cause and effect. consumers in japan are paying much more for hard disc drives, but it's mainly a thailand problem. this is "newsline." i'm michio kijima in tokyo. the flooding in thailand is having a ripple effect. it's affecting supply lines far away. the waters are now surging toward bangkok's main domestic airport. the don muang airport also happens to be the headquarters for the government's task force on the disaster. the airport is in northern bangkok. waters swamped roads leading to it on monday. it happened two days after the chao phraya river overflowed in the central part of the thai capital. the water level is said to be 1 1/2 meters in some places. floodwaters have inundated residential areas surrounding the airport.

the floods have washed into factories that make key components for computers. some manufacturers have suspended operations. retailers are running short on hard disc and tokyo's electronics district. they have increased prices by 20%. hard disc drives are essential parts for computers and are used as external storage devices. >> translator: since supplies are running out, a lot of companies are eager to secure their stock. i'm concerned supply may fall short of demand ahead of the year-end sales season. a full day has passed since a powerful earthquake shook turkey. hundreds of emergency workers are searching for signs of life in the rubble. they fear many people could be trapped in broken-down buildings. so far, this quake has killed more than 230 people.

>> the tremor measures 7.2 in magnitude. it hit eastern turkey close to the border with iran. interior minister idris naim sahin says along with the dead, more than 1,000 people are hurt. prime minister recep tayyip erdogan visited the disaster area soon after the quake. he said countless people could be trapped in collapsed buildings. he promised swift rescue efforts. >> translator: we want to get people out alive. rescue efforts are going on throughout the night. >> soldiers and more than 1,200 emergency personnel are working together. they're dealing with constant aftershocks. survivors spent the night in tents. the temperature dropped to about 3 degrees celsius. they built fires to keep warm.

>> translator: my son was pulled out of the rubble alive. >> translator: the building was shaking. i thought it was about to collapse, and then it came down. >> countries including the united states, israel and greece have offered to send rescue workers and relief supplies. nhk contacted someone who works at a hotel near the quake's epicenter. huseyin yasar says the constant aftershocks are terrifying people. [ speaking in foreign language ]

the united states and north korea have begun a fresh round of direct talks on the north's nuclear program. we have the story. >> reporter: u.s. special envoy stephen bosworth and north korean first vice foreign minister, kim kye gwan opened talks on monday. this is geneva. in the first direct talks involving the two countries since july, the united states is expected to urge north korea to immediately halt its uranium enrichment activities and accept inspectors from the international atomic energy agency. the u.s. side says these steps towards denuclearization are preconditions for resuming the six-party talks on the north's nuclear program, which have been

stalled for nearly three years. north korea argues that its enriching uranium for use in nuclear power generation. the country wants the six-party talks to be resumed without preconditions. the focus of the latest geneva meeting is whether north korea makes concessions to break the deadlock. for nhk, geneva. sust defense secretary, leon panetta has pledged u.s. commitment to peace and prosperity in asia. panetta is in japan for the first time since taking that position in july. panetta spoke to u.s. soldiers and japanese self-defense force personnel on monday at the u.s. dakota air force base in tokyo. he said he wants to make clear that the pacific remains a priority for the united states. >> we will always maintain a strong presence in the pacific. and we will be a force for peace

and prosperity. in the pacific region. >> during the question-and-answer session, a japanese sdf member asked whether the u.s. military will reduce its presence in the region to accommodate a reduction in the nation's defense spending. panetta said there will be no reduction in u.s. forces in asia and the pacific. panetta is to meet prime minister yoshihiko noda and defense minister, ichikawa separately on tuesday and discuss the delayed relocation of a u.s. military base in okinawa. a plan to move the marine corps futenma air station to nago city also in okinawa has been stalled due to strong opposition from local residents. secretary panetta came to japan after visiting indonesia. that country is becoming a strategically-important power in southeast asia. it controls a key route from the strait of malaca to the south china sea. it's one reason the united states and china are trying to strengthen their military ties with indonesia.

nhk world tells us how that is playing out. >> reporter: panetta is on a tour of east asia. the first leg of his trip included talks with indonesian defense minister. the u.s. agreed to provide indonesia with radar to monitor ships in its territorial waters. the u.s. also agreed to provide fighter jets. indonesia is modernizing its defensive weapons on land and at sea. the united states agreed to support such efforts. indonesia is aware of its strategy importance and is starting to realize the strength of its position in dealings with the united states. >> translator: we welcome closer ties between the armed forces of

the two countries. the united states is giving us strong support. the americans even asked us what we need to modernize our weaponry. >> reporter: indonesia is gaining confidence in its dealings with china. this video was taken in june last year in part of the south china sea. where indonesia and china have a territorial dispute. >> reporter: china sent a giant war ship turned fishing patrol

boat to the area to try to force an indonesian patrol boat out of the area. the indonesian boat was there to keep an eye on chinese fishing boats. china's patrol boat was equipped with weapons. engine-mounted and the situation reached a flashpoint. the incident was finally settled when indonesia released chinese fishermen it had detained and china withdrew from the waters. >> reporter: after the incident china met an about-face, dropping its strong-arm tactics

