the ties that bind. japan/u.s. relations remain strong. top officials struggle to resolve one key issue. this is "newsline." i'm michio kijima in tokyo. defense chiefs from japan and the united states, say their countries must make progress in relocating the u.s. base. in okinawa. defense minister, yasuo ichikawa, and defense secretary, leon panetta met tuesday in tokyo. each says the government is preparing to submit an environment impact report on the relocation to officials in okinawa with this year. the report is the final step in the environmental assessment for relocation of the u.s. marine corps futenma air station. the base is expected to be moved from a densely populated area to

a location closer to the coast. >> this is a critical initiative in our effort to maintain a strong forward deployed presence in the pacific region. and it's also important to reducing the impact of our bases in okinawa. >> panetta says it's necessary to make progress on the relocation plan. the u.s. and japan signed an agreement in 2006. ichikawa says japan hopes to strengthen its alliance with the u.s. and it faces security issues related to north korea and china. panetta says the u.s. is a pacific country and it intends to military power in the region. maintain its presence in of military power in the region. the united states hopes to

strengthen ties with japan as much as possible. the bulk of american forces in japan have been stationed in okinawa since the end of world war ii. thousands of workers work at the futenma base. local residents are tired of having them as neighbors, though. the u.s. aircraft have been involved in accidents, and some servicemen have committed crimes. >> reporter: in 2006 japan and the u.s. agreed to relocate the futenma base to a less populated area in okinawa prefecture. it is part of a broader realignment of u.s. forces to move some 8,000 troops to guam. but residents of okinawa are opposed to the move because relocating the base to another area in the prefecture does not lessen its burden. on the other hand, u.s. lawmakers are under pressure to trim defense spending. they could find the cost of transferring the marines to guam

a tempting target. u.s. senators have expressed deep concerns about the affordability of the 2006 plan. the u.s. government is irritated because the base relocation has been delayed for too long due to local opposition. it has urged japan to follow through with the accord. after taking office in september, the japanese prime minister, yoshihiko noda, has recommitted to the 2006 agreement on futenma. nhk political commentator joining us. masayo nakajima joins us. what does the promise by the japanese government submit a final environmental report actually mean? >> the central government hopes to apply the request for a land reclamation project with the governor of okinawa by next summer. that does not necessarily mean that the relocation project will be achieved easily because there are still a lot of problems or

obstacles with convincing the locals the biggest. >> why did the japanese government promise the assessment, even though it's not a big step? >> the administration wants to show the u.s. that progress is being made towards breaking the stalemate. you know, the u.s. government has long been irritated with the delayed progress of their relocation issue. noda's predecessors have frustrated japan's biggest ally by failing to follow through on their various promises. with next year the presidential election in mind, obama wants to remove as many obstacles as possible, because the race is expected to be very tight. so the japanese government needs to come up with some sort of pledge before obama in november meets noda on the sidelines of the asia-pacific summit in hawaii. >> has the situation in northeast asia had anything to

do with u.s. and japan wishes to keep the u.s. forces in okinawa? >> i think so. the stalemate over futenma has stalled the restructuring of u.s. military forces in asia, and moving the base is a big part of washington's grand plan. that includes repositions about 8,000 marines from okinawa to the u.s. territory of guam. the pacific territory is set to become a crucial regional hub for the u.s. navy and air force. japan also needs the u.s. help to counter china's growing military power. you know, china has become very increasingly vigilant over our territorial claim in japan's southern waters. japan does not want north korea to take advantage of the stalled negotiations, either. you know, the noda government's promise to the u.s. does not necessarily represent progress on the relocation issue. so it remains unclear how much

impact japan's promise on the re, on the base relocation issue will have on the international situation. >> nhk world political commentator, masayo nakajima joining us tonight. masayo, thank you. rescuers are stepping up efforts to find hundreds of people thought to be still trapped under wreckage in eastern turkey. more than 2,200 buildings were destroyed by the magnitude 7.2 quake where the epicenter was located. in van province. the turkish government said 366 people are confirmed dead, and more than 1,300 have been injured. in the worst-hit town, ercis, military units and other crews have been using cranes and heavy machinery

