welcome to this edition of "nhk newsline". i am in tokyo with the latest. we begin with north korea. south korea intelligence agencies as the north is prepared for a nuclear attack. they said they could conduct one at any time. the national intelligence service gave the assessment on thursday, at a closed door briefing to a parliamentary

intelligence committee. the north completed reparations at the test facility for its seventh nuclear test. it is a first since september 2017. u.s. national security advisor, jake sullivan, said that they could be poised to test a long- range missile, nuclear device, or both. it could come around joe biden's upcoming visit to south korea and japan. the five day trip will start on friday before going to tokyo. sullivan said the u.s. is preparing for all contingencies, including the possibility of a provocation while joe biden is in south korea or japan. the news agency said that south korean and u.s. authorities have learned that north korea is injecting fuel into an intercontinental ballistic missile. japan's air defense force carried out a drill on thursday to deploy interceptor missiles.

six large vehicles carry radar and mobile systems to intercept a ballistic missile if the destroyers failed to shoot them down. officials say they are conducting deployment drills across the country. >> south korea's new president has barely been in office for a week. he is facing his first big foreign policy test. he is due to be meeting with the president for pressing issues. the did ask an expert what we can expect at the summit. first, how we deal with north korea? north korea is heightening provocations from the latter part of last year. how to do with it? also, recently, there has been a widespread bit of covid-19 in north korea. the other agenda is how much

the two countries can cooperate on u.s. policies in the indo pacific region. this has been neglected for a long time, due to china. i think there are no other ways for south korea, but to be siding with the united states. i don't think it is possible for south korea to be balanced with the two with south korea, it is how much we do cooperate. china has repeatedly mentioned its redline, which is military issues. if korea wants to deploy this into south korean territory, there will be chinese economic

confusion again. this is something that south korea and the united states has to discuss more and determine the best pathways of policy toward china i think, inside north korea, for two or 3 years, north korea provided the foreign policy direion, to bevery hostile towards the united states, and be ready for any possible, preemptive nuclear usage. domestically, to struggle to solve this, north korean people are doing this themselves. maybe these directives can change in the pathways can change. if we want that to be changed, there should be some critical

junctures. the current covid-19 situation in north korea repeated situation. this is a big opportunity for south korea to deal with north korea. >> staying with north korea, the country reported 260,000 cases of fever, bringing the total number of suspected covid- 19 cases to nearly 2 million. the country is averaging several hundred thousand patients suffering from fever each day, since confirming the first coronavirus case last thursday. the newspaper wrote, confirming 63 deaths linked to the outbreak. health authorities say the hospital wards are being built across the country to isolate the sick. they are ramping up reduction of medical equipment to help contain it. with no vaccination program, north korea's health system is

ill-equipped to deal with covid- 19. they have not responded to offers of help from the united states or south korea. it is believed to have received some medical supplies from china. the u.s. health officials say coronavirus infections in some parts of the nation reached levels where wearing masks is encouraged. the indoor mask mandates have been listed in every state. the director of the cdc and prevention said 32% of the u.s. population is in an area with a medium or high level of covid- 19 community spread. the hospital inpatients are rising in some cities. the weekly average of daily new cases was around 99,000, as of tuesday. the actual figure could be higher, as people don't report the results of home testing. health authorities in new york city called for a return to indoor masking. the cities mayor is wary of re-

imposing a mandate. russia is poised to take full control of ukraine's southeastern port city of mariupol . ukraine says they are not giving up. the mission to defend the final stronghold ended this week, leading the way for the kremlin's biggest victory so far. >> fighters have been emerging from a devastated steel plant for days. russia has been counting as the soldiers surrender. officials say they are holding nearly 1000. the mayor of mariupol tells nhk they fought for nearly 80 days to slow the advance. >> [ speaking foreign language >> we ukrainians are determined to take back mariupol . our defense will turn into an

offense. in the end, we will prevail. i can tell you, i will return to the city. to make the fighting left many stranded, and in the dark, without enough food and water. the mere criticized russia for blocking aid to more than 100,000 people in the city. as the soldiers, ukraine says they want to swap listeners. russian lawmakers ha smissed the idea, describing soldiers as criminals. meanwhile, russia appears to be making efforts to present the regions under its control as something permanent. the russia state news agency said the deputy prime minister in charge of urban development has visited the city in the southeastern region. russia claims they seize control of the city. the deputy prime minister says russia plans to build and

repair roads that link russia and the territories under its control. he says that the future is to become part of russia, and the country is willing to do all it can to make that happen. the human rights watch is reporting apparent war crimes in ukraine. the group released a report on wednesday, based on research in the kyiv region. they confirmed 22 apparent summary executions , nine unlawful killings, six possible forced disappearances, and seven cases of torture. the group interviewed dozens, including a 66-year-old woman. she said she was home when russian soldiers dragged her son outside. she later found his body ne her home. he had been shot in the ear. a 47-year-old man said he was interrogated after being blindfolded and handcuffed. the group says it is increasingly clear that

ukrainian civilians in areas occupied by russian forces have endured terrible ordeals. they are calling for proper investigations and justice for the victims. the united nations chief says moscow needs to act now to address the issues caused by its fighting, started by releasing grain stuck at ukrainian ports. >> the russian invasion in ukraine is exasperating factors like covid-19, inequality, and others. it is sending people into food and security. > un chief says the prices for russian food and fertilizer shot up due to recent shortages. it left many poor countries teetering on the edge of catastrophe. they're working to resolve the issues with russia and ukraine and other nations. more than 40 countries attended a un meeting on the food crisis. russia was a no-show.

