it's 7:00 p.m. on friday in japa i'm james tengan in tokyo. this is nhk news line. it's been a year since russian troops stormed across the border and people in ukraine are still living in fear. the war has turned into a vicious stalemate, and it is far from over. ukrainian officials have warned civilians to prepare for a possible large-scale missile attack on friday. wayf marki the annersary 's of the invaon. the united nations says at least 8,000 civilians have been killed since the start of the war.

but it also says the real number of deaths is likely to be substantially higher. the death toll is also rising on the front line. ukrainian president volodymyr fighting hard with the help of stern weaponry. >> translator: in the east, it's very difficult and painful, but we're doing everything to withstandit. in the south, it's also dangerous. but our troops have what they need to respond to the occupiers. >> ukraine's western allies say moscow has suffered significant losses. the uk defense ministry estimates 200,000 russian soldiers and private military coractors have been killed or injured over the last year. russian president vladimir putin has shown no signs of backing down. he used his state of the nation address this week to justify the war by once again accusing ukraine of being the aggressor. >> translator: our troops are

heroically fighting the neo-nazism that's taken root in ukraine, protecting our people in our historical lands and are fighting courageously and heroically. >> ukraine's western allies have consistently accused russia of spreading misinformation about ukraine. they are also ramping up military support. ukrainian forces are now waiting on deliveries of addressed battle tanks that could turn the tide as the fighting drags on. for more on the anniversary, colleague yamamoto miki spoke to our correspondent in kyiv. >> give us a sense of the mood there this morning. >> reporter: miki, people are feeling a mix of emotions. the initial shock that came 12 months ago continues to linger. they are trying to remain

hopeful. but here, at independence square, the atmosphere is solemn. this is one of the city's main gathering areas. it's home to a growing memorial. there are messages on these flags honoring the soldiers and journalists killed. traveling around the city is an unusual experience. i've been here about a week. i see people walking around. things feel normal at times, but then we will hear air-raid sirens go off. that's happened almost every day. and when i speak to anyone, they all tell me they've been affected by the war in some way. some have lost loved ones in the fighting. >> shoko, of course, there's lots to process. there's a lot of need across the country. how is that being addressed?

>> reporter: aid from around the world started coming kwiequite y in the war, and it continues. the u.n. high commissioner for refugees tells me the need is constant. yagumi has been based in ukraine, and she tracks how much assistance from the organizations are reaching those in need. >> it was important we were able to be agile because the needs just change depending on the situation of how the war evol evolves. >> reporter: this week, she visited one of the villages near kyiv where the u.n. has been helping repair houses destroyed by the war. more than half the kmount wcomms

damaged with 20% of the homes here completely gone. aoyama checked in on a 73-year-old whose house was repaired thanks to support from the u.n. hgr. >> it must have been so cold. >> it was cold already, yeah. but we will survive it. >> reporter: her 29-year-old grandson died in the war. he was in the northern part of the country just after the invasion began. his widow is also a soldier and is still fighting on the front lines.

>> reporter: more than 160,000 people in the country received housing support from the u.n. hgr last year. but there are still many more to help. and, of course, that's not the only kind of support people need. the united nations says more than 17 million people are in urgent need of protection and humanitarian assistance in this crisis. >> i think for ukraine, the war, unfortunately, we can't see an end. the needs are still immense. and then it is not just the immediate needs, but it does take time for people to rebuild their lives that have been destroyed. >> reporter: aoyama says the

international community needs to keep paying attention to the situation, and more importantly, keep sending support. japan's prime minister says he'll lead international efforts to support ukraine while his country serves as the rotating chair of the group of seven. kishida fumio plans to discuss new sanctions and demand an end to military support for russia. >> translator: we must not tolerate this attempt to change the status quo by force. we need to support ukraine and firmly implement sanctions against russia in order to restore a wrorld oorld order ba the rule of law rooted in the united nations charter and other international laws. >> kishida says what's happening in ukraine could also happen in east asia. he says he will call on other

asian countries to help maintain peace and order. he also expressed concern about a statement from russia's president this week. vladimir putin said moscow is suspending the new s.t.a.r.t. nuclear arms control treaty it'd signed with the united states. >> translator: japan is the only country that has suffered a nuclear attack in war. no nuclear weapon has been used for the past 77 years. russia's threat to use nuclear arms should not endanger that streak. >> kishida noted that japan is unable to supply weapons to ukraine because government policies restrict the transfer of defense equipment. he says japan will continue to focus on humanitarian aid and help with reconstruction, including equipment to addss power shortages and remove land mines. ukraine aes 's ambassador t

japan increased russia's increased attacks on the country's infrastructure, calling it brutal aggression. he held a news conference with his u.s. counterpart on friday. >> the purpose of the attacking infrastructure, they destroy energy supply, they destroy water supply, they destroy hospitals, universities, schools, so everything that would allow people to return and live normal lives. >> he stressed his country is ready for peace as soon as possible, but he says russia must first withdraw all its troops from ukrainian territory. u.s. ambassador rahm emanual abused president putin of starting the war and pledged continued support for ukraine. >> it's a war that he made, and he could have avoided it. our job was to stand by a friend

