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00:12Welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Kume Ayako.
00:15And I'm Raja Prada.
00:16Here are the headlines.
00:18Tit-for-tat attacks continue between the U.S.-Israeli side and Iran.
00:22Iran's biggest bridge is hit and collapses, killing eight and wounding many.
00:28Microsoft plans to spend $10 billion to bolster artificial intelligence in Japan
00:34by improving data centers and fostering local talent.
00:38And as tourists flock to Tokyo, the city is grappling with a litter problem.
00:43Metropolitan authorities are revamping the hotel tax to pay for a cleanup.
00:49U.S. President Donald Trump says American forces are nearing completion of their objectives in Iran.
00:56But Tehran is warning the U.S. to prepare for broader and more destructive attacks.
01:04Trump posted this footage on social media on Thursday.
01:08He claimed it was Iran's biggest bridge, saying it can never be used again.
01:13He told Tehran to make a deal before there is nothing left.
01:17The Post didn't say where or when the bridge collapsed.
01:22But Iranian media said an attack on a bridge in Karaj, near Tehran, killed eight and wounded 95 others.
01:30We're going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.
01:35That speech triggered sharp words from the commander-in-chief of the Iranian army.
01:41According to state-run media, he warned the U.S. against any ground operations.
01:47He said if the enemy attempts one, there will be no survivors.
01:52Turning to Israel, the military there says it's intercepted four waves of Iranian missiles.
01:59It said the attack took place around the time of Trump's speech to the nation on the Iran conflict.
02:05Israeli media said four people near Tel Aviv were injured and cluster munitions may have been used.
02:13The Israeli military said it's conducted large-scale strikes on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps bases
02:20and ballistic missile storage sites in Tehran.
02:24Now, as for Iran's missile launchers, CNN says roughly half of them are still intact.
02:30And it says thousands of one-way attack drones are still in Tehran's arsenal.
02:35CNN reported on the numbers Thursday.
02:38Its sources say they're from recent U.S. intelligence assessments.
02:41The documents allegedly suggest many of Iran's coastal defense cruise missiles are also intact.
02:47It's a stark contrast to President Trump's recent claims.
02:50In his address Wednesday, he said the Iranian Navy and Air Force had suffered significant losses.
02:56In the past, he's even claimed U.S. forces knocked out about 90 percent of Iran's missiles and launchers.
03:02NHK reached out to U.S. defense officials for comment.
03:07Spokesperson Sean Parnell claims CNN's sources are completely wrong.
03:12He went on to describe the operation as a resounding success and called the report shameful.
03:19Britain has hosted a meeting to discuss how to secure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
03:26Representatives from more than 40 countries, including Japan, attended the virtual event.
03:36British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper hosted the gathering.
03:40She says Iran is trying to hold the global economy hostage by blocking the waterway.
03:46We've come together as foreign ministers and officials from across the world today.
03:52So those who joined in the leader's statement on restoring safe passage through the Strait and more and many more
03:58coming together in our collective determination to secure freedom of navigation and to reopen the Strait.
04:06A Japanese foreign ministry official says the participants condemned Iran's effective closure of the Strait.
04:13Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu called on the countries to make efforts to ensure a stable global energy supply.
04:22The British government released a statement after the meeting.
04:25It says the delegates discussed boosting diplomatic pressure on Iran and rejected the imposition of tolls.
04:33They also addressed possible sanctions.
04:37They agreed to work with the International Maritime Organization to secure the release of thousands of ships and sailors trapped
04:45in the Strait.
04:47The meeting came after Trump lashed out at other countries on Wednesday for not doing enough to open the Strait.
04:55He said European and Asian nations get a lot of oil from the Strait.
04:59He named France, Japan, South Korea, and China, and he said, let them do it.
05:07Next, a spacecraft carrying four astronauts has successfully left Earth's orbit to begin its historic journey toward the moon.
05:14The rocket carrying the Ryan crew capsule for the Artemis 2 mission lifted off Wednesday evening.
05:22The capsule spent about a day orbiting Earth, testing docking and other operations.
