Hello and welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yoshikawa Ryuichi in Tokyo.
We start with breaking news this hour.
JAPANESE SHIP DAMAGED IN PERSIAN GULF
A vessel belonging to the Japanese company Mitsui OSK Lines has been damaged in the Persian Gulf. No injuries have been reported.
Again, a vessel belonging to the Japanese company Mitsui OSK Lines has been damaged in the Persian Gulf. No injuries have been reported.
TRUMP WARNS IRAN ON LAYING MINES IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ
Staying in the Middle East, US media is reporting that Iran is laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Citing sources familiar with US intelligence, CNN says that Iran has laid a few dozen mines in the Strait.
The critical sea channel has been effectively closed since the conflict began.
US President Donald Trump responded by saying, There were no reports of Iran-laying mines, but if any were placed, they should be removed immediately.
He added that the military consequences will be at a level never seen before.
He later said that 10 inactive mine-laying boats or ships had been destroyed.
The US military released a video of docked ships being bombed.
It said multiple Iranian naval vessels were eliminated on Tuesday, including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz.
When asked if the military could escort ships through the strait, a top US official said they would consider a range of options to make sure they are ready.
But Iranian officials warned against such action, saying vessels linked to the so-called aggressors have no right to travel through.
According to the UN, the average number of ships passing through each day has fallen from 129 to just 4 on Saturday.
That's causing disruption in the energy markets in the form of higher prices.
UAE REFINERY HALTS PRODUCTION AFTER DRONE ATTACK
Meanwhile, Bloomberg and AFP reports that UAE's biggest refinery, the Ruwais plant, halted operations. This came after a drone strike caused a fire in the surrounding area.
That refinery can process 922,000 barrels of oil per day.
REPORT: US PULLS MISSILE SYSTEMS FROM S.KOREA TO MIDDLE EAST
The Washington Post says the US military is moving parts of its THAAD anti-missile system deployed in South Korea to the Middle East.
It made the report on Monday, citing two officials.
The paper quoted one as saying the moves were a precautionary measure in case of increased retaliatory attacks by Iran.
South Korean media reported that US forces have also moved Patriot air defense systems out of South Korea.
South Korea's president addressed the matter in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
00:03:19 話者 2/Lee Jae Myung/South Korean President
While we have expressed opposition to such a move, the reality is that we cannot fully enforce opposition.
00:03:31 話者 1
The US military has deployed its THAAD system in South Korea to defend against North Korean missiles.
Yonhap News Agency reported that there are no equivalent alternatives to the system.
JAPAN MARKS 15 YEARS SINCE MARCH 11 DISASTER
Wednesday marks 15 years since the Great East Japan earthquake.
The magnitude 9 quake triggered massive tsunami, devastating areas across eastern Japan's Pacific coast.
19,711 people were killed, including those who died later from complications caused by the disaster. And even now, 15 years later, 2,519 people remain missing.
2:46pm, the exact moment the quake struck.
People in the hardest-hit prefectures observed a moment of silence.
From early morning, people offered prayers for the victims.
00:04:57 話者 3
I pray that those who remain missing can return to their families as soon as possible.
00:05:06 話者 1
Daigaku Toshihiko prayed for his wife, parents, brother, and nephew who died in the tsunami.
00:05:19 話者 4/Daigaku Toshihiko
I came here to pray. I tell them I'm doing well.
00:05:26 話者 1
In Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, the disaster left 1,286 people dead or missing, about 10% of the town's population. Yamazaki, Makoto's father, is still unaccounted for.
00:05:43 話者 5/Yamazaki Makoto
I've never forgotten him, even for one day.
It feels like 15 years went by in the blink of an eye.
00:05:51 話者 1
A memorial ceremony was held in Fukushima Prefecture, which was heavily affected by the nuclear accident that followed the quake and tsunami.
Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae was among those in attendance.
00:06:07 話者 6/Takaichi Sanae
We will accelerate preparations to set up a disaster management agency by the end of the year.
