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00:00Welcome to Newsroom Tokyo. I'm Yamasawa Rina.
00:15And I'm Raja Prada. Here are the headlines.
00:18A blast of Arctic air is causing transport chaos in the United States,
00:22while Japan deals with the aftermath of last week's heavy snow.
00:27Voting has finished in Myanmar's widely criticized general election.
00:32We have an analysis on what comes next.
00:35And Japan's currency appreciates sharply against the dollar,
00:39as speculation grows about government intervention.
00:44Extreme winter weather is affecting wide areas of the United States,
00:49repeatedly leaving at least nine people dead.
00:52Thousands of flights have been canceled, and over a million customers were reportedly without power.
00:59A low-pressure system brought heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures to regions including the Midwest, the South and the East.
01:06The National Weather Service says the state of Minnesota recorded a low of minus 40 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
01:13The New York Times says at least nine people died in New York, Louisiana and elsewhere due to hypothermia and other factors.
01:22The snow, I think it's like obnoxious because there's too much and we can't get out of the house unless we have to shovel or like do anything.
01:31More than 10,000 flights were canceled on Sunday alone.
01:34CNN reports more than a million customers in Tennessee, Mississippi and other states experienced power outages.
01:42The Federal Emergency Management Agency says the severe conditions may affect more than 230 million people across multiple states.
01:50Weather officials are forecasting Arctic air will bring bitterly cold temperatures to much of the eastern two-thirds of the country for the next couple of days.
01:59And on the other side of the world, more lethal winter weather has killed 10 people in seven days across Japan.
02:09Niigata prefecture officials say four people died from medical issues while shoveling snow or during other activities.
02:17Two others died falling from rooftops while removing snow also in Niigata.
02:22Officials say snowfall across most of the country has peaked and the worst of the weather is now over.
02:28Snow accumulation has already surpassed the yearly average even in areas where snowfall has stopped.
02:37Over one meter fell in Sapporo, Hokkaido. That's the most since 2022.
02:43About four and a half meters has accumulated so far in Sukayu in the Hakkoda mountain range of Aomori prefecture.
02:52Uonuma city in Niigata prefecture has been buried under nearly two and a half meters.
02:58Looking ahead, a low pressure system is predicted to intensify snow and winds across areas from Hokkaido to the Hokuriku region on Tuesday.
03:10Some areas in Hokuriku and the Chugoku regions are likely to receive rain.
03:15Heavy snow is expected along the Sea of Japan coast from northern to western Japan on Thursday and Friday as a strong cold air mass moves south.
03:26As temperatures are rising and rain falls in some areas, people in areas with high volumes of snow on the ground should be on alert for avalanches, snow falling from rooftops and accidents during snow removal.
03:43Next, a U.S. government official says senior negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States are expected to resume peace talks on February 1st.
03:52This comes as Russia continues to target Ukraine's energy sector, causing power shortages amid sub-zero temperatures.
04:02Ukraine's leader said on social media Sunday, Moscow had launched more than 1,700 attack drones and roughly 70 missiles during the past week.
04:12Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on countries to provide Ukraine with air defense missiles.
04:17He wrote, Russia's primary targets now are energy facilities, critical infrastructure and residential buildings.
04:24The attacks have been severely impacting people's lives.
04:27Ukraine is in the depths of winter and recent daytime highs have been as low as minus 10 degrees Celsius.
04:34The mayor of the capital, Kyiv, said about 1,700 apartment buildings in the city have been without heat since Russian strikes last Saturday.
04:43Delegations from Kyiv, Moscow and Washington held talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, on Friday and Saturday.
04:52The U.S. government official says a lot of preparatory work is needed before the issue of territorial claims can be discussed.
04:59Myanmar's month-long general election due to a close on Sunday.
05:06The official results have not been announced yet, but pro-military lawmakers are widely expected to gain control of the legislature,
05:13while international observers question the election's legitimacy.
