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00:12Hello and welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Roger Prada. Here are the headlines.
00:17U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly extends his deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.
00:24The Artemis moon mission goes from one gravitational pull to another.
00:30And we report from Indonesia, where millions of web-hungry people offer a golden opportunity in the field of fiber
00:37optics.
00:39First, Trump. The U.S. President has an ultimatum for Iran's leaders.
00:44Open the Strait of Hormuz or see your energy facilities destroyed.
00:47But he's reportedly giving them more time to comply.
00:52On Sunday, Trump told the Wall Street Journal he'll postpone attacks on Iran's energy facilities until Tuesday.
00:58The deadline was initially set for Monday Eastern U.S. time.
01:02The same day, Trump took to social media proclaiming Tuesday 8 p.m. Eastern time.
01:08But he did not elaborate.
01:10Hours earlier, he posted an expletive-laden rant threatening Iran's power plants and bridges.
01:16He also said the country would be living in hell if it did not open the Strait.
01:21A spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry vowed to retaliate accordingly in the event of an attack.
01:28This is not something that we will do it voluntarily or by willful decision.
01:38This is something that is as part of our defense measures against their illegal act.
01:48Elsewhere in the conflict, U.S. Central Command says its forces have successfully rescued two American service members from inside
01:56Iran.
01:56They were on board an F-15 fighter jet shot down on Thursday.
02:01Trump wrote on social media a seriously wounded and really brave officer had been pulled from deep inside the mountains
02:08of Iran.
02:09And Israel's defense minister has defended a decision to target Iran's petrochemical facilities.
02:16His comments came after an attack on a facility in the southwest was announced on Saturday.
02:21He says the petrochemical industry has generated $18 billion for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps over the past two years.
02:31As long as the missile fire towards the citizens of Israel continues, Iran will pay a painful price that will
02:38erode and collapse its national infrastructure and the terror regime's ability to operate.
02:44Iran fired more missiles at Israel on Sunday.
02:48Local media say a strike in the northern city of Haifa injured several people.
02:53Another attack on an industrial zone in the southern city of Beersheba reportedly damaged a factory.
03:00Now, Trump's comments on the conflict have not gone down well in Iran, or with the French president, or with
03:06some of his MAGA cap-toting supporters.
03:09We're going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks.
03:14We're going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong.
03:19Trump's description of what the U.S. military is doing is hardly conventional.
03:25Either way, many Iranians are undeterred.
03:30Our Stone Age is far more civilized than America.
03:34I even love the rubble because I love my country.
03:40Trump cannot bring us back to the Stone Age.
03:43He cannot shatter our will.
03:48French President Emmanuel Macron has complained about Trump's seemingly contradictory remarks.
04:03Trump spoke proudly last week during an address to the nation.
04:07In these past four weeks, our armed forces have delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield.
04:16But a poll on Friday suggests more people aren't buying it.
04:20The disapproval rate for the military operation outweighed the approval rate by more than 15 points.
04:30Support is even on the wane among Trump's staunchest followers, often seen wearing red caps emblazoned with the slogan MAGA,
04:38or Make America Great Again.
04:40A joint survey by a British economics magazine and a major polling company early last month showed 91% supported
04:49the military operation.
04:50But in the same survey late last month, the figure sunk by 10 percentage points.
05:01White House spokesperson, Caroline Levitt spoke at a Trump supporters event last week.
05:08I came to D.C. I worked in President Trump's White House in the first term.
05:13But the way she steered clear of mentioning Iran was telling.
05:17I voted for Trump in 2024 off the idea that he would, you know, tone down the wars.
05:24I'm hoping if everything goes well, he knows that it needs to end at some point.
05:29I think we're spending an unbelievable amount of money, weapons, service members' lives.
05:33I find that to be super antithetical to America First.
05:37More than 100 international law experts based in the United States have issued a statement.
05:42They denounced the military operation as a clear violation of the United Nations Charter.
05:51They say a strike on an elementary school in southern Iran could be a war crime.