It will serve as a control center for disaster response and help build a country that is resilient against disasters.
00:06:20 話者 1
A day of prayer and reflection across Japan, as people look for ways to carry on after the disaster.
THE LONG WAY HOME
One of those who was missing was Yamane Natsui.
She was just six years old when the disaster struck.
For over twice her lifetime, her family waited to learn what became of her.
Her remains were finally found last October.
00:06:58 話者 7
Nursery school children in Iwate Prefecture held a dance performance about a month before the earthquake. One of them, Natsuse, was autistic.
She was not able to verbally express her feelings, but was able to communicate and have fun.
00:07:28 話者 8
(Japanese)
00:07:44 話者 7
March 11, 2011.
In the morning, Natsuse attended class.
Her mother, Chiyumi, brought her home, but soon had to leave for work.
00:07:58 話者 8
(Japanese)
00:08:16 話者 7
After the mega quake struck, her father, Tomonori, rushed home.
The tsunami waves had already engulfed the ground floor.
Natsuse's grandmother was safe upstairs, but...
00:09:04 話者 9/Tomonori
(Japanese)
00:09:14 話者 7
Tomonori and Chiyumi spent long days visiting temporary morgues, searching for their daughter.
Tomonori could not stop thinking about Natsuse, even at work.
00:09:30 話者 9
(Japanese)
00:09:43 話者 7
Nearly 15 years later, the family received unexpected news.
Human remains had been recovered more than 70 kilometers south in Miyagi Prefecture.
Natsuse had finally been located. She left behind a brother, Daiya.
Her loss has traumatized him. When the topic of siblings came up at school, he would sometimes say he was an only child.
00:10:16 話者 10/Daiya
I didn't want to make people feel bad, so I didn't talk about her.
I used to think I could only talk to people I was really close to about her, someone like my wife, if I got married.
00:10:34 話者 7
Tomonori shows a photo he took with the officers who handled Natsuse's case.
00:10:40 話者 9
(Japanese)
00:11:37 話者 7
A nearly 15-year-long wait, the Yamane family is finally reunited.
QUAKE ACTIVITY DOWN, BUT PERSISTS 15 YEARS LATER
00:11:52 話者 1
The area has also continued to grapple with earthquakes.
While seismic activity in the region has decreased, it still remains active.
The Japan Meteorological Agency tracks tremors in the aftershock zone.
They are categorized according to Japan's seismic intensity scale, which goes from 0 to 7.
Since the disaster in 2011, there have been over 16,800 quakes with an intensity of 1 or higher.
But the number has been decreasing over time.
In 2011, the JMA recorded about 7,600 earthquakes that dropped to 365 last year.
But some of them were significant.
A magnitude 6.9 quaker cart off the coast of Sanriku last November.
It prompted tsunami advisories for coastal areas in Iwate Prefecture.
and a magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit shortly after off the east coast of Aomori Prefecture.
An intensity of upper 6 was recorded in the area, and a 64-centimeter tsunami was observed at a port in Iwate.
The Japanese government's earthquake research committee says the region could see another big quake.
It looked at the coastline from Hokkaido to Kanto.
It says there is a slightly high to high probability that a magnitude 8-class earthquake will hit in the next 30 years.
There is also a high probability of a magnitude 7-class in many areas over the same period.
00:13:36 話者 11/Obara Kazushige/Earthquake Research Committee chair
As a whole, the number of earthquakes is decreasing, but seismic activity continues to be active in areas near the coast.
00:13:49 話者 1
The committee's chair is calling on people to stay alert.
BUSINESS
And now for business stories, here's Gene Otani.
00:13:58 話者 12/Gene Otani
Yuichi, thanks. A top bissiness stories this hour.
G7 LEADERS TO MEET ON IRAN CRISIS, THREATS TO ENERGY SUPPLY
Leaders of the Group of Seven Nations will meet on Wednesday to discuss the Middle East conflict and the threat to the global economy, especially oil supply.
France, which holds the G7 presidency, announced the online summit.
