It's a Monday afternoon here in Japan. I'm James Tengon in Tokyo. Welcome to NHK Newsline. Search teams in Myanmar are racing against time to rescue any trapped survivors after a devastating earthquake. At least 1,700 people have already been confirmed dead, and the chance of survival for anyone still buried under the rubble is dropping fast.
The magnitude 7.7 quake struck central Myanmar around midday Friday near the country's second largest city, Mandalay. Around 3,400 people have been injured. Rescue work has been hampered by the threat of aftershocks, including a tremor of more than magnitude 5 that struck on Sunday. Myanmar's capital, Nepido, was also badly hit.
A shopping center was severely damaged and at least two employees inside were killed. I left everything behind and ran away from the building. Some people were rescued from the rubble. But others are still inside. Myanmar's political situation is complicating relief efforts. The country has been controlled by the military since a coup in 2021.
The quake has caused extensive damage in places where troops have been waging ongoing battles against pro-democracy forces. Some of those forces have promised to pause fighting for two weeks and cooperate with international support groups allowing aid to reach disaster hit areas. Neighboring Thailand is also dealing with the aftermath of Friday's quake.
In Bangkok, crews are still combing through the remains of a high-rise under construction that collapsed from the tremors. Local authorities say at least 11 people are dead and more than 70 are missing. The tower was being built as a joint venture involving a Thai construction company and a Chinese state-run firm. Thailand has promised a probe into whether design problems caused the structure to give way.
A Japanese seismic researcher provided NHK with his insight into Friday's devastating quake. Doshisha University professor Tsutsumi Hiroyuki is an expert on active faults. He says the quake occurred when a roughly 200-kilometer stretch of the Zagain Fault moved sideways. That fault was formed as the Indo-Australian plate pushed toward the Himalayas.
Tsumi points out that it extends about 1,500 kilometers, making it one of the world's longest faults. He estimates quakes have occurred across all of its sections at intervals of 100 to 200 years. Based on past underground surveys he's conducted in the field. I think an area about 200 kilometers in size along the Zagarin Fault was destroyed. The last time the southern region around Manoli experienced a major quake was in 1839.
That means there was a so-called seismic gap. Tsutsumi says people in the region should remain alert for the time being because Friday's quake could cause more seismic activity. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if it does not make a deal on its nuclear weapons program.
Trump made the comment in a phone interview with NBC News on Sunday. He said if Tehran does not reach an agreement with the U.S., there will be, in his words, bombing the likes of which they have never seen before. Trump said U.S. and Iranian officials are talking, but his comment appears aimed at stepping up pressure on Tehran to negotiate. Iran's president said the same day that his country had responded to a letter from Trump
which calls for talks on the nuclear program. Masoud Pazeshkian said, Iran rejects the idea of direct negotiations, but stressed that the path for indirect talks remains open. Tehran signed a nuclear agreement with a group of world powers in 2015. It agreed to restrict its nuclear program in exchange for a lifting of international sanctions. The Iranian side has strong distrust toward the U.S. administration as Trump unilaterally pulled out of the agreement in 2018 in his first term.
Trump also talked about the war in Ukraine. He said if he decides Moscow is preventing a ceasefire, he would impose secondary tariffs on countries buying Russian oil. Trump said he was angry after Russian President Vladimir Putin last week questioned the credibility of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's leadership. Putin called Zelensky an illegitimate president whose term expired last year.
Trump says the secondary tariffs would range from 25 to 50 percent and would come within a month. They would cut into a major source of income for Russia. But he added his anger would dissipate quickly if Putin does the right thing. He said he would speak to the Russian president this week. The White House announced last week the U.S. had agreed with Russia and Ukraine to ensure safe navigation and eliminate the use of force in the Black Sea.
But Moscow says some sanctions against it must be removed for the agreement to take effect. The Washington Post has published details from a secret internal memo issued to senior officials at the Pentagon. It reportedly outlines U.S. plans to pressure allies, including Japan, into raising defense spending. It also describes China as America's primary challenger.
