. ♪ welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm ramin mellegard. in tokyo. we start with news a meeting between world powers that many will be watching closely. chinese president xi jinping is set to go to russia on monday for talks with president vladimir putin. the three-day state visit will be xi's first there since russia started the invasion of ukraine more than a year ago. the leaders last met face to face in september.

the kremlin says the two will discuss ways to advance comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between their countries. xi is in the spotlight over his country's response to the invasion. china's been accused by the u.s. of considering to supply russia with weapons. beijing says it wants to broker an end to the fighting. >> translator: we'll maintain an objective and fair stance over the crisis in ukraine and we'll play a constructive role in promoting peace talks. >> china released a 12-point proposal last month calling for a cease-fire and peace talks. western analysts say russia's offensive in the eastern region of donestk may be losing steam as ukrainians continue their all-out resistance. russian private military firm the wagner group and kyiv's forces are locked in a fierce battle for control of bakhmut. a u.s. think tank said wednesday personnel losses and ammunition

shortages are making it difficult for moscow's fces to recapture the central part of the city. the institute for the study of war says the overall pace of russian operations in ukraine appears to have decreased compared to previous weeks. now the british defense minister is reporting something similar in the region and said thursday that russian attempts to assault the battleground of vuhledar have almost certainly slowed over the past week. this follows repeated costly failed attacks over the previous three months. the ministry announced the army will get new artillery systems to replace the ones it gave ukraine. a swedish developed system is a howitzer mounted on an all terrain vehicle. several other nato countries have been providing ukraine with weapons. poland is preparing to give some to the country in what would be a first for the military alliance.

fighter jets. >> translator: firstly, literally within the next few days we will hand over, as far as i remember, four aircraft to ukraine in full working order. the rest are being prepared, serviced and will be successfully handed over. >> the polish president suggested this would only be its first shipment of soviet-made mig-29 jets. slovakia appears poised to make similar moves. poland was the first nato member to give kyiv german leopard 2 tanks. it helped persuade berlin and others to do the same. the white house says it was aware of the decision, but washington did not make any moves toward a pledge of its own f-16 fighter jets, despite kyiv's persistent requests. now the u.s. department of defense says it's unlikely russia will obtain any useful

information from the debris of the u.s. military drone that went down in the black sea. >> we do have indications that russia is likely making an effort to try to recover mq-9 debris. as you point out and as general milley highlighted, we assess it's very unlikely they would be able to recover anything useful. >>he u.s. militar released this video which it say shows two russian fighter jets conducting dangerous maneuvers on tuesday. one clided with the drone above the bck sea. u.s. military officials say they wereorced to crash the reconnaissance aircraft into deep waters. ryder says the u.s. took steps to protect information oard e craft. russian authorities deny their jet made contact. a spokesperson for moscow says their forces will recover the drone if they consider the operatnecessary for national security. and rescuers in colombia have ended their search for more survivors following tuesday's

explosion at a coal mine. they say the blast left 21 people dead. the disaster in central cundinamarca province is believed to have been caused by a gas leak. authorities say there were nine survivors. mining accidents are rife in colombia amid the search for coal. reports say there were more than 100 last year killing over 140 people. exports to europe doubled last year. many countries are in the grips of an energy shortage compounded by russia's invasion of ukraine. north korea's being hit with new sanctions after it fired a missile that landed in the sea of japan thursday. the intercontinental ballistic missile is believed to have the range to strike anywhere on the u.s. mainland. japanese cabinet ministers

approved the additional sanctions friday and added three individuals involved in the north's nuclear and missile programs to those subject to asset freezing. >> translator: japan urges north korea to address the issues of abductions, nuclear weapons and missiles and other matters of concern. japan will cooperate closely with the united states and south korea and wider international community to work for the dew denuclearization of the north. >> north korn state media aire video of what's described as a launching drill of the hwasong-17 missile. the news agency says it was launched from pyongyang international airport and reportedlylew for 1,000 kilometers and reached an altitude of 6,000 kilometers. photos of leader kim jong-un and his daughter have also been released. they show the two observing the

