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00:10Hello and welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Roger Pradhan. Here are the headlines.
00:15Delegates from the United States and Iran will soon sit down for talks with the Strait of Hormuz
00:20top of the agenda. Japanese Prime Minister Takai Sanai says her government will release
00:26more of its oil reserves to soften the impact of the Middle East crisis. And in Kyoto,
00:32school kids from overseas are getting a helping hand from AI. U.S. and Iranian delegates hold
00:40talks in Pakistan on Saturday. Vice President J.D. Vance leads the American delegation.
00:46Iran is represented by parliamentary speaker Mohamed Bagheer Galibaf. They'll be discussing
00:52the Strait of Hormuz. As of now, the strait still appears to be effectively closed.
00:57Iranian officials reportedly set a designated route for tankers and are charging them fees for passing
01:03through. U.S. President Donald Trump reacted to those reports online, saying they better not be,
01:11and if they are, they better stop now. He said in a separate post, Iran is doing a very poor
01:17job.
01:18Iran's state media released what it says is a statement from Supreme Leader Mushtaba Khamenei
01:24on Thursday. It said Tehran will demand compensation for every injury inflected in the war
01:30and bring management of the strait to a new stage. Meanwhile, Israel has continued attacks on Hezbollah,
01:38the Shia Muslim group backed by Iran. On Thursday, the Israeli military urged residents in Lebanon's
01:44capital, Beirut, to evacuate. Authorities there say at least 300 people have been killed since
01:50Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there's no ceasefire in Lebanon,
01:57but he did say his side is pursuing talks.
02:02Following repeated appeals from the Lebanese government to enter into peace negotiations with
02:07us, last night I instructed the cabinet to open direct negotiations with Lebanon.
02:13He says they want to achieve two goals, a peace deal and the disarmament of Hezbollah.
02:19The U.S. State Department will reportedly host a meeting between Israel and Lebanon next week.
02:25Now, for more on the upcoming talks in Pakistan,
02:28James Tenggan spoke earlier with NHK's Islamabad Bureau Chief, Ota Yusuke.
02:36Yusuke, what's the mood like there?
02:41Officials won't say where the talks are taking place, but we do know where some of the guests
02:46are staying. Tourists at one particular hotel were told to find other accommodations,
02:51and authorities have completely sealed off the area around it. Even those working nearby cannot
02:59get in, ourselves included. Our NHK office is actually in that zone. We were locked out with
03:08just one day's notice. So, as you can imagine, the city's buzzing. Everyone wants to know how things
03:16are going to go. A unique situation indeed. Yusuke, why is Pakistan the one hosting these talks?
03:26For starters, it doesn't have any U.S. military bases, despite sharing a border with Iran. So,
03:33it's easy to see it as neutral ground. But Pakistan also has strong ties with both sides,
03:40thanks to Army Chief Asim Mounir. He has enormous power, and not just in Pakistan. He supposedly has
03:48tied to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but he also enjoys a close relationship with President
03:55Trump. Last year, he was even invited to a luncheon at the White House. Plus, Pakistan is a motivated
04:04mediator. The concrete has dealt a major blow to its economy. So, it has its own reasons for wanting
04:13a lasting solution. What do we expect will be the sticking points in these talks, Yusuke?
04:21A key issue will be uranium enrichment. According to Iranian state media, Teheran's 10-point proposal
04:29includes allowing it to continue enriching uranium. The U.S., on the other hand, is demanding a complete
04:37stop because it could lead to the development of nuclear weapons. Another major issue is the Strait
04:44of Hormuz. The U.S. has called on Iran to reopen it as part of a ceasefire. But Iran insists
04:52it will
04:52continue to control the waterway, even during these two weeks. Right now, they seem so far apart on these
05:01issues. It's hard to imagine them reaching any kind of compromise. It's unclear whether or not Pakistan can
05:09bridge that divide. Japan's Prime Minister, Takahichi Sanae, says her government plans to release more oil
05:16from national reserves next month. She announced the move during a cabinet meeting to discuss oil
05:23supplies amid the Middle East conflict. To ensure stable supply, we'll conduct a second release of
05:30crude oil from national reserves, amounting to about a 20-day supply starting in early May or later.
05:37Takahichi stressed her administration has been doing all it can to procure crude oil from alternative
05:43sources through routes other than the Strait of Hormuz. She said Japan should be able to secure
05:48enough oil to last beyond this year. Takahichi also mentioned concerns about the availability of
05:54paint thinners used for purposes such as home construction and automobile repairs. She said she
06:00had told Industry Minister Akazawa Ryosei and Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kaneko Yasushi
06:06to tackle supply chain issues.
06:11We will carefully eliminate supply imbalances and bottlenecks one by one and take all necessary
06:16measures to fully protect people and safeguard their daily lives and economic activities.
