♪ glad to have you with us on this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. the extent of damage from monday's earthquakes near the turkish-syrian border is becoming clearer as the death toll continues to grow. more than 21,000 people have been confirmed dead. nhk crew on friday entered the southern turkish province of hatey. buildings have collapsed. rescuers have been forced to remove debris by hand in the

search for survivors. 5,000 people in the province have died. a village in northwestern syria was flooded after the quakes cracked open a dam. the deluge worsened the suffering of millions who live in areas controlled by anti-government forces. they rely on aid to survive and struggle to access clean water. >> translator: we just want people to help us, to shelter these women and children. we don't want more than that. >> international organizations and other countries are stepping up their support of rescue, relief and rebuilding efforts. the world bank says it'll provide $1.78 billion to turkey. the united states has pledged $85 million in urgent humanitarian assistance. japan's aid agency is sending tents, blankets and other supplies to syria. officials say they'll also provide relief goods to turkey. the government plans to send an emergency medical team made up of dozens of health care

workers. >> translator: japan has experienced a number of major natural disasters, including the 2011 great east japan earthquake. so we can imagine how hard it is now for people in the affected areas. we will continue to stand by them and do whatever we can to help them overcome their difficulties. >> people in ukraine have been visiting the turkish embassy in kyiv to mourn quake victims. turkey and the u.n. brokered an agreement that's helped ukraine ship wheat and other grain after russia blocked exports from black seaports. people around the world are praying for the victims of the quakes, including at a mosque here in tokyo. about 1,000 people took part in special ceremonies and prayers at the mosque on friday. many said they wanted to connect through their faith and find

ways to help people in turkey and syria. >> it feels like we were there. we were praying not just for one people but 20,000 people, maybe even more. >> it was very emotional. it touched my heart, and, you know, just praying for people. >> translator: people lost their lived and their families are grieving. some fathers and mothers have lost their children. what we can do from japan to help them start a new life is to provide as much mental and financial support as possible. >> the mosque has been collecting donations since the quake struck. the iman says the money will be sent to aid people in turkey. now, japanese researchers are painting a clearer picture of why the quakes were so damaging. officials with the geospatial information authority of japan

analyzed data collected on wednesday. they say they identified what are called crustal deformations of at least 10 centimeters. some near the epicenter of the first quake are up to a meter in length. there is also a shift of more than 2 meters near the epicenter of the second quake which struck about 9 hours later. the officials say they found more deformations in a larger area than is typicalor inland quakes, and that'shy the tremors were so devastating. a senior u.s. state department official has rejected china's claim the balloon that flew across the united states was a civilian, unmanned air ship. the official says the balloon was equipped with antennas capable of collecting intelligence signals. the official revealed detailed analysis on thursday from images of the balloon. they also show the craft had solar panels to power the

sensors. washington is confident the balloon's manufacturer has direct ties with china's military. the official noted china has conducted similar survey aillan balloon flights over 40 countries. they'll take action against the authority that allowed the balloon to enter u.s. air space. south korea announced its first independent sanctions on north korea over cyber act tifrts. pyongyang is believed to use the money it gains through attacks to fund military programs. the sanctions target four north korean individuals and seven groups, including those affiliated with pyongyang's foreign intelligence service. under the sanctions, financial transactions with the targets will be banned. the ministry says the targets are suspected to have been involved in cyberattacks and programming related to cryptocurrency theft.

a recent report submitted to the u.n. security council says north korea stole more cryptocurrency assets in 2022 than any other year. the reuters news agency has reported the total sum may be worse about $1 billion. south korea and the united states on friday disclosed internet protocol addresses of entities suspected of being involved in cyberattacks tied to global cryptocurrency theft by north korean hackers. in other news, the head of china's administrative body for taiwan policies has met with the vice chairman of taiwan's main opposition party. he says beijing is open to boosting exchanges based on the common political foundation of opposing taiwan's independence. the state-run xinhua news agency says the director of the taiwan affairs office of the state council made the comment on thursday. he said china would honor president xi jinping's orders regarding taiwan.