The paper says the Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance Memo was distributed in mid-March and signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In it, Hegseth reportedly says the U.S. military is being reoriented to prioritize deterring Beijing from seizing Taiwan. According to the Post, the document also says the Pentagon's contingency plans for war with the major power will now focus solely on a potential conflict with China.
The U.S. will also apparently push its allies in Europe, the Middle East and East Asia to spend more on their militaries to deter Russia, North Korea and Iran. The Trump administration has already suggested European countries should play a larger role in defending against Moscow and supporting Ukraine. It also wants Taiwan to increase its defense spending and to work with allies like Japan to keep China.
Japan's defense ministry is pushing ahead with the deployment of surface-to-ship missile units. A new unit was set up in Oita Prefecture on Sunday. Long-range missiles are also expected to be deployed at the units as part of Japan's counter-strike capability. The 8th Surface-to-Ship Missile Regiment has been newly activated at the ground self-defense forces. Camp Yufuin in Oita Prefecture. All of the surface-to-ship missile regiments under the ministry's plan are now in place.
The deployment of the 8th Surface-to-Ship Missile Regiment will further strengthen defense readiness in southwestern Japan and enhance deterrence and response capabilities. Sources at the Defense Ministry say discussions are underway to deploy upgraded surface-to-ship missiles at the units. The missiles will have a range of less than 200 kilometers to roughly 1,000 kilometers.
Officials are considering using them for possible counter-strikes against enemy bases in the events of a contingency. This image simulates the missiles being deployed in Okinawa Prefecture. China's coastal areas will fall within their range. When the missiles are deployed in Oita and Kumamoto prefectures, their range will cover almost all of North Korea in addition to China's coastal areas.
But some people living near Camp Yufuin are worried. A citizens' group is protesting the deployment of long-range missiles, saying their local community could come under threat. We could become targets ourselves when these missiles are deployed. We don't want them here. A security expert says the government should thoroughly explain the reasons for the deployment to gain the understanding of local residents.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to ratchet up pressure on Hamas to secure greater concessions from the Islamic group amid ongoing efforts to resume a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu said on Sunday the security cabinet had decided to increase the pressure to further pound Hamas and create optimal conditions for securing release of the remaining hostages.
He also stressed Hamas must be disarmed and its leaders removed from the enclave if a permanent end to the fighting is to materialize as called for by the group. But it remains unclear whether Hamas will accept the conditions. The group appears unwilling to lay down its weapons. Hamas said on Saturday it had agreed to a proposal floated by two mediators, Egypt and Qatar.
The proposal reportedly contains releasing five hostages in exchange for reviving the first phase of the ceasefire for a certain period. The ceasefire expired on March 1st. Israel responded by saying it had submitted to the mediators a counterproposal formulated in coordination with the U.S. Now for some business stories. Here to crunch the numbers for us is Ramin Meligard.
Thank you very much indeed. Now, Tokyo's benchmark stock index plunged on Monday on concern the Trump administration's additional auto tariffs will harm the U.S. economy. The broad sell-off drove the benchmark Nikkei 225 down by more than 1,500 points, or 4% at one stage, in the biggest intraday decline this year. Now, the losses followed sharp drops by Wall Street indexes. on Friday on fears that inflation may accelerate in the United States.
Japanese investors are worried that additional levies on U.S. auto imports will cool private consumption when they take effect. Automakers and chip-related issues are leading the declines in Tokyo. Now, investors are also concerned about the impact on the global economy of reciprocal tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will impose later this week. Market sources say a sense of crisis is spreading as America's trading partners could take...
retaliatory measures themselves. And leading Japanese beef bowl chain, Sikya, has temporarily closed nearly all of its outlets after customers found their food had been contaminated by pests. Sikia says it's shutting about 1,900 eateries across the country, except for some in shopping malls, for four days from Monday. It's the first time that the firm has had to implement chain-wide closures at once.
