Welcome back to NHK Newsline. Here's the latest we have for you at this hour.
TRUMP SUGGESTS ENDING CAMPAIGN WITHOUT DEAL
US President Donald Trump says he has prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and suggested the campaign may end soon without a deal.
The White House announced Trump will give a speech at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Washington time. That's Thursday morning in Japan.
This comes after he said the campaign would end very soon.
00:00:37 話者 10/Donald Trump
I had one goal. They will have no nuclear weapon.
And that goal has been attained. They will not have nuclear weapons.
00:00:45 話者 11
They will be the US will be gone or done with the war.
00:00:47 話者 10
I think two or three weeks. We'll leave.
00:00:52 話者 1
Trump also said potential talks wouldn't affect his decision.
00:00:57 話者 10
No, they don't have to make a deal with me. Whether we have a deal or not, it's irrelevant.
00:01:04 話者 1
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqi gave an interview to Al Jazeera Tuesday.
He confirmed Tehran has exchanged messages with Washington, but he said that doesn't mean they're negotiating.
He reiterated that rather than a ceasefire, Iran wants an end to all attacks in the region.
The conflict has had a huge impact on the world economy.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been slowed to a trickle.
Now, Iranian media say officials have approved a plan to impose tolls on vessels passing through.
It would also include regulating navigation and prohibiting ships linked to the US and Israel.
CHINA, PAKISTAN PRESENT 5-POINT PEACE PLAN
China and Pakistan are calling for an immediate ceasefire in Iran.
Their foreign ministers met in Beijing and presented a five-point plan for peace.
Wang Yi and Ishaq Dar held talks on Tuesday.
Pakistan is serving as a mediator between the United States and Iran.
Wang said Beijing wants to work with Islamabad to achieve an end to the fighting and create opportunities for peace.
Dar said his country hopes to coordinate with China to push for talks to restore regional peace as soon as possible.
The five-point initiative calls for an immediate stop to fighting and the start of peace talks as soon as possible.
It urges parties to the conflict to stop attacking civilian and non-military targets, including energy infrastructure.
The plan also calls for steps to ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz and other shipping lanes.
ZELENSKYY: RUSSIA DEMANDS PULLOUT FROM DONBAS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia has told the United States it will capture the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas in two months and is demanding that Ukraine withdraw.
Zelenskyy posted details on social media on Tuesday of his news conference in the city of Bucha near Kyiv.
He quoted Russia as saying that Ukraine has two months to withdraw, after which the war will end, but it will take the region and impose different terms if there is no withdrawal.
He expressed concern that Russia aims to control Donbas and also expand the territory it occupies in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy added that he has proposed a ceasefire for the duration of the Easter holidays in April.
COURT HALTS CONSTRUCTION OF TRUMP'S WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM
A US federal court has issued an order to halt construction on a ballroom at the White House unless Congress approves the plan.
President Trump immediately indicated his intention to appeal the decision.
Trump has been working since last October to build a ballroom capable of holding large-scale events after demolishing the east wing of the White House.
A federal district court in Washington, D.C., issued the preliminary injunction on Tuesday.
The court said the president is not the owner of the White House.
It said no statute comes close to giving him the authority he claims to have to construct his ballroom project.
Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, indicated he will appeal the decision.
He claimed the construction costs are covered by donations from companies and individuals.
He said there is no need to obtain congressional approval since no taxpayer funds are being used.
JAPAN SETS NEW FINES FOR RECKLESS CYCLING
New rules for reckless cyclists go into effect on Wednesday across Japan.
Police can now issue fines to riders for relatively minor violations like holding an umbrella while cycling.
00:04:50 話者 3
These Tokyo police officers are handing out brochures hoping to teach people about the dozens of new offenses they'll be watching for from now on.
The nationwide legislation will allow police to issue what they're calling blue tickets.
On this busy street, they even caught a few rule breakers and handed out 16 warnings to cyclists over the course of an hour on Wednesday morning.
Campaigns have started this week across the country to inform riders about the new system.
Accidents involving bikes can cause lasting damage.
That's what one Tokyo woman found out the hard way.
She was riding to work on the street when she was hit by a high school student on a bicycle who flew out of an alley.
She says the teenager ignored the stop sign and rushed into the intersection without slowing down. They crashed. The woman fell off her bike, dislocating her left shoulder.
Two and a half years later, she still suffers from pain and numbness in her arm and shoulder.
00:06:10 話者 4/Cycling accident victim
There are a lot of people riding bikes dangerously.
