From our studios in Tokyo, this is NHK Newsline. I'm Ross Mihara.
VANCE WILL HEAD TO PAKISTAN FOR TALKS WITH IRAN
Leaders in the US and Iran have agreed to pause their hostilities over the next two weeks and meet for high-level talks in Pakistan on Saturday.
The White House says the US delegation will be led by Vice President JD Vance, but questions still remain about whether the Strait of Hormuz is open for free passage and if Lebanon is covered by the cease-fire agreement.
At an event in Hungary, Vance said Iran agreed to keep the strait open while the US and its allies halt their attacks. But he says leadership in Tehran is divided.
00:00:47 話者 2/JD Vance
I think the president has struck a good deal for the American people, but fundamentally, the Iranians have got to take the next step or the president has a lot of options to go back to the war.
00:00:57 話者 1
Vance also said one of the main subjects of negotiation is that Iran not be able to make a nuclear weapon.
In the meantime, US President Donald Trump posted on social media that US forces will remain in place in and around Iran until such time as the real agreement reached is fully complied with.
ISRAEL CONTINUES STRIKES ON LEBANON
It also remains unclear whether Lebanon is included in the ceasefire.
Israel says it is not and has continued targeting dozens of Hezbollah headquarters and bases in the country. The Shia Muslim group is backed by Iran.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has been mediating the ceasefire, had said it also includes Lebanon.
But the White House press secretary says Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire deal at this point.
Lebanon's state-run news agency reports that more than 180 people have been killed and nearly 900 injured in the Israeli strikes.
Reports out of Iran say Israel's actions violate the ceasefire and that if they continue, Iran will consider withdrawing from the agreement.
IRAN OUTLINES CONTROLLED ROUTE FOR SHIPS
Iranian media also reported on Thursday that the Revolutionary Guard Navy posted a map showing shipping routes that all vessels should follow when passing the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has said it will maintain control of the strait during the two-week ceasefire.
It remains unclear to what extent the safe passage of vessels will be guaranteed.
IMF, WORLD BANK, WFP WARN OF FOOD INSECURITY
The heads of three major international organizations have warned that the conflict in the Middle East could drive up food prices and worsen food insecurity worldwide.
The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group, and the World Food Programme issued a joint statement on Wednesday.
The statement says sharp increases in oil, gas, and fertilizer prices combined with transport bottlenecks will inevitably lead to rising food prices and food insecurity.
They stress that people in low-income, import-dependent economies are likely to be hit the hardest.
WFP Assistant Executive Director Rania Dagash-Kamara told NHK that global hunger may worsen unless the situation in the Middle East improves.
00:03:13 話者 3/Rania Dagash-Kamara/WFP Assistant Executive Director
Our analysis says that an extra 45 million people will be acutely hungry if this crisis continues.
00:03:23 話者 1
She said 318 million people currently suffer from hunger and that the conflict will put unprecedented numbers of people in a vulnerable situation.
N.KOREA SAYS IT TESTED MISSILE WITH CLUSTER-BOMB WARHEAD
North Korean media say the country has carried out tests of key weapons systems, including a ballistic missile armed with a cluster bomb warhead.
State-run Korean Central News Agency reported that the Academy of Defense Science and the Missile Administration conducted the testing over three days through Wednesday.
KCNA said the tests involved a surface-to-surface tactical ballistic missile armed with a cluster bomb warhead.
It said they showed that the missile is capable of reducing a wide targeted area to ashes.
KCNA said other systems were also tested.
They included an electromagnetic weapon designed to disrupt communications networks and what it called a carbon fiber bomb.
South Korea's military said earlier the North had fired short-range ballistic missiles from the eastern city of Wonsan toward the Sea of Japan on Wednesday.
It also reported that projectiles originating near Pyongyang were launched on Tuesday.
Those are believed to have been part of the weapons tests.
A South Korean expert says the weapons are designed to target South Korea, and the tests were intended to convey Pyongyang's view of the South as a hostile state.
