Hello, a very warm welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yamamoto Miki in Tokyo.
We begin this hour with news on the stock market turmoil. Let's turn to our Gene Otani from our business. So Tokyo shares saw a heavy sell-off again, Gene.
Miki, thanks. Japan's benchmark stock index plunged on Monday as investors in Tokyo unloaded shares across the board. Equity markets around the world remain shaken by the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.
Our business correspondent Amma Raimu reports from the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Investors around the world are growing risk-averse, and selling is causing more selling in a vicious cycle here.
Trump's rollout of what he called reciprocal tariffs and China's announcement of counter-tariffs have left the market reeling. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 extended its sharp decline at the start of the week. The index briefly dropped more than 2,900 points, or nearly 9 percent.
The benchmark ended sharply, lower for the third straight trading day, closing at 31,136, down 2,644 points, or 7.8 percent. That's its third biggest single day drop.
I'm totally disappointed. I want the Japanese government to have a stronger stance toward the US and make its position clear.
I need to wait and see how far the index falls and how far it comes back. It would be a mistake to panic.
Fears of a possible trade war are now gripping investors around the world, with stock markets heading into free fall from one place to another. key indexes in Asia declined sharply across the board.
Market sources say investors are growing more aware of the risk of a global recession amid moves by countries and regions to consider measures to counter US tariffs.
NHK World's Amma Raimu has reported there. Investors in Hong Kong are voicing their own concerns as the territory's A Hang Seng index briefly dropped over 13% on Monday. One investor said he believes shares could fall further, adding that he expects more major price swings.
I'm considering selling my stocks so I can switch my investments to cash.
Our assets have lost a lot, and that's affecting our budget. It's natural that I don't think much of the Trump administration.
Meanwhile, markets also plunged in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Japan's finance minister has urged investors to respond calmly. Kato Katsunobu was speaking to reporters after the brief halt in stock futures trading in Japan. The circuit breaker kicked in at the Osaka Exchange on Monday morning after futures of the Nikkei 225 and topics indices.
Came under massive selling. The pause in trading is aimed at calming the markets.
Instability can be seen in financial and capital markets worldwide.
We believe it is important for investors to make calm judgments.
Kato said Japanese financial authorities will closely watch market developments with utmost vigilance. He said they would take appropriate measures in coordination with relevant government offices.
Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has expressed his willingness to visit the United States soon for talks over Washington's new tariff policy.
Ishiba made the comment in a question-and-answer session of the Upper House Audit Committee meeting on Monday, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party urged Ishiba to visit the US while acknowledging the importance of speaking to President Trump by phone.
We believe this situation is a national crisis. I want to visit the US as soon as possible, if necessary.
Ishiba said, in response to another question by an opposition lawmaker, that he wants Washington to recognize and value Japan's contributions appropriately.
Japan has been the world's largest investor and the largest creator of jobs in the United States. It has not exploited and it has not done anything unfair.
Lai said in a statement released Sunday that Taiwan's approach will be to seek a solution through negotiation. He stressed that it is necessary to make clear Taiwan's contributions to US economic development. The president said purchases of American goods, including agricultural, industrial and natural gas products, will be expanded as well as investments in the US Lai added that he will work to eliminate non-tariff barriers.
US President Trump continues to defend his tariff policy, calling it medicine. His comment comes amid growing opposition at home to his hardline measures.
I don't want anything to go down, but sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something. And we have such a a horrible we have been treated so badly by other countries.
Trump said negotiations are underway with trading partners in Asia and Europe. He said he's willing to make a deal with China, but insisted the country needs to do something about its trade surplus with the US Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott. Besant cautioned people against overreacting. He told NBC there is no reason to price in a recession. Besant indicated that market responses tend to be short term in an apparent offense of reciprocal tariffs.
That's a look at business news. Mickey, I'm going to hand it back to you.
Thank you very much, Gene, for the update.
Now, South Koreans are getting ready to elect a new president sometime in the 60 days after Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment was upheld last week. The embattled leader is out of office, but the political turmoil is not over.
For more on this, I earlier spoke with NHK World's Kim Chan-ju in Seoul.
His political career is over, but his future is undecided. Well I'm near the presidential residence in Hanam-dong, and despite being ousted, Yoon is still hunkered down here.
We don't know how much longer he'll be allowed to remain, but he is required to vacate, and so we expect he'll move to another residence sometime this week.
Yoon has a private home in Seoul's upscale Gangnam district. But it's an apartment, so due to security concerns, he may choose to lay low elsewhere while his court proceedings continue.
Yoon is currently on trial for allegedly leading an insurrection by declaring martial law last December. So far, he's been able to skip court appearances, but that's changed now that he's lost presidential immunity.
