Welcome to NHK News Line. I'm Ramin Mellegard in Tokyo.
Wildfires have been raging in different areas of South Korea since Friday, killing four people, including firefighters. The Yonhap news agency says the firefighters who died were tackling the blaze in South Gyeongsang Province in the country's southeast. Hundreds of residents have been forced to evacuate. The government has ordered authorities to make all-out efforts to put out the fires and support people affected by them. Firefighting operations are continuing overnight with the use of helicopters. But media reports say dry air and strong winds are hampering efforts.
And protests have erupted across Turkey following the detention of Istanbul's mayor on charges including corruption.
Some demonstrators clashed with police. Supporters of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu have staged demonstrations since he was detained on Wednesday. The interior minister says 343 protesters were detained on Friday night. Imamoglu is a leading opposition figure and is seen as a key potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the 2028 presidential election.
Local media say Imamoglu has denied all allegations. His party condemned his detention, calling it an attempted coup against the next president. Erdogan indicated on Saturday he will respond firmly. He said Turkey is a state of law, and he will not allow provocations to disturb public order and the peace of the people.
NHK has learned that the Tokyo District Court has summoned Japan's Education and Culture Ministry, and a religious group formerly known as the Unification Church to the court on Tuesday. The court is expected to present its decision on whether to disband the group.
The ministry requested the court to issue a dissolution order based on the Religious Corporations Act in 2023. It said the group's practices of collecting massive donations from its followers violated civil law and caused significant damage. Both sides submitted documents on their claims and all relevant hearings ended in January.
Ministry officials interviewed more than 170 people who say they or their families have been victimized by the group. They said that the group continuously received substantial donations over a long period of time, forcing its followers to make financial and mental sacrifices.
The group argued that its activities do not meet the criteria for a dissolution order. It said receiving donations is part of its religious activities. The organization added that it no longer conducts recruitment activities under a hidden identity after it took measures in 2009 to step up its compliance.
If the dissolution order is issued, the former Unification Church will lose its status as a religious corporation. It will have to dispose of its assets and become unable to receive tax benefits, but it would still be able to continue its religious activities.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hexeth is scheduled to attend a joint World War II memorial ceremony on the Japanese island of Ioto. He is expected to depart early this week on a trip to Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, and Japan for his first formal visit to the region.
Defense Secretary Hegseth will participate in the ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo-jima on the island, officially now known as Ioto, and will later meet Japanese leaders. An estimated 21,900 Japanese soldiers and approximately 6,800 US servicemen lost their lives on the Pacific island toward the end of the war in 1945. A Pentagon statement issued on Friday says these engagements will drive ongoing efforts to strengthen our alliances and partnerships toward our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
At a news conference on February 13, Hegseth expressed caution against a threat from China, which has been expanding its military capabilities. He noted that the United States alone cannot deter China. The new defense chief is expected to call for the further strengthening of alliances among the countries he will visit.
And a high-level economic dialogue between Japan and China was held on Saturday in Tokyo. It was the first meeting of its kind in six years. Tokyo asked Beijing to resume imports of Japanese seafood as soon as possible.
Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi welcomed his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. Senior economic and other officials from both governments attended as well.
Now, the two sides agreed to promote government private sector cooperation in the field of decarbonization. They also reaffirmed their support for people-to-people exchanges through the upcoming World Expo in Osaka.
Tokyo also urged Beijing to promptly release Japanese nationals detained by Chinese authorities and to ensure the safety and security of Japanese nationals living in China. Officials said such matters have discouraged Japanese firms from doing business in China.
We not only discussed cooperation, but also held frank talks to resolve issues and concern. Discussions went on past schedule because they were very fruitful.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that mutual understanding has deepened and trust toward cooperation has been strengthened. China is facing an economic slowdown and a conflict with the Trump administration. It appears that China aims to show that they're achieving results in their dialogue with Japan, an important partner for economic cooperation.
Now, NHK's documentary presentation featuring Japanese animation master Miyazaki Hayao has attracted many fans in China. The event was held on Saturday in Dongguang City in the southern province of Guangdong. About 250 people gathered to view the documentary produced by NHK World Japan. The Japanese Consulate General in Guangzhou and others sponsored the event with the aim of promoting a deeper understanding of Japanese culture. Many participants watched the film with great interest, as director Miyazaki focused his thoughts and energy on producing the animation.
I feel Miyazaki is a perfectionist in his work. I am impressed to see the creative efforts behind his wonderful films.
I believe Chinese people will understand Japanese people better after watching popular Japanese anime. I think cultural exchanges are only possible if people are ready to accept things that are different from them. We would like to expand our activities in various ways.
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And here's a three-day forecast for selected cities around the globe.
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And that's a wrap for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Ramin Mellegard. Thank you very much for joining us.
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