Hello and welcome to NHK Newsline.
I'm Ross Mihara in Tokyo with the stories at this hour.
N.KOREA TEST-FIRES MISSILES FROM NEW DESTROYER
North Korea says it has test-fired missiles from a new type of destroyer.
Leader Kim Jong-un was reportedly observing on site.
state-run Korean Central Television reported the news Tuesday it claims strategic cruise missiles and anti-warship missiles were fired from the 5,000 ton class destroyer on Sunday both types allegedly followed their designated trajectories over the Yellow Sea.
The report claims two of the cruise missiles were in the air for more than two hours and three anti-warship missiles flew for more than 30 minutes the test was reportedly to check the ship's integrated weapon commanding system
Kim allegedly reiterated his commitment to ramping up the country's nuclear and missile development programs.
He said steadily strengthening their nuclear deterrence is a national defense priority.
It's not the first sign Pyongyang is bolstering its naval capabilities.
It held two similar tests last month, firing strategic cruise missiles from the destroyer.
MORE US-IRAN PEACE TALKS IN THE CARDS AMID BLOCKADE
Reports of a possible second round of peace talks are emerging amid the start of a US
blockade in the seas around Iran.
US President Donald Trump told reporters the military strategy so far is working.
00:01:29 話者 10/Donald Trump
Iran is doing absolutely no business, and we're going to keep it that way very easily.
Don't forget, the Navy is gone, the Air Force is gone.
00:01:38 話者 1
He posted earlier that if Iranian fast attack ships come close to the blockade, they will be immediately eliminated.
US Central Command says it's not letting ships enter or leave Iranian ports or coastal areas. That includes those in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
But it says it won't stop vessels that are just traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state-run television carried a statement by a Defense Ministry spokesperson who said Iran won't allow interference by foreign forces.
The statement said Tehran will not hesitate to respond decisively to any aggressor, including Israel and the United States, in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere.
The strategy hasn't won over British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who told the BBC that his government is not supporting the blockade.
He said he was focused on getting the waterway reopened in order to reduce energy prices.
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance spoke with Fox News about his meeting with Iranian officials in Pakistan over the weekend.
00:02:44 話者 12/JD Vance
We did make some progress in the negotiation. There really is, I think, a grand, a grand deal to be had here, but it's up to the Iranians, I think, to take the next step.
I really think the ball is in the Iranian court.
We actually made very clear what our red lines were.
00:03:01 話者 1
Vance said Iran must promise to transfer stockpiles of enriched uranium out of the country and make a conclusive commitment not to develop a nuclear weapon.
The New York Times is reporting that US negotiators demanded a 20-year ban on uranium enrichment.
Iran countered with an offer to suspend enrichment for up to five years instead.
But the two nations may soon meet again.
US media outlets are reporting that the US and Iran are talking about another round of negotiations, this time for a longer-term ceasefire.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the report says the goal is to hold fresh talks before the current ceasefire expires.
That agreement is set to run out early next week.
TRUMP'S TIRADE AGAINST POPE DRAWS REBUKE
US President Trump has repeatedly criticized Pope Leo XIV following the pontiff's remarks on the US handling of Iran.
Trump called the pope weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy.
00:04:02 話者 10
Pope Leo said things that are wrong.
He was very much against what I'm doing with regard to Iran.
And you cannot have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result.
00:04:16 話者 1
The American-born pope called Trump's threat last week to destroy Iranian civilization truly unacceptable.
The pontiff told reporters on Monday that he has a moral duty to speak strongly against war.
00:04:30 話者 13/Pope Leo XIV
I have no fear of neither the Trump administration nor speaking out loudly about the message of the gospel. And that's what I believe.
I am called to know what the church is called to do
If we're not politicians, we're not looking to make foreign policies involved.
With the same perspective that he might understand it.
00:04:52 話者 1
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned Trump's tirade.
Meloni said in a statement that it is right and normal for the Pope, as head of the Catholic Church, to call for peace and condemn all forms of war.