05:18Voting was conducted in three phases, starting in late December and ending on Sunday.
05:24The military, which has held power since seizing control in a coup five years ago, was in charge of the election.
05:30The junta claims it marks a transition to civilian rule, but pro-democracy parties were shut out of the vote.
05:37The election commission has already announced the results from the first two phases.
05:42It shows the pro-military camp is poised to take control of the parliament.
05:47The constitution says one-fourth of the total seats must be allocated to the military.
05:52Combined with the seats won by the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, or USDP, they've already claimed a majority.
06:01But that's been met with skepticism by the international community.
06:05Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamed Hassan said last Tuesday the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, will not certify Myanmar's election.
06:14His country chaired ASEAN during 2025.
06:18NHK World's Aoyama Satoru now joins us from Yangon.
06:24So Satoru, the official results may not be in yet, but it seems the outcome of the election was a foregone conclusion.
06:32So what is the mood there?
06:38There's an air of calm resignation, and that's understandable.
06:44Anyone publicly criticizing the way the election was held runs the risk of being arrested.
06:51But it seems a lot of people did express their opposition by not taking part.
06:59We don't have the full data yet.
07:02But in the first two phases of voting, turnout was notably lower than in the previous election.
07:09That might be a sign of popular resistance.
07:13But Satoru, presumably the authorities are trying to paint things in a different light.
07:18Yes, they are insisting the election was legitimate.
07:28The front page of a state-run newspaper on Monday shows Senior General Ming-Aung-Frain, the head of the military, inspecting a polling station in the second largest city of Mandalay.
07:43The article says citizens cast their ballots on their own free will.
07:50So Satoru, Myanmar's junta has been internationally isolated since the coup in 2021.
07:57Is this election likely to change anything?
08:04Probably not.
08:05A new government is expected to be launched as early as April.
08:10And the military will likely claim Myanmar has transitioned to civilian rule.
08:16But while friendliest nations such as China and Russia may recognize the election results, many others, including Japan, Europe and the U.S. probably won't.
08:31But it's hard not to worry about Myanmar's future.
08:46During my coverage of the election, I got a sense of how exhausted citizens are.
08:53The coup was a national trauma.
08:57A country striving for democracy was suddenly plunged into political chaos, including civil war.
09:06And with no signs of meaningful change, nations like Japan will need to decide how they engage with the new administration.
09:17Satoru, thank you very much for all your input.
09:19NHK World's Aoyama Satoru in Yangon.
09:21There's been a sharp reversal in Japan's currency from weakness to strength.
09:37Yanaka Marie from our business team is here to explain what's behind the shift.
09:42So Marie, the yen had been depreciating against the dollar for quite some time, right?
09:46But that trend suddenly reversed last Friday.
09:49Tell us what changed.
09:50Well, investors think the yen's drop went so far that the governments of both Japan and the U.S. may step in.
09:57The yen continued to strengthen against the dollar in Monday trading.
10:01The move comes amid growing speculation over a coordinated market intervention by Tokyo and Washington.
10:09The Japanese currency at one point appreciated to the upper 153 range against the dollar in Tokyo.
10:16The reversal of the yen slide started on Friday.
10:20The currency strengthened by more than 3.5 yen in just over 12 hours.
10:25In New York, it appreciated to the mid-155 range.
10:30Currency traders sold the dollar and bought the yen on speculation that Japan and the U.S. conducted a rate check.
10:37That's seen as a signal that authorities are preparing for a market intervention.
10:42Japanese Finance Minister Katayama Satsuki was asked about a possible rate check on Monday.
10:49She declined to comment.
10:51Next, Canada is back in the firing line of Donald Trump's tariff threats.
10:57The U.S. president says he'll impose a 100 percent duty on all imports from his country's northern neighbor if it makes a trade deal with China.
11:08Trump referred to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as Governor Carney in a social media post on Saturday.