toward indonesia and taking a flexible stance. china is now trying to strengthen cooperation with indonesia. this year, china began providing indonesia with high-performance guided missiles at a competitive price. in june, the two countries held their first joint military exercise, including hostage rescue drilling by special units. >> translator: we are in a position to move freely and actively, we can cooperate with anyone. we want to be as free as an eagle. >> reporter: purnomo's comment about being as free as an eagle gives a glimpse of indonesia's determination to take advantage of the u.s. and china to get stronger and eventually become a major power that can influence

the world. nhk world, bali, indonesia. a panel of experts has stressed the need for nuclear power plants to have multiple power sources to insure a supply of electricity in emergencies. six nuclear energy experts make up the panel organized by the nuclear and industrial safety agency. the panel, which met for the first time on monday will discuss the lessons to be learned from the accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. >> translator: you should arrange to receive emergency power supplies from other utilities in addition to installing multiple power sources. >> fuel in three reactors at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant melted down after the plant lost power after the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. the experts state that tepco, the operator, should examine why the equipment failed to work and take measures to prevent a recurrence. they called for the agency to present documents on the

accident that are easy for the general public to understand. the panel will submit a report in march that it hopes will provide a blueprint for japan's new nuclear safety agency to be laujed in april. debate is heating up on whether japan should participate in the talks on the tpp free trade deal that will take place in early november as part. apec meeting. both of those opposed to the deal and supporters presented their case to the government on monday. many in the agricultural sector are proposed to participation on the grounds that the deal could damage japanese farmers. the leader of the central union of agricultural cooperatives, bonzi, expressed his group's opposition in a meeting with chief cabinet secretary, osama refugee mora. he warned that the tpp will undermine japan's agricultural sector and urged the government

to retain from taking part. fujimura said the group still canvassing for opinions. meanwhile head of the country's main business lobby pressed the government to join the tpp negotiations. japan business federation chairman hiro kuda told the foreign minister, koichiro gemba, that japan needs to promote high-level cooperation with other countries. he said joining the tpp will not hurt japanese industry. he added that japan has no time to waste because participants in the tpp talks aim to reach general agreement at the asia pacific economic cooperation forum. for his part, gemba noted the details on the nature of any final deal will be available only to those taking parts in the talks. he emphasized that the government will soon have to make a major decision. as the yen remains at an historic high against the japan's greenback, the japan's finance minister has hinted that intervention is a possibility to

stem the yen's further rise. >> translator: reaching the 75-yen level against the dollar is speculative movement and it does not reflect the actual economy. japan must take firm action if speculative currency moves get out of hand. >> azumi also said if the dollar stays in the 70-yen range, that would put a damper on japan's auto and other experts and slow the recovery from the march disaster. nissan president, carlos ghosn has expressed concern about the strong yen. he spoke to reporters on monday after the japanese currency rose to a new high against the dollar in new york on friday. >> with level of the yen, japan lost all of its competitiveness. and this an abnormal level. for us, it's an abnormal level. because you can source in other countries much more easily, you can locate projects in other countries much more easily. and this is not normal. it did not used to be that way.

>> ghosn urged the japanese government to take immediate steps to counter the strong yen. the head of the inter-american development bank said europe's sovereign debt problems are starting to impact latin american countries. idb president, luis alberto moreno said in tokyo that the debt prices in europe is forcing the prices of natural resources, including oil, gold and copper to decline. many latin american countries are producing these commodities. moreno said the flow of money into the region has been dwindling. >> definitely some of the flows that were coming to latin america have slowed down. because of some of the problems that we see in europe. i think the time for not acting decisively is coming to an end. >> he also said that the next year's average economic growth in latin american nations will

slow down to 4% from 4.5% this year. and here are the market figures. digital content is now a big part of the entertainment business. japan takes a leading role in creating animation, which has helped shape the country's popular culture and defined its image abroad. several exciting international tie-ups in the animation industry now aim to take advantage of japan's cutting-edge role in the field.

nhk world's miho fukinada reports. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: this animation was recently created bay studio in bangkok. thailand is one of several asian countries keen on taking a prominent role in the animation industry. on monday the biggest eastern content trade show in asia held in tokyo. thai officials announced plans to produce animated films in partnership with the japanese firm. a number of thai companies and the japanese firm hope to eventually expand into developing other content such as applications for smartphones and video games. thailand is a big market for japanese anime and thai

animators have honed their skills by working as subcontractors on japanese productions. but the country hasn't found a way to bring its homegrown animations to the wider audience. the thai government thinks it's time to nurture the industry to joint productions with japanese creators. >> when we become to the right level of equality, we will like to go out worldwide. we need the area to make business model, find the right way to sell. >> reporter: that collaboration makes good business sense for the japanese partner, too. the tokyo-based company, vae produces fresh animation for tv, the web and mobile phones. they are good at creating content quickly and cheaply. the company has already moved

into the chinese animation market. it's planning to team up with firms in malaysia and the united arab emirates. >> translator: i think there are many talented creators and good anime studios that are still underground. it's important to produce them and bring them to the global market. >> reporter: the anime industry is growing in asia. but the market in japan has been shrinking for the past five years. the thailand/japan partnership in the animation industry may create a win-win outcome, if they can come up with a hit. my hoe fukanaga, nhk, tokyo. time to check stories we've gathered from broadcasters across asia, we begin with this item sent by src sri lanka.