launch. the north filed the missile amid joint military drills by the u.s. and south korea. those started monday and will continue until next week. pyongyang has been demanding the exercises stop. japan and south korea are turning a new page in their relationship which has grown increasingly fraught. its leaders came out of a summit meeting pledging to work through past issues and towards solutions on ongoing security challenges. it was the first summit visit by a south korean leader to tokyo in over a decade, but their nations will not wait that long for the next one. >> translator: we've agreed to resume a style of shuttle diplomacy, where leaders make frequent visits without being bound by formalities. >> translator: south korea's national interest rates and japan's national interest rates are not a zero sum game. i think this relationship is

win-win. >> the two are looking to create a united front on regional challenges with a global scope. north korea continues to ramp up weapons tests, and china is growing more assertive. tokyo and seoul's recent rift, at times, put a bilateral intelligence sharing pact in jeopardy, but the leaders underscored its importance. they also discussed some controversial topics related to their shared history, including the continuing impact of the colonial rule of the korean peninsula and disputed territory. kishida reminded yoon of tokyo's position on the takeshima islands, which are controlled by south korea but claimed by japan. while the leaders heralded their progress, people on the streets of seoul are waiting to see how things unfold. >> translator: i hope bilateral relations improve, but i also hope japan will reflect on its past wrongdoing. >> translator: there are a lot of advantages to having a good relationship with japan, and

there are also many economic benefits. so i think holding the summit was good. >> for more on the summit, earlier, my colleague spoke with nhk's seoul bureau chief. aoki yoshuki. >> what was your take on the summit. >> it was a big milestone for both tokyo and seoul, considering how bad relations have been recently. yoon and kishida discussed a wide range of topics, including controversial issues, as mentioned. they seemed to come out of it on the same page. yoon was really clear in his language. he said he wants both countries to cooperate as partners, and kishida's government appears receptive. before the summit, both countries announced they were settling a trade dispute over high-tech materials and they announced a plan for more meetings. this summit broke the ice between japan and south korea. >> right.

and how has the reaction been in south korea? >> it's been a mixed bag, but yoon is getting praise from some media outlets. the conservative newspaper, one of the oldest in the country, was quite positive. it framed the regular meetings we're expecting between yoon and kishida as a chance to build trust. they said it could eventually lead to positive outcomes for south korea on historical issues with japan. not everyone is so rosy. meanwhile, a more left-leaning newspaper was much more critical. it questioned whether south korea was conceding too much on historical disputes. it also highlighted how divided people are. a gallup poll conducted last week showed 35% of south koreans support yoon's plan to resolve the wartime labor issue. the main opposition democratic party is already calling the summit a failure and it will likely use it against yoon's party during next year's legislative election.

>> so if it is so controversial, why is yoon going this path? >> part of it is getting trade between south korea and japan back on track, but there is the bigger picture. china and north korea have a major force in that regard. pyongyang's missile launches have driven tokyo and seoul toward closer security ties and an intelligence hearing. that was a big part of thursday's summit. south korea and japan's mutual ally, the u.s., has also been pushing for the two countries to make amends. yoon is scheduled to visit washington next month. he is likely hoping this progress with japan will impress u.s. president joe biden. for kishida, this also marks a major victory before he holds the g7 summit in hiroshima in may. we don't know if the two countries will stick to the shuttle diplomacy or if any more progress will be made on unresolved disputes, but there is no doubt kishida and yoon left thursday's summit looking

like stronger diplomats from when they entered. the european union gets 98% of its rare earths from china but leaders in the bloc believe that's too risky. thursday they announced to secure more key materials on home turf. >> today's communication aims to maximize our ability to access, process and find and recycle and deploy critical raw material. >> the 16 strong list includes elements used in wind turbines and electric vehicle batteries. the eu will aim to secure 10% within the bloc by 2030. processing should be at least 40% domestic and recycling at least 15%. the eu wants to diversify imports with no more than 65% of

