Hello and welcome to this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Raja Pradhan with the news from Tokyo. The Vatican says Pope Francis has died at the age of 88. Francis was known for his modest lifestyle and approachable personality, but in recent years, his health had been a concern. With deep sorrow, I must announce the death of our Holy Father, Francis.
Francis was born in Argentina and became the first pope from Latin America when he was elected in 2013. During his papacy, he spoke out against widening inequality. He worked to support the poor and urged protection for refugees and migrants. He also called for action on climate change. Francis visited Japan in 2019, becoming the first pope to do so in 38 years. In Hiroshima, he called for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
El uso de la energía atómica con fines de guerra es hoy más que nunca un crimen. Nunca más la guerra, nunca más tanto sufrimiento. I will say peace with you. 94-year-old atomic bomb survivor Kazimoto Yoshiko spoke with the Pope. He was very warm like a father. I remember clearly that he said people cannot call for peace while possessing nuclear weapons. I intend to pass on his message for as long as I can do so.
Renzo de Luca served as an interpreter for the Pope when he visited Nagasaki. Renzo is also from Argentina. Pope Francis had a big heart and accepted people's strengths and weaknesses. He was a pope who was unique and unprecedented. The Pope urged for peaceful resolutions to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. He was hospitalized several times, and from February, he received treatment for bronchitis for about a month.
The Vatican says Francis died a little after 7.30 a.m. Monday local time. The cause of death has not been announced. He appeared briefly just the day before for Easter Sunday. Now, Japan has about 440,000 Catholics. Earlier, NHK World's Kitai Genki went to St. Mary's Cathedral in Tokyo to see how some of them are processing this news. This is all extremely fresh.
The news broke suddenly as people were finishing up their work day. But I've met a few people coming here in hours since to pay their respects. I've seen several silently praying. One woman I spoke with says his death was somewhat expected, but it's still a shock. She comes here often for Mass and decided to come tonight to pray for Francis. She described him as a beacon of hope, someone who supported her during difficult times.
And she says, despite the sadness, she's also trying to keep up her spirits as she thinks that's what Francis would have wanted. Francis came here to this very church as part of his trip to Japan six years ago. He spoke with a group of young people about how to stop issues like bullying and discrimination. He told them it's necessary that they speak out when they see something wrong. Despite his death, it's clear from speaking with people here that his spirit lives on in many hearts.
U.S. President Donald Trump has dredged up a debunked claim about Japanese auto regulators. He said they test the body strength of foreign vehicles with a bowling ball. In a social media post Sunday, Trump listed eight types of what he called non-tariff cheating by U.S. trading partners. He said Japan's bowling ball test is an example of protective technical standards.
Trump also made the claim during his first term. He alleged a bowling ball is dropped on the hood of a car from a height of 20 feet, about 6 meters, in a Japanese test of foreign vehicles. He insisted if the hood dents a little bit, the car does not qualify. The White House press secretary at that time said Trump was obviously joking. Still, a U.S. fact-checking organization investigated the claim and concluded it was false.
Japan's transport ministry says the country has no national safety standards test for vehicles using a bowling ball. There is a test that involves a spherical device resembling a human head. Officials say the device hits the hood from a distance of about two meters, not six.
The test checks whether the car is designed to protect the safety of pedestrians. Ministry officials say the test checks how the hood absorbs the impact of a person's head in an accident. They say dents are not criteria for qualification. The safety standards are the same as those adopted by the European Union, South Korea, and other countries.
Next, supermarkets across Japan have been hiking the cost of rice for 15 straight weeks. That's despite government efforts to stabilize prices by releasing national stockpiles. The Agriculture Ministry says the average price for a 5-kilogram bag of rice was 4,217 yen, roughly $30, for the week through April 13th. That's based on a survey of about 1,000 supermarkets nationwide. The price was up a tenth of a percent from the previous week and more than double from the year before.