Reuters news agency characterized her statement as an extremely rare public rebuke of Trump from Meloni, who has cultivated particularly close ties with the US president.
KUMAMOTO MARKS 10 YEARS SINCE DEADLY QUAKES
Tuesday marks 10 years since the first of two devastating earthquakes hit the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto.
It was the first time an Intensity 7 quake, the highest level on the Japanese seismic scale, hit the same area in succession.
In total, the quakes left 278 people dead and more than 198,000 buildings damaged in Kumamoto Prefecture alone.
This week, people have been offering prayers in remembrance of the victims.
In Mashki Town, one of the hardest hit areas, municipal officials and local residents mourn the victims who lost their lives.
00:06:06 話者 13/Furuta Manabu
I pray for the souls of those who have passed away.
00:06:11 話者 1
In 2016, on the night of April 14th, the first Intensity 7 quake hit Mashiki.
Two days later, another quake, just as strong, struck the same area along the village of Nishihara.
Miyamori Yoko, who was 55, died when her home collapsed in the first quake.
Her daughters visited the site of their former home Tuesday morning, laid pink flowers, Yoko's favorite, and offered prayers.
00:06:42 話者 14/Victim's daughter
I feel both that 10 years have been long and that they've passed in the blink of an eye.
I prayed, telling her it's been 10 years, and please continue to watch over us.
00:06:57 話者 1
Matsuda Takahiro was born on the very day the first earthquake struck and is now 10 years old.
00:07:05 話者 15/Matsuda Takahiro
(Japanese)
00:07:10 話者 1
Alongside his mother, Takahiro experienced strong tremors twice shortly after he was born.
In the aftermath, the family decided to spend three weeks living in their car as evacuees.
00:07:23 話者 15/Matsuda Yuko/Takahiro's mother
We were helped by many people at that time.
Without them, I would have been mentally exhausted.
And physically, my legs swelled up painfully from living in a car.
00:07:40 話者 1
Like their family, thousands of people were displaced following the quakes.
Dozens died due to deteriorating health under the stress of evacuation or delays in initial medical treatment. That is referred to as disaster-related deaths.
A staggering 80 percent of the quake victims fell into that category.
In the years following the disaster, authorities have been working to improve conditions at evacuation centers. This includes upgrading toilets, beds and kitchens.
Vehicles equipped to provide pharmacy services have also increased nationwide from just four at that time to 26 now.
However, indirect disaster-related deaths also accounted for nearly 70 percent of the total fatalities caused by the Noto Peninsula quake in 2024.
The government says it will work to further strengthen its disaster prevention and response capabilities.
In the meantime, those who lived through the Kumamoto quakes continue to remember the victims and want to ensure future generations learn from the experience.
REBUILDING KUMAMOTO CASTLE ONE STONE AT A TIME
One iconic landmark that was impacted by the 2016 quakes was Kumoto Castle.
It is said to be one of the three premier castles in Japan and attracts countless visitors from home and abroad.
The castle was severely damaged and needs a few more decades before it is fully reconstructed.
The damage wasn't only structural. For many residents, it was deeply emotional.
Some felt compelled to help rebuild it, including one young man who chose to learn the traditional craft of stone masonry.
00:09:24 話者 3
The 2016 quakes caused extensive damage across the castle grounds.
The centuries-old stone walls suffered the most.
About 30 percent collapsed or were severely deformed.
Rebuilding those walls means returning roughly 100,000 stones to their original positions.
In the past decade, only about 7,000 have been moved.
Restoration work is expected to continue through 2052, and the long timeline has created an urgent need for skilled craftsmen.
Higashi Ryugen grew up in Kumamoto and decided to become a stonemason so he could contribute to his hometown.
00:10:12 話者 24/Higashi Ryugen
I've only been doing this for a little over a year, but watching the veteran craftsmen shape the stones and rebuild the walls left a strong impression on me.
I wanted to be part of their work.
00:10:24 話者 3
Higashi had just entered high school when the earthquake struck.
Now 25, he still remembers the shock of seeing the destruction.