He'll have to show up for proceedings on April 14. He may also face more charges, like abuse of power, in the days to come. Now, just because he's lost his impeachment battle doesn't mean his fate is sealed in the criminal courts. Yoon and his legal team are expected to fight tooth and nail to keep him out of prison. That includes challenging the very legitimacy of the indictment process itself.
How are they handling the end of the Yun era?
For his supporters, this has obviously been devastating. Where we are, we saw crowds rallying loudly for Yoon in the days leading up to the impeachment decision. Now, it's a very different scene. It's very quiet. There are few police here in case anything happens, but the set from Yoon's camp is we've lost.
On the other hand, the pro-impeachment camp has been jubilant these past few days. They are celebrating what they see as South Korea's democracy working as intended, and they are ready to open their country's next political chapter.
Speaking of which, what do we know about the upcoming election?
Well The government has tentatively selected June 3 as Election Day.
That's expected to be confirmed at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. We don't yet know who the ruling People Power Party or PPP will field as its presidential candidate. Whoever they choose will be in a very tough spot. They'll have very little time to win the trust of voters who are disturbed by Yoon's martial law declaration, but they'll also have to be careful not to alienate Yoon's loyal support base.
Recent polling suggests the main opposition Democratic Party is ahead. They've pledged to work with the public to build the new democratic government, calling Yoon's impeachment a new beginning for South Korea.
They've also accused the PPP of failing to take responsibility for the scandal and for not expelling Yoon from the party. We don't know who the Democratic Party will field, but leader Lee Jae-myung has been keeping a low profile. That's reportedly because he's getting ready to step down as head of the party to run for president. It will be interesting to see if the opposition can ride the post-yoon backlash to victory, or whether the PPP will somehow salvage its reputation in just two months.
North Korean media say the country has held its first international marathon since 2019 in the capital Pyongyang, with foreign runners participating.
The ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on Monday that the event took place the previous day. It came ahead of the April 15 birthday of the country's founder, the late Kim Il Sung, grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un. The report said runners from China, Ethiopia and other countries and regions competed in full and half marathons. Shorter distance events were also held. During the coronavirus pandemic the North imposed harsh restrictions on the entry of foreign nationals. It has recently begun to ease some of them. South Korea's unification ministry says about 200 people from 46 countries reportedly took part in the event. They say they believe North Korea is considering reopening to foreign tourists.
Ukrainian officials say large-scale Russian air attacks over the weekend claimed the life of one person and wounded three others in the capital Kyiv.
Reuters News Agency says they were the first large-scale attacks since late last month. The Ukrainian Air Force said 23 missiles and 109 drones were detected over many parts of Ukraine between Saturday night and Sunday morning. Ukrainian officials also said Russia carried out missile attacks on three districts in Kiev early on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of seeking to continue the war using even greater force.
That is why all forms of pressure on Russia remain crucial, strengthening our defense capabilities, maintaining sanctions, and ensuring a kind of diplomacy, a kind of dialogue with Moscow that leaves them with no opportunity to kill.
The Russian Defense Ministry, in turn, accused Ukrainian forces of launching seven attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure. As the fighting continues with no end in sight, the lasting damage is clearer than ever.
Ukraine is now coping with a huge number of people with disabilities caused by the invasion. Shibuya Aki with Newslines In Focus tells us how.
In three years of full-scale war with Russia, Ukrainian officials estimate that around 300,000 people have been left with disabilities, with tens of thousands reportedly losing at least one limb.
The scaleand speed of the human toll has sent shockwaves through society, revealing a country unprepared for such a profound transformation.
The Superhuman Center cares for people injured in the war. It opened after Ukraine came under attack, providing prostheses and rehab to some 60 people a month. But despite the staff's dedication, the waiting list currently stands at around 800.
We are talking about the health care crisis in Ukraine right now. Not a single health care system is ready for the war in its territory. And Ukrainian system wasn't ready for that.
Once patients return home, they face another kind of challenge, simply getting around. Inaccessible public transport, unusable ramps and unexpected obstacles are seemingly everywhere.
Zahar Bidukov lost both arms and his right leg in combat.
He says the fractured urban environment is a huge barrier to regaining mobility.
It was hard to use the sidewalk because of its condition. The broken and crooked paving stones are bumpy and are the toughest thing when you start walking with a prosthesis. It just makes you want to give up.
As well as the physical barriers, society itself seems unready for the influx of people with disabilities. The rehab center has been sharing their experiences online.
When a ramp was being installed in front of my parents' place, neighbors complained, saying it was in everyone's way. One time I did this and a woman fainted nearby. I needed to bring her around and explain how it works.
I always get hate like, why the shorts?
Why are they all wearing shorts and showing their artificial legs?