The gathering will follow a conference call between G7 energy ministers on Tuesday.
Japan's Industry Minister Akazawa Ryosei and International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Biro attended.
Akazawa told reporters that the IEA proposed the release of oil reserves, considering the situation in the market.
Akazawa said that Japan supports the joint release of reserves.
He said Asian countries are already seeing the effects of oil tankers being blocked from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
French Finance Minister Roland Lescure also spoke to reporters on Tuesday.
00:14:59 話者 13/Roland Lescure
We asked the AIE, which was hosting the meeting, to work on numbers, to update the stockpiling data to the most recent date.
00:15:12 話者 12
Lescure said the latest figures will help countries decide on the amounts of oil that could be released from reserves.
IEA SAID TO PLAN LARGEST-EVER RELEASE OF STOCKPILED OIL
The International Energy Agency is reportedly proposing the largest release of crude oil reserves in its history to reduce energy prices.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Biro made the proposal at a meeting of IEA member countries on Tuesday. It cited officials familiar with the matter.
Oil prices surged earlier this week amid the hostilities in the Middle East.
The US newspaper says the IEA's 32 member nations are expected to decide whether to approve the proposal on Wednesday.
JAPAN'S GASOLINE PRICES RISE FOR 4TH STRAIGHT WEEK
The rising cost of crude oil is beginning to take a toll on Japanese society.
Prices of gasoline at the pump have risen for the fourth straight week.
The Oil Information Center, which monitors price trends, says as of Monday, a liter of regular gasoline averaged 161.8 yen, or about $1.02.
That's up roughly two cents from the week before.
It's also the first time in three months it topped 160 yen.
The surge reflects the rising trend in crude futures. It's a guidepost for Asian markets.
The center says gasoline is likely to keep getting more expensive next week.
Meanwhile, the government is considering support for people to cope with higher gasoline costs, as well as electricity and gas utility bills.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru says plans are in the works to unveil the package at an appropriate time.
00:17:02 話者 14/Kihara Minoru
We will closely watch how the Middle East situation affects the economy.
We will take all measures for fiscal and economic stability in line with price trends.
00:17:11 話者 12
Kihada also said the cabinet has begun considering ways to diversify crude oil supplies.
JR EAST TO RAISE FARES FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1987
East Japan Railway is raising fares for the first time in nearly 40 years.
It says ticket prices will go up from Saturday by an average of just over 7 percent.
This is JR East's first across-the-board price hike since its founding in 1987, not including adjustments to keep up with the consumption tax.
It expects to raise more than $550 million in additional revenue for upgrades and repairs.
President and CEO Kise Yoichi said on Tuesday the company wasn't bringing in enough money to keep pace with inflation.
00:18:05 話者 15/Kise Yoichi
We will further improve levels of safety and service to build a railway that is secure and comfortable for passengers to use. This is something we are determined to accomplish.
00:18:18 話者 12
Ticket offices have been crowded with people wanting to book fares or buy commuter passes before prices rise.
00:18:29 話者 27
I frequently use the trains, so even a small fare increase is an extra burden for me, considering the inflation we are dealing with.
00:18:39 話者 25
It's probably inevitable because the facilities are aging and the costs of labor and other things are just going up.
00:18:47 話者 12
JRE says its passenger numbers have not been rising as Japan's population shrinks and more people are working from home.
MARKETS
All right, let's have a look at the markets.
♪
That's it for business news.
♫～
00:20:21 話者 1
Please do access the NHK Royal Japan website for more details.
N.KOREA TESTS MISSILE LAUNCHES FROM NEW DESTROYER
North Korean media say the country has conducted test launches of strategic cruise missiles from a new destroyer.
This comes as Pyongyang is expressing strong opposition to an ongoing military exercise held by the US and South Korea.
State-run Korean Central Television says the missiles were launched on Tuesday from a new 5-thousand-ton-class destroyer.
They reportedly flew for nearly two hours and 50 minutes off the western coast of the Korean Peninsula before striking their targets.