any given material coming from a single country. now the u.s. government is demanding the chinese parent company of tiktok sell its stake in the app or risk a ban. this comes amid growing concerns over national security. u.s. media report the committee on foreign investments has told bytedance to divest its shares in tiktok to companies that are not from china. the video sharing app has more than 100 mlion users in the u.s. tiktok responded saying if protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn't solve the problem. the company's ceo is scheduled to testify next week before congress. now officials are concerned that tiktok user data could be leaked to the chinese government. more and more countries are banning the app on government phones. ♪

okay. it's time for a check on the weather with our meteorologist sayaka mori. it was a little gloomy in tokyo but we're seeing more signs of spring in other parts of japan. what's the latest? hello there. we have been providing you with the updates every day and today the cherry blossom season has officially entered. in sita ma and parts of kyoto. we saw the first bloom for nagoya on march 17th. the cherry blossom front will be extending towards the west and north and likely see the flowers starting to come out in kanazawa on march 24th, ten days earlier than normal.

for aomori, it could be the earliest on record. for tokyo, the peak will arrive next thursday. tomorrow is not going to be the ideal day for cherry blossom viewing in tokyo because rain is expected to be in the forecast, and also it's going to be a chilly day. ev even inland areas are expecting to see some snowfall. temperatures are expected to be 10 for the high in tokyo. it could be the coldest day in three weeks. warmer and sunny conditions are expected to return on your sunday. fukuoka will see sunny weather starting on sunday and that will continue into the mid part of next week. heavy rain fell in caledonia, 500 millimeters in 24 hours. rain is expected to ease there, however it's a different story for new zealand. heavy rain will continue to affect the flood stricken country. nearly 250 millimeters of rain is likely into saturday morning. thursday was panda day, and rain fell in moscow. it didn't ruin the fun mood.

take a look at this video. it may have been rainy in moscow thursday but it didn't spoil the fun of panda day at the zoo. the two resident giant pandas received special treats, including a colorful cake decorated with fruit and vegetables. they preferred their traditional bamboo shoots. the pan das were given on loan to the zoo from china back in 2019. that's it for me. stay safe.

that's a wrap for this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm ramin mellegard. thank you very much for joining us.

♪ this is "newsline biz." i'm gene ohtani. business leaders from japan and south korea sat down for talks in tokyo friday. they agreed to set up foundations that would tackle issues of common concern, including energy, security, and decarbonization. the heads of the japan business federation and the federation of korean industries were at the meeting along with south korean

president yoon suk-yeol and top executives from both countries. >> translator: this is an important first step on the path towards building future oriented relations between japan and south korea. >> the head of the korean federation said the two business communities will cooperate more across a wide range of fields, including mutual investments. president yoon suk-yeol was at the meeting as a special guest. he's just finished a summit meeting with japanese prime minister kishida fumio where they agreed to boost travel and security -- boost trade and security ties, that is. yoon said there is great scope for japan and south korea to support each other in business and create innovative opportunities together. investors around the world have been on edge after the collapse

of u.s. banks and news of a financial crisis at credit suisse, but the head of japan's beijing lobby says it's having no effect for now on the japanese financial system.beiji no effect for now on the japanese financial system.abeijg no effect for now on the japanese financial system.nbeij having no effect for now on the japanese financial system.kbeij having no effect for now on the japanese financial system.ibeij having no effect for now on the japanese financial system.ngbei having no effect for now on the japanese financial system.eijin having no effect for now on the japanese financial system.jing having no effect for now on the japanese financial system.ing l having no effect for now on the japanese financial system.ng log no effect for now on the japanese financial system.g lob no effect for now on >> translator: global banks strengthened their risk control since the 2008 financial crisis. the collapse of lehman brothers. european financial institutions generally have solid capital ratios and so do japanese banks. >> the chairman of the japanese bankers association touched on the failures of silicon valley bank and noted they have professed full protection for the depositors. he also said the situation is

volatile and needs close monitoring because inflation, interest rate movements and geopolitical risks are all weighing on the financial markets. german chancellor schultz hopes to discuss the ways of securing stable supplies of rare minerals when he meets japanese officials in tokyo this weekend. >> translator: it's previcely in the area of raw material security we seek exchange with partners worldwide. that's why this topic is at the top of the agenda. when i travel to japan tomorrow for government consultations. >> scholz will be accompanied by six cabinet members, the first time for the group to meet their japanese counterparts at an official level. a senior german official said the government is interested in japan's policy of reducing its reliance on specific countries for its resources. dependence on russian energy has become a major issue in germany following the invasion of ukraine. the bank of japan held more