05:28The view is a planet Earth. We've circled it completely, and we forgot how beautiful it is to look down
05:34on Earth.
05:36On Thursday night, the spacecraft executed a thruster firing that placed it on a pathway to the moon.
05:42I am so, so excited to be able to tell you that for the first time since 1972, during Apollo
05:4917, human beings have left Earth orbit.
05:54The U.S.-led international mission will last for about 10 days.
05:58The capsule is scheduled to enter the moon's gravitational sphere in about three days and circle the moon before returning
06:04to Earth.
06:05The Artemis program, under U.S. space agency NASA, aims to land astronauts on the moon in 2028.
06:13NASA has called on companies and research institutes around the world to track radio waves from the Orion.
06:21A university in central Japan is taking part and says it has successfully received a batch of data from space.
06:30Fuku'i University of Technology is following the spacecraft with a 13.5-meter antenna from its Awara Space Center.
06:39The school was one of 34 parties from 14 countries selected by NASA to provide data on the Orion.
06:48Members of the tracking team confirmed they had received radio waves from the spacecraft early Friday morning.
06:56I believe this is the first step of Fuku'i University of Technology's involvement in a global movement.
07:05The university says it will attempt to receive radio waves several more times through April 11th.
07:22Now, let's take a look at the world business.
07:25Raja, what's the latest?
07:27Ago, let's start with a major move by Microsoft to bolster artificial intelligence here in Japan.
07:32The company has unveiled a plan to invest $10 billion by the year 2029.
07:38Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith met with Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae in Tokyo on Friday to explain the
07:45objectives.
07:46Takaichi said she was very happy with the plan.
07:49She said it was in line with the government's aim to increase domestic investment.
07:53She added the plan will address concerns about data sovereignty.
08:01We welcome the plan because it will raise Japan's growth potential, deal with the issue of data sovereignty, and boost
08:10human resources.
08:18The $10 billion will go toward improving the data centers needed for AI development and to fostering local talent and
08:25expertise.
08:26Microsoft says it wants to establish an environment in which AI technology can be developed while keeping the data management
08:32within the country.
08:34The Japanese telecom giant SoftBank and data center operator Sakura Internet will also participate.
08:40Microsoft aims to produce one million engineers and other highly skilled workers in the country by 2030.
08:47It will do this by working with NTT Data Japan and the electronics firm NEC.
08:53We also shared and discussed with the Prime Minister the work that we're doing to strengthen the cybersecurity protection of
09:00the nation
09:00and to provide skilling to enable more opportunities by people across Japan.
09:06Now, this comes as more and more businesses and municipalities are falling victim to cyber attacks.
09:11To bolster measures against such attacks, Microsoft will cooperate with Japan's National Cyber Security Office and the National Police Agency.
09:19All of this is taking place amid a heated global rivalry to make strides in AI.
09:26Now, the impact of the Middle East conflict is being felt far and wide, even in Japan's fishing industry.
09:32In Nemuro City in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, the season's first catch of scallops has just been brought into
09:38port.
09:39But local fishing operations are having a hard time due to the higher prices of heavy oil needed for fuel.
09:45Some fishers say they've been cutting engine speeds to conserve fuel.
09:50Elsewhere, fish farmers say the fuel shortage is delaying shipments of imported juvenile grater amberjack,
09:57which is a fish often served grilled or in sashimi.
10:00On the southwestern island of Kyushu, fish farms in Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures normally import amberjacks from China from March
10:09through July.
10:10When shipments are delayed and the fish grow beyond 30 centimeters in length, a 10 percent tariff is imposed.
10:17Therefore, the government has decided to cut the tariff on amberjacks of up to 50 centimeters until the end of
10:23the year.
10:24The Middle East uncertainty is also casting a shadow on an annual spring tradition.
10:30Kagoshima's Tarumizu City usually holds an amberjack festival in early May.
10:35But the organizer has decided to postpone the event this year.
10:38It says it has to deal with the sharp rise in oil prices.
10:41It's also having trouble finding materials for fish cage floats and packaging for processing plants.