the united states is looking to get vital supplies out of ukraine and into the hands of people in need. they have promised to bring up the issue again on thursday, when the un security council meets. almost 1000 ukrainians have settled here in japan since russia invaded ukraine. some people are struggling to find work, especially in the professions they left behind. [ indiscernible ] met an evacuee who is having to compromise to pay her bills. >> these two arrived in japan last month. thtwo obstacle needed somewhere to live. they managed to get into a free apartment that the government offers to evacuees. >> [ speaking foreign language ] >> we wondered from place to place like my friends home and a hotel. we are finally feeling at home here and sleeping well.

is to make the next challenge is a daunting one. she needs to find a job. she had 20 years of experience as a hairstylist at a popular salon. her skills were in demand. she had many customers. she was even a trainer for new stylists. >> this is my favorite, and most important business tool. she brought her scissors to japan, hoping she could continue her career. there is a roadblock in the way. she is allowed to get a job as an evacuee. to be a hairdresser, she would need a japanese license. that will cost money, and take at least 2 years. she is discouraged. >> [ speaking foreign language ] >> i do understand and respect

the regulations in japan. i wish there was a system that would allow me to work here as a hairdresser. i don't have the time, the money to go to school. >> money is becoming the biggest issue for the family. after leaving the turmoil, their savings of almost run out. >> her husband is still in ukrae. he lost his job. she now has to widen her search. >> i need money, so i will do any job. of 20 years of experience as a hairdresser, and i don't want to lose my skills. i hope i can continue somehow. to make the local government is helping with the job hunt. she hopes it will be enough to pay the bills, and letters send money to her husband back home. reporting for nhk world .

deliver ministries tokyo bureau is offering consultation services to have people find jobs. this has been set up at the tokyo employment services for foreigners. the staff, including ukrainian language interpreters will support evacuees to overcome barriers and seek employment. >> evacuees have financial concerns upon arriving in japan. the facility will give them the tools they need providing consultation, making introductions, as they can find jobs that fit their qualifications. to make the services will be provided for ukrainians at the employment services for foreigners on friday. turning to the weather, some residents in brazil have seen a rare phenomenon from the

sky, as unseasonably low temperatures over the region. our media raj -- meteorologist has more the weather report. we have an unusual subtropical system spinning near brazil. as it does, it is dragging cold air from the south, toward the north. it is bringing snowfall and chilly temperatures into the area. we have severe weather conditions, with rare snow flurries his southern brazil on tuesday. this is almost 200,000 homes left without power due to strong winds associated with the storm. authorities opened the station to give shelter to homeless people affected by the cold weather. the local electricity companies that all of the staff are working to deal with the loss of power in the area. we are still seeing the same system spinning off the coast of brazil, bringing cold air into places like erg way. it will continue to spin as we go throughout the day on thursday, with the southerly flow in place.

we have rain in rio de janeiro. buenos aires is looking at 16 for the high on thursday. we do have the possibility of seeing severe thunderstorms in the upper midwest, near the ohio river valley and the midsouth as we have the system pursuing through. be on the lookout for the strong storms to be in place on thursday. chicago was looking at thunderstorms. we do have a tropical storm in place moving to the southwest at a very slow pace. we are looking out the system, not intensifying, but bringing consistent rain through the rest of this week. be on the lookout for strong wind and flooding. across the high east asia, we have warm temperatures over the next few days. look at this. beijing is in the 30s as we go to the weekend. tokyo is looking at a high of 27 degrees. it is cloudy over the weekend

with highs in the mid 20s. that is a look at the forecast. i hope you have a good day ere you are. that wraps up this edition of "nhk newsline". coming up next is newsline. do not go away.

this is newsline business. u.s. treasury secretary says it is unlikely that washington will extend the license allowing russia to pay u.s. bondholders. this could force moscow to default on its debt. >> it is reasonably likely that the license will be allowed to expire.