ZELENSKYY BACKS US-IRAN TRUCE, CALLS FOR CEASEFIRE WITH RUSSIA
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed the cease-fire agreement between the US and Iran, and he says his country would be ready to do the same if Russia halts its attacks.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said the cease-fire is the right decision that leads to ending the war. He said the situation in the region has global implications.
And he added that threats to security and stability in the Middle East and the Gulf amplify challenges for the economy and the cost of living in every country.
Ukraine has sent military experts to Gulf countries to assist with interceptor drones and other areas. Zelenskyy said the expert teams will continue working in the region.
JAPAN BOLSTERS BEAR COUNTERMEASURES AS HIBERNATION ENDS
Local governments in Japan are stepping up measures to prevent bear attacks as the animals emerge from hibernation.
In the town of Fukushima in Hokkaido, electric fences are being reinstalled to ward off brown bears.
The town set up the fences along a five-kilometer stretch of a pathway used by bears following a fatal attack on a newspaper delivery man last July.
On Thursday, officials were seen reinstalling the fences along the borders between the town's residential areas and the nearby mountains.
00:06:19 話者 4/Fukuhara Takayuki/Fukushima town official
We believe the first priority is to create an environment where bears won't leave the mountains.
00:06:30 話者 1
Meanwhile, the city of Tomiya in Miyagi Prefecture plans to distribute bear bells to some 5,000 students in its 13 elementary and junior high schools.
The move follows a September bear attack on a man in his 60s near one of the city's elementary schools.
The city's mayor gave bells to two student representatives on Thursday.
00:06:53 話者 15
I'll put this bell on my school bag, or the bag I carry when I play.
00:07:00 話者 16
I want to keep the bears away with this bell.
00:07:06 話者 1
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has launched an urgent inspection following multiple reports of fallen trees in a park in the city's Setagaya ward.
Experts, including tree surgeons, started the inspection in Kinuta Park on Thursday morning. It covers about 5,000 trees, three meters high or taller.
Trees deemed to require removal will be promptly cut down.
Fallen trees have been reported four times in the park over the past month.
A cherry blossom tree fell last month, injuring one person.
Two oak trees toppled over on Tuesday.
Tokyo officials say in the fiscal year that ended in March, 86 trees fell on land managed by the metropolitan government, including parks and cemeteries.
The officials say they'll conduct similar checks at other locations.
JAPANESE WWII FIGHTER SALVAGED FROM SEA
A Japanese fighter aircraft used during World War II has been salvaged.
It was lying underwater for 81 years.
The Shidenkai was found at a depth of about three meters, roughly 300 meters offshore in Akune City, Kagoshima Prefecture.
The warplane of the Imperial Japanese Navy crashed into the sea after exchanging fire with US forces on April 21, 1945. The pilot, Lieutenant Hayashi Yoshishige, was killed.
A local nonprofit working to preserve war heritage in the area launched a project to retrieve the aircraft.
Using a large crane, workers lifted the plane's parts one by one onto a barge.
The wings remain clearly recognizable despite decades underwater.
00:08:51 話者 24/Himoto Eisuke/Head, local nonprofit organization
The plane was preserved in remarkably good condition. That made me really happy.
00:08:57 話者 1
The aircraft will be taken to port and undergo a year of desalination in a special water tank. The MPO plans to display it as a heritage item to convey the importance of peace.
FEARING BLUE: BIKE BUSINESSES ADAPT TO NEW RULES
Cyclists in Japan are adjusting to new rules against unsafe behavior. Riding while on the phone or ignoring traffic signals can now lead to fines, but not everybody knows that.
NHK World's Endo Yuka tells us how bike businesses are trying to keep their customers safe from the blue ticket.
00:09:34 話者 5/Reporting/Endo Yuka/NHK WORLD
One might not think of coming all the way to Tokyo's capital of high-tech,
for a low-tech way to get around.
This bike rental shop in Akihabara says about 80 percent of its customers are foreign visitors. For some, it's their first time hitting Japanese pavement.
00:09:54 話者 21
For sure the traffic, it's a lot more congested, a lot more traffic lights.
I'm sure it'll be hard for me to navigate.
00:10:02 話者 22
I think in Germany you drive on the right side, same with cars, so that's certainly a big difference.