00:10:37 話者 24
When I saw how the walls had collapsed, I thought, 'This is really terrible.' It made me feel genuinely sad.
00:10:47 話者 3
After finishing school, Higashi worked in other jobs. But his desire to help restore the castle eventually led him to join a stonemasonry company.
Becoming a fully skilled stonemason typically requires about 10 years of experience.
Higashi is still a novice, eager to learn from the experts around him.
00:11:12 話者 25/Tanimori Tsubasa/Veteran stonemason
He's really giving it his all.
I always tell him to watch what each craftsman is doing and learn from everyone.
00:11:19 話者 3
The outer stones of the wall weigh anywhere from 200 to 1,000 kilograms.
Moving even one into place requires several people working in sync.
Each stone must be positioned with extreme precision.
A deviation of just a few millimeters can throw off the entire alignment of the wall.
The work is so meticulous that only about six stones can be set in place each day.
Higashi is entrusted with fitting smaller stones into the gaps between larger ones, reinforcing the structure.
He has to find and shape stones to match the irregular spaces perfectly.
With more than two decades left until the scheduled completion, Higashi is committed to honing his skills and staying with the project to the end.
00:12:34 話者 24
Because this work will last for generations, I feel that every stone I put back, even if it's slow, is real progress. I can sense the walls coming back to life.
Having come this far, I want to keep going until I see the whole castle restored to its former glory, while growing as a craftsman along the way.
BUSINESS
00:13:00 話者 1
Let's go to Ramin Mellegard for the latest business stories.
00:13:05 話者 2/Ramin Mellegard
Thank you very much indeed.
NIKKEI 225 REBOUNDS TO HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE EARLY MARCH
Now, Tokyo's benchmark stock index rebounded sharply on Tuesday to its highest level in about a month and a half.
That's on the back of expectations for a resumption of US-Iran peace talks.
The Nikkei 225 rose 2.4% to finish at 57,877.
It jumped soon after the opening, led by Semiconductor and other export-related shares.
The rebound reached a level not seen since March 2, days after the United States and Israel began attacking Iran.
ANALYST: JGB YIELD PRESSURED BY PERSISTENT INFLATION
Okay, let's switch to the bond markets now.
Yields on the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond hit a roughly 27-year high on Monday, and that came after peace talks between the US and Iran broke down over the weekend.
An expert says the situation in the Middle East is adding to inflation concerns that are already placing upward pressure on the JGB yield.
Suezawa Hidenori is an analyst at Tokyo-based SMBC Nikko Securities.
00:14:17 話者 34/Suezawa Hidenori
Higher crude oil prices will accelerate inflation persistently until autumn.
The government's subsidies to curb rising fuel costs are also adding to worries about a growing fiscal burden.
00:14:28 話者 2
On Monday, the key yield briefly rose to 2.49 percent. Suezawa says it may gain further if domestic prices continue to rise and the yen stays weak.
00:14:44 話者 34
The Japanese economy has shifted from deflation to inflation, and consumer prices have been gradually rising.
The Bank of Japan might start raising its policy rate regularly, keeping it on an upward trajectory.
If oil prices remain high for a long period, that could nudge long-term rates higher toward the 3% level.
00:15:06 話者 2
Suezawa says, taking into account the cost of crude oil, it is unlikely that the long-term interest rate would fall far below 2%.
JAPAN POST GETS US PARCELS MOVING AGAIN
Japan Post restarted package services to the US on Tuesday.
They were halted months ago due to American tariff changes.
Japan Post says it has studied the rules set by customs in the United States and reworked its procedures.
People could now send personal gifts over $100 or items meant for sale in the US
There is a catch. Customers need to use an app to pay duties before dropping off their parcels at designated post offices.
INCREASE IN ADULT DIAPERS RAISES RECYCLING CHALLENGES
Now, Japanese society is aging rapidly, increasing demand for a product to make seniors' lives easier: diapers.
Production for adults actually surpassed that for children three years ago.
But once the diapers have been used, there's a question of what to do with them next.
00:16:12 話者 5
Wearing diapers is cool.
