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00:12Welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Yamasawa Rina and I'm Yoshikawa Ryuichi. Here are the headlines.
00:18The Strait of Hormuz remains virtually closed. U.S. President Donald Trump is now pressuring
00:24countries to help secure the area. The price of oil has climbed back above $100 per barrel
00:32as supply worries unsettle markets. Former U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg spoke with
00:39NHK on the future of the peace talks. U.S. President Donald Trump is asking China, NATO and others to
00:49send ships to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices have spiked around
00:56the world in recent weeks since Iran's de facto closure of the vital trade route and as military
01:02exchanges continue over Iran and neighboring Persian Gulf countries. Reuters news agency says this video
01:11posted on social media on Monday shows flames and black smoke rising in the Iranian capital Tehran.
01:19Iranian media reported explosions were heard in the early morning that day around the city.
01:26The Israeli military announced on Monday that it was launching a major attack on Tehran.
01:33It said it destroyed an aircraft used by the country's leadership,
01:37including the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
01:42Local authorities in the United Arab Emirates say drones attacked the port of Fujairah,
01:48a hub for crude oil exports on Monday. They say they received no information about injuries.
01:57Drones also attacked the port on Saturday after the U.S. attacked a military facility on
02:03Khag Island, Iran's largest crude oil shipping hub.
02:07U.S. media outlet Bloomberg reported the port of Fujairah has resumed loading crude oil,
02:14which has been suspended following Saturday's attack.
02:18The UAE can export crude oil from the port without passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
02:25The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the Trump administration is expected to announce
02:32the formation of a coalition to protect oil tankers in the Strait.
02:37The newspaper cites officials saying the announcement could come as early as this week.
02:44Trump says he's contacted around seven countries about potential participation.
02:51He earlier said online that he hopes countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and
02:59the U.K. will send vessels to keep the Strait open and safe.
03:04Speaking to the Financial Times over the weekend, Trump said that China should provide support,
03:10noting that it gets 90 percent of its oil through the Strait.
03:16He said waiting until his planned meeting with his Chinese counterpart later this month
03:22would be too late and he may postpone his trip to China.
03:27Trump has also alluded to U.S. allies in NATO.
03:31He said that if there is no response from them, it could be very bad for the future of the
03:37alliance.
03:39We are talking to other countries about working with us for the policing of the Strait.
03:46We've had some positive response and a few that would rather not get involved.
03:53Japan's Prime Minister, Takaiji Sanai, was asked during an Upper House meeting on Monday
03:58about how the government intends to respond.
04:02She said Japan has not received a request yet
04:05and that it was difficult to answer a hypothetical question.
04:12The government is considering how to secure the safety of ships and crew members
04:17and what can be done within the framework of Japanese law.
04:24Takaiji said nothing has been decided yet regarding the dispatch of destroyers.
04:30She says serious discussions have been taking place across ministries in the past few days
04:35on what course of action Japan can take independently and legally.
04:41British Secretary of State for Energy Security Ed Miliband told the BBC about ways Britain could contribute.
04:50He said they include using mine detection drones
04:54and indicated that options are being considered with allies.
04:58Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi told CBS News that countries have been reaching out
05:05to request safe passage for their ships.
05:08He said the matter is for the military to decide.
05:12He added groups of ships belonging to multiple countries are already being allowed to pass safely.
05:18Arachi also said Iran has never called for ceasefire nor sort negotiations.
05:26With Iran situated alongside one of the world's most important choke points,
05:32there is a huge amount of attention on what is happening with the flow of oil.
05:37Yanaka Marie from our BIS team is here now to bring us the latest on this critical energy supply.
05:44So Marie, what's the main headline?
05:45Well, oil prices have surged back above a key level.
05:51Benchmark WTI crude futures have again topped $100 per barrel.
05:56As the conflict intensifies, investors are worried shipping through the Strait of Hormuz
06:01could take some time to get back to normal.
06:05Oil shipments through the key waterway have effectively been shut down.