00:10:09 話者 5
Before embarking, riders get a rundown on the rules of the road from staff.
the kind of knowledge that will keep them out of harm's way and out of trouble.
00:10:22 話者 23/Toyama Masaya/ZuttoRide Sharing Corporation
They often ask whether it is okay to ride on the sidewalk.
We hear that in many countries, riding on the sidewalk is not allowed.
00:10:31 話者 5
In Japan, cyclists can sometimes go on the sidewalk, but only under certain conditions.
Since April 1, disobeying those kinds of rules could result in a blue ticket.
That may come with fines ranging from around 20 to 80 dollars.
Riders at the rental shop say they understand the push for safe cycling.
00:10:57 話者 24
You want to have clear rules that everybody follows and have penalties if you don't follow the rules. And those rules are made for everyone to be able to coexist in harmony.
So I think that's a good decision.
00:11:12 話者 5
Even with the new system in place, it's not uncommon to see blue ticket violations just about anywhere you go.
These rules can be confusing, even for those who've been cycling in Japan all their lives.
Elsewhere in Tokyo, one major e-bike rental service has teamed up with police and other organizations for a safety workshop.
00:11:39 話者 25
We don't want anyone to be involved in an accident, and we don't want anyone to cause one. That is the police's one and only wish.
00:11:47 話者 5
It's a hands-on experience. Participants are even encouraged to try some reckless behaviors, like riding while looking at a phone.
It's meant to demonstrate the dangers the blue tickets are meant to correct.
00:12:03 話者 26
When I don't know the way, or even when I'm not riding a bicycle, I sometimes find myself walking while looking at my phone.
It made me realize again that both pedestrians and cyclists need to be careful and watch out for each other.
00:12:18 話者 5
The company's CEO says he sees riders trying their best to follow the rules.
But cyclists sometimes forget they have many of the same responsibilities as cars or motorcycles.
00:12:33 話者 27/Okai Daiki/CEO, Luup
We really want users to be more aware that both electric assist bicycles and electric scooters are vehicles, and that we believe this awareness needs to be much more widespread.
00:12:44 話者 5
The hope is that officials, shops and rental services can all work together to get the word out.
More blue ticket awareness will save cyclists from surprise finds and help make Japan's streets a bit safer.
Endo Yuka, NHK World.
BUSINESS
00:13:03 話者 1
Now let's go to Yuko Fukushima for more business stories.
00:13:08 話者 6/Yuko Fukushima
Thanks, Ross.
JAPAN CONSIDERS FINANCING TO HELP ASIAN SUPPLIERS OBTAIN OIL
Well, NHK has learned Japan is exploring financing measures to help secure crude oil for key Asian business partners of domestic companies.
The new framework will include loans and is projected to exceed 1 trillion yen, or more than 6 billion dollars.
Government-backed institutions, such as the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, are expected to be involved.
Like Japan, many Asian nations rely heavily on energy shipments from the Middle East to power their economies.
Japan itself has announced efforts to diversify suppliers in response to the conflict in Iran.
Tokyo may work with the Asian Development Bank on the financing scheme.
It could also propose creating an Asian-wide stockpile of crude oil.
DELTA FUEL COSTS TO SOAR $2 BIL. IN APR .- JUN. QUARTER
Rising oil prices are also taking a toll on air carriers with their fleets of fuel-thirsty planes.
Delta Airlines says it expects jet fuel costs to soar and some of that will be passed on to customers.
The American carrier says it expects fuel costs to jump by over $2 billion during the current April to June period.
Delta plans to reduce flights for unprofitable routes to counter the expense.
It will also hike baggage fees for domestic and some international flights.
Relief from the current situation appears unlikely to come soon.
The international Air Transport Association says even if the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened, it will take months for fuel supplies to recover.
SPRING HOLIDAY TRAVELERS RETHINKING MIDDLE EAST FLIGHTS
The situation in the Middle East is also casting a shadow over travel plans for Japan's coming spring holidays.
Although a growing number of people are expected to go overseas, some are having second thoughts.
Travel agency JTB estimates that more than 570,000 Japanese will go abroad and stay at least one night between April 25tand May 7. That's up 8.5% from a year ago.