05:57Iran's de facto stranglehold on oil shipping has forced many countries to impose restrictions on the public.
06:03But Japan will not be joining them for now.
06:07Government officials say there's no need to curb the use of electricity or gasoline for the time being.
06:13They say crude oil imports are coming via alternatives,
06:16such as the United States and Middle Eastern routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
06:21They also say in May, Japan will likely procure about 60 percent of what it did a year ago.
06:27And coupled with the nation's oil reserves,
06:29the officials expect Japan will secure enough crude oil to cover its needs through early 2027.
06:36Prime Minister Takai Chisanae said on social media,
06:39Japan has about eight months' worth of oil stockpiles.
06:42She added, efforts to import through alternative routes are steadily progressing,
06:47and Japan is securing a sufficient amount for the entire nation.
06:51Still, some ruling and opposition party members believe the public may need to use less energy and gasoline
06:57if the conflict in the Middle East drags on.
07:00The government plans to closely monitor the situation and study what measures could be taken.
07:12For the first time in half a century, humans have reached the moon's gravitational sphere.
07:18That's a threshold not crossed since the Apollo 17 mission of 1972.
07:24An Orion spacecraft entered the field at 4.40 a.m. coordinated universal time on Monday,
07:30the fifth day of a 10-day mission that's part of NASA's plans to land astronauts on the moon in
07:36the year 2028.
07:39This is Artemis Mission Control in Houston, Texas.
07:42We recently received confirmation that the Orion spacecraft and its crew have officially entered the lunar sphere of influence.
07:50We are now falling to the moon rather than rising away from Earth.
07:54It is an amazing milestone.
07:57The astronauts on Monday planned to practice rapidly donning their spacesuits,
08:02which can supply oxygen for up to six days if the craft suffers a sudden loss of pressure.
08:07The Orion is due to pass behind the moon Tuesday.
08:11That puts the crew on course to beat a record set by the Apollo 13 crew,
08:16who traveled more than 400,000 kilometers from Earth in 1970.
08:22In other news, police in western Japan are struggling for clues in their search for a missing boy.
08:29Adachi Yuki disappeared two weeks ago.
08:33About 600 officers will mobilize to look for the 11-year-old in Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture.
08:39Officials say his father drove him to school on the morning of March 23rd,
08:44but he did not show up for class.
08:46Police have searched irrigation ponds and other areas.
08:50On March 29th, the boy's backpack was found in a mountainous area about three kilometers from the school.
08:57Investigators say there's no evidence he used public transport and no security camera footage has emerged.
09:03He was reportedly not carrying a mobile phone when he disappeared.
09:07Police say they've received about 230 tips, but none have been fruitful.
09:12They're appealing to the public for any information.
09:25Oil prices have shot up again after an angry social media post by the U.S. president.
09:31Yanaka Marie from our biz team joins us now with the latest on that.
09:34Marie.
09:34Thanks, Raja.
09:36Benchmark WTI futures climbed to a one-month high on Monday, topping $115 a barrel before easing back.
09:44The spike came as traders priced in fresh risk to supply after President Trump's latest threat to attack Iranian infrastructure.
09:53The surge in oil prices is raising concerns about global inflation.
09:58The benchmark oil contract was trading around $113 last Thursday.
10:04The market was closed on Friday for a holiday.
10:07Traders are watching for any signs of a de-escalation before Tuesday.
10:12That's the deadline Trump has set for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on its energy
10:19infrastructure.
10:21Despite the deadlock over the Strait, eight OPEC-plus countries, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, have announced they'll raise their
10:29crude output in May.
10:31The move is seen as a signal that they'll be ready to resume full-fledged shipments when the waterway reopens.
10:39The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz is also impacting car makers.
10:44Mazda Motor is the latest example from Japan.
10:47Mazda has learned the firm has halted domestic production of vehicles intended for the Middle East.
10:54Mazda usually exports 30,000 vehicles annually to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and other parts of the region.
11:01The firm has kept production levels unchanged since the Iran conflict began.
11:06It was exploring possible shipping routes that avoid the choke point.