06:09The situation only appears to be getting worse.
06:12The U.S. military has struck targets on Iran's main oil export hub, Karg Island.
06:19And media reports say President Trump is threatening more attacks to come.
06:24Last week, WTI futures surged above $119 for the first time in over three and a half years.
06:32The benchmark then fell back to around $76.
06:36That's still much higher than before the attacks began.
06:40Soaring energy costs are fueling concerns about the global economic outlook.
06:47Now Japan gets the vast majority of its oil from the Middle East.
06:51So supply disruptions and high prices are a major concern.
06:56To stabilize the situation, Tokyo has started releasing oil from stockpiles held by the private sector.
07:04The release began on Monday and amounts to 15 days' worth of nationwide consumption.
07:09That was after the government cut the amount oil-related companies must hold from 70 days' supply to 55.
07:18The government has a separate stockpile and is expected to release a month's worth later in March.
07:24The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry says the number of tankers arriving in Japan could drop sharply from around Friday.
07:33More oil is expected to hit the market from the member nations of the International Energy Agency.
07:39They agreed last week to release a record 410 million barrels from reserves.
07:44The IEA announced on Sunday that countries in Asia-Oceania will release over 100 million barrels immediately.
07:54IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol says unprecedented additional volumes will be brought to the market.
08:01But he stressed that opening the Strait of Hormuz is vital for a return to stable flows.
08:08And that's the biz for this Monday.
08:22Two boats have capsized near the site of a U.S. airbase relocation project in Okinawa, leaving two people dead.
08:31The majority of the passengers were high school students.
08:35Japan Coast Guard officials say the accident occurred off the coast of the Henoko District of Nago City on Monday
08:44morning.
08:44The boats have been used in protests against the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station from
08:52Ginoan City to Henoko.
08:5521 people were on board, including 18 high school students from Kyoto.
09:00They were all thrown into the sea.
09:02Our 17-year-old student and the captain of one of the boats were treated at a hospital and later
09:09confirmed dead.
09:11Two other people are said to have sustained injuries.
09:14An employee of the high school said the students are visiting Okinawa until Tuesday on a peace studies trip.
09:23North Korean media have reported that a national parliamentary election was held on Sunday.
09:29The vote was the first for the Supreme People's Assembly since 2019.
09:35State-run media said 99.99% of eligible voters cast their ballots.
09:43They reported that leader Kim Jong-un voted at a polling station at a coal mine in South Pyongyang province.
09:51Under North Korea's electoral system, a single candidate stands for each constituency with voters approving or rejecting the choice.
10:01The result in the 2019 election was reportedly 100% approval for all 687 candidates.
10:11The Supreme People's Assembly is responsible for determining the national budget.
10:17The body also makes personal decisions for state organizations and compiles other legislation.
10:25The standard term for assembly members is five years.
10:30Observers say the election may have been timed to coincide with the ruling Workers' Party Congress held in February.
10:39The recent Congress renewed the list of the central committee members for the ruling party.
10:44But the names did not include some high-ranking officials.
10:49Observers say a generational change is also likely in North Korea's legislature.
11:04Russia's invasion of Ukraine has entered its fifth year without a clear path towards resolution.
11:11U.S.-led ceasefire negotiations have reportedly been postponed due to the situation in Iran.
11:18One of the key negotiators, former U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg,
11:24was in Japan last week for the Tokyo Conference 2026,
11:28hosted by think tank Genron NPO and gave an interview to NHK.
11:35Kellogg sees Moscow as the main impediment to an immediate truce.
11:41Ukraine is willing to have a ceasefire in place.
11:44Right now, today, you can have a ceasefire.
11:49The person who doesn't want a ceasefire is not Zelensky, it's Zelensky, it's Vladimir Putin.
11:56Kellogg was involved in peace talks through December
11:59and served as an intermediator between Washington and Kyiv.
12:05He says a key sticking point in the negotiations is the Donbass region
12:09that Russia has unilaterally declared as a next territory.
