Hello, welcome back to NHK Newsline. I'm Maria Sato in Tokyo.
Train Derailment Memorial Marks 21 Years
Saturday marks 21 years since more than 100 people died in a passenger train derailment in western Japan.
Families of the victims and officials of the railway operator offered prayers at the site of the tragedy.
A train slowed down as it neared the site at around 9:18 a.m., the exact time of the tragedy. Some passengers on the train were seen praying for the victims.
The accident occurred on April 25, 2005, in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture.
A train jumped the tracks at a curve on the Jr. Fukuchim Yama line and smashed into an apartment building beside the tracks.
The accident left 107 people dead and 562 others injured.
Some survivors are still suffering after-effects.
The ceremony started shortly before 10 a.m. at a memorial facility at the site.
Bereaved families, survivors, and railway officials attended.
00:01:20 話者 2/Kurasaka Shoj/President, West Japan Railway Company
We can only offer our deepest apologies for having caused an irreversible and grave accident. We are truly and profoundly sorry.
00:01:40 (Maria Sato)
Maintaining the memory and lessons of the accident is a challenge as more than 70% of the firm's employees joined later and the bereaved families are aging.
Wildfires Intensify in Iwate Prefecture
Two wildfires are tearing through a community in northeastern Japan, and local authorities are now receiving help from elsewhere.
The fires broke out on Wednesday in Otsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture.
One started in a mountainous area, and the other about 10 kilometers southeast.
Town officials believe the fires may span at least 1,100 hectares based on aerial analysis.
Images confirmed that about 730 hectares had been scorched as of Friday.
Eight buildings have burned, including one house. Nobody failed to escape.
Firefighters are working around the clock.
Water is also being dumped from the air during daylight hours.
Authorities have told more than 3,200 residents to evacuate.
They have also set up five shelters. Another has opened in a neighboring city.
One expert who visited the town pointed to the conditions and landscape.
00:03:00 話者 3/Touge Yoshiya/Associate Professor, Chiba University
Everything for a fire to easily occur is here, such as a dry climate, strong winds, flammable materials and steep slopes in the mountains.
00:03:12 (Maria Sato)
Local officials say about 1,000 firefighters will be deployed, including from other prefectures.
US–Iran Talks Expected to Resume
Negotiators from the US and Iran may be getting ready for a fresh round of talks.
The White House has confirmed it's sending a delegation back to Pakistan, and Iran's foreign minister is already in Islamabad.
Press Secretary Caroline Levitt gave the update.
She says the US side will include Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. They're set to travel on Saturday.
00:03:51 話者 4/Karoline Leavitt/White House Press Secretary
We've certainly seen some progress from the Iranian side in the last couple of days.
Again, the President has made the decision to send Steve and Jared to hear the Iranians out, and so we'll see what they have to say this weekend.
00:04:06 (Maria Sato)
She says the meeting will be held at Tehran's request, and she says Vice President J.D.
Vance will not be attending, but will be on standby.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araji said he will be visiting Pakistan, Oman and Russia.
He said the trip is aimed at discussing bilateral issues and regional developments.
Mediators from Pakistan have been assisting the talks.
Officials there say Araji and his team arrived on Friday.
Sources say US security personnel are already on the ground.
But Iran's Tasim news agency says no negotiations are planned.
It says Arachi's trip is intended for talks with Pakistani officials.
Clashes Continue in Lebanon Despite Ceasefire
Fighting continues in Lebanon between the Israeli military and the Iran-backed Shia Muslim group Hezbollah, despite a three-week ceasefire extension agreed by the two countries.
The Israeli military said on Friday that it struck Hezbollah military facilities.
It claims they were used to launch rockets toward northern Israel, violating the ceasefire.
Israel also announced it had killed six Hezbollah members.
Israel says its forces continue to operate in southern Lebanon to form a buffer to protect the residents of northern Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement on Friday that his country has begun a process to achieve a historic peace with Lebanon, but he accused Hezbollah of trying to sabotage it.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced that it attacked an Israeli military vehicle deployed in southern Lebanon.
NASDAQ & S&P 500 Hit Record Highs
Major stock indices in New York have hit all-time highs.
This came as optimism for strong performance boosted semiconductor-related shares on the back of competition in A.I. development.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq finished at 24,836, while the S&P 500 also closed at a record high on Friday.
Investors turned to risk-taking on expectations for renewed peace talks between the United States and Iran.
The surge was in part propelled by chipmaker Intel, whose shares soared 27 percent at one point, riding on its upbeat sales forecast.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice announced it has ended an investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Our market source says this move helped boost investors' sense of security and expectations for an interest rate cut under the next Fed chief.
Russia Vows Retaliation Against New EU Sanctions
Russia has vowed to retaliate against a fresh round of European Union sanctions targeting financial institutions and energy.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russia is experienced at minimizing the effects of such measures.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the EU restrictions will be met with a tough response in accordance with Moscow's interests.
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine announced Friday that they have exchanged 193 prisoners each. Some were seen draping themselves in their national flags.
Milano Cortina 2026 Athletes Parade in Tokyo
Japanese athletes who competed in the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have held a parade in central Tokyo to thank the public for their support.
00:07:52 話者 11
I'd like to say a few words to them to show my appreciation.
00:07:57 話者 12
I can't wait to see that athlete and thank them.
00:08:02 (Maria Sato)
Over 110 athletes took part in the parade on Saturday.
This is the first event of its kind featuring Japanese athletes who competed in a Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
The athletes marched along a 700-meter parade route, cheered by an estimated 50,000 spectators.
Among the athletes were figure skating pair gold medalists, Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi, who announced their retirement from competition earlier this month.
The crowd roared in delight when the pair demonstrated their signature lift.
00:08:39 話者 13/Miura Riku/Figure Skating Gold Medalist in Pair Skating
We did our signature lift today because we thought it might please our fans.
I hope they liked it.
00:08:49 (Maria Sato)
Other athletes include Murase Kokomo, who won two medals, including gold, in the women's snowboard big air event, and Muraoka Momoka, who took two silver medals in women's Paralympic alpine ski events.
Indeed, a day of athletic spirit.
Those were the headlines for this hour.
♫～ 3-DAY FORECAST ～♫
And that's the latest we have for you at this hour on NHK Newsline.
I'm Maria Sato in Tokyo. Thank you for joining.
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