11:11But sources say growing inventory prompted the change for April and May.
11:17They add the decision won't affect total production in Japan.
11:20The company plans to increase output for Europe and other markets where demand is rising.
11:26Toyota slashed production of vehicles for the Middle East by about 20,000 units in March and plans for 24
11:33,000 in April.
11:35Nissan cut output by about 1,200 vehicles in March and will do roughly the same in April.
11:43Now, another Japanese automaker is facing headwinds of its own.
11:47Suzuki Motor has ruled over the mini-vehicle sector for decades.
11:51But now there are some new rivals muscling in on that market, both at home and abroad.
11:57NHK sat down for an exclusive interview with the man in the driver's seat.
12:03Suzuki Toshihiro became president of the multinational carmaker 11 years ago.
12:10He took over from his father, Osamu, who was well-known as a charismatic leader.
12:17Suzuki Motor rolled out its first electric vehicles in Japan in January this year.
12:22Some may view that as being behind the curve among Japanese automakers, but the president doesn't necessarily agree.
12:34I don't think we started late.
12:36We can learn from the experiences of our competitors and take the best from them.
12:41We just have to make sure we're on time.
12:44We have options like gasoline-powered cars, internal combustion engine vehicles, EVs, and automobiles that run on hydrogen.
12:54It's very risky to narrow it down to just one type.
12:57I think the right approach is to have choices and pursue the most appropriate.
13:03Moves by major Chinese automaker BYD to enter Japan's mini-vehicle, or K-car market, has sent shockwaves through the
13:12industry.
13:13We'll fully commit ourselves to Japan's market.
13:18BYD last year unveiled a prototype mini-car at the Japan Mobility Show.
13:23The company plans to release its first model into the Japanese market this summer.
13:29K-cars are a uniquely Japanese invention, and the country has long set the standards.
13:36Among Japanese automakers, Suzuki is the top seller in the category, in terms of units.
13:43Still, while Suzuki Toshihiro admits he harbors a sense of crisis with the arrival of BYD,
13:50he hopes the global demand of K-cars will expand.
13:56Some people say the K-car is considered only for the domestic market.
14:00But the arrival of the Chinese automaker has proved the K-car market has potential.
14:06Their price settings and costs indeed are cause for concern.
14:09We need to conduct our own business by strengthening Suzuki's advantages.
14:16Suzuki Motor first made inroads into India in 1983.
14:21By offering compact vehicles at a low cost, the company quickly expanded its market share.
14:28Eventually, the sales in India accounted for roughly 40 percent of its total revenue.
14:34But advances by South Korean and local automakers have been eroding Suzuki's competitive edge.
14:41President Suzuki hopes to turn things around in India.
14:45At the same time, he's eyeing business opportunities in Africa, among other regions, that offer economic growth potential.
14:55In India alone, out of a population of 1.4 billion people, there are 400 million who can afford a
15:03car.
15:04But that means there is still an untapped market for the rest of the people, more than double the figure
15:11of car owners.
15:13It's important to target that market share.
15:16The old way of doing things in the past is no longer applicable.
15:19We have to work quickly and be flexible.
15:24Despite facing increasing competition both at home and abroad, Suzuki Motor is resolved to keep transforming itself.
15:33The car maker's president has confidence that he's come up with a winning strategy.
15:40Last to check on the markets.
15:42The rate on the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond climbed above 2.4 percent.
15:49That's a 27-year high.
15:51Sentiment in the bond markets is being driven by speculation that the Bank of Japan may be preparing to raise
15:58its key rate.
15:59That's because rising oil prices are ramping up inflationary pressure.
16:04On to stocks now.
16:06Tokyo's Nikkei average added a little over half a percent.
16:10Concerns about oil supplies receded after vessels from a number of countries, including Japan, passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
16:18Semiconductor-related shares were strong.
16:20Analysts say investors are optimistic about AI demand after a healthy earnings report from a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer.
16:29Chip makers also pushed up Seoul's Kospi.
16:32The benchmark added one and a third percent.
16:35And that's the biz for this Monday.