Pyongyang last conducted test launches on March 4.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observed the launches on a remote monitoring system.
South Korean experts say the missiles may be capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
The US and South Korea began conducting a joint exercise on Monday, simulating an emergency on the Korean Peninsula.
Kim's sister released a statement Tuesday, denouncing the drill as a rehearsal for a provocative and dangerous war.
CHINA-N.KOREA PASSENGER TRAINS TO RESUME SERVICE
A Chinese state-owned railway company says it will resume passenger train services to North Korea on Thursday.
Operations were suspended in January 2020 due to the spread of the coronavirus.
The company announced trains will start running again between Beijing and Pyongyang.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that China and North Korea are friendly and close neighbors.
The spokesperson also said maintaining regular passenger train services is important for facilitating exchanges of people between the two countries.
Pyongyang has been strengthening its relations more with Beijing since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited China last September.
WEATHER
It's time for a check on the world weather with your meteorologist, Jonathan Oh.
So, Jonathan, severe weather hammered central parts of the United States overnight.
What's the latest?
00:22:45 話者 16/Jonathan Oh
Hello, we have been monitoring a stretch of storms extending from the Great Lakes way down to the southern plains of the United States.
We're talking about numerous storm reports, including at least 16 tornado reports, especially around the northern portion of Illinois, Indiana, and over 300 reports of hail extending down toward the south.
The reason why we're seeing all these storms popping up is because we have a cold front that's pushing on through very warm air ahead of that, and essentially the cold front has so much energy behind it, it's kind of kicking up against the hot air, and it's really firing up these storms.
And I want to mention that these storms are firing up not during the daytime, but at night, which makes it even more concerning, and it's really showing the real difference in the power behind these storms.
That's not the end of the story when it comes to the possibility of severe weather.
The cold front continues to move toward the east, and so those along the Appalachian Mountains and along the eastern seaboard need to look out for the possibility of strong to severe thunderstorms as we go through Wednesday.
And that cold air I'm mentioning is actually going to bring snow into Chicago.
You see the 14 marker on there for Wednesday, but that's where the day starts.
Temperatures will drop. Cold air moves in.
We're talking about some real snow into the situation here for Wednesday.
Winnipeg also seeing some snow.
Separate system will bring some rain to the Pacific Northwest for the middle of the work week.
Meanwhile, it's a lot calmer in Japan compared to what we saw on Tuesday.
Wednesday, we saw high pressure taking over the weather pattern, relatively calm pattern in place.
And as we go into Thursday, that will still be the story. Maybe talk about a little bit of precipitation up toward the north, but otherwise, relatively dry.
Sapporo will get partly cloudy skies.
13 in Tokyo, looking at mid-teens into Fukuoka as we go through today on Thursday.
Quick note on Europe, cold front moving in from the north and west.
It will bring some rain as we go today on Wednesday for places like Paris and thunderstorms into Rome.
Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
LAMBING SEASON IN FULL SWING AT FARM IN HOKKAIDO
00:26:25 話者 1
And one more story before we go.
A sheep ranch in Hokkaido, northern Japan, is enjoying a baby boom with the arrival of spring.
The city of Shibetsu is famous for sheep breeding.
Hekora farm is home to about 700 sheep that are raised for meat.
They include the Suffolk breed, which has a black head and legs.
Newborn lambs began to appear in early February this year.
More than 300 have been born so far.
Lambs about two weeks old were seen staying close to their mothers, drinking milk and jumping around.
The farm's sheep keeper says she feels happy when seeing the lambs every year.
00:27:17 話者 17/Ehara Yuka/Sheep keeper, Pecora Farm
There are cases in which young lambs die even for a small reason.
So, we'd like to keep an eye on them so that they grow up healthy.
00:27:28 話者 1
The lambing season at the farm is expected to continue until April. Farm staff say baby lambs will be separated from their mothers after about two-and-a-half months.
And that wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline.
I'm Yoshikawa Ryuichi in Tokyo. Thanks for joining us.
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