12:13To agree to a ceasefire, Moscow demands the withdrawal of forces from parts Ukraine still holds.
12:20Kyiv calls that condition unacceptable.
12:24Kellogg, who served as lieutenant general of the U.S. Army,
12:27says the issue must be handled with extreme caution
12:30because ceding the territory could lead to another invasion.
12:36I've been on the ground.
12:37The problem, if Ukraine gives that up without a fight,
12:42then that opens up Kharkiv and Kyiv.
12:45And I've been on the ground, I've seen it.
12:47They're giving up what's called in the military defensible terrain.
12:50Three fortified cities, defensive lines.
12:53They haven't put any defensive lines in there.
12:55So you're giving an advantage.
12:58Kellogg says Putin seems to think that he can get Zelensky where he wants
13:02through his relationship with Trump.
13:05Putin is betting that he can convince Trump to force Zelensky to give up that land.
13:14Everything I've seen of Putin up to today, that's not true at all.
13:17He maintains that despite Putin's hard-line stance,
13:22there is probably a realization that Russia's strategic goals are not being achieved.
13:27Putin keeps saying he's winning.
13:30He hasn't taken any of the major cities, Kharkiv and Kyiv.
13:34He hasn't crossed the Dnieper River.
13:37Russia lost roughly 1.2 to 1.4 million.
13:42And I think if you're looking at your economy and you're looking at your military,
13:49if a reasonable person with Putin would say,
13:51OK, let's just call it a day, then we'll go back and rebuild and do something.
13:57Kellogg says the key is to make Putin understand
14:00that the best deal he's going to get is just freezing the conflict along the current battle lines.
14:07For Putin to agree, that's as far as he's going to get.
14:09So he's not going to gain any more land.
14:12He's going to realize he's destroying the Russian economy.
14:14He's destroying the Russian military.
14:16But I don't think he cares.
14:18He just does it.
14:20And it's for him to realize he's got nothing to gain.
14:25We're now joined by Nochi Haruka, who spoke with Keith Kellogg.
14:30So, Haruka, Kellogg points his fingers at Moscow as one of the reasons for the stalled talks.
14:36So can you tell us more about it?
14:38Well, President Trump has been involved in mediation efforts,
14:42holding summit meetings with both President Zelensky and President Putin.
14:46The trilateral talks between high-ranking officials from the U.S., Ukraine and Russia
14:51will be held in January, but there's a deep gap between their positions.
14:57President Trump has shown signs of impatience, urging the two countries to make concessions.
15:03According to Zelensky, further three-way talks were expected in early March.
15:09A media has reported that Trump wants to see Ukraine and Russia end the conflict by June of this year,
15:17but talks have been postponed due to the situation in Iran.
15:20So, where does this leave Ukraine?
15:24Well, with the U.S. shifting its focus on the situation in Iran,
15:28Ukraine is finding ways to bolster European support.
15:32Last month, President Zelensky met with European leaders and asked them to join in negotiations.
15:39The leaders said that they will offer their full support
15:42as Ukraine fights for its sovereignty and territorial integrity and to defend Europe's freedom.
15:49They also agreed on a $105 billion loan for Ukraine to meet urgent financial needs.
15:56So, Ukraine is now facing the challenges of shaping its strategy
16:00in coordination with Europe while keeping the United States engaged.
16:05So, Haruka, what does the U.S. attack on Iran mean for Russia?
16:10Well, the United States is allowing countries to carry out transactions of sanctioned Russian crude oil
16:15and petroleum products already loaded on vessels through April 11.
16:20While Russia has welcomed the measure, European Europe has expressed concern.
16:26Observers believe Moscow is trying to work with the U.S.
16:29in a bit to get the upper hand in the Ukrainian peace talks.
16:32So, in a rapidly shifting global landscape, how the international community chooses to engage
16:39and whether meaningful talks can resume will be the key issues going forward.
16:45Thank you very much, Haruka.