If they're a little more conscious about how risky their behavior is, I think it'll make for a safer and more comfortable environment for everyone on the road.
00:06:23 話者 3
She's one of thousands of people involved in cycling collisions annually.
Police counted over 67,000 accidents last year alone.
70% of those cases were caused by cyclists not following the rules.
Over 3,000 of them involved pedestrians, a record high.
Police are hoping that the new fines will bring those numbers down.
Among the offenses that could garner you a blue ticket?
Wearing earbuds, ignoring traffic signs and red lights, and riding in the wrong direction.
Riding on the sidewalk is also banned, unless signs say otherwise, or the street is too narrow or congested to ride on safely.
Cycling while holding a smartphone carries the highest fine at 12,000 yen, or about $75.
That's why this cycling shop set up a special corner to respond to rising demand because of the new fines.
The manager says even raincoats are flying off the shelves for those worried about the new fine for using an umbrella on the road.
But some cyclists who spoke to NHK said they weren't aware of the new rules and still had questions.
00:07:45 話者 31
It's hard to know which sidewalks are okay to ride on. It's confusing.
00:07:51 話者 3
Another says she'll have to change her riding habits.
00:07:56 話者 32
I usually run stop signs. I should probably be more mindful of the signs as I ride.
00:08:04 話者 3
The new system is a big change.
Until now, only red tickets were handed out for serious offenses, like drunk cycling.
But the National Police Agency says officers may still let offenders off with a warning, depending on the seriousness of the violation.
And the rules only apply to those 16 and older.
BUSINESS
00:08:39 話者 1
And now let's see what's happening in the world of business.
Here's Ramin Mellegard from the Biz Desk.
00:08:45 話者 5/Ramin Mellegard
Thank you very much indeed.
JAPAN'S NIKKEI 225 HAS BIGGEST GAIN OF YEAR ON IRAN HOPES
Now, Tokyo shares rose across the board on Wednesday, driven by hopes of a de-escalation in the Middle East conflict.
The Nikkei 225 stock index surged more than 2,600 points for the largest gain so far this year.
The benchmark climbed more than 5% to finish at 53,739.
Remarks by both the US and Iran suggested the hostilities may soon end.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the war could finish within two or three weeks.
Media reports cite Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian as saying Iran was willing to end the war if it gets guarantees against further attacks.
Analysts say attention has shifted to President Trump's address to the nation on Wednesday.
Investors are looking for further signs of the conflict's direction and what that means for crude oil prices.
INPEX PRIORITIZES JAPAN FIRMS FOR ITS AUSTRALIAN CRUDE OIL
NHK has learned that Japanese energy giant INPEX will prioritize selling crude oil from Australia to Japanese companies as the Iran conflict continues to disrupt supplies.
Government-backed INPEX is Japan's top developer of oil and gas.
It produces a type of crude called condensate, along with natural gas, at two gas fields off the coast of northwestern Australia. INPEX holds the rights for these reserves.
INPEX has supplied some of the Australian condensate to Japanese businesses, but it plans to increase the amount sold preferentially to Japanese firms, including oil wholesalers.
Condensate can be refined into gasoline as well as naphtha, a raw material for a wide range of products such as plastic.
INPEX sources say it also plans to give Japanese firms priority access to crude oil from Central Asia.
JAPAN'S MAJOR AIRLINES TO HIKE INTL. FUEL SURCHARGES IN JUNE
And Japan's two biggest airlines are set to sharply raise fuel surcharges for international flights from June.
The move reflects a surge in crude oil prices and could dampen travel demand.
The surcharge on All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines one-way flights to North America and Europe will jump 72 percent in June and July.
That's compared with the rate set for April and May.
For ANA passengers, that translates into a surcharge of 55,000 yen, or $346.
People flying with JAL will pay 50,000 yen. The fuel levy for routes linking Japan with China and Taiwan will rise 52 percent for ANA and 67 percent for JAL.
Both carriers will hike the fuel fees on flights from Japan to South Korea and Russia's Far East by 90%.
Now, the airlines review surcharges every two months to cope with fluctuations in fuel prices and currency exchange rates.
The higher fees in June and July reflect fuel costs in February and March.
TANKAN: MOOD IMPROVES SLIGHTLY AT JAPAN'S MAJOR MANUFACTURERS
A closely watched survey of business sentiment in Japan shows slight improvement among major manufacturers for the fourth straight quarter, but respondents expect conditions to worsen in the next three months as the Iran conflict clouds the outlook.
