hello and welcome to this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan with the news from tokyo. we begin with the latest on the earthquake that struck ishikawa prefecture on the sea of japan coast. officials say a man has been confirmed dead following the tremor. he reportedly fell from a ladder. the japan meteor laumgical agency is warning another

earthquake could shake the region in the coming week. >> translator: please stay aware for an earthquake that could reach an intensity of upper 6 especially in the next two or three days. there has been intermittent seismic activity in the area for more than two years, and it is expected to continue for the time being, so please remain vigilant. >> the magnitude 6.5 quake struck around 2:42 p.m. on friday. the meteorological agency says the focus was 12 kilometers deep in the noto region. it registered an upper 6 on the japanese seismic scale of 0 to 7 in suzu. in noto town the quake registered an intensity of upper 5 while the jolt reported lower 5 in wuseema city. the quake also registered an intensity of 4 in the city of kanazawa and some neighboring prefectures in niigata and

toyama prefectures. long tremors that could rock high rise buildings were recorded. experts say it could make it difficult for people to remain standing and topple furniture. the meteorological agency calls this type of shaking long period ground motion-touch it affects people on higher floors. police in suzu city say they've received some information a temple in the city and multiple buildings have collapsed. authorities are trying to confirm the details. families of japanese nationals abducted by north korea decades ago say u.s. officials intend to bring up the issue for discussion at the u.n. security council. he's the younger brother of megmumi who was abducted when she was 13. he was among the relatives who have been visiting washington since tuesday.

he met with u.n. officials including the deputy secretary of state. the relatives are seeking the return of their loved ones abducted in the 1970s and '80s. at a news conference in washington on thursday they said sherman showed understanding for their request for an early solution to the issue. >> translator: i told them the world needs to work together to resolve these abducts by north korea. i hope everyone will share these values and come up with a way to solve this human rights issue. >> the families told the u.s. side they would not object to humanitarian assistance to north korea if the parents of abductees could be reunited with their loved ones while they're alive. next, friday is a national holiday dedicated to children here in japan, but it may be a bittersweet celebration. the latest figures show the country's child population

continues to drop now for the 42nd consecutive year. the internal affairs ministry estimates the number of children aged 14 or younger was just over 14.3 million as of april 1st, down 300,000 from the previous year. the figure has been shrinking every year since 1982. what's more, the ratio of children in the total population fell to 11.5%. that number has been declining for almost five decades. and there's no sign of a reversal. in its latest estimate released last month the national institute of population and social security research forecast japan's child population will fall below 10 million in 2053. it expects the figure to continue sliding to just under 8 million in the year 2070 with children making up less than 10% of the total population. russia and china's foreign ministers have met in india. moscow says they discussed

ukraine including how to resolve the situation peacefully and stressed the solidarity between their countries. the talks between russian foreign sergei lavrov and his chinese counterpart took place a day before a foreign minister's meeting opens at the shanghai cooperation organization. the sdo is the regional framework on security and economic cooperation led by china and russia. lavrov and shin also separately met india's internal affairs minister. the meetings come amid intensifying sanctions on russia by western nations and as beijing remains at odds with washington in economic and security issues. analysts say russia and china seek to bolster economic ties with the sco and showcase their unity with member countries. now, the top u.s. intelligence officer says russia is facing difficulty in conducting large scale assaults due to a shortage of munitions.

she added it's forcing russian troops to transition from offensive to defensive operations along the front lines. >> in fact, if russia does not initiate a mandatory mobilization and secure substantial third party ammunition supplies beyond existing deliveries from iran and others, it will be increasingly challenging for them to sustain even modest offensive operations. >> haines noted russian forces face significant shortfalls and personnel constraints. she also noted fierce fighting continues in eastern ukraine. haines added ukrainian forces are still finalizing specific priorities, scale, and counter offensive. she says western assistance will be crucial in preparing both plans and forces.

