Welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Kanako Sachno.
TAKAICHI AND TRUMP TALK IRAN, ECONOMY AT SUMMIT
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and US President Donald Trump have wrapped up their summit meeting in Washington.
They discussed several topics, including the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East and Japanese investment in the United States.
00:00:30 話者 2/Takaichi Sanae
Today, I look forward to having a discussion on how we can cooperate to make our two nations, both Japan and the United States, stronger and more prosperous.
00:00:41 話者 3/Donald Trump
In the case of Japan, I hear they get more than 90% of their oil through the strait.
So that's a big reason to step up.
But we're going to have some good talks today, and I think mostly about trade.
00:00:56 (Kanako Sachno)
When reporters asked Trump why the US did not notify allies ahead of the strikes on Iran, he referred to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
00:01:07 話者 3
And we didn't tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise.
Who knows better about surprise than Japan?
Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor? OK? Right.
00:01:23 (Kanako Sachno)
The leaders held discussions for about one hour and a half.
After the meeting, Takaichi said that they were able to confirm many areas of cooperation.
00:01:34 話者 2
I clearly conveyed Japan's views, including the need for early de-escalation of the situation.
We confirmed that Japan and the United States will continue to maintain close communication toward achieving peace and stability in the Middle East, including ensuring the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and stable energy supplies.
00:01:59 (Kanako Sachno)
Takaichi said she explained to Trump there are actions Japan can and cannot take within the framework of Japanese law.
She also said that the two countries have agreed to cooperate in increasing oil production in the US. Sources say there are plans to boost output from Alaska.
The two sides also announced a second round of investments under an agreement last year that will see Japan pump $550 billion into the US economy.
There are three candidate plans worth up to $73 billion.
They include construction of a small modular reactor in Tennessee and a natural gas power generation plant in Pennsylvania.
A joint document says the investments will help secure economic security for both countries.
JAPAN REMEMBERS VICTIMS OF 1995 TOKYO SUBWAY SARIN ATTACK
It's been 31 years since a deadly sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway.
People in Japan are remembering the victims.
On March 20, 1995, members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released nerve gas in packed rush hour subway cars on 3 lines in central Tokyo.
14 people died and about 6,300 were injured.
At Kasumigasaki subway station on Friday, staff observed a moment of silence at around 8 a.m. when the attack happened.
Bereaved relatives, government officials and others placed flowers at the station and prayed.
Among the visitors was Takahashi Shizue.
Her husband was an assistant station master at Kasumigaseki and died in the attack.
She feels she still doesn't have closure over the incident.
00:03:40 話者 4/Takahashi Shizue/Widow of sarin gas attack victim
It's really sad to tell my husband that victims and their families are still suffering today from the Aum Shinrikyo's successor groups.
00:03:52 (Kanako Sachno)
Three successor groups of Aum Shinrikyo are under surveillance in accordance with a law aimed at preventing mass murder. Authorities have continued to raid their facilities.
TEPCO VIDEO SHOWS POSSIBLE FUEL DEBRIS UNDER REACTOR
The operator of Japan's damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has released the first drone video of an above-water area directly below one of the reactor pressure vessels.
The plant's No. 1 through No. 3 reactors experienced meltdowns 15 years ago following the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami.
Tokyo Electric Power Company released the video on Thursday.
It began surveying the inside of the No. 3 reactor's containment vessel using micro-drones on March 5.
The footage shows tubes and other structures believed to have fallen from inside the pressure vessel, which originally enclosed the reactor core.
TEPCO says it confirmed the existence of a hole at the bottom of the vessel.
The video also shows icicle-shaped adhesions that look brown and grey.
The company says they may be nuclear fuel debris.
This is the first time that lumps that may be nuclear debris have been confirmed in an above-water area right under the pressure vessel.
The total amount of nuclear debris inside the No. 1 through No. 3 reactors is estimated to be 880 tonnes.
TEPCO plans to begin full-scale debris removal at the No. 3 reactor in fiscal 2037 or later.
TEPCO PUSHES AHEAD WITH RESTART AFTER SETBACKS
TEPCO is also moving ahead with plans to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant despite a series of setbacks. It says power generation could resume as early as Sunday.
The latest delay stemmed from a faulty alarm system. It forced TEPCO to halt output from the number six reactor, which was reactivated in January.
An alarm sounded during a test run on March 12, and the company, rather, stopped power generation two days later.
TEPCO says a cracked component in the alarm system caused the alert.
Investigators found the crack was due to metal fatigue, likely caused by generator vibrations.
The utility says it will replace the damaged part and keep the reactor running.
It expects to begin commercial operations in April or later.
00:06:06 話者 5/Kikukawa Yutaka/TEPCO
If something crops up, we'll stop and take time and review the plan if necessary.
00:06:12 (Kanako Sachno)
The number six reactor in Niigata Prefecture was the first to be reactivated after the Fukushima Daiichi accident.
N.KOREAN LEADER KIM OVERSEES DRILL INVOLVING NEW TANK
North Korean media have reported that the country's leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a drill involving a new model of main battle tank.
The exercise is seen as a response to a regular US-South Korean joint exercise in South Korea that concluded on Thursday.
State-run Korean Central Television reported Friday on Kim's visit the day before to a base in the capital Pyongyang.
The exercise involving a tank unit was conducted simulating a situation to break through the enemy's defence line.
Troops attacked the enemy's command post with drones using real-time reconnaissance data.
The report says the new tank's superior active protection system was proven effective as it intercepted 100% of the anti-tank missiles and drones in the exercise.
Kim and his daughter were seen riding a tank together.
Kim expressed pride that the army would be equipped with new type main battle tanks.
He also called for rapid successes in completing war preparations.
South Korean media quoted an expert as saying that integrated operations of drones and tanks in the drill reflect what Pyongyang learned from sending troops to Russia, which continues its invasion of Ukraine.
US RIGHTS GROUP: AMERICAN FREEDOM AT LOWEST EVER
A US-based international human rights group says freedom in America is at the lowest point since it started the current form of assessment in 2002.
Freedom House publishes an annual survey on public discourse, press freedoms, and political fairness around the world.
With a possible score of 100, the US received a grade of 81.
That's down three points from the previous year, and the same as South Africa.
Freedom House attributes the US decline to rising levels of what it calls legislative dysfunction and executive dominance.
The group also says there's increased pressure on people's ability to engage in free expression. We asked people in New York what they thought about the result.
00:08:23 話者 6
I will say I feel very disappointed with a lot of things.
I feel like we've gone backwards a lot in the last couple of years.
00:08:30 話者 7
I think for a lot of people it's definitely been harder to speak the truth.
00:08:35 (Kanako Sachno)
The group says freedom has eroded globally for the 20th straight year.
It expressed concern over criticism of the United Nations and other international organizations by the US Trump administration.
The group stresses the importance of US leadership as it sees the country as traditionally the biggest backer of democracy around the world.
And those were the main stories for this hour.
WEATHER
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
And that concludes this edition of NHK Newsline.
I'm Kanako Sachno in Tokyo. Thanks very much for joining us.
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