whose national integrity of their boundaries have been violated, in direct violation of the u.n. charter. >> japan was thanked for providing funds and humanitarian aid, and called for more support from tokyo for his country's reconstruction. the united nations general assembly is using the anniversary to push for peace. it's approved a resolution seeking an end to the bloodshed. it once again called on russia to withdraw its forces immediately. >> draft resolution a-es11/l7 is adopt adopted. >> 141 u.n. member states voted to support the resolution. seven countries voted against it, including russia, belarus and north korea. china and india were among 32 nations that abstained. the resolution calls on moscow to end its attacks on ukrainian infrastructure, as well as

civilian buildings like hospitals and schools. it sayso territory gained by threats or use of force could be considered legal. japan's foreign minister was among the delegates who spoke in favor of the resolution. >> russia should be held accountable for all of its acts. as a member state, should also refrain from supporting the aggression directly or indirectly. >> meanwhile, china's deputy ambassador criticized ukraine's supporters, accusing them of prolonging the conflict. >> translator: the brutal reality offers ample proof that sending weapons will not bring peace. adding fuel to the fire will only make tensions worse. >> thursday marked the fourth time china has abstained on a u.n. vote condemning russia's invasion of ukraine.

north korea says it staged a crews missile launch drill on thursday. it's the fourth time this year the north has fired missiles. the country's ruling workers party newspaper reported the launch on friday. it says a strategic cruise missile unit of the korean peoples os army shot the missil from the country's northeast. the paper says the missiles flew about 2 hours and 50 minutes and hit their target in the sea of japan. it says one goal of the drills was to examine the rapid response posture of missile cruise units, making up a major part of north yes kkorea's nucl component. the north's recent confrontational actions appear to be in response to joint military exercises by south

korea and the united states. a major u.s. newspaper says the united states is planning to boost its troop presence in taiwan in the coming months in order to bolster training for local forces. the planned increase in u.s. engagement with taiwan is expected to provoke a strong reaction from china. an article in the "wall street journal" on thursday cites u.s. officials who say there are plans to deploy between 100 and 200 troops to taiwan. about 30 were sent to taiwan in 2022. the report says the planned increase would mark the largest deployment of forces in decades by the u.s. there. this comes as china ramps up its military presence -- pressure, rather, on taiwan. the article cites officials as saying the extra troops will train taiwanese forces on u.s. weapon systems and military maneuvers to protect against a potential chinese offensive. the paper also quotes people

familiar with the program as saying the michigan national guard is training a taiwanese military contingent. it's time now for world weather with our meteorologist jonathan oh. jonathan, after making landfall in madagascar, cyclone fled dre is on its way to southern africa. what is the latest on the storm? >> hello. we have been watching freddie as it made its way across the indian ocean. it made landfall in madagascar earlier this week before continuing its way to the west. it is a deadly storm. here's a look to give you an idea of the situation on the ground. the number of casualties rose to five in madagascar after freddie made ndfall on the island tuesday. roofs were torn off and roads became flooded, and the storm displaced 11,000 people. it inundated 2,200 homes and destroyed hundreds. madagascar was battered by another tropical cyclone last month. 33 people were kille due to that particular storm. as freddie moves to the west, it

is expected to have impacts across mozambique the next couple days. talking about heavy rainfall and strong winds, especially making its way to zimbabwe as we go forward in time. that region down to the southern portions of africa looking at storms friday. up to the north, central portions of the continent getting near 40 degrees in some locations. it'll be hot as we go through the day. in europe, we have a powerful cold air mass moving in from the north, and that'll drop temperatures down. single digit highs and a bit on the messier side as we lack at rain coming up on friday from berlin to war kau. kyiv looking at rain with a high of 5 on friday. snow toward the north as we go through the day. meanwhile, looking at what's happening across japan, look closely toward the west, all these blue colorations is radar indicating rain moving in across the country toward the east, along the pacific side. we are looking at a wet evening on friday. as we go into saturday, things

should start to calm down. we are looking at more of a northwesterly flow once again to the northern areas of the country. snow will pick up on the sea of japan side of the country. sapporo looking for snow for the weekend. tokyo, high of 11 for the weekend. dry weather also expected in osaka and fukuoka the next few days. hope you have a good day wherever you are. ♪

♪ ♪ snd . >> hope the weather is looking good in your neck of the woods. ramin mellegard from our business desk is up next, so stay with us.