16:50Now, let's go to Rosalind De Vavaria in our Bangkok studio
16:54for stories making headlines across the Asia-Pacific.
16:59Myanmar's parliament has convened for the first time since a coup five years ago.
17:04An administration with strong military influence is expected to take power
17:09as more than 80 percent of seats are held by forces that support the military.
17:14At the opening session of the lower house on Monday,
17:18the chairman of the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, or USDP, was elected speaker.
17:25The gathering comes after a recent phased general election
17:29that left the USDP and pro-military camps holding 86 percent of the 586 seats in both houses of parliament.
17:39Pro-democracy parties were shut out of the vote,
17:41which the junta claims marks a transition to civilian rule.
17:45The upper house is set to open later this week,
17:48and both chambers will vote for a president next month.
17:52The junta's top leader, Senior General Min Aung Klaing,
17:56is seen as a shoo-in for the presidency.
17:58But the unstable situation in Myanmar is expected to persist under the new administration,
18:04with fierce fighting continuing between pro-democracy forces,
18:09armed ethnic minorities, and the military even after the election.
18:15Twenty Thai crew members have returned home after their cargo ship was attacked last week
18:20near the Strait of Hormuz.
18:22The crew of the Thai-flagged vessel Mayuri Nari landed at Suanapum Airport near Bangkok Monday morning.
18:29Government officials and representatives from the shipping company agreed or greeted the seafarers.
18:35The Thai foreign ministry said the group arrived from Oman after they were rescued by the Omani Navy.
18:46Today, all 20 crew members have returned safely.
18:50Everyone is in good physical and mental health and ready to return to their duties.
18:58The ship was struck by two projectiles on Wednesday while transiting the strait.
19:04Search and rescue operations are underway for three mariners believed to still be on board.
19:10Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the attack.
19:15On Sunday, Thai foreign minister Sihasak Pongkietgao spoke by phone with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Arakshi.
19:23The ministry says they discussed safe passage for Thai vessels through the strait,
19:28as well as help rescuing the three missing crew.
19:32With relations between Japan and China at a new low,
19:36Chinese tourist arrivals in Japan fell by more than half in January.
19:40Instead, places in Southeast Asia have become the must-visit alternatives.
19:46In its annual rankings, a Chinese travel agency has listed Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok
19:51among the preferred destinations during this year's Lunar New Year holidays.
19:57In the months after Beijing called on its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan last year,
20:03the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, ranked fourth most popular place among Chinese travelers.
20:10This durian stall owner says the number of Chinese tourists stopping by
20:14has surged since the beginning of the year, with sales nearly 50 percent higher than a year ago.
20:22Durian is delicious. I came here to enjoy some tasty food.
20:27I enjoy everything about Malaysia.
20:29The food, culture, landscape, it's all very attractive to me.
20:33With an eye on boosting the number of inbound travelers,
20:37the Malaysian government has extended its visa-free program
20:41for short-term Chinese visitors until the end of the year.
20:44It aims to attract seven million Chinese,
20:48one and a half times more than last year,
20:51raising expectations among local business owners.
20:56Chinese tourists come to eat, boosting business.
20:59The more they travel, the more Malaysian shops benefit.
21:05Thailand also sees this as a chance to give its hospitality sector a boost.
21:09In the Lunar New Year destination ranking,
21:12it jumped from eighth place to second compared to last year.
21:16The country has been laying out the welcome mat,
21:19such as hosting special events in Bangkok's Chinatown.
21:23It recently held a travel fair
21:25that attracted about 100 Chinese travel agencies.
21:29Thailand government do a lot of things to ensure safety to Chinese.
21:36I think next year, more and more people will come here.
21:41An official with the Tourism Authority of Thailand
21:43says visitors from China are crucial for the country's tourism industry.
21:49We have got a very good sign.
21:51If compared with last year,
21:53one of the best things is they spent quite a lot of money
21:57and they love Thailand.
22:00Last year, the number of foreign arrivals to Thailand
22:03dropped because of the Thai-Cambodia border conflict
22:06and the strength of the Thai currency.