The move comes after a customer complained on Friday of finding a part of a cockroach in a takeout item bought in Tokyo. Now, that followed another incident in January when a bowl of miso soup served at an outlet in Tottori. prefecture had a rat in it. Sikia says that it will take measures to identify the causes of pest infestations and prevent recurrences. Employees at one of its locations in Tokyo put up a sign on Monday morning notifying customers of the closure.
They were seen taking bowls and plates out from the kitchen in preparation for cleanup. I'm worried. because food safety has become a big social issue. I come to eat here all the time. I'm not sure four days is long enough for them to do what they said they will do and make any difference. Skia says those restaurants not included in the current closure will be shut at a later date to take similar measures.
And Japan logged record losses from the illicit use of credit cards last year, with many customers falling victim to phishing scams. card issuers are turning to AI to tackle the problem. The Japan Consumer Credit Association says the loss has reached 55.5 billion yen, or about $370 million. That's up $10 million from a year earlier, and the most since record-keeping began in 1996. Stolen car details were used in about 92% of the cases.
Thieves are increasingly using fake websites to trick cardholders into revealing their account information. Eon Financial Service reported $66 million in losses from credit card fraud in the year to March. Tens of thousands of Eon card users were hit by scammers who used stolen data to make fraudulent transactions. The Japan Credit Card Association and major credit card companies say they're taking action.
From April, they will use artificial intelligence to track the patterns of unlawful transactions and identify fake websites. The results will be reported to Internet service providers with requests to shut down the sites. Card issuers say they have already identified sites impersonating their own companies. Now they plan to expand the dragnet to fake e-commerce platforms and other websites.
And Japan's industrial production grew for the first time in four months in February, partly due to increased output of chip-making devices for export to Taiwan and China. The industry ministry says the industrial production index rose 2.5 percent from the month before. Nine of the 15 surveyed industries posted growth. The index for production machinery, including devices for making semiconductors. rose 8.2%.
Electronic parts and devices climbed 10.1 percent thanks to increased output of chips for smartphones and data centers. The industry ministry expects production to increase in March and April, but officials retained. their overall assessment that production is fluctuating indecisively. Officials say many companies are concerned about the new tariffs imposed by U.S. President Trump and the impact will need to be closely watched.
And the economy ministers of Japan, China and South Korea have agreed to further promote trade based on international rules. Their trilateral meeting in Seoul was the first of its kind in about five years. Japan's economy, trade and industry minister, Muto Yoji, noted the three countries are a driving force for the global economy, counting for about 25 percent of the world's GDP.
It's very important to maintain and strengthen the order of the rules-based global economy, as the international environment is rapidly changing and becoming increasingly... unstable. A joint statement says the ministers agreed to continue promoting multilateral free trade based on the rules of the World Trade Organization. It also says they agreed to speed up negotiations for a trilateral free trade agreement.
began talks on the matter in 2012. The ministers were also believed to have discussed the Trump administration's attempts to raise tariffs on many fronts. OK, let's get a check on the markets. And that is it for business news. We invite you to visit the NHK World Japan website for more information and news. Also, feel free to leave your thoughts and comments.
Against a backdrop of global tensions, countries that have signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons gathered in New York earlier this month, they reaffirmed their commitment to a nuclear-free world. Our next report highlights a special training program held in Hiroshima by the UN ahead of the meeting aimed at enhancing experts' nuclear negotiation skills.
Fifteen diplomats and government officials from the Asia-Pacific region are visiting Hiroshima for a workshop organized by the UN Institute for Training and Research. They start with a tour of the Peace Memorial Park. to deepen their understanding of the devastation caused by nuclear weapons. Randon John from the Marshall Islands has roots in Bikini Atoll.
where the U.S. conducted multiple atomic and hydrogen bomb tests. My goal is very simple, to bring peace and to make sure that no nuclear weapons... not now, not ever, not any time in the future destroy our lives. The group also hears the testimony of 87-year-old atomic bomb survivor Yahata Teruko. She was exposed to radiation 2.5 kilometers from the hypocenter when she was eight years old.