In the Bank of Japan's latest Tankan survey released on Wednesday, the sentiment index for large manufacturers came in at plus 17. That's up one point from the previous poll.
A positive number indicates that more companies are feeling optimistic about business conditions than pessimistic.
The central bank polled about 9,000 companies.
The impact of developments in the Middle East is not fully reflected in the survey because the BOJ obtained responses in mid-March.
Sentiment improved in the production machinery and non-ferrous metal sectors on the back of higher semiconductor demand.
Meanwhile, the sentiment index for large non-manufacturers is unchanged at +36.
Looking three months ahead, many companies were cautious amid rising prices of crude oil and petroleum products.
Confidence at major manufacturers is forecast to decline three points, while it's projected to fall seven points at large non-manufacturers.
TSMC APPROVED TO MAKE 3-NANOMETER CHIPS IN KUMAMOTO
The world's biggest contract chip maker will soon be producing 3 nanometer chips in southwestern Japan. Taiwan's economic ministry gave the project the green light.
It's expected to be significant for Japan's economic security.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, is planning to manufacture the chips at its second plant in Kumamoto Prefecture.
The plant is currently under construction.
Upon completion, it is expected to be able to create 15,000 chips per month, with large-scale production scheduled to start in 2028.
The company has been making chips for automobiles and industrial equipment at its first plant in Kumamoto.
Competition for three nanometer chips is heating up around the world as they're used for AI data centers and self-driving vehicles. Demand is expected to increase.
MARKETS
Okay, let's get a check on the markets.
♪
And that is it for Business News.
♫～
IN FOCUS
00:15:55 話者 1
This year, the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding.
ICE CRACKDOWN SPARKS INDIGENOUS BACKLASH
US history is largely about immigration, but Native Americans have roots that stretch back to before the nation's birth.
Now the Trump administration's crackdown on people it calls illegal immigrants is taking a toll on some of the country's indigenous people.
00:16:22 話者 6/Narrator: Bill Sullivan
In February, thousands of Native Americans took part in a demonstration march in Minneapolis, Minnesota, calling for protection of their rights and safety.
More than 4,000 people were detained in the Midwestern state due to the Trump administration's large-scale measures carried out by agents of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
But the crackdown brought a series of incidents involving indigenous people, who were mistaken for illegal immigrants because of their appearance.
And the backlash from indigenous communities is growing.
00:17:05 話者 53
So I'm glad to see, you know, many are coming out.
All of our brown lives are coming out, and we're not scared of ICE.
But ICE does need to go. They are terrorizing families. They're abusing people.
00:17:16 話者 54
Now it's starting to get more extreme with him killing people and, taking people off of the streets. And actually right here in Little Earth, they took three Lakota men from here.
00:17:27 話者 6
Human rights group Vice President Rachel Dionne Thunder is one of the indigenous people who have been stopped by ICE agents.
00:17:36 話者 55/Rachel Dionne-Thunder/Vice president, Indigenous Protector Movement
He had a window breaker in his hand and he was literally about to break my window.
If like my husband and others hadn't been there that day, they would have broken my window out and they would have arrested me.
00:17:51 話者 6
During the crackdown, many children in the region were too scared to go to school and studied at home for months.
Minneapolis was the center of Native Americans' civil rights campaigning in the late 1960s.
The city also has a history of protests against unlawful arrests by police officers.
The recent intensifying ICE activities forced Native Americans to take measures to defend themselves.
Rachel's husband, Vinny Dion, went on daily patrols with his friends during the ICE operation.
00:18:33 話者 56/Vinny Dionne/Rachel's husband
We need the drone out for the Eagles now.
00:18:41 話者 6
They recorded the activities of armed ICE officers to protect against unfair treatment.
They also used whistles to warn others about the presence of the agents.
00:18:57 話者 57
Get the out of here.
00:18:58 話者 58
I'm gonna stay right here.
00:19:04 話者 56
If you come harass one of the community members out here, you'll get 50 to 100 people out here blowing whistles.
And when you blow whistles at them, they get scared of you and with you usually get them to leave.
I never thought where we're at in life now.
where I got to be scared, or my family members got to be scared, or my children have to be scared because of their skin color?
00:19:30 話者 6
They are also taking another measure.
A rapidly increasing number are applying for tribal identification cards, indicating that they are indigenous people.
On this day, four tribes set up a temporary branch office in Minneapolis so that people living in urban areas could receive tribal IDs.