xi used his address to the national congress last year to reiterate his commitment to what he called the reunification of taiwan. he also refused to renounce the use of force to accomplish that goal. officials say the vice chairman said the cross-rate tensions on trade should be minimized adds much as possible. analysts say they're seeking to cast its as a party that can talk with beijing. the aim is to differentiate themselves from the ruling progressive democratic party ahead of next year's presidential election. a month has passed since china ended its zero covid poli policy. the anti-infection measures greatly restricted people's freedom, but normal life is now returning. some young people want to keep their pandemic memories arriliv instead of pretending nothing happened. nakamura genta explains.

>> reporter: this exhibit was organized by young people who want to remember what china experienced during the coronavirus pandemic. the event is called "the great wall of yellow." the name comes from photos of yellow fences combing over districts. they were taken in wuhan, where the coronavirus first spread three years ago. the venue also displays pandemic-related items. this qr code was used to show negative pcr test results on a smartphone app. this is a note scribbled by a doctor during the pandemic about a cancer patient. the patient was a father of one of the event's organizers. restrictions prevented her from returning home to sign her father's surgical consent form. the doctor's note informed her he had developed terminal cancer. she says even though it is only

a piece of paper, it will make her remember the pandemic for the rest of her life. >> translator: choosing to forget harsh experiences can be beneficial for a person's health, and i don't oppose it. at the same time, i want to tell people they can choose to return to remember people and events they don't want to forget. >> reporter: the event was not widely publicized. the opening event attracted 50 people. the organizers say they do not intend to openly criticize the chinese government. they simply want to preserve a record of the past three years. this photographer took all the exhibit's photos. he decided to document the first lockdown in wuhan. he traveled there from beijing with fear and excitement. he found people there trapped behind the great wall of yellow.

delivery staff handed food over the wall to people whose faces they couldn't see. some people even attempted to go outside the wall, seeking freedom. >> translator: this wall was designed to seal off the residents and contain infection. i believe this was march 2020. many people wanted to break through the wall. >> reporter: wuhan's situation spread throughout the country. shanghai was locked down for an extended period of time last year. people's freedom was restricted in many places. one visitor said remembering this experience is key to creating a better future. >> translator: i think wounds can heal better when we face what we have suffered, and we can find a better way to pass this story on to the next generation. >> translator: when people find

themselves trapped and facing difficulties, they become impatient and seek help for the first time. i hope that people will value their freedom when they see the restrictions my photos show. >> reporter: china's zero covid policy is now history, but its memories remain alive in people who choose not to forget. nakamu nakamura genta, nhk world, beijing. now, south korea is opening its doors to tourists from china. the government says it'll lift restrictions on issuing short-term visas for travelers from its neighbor beginning on saturday. the measure with us scheduled to be in place until the end of this month, but the government says the coronavirus infection ratio among arrivals from china has recently dropped below 2%. those travelers will still need to take pcr tests before and after entry. south korea tightened border

controls for arrivals from china early last month ahead of the lunar new year holidays. beijing countered by suspending the issuance of short-term visas to south korean nationals. ♪ seven months have passed after japan's longest serving leader was fatally shot. now, police are expected to end their probe into the incident. former prime minister abe shinzo was shot and killed in the city of nara in july last year. he was giving a speech during an election campaign. 42-year-old yamagata was indi indicted on a number of charges, including murder.

sources close to the investigation say police trad his activities the day before the shooting. they suspect he fired a weapon at a building. it was related to a religious group widely known as the unification church. security footage appears to show him in the city where abe was campaigning. he was carrying homemade weapons. police will recommend more charges to prosecutors. they include property damage, weapons and election violations. prosecutors will decide whether to indict him for these allegations. also in japan, weather officials issued a rare alert friday morning for heavy snow here in tokyo and surrounding areas. the cold snap is set to affect transportation across much of the nation over the weekend. the japan meteorological agency issued the warning for the capital and neighboring prefectures. the alert for central tokyo has now been lifted, but authorities continue to urge caution.