06:21Takahichi also said she's examining requests from friendly countries for some of Japan's reserves.
06:27And staying with supply chains, one area of critical concern for the Japanese government
06:31is agriculture. Yuko Fukushima from our business team joins us now to explain what's being done to
06:37safeguard the country's food supply. Yuko.
06:39Yeah, thanks, Raja. Well, Japan's agriculture ministry has set up a task force to assist the
06:44farming and fishery industries. The mood comes as elevated oil prices threaten access to fuel and
06:51materials in these sectors. Agriculture Minister Suzuki Norikazu assembled the team. He says it will focus
06:57on investigating supply chains and distribution networks to make sure they are functioning as needed.
07:07We will conduct a thorough verification of inventory, production outlook and imports of materials.
07:15We will use all possible measures to ensure that food supply is secure for Japan's people.
07:24Suzuki said the task force will start by checking on supplies of petroleum-related products.
07:29That includes food trays and packaging materials. The team will also focus on fuel for farm machinery
07:36and fishing vessels. Well, as farmers scramble for fuel and equipment, the soaring cost of crude oil
07:42appears to have spooked consumers. A government survey shows confidence in Japanese households worsened in
07:48March for the first time in three months. The consumer confidence index for households of two or more
07:54people came to 33.3. That's down 6.4 points from February. The Cabinet Office polled 8,400 households
08:03nationwide. It asked for their views on livelihoods over the next six months, including spending plans
08:09and employment. Beligniness to buy durables, such as vehicles, fell more than seven points from the
08:16previous month, while confidence about employment dropped about five points. Analysts believe concerns
08:22over spiking oil prices are behind the survey results. The Cabinet Office downgraded its basic
08:28assessment of consumer sentiment from showing signs of improvement to weakening. Well, Japan is not alone
08:36in its exposure to higher oil prices. The Asian Development Bank forecasts slower growth this year for
08:42developing economies across the Asia-Pacific region. The ADB report released on Friday sees growth at
08:485.1 percent, down 0.3 percentage point from last year. The report says economies have a heavy reliance
08:57on crude oil from the Middle East. It adds that the surge in energy prices feeds into higher food production
09:03costs. The conflict is also disrupting aviation links between Asia and Europe, hurting tourism-dependent
09:10economies. China's growth is forecast to fall 0.4 points to 4.6 percent. The outlook for Vietnam
09:17and India was also lower. The bank projects inflation for the region to hit 3.6 percent,
09:23up more than half a point. The ADB warns that an extended conflict will only increase the economic
09:30damage to the region. And lastly, let's check on the markets. Well, Japan's benchmark UK 225 ended
09:36at 56,924, up 1.8 percent from Thursday. The index briefly reached 57,000 for the first time in
09:45about
09:45a month. An apparel giant led the market higher. The clothing chain's operator checked the spotlight
09:51after releasing a strong earnings forecast on the previous day. Other benchmarks across the Asia-Pacific
09:57region also rose. Seoul's Kospi climbed more than one percent, and Mumbai's sunset was up 1.2 percent.
10:08And that's the biz for this week. Thank you very much, Yuko, for keeping us up to speed.
10:12We turn now to Thra Tirako-san at our bureau in Bangkok for more stories making headlines across the
10:18Asia-Pacific. Thra. Myanmar's former military chief, Minh Ong Hlaing, has been inaugurated as president,
10:27formalizing his position after leading the 2021 coup. He said Myanmar is now on its way toward democracy.
10:36He gave his inauguration address in parliament on Friday. He said the new government has many challenges
10:44ahead, but they will be overcome along with the people. Minh Ong Hlaing was the commander-in-chief
10:50of the armed forces for 15 years. He led the coup five years ago, claiming there had been fraud in
10:57the election that gave the pro-democratic National League for Democracy a landslide victory. NLD leader
11:05Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained since then. The military has claimed that the recent general election
11:12is part of a transition to civilian rule. But pro-democracy parties were excluded,
11:19and the pro-military camps secured more than 80 percent of Myanmar's parliamentary seats.
11:26Instability in Myanmar persists as fighting continues between pro-democracy forces and armed ethnic
11:33minorities and the military. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Singaporean
11:41counterpart Lawrence Wong have agreed to cooperate closely on energy security. This comes amid supply
11:48disruptions due to the crisis in the Middle East. The leaders met in Singapore on Friday. The joint
11:57statement after the talk said they recognized the importance of their role in each other's energy
12:03security. Singapore is a top supplier of refined petroleum to Australia and in turn imports Australian LNG.
12:14We are in a time of global uncertainty and at a time like this trust, friendship and cooperation with our
12:23neighbours matters more than ever before. This is a relationship importantly that helps deliver energy
12:30energy security for both of our nations. We will keep trade flowing between our two countries.