tourism in sri lanka has been increasing for the past two years, after the end of ethnic conflict in the north. the country recorded a 27% increase in september compared to the same month last year. >> considering all the troubles you've had with the ethnic conflict a and the tsunami, you're doing very well. >> sri lanka's tourism and development authority said on sunday that about 80,000 people visited the country last month. mostly from europe, australia and the south asia. the government hopes to attract 2.5 million tourists by 2016 and in the process create 350,000 jobs. an international circus festival kicked off in the northern chinese city of szejuan on saturday. the curtain-raiser was an acrobatic "swan lake" combining most beautiful acrobatics and the most dangerous ballet.

more than 200 artists from 17 countries and regions, including russia, canada and france will showcase their routines during the nine-day event. the festival will also include a circus competition and a forum on world circuses. china's ministry of culture has instituted a biannual event in 1978 to promote friendship and understanding among nations. hundreds of artists showcased their skill at creating bright, intricate designs with rice powder known as kulam on sunday in the western malaysian state. it's a decorative art form from india. practiced by malaysia's indian community to celebrate special events and festivals. the most elaborate hindu festival of the year, dwali, falls on wednesday, it's aimed at fostering understanding among malaysia's various ethnic communities and promoting tourism and feature s artists from 40 countries. mai shoji is up next with

weather. let's take a look at your weather conditions. starting with asia, let's take a look at japan. the pacific side going to be overcast. but still mild weather will continue for a little while before this low pressure system moving into northern japan, disturbing the area with strong winds and a few showers. and this associated cold front will then be passing through the area. so much of the country will be experiencing this strong winds, maybe some hail. nothing too significant, but a few showers may be possible. as well as the temperatures dropping down significantly perhaps by wednesday. here is the high pressure dominates the area. we will see some sunny spells in the korean peninsula. and southwestern china will be seeing some few showers, nothing too significant. but even just a little rain, we're concerned here in thailand. the flooding situation still not alleviated yet there. so further flooding risk there.

because of the northeastern monsoon affecting the area with a few showers and heavy rain at times still. bangkok at 34 degrees, looking at hong kong at 26. and ulan bator at 8 degrees for our tuesday high and the low is going to be around minus 6 degrees. seoul at 11 with the cold front passing there, it's going to be chilly and tokyo we're looking at 26 degrees, pretty warm here for our tuesday high. here in north america, we're looking at this tropical storm, this is rina. now it is moving at the speed of nine kilometers per hour. so it's going to be lingering just around this area, east coast of, east of the eastern coast of honduras, i should say, heading towards belize and then towards the yucatan peninsula. as it does, it will become a hurricane. so the intensity will be intensifying. and as it reaches yucatan peninsula, by overnight thursday i should say, local time, it will become a hurricane and we do have tropical watch just over here in effect in the eastern

coast of honduras. this is our 72-hour precipitation outlook. it looks like it's going to be heading towards, making this kind of path. and the rain is going to be up to about 100 millimeters in some areas. vancouver at 11 degrees, seattle at 12, just around this area, northern rockies especially, we will be looking at winter weather to come for you. we do want to be aware of that. houston at 31. oklahoma city at 27. and just around this area, it's a good recipe for critical fire risks, so that warning is in effect in oklahoma, kansas and panhandle of texas. new york at 18 degrees. heading over to europe, we have disturbance just over the british isles. low pressure system and this cold front will be bringing some severe weather to come. just in british isles. just a few showers and some strong winds to come. but this could be nasty. just around france and then towards the alpines and italy. we may see some severe thunderstorms even to pop up there. but out towards the east, a

different story. looking pretty dry. scandinavian peninsula, also dominated by the high pressure system. but just in the eastern area of the black sea, we have an upper-level low disturbance. and we know that this is van, just around turkey, where the earthquake hit and some precipitation, it's going to be cold. so the recovery could be affected by this kind of rain. and higher elevations will be a mix of snow. the low on friday, minus 2 degrees. this is your five-day forecast for van, turkey. and here's your extended forecast.

as we've been reporting, the flooding in thailand is having the ripple effect. it's affecting supply lines far away. the waters are now surging toward bangkok's main domestic airport, the don muang happens to be the headquarters for the government's task force on the disaster. the airport is in northern bangkok. waters swamped roads leading to it on monday. it happened two days after the chao prhyar river overflowed. floodwaters have inundated areas surrounding the airport. the floodwaters flooded factories that make key components for computers.

some manufacturers have suspended operations, retailers are running short on hard discs in tokyo's main electronics district. hard disc drives are essential parts of kpunts and computers and are used as external drive devices. >> translator: since supplies are running out, a lot of companies are eager to secure their stock. i'm concerned supply may fall short of demand ahead of the year-end sales season. that's our broadcast for this hour on "newsline," we'll be back with more news in half an hour. i'm michio kijima in tokyo, thank you for watching. bye-bye.