air travel has been affected with about 100 flights canceled. airlines advised passengers to check online for updates. and on the ground, some expressway ramps in tokyo have been closed as a traffic control measure. railways in the metropolitan area are operating as usual. and our meteorologist jonathan oh has more on greater tokyo ar expect over the weekend. >> hello. we had a frigid day friday, as we had a low pressure system rolling through and saw plenty of moisture, including snow moving its way across the country. we had some decent snowfall rates around the region. this is some of the locations showing up a snowfall rate anywhere from 1 to 2 to 3 to 5 centimeters an hour snowfall rate as we went throughout the daytime hours. we are expecting a lot in terms

of the winter precipitation to be focused toward the mountainous areas and northern areas of japan in the overnight hours. however, it'll be the chilly side overnight. moisture on the ground could also be slick, so be on the lookout for that, even in the tokyo and surrounding areas. coming up for the weekend, snow returns into sapporo as we see more of that returning to the region. tokyo and osaka, fukuoka, you'll be moving back up into slightly above average temperatures as we go through the weekend. if you're trying to thaw from the chilly weather, it'll return to teens for daytime highs in the next couple of days. meanwhile, toward the southern hemisphere, keeping an eye out on gabrielle, a powerful tropical cyclone setting sights for new zealand. people are preparing for that. took at this video, as those on the north island are busy preparing. authorities have strongly asked residents to prepare bags for essential supplies, food and

water to last three days. in addition, they warn power cuts could affect cash machines. here's look at what we're expecting. this system will make its way toward the south and setting its sights for north island as it continues to move into the area. those of you in the area need to be preparing now as a storm approaches the north island of new zealand. hope you have a safe day wherever you are. ♪

♪ ♪ that concludes this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. coming up next is "newsline biz" with ramin mellegard, so stay right there.

♪ this is "newsline biz." i'm ramin mellegard. sources have told nhk that prime minister kishida fumio intends to appoint a new governor of the bank of japan. ueda kazuo. he touched on an issue many around the world are keen to know about. though he said he couldn't make comments, he added -- >> translator: for now, we should continue with the monetary easing policy.

>> 71 years old and graduated from the university of tokyo in 1974. after studying at massachusetts institute of technologies graduate school, he taught at the university of tokyo's faculty of economics as professor. he served on the board of the bank of japan for a seven-year period from 1998. ueda championed the theory behind the zero interest rate policy, introduced in 1999, and k'wa quantityi quantitative easing. he intends to appoint the executive director of the boj, who is in charge of the easing program currently. also expected to be tapped is the former commissioner of the financial services agency, who led an effort to financially support struggling companies battered by the coronavirus pandemic. the government will present the candidates' names to the diet on tuesday. the lower house steering committee expects to hear from

the candidates on february 24th. japanese consumers have been buffeted by rising prices in recent months. the company behind coca-cola says it is raising the prices of its drinks. coca-cola bottlers japan says the increases will start in may and affect 75 items, including a can of coke. prices will go up by 3% to 22%. it's the first time in 25 years the suggested retail price for a can of coke will rise. a 350 millimeter can will now cost 125 yen before tax, about 95 cents, up by 10 yen, about 8 cents. canned coffee will rise by 10 to 25 yen or 8 to 19 cents. coca-cola bottlers japan says it can no longer absorb the soaring cost of raw materials, energy and packaging. and the price of goods and services traded among companies

in japan rose in january for the 23rd month in a row. higher costs of raw materials were a major factor. the bank of japan says the producer price index rose 9.5% last month from a year earlier. now, the increase was mainly driven by higher prices of electricity, gas, metal products, food and beverages. prices for nearly 90% of the 515 items surveyed were up. the data indicates the companies were passing on their higher costs. now, in a related development, the import price index rose nearly 18% from a year earlier on a yen basis. the pace was sharply down from the peak in july, when prices surge d by over 40%. the gauge indicates goods coming into japan still became more expensive in january. the bank of japan noted that the prices of some items have since come down, as costs of crude oil and other commodities have