10:48The United States is drastically ramping up tariffs on imports of non-generic drugs.
10:53President Trump says the additional tariff will be 100 percent.
10:58He signed an executive order to this effect on Thursday.
11:01But Japan will be exempt as the U.S. will honor lower tariffs already agreed in deals with trade partners.
11:08That includes a 15 percent rate for Japan and the European Union.
11:12The new tariff will be applied to patented pharmaceuticals and associated ingredients.
11:17It will take effect in 120 days for large companies and 180 days for smaller ones.
11:24Firms that have plans to produce these items in the U.S. will get a reduced rate of 20 percent
11:29for four years.
11:31Companies that agree to lower prices for the U.S. market will be exempt until January 2029.
11:37Despite its exemption, Japan's pharmaceutical exports to the U.S. have already fallen off.
11:43The finance ministry says they plunged 58 percent in February from a year earlier to under $90 million.
11:50All right, now let's check how the Tokyo stock market finished the week.
11:54The benchmark Nikkei 225 rebounded on Friday as concerns over supplies of crude oil and oil products eased.
12:02The index ended the day nearly 1.3 percent higher at 53,123.
12:10Investors picked up chemical and machinery shares.
12:13Analysts say the news Iran and Oman are working on a joint statement to secure the safety of navigation in
12:19the Strait of Hormuz brought investors some relief.
12:22And that's all for business this week.
12:32All right, it's peak travel season here in Tokyo and the capital is teeming with tourists.
12:37And the city has approved a revised hotel tax to help cover the cost of the influx.
12:47Tokyo's Akihabara is packed with anime and manga shops and always crowded with visitors from around the world.
12:56Piles of garbage were left in the district over the New Year holidays as tourists flocked for countdown events,
13:02leaving ward officials to deal with the cleanup.
13:08Visitors often drop trash in the flower beds.
13:13In central Tokyo's Chiyoda ward, the streets are strewn with cigarette butts and plastic and paper waste.
13:22Garbage collectors clear the litter, but they can't keep up.
13:26Residents are complaining.
13:29The ward spent 40 million yen on new trash cans.
13:33Emptying them is projected to cost 30 million yen a year.
13:40Sanitation offices are basically set up to collect household waste,
13:44so picking up litter falls outside their normal duties and puts a heavy burden on them.
13:50Starting next fiscal year, Tokyo will move from a flat hotel tax of 100 or 200 yen
13:56to a fixed 3% of per-person room rates.
14:01Tourists visiting the capital had this to say about the review of the accommodation tax.
14:07Taxes that are collected from tourists or everything should be used for the citizens, yes.
14:15There are really a lot of people, so I think it's good if they raise it,
14:19because maybe we can stop this over-tourism and so much people and everywhere is so crowded.
14:30Joining me now is NHK World's Kajiwara Akina, who's been following the story.
14:36So, Akina, what prompted the metropolitan government to rethink the hotel tax?
14:41More than 40 million foreign tourists visited Japan last year,
14:46and they spent around $59 billion.
14:49Both of those numbers are record high.
14:53On the one hand, that's good news for Japan's economy.
14:57On the other, the flat of visitors is putting a burden on city governments and local residents.
15:04In Tokyo, there's been a rising number of complaints about noise, improper garbage disposal,
15:13and other rude behavior by guests at short-term rentals such as Airbnb.
15:20Some districts are restricting their operation.
15:25Outside Tokyo, locals have been unable to use public transit,
15:30with buses brought to a halt by the huge number of tourists.
15:38Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko says the tourism boom is creating new challenges.
15:45We'd like to continue to take advantage of the accommodation tax
15:50and promote various measures to support sustainable tourism in Tokyo.
15:56So, Akina, the tax review is expected to bring the metropolitan government a lot of income, right?
16:00So, how much money are we talking about, and how will it be used?
16:04The changes are estimated to bring in $75 million extra dollars.
16:09It's expected to be used for things like cleaning up the city and making hotels buyer-free.
16:18One expert on local finance says Tokyo authorities need to think carefully about how to manage this extra money.