to search for people buried under the rubble. with overnight temperatures dropping to freezing points, many survivors are sleeping in tents and huddling around fires to stay warm. emergency food supplies are not reaching all communities affected and electricity and water remain cut off. thailand's worst floods in half a century are threatening to inundate bangkok at any moment. the government's flood relief operation is on the verge of being submerged. residents in the capital are still on the high alert. nhk world's nataka reports. >> reporter: floodwaters are lapping at the doors of bangkok's don maung airport. the airport has also been one of the biggest evacuation centers for flood victims. the authorities have now decided to move 4,000 evacuees from

there to a new center outside the capital. the only two airlines operating from the airport have suspended all flights to the anger of passengers. across bangkok, businesses are also feeling the impact on the city's economy. i'm standing here at one of the most famous tourist attractions in bangkok. where the flooding has affected the tourist industry. shop owners say fewer tourists are visiting the area. some have decided to leave earlier than planned. >> our flights tonight, we have changed the schedule just because we were slightly concerned. so yeah, we was worried about if the airport flooded. we might not be able to get home. >> reporter: with at least 366

lives lost, and the crisis far from over, the thai government has declared a five-day holiday in flood-affected areas, starting thursday. the time off is intended to give the public the chance to prepare for flooding over the weekend. that's when a spring tide combined with the slow-moving floodwaters, will push bangkok's defenses to the limit. nhk world, bangkok. the united states and north korea have started a second day of direct talks in geneva. the two sides are discussing the north's nuclear program. heading into the talks, special u.s. envoy, stephen bosworth told reporters he was neither optimistic or pessimistic about prospects for the meeting. details of monday's discussions have not been disclosed. the united states is believed to have urged north korea to immediately end its uranium

enrichment program and accept inspectors from the international atomic energy agency. north korean first vice foreign minister, kim kye gwan, reportedly reiterated that its uranium enrichment is for nuclear power generation and the six-party talks on the country's nuclear program should be resumed without preconditions. the two sides are expected to enter detailed discussions based on these arguments. eu leaders held talks last sunday aimed at preventing the spread of europe's credit worries. a final agreement will not be reached until another eu summit scheduled for wednesday. the greek government implemented austerity measures in order to remain eligible for loans. the measures have provoked strong protests from the greek people. now a growing number of greeks are starting to think about restarting their lives outside the country. nhk world's yasushi kudo reports from athens.

>> reporter: people line up outside a bank in athens. at the recent meeting, eu leaders discussed the proposal that private banks absorb more losses. this led to speculation that the greek banks could face an uncertain future and many depositors began withdrawing their funds. all over the city, trash is piling up. it hasn't been collected recently, due to strikes in opposition to the government's austerity measures. the economy has deteriorated because of repeated tax hikes and wage reduction. crimes are on the increase. burglaries have more than doubled since last year.

higher taxes shrink domestic demand and drive up the unemployment rate. people feel caught in a vicious circle and are increasingly angry at the government. with their future here looking bleak, an increasing number of greeks are deciding to face the future elsewhere. papantoniou is 31 years old, he's a graduate of a national engineering college and is a first-class registered architect. he wanted to use his skills to work for the betterment of his country. but he lost his job in 2008. three years later he's still unemployed.

