Welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Kanako Sachno.
TRUMP: TALKS MAY HAPPEN 'OVER THE WEEKEND'
The US and Iran may be edging closer to another round of talks less than a week before a ceasefire ends.
US President Donald Trump says the next meeting may take place over the weekend, and he announced a development on Iran's nuclear programme.
00:00:29 話者 2/Donald Trump
We had to make sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. And we're at that.
They've agreed to that. They've totally agreed to that.
They've agreed to almost everything.
00:00:39 話者 1
Iran's Tasnim news agency says officials in Tehran stood firm on demands for the fighting to end. It says they forced Trump and Israel to comply.
Officials in Pakistan have been mediating the talks between the US and Iran, and the head of Pakistan's army has held a meeting with the speaker of Iran's parliament.
Iran's state-run media says the goal is to draw up a plan for the next round of talks.
One sticking point in the US-Iran negotiations is the conflict between Israel and the Shia Muslim group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran has been backing Hezbollah.
Trump posted on social media on Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a ceasefire. He said it will last for the next 10 days.
ISRAEL AGREES TO CEASEFIRE, LEBANON CLAIMS VIOLATIONS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that his country has agreed to the temporary ceasefire with Lebanon, but he made it clear that Israel has not agreed to withdraw its forces from the country's southern regions.
00:01:38 話者 3/Benjamin Netanyahu
We have an opportunity to reach a historic peace agreement with Lebanon.
00:01:44 話者 1
He also indicated that any peace agreement with Lebanon would require Hezbollah to disarm.
The Israeli media say Netanyahu held an emergency cabinet meeting by phone to explain the ceasefire.
The reports say the ministers were furious to learn about the truth from Trump's announcement.
Trump later told reporters that the Israeli and Lebanese leaders will meet at the White House over the next week or two.
00:02:09 話者 2
We're going to be meeting with Bibi Netanyahu, as you know, and the president of Lebanon. And I had a great talk with both of them today.
They're going to be having a ceasefire, and that'll include Hezbollah.
00:02:24 話者 1
He added that Lebanon will take care of Hezbollah.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the pause in hostilities in a social media post.
But the Lebanese military said on social media Friday that Israel has already violated the ceasefire.
The military referenced what it said were multiple attacks on Lebanese soil, some targeting villagers.
Lebanese authorities say over 2,100 people have been killed and more than 7,100 others injured since the latest fighting started in early March.
The United Nations also says that at least 1.2 million people have been displaced within the country.
POPE DECRIES 'TYRANTS' RAVAGING WORLD
Pope Leo XIV has decried leaders who spend billions on wars and also criticize those who attempt to use religion to justify their conflicts.
00:03:17 話者 4/Pope Leo XIV
The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.
The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy.
Yet often, a lifetime is often not enough to rebuild.
00:03:34 話者 1
The pontiff spoke on a visit to the African nation of Cameroon on Thursday.
He noted that Jesus said, Blessed are the peacemakers.
He said, Woe to those who manipulate religion in the very name of God for their own military, economic, or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.
The pope's remarks came after US President Trump criticised him on social media following the pontiff's call for an early end to the US-Israeli military offensives against Iran.
LARGE WAVE OF RUSSIAN ATTACKS KILLS 17
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine has announced that the country was hit with a large wave of Russian attacks into Thursday morning.
It says 17 deaths have been confirmed and Ukraine's Internal Affairs Minister says more than 100 others were wounded.
One of the attacks hit the north-western part of Kyiv and left a 12-year-old boy and another person dead.
In the aftermath, people were clearing the neighborhood of debris and boarding up broken windows.
00:04:38 話者 15
There is nothing from military targets here, only houses and a nursery school.
This is just a terrifying attack on areas where people live in peace.
Such terrible things should never happen.
00:04:50 話者 1
The Russian defence ministry claimed on Thursday that its armed forces had launched the attacks in retaliation for Ukrainian strikes on civilian facilities in Russia.
SOURCES: FATHER IN KYOTO IMPLIES HE STRANGLED HIS SON
Sources have provided NHK with more information about the investigation into the death of a boy in Kyoto prefecture.
They say the victim's father made a statement implying that he murdered his son.
On Thursday, police arrested Adachi Yuki, a 37-year-old company employee, on suspicion of abandoning the body of his 11-year-old son, Yuki, in the city of Nantan.
The father reportedly admitted to the allegation during police questioning.
NHK has learned that he suggested to police during voluntary questioning before his arrest that he'd strangled his son.
Police launched searches for the boy after he went missing on March 23.
His body was found in a wooded part of the city on Monday.
The sources say police examined location data and other information from the father's smartphone before narrowing the search for the child.