policy makers at the european central bank have decided to raise the key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to stem inflation. the decision came thursday during a governing council meeting at the bank's headquarters in frankfurt, germany. the rate on the refinancing operations will climb to 3.75% effective from may 10th. euro zone inflation remains well above the bank's median target of 2%, growing 7% in april compared to the same month last year. >> our future decisions will ensure that the policy rates will be brought to levels sufficiently restrictive to achieve a timely return of inflation to our 2% median term target and will be kept at those levels for as long as necessary. >> it's the seventh consecutive

rate hike since july last year, but the pace of increase has slowed this time. people in london have seen their city get a royal makeover. they're preparing to celebrate the coronation of king charles. streets are lined with national flags. fans of the royals are getting into the spirit with ones bearing portraits of charles and union jack hats. some people have camped out along the parade route to buckingham palace. >> i've been here for one week because that's my passion for the royal family. >> it's just going to be a day to remember. >> souvenir shops are offering mugs and cans of tea with images of the king on them. japan's crown prince and crown princess have arrived on their first official visit to the u.k. they'll attend a reception hosted by king charles at buckingham palace on friday, and then on saturday the coronation

at westminster abbey. in other news the world health organization has held closed door talks to discuss whether covid-19 remains a global health emergency. the w.h.o.'s director general noted for each of the past ten weeks the number of reported deaths from the virus has been the lowest since march 2020. that's when the pandemic was in its early stages. pedros said the sustained trend has allowed life to return to normal in most countries, but he cautioned uncertainties of the evolution of the virus persist as genetic and sequencing efforts have declined significantly around the world. pedros is expected to announce in the near future weather to lift the emergency after studying the conditions. the w.h.o. declared the emergency in january 2020.

a delegation of high school students recently handed their proposals for a better future to japan's prime minister kishida fumio ahead of the upcoming g7 summit in hiroshima. as nhk world's fukushima yuki reports their manifesto was a result of the hiroshima g7 summit junior conference. >> reporter: on a sunny spring day hiroshima peace memorial park welcomed 24 students to attend the junior conference. they all live in japan and g7 nations. the students will split into

groups to discuss three different global issues, peace, sustainability, and diversity and inclusion. one local student joined. she applied to this event to find what her international peers had to say about peace. she lived in canada from age 5 to 9. >> translator: when learning about world war ii in canada the focus was usually on pearl harbor. because what we learn differs in each country, dialogue is essential to understand one another. >> reporter: the junior conference kicked off with a visit to the peace memorial museum. then the students listened to

the testimony of a hibkusha, an a-bomb survivor. >> it's hard to put into words. >> nuclear weapons now are a thousand times more powerful. nothing being done about this is also an issue. >> it was not my first time to go visit the museum, but seeing this again and again with everyone here has made me find new things and from different perspectives. >> reporter: on the final day the students presented their results of their discussions. >> we recommend education

globally of the history and dedication to prevent similar harm from occurring to people in the future. >> translator: people have different opinions, but we all have the same goal -- global peace. i could really relate to many things discussed at the conference. i will share this experience with my family, friends, and schoolmates. >> reporter: now the students are looking forward to hearing what world leaders have to say at the upcoming g7 summit. fukushima yuki, nhk world, hiroshima. and now here's a three-day outlook on the weather for selected cities around the globe.

and that's all for now on this edition of nhk "newsline." i'm raja pradhan in tokyo. thanks for joining us. ♪ welcome to "newsline in depth." i'm yanaka marie. today's special woshoku or japanese cuisine, nacho, these terms might have only been recognized by hard core foodies a while back, but not anymore. since it was designated a

tangible unesco heritage the number of washoku around the world has tripled. this food popularity means more and more nonjapanese chefs are trying their hands at washoku. japan's government has even setup the washoku world challenge, a professional competition for chefs around the world who want to learn about the national cuisine. the event returned in the spring after a three-year hiatus with 150 applicants from every corner of the globe. the top six went to tokyo for a final round. let's see how they fared. >> these traditional dishes including pressed shrimp sushi flavored with kelp and spring scented bamboo shoots flavored with herbs and miso were all prepared by non-japanese chefs. the washoku world challenge brought six chefs from abroad to

compete in a two-day cooking competition. they were chosen from among 140 who participated in a preliminary round. their task is to prepare five appetizers and a soup using dashi, which is the base of many washoku dishes. aeron choo from singapore won the asian division. she has trained in japan. it's her first time in the competition. just before the contest she visited tokyo's bustling toyasu market to seek out the freshest spring ingredients. freshly caught are key to her plan. she makes a colorful roll using

shrimp and half beak. the livers are carefully removed from the clams. she places the greatest importance on the dashi stock ensuring the water temperature is perfect. >> i used like more than six different dashi. every single item i use happens with dashi. >> points are lost if the prep time exceeds the limit. choo is over by 4 minutes. this is her course, wild plants in tempura, sing porrian mustard greens with mashed tofu, and the rolls, all typical of spring. as delicious as it looks, it's not quite good enough for first

place. >> the winner is number 5. congratulations. >> the czech republic comes out on uptop. choo finishes third scoring high points for taste. >> i think it's new discovery and further study. >> choo will no doubt have plenty of competition. chefs from around the world continue to be fascinated by deep-rooted aesthetics of washoku. >> choo believes an important aspect of japanese cuisine is the value it places on the spirit of hospitality.