The government sold more than 140,000 tons of national stockpiles in its first auction in March. But only 0.3% of that grain had hit store shelves by the end of the month. It's unlikely that the rice prices will continue to rise further. They will remain high for a while but the upward trend will probably come to an end from now on. Orikasa points to ministry figures showing wholesale prices in March went down from the previous month.
He forecasts the average retail price will drop to around 3,500 yen per 5 kilograms. That's about $25. The government plans to continue releasing national stockpiles every month until the summer to try to relieve the situation. Now to what's making headlines in other parts of the Asia-Pacific with Rosalind Devavalia at our bureau in Bangkok. The Philippines and the United States have kicked off an annual joint military exercise.
The U.S. military is set to deploy a cutting edge weapon system as part of the drill. It comes as tensions between Manila and Beijing ratchet up over their competing claims in the South China Sea and China's aggressive actions around Taiwan. May this exercise embody unity in strength and herald a promise of peace through preparedness. A total of over 14,000 troops
from the two countries are taking part in the 19-day exercise called balikatan or shoulder-to-shoulder in Filipino. Both forces will conduct live-fire defense training simulating missile attacks along the Philippine coast facing the South China Sea. They'll also carry out amphibious landing exercises on northern coastal areas and outlying islands near Taiwan to strengthen joint operational coordination.
The U.S. side will deploy the Nemesis anti-ship missile system and unmanned surface vessels to the Philippines for the first time as part of joint training. The missile has a range of over 180 kilometers and is mounted on an unmanned car. The 40th edition of the exercise comes as the Trump administration steps up its efforts to deter China.
On his visit to the Philippines last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that the Indo-Pacific faces increasing pressure from China and pledged to establish necessary deterrence. A senior UN official in Myanmar is calling for urgent medical support for people affected by last month's powerful earthquake in the country.
Teton Mitra heads the UN Development Program in Myanmar. He told NHK the situation in Zagayan region near the epicenter remains dire. Mitra said at least 80 percent of buildings there are heavily damaged. And a lot of businesses have also been disrupted because of the earthquake. Transport links are very, very problematic. In some cases, the fissures in the road are so deep they could actually swallow cars.
With many people in Kwekit, central Myanmar, still living in temporary shelters, car parks or even on road sites, Mitra said medical help is urgently needed. He said lack of safe water, dust from rubble and emotional distress are damaging people's health. Making things worse, Myanmar's medical system has weakened since the military coup four years ago. The civil disobedience movement has been in effect for many years where
qualified doctors, nurses have all chosen to leave the public system. We have an extremely fragile health system. Mitra appealed to the international community to quickly provide medical aid. Indonesia wants to improve its food self-sufficiency as global conflicts create instability. But small farmers find it difficult to expand production. A Japanese businessman has turned to tech to connect farmers with investors.
Ishihara Ryo has been visiting farms around Indonesia for the past three years. He has met many farmers who want to expand but can't secure the necessary funding. It's nearly impossible for individual farmers to get a loan. If they can, it is through an official financial services. That means trying to farm while paying back very high interest.
An estimated one-third of adults don't have a bank account, and many people have never had any dealings with a bank. Financial institutions are reluctant to approve loans to farmers saying that they don't have a good understanding of the production methods or profits. Ishihara led efforts to create a solution involving QR codes. A farmer scans the code, then enters the amount of water and fertilizer used that day. Voters are taking to show the progress of crime.
Everything is paired with GPS data. The data is set to a management company. Investors can see the profit potential and provide funds to the company, which then buys seedlings, pesticides, and fertilizers for farmers. Farmers are able to prove what they do to people outside the agriculture industry. And that builds trust. We were able to get financial players involved who were previously out of reach.
Potato farmer Inang Jauhari received funding under a trial of the system. He was able to expand his land. He could also buy a water pump. Enang says his harvest has increased by 40%, achieving a 15% profit. We need money to farm. So farmers are happy if they get some funding. I want to further expand my farmland. Indonesia has a lot of potential. And there's a lot that Japanese companies can do here in the future. I'd like to see more people work together to develop the agricultural industry.