This information helped locate the boy's body and sneakers thought to be his.
Police believe the smartphone data may also indicate that the father moved the remains from place to place.
Furthermore, sources revealed there were searches on the father's smartphone asking about ways to abandon a body.
They say these were done during the time the boy was missing.
JAPAN SDF COLONEL TO BE SENIOR UN PEACEKEEPER IN SOUTH SUDAN
Japan's government has decided to send a senior officer with the Ground Self-Defense Force to South Sudan on a United Nations peacekeeping mission.
It's the first time a Japanese officer will take on the role of Force Chief of Staff in the African country.
The decision was made at a cabinet meeting on Friday. The government will dispatch the colonel to his leadership post in the United Nations mission in May.
00:06:50 話者 6/Koizumi Shinjiro
I think it is significant that Japan will play a leading role in international peace and contribute to a sound security environment by having Self-Defense Force personnel fill such a key and high-level post.
00:07:04 話者 1
The country gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after a fierce civil war.
Since then, Japan has sent a number of SDF personnel to South Sudan to take part in the UN peacekeeping mission.
They've helped maintain security and provided logistical support, including building infrastructure.
JAPAN PAIR SKATERS 'RIKU-RYU' TO RETIRE FROM COMPETITION
A Japanese figure skating pair who won gold at this year's Winter Olympics say they'll retire from competition.
Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi also claimed the World Championship twice.
The pair, known as Ricudu, made the announcement on social media on Friday.
They thanked people who'd supported them since they started competing together in 2019.
Their winning performance at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games was their second attempt at Olympic gold.
They slumped to fifth place in the competition's short programme after an error on their signature lift, but they staged a dramatic comeback after free skating with an all-time high score. It was Japan's first Olympic gold in the pairs figure skating event.
The duo said they feel fulfilled and have no regrets as they end their competitive careers.
They added they'll continue their efforts to promote pairs figure skating in Japan.
BUSINESS
Now for more business stories, here's Ramin Mellegard.
00:08:26 話者 7/Ramin Mellegard
Thank you very much indeed.
NIKKEI 225 RETREATS FROM ALL-TIME HIGH
Now, Tokyo's benchmark stock index retreated on Friday from the record high closing the day before as investors took their profits.
The Nikkei 225 ended its three-day winning streak at 58,475, down 1.7 percent.
Traders offloaded shares in semiconductor companies and related businesses.
Analysts say some locked in profits as the index approached the psychological milestone of the 60,000 mark. The Nikkei closed above 59,000 for the first time on Thursday.
The benchmark had fallen significantly in March, as the United States and Israel started attacking Iran. But the trend turned upward at the beginning of April.
LUFTHANSA GROUNDS SOME AIRCRAFT AMID SURGING FUEL COSTS
German airline Lufthansa Group says it will ground 27 passenger planes of its regional subsidiary amid soaring fuel costs due to the Iran conflict.
The company announced on Thursday it will remove all 27 aircraft of Lufthansa City Line from operations starting on Saturday.
It cited fuel costs that have more than doubled, as well as labor disputes.
Lufthansa said that will be followed by a reduction of six planes on intercontinental routes and five on short- and medium-haul ones to accelerate a planned group consolidation.
Concern is mounting in the aviation industry about the energy crisis triggered by the conflict in the Middle East.
On April 9, Airports Council International Europe warned of a systemic jet fuel shortage in the European Union if the Strait of Hormuz did not reopen to shipping within three weeks.
TOTO TO GRADUALLY RESUME PREFAB BATH ORDERS
In another example of the impact of oil supply disruptions here in Japan, Toto says it was forced on Monday to stop taking orders for prefabricated bathrooms.
But the company plans to gradually resume orders starting next week.
Prefab baths are one of its core products.
Toto says it halted orders because it couldn't secure enough adhesives and other petroleum-based materials.
The company says the situation in Iran is still disrupting supply chains, but it says the Japanese government is working to ease bottlenecks, so it decided to restart orders.
Toto says it doesn't know when it can return to previous order volumes, but it says it will do everything it can to secure stable supplies.
BIZ PICKS
Next, NHK World's Gene Otani is here with BizPix.
00:11:27 話者 8/Gene Otani
Here's a look at the key business and economic stories in the week ahead.
On Tuesday, the US Commerce Department will release its retail sales data for March.
On Wednesday, Turkey's central bank will announce its latest policy rate decision.
The bank left its benchmark interest rate at 37% in the March meeting.
Inflation that month was still high. It stood above 30% from a year earlier.
ANALYSIS: OIL PRICE CRISIS COULD DRIVE JAPAN INFLATION
And on Friday, Japan's Internal Affairs Ministry will announce the Consumer Price Index for March. The CPI, excluding fresh food, was up 1.6% in February from a year earlier.
