♪ hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm yoshi ogasawara. we begin in the philippines. the united states will have a bigger mill faitary profile the after using more bases. u.s. secretary of defense lloyd austin had separate talks in manila thursday with ferdinand

marcus jr. as well as the defense secretary. >> the future of the philippines and for that matter in the asia-pacific, will always have to involve the united states simply because those partners partnerships are so strong. >> our alliance makes both of our democracies more secure and helps uphold the free and open indo-pacific. >> the deal will bring the number of bases the u.s. can use in the philippines to nine. the additional locations have not been announced. china reacted sharply. the foreign ministry spokesperson said a u.s. military buildup in the region is heightening tension and harming peace and stability. meanwhile, washington is using a diplomatic route to counter beijing's influence in the pacific. the u.s. has opened an embassy in the solomon islands three decades after it pulled out. >> our embassy will accelerate

that vitalcoaboration. building on decades of ties between our governments and our people >> the last amecan embsy in e country's capital closed in 1993. secretary oftate antony blinken said the return of the u.s. diplomatic mission is an important step. he said the indo-pacific region is set to shape the world's trajectory in the 21st century. china has also pushed for closer ties with the solomon islands. the two countries struck a security pact in april last year. pyongyang says the military and political situation on the korean peninsula has reached what it calls an extreme red line. the warning centers around drills by the u.s. and south korea. washington and seoul held joint exercises on wednesday over the yellow sea west of the peninsula.

south korea's military said b-1 bombers and stealth fighter jets were involved. seoul stressed it'll respond firmly to missile and nuclear threats from pyongyang. reaction from the north came thursday. in a statement, it referenced talks this week between u.s. and south korean defense chiefs. it criticized their pledge to enhance extended deterrence, in which the u.s. protects its allies with nuclear and other weapons. pyongyang says its response to any u.s. military attempt will be based on the principle of what it calls nuke for nuke and an all-out confrontation for an all-out confrontation. it also warns that if thu.s. continues to intduce strategic assets onto the peninsula and its surrounding area, the north will make its deterring activities clearer.

now to eastern ukraine, where officials say a russian missile has destroyed an apartment building. the country's president is once again condemning russia for what he calls an attack on civilians. ukrainian authorities say it happened in the city of kramatorsk on wednesday. rescue workers are still trying to find victims who may be trapped in the rubble. ukraine's president volodymyr zelenskyy called the strike the daily reality for his country. russian forces have been blad for frequent attacks on residential buildings. meanwhile, president vladimir putin is marking 80 years since the soviet army declared victory over the nazis in the battle of stalingr stalingrad. he is set to deliver a speech

thursd thursday. the push for democracy in myanmar continues two years after military rule. they're being held beyond the country's borders. hundreds gathered in osaka and tokyo wednesday. they called on the junta to release pro-democracy leaders, including aung san suu kyi and people who support them. protesters want the japanese government to boost efforts to promote democracy if tn the country. >> translator: my family in myanmar lives with anxiety every day. >> reporter: i'm determined to keep fighting until we restore our democracy and laws.

>> protesters in myanmar took a different approach amid the junta's deadly crackdown on dissent. they staged what they called a silent strike. most stores in yangon were closed, and traffic on the normally busy streets was greatly reduced. also wednesday, myanmar's state media reported the state of emergency is being extended for another six months. that may delay the election scheduled to happen by august. pro democracy advocates say the vote will be a sham. the junta is changing election rules to give an advantage to a party it is deeply connected with. now to the latest on the series of robberies in japan, which may have been orchestrated by japanese men in the philippines. japanese police want four men

held in an immigration facility in manila to be handed over. the trial procedures for two of them in unrelated cases may continue next week, blocking their extradition. philippine officials say they want to hand over the four men to the japanese side before president ferdinand marcos jr. begins his visit to japan next wednesday. but officials say trial procedures are under way for three of the men, and they will not be extradited unless the local court dismisses the cases against them. on thursday, a manila court held hearings in cases involving two of the men who are accused of committing violence against women. officials suspect the men may have asked the women to bring criminal cases against them so they would not be deported. the men reportedly attended the hearings remotely from inside the immigration facility. the prosecutors demanded that the cases be dismissed, but the

attorney for the two men said the court had decided to continue the proceedings and set the next hearings for tuesday. >> we will be deporting some people when they are available to be deported. maybe two of them will be deported ahead of the others, maybe three. >> japanese police suspect the men are linked to a string of robberies that left at least one person dead. the criminal ring allegedly recruited people through social media and provided instructions through chat apps using aliases like duffy or kim. separately, police in tokyo have arrested a man they suspect illegally bought cosmetics using somebody else's store credits. they believe he used an id and password linked to a cyberattack on a drugstore chain.