12:38Essential goods will continue to move between Australia and Singapore.
12:46Australia fears a shortage of petroleum products including diesel as it relies heavily on imports. And
12:53Singapore outsources natural gas for electricity generation. The two leaders said their countries are working
13:00toward a legally binding protocol on essential supplies under a free trade agreement.
13:07Now to Thailand where the mood for celebration is in the air ahead of the New Year Songkran Water Festival.
13:14The residents of Bangkok's biggest slum have gathered to pay their respects to the elderly,
13:20a time-honoured festival tradition. Songkran runs every year from April 13th to 15th across the country.
13:29Ahead of the official start of the holiday, an event held at the Klongdoi district brought together
13:35some 200 people from the community as well as members of a local NPO and others. They came to perform
13:43purification rituals, pouring water on Buddhist statues and over the hands of the old folk. The act symbolizes
13:52cleansing, reverence and good fortune. You don't see this very much anymore but we do it every year.
14:00I've been coming for over 20 years. Blessings to everyone.
14:04I wish for peace and happiness, for Thai people to be united and to love one another.
14:16In recent years, Songkran has become a major tourist attraction with massive water battles and street
14:23parties. But Thai tourism officials say this year's celebration is expected to be quieter due to fewer
14:30flights and soaring airfares amid the crisis in the Middle East.
14:37And that wraps up our bulletin. I'm Tra Jirakao-san in Bangkok.
14:41Tra, thank you very much.
14:42Next, Chinese President Xi Jinping has held talks with the leader of Taiwan's largest opposition party,
14:49the Kuomintang. He stresses opposition to Taiwan independence while expressing a willingness to
14:54strengthen dialogue with the KMT. Xi met with KMT Chair Chung Liwen in Beijing on Friday.
15:03On the shared political foundation of upholding the 1992 consensus and opposing Taiwan independence,
15:10we will strengthen communication and dialogue with all political parties,
15:15groups and people from all walks of life in Taiwan, including the Kuomintang.
15:21The 1992 consensus was reportedly reached that year between the Chinese Communist Party and the
15:28then-ruling Kuomintang to confirm both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China.
15:35Cheng expressed her party's stance of upholding the consensus and opposing Taiwan independence.
15:41The Taiwan Strait will become a symbol of Chinese people on both sides, protecting peace.
15:47This is the first meeting between a leader of the Chinese Communist Party and a KMT chair
15:53since November 2016. China considers the 1992 consensus a necessary condition for dialogue with
16:01Taiwan. But the administration of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party refuses to recognize it.
16:09Britain is accusing Russia of covert submarine operations in its waters. The Russian embassy is
16:16reportedly denying the claim. Defense Secretary John Healy said on Thursday,
16:22three Russian submarines engaged in nefarious activity near critical underwater infrastructure.
16:28He said the operation took place in waters north of Britain. Healy said the British military
16:34identified the vessels several weeks ago and deployed a naval frigate and aircraft to track them. He said
16:41Britain has not confirmed any damage to its underwater cables or pipelines.
16:46To President Putin, I say, we see you. We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines.
16:54And you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences.
17:03Norway said on Thursday it had also confirmed Russian submarine activity around Norwegian and British
17:10waters. U.S. President Trump has reportedly discussed pulling some American troops out of
17:16NATO member countries in Europe. This comes as Trump posted a string of messages on his Truth Social
17:23platform expressing frustration with NATO's response to the Iran conflict. Reuters news agency said Thursday,
17:30Trump raised the idea of withdrawal with some advisers, but no decision was made.
17:35The messages were posted after Trump met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday in
17:41Washington. Details of the discussion have not been disclosed.
17:46When it came time to provide the logistical and other support the United States needed in Iran,
17:53some allies were a bit slow.
17:56Reuters also commented on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. He said, if NATO can help, obviously NATO is
18:03there.
18:04German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Thursday he spoke with Trump by phone the previous day.
18:12There is currently no substitute for this alliance, and this is why I have a keen interest in preserving
18:18it and developing it further with the American president.
18:23Merz also said he offered further consultations on NATO's future ahead of the alliance's July summit in Ankara.
18:42April marks the start of Japan's academic year, and schools across the country are filling with new faces.
18:49Increasingly, those faces belong to children who've just arrived from overseas, following parents who've taken jobs here in Japan.
18:56Now a new initiative is turning to AI to help them find their footing in the classroom.
19:02NHK World's Shimizu Akiko has more.
19:05Thank you so much for joining us.
19:09At this elementary school in Kyoto, a quiet room becomes a lifeline for students learning Japanese for the first time.
19:18One girl from Nepal attends regular classes with her peers, but once a week she slips away for one-on
19:27-one language support.
19:32The city offers these lessons to students who need extra help.
19:37In the last school year alone, 458 elementary and junior high students received guidance in writing and other core language
19:48skills.