Inflation slowed for a third consecutive month.
Senior economist at Mizuho Research Institute Tsuiki Saori expects consumer prices to rise to nearly 2% in March.
She points to higher global crude oil prices amid turmoil in the Middle East.
00:12:28 話者 9/Tsuiki Saori
Since March 17, the government has been trying to help reduce retail gasoline prices through the use of subsidies. As a result, gas prices were lowered in about two weeks.
But in mid-March, when the CPI survey was conducted, pump prices were still high.
00:12:47 話者 8
More than 90 percent of Japan's crude oil imports come from the Middle East.
The government says it will release oil reserves again in May.
It wants to keep supplies stable.
00:13:03 話者 9
Compared with other Asian countries, Japan has an ample amount of petroleum stockpiles, so I think there is still time before they run out.
Meanwhile, the procurement of crude oil and petroleum products, such as naphtha, has been on the decline, affecting a wide range of chemical derivatives, as well as materials and processed goods.
Coupled with difficulties connected to procuring related materials, the rise in the price of crude oil and other items can impact consumer prices with a time lag.
00:13:37 話者 8
Tsuiki estimates that crude at around $90 a barrel could lift the CPI by 0.2 percentage points in six months. She says it could add 0.4 points over a year.
Tsuiki points out that concern about rising prices is already hurting consumer sentiment.
She says businesses may feel the same pressure.
00:14:01 話者 9
A rise in crude prices alone will push down corporate performance as well.
For example, if they stay at the $100 per barrel level, the value created by businesses will be pushed down by about one percent.
There is also concern that this could adversely affect corporate performance.
00:14:30 話者 8
Tsuiki says Inflationary pressure will come from supply constraints.
She stresses that the government needs to continue working on securing alternative sources in a timely manner.
It also needs to work closely with businesses.
I'm Gene Otani, and that's this week's Biz Picks.
00:14:49 話者 7
Great stuff.
MARKETS
Okay, let's get a check on the markets.
♪
And that is it for Business News. I'm going to hand it back to you.
00:15:22 話者 1
Thanks, Ramin.
MASTER AND APPRENTICE: AN UNBREAKABLE AIKIDO BOND
Up next, the story of a 30-year friendship built on a martial art.
NHK World's Endo Yuka tells us about an American man who returned to the Japanese town where he met his master to carry on his legacy.
00:15:45 話者 10/Endo Yuka
Daniel Schmitt has come to Ishinomaki City for one reason: to retrieve a memento.
Daniel first came to the city in 1997 as an assistant English teacher.
In a bid to better understand Japanese culture, he became curious about martial arts.
He quickly fell in love with aikido, which focuses on self-improvement.
00:16:11 話者 13/Daniel Schmitt
We started with a bow, which is manners to express respect. That was the first lesson.
00:16:24 話者 10
That's how he met Sakai Masayuki, a master living in Ishinomaki.
He started teaching Daniel the basics of aikido.
But they didn't speak each other's language, and relied on an electronic dictionary to communicate.
（Japanese）
With time, Daniel learned not only the Japanese language, but also the culture and way of life.
After moving back to the US, he also started teaching aikido.
He felt it was his responsibility to pass Sakai's lessons on to his peers.
But the two never lost touch. They even introduced their families to each other.
In 2011, Daniel considered moving back to Japan and decided to visit.
But then...disaster struck. Three days before Daniel's flight,
The Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami rocked Japan's northeast.
Ishinomaki was among the hardest hit.
00:17:41 話者 13
I looked with horror and just astonished that such a thing could happen.
00:17:48 話者 10
Daniel organized a fundraiser and brought the donations later that year.
He's come several times since, visiting both Sakai and the town he once called home.
He's watched Ishinomaki rebuild itself after the tragedy.
Though this time, he's here for a different reason. Sakai passed away in 2023.
His widow says he left one last thing for his star pupil.
It's Sakai's Aikido uniform. Chieko says she's been waiting years to give it to him.
She says she thinks Daniel's dedication to Aikido earned him Sakai's trust.
00:18:54 話者 15/Sakai Chieko
Please keep it with you. He seemed to have trusted you the most. So keep it close.
(Japanese)
00:19:22 話者 10
Daniel says he plans to display the uniform in his dojo.
Even if his master is gone, He sees Sakai's Aikido spirit in the people of Ishinomaki.
00:19:34 話者 13
I think that there's a strength in the human heart that will fight back to stand up again when knocked down and not to give up, to keep trying, to keep striving for something better, to keep on living.
00:19:55 話者 10
It's a lesson he hopes to impart to his own students.