Why shorts?
The children will be scared.
Can't you wear long trousers? There are children there.
People do not used to see people with prosthesis on the streets, people without limbs on the streets. So it's a new picture. People do not accept because they don't know.
One expert says the roots of the problem lie in Soviet times, when it was common for people with disabilities to be put in institutions.
It's a system that continues to some extent today.
Disability policy was based on the extent to which a person could be an active citizen of the Soviet Union. An economic unit of the great state. If someone did not meet these standards physically or due to a mental or intellectual impairment, they lost some of their rights. Basically, people with disabilities were excluded from society.
And it's not just war veterans facing difficulties. When the invasion began, there were multiple reports of people with existing disabilities being abandoned.
The frequent air raid sirens send people rushing to underground shelters, but less than 10% are accessible to people with disabilities.
It's a stark statistic. but one that's driving change.
We have a ramp here. It's a very unusual thing in a shelter.
Karina Hitsuk, a member of a disability support group, is in charge of a shelter in Kyiv that was remodeled last year to be inclusive. She sees cause for hope in public attitudes.
I think awareness, and attitudes toward people with disabilities are improving.
Because there are so many war veterans with different traumas or amputations, such people have become more visible. And that breaks down stereotypes and stigmas, like believing that they are different or don't have rights.
One man has devoted himself to changing society's view of people with disabilities. Vladislav Yeshchenko was blinded in an explosion while clearing landmines in 2022.
I knew nothing.
After leaving hospital, Yashchenko realized that people didn't know how to deal with him and his disability. So he started posting videos to share aspects of his life.
yeah It's a sensor. You use it like this.
You probably didn't know how a person without eyes controls the amount of liquid.
He also visits schools to help children relate directly to disabilities like his.
My aim is to show there is no need to feel pity, fear, or avoid people with disabilities. I have a dream that when I am old, I will live in a country that is barrier-free and completely inclusive. where every person can live safely and with confidence.
That image is going to stay with me for a long time.
Amid the devastation of war, this year saw veterans with prostheses walk the runway at Ukrainian Fashion Week. And wow, looking pretty darn good.
Slowly but surely, it seems like people's attitudes are changing to build a more inclusive society where every individual has a place and the respect of others.
And there's no turning back.
Transport officials in Japan say they've patched up a payment system failure on the expressways. The problem put toll gates out of action at more than 100 locations. Roadgoers were asked to drive now and settle up later.
Central Nippon Expressway Company gave an update on Monday afternoon. Officials say people can now use electronic toll collections, or ETC, as usual.
The system had been shut down for 38 hours on expressways in Tokyo and the prefectures of Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Yamanashi, Nagano, Aichi, Gihu and Mie. The company allowed drivers to pass through the gates and pay later. Officials apologized for the problem on Sunday.
We believe the cause is related to maintenance of the ETC system on Saturday. This was being carried out to review the late night discounts.
Officials say a failure on this scale is unprecedented. They say they found a quick fix and are working on a permanent solution.
♪
ohh What a beautiful couple there. And it's time to check on the weather with our meteorologist Jonathan Oh. So Jonathan, people in Tokyo were popping up umbrellas on Monday morning, but we ended up enjoying a bright spring afternoon. How are things looking the next few days?
But look at the forecast here, 15 for the high in Sapporo coming up on Thursday, 22 in Tokyo. We'll be in the low 20s for the next few days. We're typically around 19, so we're a little bit warmer than average, but I don't know if a lot of folks are complaining as we're looking at the pleasant weather if you want to check out the cherry blossoms. Osaka Fukoga staying warm and dry until Thursday. Then we'll see that system coming in and we'll see some showers in the weather pattern.
Speaking of spring weather, folks in Europe, some areas enjoying that as well. Let's go over to Germany. I want to show you some video that's coming out from the western part of that country as visitors and locals enjoyed blooming of a different variety of cherry blossoms in Bonn on Sunday, the blossoms of 300 trees transformed the Old Town into a sea of vivid pink flowers warmer than average weather in the country,Mean spring flowers came a little bit earlier than usual and these will be in bloom for about the next couple of weeks. Again, high pressure is also the indicator of the nice weather that's happening, especially along the West, but it's also ushering some chillier weather toward the east. Warsaw and Vienna down to single digit highs with some snow farther toward the east as we go throughout the day on Monday, but up to 19 in Paris.
I want to point out what's happening in the southeastern portions of the United States. We have the stubborn. Stationary front that's crawling his way toward the east. Look at the possibility of strong, maybe even severe thunderstorms possibilities as we go through on Monday. So be on the lookout for that.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～
That's all for this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Yamoto Miki in Tokyo. Thank you for joining us on NHK World Japan, and please stick around for more.
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