>> the government has not taken any steps to reduce unemployment. that's the most important issue for the people. >> reporter: his last hope that the government can help him find a job. so papantoniou's family had to make a painful decision to leave his country. he's getting ready to move to germany by the end of the year. >> translator: i'm totally disappointed with my country. i've tried very hard to build my future career. i've done the best i could. but there's no opportunity in this country. to use the abilities i've acquired over many years. >> reporter: this exodus could result in a huge loss of valuable human resources. but greece has no choice. as long as it remains a member of the euro zone, it must

proceed down the path of austerity. meanwhile, the greek people must decide which direction they will take. yasushi kudo, nhk world, athens. japan's atomic energy commission says the extra financial costs incurred in the event of an accident at a nuclear power plant will increase the costs of generating electricity by one yen per kilowatt hour or about 1.3 cents. however, some members of the commission have disputed that estimate, since it does not include the outlays for decontaminating large areas of land. the commission's estimate released on tuesday is based on the possibility of a serious nuclear accident. it takes into consideration the costs of evacuating residents, compensation, and also decommissioning the stricken reactors. it says that total losses per reactor will come to over 3,380

billion yen or $51 billion in the cost of scrapping a plant where the accident has taken place. that would place the total cost of nuclear power generation, at six to seven yen, or about eight to nine cents per kilowatt hour. this is comparable with electricity from conventional power sources, such as coal-powered plants. which cost five to seven yen per kilowatt hour. however, the figure does not include the expenditure for decontaminating a wide area of land, including forests or for storing nuclear waste. this was due to insufficient data, as yet from the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. one member of the commission stated that the total losses including those additional expenditures would be about 12 times higher. this would increase the total generating cost for nuclear power to as much as 22 yen, or just under 30 cents per kilowatt hour. making it three times more

expensive than coal-generated power. time to check on some of the stories we've gathered from broadcasters around asia. we begin tonight with this item sent by ddi india. bhutan's king has begun a nine-day visit to india, together with his new bride. indian prime minister, manmohan singh, officially welcomed the royal couple to new delhi on monday. in talks, they discussed ways to boost bilateral economic ties. india has opened 16 checkpoints along the frontier for bhutanese traders. this is the king's first overseas trip since his wedding on october 13. and the fourth time he has been to india since his coronation three years ago. a hong kong inheritance case involving the estate of one of the world's richest women has finally come to an end. the territory's top court on monday dismissed the case of a man seeking to inherit the multibillion-dollar estate of

nina wong, who died in 2007. the man, tony chan, argued that wong was his lover and she had left her entire fortune to him in a will. a lower court had earlier ruled that the will was probably a forgery. the court decided in favor of a charitable foundation. the foundation's claim to the estate rests on a will from 2002. when the economy hits a rough patch, investors often turn to gold. we've seen that during the global recession. the price of gold has almost tripled since 2006. and that's encouraged people to mine this precious metal in some unlikely places. >> reporter: this tokyo-area company is buying circuit boards housed in old computers. gold, a good heat conductor is widely used in circuit boards and microchips. with gold prices higher, the value of old electronic parts containing the metal has also gone up.

a year ago, 300 kilograms of computer circuit boards would have been valued at about $2,000. now, those circuit boards are worth over 30% more. >> translator: we're getting an amazing number of inquiries. you'll find more gold in a home computer than if you went digging for gold. >> reporter: this company is asking collectors of recyclables to get as many circuit boards as they can. especially boards older than ten years. >> translator: don't you get this kind of a circuit board? all versions of game cassettes use a lot of gold. >> reporter: municipalities have also begun collecting the boards. last month, a ward in tokyo set up recycle boxes. besides computers, people drop

off cell phones, digital cameras and other products that have a lot of gold. until now, old home electronic appliances were thrown away. but the ward says valuable parts shouldn't be wasted. cell phone chips contain a lot of personal data. like phone numbers and email addresses. the ward stresses that all donors' personal information will be destroyed. they don't miss a thing. not even equipment tossed in the garbage. they comb through everything and save the circuit boards. they collected 150 kilograms in a month. >> translator: it's an effective way of killing two birds with one stone. it will change the way people

throw out their trash. and it will also provide the ward with the money gained from recycling this material. >> reporter: there's also another source of gold at home. in this box, for example,. >> translator: there's a lot in here. this nonprofit organization collects old dentures and sells them to recycling companies. the money is donated overseas to help needy children. because of gold's rising price, even these unwanted dentures are worth more than they used to be. >> translator: this is real