16:38All right, Marie, thank you very much for that.
16:40Now for more stories making headlines in the Asia-Pacific, let's go to Rosalind Devavalia at our bureau in Bangkok.
16:45Rosalind.
16:47The United States and the Philippines have kicked off an annual joint army exercise.
16:53Japan is playing a major role for the first time after signing a security cooperation pact with the Philippines.
17:00The opening ceremony for the Salaknib drill was held Monday on Luson Island.
17:05Some 7,000 personnel from five countries, including Australia and New Zealand, are set to take part.
17:12About 420 participants are members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
17:19They'll practice command and control coordination with the other units and take part in live fire drills.
17:25In the past edition of the exercise, Japan took part only as an observer.
17:30But a security cooperation pact between Tokyo and Manila that took effect last year paved the way for joint drills
17:37beyond humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
17:41In our interaction with Japan, Japan has several capabilities that our army could learn from them.
17:54The security environment surrounding Japan is becoming increasingly severe.
17:59In this context, we are undertaking various initiatives to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and around
18:08the world.
18:10Yamashita said Japan must work alongside the U.S. and like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific to enhance its
18:17deterrence and response capabilities.
18:21Thailand's re-elected Prime Minister, Anutin Chan-wira-kun, has unveiled a new cabinet.
18:26But his government still faces growing public frustration over the oil crisis.
18:31Anutin was re-elected in a parliamentary vote last month after his conservative Pumcai Thai party won decisively in a
18:40general election in February.
18:42He's launching his new administration on Monday with key ministers including finance, commerce and foreign affairs unchanged.
18:51In focus is how the incoming government will handle economic policies as rising oil prices hit households and businesses.
18:59The government had capped petrol prices after the Iranian conflict began, but subsidies were later cut, sending them sharply higher.
19:09Surging fuel costs have also pushed up the price of daily necessities, including food.
19:15An opinion poll last week found more than 60 percent have little or no support for the government's response to
19:22the energy crisis.
19:24Indonesia has a population of 280 million people and a median age of around 30.
19:31So demand for digital services there has growth potential.
19:34A Japanese company sees opportunity.
19:38Indonesia faces challenges in developing robust communication infrastructure.
19:44Fiber-optic networks enable high-capacity and stable connections.
19:48But their penetration rate stands at just 15 percent, underscoring a digital divide.
19:57Last year, a major Japanese telecommunication company signed a business partnership agreement with the holding company of a local infrastructure
20:05operator.
20:06Their project aims to bring low-cost, high-speed Internet services to each household.
20:14It uses the local partners' existing fiber-optic networks, laid along railway lines.
20:23The fiber-optic cables originate here and extend along the railway connecting to Jakarta.
20:31The project is using this site as a starting point to extend connections to households.
20:36The companies believe they can capture demand from middle- and lower-income customers.
20:43This man runs a small retail shop.
20:46He began using the service about half a year ago.
20:50He says he now pays only one-third of what he previously spent on fiber-optic service provided by an
20:57affiliate of a state-owned company.
21:00Now I pay only about six dollars a month, which is much cheaper.
21:03It helps us to save a lot.
21:06The Japanese company says about one million new households have joined over the past year.
21:13It is now training local technicians to cope with the rapid increase of users.
21:19Japanese engineers are teaching installation, maintenance and inspection procedures using a simulated facility.
21:27Japan's domestic market is leveling off, so the company sees Indonesia as a key part of its future overseas expansion.
21:37Telecommunications have become a vital part of social infrastructure.
21:41They affect access to education as well.
21:44So providing reliable communications is essential for everyone in every country.
21:50Communications infrastructure development has fallen even further behind on Indonesia's outer islands.
21:57But overseas companies which recognize the country's growth potential could help close the divide.
22:06And that wraps up our bulletin.
22:08I'm Rosalind of Ovalia in Bangkok.
22:11Thank you very much for that, Rosalind.
22:13We take you back to Japan, where the sakura cherry blossom season is in full swing.
22:18And that means many parts of the country are looking oh-so-pretty in pink.