♪ this is "newsline biz." i'm ramin mellegard. now, the government's nominee for bank of japan governor has told a lower house hearing he intends to stick with the massive monetary easing program. >> translator: if i am approved as governor, i would like to work closely with the government and implement appropriate policies in accordance with developments in economic activity and prices. i would also like to create a situation where wages rise

structurally in tandem with efforts by businesses and government policies. i will try to achieve price stability, not temporarily but in a sustainable manner. >> structural wage increases is workers earning higher salaries after upping their skills and moving into growth industries. there is uncertainty surrounding japan's economy and those overseas. ueda said consumer prices are rising at 4%, higher than the boj's 2% inflation target. but he added the inflation is mainly cost push stemming from rising import prices, not strong demand. ueda, who is an economist, says he think the cost push factors will likely diminish and inflation will fall below 2% late in the year. >> translator: i think it will take a while to achieve the 2% target. i believe it's appropriate for the boj to continue with the

current monetary easing in view of the current economic activity and prices and future prospects. >> an analyst at a securities firm says ueda's comments friday offered no surprises. >> translator: but i don't think this is a conclusion. something new will come out sooner or later. investors will continue to be cautious in the short term. >> ueda indicated he'll continue the monetary easing policy. the analyst mentioned moves to sell bonds, in the belief the next governor will tighten the policy. the sell runniing will increase interest rates in the short term. he noted a continued rise is unlikely if the easing policy is prolonged. and those comments from the boj governor nominee fueled a rally on the tokyo stock exchange on friday. the nikkei average ended the day

at 27,453, up nearly 350 points or almost 1.3% from wednesday's close. thursday was a national holiday in japan. now, analysts say investors bought shares in the wide range of sectors on the view that the central bank will keep interest rates low by continuing its monetary easing program. but the rise was limited as ueda also mentioned the side effects of the ultra loose policy. investors speculated the boj's new leadership could tighten in response to such effects. friday's gains offset wednesday's losses on ccerns that inflation in the u.s. may remain high and that rate hikes could be prolonged. consumer prices in japan rose at the fastest pace in over four decades in january. electricity, gas and food costs, in particular, are soaring. japan's internal affairs ministry says the consumer price index, excluding fresh food, rose 4.2% last month from a year

earlier. it's the fastest rate of inflation since september 1981 when the country was reeling from an oil price shock. a series of price hikes meant that shoppers paid 7.4% more last month for food excluding fresh items than a year earlier. utility bills for gas and electricity jumped over 20%. ministry officials say they'll continue to closely monitor price trends. power companies have applied for government approval to increase electricity rates for households. now, prices for food and other items are also expected to continue to rise. the global electric vehicle market is quickly expanding, and japanese a auto maker toyota aims to keep ahead by starting production in the united states. toyota has traditional vehicle plant in kentucky, and sources say it'll begin full production of evs there as early as 2025. the company is investing $460

million in updating the plant. toyota plans to make its own batteries to keep the manufacturing process efficient. it is building a separate plant for batteries in north carolina, also to start production in 2025. the company's incoming president, sato koji, presented his road map to accelerate ev development under the new management. his focus is on establishing efficient local systems. he's indicated his plan to maintain the strategy of marketing various vehicles such as hybrid and fuel cell vehicles based on factors in each region. attention is on whether toyota can turn its past success into competitiveness in the crowded ev market. now, it's been one year since russia launched a full-scale invasion of ukraine. we hear from an expert about the energy crisis triggered by moscow's move. koyama ken of the institute of

energy economics japan says the simultaneous price hikes for oil, gas and coal have forced policymakers to rethink their approach to energy security. nhk world's tomura keiko spoke with him. >> translator: the current energy cris made securing a stable energy supply and ensuring energy security a top priority worldwide. >>eporter: before the invasion, energy was targeting imports. energy suppliers looked to change volume to meet demand. that's how prices were determined. but when western countries imposed sanctions on russia following the invasion, moscow restricted its supply of gas to europe, a continent that dme depended heavily on russian energy. >> translator: energy stakeholders are gradually realizing that there are problems that cannot be solved

by relying solely on market forces. there's a growing recognition that it is crucial for governments to come up with effective solutions to these issues. >> reporter: the eu is a case in point. it has unveiled a plan to swiftly decrease its dependence on russian fossil fuels. the members aim to accomplish this through energy savings, supplies, and by speeding up the adoption of renewable energy. >> translator: i think other major nations, such as japan and the u.s., will start taking measures to deal energy security and climate change simultaneously. but we need to watch the fluctuation of energy prices, see whether those measures go smoothly. higher energy prices could lead to social unrest and hurt the economy, even in advanced

countries. >> reporter: koyama predicts energy prices will remain volatile this year. he says european countries could be forced to look for new suppliers again. and the demand from china is expected to increase if the economy can bounce back from the effect of its zero covid policy. koyama says the g7 summit in may will prove difficult in addressing the energy crisis. he says the participants should show solidarity and seek solutions to the global benefit. >> translator: even if countries take measures to reduce their reliance on russia, another global energy crisis can happen anywhere. so it is essential for governments to improve their ability to deal with emergency situations. each country has to set its own policy of course, but international cooperation is even more important. it's crucial to establish and

maintain cooperation between producer and consumer countries. >> reporter: koyama says it is important not to repeat the mistakes of the 1970s, when petroleum expoers h an o embao on countes that supported israel. back then, each country pursued its owninrest, ataused illxist toy.raures tt this time, he says we need solidarity and collective action. t tomura keiko, nhk world. 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. witness, on al jazeera.

>> russia says it is suspending the last remaining nuclear treaty with the united states. the deal limits the number of nuclear warheads the two powers can deploy. what does it mean, and could it trigger an arms race? this is "inside story." ♪ welcome to the program. russian president vladimir putin says his country is suspending its role