In Sakai's memory, Endo Yuka, NHK World.
FOCUS ON CHINA
JAPANESE FIRMS IN CHINA TURN TOUGH TIMES INTO OPPORTUNITY
00:20:12 話者 1
Japanese firms in China have been facing a challenging situation as ties between the countries come under strain and the economy struggles.
We see how two companies have managed to adapt to the shifting landscape.
00:20:26 話者 9/Narrator: Yoshino Mika
A Japanese company runs this socks and innerwear shop.
It has more than 100 stores in China, including Shanghai.
00:20:37 話者 21
I want items that feel comfortable when I wear them.
Japanese brands also have cute designs.
00:20:45 話者 9
The firm started business in China 17 years ago. But it has cut the number of stores down to about half its peak due to the pandemic and the economic slowdown.
In February, the company's president checked on operations in China.
Despite the harsh environment, he's seeking a turnaround.
00:21:12 話者 6/Ueda Takaatsu/President, tutuanna
Even in a recession, people don't stop wearing underwear.
They're definitely going to buy some.
00:21:18 話者 9
It's aiming to double the number of stores in a few years by shifting its focus to inland regions, where populations are growing.
00:21:29 話者 6
First, we need to establish ourselves in key cities.
Once we have a solid foothold, expansion will follow.
00:21:38 話者 9
The population in Chengdu in Sichuan Province has been increasing for more than 20 years, and consumer spending remains strong. Company staff visit a store there.
They find that products are displayed differently from their instructions.
00:21:55 話者 22
We originally showed the items as directed, but they sold better when they were displayed like this.
00:22:04 話者 9
The company decided to adopt feedback from the field, flexibly responding to local needs to boost sales.
Through these measures, last year's sales rose 3 percent from the previous year.
00:22:20 話者 6
The Chinese economy will recover from the downturn.
That's why we must do what we can now.
Headwinds mean others stay away, and that's exactly when we need to move in.
00:22:33 話者 9
Another Japanese firm in China is weathering the harsh environment by seeking opportunities with state-owned enterprises.
This company sells machines that test the strength of plastics.
They can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Its products are widely used in China.
For firms aiming to meet global standards, high-quality Japanese testing equipment is seen as essential.
00:23:03 話者 23/Nakaseko Seigo/Chief Manager, Foreign Sales Dept., Yasuda Seiki Seisakusho
Talking to our clients, I think there is strong demand and we can compete effectively.
00:23:10 話者 9
The company believes that doing business with state-owned enterprises will help further boost credibility in sales.
One of their distributors requested a redesign of terminals based on client needs, some of which are state-owned firms.
The company responded flexibly and made the changes, demonstrating its meticulous service to gain a competitive edge.
Revenue recovered to pre-pandemic levels last year and are expected to grow further this year.
00:23:45 話者 23
It's important to steadily pursue every avenue and work with our distributors to get results.
00:23:53 話者 9
Japanese firms in China are turning tough times into opportunity, finding new ways to flourish as they wait for an economic turnaround.
♪
WEATHER
00:24:33 話者 1
Now it's time to check out the world weather. The season of scorching heat has begun in South Asia. Our meteorologist Yumi Hirano has the details.
00:24:42 話者 11/Yumi Hirano
New Delhi saw a high of over 40 degrees for the first time this year.
People in India have been experiencing scorching temperatures.
Intense heat pushed temperatures into the 40s in southern and western India on Thursday.
Many locals could be seen covering their faces and drinking cold water to beat the heat.
The weather department says the mark is expected to rise farther in the coming days, creating what feels like a heat wave.
People have an urge to avoid the outdoors during peak hours.
The heat will continue to intensify on Saturday.
The highs will be 41 in New Delhi and 42 in Varanasi. A heat watch is widely in effect across the country over the weekend, so please stay hydrated.
Moving to the Pacific, a powerful typhoon has brought heavy rain and gusty winds to the Mariana Islands this week.
The storm is moving away. However, it's a large system, so the impacts are still persisting.
People should watch out for strong winds and coastal flooding.
The typhoon is not hitting the Ogasawala Islands, but the high waves of up to six meters are possible. Western and eastern Japan may also see up to 4 meters on Saturday.
In the bigger picture across Asia, downpours are expected to ease in southern China.
Further north, high-pressure systems are expected to bring calm and dry conditions.
Sunny skies are likely in Tokyo with a high of 23.
The highs will be 27 in Seoul and 26 in Beijing, which are both much warmer than usual.
That's it for now. Have a nice weekend.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
00:27:35 話者 1
That wraps up this edition of NHK Newsline.
I'm Kanako Sachno in Tokyo. Thanks very much for joining us.
NHK World
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