The project is part of new efforts to create stable agricultural management in Indonesia. And the initiative is attracting attention to help boost the country's food self-sufficiency. And that wraps up our bulletin. I'm Rosalinda Bovalia in Bangkok. Turning to the Middle East, where nearly 2,000 people in Gaza have been killed by Israeli strikes since its military resumed large-scale operations last month.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing protests from his own citizens, including those in the military. Negotiations between Israel and Hamas to extend a six-week ceasefire deal have stalled after an agreement broke down last month. Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire in return for the release of all remaining hostages. Israel says it agrees only to a temporary pause in fighting.
If we surrender to Hamas' dictates now, all of the great achievements that we have made thanks to our fighters, thanks to our fallen and wounded heroes, all of these achievements will simply have been for naught. Israeli demonstrators took to the streets again over the weekend.
They say their country's military operations in Gaza are endangering the people still held by Hamas. An opinion poll published by an Israeli media outlet last month 70% of Israelis support ending the war if it led the remaining hostages to be free. We have still 59 hostages in Gaza, dead and live. Many of them died because of the pressure, the military pressure. The military pressure is killing them. Opposition to continuing the war is also rising in the military.
Groups of reservists with the Air Force and the Military Intelligence Unit released letters urging the government to stop fighting and instead negotiate for release of the hostages. In response, Netanyahu said statements that weaken the military and strengthen the enemy in wartime are unforgivable. A growing number of reservists are refusing to show up for duty. Yuval Ben Ari has served three terms of duty and taken part in several operations, including those in Gaza.
I was doing something which is for the sake of the people of my country. But he's decided not to respond to any more call-up orders. He now thinks resuming the attacks on the Enclave will not lead to the release of the hostages. The war is not for defending Israel. It's something completely different. I think that precious time and precious life are being lost at the moment.
The military has about half a million reservists or nearly three times the number of standing forces. They've played a major role. But media reports say since the Israeli military resumed its offensive, some units have seen a 30% drop in the number of reservists reporting for duty. Some are struggling to secure enough personnel.
In Gaza, the humanitarian situation is only getting worse as Israel blocks aid deliveries into the Strip. Checkpoints have been closed and there's no food or water. I haven't had vegetables for a year and a half. More than 1,800 people have been killed since Israeli forces resumed their attacks in mid-March and 400,000 are estimated to have been displaced. And for a closer look at the situation, Yamasawa Dina earlier spoke to NHK World's Tamura Yusuke in Jerusalem.
Yusuke, what is your take on the major shift in public opinion? Yes, one major factor is the prolonged nature of the military operation. Over a year and a half of fighting, many reservists have been repeatedly called up for duty. Local media say it is not uncommon for those reservists to have served a total of 150 days. This has had a significant economic impact. Service shows that 75% of reservists experienced a decrease in income, and as many as 40% lost their jobs.
There's also growing concern that the remaining 59 hostages may never be released. Since hostages were freed during the ceasefire started in January, more people are now voicing that hostage release should take priority over the complete destruction of Hamas, at least in the short term. So Yusuke, how is this shift in public opinion affecting the response from the government and the military?
An expert said the objections from the Elizabeths such as those letters are unprecedented in the country's military. He says that's because there's growing public concern over continuing the fighting without a clear exit plan. And he's also pointing to potential impact on military operations.
Since Israel resumed its offensive last month, the military have conducted intensive airstrikes, but one expert says due to manpower shortages, ground operations have become limited compared to earlier phases. Despite this, Prime Minister Netanyahu has doubled down on his stance, saying attacks would continue to pressure Hamas into making concessions during ceasefire talk.