22:24A festival at Kokura Castle in Kita-Kyushu features about 300 cherry trees.
22:30Visitors enjoyed taking photos of the flowers in full bloom.
22:33The event ends next Sunday.
22:38I arrived in the morning and was able to find an empty spot.
22:42We are happy to see the flowers in full bloom.
22:49There are about 130 cherry trees at the Shukke-en Garden in Hiroshima City.
22:59A viewing party was held on Sunday at a tea room in the grounds.
23:07It's spring and the flowers are very beautiful.
23:10I am happy to see them again.
23:13The annual event at Shukke-en has long been a crowd-pleaser among Japan's sakura lovers.
23:30Well, it is still spring, but people here in Tokyo kicked off the work week, seeing quite a boost in
23:35the mercury.
23:36Our meteorologist Jonathan Noh has the details in our World Weather Report.
23:41Hello. If you spend any time outdoors in a place like Tokyo as we went through Monday, it definitely was
23:48on the warmer side.
23:49Temperatures topping off at 23.7 degrees for the high in Tokyo, the high so far this year.
23:54And even in western portions of Japan, we saw temperatures reaching up into the mid-20s, which categorizes it as
24:00a summer day when it comes to the temperatures getting that high.
24:05And I want you to share some video about how people are dealing with it here in the capital.
24:09As the calendar says it's spring, but parts of Japan seeing summer-like temperatures, the hypersystem controlling the weather, led
24:15to the warmer conditions.
24:16Now, people in Tokyo shedding their jackets, grabbing a bottle of water.
24:20They're being seen, you know, in their short sleeves.
24:22Now, the forecast from the Japan Meteorology Agency is calling for more highs in the 20s later on this week.
24:28So officials are telling people that they should stay hydrated, take frequent breaks outdoors because of the southern warmth.
24:34That could be stressful on the body.
24:36We get a little bit of a reprieve on that coming up on Tuesday.
24:40We have some wet weather coming in with a couple of low-pressure systems.
24:43So you'll need your umbrellas, and we'll see temperatures not reaching quite much into the 20s,
24:49except for folks down toward Okinawa as we see the rain moving on through.
24:53We'll still see some areas of a little bit of sunshine.
24:56Sendai looking at 20, but places like Tokyo and Osaka looking at temperatures in the upper teens as opposed to
25:02the 20s,
25:02with some rain the forecast is to go through Tuesday.
25:05Meanwhile, we're talking about a relatively dry pattern for most of North America.
25:09We do have a front that's pushing down to the southeastern portions of the United States,
25:13and as that pushes on through, that will bring some rain chances.
25:16Also seeing some rain over into Toronto as we go through today on Monday.
25:19But elsewhere, it's dry.
25:21Denver in 19, 22 in Oklahoma City, 21 in Atlanta as we go through Monday.
25:25Quick note on Europe, low pressure up toward the Scandinavian Peninsula with the front pushing on through.
25:29That will bring some moisture into the region, like from Stockholm to Warsaw,
25:32but areas back to the west, high pressure bringing dry weather as we go through Monday.
25:36Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
26:09Hope you have a good day.
26:10Hope you have a good day.
26:11Hope you see us.
26:11How would you feel?
26:41Well, cherry blossoms aren't the only small pink things called sakura.
26:46The delicate flower shares its name with a delicacy from the sea.
26:54Spring's first auctions of sakura shrimp were held in central Japan on Saturday morning.
27:00The tiny crustacean is a specialty of Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture.
27:05And more than 14 tons were sold at two ports.
27:08That's more than triple the amount at last year's first auctions.
27:14The quality is good, and a large amount were caught.
27:18It's a fine way to start the season.
27:23Still, the local fisheries cooperative is concerned about the impact of rising fuel prices.
27:29Officials say they may have to use their boats less often.
27:34And that wraps up this edition of Newsroom Tokyo.
27:36Be sure to catch our program on our website as well.
27:39I'm Raja Pradhan from all of us at NHK World Japan.
27:42Thanks for watching and see you Tuesday.
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