But there are growing doubts about troops with flight transfers in the Middle East.
A travel agency that specializes in overseas stores has decided to call off trips to Europe and elsewhere that use airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.
The cancellations go up to May 6 for departures from Japan.
Such routes are usually cheaper than flying direct, but the worsening situation in Iran has forced the agency's hand. Some travelers are also canceling tours.
Switching to direct flights can raise the price by over $600.
00:15:44 話者 34/Torimi Ryosuke/STWorld
The travel industry is basically a peacetime industry.
People tend to not go abroad unless the situation is calm.
We're worried because we're not sure when things will improve.
00:15:55 話者 6
The agency is also seeing cancellations among people going to the United States.
They're worried about possible retaliation from Iran.
JAPAN'S WAGE GROWTH BEATS INFLATION FOR 2ND MONTH
Well, real pay in Japan increased in February for the second straight month held by a jump in base pay.
The gains mark a reversal after long periods of wage hikes lagging price increases.
Preliminary figures released by the labor ministry on Wednesday show inflation adjusted wages grew 1.9% in February from the same month last year.
The salary surveyed by the ministry covers about 30,000 businesses nationwide with at least five employees.
Workers took home an average of slightly more than 298,000 yen in February.
That's equivalent to about $1,880. It includes base pay and overtime.
The figure is up 3.3% on-year and marks the 50th consecutive month of gains.
Base wages also rose 3.3% to $1,700.
This is the biggest increase in 33 years and eight months.
The average bonus paid between November last year and January this year was $2,670.
That's up 2.8% from the same period a year earlier.
Ministry officials say paychecks are growing steadily while inflation is easing off.
JAPAN CONSUMPTION TAX WAIVER COULD TAKE A YEAR TO IMPLEMENT
Well, people expecting relief at the register from the consumption tax could be in for a wait.
Japanese businesses say technical challenges may push implementation of a waiver out about a year.
A working group has met to discuss the government's plan to eliminate the tax on food items for two years.
Members include the tax panel chiefs of the ruling and opposition parties.
The aim of the measure is to help soften the blow of rising prices.
But a firm that handles cash register upgrades has thrown cold water on hopes for a quick change.
A company official told the meeting that the systems not designed for a zero tax rate and that it will take up to about a year to modify them.
00:18:02 話者 44/Furukawa Motohisa/Democratic Party for the People
If the tax waiver doesn't actually go into effect for another year or year and a half, it won't help with the current price increases.
We want to hold hearings to overcome these challenges and consider ways to implement the plan.
00:18:21 話者 6
The ruling parties are also looking for revenue sources to pay for the tax waiver.
They want to compile an interim report around the summer through the National Council.
MARKETS
And now let's get you a check on the markets.
♪
And that's the biz for this hour.
S.KOREA SEES LANGUAGE BOOM AMID CULTURAL SPOTLIGHT
00:19:10 話者 1
K-pop and K-dramas have tourists flocking to South Korea, but not everyone is just sightseeing.
Language schools say they're facing unprecedented demand, with many students hoping to stay long-term.
NHK World's Kim Chan-ju reports.
00:19:28 話者 3/Kim Chan-ju
These people are at Seoul's Yonsei University for one reason: to learn Korean.
In the past, students like them came from neighboring countries like Japan or China.
Now things have changed, with more coming from further afield.
But they all have one thing in common.
00:19:50 話者 53
K-pop became very popular and watching that kind of encouraged me to get into learning the language.
00:19:50 話者 54
I like the unique alphabet. It's only unique to Korea.
And obviously you hear it a lot in K-pop songs and K-dramas.
00:20:13 話者 3
Christina Alamansola from Spain is one of those who made the jump.
She says she became fascinated by K-pop nine years ago through BTS.
Since then, she's immersed herself in Korean culture.
00:20:28 話者 55/Cristina Alaman Sola/Korean language student
For me, Korean language sounds amazing.
I don't know how to explain, but I really like the pronunciation.
00:20:39 話者 3
After studying fashion back home, she enrolled at Yonsei to learn Korean and chase her dream.