This event at last year's Osaka Expo demonstrates how keen the industry is becoming about adult diapers.
Part of the shift involves erasing the negative image and recognizing the market potential.
But after disposable diapers have been used, they go straight into the trash can.
In other words, higher sales mean more garbage.
Government figures show that by fiscal 2030, about 7% of all solid waste handled by municipalities could be diapers. That would be as much as 2.6 million tonnes.
On top of this, used diapers contain plenty of moisture, so incineration requires a large amount of fuel.
Manufacturers are realizing they need to think about their social responsibility.
One company that produces daily necessities has worked out a system to minimize the waste.
00:17:16 話者 43/Nakagaki Ruru/Unicharm
Disposable diapers are currently incinerated despite being made from high-quality materials.
We believe recycling is essential from the perspective of conserving resources.
00:17:30 話者 5
The company has started a project in partnership with municipalities in the southern prefecture of Kagoshima.
It has installed more than 500 collection boxes just for diapers.
They are then taken to a recycling facility and shredded one by one.
The materials are separated into their basic elements, paper pulp, plastic used in the film layer and water absorbing resins.
00:18:03 話者 43
The machine in the back treats the pulp with ozone.
It is currently undergoing sterilization, bleaching and deodorization.
00:18:12 話者 5
The company has developed a machine to remove dirt and odor by mixing pulp rinsed in water with ozone to sanitize it. That eliminates bacteria such as E.coli.
The pulp is cleaned to the point where it is safe to come into contact with human skin.
It is then reprocessed and used in products such as toilet paper and a fresh batch of disposable diapers, like these ones already on the market.
Plastic is turned into trash bags. Absorbent resin is used for cat litter boxes.
The technical problems of recycling have mostly been solved, but the high costs of collection and cleaning make profitability a challenge.
00:18:56 話者 43
The problem of disposable diaper waste is becoming increasingly serious worldwide.
We believe we should work with everyone, both domestically and internationally, using our technology to tackle the issue.
00:19:10 話者 5
The company has announced plans to begin developing a dry cleaning method in collaboration with an industrial waste disposal firm.
It expects to reduce water usage to about a 50th of current levels.
In a society that is aging rapidly, the increasing use of adult diapers is a serious challenge that needs to be effectively managed.
00:19:34 話者 2
And that is it for business news.
♫～
00:20:21 話者 1
NHK has learned Sapporo City in northern Japan plans to recruit bus drivers from abroad.
The move comes amid an acute labor shortage that has led to a drastic drop in bus services in the city.
The prefectural capital of Hokkaido will start the program in the current fiscal year.
A business contracted by the city will recruit drivers in Vietnam and provide them with a year of training and language lessons before bringing them to Japan.
The program will see bus operators in Sapporo hire about 10 people as regular employees.
Those hired will then be provided with support to obtain the necessary qualifications to drive buses in Japan.
The number of bus services in Sapporo has dropped by more than 30 percent in the past six years.
Local bus networks across Japan have been forced to downsize due to driver shortages.
JAPAN BANS IN-FLIGHT USE OF MOBILE PHONE POWER BANKS
Japan's transport ministry has announced a ban on passengers using portable chargers on aircraft starting from April 24.
The move is in response to a number of incidents when lithium-ion power banks caught fire or emitted smoke inside airplanes.
00:21:30 話者 51/Kaneko Yasushi/Japanese Transport Minister
Passengers will be allowed to carry up to two power banks.
Charging them in planes and using them on board are prohibited.
The new rules will take effect from next Friday, April 24.
We will apply them to all domestic flights and all flights to and from Japan.
00:21:50 話者 1
Transport Minister Kaneko Yasushi said the measure is in line with restrictions announced by the International Civil Aviation Organization in March.
Passengers will still be required to ensure there are no portable chargers in their check-in baggage.
In January 2025, a fire on a passenger jet in Busan, South Korea, was caused by a lithium-ion power bank stowed in an overhead bin.
HUNGARIANS OUST ORBAN, VOTE FOR CHANGE
Voters in Hungary ousted Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his ruling party in elections on Sunday.