that's why she served all of her dishes with a white towel and a menu listing the ingredients. meanwhile, the winner was awarded major points for his skills. the judges also praised his czech spin on washoku calling it innovative and original. after the competition the six finalists traveled to kyoto where they spent several days studying traditional washoku technique. they apprenticed at a restaurant that's boasted three michelin stars for nearly 15 years. the pair honed their skills under the guidance of 25 chefs in this chance of a lifetime. this experience help him in another challenge, thep japanese culinary art award. he vied for goal among the top chefs in japan in this prestigious 16-year-old event.

the entrants were tasked with preparing a bento box for a celebratory occasion. here's an example by one of the chefs. the dishes stood in a single container that typically measures 30 square centimeters. it's divided into four sections to hold a main dish, appetizers and more, essentially a full course meal. let's see what horak cooked up. >> it's the last day of the contest. 12 finalists have made it through from the field that included more than 100 entrants. horak is one of them. >> translator: the goal is to make people around the world compete with great washoku. >> his rivals today include some

of the most respected chefs in japanese cuisine. they work at prestigious hotels and renowned restaurants in kyoto and tokyo. horak is no novice himself. he's been making japanese food for ten years, getting his start working part time at a restaurant when he was still in high school. he spent eight months training in japan and is now a full-time chef. but even with this experience he can't help but feel outmatched by his opponent. >> it's hard to compete with these chefs because they have much more experience than me in japanese cooking of course because they're japanese. and they are chefs for many, many years more than me. and i'll try to make my best. >> the contest begins. the chefs start two at a time in ten-minute intervals. they have four hours to prepare

their bento boxes. the biggest challenge is they don't know what ingredients they'll be working with beforehand. this makes it impossible to plan any of their dishes. it's horak's turn to start. first, he opens his box of ingredients. an interpreter explains some unfamiliar items on the list like the japanese sprout which grows in the mountain in spring. horak considers what dishes to make, but the clock is ticking. the chefs who started ten minutes after him have already compiled a menu and started

cooking. 30 minutes after his time began horak finally comes up with his menu. >> i cannot work with the ingredients that well, so i just make really easy something i can do in a short time. >> horak starts off by making dashi, which can be used in many dishes he's familiar with. he's never made a celebratory bento box before, so he decides to keep things simple. the judges keep a close eye on technique. it's a major part of the grading criteria. the japanese chefs show-off their skills. a deft touch with a knife create

a use of ingredients as dishware. this is what's taken them to the top of their profession. presentation is also an important factor. the chefs carefully place each of their creations inside the containers. the japanese chefs start to complete their bento boxes. horak's time is nearly up. some of the chefs he competed against a week ago are here to watch him work. despite his slow start, horak manages to finish within the time limit. this is horak's bento box. it features seasonal and regional specialties. salmon marinated with a soy based sauce, japanese half beak

and shrink sashimi, clams steamed in sake. the rice is shaped into a plum blossom. it's garnished with spring delicacies including the sprout as well as kyoto-style pickles. >> i had some plan in my head what kind of food i should make, and this was difficult because you need to do a lot of things. >> the chef's names are not attached to the bento boxes to avoid the risk of bias. the results are about to be announced. how did horak do? he misses out on a podium finish, but he wins a special award for his effort. he's recognized for his ability to work within the time limit, his adherence to the tenants of japanese cuisine, and the overall balance of his creation. the other chefs were full of

praise for horak and said the presence of a non-japanese competitor was a source of inspiration. >> translator: i hope young people outside of japan become interested in japanese cuisine and pursue it. that would also motivate us chefs in japan to maintain and improve our skills. >> the feeling i'm on the right way. i will still do the same thing just learn, continuing my work. i will do my best in the future. >> horak says he will share his experience with chefs back home and hopes this knowledge will help raise the level of japanese cuisine in the czech republic. as more non-japanese chefs like horak and choo hone their skills in high level competitions, the

quality of japanese cuisine around the world will only improve. hopefully that creates a positive cycle in which washoku becomes even more loved around the globe. thank you for watching "newsline in depth."

imran: sudan's warring generals invited to peace talks, after fighting kills at least 530 people since mid-april. more than 100,000 have escaped their homes. how likely is a new peace initiative to succeed? this is "inside story." ♪ hello and welcome to the program. i am imran khan. just over two weeks of fighting have