00:20:47 話者 55
My dream is to become a K-pop fashion stylist, and it came from
And when I see 80s concert costume made jacket, I thought it was so cool.
00:21:05 話者 3
But making friends in a foreign country isn't easy, especially when you're not fluent.
So she joined her school's K-pop dance club as a way to practice her hobbies and her Korean.
This club member says about half the recent applicants were international students.
00:21:41 話者 56
They like K-pop and performed well in their own countries, so they can dance very well.
But it's puzzling for us every time we have to choose new members.
00:21:55 話者 3
Christina says this is one small step towards her long-term future in Korea.
00:22:03 話者 55
I want to live here for the rest of my life if I can. I really feel like this is my place.
00:22:18 話者 3
And she's not alone.
A growing number of international students are looking to settle in Korea after graduation.
That means getting a job at career fairs like this one.
00:22:42 話者 55
(Korean)
00:22:58 話者 56
We are looking for, usually we are looking for engineers.
00:23:05 話者 3
The South Korean government also wants them to stay.
It plans to attract 300,000 international students by 2027. Their hope is that they can help boost the workforce to fill gaps caused by the population decline.
But the latest statistics suggest only 30 percent of them actually find jobs in South Korea.
Kwon Bo-geun helps support foreigners settling in the country.
She says things like communication issues and visa paperwork have been major hurdles.
00:23:42 話者 57/Kweon Bo-guen/Seoul Global Center
Many Korean companies recognize the need to hire foreigners.
But they don't know how to recruit them or what methods they should use.
00:23:54 話者 3
While K-culture's popularity may be enough to draw students here, she says the government and Korean society as a whole needs to do more to get them to stay.
Kim chan-ju NHK World.
WEATHER
00:24:10 話者 1
It's time now for the world weather with meteorologist Yumi Hirano.
00:24:15 話者 8/Yumi Hirano
After calm and dry conditions, a storm system is approaching western Japan on Thursday.
It's expected to develop over the Sea of Japan and bring strong winds on Friday.
In addition, intense rain, lightning, and even tornadoes are possible, especially from Kyushu to Tokai.
Showers are also expected in Tokyo, with a high of 19.
Wet weather is likely in Seoul, Shanghai, and Chonchim.
But further south, hot and dry conditions are expected.
The high will be 31 in Taipei, 30 in Hong Kong, and 38 in Bangkok.
Now moving to Europe.
Warm air is covering the west, creating higher-than-average temperatures.
London hit 26.1 degrees on Wednesday, the earliest ever that it's gone above 25.
The heat may have surprised even the seasonal flowers.
More than a hundred types of tulips burst into color to welcome spring near London on Wednesday.
Organizers at a spring festival said that seeing these flowers bloom after a cold winter is always a special moment.
In London itself, the weather seems to have jumped straight to summer, with temperatures in the mid-twenties.
Many people could be seen out and about near popular tourist areas, basking in the heat.
But a big temperature change is coming to London.
The high will drop to 21 on Thursday, only 15 on Friday, and finally 14 on Saturday.
The same patterns are expected in other cities. After thunder showers, the high in Paris will drop from 27 on Thursday to only 17 on Friday.
That's all for now. Have a nice day.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
PEAK VIEWING FOR CHERRY BLOSSOMS NEAR MT. FUJI
00:26:47 話者 1
Before we go, cherry blossoms in full bloom in a town at the foot of Japan's highest peak, Mount Fuji, are attracting tourists to enjoy the iconic view.
The town of Fuji Kawaguchi-ko is holding a festival to celebrate the blossoms.
About 200 cherry trees on the north side of Lake Kawaguchi, the main venue of the event, are now at their best.
00:27:14 話者 64
We really like the scenery here.
We came from Germany just to visit it.
00:27:19 話者 65
Perfect sunny day and Mount Fuji looks very beautiful.
I think it's the perfect time to see cherry blossoms.
00:27:27 話者 1
The festival was originally due to run through Sunday, but organizers decided to extend it until April 15 because the blossoms are still at their peak.
I'm Ross Mihara in Tokyo. We thank you for joining us on NHK Newsline.
NHK World
00:28:01 話者 99
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