gold. i think this will sell for over $500 now. >> reporter: in past months, the organization has made donations totaling about $8400 a month. twice the amount donated last year. >> translator: we had no idea that the price would get this high. if you have unwanted dentures sitting in your drawer, please, donate them to us. we've also heard about a down side to this gold rush. some are trying to get their hands on this metal any way they can. that includes visiting the elderly and forcing them to sell possessions that contain gold. here are the latest market figures.

rachel ferguson is up next with weather. hi there, time do get you updated with all the world's weather events. as we head into eastern asia, we're going to be seeing some drier conditions across northern japan. a low pressure system moving away right now and tomorrow should be more settled in the north and cooler, it's been very warm over the last couple of days, temperatures will be dropping in some places by about ten degrees. and that will include tokyo. coming back down to seasonal

averages, it's been like summer the past couple of days. high pressure extending across northern china as well as the korean peninsula, mongolia, too, we'll be keeping things very settled. it's going to be a little bit cool as well for the next few days, but it should be warming up a little for you as we head into the end of the week. southwestern china is seeing plenty of showers here. these will just continue. we've got a lot of moisture coming up from the south china sea and the northeast monsoon will continue to be quite active. you can see where, the eastern coast of indochina, that's going to be vietnam and across the south, cambodia into southern parts of thailand dealing with the ongoing showers and thunderstorms. bangkok, that's going do include you, the potential for thunderstorms and 34 degrees. so a hot day coming to you. 25 in hong kong. and should be mostly dry, maybe just a couple of early-morning showers. 19 degrees in shanghai and then we'll be back down to 19 in tokyo today. it was about 27 i think for the high. and back down to about 19 tomorrow on wednesday. 8 degrees in ulan bator and you

should be staying dry. let's check on our hurricane, still a category 2 system, this is rina, moving six kilometers per hour, west-northwest and the winds are sustained at 160 with stronger gusts. we now have the warnings and watches across the coast of the yucatan peninsula now. it's expected to make landfall probably between thursday and friday overnight local time. that's going to be, so we'll be keeping an eye on it. it looks like it has the potential to strengthen further and become a really major system in the next 24 hours. before making landfall towards the end of the week. we head up in towards the bigger picture here, we've got a few things going on. a couple of lows, this one dashing across the great lakes has been bringing snow towards north dakota as well as south dakota. it's going to be turning over to mostly rain as it heads further towards the east here this one, developing winter storm system, will be delivering quite a blow in terms of the wind and also that heavy snow. even about 30 centimeters in lower-lying areas and warning

and watches posted for winter weather. towards the southwest, just behind that system, it's going to be dry and very windy. so potential for fire weather here. temperaturewise, 13 degrees in denver. 12 in seattle. and just 9 for the high in winnipeg. 13 for toronto, and new york is 17. warm for you in chicago at 23 and a hot day in oklahoma city at 29. windy ahead of the systems coming in. as those systems coming into the southeast of course, that will be turning over into rain a little later on in the week. as we head into europe, you can see where the mess is going to be, out west. maybe the potential for more flooding across the british isles, it's going to be wet and rainy and some of those downpours are going to be on the very heavy side. also dealing with the rain is going to be western france, and then coming in towards the iberian peninsula, we have the ongoing thunderstorms, too. yet another system here, over italy will keep things very, very wet indeed and stormy. with snow up towards the north of that system over the alpine region. out east, things are looking very good. very settled and calm indeed.

just where we'd like it to be a bit more settled, unfortunately, we're going to see continuing rain showers, i'm talking about van in turkey, of course, it looks like it's going to be overcast and a bit showery all week. most highs in the single digits and the lows steadily decreasing down below the freezing mark. i'll leave you with your extended forecast.

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.