Each tribe is recognized as having a degree of sovereignty based on treaties and other agreements, allowing them to issue the cards on their own.
Many indigenous people say they were targeted in the ice crackdown because of their physical appearance.
Some were unable to feel at ease outside without their tribal IDs.
00:20:27 話者 59
It's very sad that it feels like we've gone backwards and it feels like the human kindness has left a lot of the politicians, especially the Republicans and our president.
It's very sad.
00:20:48 話者 6
Many Native Americans say ICE activities are based on deep-rooted discrimination against them.
They also say some cases of serious crimes, such as murders of indigenous people, are not sufficiently investigated.
They add that one example has to do with missing persons. Native women account for less than 1% of Minnesota's population, but 5.6% of it's missing.
Organizers of this rally say the issue is an extension of discrimination against Indigenous people.
00:21:33 話者 51/Nicole Matthews/CEO, Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition
They're looking at the colour of your skin. They're looking at facial characteristics.
They're looking at hair, texture, and color, and they're just taking people.
Make America great again is code for make America white again.
And you know what? America was never white.
We were always, this land belongs to the native people.
We are the indigenous people of this land. This is not about immigration.
I think we have to look deeper to understand what this really is.
00:22:05 話者 6
President Donald Trump named Markwayne Mullen to replace Kristi Noem as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE.
The move came amid growing criticism of the heavy-handed crackdown.
Mullen is the second Native American in US history to serve as a Cabinet Secretary.
00:22:28 話者 1
Some Native Americans have welcomed the decision to place Mullen in this role.
There is also attention on whether he will change how ICE is managed.
♪
WEATHER
It's time to check the world weather with our meteorologist, Jonathan Oh.
So, Jonathan, signs of spring are popping up in parts of Europe, but then problems are also popping up. What can you tell us?
00:23:18 話者 9/Jonathan Oh
Hello, we're seeing the temperatures and the mercury starting to rise around Europe, and that's helping to bring some of the flowers out and about.
But at the same time, it's also leading to some issues on the ground.
And I want to show you some video coming out of Moscow, where it's certainly feeling like spring as temperatures are hitting new records this season.
The Associated Press reporting that highs rose above 17 degrees Celsius in the capital Tuesday, making March the warmest on record.
However, that's causing ice to melt rapidly, which is leading to rivers
flooding around Moscow.
The regional emergency services said over 100 settlements have been affected.
Forecasters are predicting that temperatures in the first few days of April could exceed the seasonal norm by 7 degrees or more.
So it looks like we're going to be talking about that warmer pattern as we go forward throughout the the next few days.
Now, in other parts of Europe, down toward the south, a couple of low pressure systems around the Mediterranean, bringing in some rain, even some thunderstorms into the region.
So that's going to be the story spreading from Italy over into Turkey as we go throughout the day on Wednesday.
15 in Rome, 16 in Athens, 17 in Istanbul. Sunny skies into places like Berlin, Vienna, Moscow topping up at 18 as we go through Wednesday.
Meanwhile, we saw a wave of rain on Tuesday. We're seeing another wave of rain moving through on Wednesday because of a couple low pressure systems rolling across Japan.
So you'll need to have the umbrellas nearby.
The winds are going to be a part of the story overnight into the day on Thursday.
And once this low just zips on toward the east, we're going to be seeing things clearing out.
So we'll have a window of about a day to a day and a half of sunnier conditions late Thursday in places like Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, a couple of days of dry weather.
The weekend shows up, and so does the rain.
I mean, more rain coming up into the picture on Saturday and Sunday.
So if you want to try to get a glimpse of the cherry blossoms, you want to try to get that through the window on Thursday into Friday, because by the time you're going to Saturday and Sunday, it's going to get wet once again.
That looks at your forecast. Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
NEW EMPLOYEES WELCOMED AT JAPANESE AQUARIUM
00:26:40 話者 1
And before we go, smartly dressed new employees of an aquarium in central Japan have made their debut in a large tank filled with fish and turtles.
Five new keepers at Toba Aquarium in Mie Prefecture were welcomed on Tuesday, the day before the start of the new fiscal year.
The aquarium head gave a speak from outside the tank.
He told them to work hard with gratitude because their dreams of becoming aquarium keepers came true, thanks to the help of many people.
One of the new hires spoke through an underwater microphone.
(Japanese)
That's one ceremony to remember.
And that wraps up this edition of NHA News and we'll have more for you soon.
Thanks for watching.
NHK World
00:28:01 話者 10
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