there has not been a final decision on that. i think it is unlikely that it would continue. stomach the license allows russia to continue making payments on its debt as an exemption to u.s. sanctions. it is set to expire on may 25. russia would be considered in default if the country is unable to make payments after that date. she says this will not represent a major change in russia's financial situation, as the country has already been cut off from global capital markets. she said washington plans to discuss imposing heavy tariffs on russian oil, with the eu as an additional measure. talk you tokyo stocks plunged. investors are worried that global inflation could weigh on japanese companies, triggering an economic slowdown. the average added that the day

at 26,402. that is down 1.9% from wednesday's closing. they lost 760 points at one stage. the investors sold shares in a wide range of sectors after wall street fell. major retailers reported a sharp drop in profits through april. one weekago, the [ indiscernible ] dropped the first time in two months. it had risen for four straight trading days until wednesday. some investors went looking for organs. the soaring energy prices wait on the trade balance, pushing up the value of imports, to keep the balance in the red for the ninth straight month. finance ministry says the deficit last month was almost 840 billion, or $6.5 billion. the value of imports rose by 20% from one year earlier. prices for crude oil nearly doubled. liquefied natural gas increased

2.5 times larger. exports were up 12%. that is due to the rise in shipments of steel and automobiles. the prices rose on the higher costs for materials. to make the united states as president joe biden will launch a joint economic initiative with japan during his upcoming trip to the country. he is expected to make the announcement, alongside the prime minister. and a pacific economic framework will involve southeast asian countries. the national security advisor, jake sullivan, says the leaders of these nations would attend the launch virtually. >> intends to seize the moment, this pivotal moment, to assert bold and confident american leadership in another vital region in the world, the indo pacific. >> this is believed to be aimed at countering china's rowing influence in the region. sullivan also cited setting the rules of the digital economy, ensuring secure supply chains

and transitioning to new energy sources, as other challenges would be tackled. joe biden will arrive on sunday, after visiting south korea. the number of foreign visitors to japan doubled from march. the daily limit on arrivals was raised. the japan national tourism organization says they estimate that 140,000 foreigners visited japan in april. that is up from 66,000 in march. the rate of growth from the same month last year also accelerated. april's total was more than 12 times higher, year on year, compared to five times in march. the organizations at the sharp increase was mainly due to the raising of the daily limit on arrivals from heaven thousand to 10,000 from april 10. april's total is still down 95% from the same month in 2018, before the coronavirus

pandemic. the government is considering raising the limit to 20,000, and phasing out a ban on foreign tourism from june. toyota motor says they have resumed operations at us at city area after a disruption to industrial water supplies in central japan. the automaker secured an alternative source of water. the automaker suspended operations on thursday morning at two assembly lines, at a factory of toyota industries. the disruption stemmed from a massive league, taking place processing plant. river water officials do expect this to affect the production of 600 vehicles. the apparel industry is shifting to sustainable business management, with an emphasis on recycling, or reusing old garments.

one japanese firm is taking a surprising approach, using old clothing to grow vegetables. >> this is one of tokyo's districts known for emerging fashion trends. this shop opened half a year ago. it sells fashionable denim jackets and shirts. this looks like many other stores. all of the items are made from a surprising material. the tag says 100% paper. traditional japanese washy paper is known for absorbent properties. the business model is based on the concept of circular fashion customers have garments previously purchased from the shop and they are added to soil where vegetables are grown. the shop sells clothing on the

understanding that they will be collected after they have been worn for a while. an item returned after one year, for example, will be about 20% off. >> [ speaking foreign language >>i don't feel guilty about throwing wailed clothing. i bought them for the added value of doing something good for the environment. >> washy paper is a good choice for this business model as it easily breaks downthe soil. they work with a company that makes the thread to produce new fabrics. skimming to prevent waste, clothing should be returned to the soil, rather than recycled. washy paper bio degrades and enriches the soil. the company has its own farm. the garments are cut into strips. they are placed in the soil.

stomach that is all we do, the clothing returns to the soil. stomach microbes break down the material into small pieces in about three months. the activity of those microbes enriches the soil. >> this red leaf lettuce is going fast. even though i planted it a month late. it must be because the clothing has improved the quality of the soil. i cannot think of any other reason. >> vegetables are sent to the same shop in tokyo. they are used to make smoothies. they are also sold as fresh produce. the shop gives customers that return used clothing points, which can be used to purchase new garments or smoothies. >> i can use the points to purchase clothing and vegetables. that part is fun.

to make our customers seem to like the circular business model connecting clothing and food. we hope to bring this uniquely japanese system overseas in the future. >> clothing made with a clear idea of how it will be disposed of as an innovative approach that could become normal in the apparel industry. let's get a check on the markets.

that is it for newsline from tokyo. thank you very much for watching.ñçñqñqñqñqññññ#ñ#wwñ?ññ n

get. ♪ >> this is al jazeera and these are the top stories. it is not clear what will happen to ukrainian fighters who surrendered after defending mariupol's steelworks from russian attacks. more than 260 ukrainian soldiers have put down their weapons. ukraine wants a prisoner swap, but russia wants them labeled terrorists. in the eastern region, a child has been wounded in a residential building was hit by a missile. the state emergency services site eight people have been killed and a dozen others