11:15He wrote,
11:16The U.S. president did not make clear which agreement between Canada and China he was referring to.
11:34Earlier this month, Carney held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
11:39The two countries agreed to slash the care freight on a limited number of Chinese electric vehicles.
11:45Carney spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.
11:51He argued the international rules-based order no longer functions.
11:58We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false.
12:03That the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient.
12:07The remarks drew attention as it was widely taken as criticism of the Trump administration.
12:14Staying with cross-border tension, Japan's department stores have taken a hit after China advised its citizens to avoid travel to the country.
12:24The retailers reported their first sales drop in five years after losing many of their big spending customers.
12:31The Japan Department Stores Association says last year's sales totaled over 5.6 trillion yen, or about 36 billion dollars.
12:41That's down 1.5 percent from the year before.
12:45Sales of duty-free items fell 12 percent to around 3.6 billion dollars.
12:51The association says the number of Chinese customers plunged in December, and so did their spending, both down around 40 percent year-on-year.
13:01Beijing issued the travel advisory in November after Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sangai referred to a possible Taiwan emergency in remarks to the diet.
13:11The association notes that airlines are also reducing flights from China.
13:16It says that will likely continue to impact store sales into the Lunar New Year holiday period, which falls in February.
13:25Last, a check on the markets.
13:27Gold topped $5,000 an ounce for the first time ever.
13:31The precious metals' reputation as a safe haven came into play again, as the U.S. threatened Canada with ultra-high tariffs.
13:39Moving on to stocks.
13:40Tokyo's Nikkei took a blow from the yen's sharp rise.
13:44Investors sold off exporters as a stronger yen would devalue their overseas earnings.
13:50Other major markets in the Asia-Pacific mostly closed lower.
13:54Taiwan's tech-heavy index bucked the trend, hitting an all-time high.
13:59Investors brought up technology stocks ahead of earnings reports from their American counterparts.
14:04Traders are hopeful that heavy AI spending will have translated into more revenue and profit.
14:11And that's the news for this Monday.
14:14Thank you very much for that, Marie.
14:16Now let's go to Rosalind Devavalia in our Bangkok studio for stories making headlines across the Asia-Pacific.
14:25Leaders of the European Union have attended India's 77th Republic Day celebrations as the country seeks to strengthen ties with the bloc.
14:34Monday, Monday, Monday.
14:38Monday's anniversary of India's constitution taking effect in 1950 was marked with a large-scale military parade.
14:47It showcased the BrahMos cruise missile that India jointly developed with Russia as well as a domestically developed hypersonic missile.
14:55New systems designed to counter drone and missile attacks were also on display.
15:01Guests of honor, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen watched alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
15:12India has for many years procured weapons from Russia, but as Moscow's invasion of Ukraine drags on, India is promoting domestic production of weapons while diversifying its military procurement.
15:25The chronic labor shortage of recent years have left many of Japan's transportation businesses struggling for staff, especially in the wake of the pandemic.
15:35Now the industry is looking to the Philippines, a nation with a tradition of sending skilled workers abroad.
15:42November 2025, and the Japanese airline holds a job offer ceremony in the Philippines.
15:56The six students, all graduates of a local aviation college, are now ground staff at an airport in central Japan.
16:04They are responsible for key tasks, including guiding planes on the tarmac.
16:09They are the airline's first overseas staff hired for this role under Japan's specified skilled worker program, intended to boost recruitment in fields with labor shortages.
16:22The firm plans to add more such staff at local airports soon.
16:27So having the opportunity to work with ANA is really a dream come true for me.
16:35I am really happy, together working with my fellow classmates, that right now we are able to be here today.
16:44Japan's airlines are automating ground operations while actively recruiting domestically, but still struggle to fill positions.
16:53To head off flight disruptions, there are plans to accept up to 4,400 aviation sector workers under the program over five years through March 2029.
17:08Employers run Japanese language classes for the new hires.