They came out in record numbers and brought an end to Orban's 16-year rule.
He described the outcome as painful, but clear.
00:22:33 話者 61/Viktor Orban/Hungarian Prime Minister
The responsibility and possibility of governing was not given to us.
I have congratulated the winner.
00:22:42 話者 1
Orban is known for his pro-Russian stance.
He opposed the European Union's assistance for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion, and he also has a good relationship with Donald Trump.
Nearly all the votes have been counted, and the pro-European opposition TISA party won by a landslide with 138 seats out of 199, giving it a two-thirds majority.
Orban's Fidesz party secured 55.
The CISA party is led by Peter Majar, who is now on track to become the next prime minister.
He's pledged to fight corruption and improve ties with the EU.
00:23:21 話者 62/Peter Magyar/Tisza leader
Hungary will be there.
It will be a constructive partner because Europe is in trouble in many aspects.
Our war has been raising right next to us for more than four years, and the economic conditions are very difficult.
People in Budapest voiced their optimism and hopes for the new leader.
00:23:41 話者 64
I'm very happy. I never thought this would happen here. It's crazy.
Well, I hope this will be better than the previous regime.
00:23:53 話者 65
I'm sure it will change for the better, because what Orban was doing was just plain ridiculous.
00:24:03 話者 66
A really big impact on Europe the way that this prime minister has supported Russia,
and has the eyes of the US all over it.
00:24:12 話者 1
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also welcomed the result.
He says he's ready for meetings and to work constructively.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says they're ready for talks with Orban's successor.
00:24:27 話者 67/mitry Peskov/Russian Presidential Press Secretary
The Hungarians have made their choice and we respect that choice.
We expect to continue our highly pragmatic contacts with Hungary's new leadership.
00:24:41 話者 1
Peskov also says he doesn't think the election's outcome has anything to do with the future of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
WEATHER
It's time for a check on the world weather with our meteorologist Jonathan Oh.
So, Jonathan, the strongest typhoon to develop this year is thrashing the Mariana Islands.
What's the latest?
00:25:02 話者 6/Jonathan Oh
Hello. Over the past few days, we've been monitoring this storm as it continued to approach Mariana Islands.
Now it's on top of those islands, and I want to show you some video to give you an idea of how things are looking on the ground.
The Northern Mariana Islands are getting blasted by the strongest typhoon of the year with torrential rain and extreme gusts.
The National Weather Service reported winds hitting over 180 kph in the gusts with
of the transit meteorological agency forecast in Sinlaku to move over Tinian and Saipan late Tuesday as a very strong typhoon.
The National Weather Service warned that the widespread rain, flooding, and destructive winds could cause lengthy power outages.
And it's a very tight storm, so it has a lot of power with it, but it's also a large storm.
So most of the islands are seeing now the impacts of this particular system.
Sinlaku continues to slowly move toward the north and northwest, and so as a
go throughout not just Tuesday night, but also throughout the day on Wednesday into Wednesday night, this storm will continue to have an impact in the region.
Let's look at what's happening across Japan.
We have been dealing with another calm day, but rain is moving in from the south and west as we have a stationary front along with a low pressure system pushing in.
We've seen the rain as part of the story for the western portions of Japan during the day on Wednesday, spreading toward the east into Tokyo by late Wednesday, and then we'll see the rain also continuing into Thursday.
And we'll see temperatures still in the 20s though for the rest of the week.
Sapporo that's going to be on the warm side as well, but dry Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Rain comes back into the picture as we head towards Saturday.
Looking at what's happening across North America, we have a system located near the Great Lakes that's bringing some strong to even possibly severe thunderstorms as the low continues to move toward the east.
That will be the story as we go throughout the day on Tuesday.
Back toward the west, we're also seeing another low into the Rockies.
That will be spreading toward the east and still bringing some rain as we go through on Tuesday with a high of 17.
Oklahoma City, though, looking at thunderstorms with a high of 29.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:27:41 話者 1
I'm Ross Mihara in Tokyo. We thank you for joining us on NHK News Line.
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