16:28It's important to make good use of the tax revenues.
16:31So, I think Tokyo should establish a system to clarify how to use the funds effectively
16:36and monitor the results of major projects.
16:40The internal affairs ministry says six prefectures and 33 municipalities currently collect lodging taxes.
16:51And 16 other local governments have plans to implement one, including Okinawa and Nagano,
16:58which are popular tourist destinations.
17:02Professor Kobayashi says the introduction of a fixed-rate system for the first time in a city
17:09the size of Tokyo is attracting a lot of attention from governments in other places in Japan.
17:15All right. Thank you for all your insight, Akina.
17:17NHK World's Kajiwara Akina.
17:31Now, let's go to Tratira Kausal in our Bangkok studio
17:35for more stories making headlines across the Asia-Pacific.
17:41Myanmar's parliament has elected former junta chief Min Ong Hwain as the country's president.
17:46He is set to launch an administration that's expected to be heavily influenced by the military.
17:55Lawmakers of both houses voted on Friday to choose the president from among three candidates.
18:01Min Ong Hwain received 429 out of 584 votes.
18:06He had headed the junta since leading the 2021 coup that ousted the elected government.
18:12Min Ong Hwain stepped down as commander-in-chief of the armed forces on Monday
18:18as he was nominated for the presidency.
18:21Pro-military camps hold more than 80 percent of Myanmar's parliamentary seats.
18:27That's after a recent controversial general election that excluded pro-democracy parties.
18:35The military has claimed the country is returning to civilian rule,
18:39but it's expected to effectively maintain a grip on power.
18:43Fighting with pro-democracy forces and armed ethnic minorities continues with no end in sight.
18:52Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan's interim Taliban government
18:56have opened talks in China after months of clashes.
19:00They're believed to be focused on a ceasefire,
19:03but negotiations are expected to be challenging.
19:08Afghanistan's Taliban foreign ministry posted on social media on Friday
19:13that discussions with Pakistan had begun under mediation by Beijing.
19:17Previously, Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesperson said
19:22the country had sent a delegation to Urumuji,
19:26the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, for talks.
19:30He urged the Taliban to curb cross-border terrorism.
19:34The burden of real process, however, lies with Afghanistan,
19:39which must demonstrate visible and verifiable actions
19:44against terrorist groups using Afghan soil against Pakistan.
19:50Clashes between the two countries have been escalating since last October.
19:55Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan
19:58to counter cross-border attacks by militant groups.
20:01The Taliban have responded with retaliatory attacks,
20:05causing mass casualties, including civilians.
20:10India says it is continuing to ship fuel
20:13to neighboring South Asian countries at their request.
20:16This comes as oil prices in the region soar amid the Iran conflict.
20:23The Indian foreign ministry said Thursday
20:26that it is supplying energy to Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.
20:33This includes 38,000 metric tons of petroleum products for Sri Lanka.
20:39The Maldives has also put in a request.
20:43The Maldives request is being examined,
20:45keeping in mind our own availability and our own needs.
20:52Countries such as Sri Lanka and the Maldives
20:54are grappling with soaring fuel prices
20:57as they rely heavily on energy imports.
21:00They're implementing four-day work and school weeks,
21:03fuel rationing, and more to save energy.
21:07Concerns are growing that there may be a prolonged impact on people's lives.
21:12Meanwhile, India is worried about potential liquefied petroleum gas shortage.
21:17It imports about 60 percent of its LPG,
21:21with 90 percent of that passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
21:25But New Delhi says it is well-stocked with crude oil.
21:28It adds that it has ensured available and affordable energy
21:32for its people by diversifying sources.
21:36And that wraps up our bulletin.
21:38I'm Thra Chira Kausan in Bangkok.
21:49U.S. President Donald Trump has announced
21:51that Attorney General Pam Bondi is leaving her post.
21:55The president is said to be frustrated over her job performance.
22:00Trump made the announcement on a social media post Thursday.
22:05He said Bondi will be transitioning to a much-needed
22:08and important new job in the private sector.
22:11He did not specify what her new role would be
22:14or why she's departing.