eased. and u.s. entertainment giant walt disney says it'll cut about 7,000 jobs or 3% of its global workforce to help bring its streaming business to profitability. the company made the announcement at an earnings briefing on wednesday. it stressed the need to cut costs as it continues to post steep losses. its streaming service has been losing subscribers amid fears of an economic slowdown. the company says cutting jobs and reducing investments in content can help it save around $5.5 billion. many of the big u.s. cpanies, including meta platforms and amazon, have been laying people off in recent months. the wave of cutbacks seems to have spread from the tech sector into the entertainment industry. now, all but one of the five u.s. and european oil giants have been posting record profits for 2022. that's on the back of rising prices of crude oil and natural gas.

exxonmobil's net profit more than doubled from the previous year to about $55 billion. another u.s. firm, chevron, rerts about $35 billion. that's up more than 120% from the previous year. britain's shell earned over $40 billion, double 2021's gure. profit rose 28% to $20 billion. now, the record high earnings have grown in tandem with energy prices to soared after russia invaded ukraine february last year. some are criticizing the oil giants from profiting from the war's economic fallout. bp bucked the trend. the british company posted a net loss of about $2.4 billion after its withdrawal from a big project in russia incurred huge costs. okay. now, let's take a look at what's coming up in the week ahead.

starting here in japan, on tuesday, we'll get details on the country's economic growth for both the october to december period and all of 2022. 12 thinktanks estimate the gdp number for the last months of the year will show growth for the first time in two quarters. rates are believed to range from 1% to 3% on an annualized basis from the previous quarter. economists say the easing of covid restrictions has boosted spending on services, including travel and eating out. some are warning that the recovery won't be strong because the impact of rising prices on real incomes is cooling consumer sentime sentiment. last month, the international monetary fund projected japan's economy grew 1.4% in 2022. also on tuesday, we'll get the latest u.s. inflation figures with the release of the consumer price index for january. thecpi increased 6.5% in december from a year earlier. that was lower than the previous

month for the sixth time in a row and was the smallest rise since october 2021. but inflation is still far higher than the federal reserve's 2% target. now, fed policymakers raised the interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point earlier this month. they slowed the pace of rate hikes as inflationary pressure seems to be easing. but fed chair jerome powell has said it would be premature to declare victory. then on thursday, japan's finance ministry will release the nation's trade statistics for january. we'll see how the weaker yen and soaring energy prices have affected japan's trade balance with the rest of the world. last year, the country posted its biggest annual trade deficits since comparable data became available in 1979. the shortfall was almost 20 trillion yen or about $152 billion. the cost of crude oil, coal and

liquefied natural gas rose sharply. the yen's depreciation made matters worse. now, the destracember trade bal was in the red $11 billion. japan hasn't posted a surplus in trade since july 2021. thursday is also decision day on interest rates for policymakers in the philippines. the philippine central bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 0.5 percentage points to 5.5% in december. borrowing costs have been increased at seven consecutive meetings. the consumer index hit 8.7% in january, a 14-year high. analysts expect the central bank to deliver a larger interest rate hike. this time around, to tame inflation. finally, thailand will announce its gdp numbers for the october to december period and the whole of 2022 on friday. the thai economy expanded 4.5% from a year earlier last quarter according to the national economic and social development council. the growth was mainly driven by

tourism as restrictions related to covid-19 eased. the forecast is that the economy grew 3.2% in 2022. okay. let's get a check on the markets. ♪ ♪

that's it for "newsline biz" from tokyo. i'm ramin mellegard. thank you very much for watching. óçóç t monarch of tunis,

power and politics, on al jazeera. >> syria is struggling to respond to the earthquake disaster, but how much of that is down to politics? the regime in damascus insists protests and boycotts are preventing aid from reaching devastated areas. hello. welcome to the program.