19:51One or two lessons a week are far from enough.
19:58We teach the absolute basics and words used in the classroom.
20:04We hope students can improve enough to get through daily school life.
20:10But a new pilot program is trying to bridge that gap.
20:15In a fifth grade class, the teacher wears a small microphone, part of an AI-powered translation system, now being
20:25tested.
20:26We need to know how to get through the language.
20:31We need to know how to get through the language.
20:32We can see how to get through the language.
20:35We need to know how to get through the language.
20:39The students are using the language.
20:40The AI listens converts the teacher's words into texts.
20:44And flashes translations almost instantly.
20:48English, Korean, Nepalese, and a dozen other languages are available at the top.
20:55The classroom is easily more tested than being as with my students.
20:59You can see the teacher's words in English.
21:01You can see the teacher's words in English and know how to get through the language.
21:07Its unhealthy skills are not heaving around theigning students.
21:12It means the students need to know crier's words in Spanish and teaching Filmedies,
21:23It is essentially a option to understand that it is using language.
21:24Everything is easy to learn through channels.
21:25sentence at a time. We speak, and it translates. It really expands the support we can offer.
21:32I hope the system can be developed even further."
21:40The system was developed by Professor Kuroda Yasufumi of Kyoto University of Education,
21:47working with a private company. If you tap here, the text switches to English. It can even read text
21:59written on the blackboard. After feedback from teachers, the Japanese and translated version
22:07now appear side by side, a small change that makes a big difference.
22:16"...having both languages together is essential. The students benefit from moving between
22:24the two of them."
22:29Kuroda says teachers are eager for tools that help students struggling with Japanese participate
22:37fully in class.
22:42This translation speed would not be possible without AI. Technology has made something possible
22:51that education alone could not do before, and it's important to make use of that. Individualized
22:59human support takes huge effort, but AI makes it far easier to deliver. That's where the
23:07potential lies.
23:12The city's Board of Education sees the promise and the preports.
23:21"...for children who haven't learned Japanese yet, AI is extremely helpful. But on the other
23:27hand, long-term reliance could weaken motivation to learn the language. Since there are both
23:33advantages and disadvantages, we need to consider its use carefully."
23:43As classrooms become more diverse, the challenge will be finding the right balance between AI
23:51and the student's own efforts.
23:59Also in western Japan, flowers are in peak bloom on a small island in Kagawa Prefecture, creating
24:05breathtaking displays.
24:08From spring to early summer every year, hillsides on Shishijima are covered with carpets of vivid
24:14blooms against the background of the Seto Inland Sea. About 20 species are blossoming on the island
24:20around this time of year, including moss flocks, pot marigold, and pneumophila.
24:29"...the landscape is so impressive. I will remember it for the rest of my life."
24:34Flower growing once thrived as a business on Shishijima. A former member of the industry and her family
24:41are trying to revive its reputation as an island of flowers. They say they're really happy if their
24:47creations bring comfort to visitors.
24:59People in the greater Tokyo area saw intermittent downpours Friday along with a wide area of Japan.
25:06Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has the details in our World Weather Report.
25:10Japan has been experiencing wide-split showers on Friday, and intense downpours have been reported in Kyushu.
25:19Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture saw over 60 millimeters in just an hour, setting an April record.
25:26In addition, strong winds are a concern.
25:31High winds kicked western and central Japan on Friday.
25:36Gasts of over 100 kilometers per hour were reported in Wakayama City.
25:41And southerly winds also pushed up temperatures in Toyama City with a high of about 20 degrees.
25:48The weather agency is urging caution over strong winds in coastal areas on Friday.
25:56The storm is approaching northern Japan through Saturday, bringing gusty winds.
26:01On top of that, rain is expected to turn to snow in Hokkaido.
26:06So white-out and breezy conditions are possible, leading to potential transportation disruptions over the weekend.
26:13But in western and eastern Japan, sunny skies will return on Saturday.
26:19The high in Tokyo will jump to 26, and people in Kumagaya may see 29, which is as warm as
26:27in July.
26:29For the south, a tropical storm has formed near Guam.
26:33It's expected to intensify into the first typhoon this year in the western Pacific.
26:39The system is likely to approach Guam from Saturday, bringing strong winds.
26:45So long-lasting power outages could be a big concern.
26:49On top of that, 300 millimeters of rain is possible in total, leading to potential flooding.
26:56It's still unclear whether the system will move west or north after next week.
27:02So please stay updated.
27:04That's it for now.
27:05Stay safe.
27:08Stay safe.
27:35And that wraps up this edition of Newsroom Tokyo.
27:37You can always catch our program on our website as well.
27:40I'm Roger Pradhan.
27:42And from all of us at NHK World Japan,
27:44please have a good weekend and join us again next week.
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