17:20With safety the number one priority, even the slightest miscommunication is unacceptable, so airlines require a high level of language proficiency.
17:30In the six months before arriving in the country, each trainee gets 420 hours of intensive lessons.
17:37We are automating and streamlining operations wherever possible, but final decisions and orders must still be made by humans.
17:48We hope the new hires can play a vital role in Japan's transportation infrastructure.
17:53This maritime academy near Manila is jointly operated by a major Japanese shipping company and a local partner.
18:02Securing sufficient personnel is also a challenge in their industry.
18:06The academy's students run simulator scenarios, including accidents.
18:11Half of the graduates say they plan to work on the Japanese firm's ships.
18:16I will push myself through my limits for me or for us to do what we want to do.
18:27The shipping company realizes the importance of retaining its employees, who often spend long periods at sea.
18:35It organized a day at an amusement park for about 3,000 crew members and their families.
18:41We spend nine months on board when we take vacation.
18:46This is a very good gift for us for a little bit of enjoyment for my family.
18:52We see them as highly motivated people who work seriously with a positive attitude.
18:59We must strengthen our efforts to secure Filipino crew who we think have the right qualities.
19:06As competition for skilled workers intensifies everywhere,
19:13Japanese transportation companies are seeking to actively recruit the best talent
19:18and train them up to keep their industries moving forward.
19:25And that wraps up our bulletin. I'm Rosalind de Bovalia in Bangkok.
19:29Thank you very much for that, Rosalind.
19:31Next, artificial intelligence has made such a big impression in our digital lives,
19:35especially with the arrival of generative AI, right?
19:38And now the technology is taking a more physical form.
19:41Robots that can make decisions and move without constant human supervision
19:45may be the next AI frontier.
19:51CES, one of the world's largest technology fairs, takes place in Las Vegas.
19:56AI-powered humanoid robots gained a lot of attention this year.
20:00This one can function as a server at a restaurant.
20:04It shows guests to their table and keeps orders straight by memorizing voices and faces.
20:11There is also a robot with a more lifelike form.
20:15Its facial expressions change as it converses with humans.
20:18Is there anything in particular you want to talk about here in Las Vegas?
20:24Well, besides showing off my robotic charm,
20:27I'm here to prove that what happens in Vegas might just get remembered by my custom memory system.
20:34The company behind the robots developed AI that senses people's feelings as they speak.
20:39Humanoid robots are expected to see their market in the US grow more than six times over the five years to 2029.
20:49Some are already past the prototype stage.
20:54Hanging the wash.
20:56Watering plants.
20:58This robot is designed to get better at handling household tasks the more it's used.
21:03The price is $20,000.
21:07Pre-orders began last October and deliveries are to start in the US this year.
21:12Another housekeeping robot helps out at a laundromat.
21:17Folding clothing with almost no human assistance.
21:20It has two arms and two arms with two fingers each.
21:27T-shirts, long sleeves, pants, shorts.
21:30Just by looking through its cameras on its head.
21:33Folding a T-shirt takes around three minutes.
21:36The robot is expected to have the capacity to handle about nine kilograms of clothes per hour.
21:41I think that implementing and deploying this robot helps us as a small business stick around for a long time.
21:54The company sees the robot appealing to busy households too.
21:58We want to make sure that people don't have to spend time or attention not doing the things that they don't want to do.
22:05So that they can focus on the things that matter to them.
22:12Chinese firms are also raising their profile in the physical AI field.
22:16Beijing has identified the sector as a strategic industry and is providing support.
22:24This Chinese company showed a robot capable of tasks like pouring tea and carrying clothes to a washing machine.
22:31Competition is heating up globally, but the industry is still in its infancy.
22:38An expert points out one reason.
22:41Long held concerns about how the robots can be controlled.
22:45There are definitely a lot of challenges in terms of safety.
22:49Especially if you make these robots powerful enough to do useful things, they can be powerful enough to be dangerous.