Hamas continues to insist on a permanent ceasefire and has rejected Israel's proposals. There is no prospect in sight for reaching another ceasefire deal. NHK was Tamura Yusuke in Jerusalem. Thank you. Next, we take you to Japan's northeastern prefecture of Aomori. There's a place known as a toy hospital where broken items get repaired.
Doctors here are all volunteers, and one of them is a 10-year-old boy who says he finds a sense of accomplishment in fixing things. NHK World's Sasa Ayako has more. Volunteers work diligently. This service is offered once a month at a public hall. Ten-year-old Sukekawa Mitsuki has been working as a toy doctor since last year. He was drawn into the work after bringing his own model airplane in for repair. I thought it was cool how they accept and fix all kinds of toys from anyone.
Today, Sukekawa's patient is an alarm clock to fix. The timepiece has been in the client's family for about 30 years. He tries to disassemble the clock. But the screwdriver he uses doesn't seem like the right tool for the job. The hospital chief is there to suggest a different one. おーやったー Skeikawa fixes a loose wire connecting to the clock's battery. With the chief's help, he checks if there are other problems. The work needs more time. Sukekawa will take the clock home to continue.
At home, he disassembles the clock again to see what is wrong with it. His mother cares about her son's progress. I was actually surprised to hear that my son repairs things by himself. While I worry whether he can properly fix them, I also want him to experience the sense of achievement when he succeeds. This time, he can't finish the job on his own. However, he has already repaired more than 10 toys, including remote-controlled cars and motorized stuffed animals.
I can already easily fix bigger things, but within a month, I want to be able to fix smaller things like alarm clocks. I hope to become a toy doctor who can fix things right away without having to take them home. Aikawa's goal is to make people happy by helping them be able to use their precious toys for as long as possible.Sasa Ayako NHK World
In weather, people in parts of the U.S. dealt with a stormy weekend, and it seems they'll be contending with more severe conditions going into Tuesday. Our meteorologist Jonathan O explains the outlook in our World Weather Report. Hello, as we went through the weekend, we had a bit of a system that extended from the Great Lakes down toward the Deep South and a cold front.
that was pushing through the region led to some strong to severe thunderstorms that led to some flooding, some tornado concerns that popped into place like Oklahoma into Arkansas. And as we go through Monday, it looks like that frontal boundary will still be an area of concern when it comes to some thunderstorms. Some of them may be strong, but not nearly as widespread as what we saw on Sunday.
But as we go into Tuesday, we have another system coming out of the Rockies. And as that's Tucson through, the same general area of the southern plains with the look of the possibility of strong to even severe thunderstorms. so you want to be on the lookout for that especially latter part of tuesday heading into wednesday as this
system moves on through. And ahead of that, with that low up toward the Great Lakes, more rain and even thunderstorms associated with that. Chicago looking at showers with a high of 13 on Tuesday, 11 in Winnipeg. Rain back toward Denver with a high of 22 and thunderstorms down toward Houston with a high of 28. Meanwhile, in Japan, it's been, well, feeling like summer. It's been dry and temperatures have been in the mid-20s. And it looks like that we're going to be seeing that for
One more day this week before we see a couple of systems coming out of China and crossing over even the Korean Peninsula, a couple of lows. And as that pushes toward the east, western areas of Japan will also pick up on the rainfall as we go. into Tuesday. And then by Wednesday, the rest of Japan gets in on the action while areas back toward the west rise up. So Beijing looking at a high of 24 with sunny skies, but rain to Seoul with a high of 18, 23 partly cloudy skies in Tokyo.
In Europe, we have this low that's trying to spin through the central portions of the continent that will move toward the north and east, and that's going to help bring some showers into places like Stockholm, Warsaw, and Moscow as we go through Tuesday, and behind a bit drier into Paris and London with a high of 18. Hope you have a good day wherever you are.
That concludes this edition of NHK Newsline. I'm Rajapada, and in Tokyo, there's much more to come on NHK World Japan, so please, do stay tuned.