police identified the man as a chinese national who lives in osaka. they suspect he fraudulently obtained cosmetics and other goods worth about $500 at a branch of the sun drug chain in osaka last july. they say he illegally accessed the membership website and used the credit of a woman who lives near tokyo. he reportedly told investigators an acquaintance per twsuaded hio steal the points, calling it a job. the sun had been hit by a cyberattack beforehand. it was likely a list-based attack, where the perpetrators used ids and passwords leaked from other websites. the world's number two electric vehicle maker is looking to expand and sees japan as a global on-ramp. our next report looks at the

challenges and benefits for byd's entrance into the fledgling market. ♪ >> reporter: a flashy debut for a car company best known for a dependable battery. byd is second only to tesla in electric vehicles. key to its success is affordability. with this suv's $34,000 price tag, putting it $8,000 below japanese competitors. one thing it doesn't have is name recognition. >> what is this name? >> translator: we want to gradually spread the byd brand in japan. ultimately, we want people to think of electric vehicles when ey hear the name byd. >> reporter: japanese customers are known for favoring safety and reliability.

meaning byd needs to prove itself and fast. if the first test drives are any indication, it is starting on the inside track. >> translator: i was amazed. the price is reasonable and affordable, and, yet, the performance is up to the task. and it drives quietly. >> reporter: the japanese market is comparatively small. the latest annual sales numbers put china far ahead of the rest of the world. with 4.8 million vehicles sold. europe and the u.s. both have counts in the 800,000 range. poor charging infrastructure has slowed expansion in japan, where fewer than two in every 100 cars sold are electric. and many of the vehicles sold here are unique. >> reporte mini cars like these are built for japanese

roads. nissan motor had the top domestic market share last year, selling 21,000 electric vehicles. its hold on mini cars gives it a guaranteed steak. but byd as a rival will shake things up. >> translator: the entry of foreign players is welcome, as they could revitalize the japanese market and trigger a wider network of charging stations. >> reporter: but market analysts suggest there is more trepidation than competitors let on. if byd can win the public's trust, it could threaten the stability enjoyed by conventional carmakers in japan, and provide the company with a valuable launching pad. >> translator: when customers in japan give a thumbs up to a company, it's a great honor. the business model our company develops here could provide a template for many other countries.

because it means the model satisfies the discerning eyes of japanese consumers. >> reporter: that's if japan installs more charging stations and if byd overcomes its branding issues. to clear that last hurdle, it plans to build more than 100 dealerships by the end of 2025. ♪ it's time for world weather with our meteorologist sayaka mori. blowing show has been hitting northern japan, causing schools to close in the region. sayaka has the latest.

>> hello there. dangerous winds and snow have been pummelling northern japan, especially hokkaido. we saw typhoon like gusts. also, morioka had 30 sent meres in 6 hours, the record for the month of february. the combination of snow and winds is creating a very low visibility, making for extremely dangerous travel conditions. we have a low right here. the pressure gradient's really tight. that's why we're seeing quite strong winds. fortunately, the low will likely move away, so snow and winds will likely ease into friday. a low will form into the south. that could bring precipitation to the kanto region. tokyo might see some snowflakes from friday night into saturday morning. the daytime high on friday in tokyo could be 7 degrees. it's going to be less windier in japan compared to thursday. sendai, 3 degrees. sapporo, minus 3 degrees. the sapporo snow festival will

begin on saturday, celebrating the winter season. it's going to be a cloudy and cold start. minus 2 degree is the forecast and it looks like snow is expected every day, but no major winter storms are expected, at least into next week. an ice storm event has been hitting many places in the southern united states, and a dog was suffering from a slippery road. take a look at this video. in dallas, texas, a bulldog found it hard to stand on the sidewalks, slipping and falling on the slick surface. after going back inside, she chose not to go back out again. in austin, a net surrounding a trampoline was surrounded in ice, which cracked when it was punched. more freezing rain in the forecast, at least until thursday morning in the southern areas of the united states, from texas to the tennessee area. it is going to be very cold on friday. chicago, minus 18. that's it for me. stay warm.

♪ ♪ before we go, a japanese soccer legend is proving you're never too old for a new adventure. king kazu is headed to portugal to play for yet another club at the age of 55.

he's on the books of yokohama fc. he's been loned out to the portuguese second division club. he will be playing in his fifth country overseas. he started his professional career at the age of 18 with the brazilian club santos. he went on to become the first asian footballer in italy's top league. king kazu was loaned out last season to an amateur team in the japan football league. he became the oldest player to score in that competition. he says he is grateful to take on a new challenge, and he'll try to show he can still play his own style of soccer. and that's all for this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm oyoshi ogasawara in tokyo. thanks for watching, and do stay with us for more.

