,700 people and injured many more. One official with the United Nations Development Programme fears international concern has waned. The magnitude 7.7 quake rocked central Myanmar on March 28. Many residents still live in tents and other temporary housing. Workers are struggling to clear rubble and restore infrastructure. The country's second-largest city of Mandalay suffered extensive damage. A 35-year-old woman who lives in a tent with her husband and two children said she wants to rebuild their home as soon as possible, but needs financial support. The quake flattened many offices and factories. Smaller firms have been unable to resume operations due to a shortage of funds and workers. A 53-year-old man who runs a sewing business says he has been living off savings and needs money to tear down his damaged factory. Titon Mitra, who heads the UNDP in Myanmar, is calling for continued global support. He told NHK that he worries about the international community losing interest, adding that he refers to Myanmar not as a "forgotten crisis," but a "neglected crisis."
NHK
4 hours ago
- Politics
- NHK
US Supreme Court curbs nationwide injunctions against Trump
The US Supreme Court has ruled on Friday that judges on federal courts lack the authority to grant what is known as nationwide injunctions. President Donald Trump has had one after another of his policy initiatives blocked by judges issuing the injunctions. The specific case before the court had to do with what is known as birthright citizenship, which allows anyone born on US soil to automatically become a citizen regardless of their parents' immigration status. Trump signed an order on his first day in office to revoke the right for certain people. Those include babies whose mothers are in the country illegally or temporarily, as well as children whose fathers are not US citizens or permanent residents. The court's decision limits the ability of federal judges to issue rulings that apply nationwide. It specifies that Trump's order cannot take effect for 30 days, but it didn't address the constitutionality of the order.