How much pain did they suffer? How much did they really want to continue living? They lost everything in a moment. The poignancy of her story resonates deeply with John. On the final day of the workshop in Hiroshima, trainers assign a challenging task to participants. The group is split into three teams. each representing a nuclear power, the United States, China and Russia. They then simulate negotiating an agreement to prevent war, reduce strategic risks and limit armaments.
As a member of the Chinese team, John debates the document's wording in preliminary talks. We propose to take this, the first one, because it is the most clear and straightforward in defense of the final message. However, the American team disagrees, a stance supported by the Russian team. The U.S. delegation would prefer that we keep the bracket to defend against attack by non-nuclear weapon states in association with a nuclear arm state.
Even during simulated negotiations, countries struggle to bridge their differences and eventually run out of time to reach a comprehensive agreement. The inability to issue a joint statement really highlighted the challenges faced in real life negotiation. I plan to apply the negotiation and collaboration skills I learned in the future project. They don't have the power compared to the big countries, but at least they can be a voice for those who want disarmament, which is also important.
What they learned in Hiroshima may not be easy to adapt immediately to real-life situations, but it's an important first step toward a world without nuclear weapons. America's National Cherry Blossom Festival is drawing crowds in Washington. The annual event celebrates friendly relations with Japan. The National Park Service declared on Friday that the trees were in full bloom. A park along the Potomac River is home to 3,800 Japanese cherry trees.
making it one of the most famous places for cherry blossom viewing in the country. The trees were gifted to the U.S. Capitol in 1912 by the then mayor of Tokyo. I think it was a nice gesture from Japan to be able to provide our country with such beauty. I just hope our countries can continue that bond together. Events featuring Japanese food and traditional culture are scheduled through April 13th. And on this side of the Pacific, cherry trees are in full bloom in the Kanto region.
However, people should expect cold and wet weather on Tuesday. Our meteorologist Yoko Komagata is here with the details. Hello. We are looking at full blooms in many parts of western and eastern Japan, including metro Tokyo. But today would be the better chance to go outside if you plan to go for chili blossom viewing.
Because of a low pressure system of the Pacific coast, showers will increase, especially in the Tokai and the Kanto regions as we go into Tuesday. At the same time, the low pressure system will usher in cold air from the north. may turn to snow, mainly in the higher elevations. Mountain regions may have up to 10 cm of snowfall.
Don't be surprised if you see sleet or snow in western Tokyo. Temperatures will drop to the single digits. Thanks to the cold weather, though, you'll continue to enjoy the sakura trees later in the week. In the US, severe weather conditions will be seen along this cold front sweeping across the...
Great Lakes region all the way down to the deep south. Some tornadoes and large hail have already been reported in parts of Illinois. The weather conditions will slowly push toward the east across the mid-Atlantic. possibly causing flash flooding. Another storm system coming from the Pacific Ocean will produce widespread wintry precipitation across the northern Rockies and the northern parts of California. Mountain regions may have up to 60. So avalanches will be the major concern.
Seattle and Vancouver will continue to have wet and chilly conditions on Monday. The cold weather will also push into Denver in the coming days, dropping temperatures to the single digits. In Europe, a low pressure system accompanied by upper cold air will produce unstable weather conditions across the Balkans. Unfortunately, more showers are likely in these locations, possibly causing further floods and landslides.
Meanwhile, a big high-pressure system will produce mild and dry weather in the west. London and Paris will have highs in the mid-teens with sunny skies. That's all for now. Have a nice day. Thank you. And with that, we end this hour's NHK Newsline. For all of us here on the show, I'm James Tingott in Tokyo. Thanks for watching.