22:08Thailand is hoping the surge in Chinese travelers
22:11will reinvigorate its travel sector
22:13and continue long into the future.
22:17And that wraps up our bulletin.
22:19I'm Rosalind Abavaglia in Bangkok.
22:22Thank you, Rosalind.
22:24A startup in a popular tourist destination in Western Japan
22:28has come up with a tool that may make the streets cleaner.
22:33The device is a simple garbage grabber, but with a twist.
22:37It's been fitted with AI technology capable of visualizing litter
22:42and analyzing the data.
22:45A demonstration of the device was held in front of Nara Station,
22:50which is always crowded with tourists.
22:53Please take up the tongs.
22:55The man behind the high-tech garbage collector
22:58is Tachibana Koki,
23:00who launched the startup
23:02while studying information communications technology
23:05at graduate school.
23:07Tachibana's tongs are equipped with a small AI camera.
23:12Artificial intelligence analyzes images of the trash being collected
23:17and then records the type of litter
23:19and the place where it was picked up.
23:21The data is then visualized.
23:29This is all the trash I collected.
23:33The tongs produce a sound that informs users
23:36they've been successful in picking up some trash.
23:42It feels rewarding to hear the sound.
23:46This is fun, almost like playing a game.
23:49The collected data can identify littering trends,
23:53including the type of trash that's being discarded
23:56and where more of it is thrown away.
24:00On this particular day,
24:02all sorts of scraps of paper were found in a nearby park.
24:06The municipal government intends to use the data
24:09to decide where to install trash cans.
24:15Until now, we've not been able to manage the hard data
24:18to monitor what types of litter is thrown out and where.
24:22The high-tech tongs have generated interest around the country
24:26and are now being leased out to other municipalities and entities.
24:30The lease comes with access to the accumulated data collected by the devices.
24:37After trying out the tongs, the municipal government of Osaka reviewed its clean-up route
24:43and succeeded in shortening the time needed for the job.
24:48Tachipana is pleased with the interest his tongs have generated,
24:52but he hopes to use the collected information on a larger scale.
24:58I believe that we can fundamentally solve environmental problems from the root
25:03if we can collect large amounts of data.
25:07The strategic removal of litter from Japan's streets
25:11has already begun producing results.
25:14The high-tech tongs are not only gathering small bits of litter,
25:18but vital data that will be used to address bigger challenges.
25:33Let's take a look at weather forecast for cities around the world.
26:20Let's take a look at weather forecast for cities around the world.
26:40JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY THAT SOMEIYOSHINO CHERRY BLOSSOMS,
26:47A FAMOUS VARIETY, HAVE BEGUN TO BLOOM IN CITIES IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL JAPAN.
26:54THE OFFICIALS SAY THE PINK PETALS APPEARED IN KOCHI CITY SEVEN DAYS EARLIER THAN LAST YEAR AND SIX DAYS AHEAD
27:02OF THE AVERAGE.
27:04IN GIFU CITY, IT WAS NINE DAYS EARLIER.
27:13I'M SURPRISED ABOUT THE PACE THEY BEGAN TO BLOOM.
27:16I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING MANY KINDS OF CHERRY BLOSSOMS.
27:21MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ARE SET TO SEE CHERRY TREES BLOOM THIS WEEK AS TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO BE
27:28AROUND OR ABOVE AVERAGE.
27:31IT MAKES ALL OF US FEEL THAT SPRING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER HERE IN JAPAN.
27:36I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
27:37YES.
27:37AND THAT IS IT FOR THIS EDITION OF NEWSROOM TOKYO.
27:40YOU CAN CATCH THIS PROGRAM ON OUR WEBSITE.
27:42I'M YOSHikawa Riuichi.
27:44AND I'M YAMASAWA RINA.
27:45THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WATCHING.
27:47PLEASE JOIN US AGAIN TOMORROW.
27:58I'M ESCAPED.
27:59I'M LISTEN IMMIGRING SALE.
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