than half of the country's government bonds at the end of last year. a quarterly report from the boj shows the holdings had grown as it maintained its low interest rate policy. the central bank owned 52% of all outstanding long-term bonds. that amounted to 547 trillion yen, or about $4.1 trillion. the number excludes treasury bills for short-term financing. the boj has committed itself to buying unlimited amounts of japan's sovereign bonds. the aim is to hold down the yield on the benchmark issue. the report lists financial assets held by individuals. the national total was a record trillion jen. cash savings, securities and ib insurance policies.

the figure up 0.4% from a year earlier and topped 2,000 trillion yen for the fifth straight quarter. the pace of increase slowed. the boj says a resumption of economic activity in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and rising prices have prompted consumers to spend more and save less. microsoft has unveiled new artificial intelligence capabilities for its most popular software products. the firm says it will super charge workplace productivity. microsoft he introduced what it is calling co-pilot with an online event thursday. the firm is incorporating generative ai into word, excel and powerpoint. among other programs, one executive demonstrated how co-pilot could write a speech celebrating her daughter's graduation. thprogram shows the pictures and composed the text. microsoft says co-pilot will

also make meetings more odtive. it works wit video conferencing software teams and can summarize the discussion, indicate who said what, and flag where participants failed to reach an agreement. the technology is based on a version of the viral sensation chatgpt. microsoft is one of the investors in the chatbot's creator openai. les take a look at what's happening in the week ahead. the bank of japan on monday will release the summary of opinions by board members from last week's policy meeting. the boj decided to maintain the current monetary easing measures. it was the last such meeting for the governor. he steps down next month after a decade in the position. attention is focused on what the board had to say about ten years

of monetary easing by the bank. any discussion among the members on how to pass the policy and practices onto the next governor are also likely to draw scrutiny. set to assume the post, he will be the first central bank governor to come from academia. germany's zew economic institute comes out with its reading on economic sentiment on tuesday. the index is a widely followed gauge of the country's economy in the next six months. it rose above 28 points in february. the fifth increase in a row. that showed the economic situation continuing to improve. the zew said the gain can be traced back to higher profit expectations in the energy and export oriented sectors as well as the consumer-related parts of the economy. on wednesday the u.s. federal reserve will wrap up a

two-day meeting. the fed raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point in february, following a half point hike in december. that suggested it may be ready to soften its approach to fighting inflation. earlier this month chair jerome powell told the senate banking committee they may have to take larger steps to tackle inflation even though the way ahead is likely to be bumpy. the country's consumer price index in february rose 6% from a year earlier. some analysts say the fed raising interest rates contributed to the failure of california based silicon valley bank and new york's signature bank. high inflation and turmoil in the banking sector will force some difficult decisions in the next meeting. the turkish central bank will announce its policy direction on thursday. it cut the main interest rate to 8.5% from 9% in february.

it further eased financial conditions in response to the devastating earthquake that hit the country last month. under the unorthodox policy of president recep tie yep ear toe wan, the bank had cut the interest rate by 500 basis points last year but a subsequent slump in the lira caused annual inflation to top 85% in october. february's rate declined to 55% but remains high. finally, officials in japan will release the consumer price index for february on friday. the cpi excluding fresh food rose 4.2% in january from a year earlier. that was the fastest pace in over four decades. government subsidies for household energy costs began in january to ease the burden on consumers. the inflation rate for february is expected to be lower than the previous month, although food prices continue to rise.

and from the "newsline biz" team in tokyo, i'm gene ohtani. thanks very much for joining us.

environmental impact of water over transition. mohammed: the shockwaves from the collapse of two u.s. banks have been felt around the world. it's the biggest failure since the 2008 financial crisis, when stricter regulation came. so, what lessons can we learn then, and what happens now? this is "inside story." ♪ hello and welcome to the program. i'm mohammed jamjoon. the global financial markets should have been in a be