22:54I think there's a lot of work to be done and a lot of work to try and make sure that the AI that controls these things is reliable and you can predict what it's going to do.
23:03We don't really know how to do that 100%.
23:07In the meantime, mass production of AI-enabled robots is ramping up.
23:13One U.S. company aims to produce 10,000 of them this year.
23:16It may not be long until the bridge between science fiction and science fact is crossed.
23:22Serena, welcome back from Bangkok.
23:36I saw in short sleeves the whole time.
23:37It seemed really a big contrast from Japan, right?
23:39While we were breathing the cold.
23:41The temperature there was about over 30 degrees every day.
23:44So I was really sweating and it was really hard to adjust myself.
23:48Yeah, I'm sure.
23:49I'm sure.
23:50And it was really cold in Japan.
23:51Yeah, yeah.
23:52In the past week we've been reporting about heavy snow covering a wide area of Japan.
23:55And let's see.
23:56Our meteorologist Jonathan Noah has the outlook for this week in our World Weather Report.
24:01Hello.
24:02We have been telling you about the heavy snowfall that has been impacting not just the north and northeastern side of Japan, but along the sea of Japan coastline.
24:10Things have tapered off the focal point now back toward the northern portions of the country.
24:15But we're going to be dealing with a little bit less snow and a little bit more warmer air.
24:20And that has actually created a different type of concern where we may be talking about the snow melting and possible avalanches on top of that when the temperature starts to rise.
24:29So that's going to be of concern as we go forward throughout the next couple of days.
24:33Sapporo and Hokkaido, you're going to be on the colder side, but places like Niigata going up to six.
24:38And so when you see the temperatures lifting up, that's when we should be looking out for the possibility of seeing some of that snow giving way.
24:44So just make sure that you are aware if you're going to be heading to the mountains.
24:48Meanwhile, the polar plunge is way down toward the southern portions of the United States as we saw a really messy situation unfolding.
24:57I want to start us off with some video coming first from Oklahoma City, where a monster winter storm dumped a heavy blanket of snow and ice across the southern United States on Sunday.
25:08And that caused some problems for travelers officials at the International Airport in Oklahoma City canceled most of their flights in and out of the area, according to Reuters.
25:18Now, it's not just there way over toward the east.
25:21The bitter blast extended into Charlotte, North Carolina, where, according to local news, it was the first time in over a decade for the city to receive significant snowfall.
25:29So you see their families taking advantage of that rare snow day and kids having some fun as well.
25:34Now we are talking about the snow moving toward the northeast and behind that, ooh, it's going to be cold.
25:40I mean, we're talking about temperatures that are going to be like double digits below freezing places like Chicago as that cold air really pulls down toward the south.
25:49So not only is it going to be cold on Monday, but possible hard freezes in the deep south into Tuesday morning as well.
25:54Minus 13 for the high in Chicago, minus 15 in Winnipeg, minus 5 in Oklahoma City with more snow in the forecast for Monday.
26:00Stay safe wherever you are.
26:02Stay safe wherever you are.
26:30And one last story before we go.
26:33In the ancient Japanese capital of Nara,
26:36thousands of people have gathered at the foot of a mountain to watch it burn.
26:47Around 300 local firefighters carried torches
26:51and set fire to the dry grass on Mount Wakakusa.
26:55From a designated viewing area,
26:57people watched as the mountain was engulfed in flames
27:01and fireworks were set off.
27:09The annual tradition typically attracts more than 10,000 people.
27:14This year, Nara prefecture charged spectators an admission fee
27:18and limited their numbers to about 6,000.
27:21All right, and that wraps up this edition of Newsroom Tokyo.
27:37You can always catch our program on our website as well.
27:39I'm Raja Prada and I'm Yama Sawa-Rina.
27:42Thank you very much for watching.
27:43Please join us again tomorrow.
27:45You may catch up and see you on the next episode of Newsroom Tokyo.
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