♪ this is "newsline biz." i'm gene otani. sony group has appointed hiroki as its new president, the first such change in five years. the company made the decision at a board meeting on thursday. it will take effect on april 1st. he will serve as the chief operating officer and chief financial officer. >> with our diversity, i hope the group will keep evolving and growing, so custors choose us.

that'll energize employees and attract talented people, which will raise our corporate value and we can contribute to society. i want to create a positive spiral. >> the 58-year-old joined sony in 1987 and became representative director of sony bank in 2002. he led the telecommunications and smartphone businesses before becoming the company's current executive deputy president and cf cfo. the former president will continue to be chairman and ceo with representative authority. sony group has been strengthening its game and entertainment business while advancing into the field of electric vehicle in partnership with honda motor. it aims to boost the group's strategy under the new leadership. honda motor says it'll start selling a hydrogen fuel cell system it is developing with general motors to other

companies. the aim is to accelerate the al of creating a hydrogen society. honda plans to roll out a vehicle equipped with the system in japan and the united states next year. it'll start offering the fuel system to other firms in the mid 2020s. the automaker aims to slash production costs to 1/6th of the current level and enhance durability by four-fold. the fuel cell system will be fitted in construction machinery and used for hydrogen fueled power generation equipment. honda plans to produce 60,000 units of the system annually by 2030 and several hundred thousand by the late 2030s. a group of japanese researchers has developed new technology that allows users to share their sense of touch. they say it is the first system of its kind in the world. researchers from ko university and nagoya institute of

technology worked together on the project. the system uses sensors to measure the frequency of the subtle vibrations a person feels when touching an object. this data can then be used to reproduce the vibrations on a device held by another person. the researchers say the system could help teach and preserve skills that rely on touch, such as traditional craft work. they say the technology could also be used by online retailers to allow people shopping for clothing to feel the materials beforehand. >> translator: we have also been asked about uses in remote medical care. we are now looking into several options for practical use. >> ishikawa says the group will continue to develop the technology so it can measure other senses and emotions. japanese retail giant eon says it will raise wages for

part-time and other non-regular workers by an average of 7%. it's the latest firm in the country to implement pay hikes amid rapid increases in living costs. aeon says the raise is for hourly workers at its 147 subsidiaries, including supermarket and convenient store operators. the company will negotiate the specific rates with unions and implement them as early as march. aeon says higher wages will help the livelihood of its workers during economic uncertainty. it also hopes the measure will help attract more employees in a time when the labor force is shrinking due to the country's aging population. the company says it is now considering raising wages for full-time workers as well. aeon employs about 400,000 non-regular workers. it's among the most in japan. experts say wage hikes by a

company of this size could influence other major firms to do the same. inflation in the 20 member euro zone slowed for a third straight month in january, helped by stabilizing energy prices. the consumer price index fell to 8.5% from a year earlier. it declined from 9.2% in december. croatia is included in the data for the first time after it joined the single currency block on january 1st. energy prices rose by just over 17%. they have surged more than 40% at one point last year. inflation ranged from more than 21% in latvia to 5.8% in spain and luxembourg. prices increased 12.5% in croatia. an unusually warm winter in europe helped lower natural gas prices, leading to expectations that inflation has peaked. but the overall rate is still far higher than the european central bank's target of 2%.

financial markets are waiting to see the outcome of the ecb's next policy meeting on thursday. a japanese-brazilian man who once struggled with his identity has found a new calling in life. he has become japan's exclusive importer of a high-quality variety of brazilian coffee beans. we explore how he connected with his newfound passion. >> reporter: these rare coffee beans are grown at one of the best quality farms in brazil. the world's largest producer of coffee beans. marcello ito, who owns the company, is the only one who imports the beans. >> translator: i wonder if people in japan would have ever

tasted this coffee if i hadn't set up this business. >> reporter: ito ensures he consistently buys the highest quality beans. dealing dectl with e farm cuts h sts, as tre is no third-pay involvemt. this means he can pay a slightly higher price for coffee beans, which benefits everyone. >> translator: this is a win-win situation. i always wanted to do something that could help bring these two countries closer together. >> reporter: there was a time when ito's feelings about his roots were more ambiguous. grandparents on both sides were japanese who immigrated to brazil. born and raised in brazil, ito moved to japan at 19. but he often struggled with his identity. >> translator: i considered myself brazilian but looked japanese to other brazilians. when i moved to japan, people

considered me a foreigner. i was confused about who i was. >> reporter: ito first encountered the coffee bean farm in 2017 by working as an interpreter for its owner. when he realized the farm's prestigious coffee beans were not imported to japan, he quickly saw the potential to connect the two kwocountries. >> translator: i realized my background could be useful, as i was familiar with both cultures. i knew i had to take on this project. >> reporter: ito also teaches local japanese junior high school students how to brew high-quality coffee and serve customers. he explains to them his mission to make the most of his background by building a bridge between the two countries. >> translator: i was impressed by his knowledge of both japan

and brazil. >> translator: you can't move forward in life if you have negative feelings about your identity. japan and brazil may be far apart, but i hope that our hearts can move closer together. >> reporter: the farm owners are also grateful to ito. >> reporter: it's a story that has not only led to delicious brazilian coffee being served in japan, it is also a likely source of inspiration to anyone struggling with their identity. let's have a look at the markets. ♪

from the "newsline biz" team in tokyo, i'm gene otani. thanks for being with us. óçóç ts

is occupation in the 21st century. >> grief and anger in pakistan after dozens of people are killed in an attack peshawar in peshawar. the pakistani taliban has been blamed. this is inside story. anchor: welcome to the program.