22:17Trump did note that Bondi had served faithfully.
22:21He named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche
22:24as Acting Attorney General.
22:26U.S. media say
22:28a major issue was her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein file.
22:32The financier died after being indicted on sex abuse charges.
22:37Trump was also allegedly discontent
22:39with how few successful cases were mounted
22:42against his political enemies.
22:45Bondi is the second Federal Department chief
22:48to be replaced under the current Trump administration.
22:52In March, Christine Noem was removed
22:54as Secretary of Homeland Security.
22:56On the same day, U.S. Defense Department officials confirmed
23:01that Army Chief of Staff General Randy George
23:04will step down and retire.
23:07CBS News said this was at the request
23:10of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
23:13U.S. media described it as an extraordinary step
23:16coming in the midst of the ongoing military campaign
23:19against Iran.
23:21The organization formed by Japan, Britain and Italy
23:25to build a next-generation fighter aircraft
23:27has signed its first unified contract
23:29with an industrial joint venture.
23:32The trilateral Global Combat Air Program,
23:36or GCAP, was launched in 2022.
23:39Its executive body is known as the
23:41GCAP International Government Organization,
23:44or JIGO.
23:46On Thursday, JIGO announced the deal
23:48worth £686 million, around $907 million.
23:53It was awarded to Edgewing, a joint venture
23:56comprising companies from each of the three countries,
23:59for key design and engineering activities.
24:02GCAP aims to develop fighters that can collaborate
24:04with drones and outperform current
24:06state-of-the-art models.
24:08It set the goal of 2035 for delivering the aircraft.
24:13JIGO Chief Executive Okama Sami is a former
24:16Japanese Vice Minister of Defense
24:17for International Affairs.
24:19He called the New Deal an important moment for GCAP.
24:23He said activities previously conducted
24:25under contracts from each nation
24:26will now be carried out as part of a
24:28fully-fledged international program.
24:41A system lingering in the Mediterranean
24:43is causing havoc in the region.
24:46Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano explains the situation
24:48for there and elsewhere in our World Weather Report.
24:51A slow-moving storm has been bringing
24:54thundershowers to Italy and the Balkans this week.
24:57People in Athens saw over 130 millimeters of rainfall
25:01in just one day, which is more than
25:04four times the monthly average.
25:07The downpours caused severe flooding in southern Greece.
25:12The storm hit Greece in the middle of the week.
25:16The Attica Legion was the hardest hit,
25:19with firefighters there receiving over 750 emergency calls.
25:24They pumped water out of homes, rescued people,
25:28and cleared roads upfallen trees.
25:30According to Reuters, police say the one victim died
25:35after he was swept away and trapped under a car.
25:39The storm is expected to weaken gradually.
25:43However, more rain is still possible,
25:45so people there should watch out for additional flooding.
25:49Another system is developing near the UK,
25:52bringing stormy conditions,
25:54gusts of up to 145 kilometers per hour,
25:57a possible potentially affecting traffic
26:00and transportation over the Easter holiday weekend.
26:04But the weather will continue in Athens and Istanbul.
26:08The high in Berlin will be only 9,
26:10but will jump to 15 on Saturday
26:13and almost 20 on Sunday.
26:17Moving to Japan,
26:18a high-pressure system is bringing calm and dry conditions on Friday,
26:23but the next storm is approaching.
26:26Intense rain is expected in western and eastern Japan on Saturday.
26:30In addition,
26:31Kyushu may see gusts of over 120 kilometers per hour.
26:36With weather is likely in many cities on Saturday,
26:40but sunny skies are expected to return on Sunday.
26:43After the rain,
26:45the high in Tokyo will jump to 24.
26:48That's it for now.
26:49Have a nice weekend.
26:50concerns or speak.
26:50.
26:52?
26:52?
26:54?
27:06?
27:34And that wraps up this edition
27:36of Newsroom Tokyo.
27:37Don't forget, you can always catch our program
27:39on our website as well.
27:41I'm Raja Pradhan.
27:41And I'm Kumei Ayako.
27:44Have a great weekend.
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